Ha!
So, on Friday, TV Guide came out with a list of the "top 30 cult TV shows of all time".
[aside - why do these lists even bother saying "of all time"? Shouldn't they wait until ...I don't know, the end of time, before compiling these things? Especially since they composed a 'top 25 cult TV shows of all time' about 5 years back.]
ANYWAY.
The article is here.
And here is the list:
Bolded show numbers are ones that I have seen, bolded titles means that I greatly enjoyed them.
30) Strangers with Candy (1999-2000)
29) Absolutely Fabulous (1994-2003)
28) Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
27) H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971)
26) Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1975-1978)
25) Firefly (2002-2003)
24) Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
23) Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
22) Doctor Who (1963-present)
21) Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
20) The Avengers (1966-1969)
19) Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
18) Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
17) Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990)
16) Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
15) Family Guy (1999-present)
14) Battlestar Galactica (2003-present)
13) Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989-1999)
12) Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1986-1991)
11) Jericho (2006-present)
10) Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)
9) Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
8) The Simpsons (1989-present)
7) The Prisoner (1967-1968)
6) Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974)
5) Lost (2004-present)
4) Farscape (1999-2003)
3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
2) The X-Files (1993-2002)
1) Star Trek (1966-1969)
Notable missings:
Futurama, Alias, Angel, Smallville, The Star Trek spinoffs [maybe they were included with Star Trek?... but, no, they only put 1966-1969, so they meant only the original series as #1 on their list. Weird.], Heroes, House [I'm not a fan of it, but I know it's got a huge cult following], V, Alien Nation, and Dead at 21. [Someone should revisit this idea. It really wasn't given a chance. I guess maybe NBC's upcoming Chuck might be sorta like it, but I'm skeptical of that show at this stage in the game.]
Questionable inclusions:
#30 - Strangers with Candy. What? I've never even heard of this show.
#29 - Absolutely Fabulous. Sucked beyond the telling of it.
#20 - The Avengers. Really? I never saw the original series, but the movievized version was horrible. (Of course, most movievized versions of tv shows past are.
#17 - Beauty and the Beast. Again, huh? I'd think that The Adventures of Lois and Clark would be more apt here. I mean, at least Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher both still have careers. Linda Hamilton and ...um... whoever the Beast was? Yeah. Nowhereseville.
#11 - Jericho. I keep hearing that it improved after midseason, but I gave up after the first 3 or 4 episodes. It was just too ...not good.
Anyway, when they do this list again next year, or whenever, I bet that Reaper will be on there. I've seen the pilot episode of it [and also Aliens in America and Life is Wild, which were...less impressive] and I can totally see this show catching on. It's very funny, and it has the supernatural twist to it, and it has enough plot potential to last for a while without getting stale. I even came up with one of my trademark way out theories! But, after giving it a little more thought, I've decided that it's most likely totally wrong. [Just like always! Yay!]
But, for the sake of prosperity, here's my theory. If it turns out that they use it, remember where you heard it first....
[begin spoiler for Reaper theory that is quite certainly way wrong CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE PILOT EPISODE OF REAPER! - highlight to view]
The Devil is actually God.
Why I thought this - 1) His comment, "I've seen how this ends. God wins."
2) He's having Sam do "good" work.
3) Sam's friend's comment about how you can't sell someone else's soul.
3a) The fact that Sam wants to continue to work for the Devil.
4) It would be an awesome twist, and something that I would appreciate.
Strikes against it
1) The Devil does watch as the guy gets killed by the Zamboni. [granted, the guy was a bad guy [so he said] and the god in the bible is a vengeful ass, but the vengeful ass thing is usually ignored by media portrayals of the Almighty God.]
2) The DMV worker.[see below]
3) Why would God pose as the Devil? That just doesn't make sense.
[/end spoilers]
Regardless, the show was still fun, and Tuesday nights at 9pm, we'll be watching.
Edited to add - Here were some of the best parts of the pilot ep of Reaper:
Highlight at your own risk!
1) The fact that the DMV is a portal into hell. Sure, the DMV is an easy target, but it explains so much!
2) "The winner gets a ham."
"I'm Jewish, you jerk!"
"..or a gift certificate."
3) "Sam tried college for a month, but it made him sleepy."
4) "It takes a charger."
5) The DMV worker having horns. Hee!
6) Their address is 667.
7) "How drunk are you?"
"Totally sober."
"How drunk am I?" [as with so many of Sock's lines, it's more his delivery than anything. Sock is awesome.]
8) "DMV!!" [another Sock line, and the messing up of the clerk's desk that goes along with it]
9) Eyebrows.
10) "I can be nice."
9 comments:
Yay! A mention of MST3K!
And Futurama and Highlander need to be on there.
By the by? The Beast? Ron Perlman.
Wait. Back up. Are you telling me you have never watched even a single episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus? Get thee to the library, man, and check them out!
Dude, I loved Absolutely Fabulous. The Avengers was a very cool show, v. British and v. '60s chic. What the hell is Dead at 21? Never heard of it. I would've included Kolchak: The Night Stalker--only one season, what's more cult than that?
And, um. Here I have to contradict my sort of namesake (in addition to P@), but the appeal of Mystery Science Theater is utterly lost on me. I tried to watch it once or twice, and found it the most obnoxious thing ever. I seriously couldn't make it thru even five minutes. Each to their own, I guess.
Kirk, you are dead to me now.
It would be awesome if this list really did list the best cult shows of all time, and included ones from the future. Then I'd know what to get in on! Of course, maybe the commentary here is that the best years of tv are behind us?
why do these lists even bother saying "of all time"? Shouldn't they wait until ...I don't know, the end of time, before compiling these things?
Can't tell you how many times I've had that very same thought.
And, dude... I can't believe you totally just dissed The Pearlman.
Beauty And The Beast does have a very passionate following; I know that. I used to love it, although I recognise that it often crossed the border between romance and slush. (They've finally started releasing the DVDs after lord knows how long; I have S1 and S2 is on order.)
"Whoever The Beast was?" Uh, that would be the awesome Ron Perlman, currently riding high with Hellboy and the No. 1 Voice I Would Shag If I Could. Also, I've met 'im! So there. [/saddo]
*steps off B&TB soapbox* Otherwise, I agree with pretty much everything you said. Er, carry on.
p.s. these top xx lists are usually shit anyway.
Okay, I'm officially chagrined (and rightfully so) in regard to my lack of knowledge when it comes to Ron Perlman's Beastly past.
Kirk - Dead at 21 was a show on MTV for one season back in '94 or '93. It was about a 20 year old genius who discovers that he's so smart because the govt put a chip in his head when he was a baby. (along with a bunch of other folks) Unfortunately, since it's the government, it doesn't work as it should, and all the experiments have been killed due to the chip malfunctioning by the time they turn 21. The show focused on him (and his rather hot girl friend [not girlfriend, though]) trying to find a cure, bring the truth to the mainstream, and also avoid capture by a gov't agent who had framed them for murder. Fun!
If you've ever laughed at anything I have ever written, you'd probably find "Strangers With Candy" hilarious. One of the co-stars is Stephen Colbert, you may be familiar with some of his work.
Please don't judge "The Avengers" by that fetid thing Hollywood bent over and weakly shat out a number of years ago. The oddly intriguing british television show featured Diana Rigg in her absolute prime. Rowr.
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