10 Great TV Shows - Seinfeld

If you’ve got a t-shirt with blood stains all over it, maybe laundry isn’t your biggest problem right now.

I used to watch Seinfeld reruns all the time back in the day with my dad. 90% of the jokes went right over my head, so I mostly just laughed when my dad laughed. And he laughed a lot when he was watching Seinfeld. Now that I’m 20, I understand the humor a lot better. It’s a show about nothing, but everything is hilarious. We like to laugh at unfortunate things happening to people and people being placed in unfortunate situations, and Seinfeld gives us a lot of that.

The main Seinfeld episode I remember is one in which two divergent storylines end up with one man running a marathon and Kramer falling into a ice-cold lake and having to drink coffee to warm himself up. Well, Kramer is in attendance at the tail-end of the marathon, and the man running the marathon takes Kramer’s coffee cup, assuming it was a cold water cup like everyone else was holding out. The next thing that happens is an off-screen scream, and then the episode ends.

Situations like that are what kept Seinfeld fresh after 9 seasons, and why it’s good that Jerry chose not to extend it, choosing instead to go out on top. It worked out well for him; all Jerry’s done since then is a weird movie about bees, and he’s still on top of the world. His show still syndicates, and if you’re ever channel surfing and it’s on, stick around for a bit. Odds are you’ll laugh a few times.

10 Great TV Shows - Arrested Development

THERE IS ALWAYS MONEY IN THE BANANA STAND!

Most American sitcoms revolve around “dysfunctional families.” Most American sitcoms are absolutely horrendous. Arrested Development revolves around the most dysfunctional family ever created and it is the least horrendous American sitcom ever created. Plot that on a chart and graph it! Or something. Either way, the point is that Arrested Development is the pinnacle of American comedy. Nothing before Arrested Development was like it, and nothing will ever be like Arrested Development again.

Few, if any, characters in the show are capable of rational thought or logical actions. Obviously, this accounts for most of the hilarious plot-lines in the show’s run. The Bluths overreact to trivial things and underreact to major things. It’s contrast like this that makes the show so good. I can’t site examples off the top of my head because it’s been years since I have seen the show (something I need to fix soon) but take my word for it.

Arrested Development was short-lived, and many people take personal offense to that. Why was the one time FOX aired a good sitcom so short-lived? Why did Arrested Development get canceled when, in 2012, FOX airs three (three) different animated cartoons created by Seth MacFarlane? There are reasons. There is a rule that comedy works best in threes; Arrested Development had three seasons. It didn’t overstay its welcome. We were so unused to the style of Arrested Development that we never had time to get used to it. And what a blessing that is.

10 Great TV Shows - Futurama

“It can answer any what-if question accurate to within one-tenth of a plausibility unit.”

“That’s so plausible I can’t believe it!”

The above exchange occurs between Professor Farnsworth and Leela after he finishes fine-tuning his What If? Machine. It’s a perfect example of why I love Futurama and one of the best moments of the entire show. It blended slapstick humor with smart humor beautifully and also managed to have its share of heartfelt moments and episodes.

The outlandish setting of Futurama (the year 3000 and on) allowed it to go out on a limb with the characters and plots, which served it greatly. The characters would range from normal to bizarre, but honestly, none of them are normal. Protagonist Philip J. Fry is so dumb he saves the world on multiple occasions because of his dumbness. Bender Bending Rodriguez is a robot with a blatant disregard for not just human life, but most life in general. Turanga Leela is a cripplingly self-conscious cyclops who is prone to temper tantrums but who also consistently proves she’s the most competent member of the Planet Express crew. And that’s just three of the show’s many, many characters.

But my favorite thing about Futurama is the fact that it can tear your heart to shreds almost as good as it can make you laugh your ass off, maybe even power. The two words “Jurassic Bark” are often enough to make some people’s eyes mist up. But what about the ending of “Luck of the Fryish?” What about the first movie, Bender’s Big Score, which tied up a lot of loose ends of the show while being really sad and hilarious?

Or, one of the better moments of the series, when Fry choked on a heart-shaped candy. When he finally coughed it up, Leela read it: “U Leave Me Breathless.”

10 Great TV Shows - The Simpsons

D’oh!

If this seems like a cop out to you, get over yourself. Even if The Simpsons has lost steam over the years, the fact that it is still airing after twenty-three seasons speaks for itself. That said, the show’s early run features some of the best moments in any television show, sitcom or drama, animated or live-action. The show has always been hilarious, but what separated it was its ability to make people feel emotions other than amusement.

Recall the very first episode, in which Christmas is nearly ruined when Homer and Bart bet everything on a dog that loses. That same dog is kicked out by the owner and eventually becomes a part of the Simpson family. Remember the Flying Hellfish episode, in which Grampa Simpson’s character was given a massive amount of unexpected depth. What about the X-Files-inspired episode, which featured the show’s propensity to mix humor and suspense seamlessly? Above all, remember “And Maggie Makes Three,” in which the lack of photos of Maggie in the family photo albums is heartwarmingly explained by Homer.

These are just four of the (at the time of this writing) 497 episodes that have aired during The Simpsons’ run. Not every one of those episodes are great, but the ones that are great are amazing. And it doesn’t look like they’re stopping any time soon. Soon, the show will celebrate its 500th episode. What’s next for The Simpsons? Who knows. To be honest, it doesn’t really matter. The Simpsons has done more than enough already to be included in the pantheon of television history.

10 Great TV Shows - Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

I’ll take the case!

Adult Swim’s original programming can really be hit or miss. For every Harvey Birdman, Venture Bros., or Tim & Eric, there is an Assy McGee, a 12 oz. Mouse, or a Perfect Hair Forever (just kidding, Perfect Hair Forever is awesome). It’s hard to pick which show out of Adult Swim’s original lineup is the best, and since Venture Bros. has yet to finish its run (which has been stellar so far), I’m going to go with good old Harvey Birdman.

The best thing about Harvey Birdman is by far the voice acting and, tying into that, the characters. It’s so hard to pick a favorite character. Is it Mentok, the mind-taking judge who is a walking non sequitur? Is it Phil Ken Sebben (voiced by Stephen Colbert), the runner of the law firm who has no regard for anything? Is it Peanut, Harvey’s assistant who is very obviously not fit to work at a law firm? Actually, it’s not hard to pick a favorite character. The answer to that question is Bear. Moving on.

I mentioned the voice work. Did I mention Maurice LaMarche (look him up if you don’t know him, you have definitely heard his voice before in your life) plays over a DOZEN characters, included but not limited to Fred Flintstone and Speed Buggy? That would be reason enough to watch the show, if there wasn’t a better reason: it’s fucking hilarious.

So many of Adult Swim’s shows rely on niche humor. Tim & Eric’s greatest pratfall is the fact that, by intentionally making the viewer uncomfortable, it alienates any people who are not cool with being taken out of their comfort zone. I love T&E, don’t get me wrong, but Harvey Birdman is just straight-up funny. So many sight gags, non sequiturs, puns (THE PUNS), et cetera are what make it good. And the stories are usually good as well, turning classic Hanna-Barbara characters into perverse but believable caricatures of themselves. The show’s last two episodes provide a thrilling end to the series by showcasing the creator’s ability to make a funny show dramatic while retaining the humor.

The last scene in the show is an homage to Cheers. Bear walks out of the office (which now resembles the bar in Cheers), turns off the lights, and walks up the stairs. Before it goes off the air, Stephen Colbert chimes in as Phil Ken Sebben and exclaims “Ha ha! Last laugh.” I can’t think of a better way such a good show could end.

10 Great TV Shows - Ed, Edd n Eddy

I smell like fresh cut spring flowers, spewn across a babbling brook with a hint of lemon.

I’m going to open this one with a bit of really fun trivia. The three voice actors who played the Eds (Matt Hill - Ed, Samuel Vincent - Edd, and Tony Sampson - Eddy) all voiced characters in the English dub of, yes, Inuyasha. The world of voice of acting is very interesting; Hill and Vincent voiced Kira Yamoto and Athrun Zala respectively in the English dub of the Gundam SEED franchise. But enough about the voices. Let’s talk about the show!

I grew up with EEnE. The show appealed perfectly to my brand of humor, and I never missed an episode. I waited with bated breath when news of a movie first surfaced. I watched the movie as soon as I could, and was promptly blown away.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about EEnE is how concrete the cast is. Allow me to list the cast: Ed, Edd, Eddy, Sarah, Jimmy, Nazz, Rolf, Kevin, Jonny, Plank, May, Lee, Marie. Eddy’s brother is mentioned often but appears only in the movie. Parents are mentioned but never seen except for one episode, and even then it’s just phalanges. The series remained fresh after five season with a totally static cast. That’s remarkable! The writing was always fantastic; stories never felt like rehashes and it was always rewarding to see the characters grow across the seasons.

Also, it’s hilarious. The humor ranges from slapstick to puns to just plain hilarious lines and situations. Each character seems to be a foil for another character, and the static cast makes interactions between characters interesting regardless of who those characters happen to be. Also, the show raises a lot of questions it never answers, which ensures that people will be talking about the show forever. What the fuck is under Double D’s hat? Is Plank the smartest character on the show? What country is Rolf from? Who is Eddy’s brother (revealed, but a huge talking point for a while)?

If we’ve seen all there is to see of EEnE, the movie is a perfect finale.

The characters never age, but that doesn’t mean they can never grow.

10 Great TV Shows - The Venture Bros.

Go Team Venture!

“Yeah failure, that’s what Venture Bros. is all about. Beautiful sublime failure.”

Doc Hammer, one of the co-creaters of The Venture Bros. was credited with saying this with regards to the show. Indeed, failure is likely the most predominant theme in the entire show. Every main character in the show fails again and again, over and over, and very rarely is there a happy ending. That doesn’t take away from the show’s two best qualities, however: its humor and its plot. It’s rare to find a show that makes you laugh while compelling you with a well-written plot, but The Venture Bros. does it, and it does it well.

It takes a lot for a TV show to hold my spotty attention from week to week, but whenever The Venture Bros. is airing new episodes, it does that. Partially because of the fact that I always want to know what happens next, but also because the show is just fucking hilarious. The voice cast is full of people perfect for their roles and it features a bevy of cameos by deconstructed Hanna-Barbara characters. The pacing and timing of the show is fantastic. And David Bowie, in the Venture Bros. universe, is the leader of a worldwide criminal organization. Also, he’s a shapeshifter. Tell me that’s not awesome.

The cast of the Venture Bros. is filled with great personalities, from the dark-wizard-turned-father Dr. Orpheous to the pair of nerdy, incompetent henchmen who seemingly cannot die, from the evil and somewhat insecure Phantom Limb to the kind-of evil and definitely insecure The Monarch, not to mention the main cast. The Venture Bros. is not for everyone, but if it’s even remotely for you, you’ll love it.

10 Great TV Shows - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I’m Haruhi Suzumiya, from East Junior High. First off, I have no  interest in ordinary people. But, if any of you are aliens, time-travelers, or espers, please come see me. That is all!

When Haruhi first aired in Japan, it aired out of chronological order. The first episode did not depict the first events to happen in the plot of the show; the first chronological episode was the second episode to air. The first episode was a low-budget home movie made by the SOS Brigade, the main cast of Haruhi. Many of the events in the home movie’s outreagous plot foreshadow events which actually happened chronologically before the movie was made, but events which are aired after the show. The final episode is actually sixth in chronological order, but it is no less climactic. Watching the show in broadcast order really adds to the plot; I definitely recommend it.

It’s difficult to talk about Haruhi without spoiling anything. That’s classified information. Just know this: things and people are never what and who they appear to be. And that ponytails are hot. Also, skip Endless Eight.

10 Great TV Shows - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

There’s no such thing as a painless lesson. They just don’t exist. Sacrifices are necessary. You can’t gain anything without losing something first although if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you’ll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yeah, a heart made fullmetal.

I was fortunate enough to start watching FMA:B after its full run had already concluded. I had all 64 episodes at my fingertips and I could watch them at my own pace. The first dozen or so episodes dealt with issues that I had already seen in the first FMA series, so I took my time with them. However, even though I already knew what was going to happen, I still found myself devastated when [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]. If you’ve seen either series, you know what I’m talking about.

After that, the story breaks from what I was familiar with and follows the manga (which I did not read) more closely. This uncharted territory was exciting for me, and I found myself compelled. I sped through the next couple dozen episodes in about a week. The animation was beautiful and the characters were all compelling, each in their own way. That’s saying something, considering FMA:B has a rather large cast. 

Eventually, the story got to a point where I couldn’t bring myself to stop. I became so compelled by it that I could not stop watching episodes. I watched the last 36 episodes over a span of roughly 14 hours straight, and lord, was it worth it. The rising action and the climax were perfectly executed, and the scale the story eventually takes is massive. I found myself brought to tears again several times over the course of that 14 hours, but the most prevalent thing was the fact that everything that happened was fucking awesome. I don’t know what I would have done had I been watching the show while it was airing. I don’t think I could have been capable of waiting every week.

FMA:B is surely daunting; 64 episodes is a lot. But it’s worth it. If you ask me to pick one anime out of all of the animes, I would pick FMA:B with absolutely no hesitation.