BEST American TV show of all time?

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Aha! We Americans are already taking credit for television in other countries! :uk: 😱 🇺🇸
 
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I think a lot of the shows listed are certainly good. But to be called “BEST American TV show of all time”?

I really think that there has to be staying power–still being shown and still gaining fans, and that the show should have made some kind of significant contribution to the medium of television and also to popular culture.

And it has to be made in the U.S.A., or at least originated in the U.S.A. I believe that Downton Abbey is an import from Great Britain, right?

By the criteria I described above, I would nominate Dark Shadows. It ran from 1967-1971, but since it was cancelled, it has been on television SOMEWHERE in the world–there has never been a time when Dark Shadows has not been aired somewhere (translated into different languages).

And talk about culture-changing! The show aired during the height of the Viet Nam war protests, and it provided a much-need respite from the stress and horror that the U.S. was experiencing. Watching Barnabas Collins rise from his coffin and seek treatment for his vampirism (which he hated) from a woman doctor (that alone was revolutionary back then!) was an escape (only a half-hour) from watching American soliders brought back in body bags from a war that most people did not support.

And the show encouraged imagination and creativity and STILL does! The Dark Shadows Festival has been going on for decadess, and features original stage presentations, films, and CDs featuring original actors from the show along with amateurs.

Several of the actors have written novels and non-fiction books based on the show.

Writers like Stephen King and Tim Burton give Dark Shadows the credit for stimulating their imaginations and getting them interested in pursuing writing for a career.

For me personally, the show was a life-saver. I’ve described the bullying that I experienced in 5th grade on these forums. The summer following that horrible year, I discovered Dark Shadows, and since in our part of the country (Midwest), it came on at 3:00 p.m., and all of us were in school until 3:30 p.m., kids couldn’t watch it. BUT…my dear mother (R.I.P.) watched the show for me and my brother, and every day, I would write up her descriptions and the following day, a crowd would gather around me on the playground while I read my descriptions. I was really popular!

About half way through the school year, I and the other 6th graders entered a local essay contest…and one day, the teacher announced the winner–ME!

I was shocked–me?? But the teacher talked to me after school (I went to ask her if there was a mistake in the results). She told me that I wrote with a great deal of creativity and clarity.

Obviously that skill was learned writing up those Dark Shadows summaries!

I know that there are all kinds of stories of the good influence that Dark Shadows had on its young viewers. So I’m sticking with this nomination–Dark Shadows deserves the title “BEST American TV show of ALL TIME!”
 
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Rob2 said:
As a little 'un these two used to have me in stitches
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Haha, dude, I know you’re not from the US and I have no doubt this was innocent, but you may want to remove that picture. Blackface is considered quite offensive in the United States today.
 
Picky, picky, picky!
There are some American actresses in it though.
 
Yes

I dream of Jeannie

I also love Charmed
 
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Frasier is a great show. I have to second Seinfeld.

Game of thrones.
 
Nor do I. I have to wonder if anyone has an original idea anymore? All they have nowadays are reboots of old TV series and movies.
 
lilypadrees said:
Nor do I. I have to wonder if anyone has an original idea anymore? All they have nowadays are reboots of old TV series and movies.
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Those old series and movies were probably all variations on older themes and motifs anyway. Basically everything is taking a familiar theme and repackaging it.
 
In real life, the 3 Stooges were so cool! Very devout Jews, and brothers/friends all their lives.
 
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