Love My TV

One of the best television shows (arguably) in the last decade is HBO’s long lamented “Rome,” an extremely historically detailed account of the day to day lives of Cesarian Rome. Here are a few of our biggest arguments for why HBO, whether people were watching it from www.direct.tv or renting the DVDs, should BRING ROME BACK!
Historical Accuracy – One of the biggest reasons HBO says Rome had to be cancelled after only two 10-episode seasons was the extreme expense the Read more »

The longest running police drama is Law & Order. Law & Order first aired on September 13, 1990, on NBC. The show lasted 20 seasons with the last episode airing on May 24, 2010. It tied with Gunsmoke as the longest running American drama. The producer, Dick Wolf, had so much success with Law & Order that there have been several spin-offs such as Law & Order: SVU, Special Victims Unit. The show had two parts, the law and the order. The first part of the episode went to investigating and catching the bad guy and the last half was Read more »

Gilligan’s Island is one of the most beloved American television shows. These seven castaways gave us many laughs through the years even if the premise was outlandish. We all have our favorite character, but I bet you can name them all without giving it a second thought.

The Skipper was of course the leader despite the fact that it was his boat that landed them on the island. Gilligan, who is now a cultural icon, was the Read more »

Without a doubt one of the most recognizable faces and one of the most important people in the world is none other than the President of the United States. While they are always recognized for the stuff that they do to protect the country, they also are criticized for their stern and hard demeanor, one that is meant to let people know that the United States is nothing to mess with.

One way that the President has been able to show his true self Read more »

For five years and 140 wacky episodes, “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” touched on the taboo and the topical in a quick-paced, vaudeville-like format. The action centered on comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin who portrayed the classic smart-guy/dumb guy duo, guiding each program through zany skits, one-liners and musical numbers. Many regular cast members gained fame though the show, including Goldie Hawn, Arte Johnson and Lily Tomlin. Together with Ruth Buzzi, Jo Ann Worley, Alan Seuss and Henry Gibson, they created some of the most memorable characters in the medium.

A Read more »

Classic TV sitcoms live on through syndication and cable TV programming but many had relatively short original runs. Though TV Guide ranks it as the second greatest all-time television show I Love Lucy ran just six years from 1951 through 1957 with a total of 194 episodes. The third show on TV Guide’s list of greatest shows aired only one season and produced a measly 39 episodes. This show, The Honeymooners, aired October 1955 through September 1966.

The Honeymooners offered a glimpse into Read more »

The situation comedy has been staple programming practically since televisions became a common household item. I was having a discussion with a colleague about which sitcoms have run the longest- we couldn’t agree, they claimed it was MASH while I insisted that it was Cheers. It got me to thinking, so I popped the question in to Google and was delivered to ANCHOR TEXT, http://www.itthing.com/10-longest-running-tv-sitcoms-of-all-time, where I was quite surprised with the result.

One thing that is usually the death knell for a sitcom is children- they tend Read more »

If, for some reason, you find the urge to go sleep or immediately change the channel following It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Thursday broadcast, FX is giving viewers a 3^rd chance to right their wrongs and stay tuned for arguably the most entertaining newcomer over the past 2 football seasons. No, football season and TV seasons are not one in the same, but for the FX-original series The League, the two walk hand in hand. Recently renewed for a 3^rd season, much to the delight of yours truly, The League is to legions of cleverer-than-thou Fantasy Football nerds what Sex and the City was to desperate middle-aged women. In fact, the two shows draw further parallels in that The League is only partially about fantasy football just as SITC centered around men on only a primarily superficial level. Instead, what The League represents is a realistic (assuming every fantasy football league could score NFL cameos and finance/execute quality music videos) depiction of male friendship, treating each other and talking to one another like guys really do and addressing topics guys actually talk about. Read more »

• Entourage (HBO) Just when we thought the show was about lose some of its luster, a lot like Vinny Chase post Medellin, writers amped it up a notch and returned the show to glory. Delving into more substance, even substance abuse, the show once again managed to capture waning viewer interested even among longtime followers. After all, you can only spend so much money and sleep with so many babes, right?
• Californication (Showtime) From the first scene of the first episode we were hooked, though truth be told it may have been the most sacrilegiously irreverent 5 minutes in TV history. Now in its 4^th season Californication has done little to disappoint. Follow Hank Moody on his life as a writer, not the pent up English teacher with arthritis in his typing fingers you might expect from unmistakably drab connotations regarding the writing discipline, but a womanizing wannabe family man, caught between his writer’s block, misguided self-identity and his own commercial success. Read more »

1. Modern Family (ABC) If season 2 comes anywhere close to season 1, there is no disputing the newly crowned kings of comedy. Starring Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family introduces us to the new look of suburbia. Comprised of a grandfather who remarried younger and latina, his brother and sister children, both of whom married men, and an onslaught of hilariously quirky grandkids, top notch writing and great performance make the show something the entire family will appreciate.
2. Community (NBC) With Chevy Chase now doing a steady diet of even non-Super Bowl commercials it’s not as surprising he got roped into a sitcom, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to reap the benefit of comedic genius. Whether or not you think Joel McHale is the coolest dude around or painfully whiny, the supporting cast of characters makes Community a must see. The plot centers around a unlikely group of friends stemming from a ragtag Spanish study group, formed in order to pass a surprisingly difficult community college class. Ken Jeong plays a recurring role as Spanish teacher Senor Chang, like Chase proving equally competent on the small screen after stints in big hit comedies like The Hangover and Role Models. At least tune in for the final few minutes to watch Danny Pudi and Donald Glover show off truly remarkable improvisational skills. Read more »