Are These the Best Written Shows in Television History?

 

Recently the Writer’s Guild released its list of the “101 Best Written Shows Ever.”

 

What’s the Writer’s Guild? It’s “a labor union composed of the thousands of writers who write the television shows, movies, news programs, documentaries, animation, videogames and new media content that keep audiences constantly entertained and informed.”  I got that from their website, so if you have an issue with the writers who write news programs that allegedly keep us informed, take it up with them.

 

As always with such lists, it’s fun to critique the selections and assess what they got right and what they missed. I was curious to see if the Comfort TV classics that debuted in the 1950s – 1980s were still well-represented, or if they lost ground to more recent shows from which current Guild members are still earning residuals.

 

You can view the full results here

 

Rather than scrutinize the entire list (neither of us has that kind of time) let’s look at five areas where they got it right, and another five where they got it wrong.

 

RIGHT: The Twilight Zone (3), All in the Family (4), M*A*S*H (5), and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (6) all ranked among the top ten.

As they should be. While All in the Family seems dated now given its reliance on contemporary events, in its first run this was groundbreaking material. The Twilight Zone remains the gold standard for sci-fi anthologies more than 60 years after its debut, M*A*S*H blended comedy, tragedy, drama and social commentary better than any other series before or since; and The Mary Tyler Moore Show is still laugh-out-loud funny. 

 

WRONG: I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show did not rank among the top ten.

Being selected at #12 and #14 is certainly respectable. And one could argue that what made I Love Lucy a classic was not so much the situations described in its scripts but the way those moments were performed with expert comic timing by its quartet of stars. But as for The Dick Van Dyke Show, no excuses will be accepted. I still think it’s the best situation comedy in history. 

 

 

RIGHT: Sesame Street (#56) makes the list.

It’s been around so long that it may be taken for granted, or even be dismissed as dated compared to whatever 5-6 year olds are glued to now. But there was no blueprint for what Sesame Street set out to do back in 1969. The series deftly mixed music and Muppets and live action and animation to teach letters and numbers in a way that made learning fun. Its success is indisputable, its impact immeasurable. I still remember the Spanish word for ‘exit’ is ‘salida’ thanks to a lesson from Luis 48 years ago. 

 

 

WRONG: Star Trek (#33) ranks higher than Star Trek: The Next Generation (#79)

Yes, the second show would not exist without the first. But if we’re being honest the 79 episodes that comprise the original Star Trek series are equally divided into about 25 that were great, 25 that were all right, and 29 that have not aged well, despite being carried by the chemistry between Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy. Star Trek: The Next Generation had far fewer clunkers, and episodes like “The Measure of a Man,” “The Inner Light” and “The Best of Both Worlds” excelled at a level that even its predecessor at its best could not match. 

 

 

RIGHT: The Defenders and The Fugitive Were Not Forgotten

Both of these exceptionally written 1960s series were rarely broadcast in syndication, so later generations of viewers did not have access to them as often as the sitcoms and westerns from that era. I believe that this lack of exposure more than anything else explains their low rankings - #84 for The Defenders, and #98 for The Fugitive. But given the recency bias endemic to lists like this, I’m grateful they made the cut at all. 

 

 

WRONG: Too many shows that didn’t stick the landing.

I’m not going to argue against the greatness of The X-Files (#26), Lost (#27), Twin Peaks (#35) and Moonlighting (#60) – at their best they were as compelling as any series. But when it came time to resolve mysteries, tie up loose ends, and/or deliver a satisfying conclusion to years of adventures, all of them fell short. Way, way short in some cases, and those flaws originated in the scripts. How much of a factor should that be in assessing their status among the medium’s greatest achievements?

 

RIGHT: Quality Trumped Quantity

Clearly there was no minimum episode requirement for consideration. Fawlty Towers (#58), Roots (#62) Lonesome Dove (#96) and The Prisoner (#50), all made the list. 

 

 

WRONG: Sex and the City at #39 – or Anywhere on the List

Seriously? The Guild thought that highly of shoe worship and “I couldn’t help but wonder…”? If bad puns were enough to earn you a spot, Rocky & Bullwinkle should be on the list as well.

 

RIGHT: Honoring Some Classics That Were Not Automatic

Any “Best of” list for television will probably always include I Love Lucy and Twilight Zone and other Comfort TV greats already mentioned. But thankfully the Guild also honored classics that are too often overlooked in such surveys, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Rockford Files, The Phil Silvers Show, Columbo, and Get Smart. 

 

 

WRONG: But They Still Missed Some Equally Worthy Candidates

Also making the cut: Soap, Murphy Brown and Family Ties. I’d happily replace those three with The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Room 222, and Lou Grant. And even though it’s not from the Comfort TV era, I was shocked to see The Gilmore Girls were left off the list, while there were slots for lesser lights like The Colbert Report, The Good Wife, and The Shield. 

 

 

What did you think of the list? Which of your favorites were left off, or should have ranked higher?