On Feb 24, 8:11=A0am, Bobcat <bob_c...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Everyone likes lists, including MENSA members. Jim Werdell the
> chairman of the brainy group has picked what he considers the ten
> smartest TV shows of all-time. I have some serious arguments with his
> choices and his numbering. I mean, Frasier listing as eighth? I would
> have given it first place, and House second. But Mad About You and not
> Seinfeld anywhere in the list? I'm certain you other Frasierites have
> your own candid =A0comments and I'd love to hear them. Here are
> Werdell's choices.
>
> 1. M*A*S*H
> 2. Cosmos
> 3. CSI
> 4. House
> 5. The West Wing
> 6. Boston Legal
> 7. All in the Family
> 8. Frasier
> 9. Mad About You
> 10. Jeopardy!
I'd say it depends on what exactly people mean by "smartest"?
Do they mean consistently intelligent, complex and well worked out
writing, or perhaps something which challenges viewers intellectually
--- though I realize there is some interaction between such criteria.
OTOH, the factors which put "Jeopardy!" and "Frasier" on the list,
obviously, are very different.
Also, I'm surprised "The X-Files" isn't on the list. It was an
extraordinary, and extraordinarily intelligent show. Like so many
long-running series, though, it came to grief after the first few
years.
If we look beyond the borders of TV, however, I'd say what emerges is
that, while there are still enormous amounts of total junk on
broadcast television, the best written shows, completely KO most
movies these days.
MENSA has a reputation for being elitist and this may explain why
"Seinfeld" didn't **** the cut. It was as brilliantly written as
anything on TV ever IMO, but the characters themselves were middle-
drawer and certainly didn't have the immediate intellectual appeal of
those on "FRASIER" or "HOUSE".
OTOH, I agree "Mad About You" seems a ludicrous choice. (Maybe the
writers are MENSA members?)
Charles
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