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The first five shows have been my favorites for over a year, but I have recently come to realize that Firefly is probably my favorite show of all time. The second half of the list is a bit more arbitrary; I wanted to include a variety of shows from different periods of my life. With the exception of The Wonder Years, I only included shows that I have seen in their entirety. It is likely that the list will change as I finish more of the HBO/Showtime back catalog.
Why did shows 6-10 make the list? (NOTE: These rankings have since changed, but I left them as they were when I originally wrote this)
6. The Larry Sanders Show
I'm way too close to this show to be objective, having finished it less than two hours ago. Still, I can't help but feel like it is one of the most important sitcoms of all time. It is totally groundbreaking in its use of awkward humor, pop culture, and self-parody. Larry Sanders and Rip Torn are superb as the star and producer of a late night talk show, but Jeffrey Tambor ventures into "once in a career" territory with the idiot sidekick Hank Kingsley. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, with the biggest guest stars of the '90s sprinkled throughout every episode. The format probably won't appeal to all viewers, but I fell in love with its inovation from the start. It's not laugh out loud funny (at least not all the time), but it contains some of the smartest comedy writing of any show I've seen. If you decide to give it a try make sure to stick through the first season and a half, because that's when the show really catches on. And remember, no flipping.
Update: It's been a week since I finished, and I'm more confident than ever that this show can only go up on the list. Still not interested in watching? I hate you. How about this piece of information: Judd Apatow (yes, he of Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Knocked Up fame) helped write/direct many of the episodes.
7. Veronica Mars
My love for Veronica Mars can be traced directly to my love of two things: film noir, and Kristen Bell. This show took a dying genre and showed how it could produce one of the best television shows of the decade. Take the best of Buffy and Angel, add a dash of Twin Peaks, throw in the limitless talents of Kristen Bell and you have a show that manages to improve on the sum of its ingredients. While the third season may have been painfully inconsistent, the first two seasons were works of genius.
8. The Office (US)
The Office is probably the best comedy on television right now. The last two seasons have been incredible, and there seems to be no end in sight. I'm probably placing this a bit too high on the list, but for now it will stay where it is.
9. Six Feet Under
While I can't remember everything that happened in Six Feet Under. I clearly remember my feelings for the show after I finished the last episode. In addition to having one of the best ensemble casts in HBO history, the eight minute segment at the close of season five is one of the greatest endings in television history.
10. The Wonder Years
While not the "greatest" show to ever air, this was the most important show of my youth. Kevin Arnold was my first real role model, and the show was groundbreaking in its use of absurd daydreams and clever narration. True, it is an overly nostalgic look back at a seminal period of American history, but that's what makes it so special. Rather than offer a historic look back at what happened in the late 1960s, this show presents the time period from the perspective of a young boy. My parents are the same age as Kevin Arnold, and while they lived through the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam, their memories of growing up have very little to do with either. Like the Wonder Years, they break down their childhood into simple, uncomplicated emotions. As someone who is at the end of his own childhood, I find myself looking back in the same way, and its fun to escape into the morally perfect world of The Wonder Years every now and then.
Honorable Mention: Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek had its fair share of awfulness, but my love for the show defies all reason. It occupies a special place in my childhood, which allows me to overlook the bad and downright annoying aspects that flood nearly every season. At its core, I just love the melodrama and characters that populate Capetown. More importantly, I really love my hatred for a certain titular character...
