More Favorites

Work is dull at the moment. Dullness leads to Internet browsing, which leads to the desire for Internet content creation. And since the easiest way to generate content is recycling, you’re getting treated to another episode of “The S Post Facto Mid-Oughts Top Fives”.

Yeah, yeah. Two posts in two days. The world must be ending.

Top 5 Favorite TV Shows

5) Mystery Like so much on public television, an American-made portal for British content, and for a long time a comforting ritual to keep away the looming anxieties that Sunday night brings. I’m a particular fan of Inspector Lynley and Foyle’s War, but I don’t watch as much anymore.

4) Doctor Who Like you didn’t know I was a huge geek already. I grew up mostly on the Tom Baker and Peter Davison doctors, and I’m really enjoying the new series. I’m just hoping that they can get their act together and get Series 4 on the air in the US sooner rather than later.

3) The Simpsons For a long time, the smartest show on TV. For some reason, I don’t really watch anymore, although the occasional rerun still makes me happy. I’d probably peg “22 Short Films About Springfield” as my favorite episode.

2) Monty Python’s Flying Circus If I have to explain why I like this, you’ve learned nothing. Unless you haven’t seen it, in which case, I don’t want to talk to you until you have. People who know the Pythons only through the movies are missing out. A lot.

1) Northern Exposure I remember watching this on TV with my parents when it was first on, and being extremely confused about whether it was supposed to be drama or comedy (come to think of it, I had the same problem with Dragnet), but I really fell in love with it in college, when watching it in reruns on A&E would frequently make me late for class. A full analysis of why it appeals to me would probably read more like a psychological profile, but it’s painted for me about the only really appealing picture I’ve seen of small-town life.

Closing note: This isn’t a current list, obviously, but writing it up has reminded me that I don’t really watch that much TV these days. I’m reluctant to get involved in watching new shows (even shows I enjoy, like the new Battlestar Galactica). Even with the immense convenience of timeshifting via DVR, following too many shows starts to feel like an imposition. An unfortunate consequence of this may be that when I do watch TV, it ends up being semi-mindless flipping, which is an inefficient use of my leisure time.