Best of TV, Rebuttal No. 1


Last week I wrapped up my list of my favorite TV series of all time, and I invited comments. Today and tomorrow I'll look at a couple shows that have been suggested that didn't go into my list.

Friends (1994-2004)
Network: NBC
Synopsis: For 10 years, "Friends" was a dominant force on "Must-See TV Thursday" for NBC. Seeing the show is a reminder that, for a period of time, NBC was the premier network. Of course, that's not the case any longer. But it's hard to deny the long-term popularity of this comedy. When I was working on my list of series, and had the discussion about the idea with my wife, there was only one show she mentioned for the top spot — "Friends." And it's true that "Friends" is a mass appeal comedy that still holds up pretty well. (I should know as I am often around as re-runs magically appear on our TV). "Friends" is one of the highest rated, best sitcoms that aired. It's certainly not hard to make a case for it being one of the best TV series of all-time. So why wasn't it on my list. The answer is simple — I prefer drama. I only had two comedies on my list, and neither of them were typical sitcoms. I prefer more off beat, intellectual comedies. That's not to say the people that worked on "Friends" weren't smart, but rather that it was a mass appeal comedy. "Arrested Development," which appeared on my list, wasn't the most mass appeal show, but it was incredibly clever and full of references that required you to pay close attention to get. I appreciate "Friends," I just prefer a different style.
Where To Find It: All 10 seasons of "Friends" are available on DVD.

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