EW Always Got it Wrong
My first ever magazine subscription was to Entertainment Weekly. I enjoyed reading about the latest in movies, television, music, and books for a while but after a few years I canceled my subscription. EW became too sarcastic and full of themselves — no doubt an attempt to appeal to the young male demographic. The stereotypical young male demographic.
Well, the glossy magazine filled with pretty pictures of fake pretty people recently released a new classics issue, featuring what they foolishly believe to be the best modern classics from 1983 to 2008.
EW’s list of the best 100 modern TV shows is a sloppy concoction of naivety at best. The Simpsons ranks first, Seinfeld is third, and I can’t say I disagree with that entirely, but from there the rest of the list unravels like the frayed tassel of an imitation Persian rug.
Sex and the City (5) laughably outranks every other comedy; classics like The Cosby Show (7), South Park (12), and the funniest show in television history: Arrested Development (16). One of the most overrated shows in television history, Friends ranks ninth, though that’s no surprise; EW has always had a hard-on for that show. I never understood why…
The drama list is even more insulting. While it’s not my favorite show, The Sorpranos ranks second and I’m sure many would argue that it deserves the spot, if not the top spot. The X Files (4) — an old favorite of mine — ranks above far superior shows: LOST (8), Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (10), and insultingly, The Wire (11) — arguably the most outstanding (and realistic) drama in television history.
Six Feet Under (39) and Battlestar Galactica (59) are both undeservingly buried below shows like American Idol (18), ER (19), Gilmore Girls (32), 24 (34), and CSI (35).
Then there are just some bizarre entries on the list: The Oprah Winfrey Show (15), Beverly Hills, 90210 (20), Baywatch (50), Melrose Place (51), and HBO’s annoyingly awful, ironically titled Lisa Kudrow bomb The Comeback (79). Even The Bachelor (99) made the list.
Suspiciously absent from the list are Third Rock from the Sun, The Tick (either animated or live-action), Pushing Daisies, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and Sports Night.
But I can’t say that I disagree with the last entry on EW’s list; the forever-immortal Saved by the Bell.