BEST American TV show of all time?

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The Waltons, The Wonder Years, Dallas, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Big Bang Theory
 
Fractured Fairy Tales was hilarious. Some of the cartoons from the 60s-70s such as Bugs Bunny, featuring Mel Blanc’s voice, were fabulous.
 
I’m not sure, but I believe I Love Lucy was watched by almost everyone in the U.S.–it was groundbreaking for a number of reasons, not the least of which was a marriage between a “Euopean/American” woman and a Cuban man. I love the way Desi Arnaz spoke up for Lucille Ball when she was accused of being “Communist” (which she was–registered with the Communist Party)–but Arnaz sure let the investigators have it when he told them about how his family escaped from Communism–saved Lucy’s skin, IMO!

Also, it was the first show to have an…gasp!..“expecting” woman in public view! Wow!

And it was funny! I can watch an episode of I Love Lucy that I’ve seen dozens of times, and still laugh my head off!

And I LOVE the music and the nightclub! I wish there were still nightclubs like this, with big bands and dancing–maybe there are in the big cities, but not in the small cities like ours.

My parents hated I Love Lucy, but I suspect it’s because they didn’t care for the mixed marriage, and they definitely didn’t care for the constant bad gossip in the movie magazines and from the gossip queens (Hedda Hopper, Rona Barrett, etc.) about Lucy and Desi, and they thought the show was “silly.” They didn’t see anything funny about a woman who got drunk on patent medicine, or couldn’t keep up with a candy line.

Different strokes for different folks. I don’t care for South Park, but our local conservative radio host loves it passionately and constantly talks about it on his show and in his personal appearances. I don’t get it.
 
Peeps said:
Different strokes for different folks. I don’t care for South Park, but our local conservative radio host loves it passionately and constantly talks about it on his show and in his personal appearances. I don’t get it.
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Different generations respond to different things, I think. But one of the things that makes I Love Lucy an American icon is the way it still holds up. I’m in my 30s and I can remember watching I Love Lucy reruns as a kid with my grandparents and enjoying them.

I don’t think kids in 20 years will be watching, say, Everybody Loves Raymond reruns in the same way. As sitcoms go it was a good one, but it just doesn’t have that thing that takes it from “entertaining sitcom” to “classic.”
 
I Love Lucy was innovative in other ways. The Arnez’s built their own studio, owned the copyrights and farmed out the distribution rights to CBS. It meant they maintained ownership of the shows and merchandising. Lucy and Desi literally created the modern TV means of production and distribution.
 
Am I the only person who doesn’t care for MASH? I find Alan Alda particularly grating. He is so smug and always sounds to me like he’s re reading his lines after the director said “try it with more feeling” basically like he’s always overdoing it.

There are lots of shows I enjoy but not sure they count as great television. Breaking Bad, is a show that I’d consider great. There are some really superior programming put out in the last decade. Marvelous Mrs Maisel is pretty terrific.
 
Gun Smoke
The Virginian

Both can still be watched on INSP channel today.
 
Calliope said:
Am I the only person who doesn’t care for MASH? I find Alan Alda particularly grating. He is so smug and always sounds to me like he’s re reading his lines after the director said “try it with more feeling” basically like he’s always overdoing it.

There are lots of shows I enjoy but not sure they count as great television. Breaking Bad, is a show that I’d consider great. There are some really superior programming put out in the last decade. Marvelous Mrs Maisel is pretty terrific.
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I almost feel unAmerican, but I agree with
you, I never cared for MASH either and I
agree with your take on Alan Alda.

That was one show I was finally glad went
off the air and I have never watched a single rerun.
 
Calliope said:
Am I the only person who doesn’t care for MASH? I find Alan Alda particularly grating. He is so smug and always sounds to me like he’s re reading his lines after the director said “try it with more feeling” basically like he’s always overdoing it.
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I think he was kind of like that in the later seasons, but not in the earlier (and funnier) episodes.
 
I definitely vote for Breaking Bad. I binge watched it this summer on Netflix before our homeschool year started. Best series EVER.
 
Calliope said:
There are lots of shows I enjoy but not sure they count as great television
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Exactly. Crucial distinction.

A McDonalds burger can be enjoyed (I guess…) but no one sane would call it a great burger.
 
Cute show. Marlo Thomas had a lot of her father’s mannerisms. When I was a boy my father didn’t want me to watch The Odd Couple because he thought it looked gay for two men to share an apartment.

You have never lived until you’ve seen Roy Clark playing the guitar on The Odd Couple. Search it on YouTube.
 
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