Top TV Shows

Along with playing fantasy football, watching television is one of my biggest hobbies/recreational activities. I seen quite a few tv shows in my day and I thought it would be cool to post the top television shows I have watched. Obviously, this list isn’t comprehensive since I may not have watched certain shows that may potentially outrank the shows I have listed here. However, I’ve watched enough shows to create a worthwhile and substantial list. Hopefully this list will give readers some ideas on what shows to spend their valuable time watching.

First off, I’m going to separate out comedies from dramas. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Then within each type of TV show, I will list my top 5 shows and an honorable mention. Well, here goes nothing.

DRAMAS

1. Supernatural – This #1 ranking may come us a surprise to many readers. However, I feel as though Supernatural is one of the most underrated shows on television. It doesn’t get the exposure that shows such as Lost get since it airs on CW, however, the storyline and character development is top-notch and Jesen Ackles is a stud (possible man crush). One of the things I admire most about this show is that it continues to get better with each season, which is unusual for most television shows. Admittingly, the 1st half of season 1 is pretty lame with episode stinkers such as “Bugs” and “Hook.” However, the show really started to pick up steam in the 2nd half of the 1st season and it hasn’t looked back since. If you’re into science fiction and mythology, Supernatural is one of the best TV shows on the planet right now. I’m really looking forward to Season 6.

My Favorite Episode:
S03E16 – “No Rest for the Wicked”

2. Lost – This use to be my favorite television show. However, after a few subpar seasons (specifically Season 4), I “Lost” some interest in the show. Season 6 has been pretty solid so far but has failed to answer a lot of my pressing questions concerning the mysteries of the show. Seasons 1 and 2 are absolutely fantasic and remain my two favorite seasons of any show I’ve ever watched on television. You must be warned however that this show isn’t for the casual tv watching fan.Lost is a fast-moving TV show that requires episode-to-episode attention. With several different timelines, a wide gamut of characters, and a number of unanswered mysteries, being a “Lostie” requires that you pretty much watch every episode and, even then, you still are left wondering what the hell is going on. But that’s the most fun thing about watching this show. The open-endedness of the storyline forces viewers to debate the true meanings of the show’s events and ultimately leads to interesting and controversial conversation.

My Favorite Episode:
S05E05 – “The Constant”

3. Dexter – Michael C. Hall is a great actor and plays the role of Dexter to perfection. I love how the writers have slowly developed Dexter’s character throughout the 1st four seasons. In my opinion, the 4th season was the best. Jon Lithgow was simply amazing in his role and was a great compliment to Dexter’s character. The season 4 finale also presented one of the best twists I’ve ever seen on television and creates some interesting possible story avenues for season 5. This is one of the most unique shows on television and is well worth the time.

My Favorite Episode:
S04E12 – “The Getaway”

4. House – I love this show because it is both extremely funny and dramatic. Hugh Laurie, in his role of House, has established himself as one the best actors on televison. The Season 4 finale was one of the best episodes of television I have ever watched (and, yes, I did cry a little). The format of the show is somewhat predictable and too formulaic (patient comes in with weird unusual symptoms, House wants to take the case but Cuddy doesn’t want him to, House takes the case anyway, the team runs tests that show don’t confirm anything, the team finally thinks they have found the correct diagnosis however their wrong, patient goes into cardiac arrest, they shock him/her back to life, House has a premonition and solves the case, House is a dick to the patient, the end). But hey, it works.

My Favorite Episode:
S04E16 – “Wilson’s Heart”

5. Rescue Me – I stumbled upon this show last summer and I couldn’t stop watching it. I went on Hulu and watched every episode in a matter of a week or so. This show can be a little over-the-top sometimes, but that’s why I like it. It has sex, violence, and some dark comedy. Dennis Leary is a natural fit for the role of Tommy Gavin and the supporting cast is great as well.

My Favorite Episode:
S02E12 – “Happy”

Honorable Mention:

Mad Men – I was a little skeptical at first when I read the premise of this show. A plot focused on the lives of 1960’s advertising executives just didn’t sound that interesting to me. However, I quickly changed my mind after watching the 1st few episodes. This show gives you a unique look into what it was like to live in 1950’s corporate America and I find Don Draper’s character to be quite thought-provoking. I still feel like viewers have a lot to learn about him which should make for a good next couple of seasons.

My Favorite Episode:
S03E13 – “Shut the Door, Have a Seat”

COMEDIES

1. Modern Family – This show was an instant success and was funny from the very 1st episode. I actually wasn’t expecting much of out this show, so I was extremely surprised to find out how funny it really was. For me, this is the funniest show on television right now and I have been impressed with each and every episode of the first season. Phil (who reminds me a lot of Michael Scott) is my favorite character on the show. This is an easy show to get caught up with since it’s only in its infancy. Give it a shot.

My Favorite Episode:
S01E14 – ” Moon Landing ”

2. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia – I always heard great things about this show and finally decided to start watching it late last summer. And man, I’m glad I did. This show is great. Adding Danny DeVito to the cast after Season 1 was a great move as he adds another element of comedy to the show and I find the whole ensemble to be funny in their own way.

My Favorite Episode:
S04E13 – “The Nightman Cometh ”

3. The Office – This use to be my favorite comedy until I started watching Modern Family and IASIF. This show doesn’t provide the same consistency of laughs from episode-to-episode as the aforementioned TV shows. However, The Office definitely has the capability of producing some of my highest ranked episodes and it would probably be ranked #1 or #2 if they could avoid some of the dud episodes.

My Favorite Episode:
S01E02 – “Diversity Day”

4. How I Met Your Mother – I was a little late jumping on this bandwagon but I’m glad that I did. This show has a lot of great one-liners and is constantly quoted by my friends. I even have one friend who models himself after Barney Stintson. This latest season hasn’t been as good as previous seasons, but it’s still been a solid comedic show. I’m just getting a little annoyed with them not revealing how the “Mother” is.

My Favorite Episode:
S01E10 – “The Pineapple Incident”

5. South Park – I know a lot of people hate this show, but I don’t think anyone can deny it’s impact on American society. The thing I love about South Park is that they go places where most TV shows are afraid to venture. They make fun of anyone and everyone. However, underneath all the satire, there is usually a moral to the story. In its 14th season, South Park still remains one of the staples of animated television comedies.

My Favorite Episode:
S08E06 – “The Jeffersons ”

Honorable Mention:

Family Guy – I know a lot of people who probably think this should be ranked a little higher. However, Family Guy doesn’t always strike a funny chord with me. Much like South Park, I appreciate that they are willing to criticize anyone, but I don’t think Seth McFarlane executes that strategy quite as well as Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Still a good show nonetheless.

My Favorite Episode:
S03E02 – “Brian Does Hollywood”

Feel free to comment on my choices of top TV shows and even offer some suggestions for good TV shows to watch. Thanks for reading.