Coming to an end

As many of my favorite shows have been creeping to the end of their script run I have had a hard time getting the words out myself. I can't believe the unions are not even in discussions right now. Many of the networks are putting their actors on "suspension" so they can cut their pay during the down time, but not lose them all together. However, that, in most cases, only lasts 6 weeks. Hopefully, the pinch will hit the networks by the holidays and post-Christmas they will be willing to go back to the table. There are a lot of out-of-work tv and film workers who could use a Christmas gift like that.

I did read an upside to the strike. Many start-ups that were given full seasons before the strike will end up having to come back in the fall due to the number of episodes that have been contracted and the possibility that no new shows will be premiering since they aren't being written right now. Speculation is that January '09 will be where we see many premieres next year since the time line is out of flux. So, mediocre ratings shows (don't confuse that with the shows themselves being mediocre) may get a chance to redeem themselves that they wouldn't have had without the strike. Two shows that are being given as examples of this are: Dirty Sexy Money and Carpoolers, both on my list of best new shows this season.

History has been made this week with the signing of the first internet show to a major network. Quarterlife, created by the same guys (Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick) who brought us thirtysomething and My So-Called Life, was picked up by NBC this week. They were able to write through the strike since they were writing for the internet, but no new shows can be added now until the strike is ended. This could also cause a backlash within the writing community since other writers could cheat by writing for internet in hopes of being signed as well.

I have not yet gone to the internet to find my couch companion, but may be forced to soon. For those of you who are regular internet viewers, what should I be watching? For those of you who aren't, what will it take for you to search out a new series on youtube? For all, at what point in this strike will you be forced to turn off the tv and what will you do with your time when you do?

Top 8

I have been trying to figure out my all time favorite shows. This is a hard task for me since it is completely subjective and I have watched a lot of television in my almost 30 years of life. How do I choose the basis? Well let's first narrow down by only choosing from the primetime television schedule over the last 30 years. I am only including shows that had their first run during my lifetime, so that excludes shows like I Love Lucy and My Three Sons. There is also the problem of shows that the first few seasons were great, but they couldn't hold my interest 'til the bitter end, hence Alias being excluded (however Abrams gets his due). I am also excluding any show still on the air in first run status since I don't know how it will hold out in the end, hence Grey's Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother being excluded.

Ok, after all that explanation here it goes.
In no particular order here are my top 8:

My So Called Life 1994-1995 ABC Teen Drama starring Claire Danes
Shortest run of all the series on the list, but it came out at the right time for me and it also spoke to my father who watched it with me. Despite Angela Chase being a girl on the outkirts who didn't know her place I wanted to be her.

NewsRadio 1995-1999 NBC Sitcom starring Dave Foley, Phil Hartman, Maura Tierney and Andy Dick
This was a quirky (yes you keep seeing that word because obviously I like quirky) comedy within a radio news office that was laced with pop culture references, intelligent and physical comedy, and a talented group of comedic actors.

West Wing 1999-2006 NBC Drama Created by Aaron Sorkin
If you were living in a hole for the last decade then you might not know of this fictional yet incredibly insightful look at the inner workings of the West Wing.

Sex & the City 1998-2004 HBO Sitcom? Dramedy? Starring Sarah Jessica Parker
This groundbreaking show gave women an outlet to feel comfortable about the real issues surrounding sex, relationships, and growing older. It was fun, set trends, and brought issues to light by tackling them head on.

Amazing Stories 1985-1987 NBC Sci-Fi Anthology Show Directed by Steven Spielberg
There are times 20 years after this show aired that I still think about the story lines that came from this show, "Ghost Train" and "The Sitter" are among my favorites. Each episode contained a story, or book, often with a sci-fi twist.

Felicity WB Drama 1998-2002 Starring Keri Russell created by J.J. Abrams
The entrance of J.J. Abrams into television writing was marked by an incredible grasp of the female psyche as she goes through the changes brought about through living on her own for the first time. The other day I woke up with this need to remember exactly how the series ended since there was a second ending added on after the final season was written. The Wizard of Oz turn of events was a brilliant move and maybe a little insightful as to his future successes with Alias and Lost.

The Tracey Ullman Show Fox Sketch Comedy/ Variety 1987-1990
The second Fox primetime series was an incredibly funny sketch show by and starring Tracey Ullman. One of my favorite reoccuring characters was the teenage daughter of a gay couple. Any show that can be a great success in itself, help create a network, and spawn another show The Simpsons which spawns its own show, has to make the list.

Six Feet Under HBO Drama 2001-2005 Created by Alan Ball
Cable television has truly pushed the bar for programming so high that few networks can meet it. This series pushed the limits of drama and showed how powerful it can be to connect the living with the dead.

There may be a theme that many of these happened to air the same time I was going through the same stage in my life My So Called Life- High School, Felicity- College, but I also believe that the fact that I (and many many many other people) connected with them is part of the reason they continue to live on.

Check back in for my honorable mentions. What made your list that didn't make mine?