It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005)

I could not possibly convey in words the joy of watching an episode of this extremely politically incorrect and smartly written show. It has been described as something between Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, although far more bold and edgy. It’s mainly about a selfish and egoistic group of three guys and a girl, who run a Irish bar in South Philadelphia, and their highly distorted world views. This is Seinfeld on steroids. The genius of this show is its ability to take a lighthearted look at some of the most sensitive sociopolitical issues of our times and create great comedy out of them without being harsh or judgmental, often at the expense of its characters. I will just list the names of a few episodes of the show and that should say more than enough about the nature of the show and also why you absolutely need to watch it.

The Gang Gets Racist
Charlie Wants an Abortion
Underage Drinking: A National Concern
The Gang Finds A Dead Guy
Charlie Got Molested
The Gang Goes Jihad
Mac Bangs Dennis’ Mom
Charlie Goes America All Over Everybody’s Ass

Well!

Freaks and Geeks (1999)

Freaks and Geeks is truly a cult series in every sense of the word. Cancelled in its first season, the show was brought back to life on DVD after enthusiastic demands by its devoted cult following. This show about two groups of high school teenagers – the slackers and the nerds – is instantly likeable and will hit you with an overdose of nostalgia from your school going days, even if you didn’t go to an  American high school in the 80’s. The music on the show really sets it apart with its authentic soundtrack from the 80’s featuring The Who, The Grateful Dead, Van Halen, Styx, Rush, Deep Purple, Cream, Queen, Janis Joplin and others. The show is also far more true to life than almost any other teen comedy drama. The jocks are not very good looking and the nerds are not really smart and people have zits and body fat. If you have been watching Apatow’s recent comedy movies, you need to take a look at Freaks and Geeks, his only real masterpiece.

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The Wire (2002)

The Wire is like great literature. It is epic, profound, prophetic, realistic, verisimilar, edifying, enthralling, stylish, visceral, gritty, edgy, shocking, revealing and pleasantly addictive (and I haven’t even opened my thesaurus yet!). The show explores the Baltimore city drug scene in its five seasons and on the surface plays like a police procedural. However, it may more aptly be described as an exposition of the decadence of modern society and the failure of our institutions. The themes of the show are truly universal and yet the show creates such a thoroughly rich portrayal of Baltimore city that you could almost feel the tarmac when a pool of blood from a gunshot victim reflects a flickering neon sign. The show has amazing style with its sometimes indecipherable ghetto slang, cool gangsta talk and idiosyncratic police humor. The Wire is great art and certainly the greatest thing on TV ever. Period!

Next in Greatest Cult TV Shows Ever: Freaks and Geeks!

I gave you a list of some of my favorite TV shows earlier. Today, I’m writing about why I love a good TV show. Good TV shows are like good movies, only longer, with the story unfolding over several episodes. Great TV shows, like great movies are seldom about the story and more often about unforgettable events and memorable characters. The miniseries format is my favorite kind of television. A great TV series can possess you and occupy your thoughts all day for several weeks. A movie does not deliver this lingering excitement, simply because it is too short, even when it is really good. Don’t you sometimes wish that your favorite film would just keep running, especially when it is about to end? A significant part of the charm of reading a novel is this very feeling of having it take over your life and sweep you into its own world. Somehow, that feeling is often short lived or completely lost at the movies. So, we watch TV. Read more »