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TV IS KING! | March 28, 2006

So screams the latest Entertainment Weekly cover, which I got last week and almost died. No, seriously. Best. Issue. Ever. (And I love EW in general, so that's saying something.) And I am here to tell you why. The cover claims, "In the age of TiVo, you never have to watch bad television. (But I beg to differ, since I sometimes DO have to watch bad television.) So we pick ... THE 84 BEST SHOWS"

OK, so I won't list all 84, but I am going to go point by point through the first section they get to: "Hour Picks: We scoured New Jersey, Las Vegas, and who the heck knows where to compile our list of the top 10 dramas you should be watching every week." The question is, should you REALLY be watching these 10 dramas every week? Let me be your guide:

EW says:
1. 24
TV Goddess says: Well, duh! Yes, you should be watching this, but it's not No. 1. It's No. 5. It's still exciting, but for me it lost some of its luster after season 1. No matter how many people they kill off, I just can't get as invested as I was in that first, riveting season. But Kiefer is fabulous, as everyone knows.

EW says:
2. The Sopranos
TG says: I am probably going to get my title as "TV writer" taken away for admitting this, but I'm a season behind on this show, and the reason? I DON'T think it's the No. 2 drama on TV. Sure, it's great, and Michael Imperioli is the best supporting actor anywhere on TV, BUT it can be pretty slow-moving at times and overly and unnecessarily dense. Plus, they drop a lot of plot lines and never pick them up again. I'm still waiting to find out what happened to the Russian from "Pine Barrens." My rank: No. 6

EW says:
3. CSI
TG says: No, this is not in my top 10. I'm sorry, but it just isn't. I think it's gratuitously gruesome, and I am not that into gratuitous anything. Plus, I'm no fan of procedurals.

EW says:
4. Battlestar Galactica
TG says: Yes, yes, yes! Only, no. This is No. 2,and sometimes even No. 1. With some of the best and most relevant story lines anywhere on TV or movies, and with terrific acting. And complicated plot twists that you can tell were planned out from the beginning, this is truly must-see TV. And not in that dorky, NBC Thursday night way, but because this show might actually make you a little bit better.

EW says:
5. Lost
TG says: We have covered this. I cannot get into it, and it makes me feel manipulated. So, no, it's not in my top 10.

EW says:
6. Everwood
TG says: I am both thrilled and surprised that EW was smart enough to put this charmer in its top 10. We all know how I feel about it, since I wrote my column about its return LAST NIGHT (did you see it? Both hours? What did you think?), but I will add that it is higher on my list than on EW's. It's No. 3

EW says:
7. Gilmore Girls
TG says: Actually, I agree completely. This is my No. 7. It might have been higher at some point in time, but that was before there was Battlestar Galactica and before they turned Luke into an idiot and made Lorelai mute where April is concerned.

EW says:
8. Law & Order franchise
TG says: I think it's cheating to fit three episodes into No. 8, but I don't have any of these in my top 10. Again with the "not a fan of procedurals." Sorry, L&O fans. There are millions of you, though, so take comfort.

EW says:
9. Veronica Mars
TG says: Of course, of course it's on my list. I still love it and watch it as soon as possible on the night it airs (Wednesday until April 11, which is its first Tuesday night; it will be repeating on Tuesday nights until then, though, if you would rather watch it then to get in the habit). This is my No. 4. It used to be higher, but season 2 isn't quite as knock-your-socks-off as season 1, plus my Nos. 1-3 have gotten so very good.

EW says:
10. The Shield
TG says: Uh, thank you for deigning to put the No. 1 drama on your list, EW. But No. 10? You have got to be kidding me. After that most recent season, this should top everyone's list. This show never slows down, and the lines are so blurry, I can't even tell who I'm rooting for anymore -- especially now that one of the good guys is gone -- at the hands of his heartbroken best friend. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

AND ... rounding out MY top 10, would be:

No. 8: Prison Break: I know it's not going to be long-lasting, but let's enjoy it while we can.
No. 9: Supernatural: It rises above both its genre and its network, and it's almost a lock for renewal by the CW. So, thankfully, we'll get more Sam and Dean.
No. 10: Bones: It's not great yet, but it has the potential to be. And the chemistry between the leads is dynamic, and only getting better.

(Sticking to EW's rules, I left out Deadwood because the magazine only included shows that you can catch on TV right now.)

Posted by deann in Love | permalink