Thursday 13 - TV

Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 by Travis Cody in
34

Before we get to the 13, here is Mr David Cook.




In no particular order, these are some of my favorite TV shows over the years.

1. The West Wing (1999-2006): I said in no particular order, but this is the one exception. The West Wing is my favorite show of all time.

2. Emergency! (1972-79): The paramedics and fire fighters of Station 51 team with the doctors and nurses of Rampart Emergency to save lives. The rescues were always exciting.

3. Starsky & Hutch (1975-79): Zebra 3 in the red Ford Torino with the white racing stripe.

4. Hill Street Blues (1981-87): Gritty ensemble cop drama. This was ground breaking television in the early 80's. It was violent, and refused to pull punches about issues of the day.

5. E.R. (1994-1999): Yes, I know the show is still airing live episodes. But the first five seasons are my favorite. I stopped watching regularly after George Clooney and Julianna Margulies left the cast.

6. Friends (1994-2004): I saw this show for the first time after I had surgery. I kept trying not to laugh because it hurt. I was hooked for the entire run of the show.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003): It was smart, funny, clever, and extraordinarily well acted. And it had Sarah Michelle Geller.

8. Band of Brothers (2001): It wasn't a TV series, but it ran for 10 episodes with an epilogue that introduced the original soldiers of Easy Company. This mini series is some of the finest television I have ever seen.

9. The Cosby Show (1984-92): Part of the original NBC Must See TV Thursday, this show did so much more than just show a successful African American family. It showed a family, and it was accessible to all different kinds of people. I learned a lot about tolerance from this program.

10. The A-Team (1983-87): All those bullets and explosions, and nobody ever got killed.

11. Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980): I'll bet you didn't know this show ran for 12 seasons. This remains one of the best cop shows ever on television. I have the first two seasons on DVD, and it still holds up strong now. Plus, it has one of the best tag lines ever...book 'em Dano!

12. Combat! (1962-67): I think I first saw this in the early 80's, when TBS was new. The scope of the show followed a front line American infantry squad from D-Day across Europe.

13. M*A*S*H (1972-83): There are episodes of this show that have me laughing from the opening lines through the ending credits. And it was even better when the humor was suddenly drawn up short with the dramatic reality of war. Did you know that since the final episode aired that M*A*S*H has never been out of syndication?

34 comments:

  1. Lizza says:
    26 March, 2008 21:59

    Ooooo, I liked E.R., Friends, the Cosby Show, and the A-Team!

    I also had fun with Three's Company, Ally McBeal, and Highlander. Not to mention Sesame Street and The Electric Company when I was but a wee lass. :-D

  1. Kimmie says:
    26 March, 2008 22:47

    Hey Travis!

    Our guy David Cook is really rockin'! Whoo Hoo!

    I still love ER, the Cosby Show was great too back in the day.

    My favorites now are Grey's Anatomy and Men In Trees, Saving Grace and a few others.

    Thanks for sharing! I am not doing TT this week. But I will next week. :-)

    Thanks for the video clip!

    Smiles,
    Kimmie

  1. Liz Hill says:
    27 March, 2008 01:59

    I didn't get to see him live but I watched the video and I must say I'm impressed.

    I'm glad Lizza mentioned Highlander cause Adrian Paul--RAWR

    I liked West Wing a lot and ER Friends, MASH--most of your list actually.

  1. Schmoop says:
    27 March, 2008 02:46

    After the first few episodes with Winchester, I no longer watched MASH. But prior to that I can recite nearly every line. Cheers Trav!!

  1. Jeni says:
    27 March, 2008 05:12

    When you've been watching tv as many years as I have, it is next to impossible I think, to compact my favorites down to a mere 13 programs. I loved Lucy, Red Skelton too, then the Dick Van Dyke Show would be among my early favorites. Moving along though -All in the Family and Mash! No doubt about those two. WKRP in Cincinnati-I really LOVED that show along with SOAP, Night Court, then Cheers, Home Improvement, Cosby, current comedy favorites -The Office and Two and a Half Men. I also used to love "The Untouchables" way back when. There were so many I used to watch faithfully -different programs each season ya know -but Hill Street Blues was definitely on my list! I'm a die hard Law and Order fan now -watch the current season stuff as well as reruns and love it when there is a marathon day of nothing but L&O running. I also really like THird Watch too! NYPD is another one I like to watch the reruns. So many programs, so little space, not enough time either!

  1. TopChamp says:
    27 March, 2008 05:20

    I don't really get West Wing. Otherwise my favourite from your list is probably Buffy - it was funny.

  1. maryt/theteach says:
    27 March, 2008 07:01

    Gee, Trav, you and I could sit on the couch and watch TV without arguing over who has the remote! :D

  1. Charles Gramlich says:
    27 March, 2008 07:10

    Combat was great, wasn't it. My favorites would have to include several westerns, like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, High Chaparalle. And Star Trek, of course.

  1. DrillerAA says:
    27 March, 2008 09:14

    Lord knows, some of my favorites are here. Hill Street Blues (the predecessor to all gritty cop shows today) was a must see for me.
    MASH was wonderful, funny while respecting the horrow of war and the men and women who are called to duty.
    Cosby should be shown in Parenting 101 class along with a book by Dr. James Dobson called "The Strong Willed Child."
    Starsky & Hutch or "The Dukes of Hazzard Get a Job in Law Enforcement." Great show though.
    I still watch Combat on the Military Channel from time to time.

    Great List...Have a great T13

  1. Sandee says:
    27 March, 2008 09:17

    Not playing this week, but wanted to comment. Okay, here's the ones I like too. Starsky and Hutch, Emergency, Friends, Mash, Hawaii 5-0 (book 'em Dano), and the A-Team. Yep, these are all good ones. Have a great day Travis. :)

  1. Ivanhoe says:
    27 March, 2008 10:33

    Good half of them are my all time favorites as well. Only Murder She wrote is missing.
    Happy TT!

  1. Travis Cody says:
    27 March, 2008 11:08

    Lizza: You have some good choices too. And welcome back to my place!

    Kimmie: He's doing great!

    Turn: I enjoyed Highlander too.

    Matt: The early episodes were hilarious, but I did enjoy the later ones too.

    Jeni: The nostalgia channels are so much fun. We have channel 117 that plays shows from the 60's and 70's all day long.

    TC: I loved West Wing for the acting, the writing, and the idealism.

    Teach: I got so lucky to find my Lady, because we agree on tv too!

    Charles: Bonanza easily could have made my list too. And Star Trek.

    Drilleraa: I didn't realize Combat was shownn on Military Channel. I'll have to keep an eye out for it. I do have some episodes on DVD.

    Sandee: So there was a time when you watched tv!

    Ivanhoe: I watched that program every so often.

  1. Mo and The Purries says:
    27 March, 2008 11:37

    #7 = Buffy 4 Ever!

    Did you ever watch Firefly?
    I only saw it on DVD after watching the movie Serenity. It totally rocked, and I'm not a space-cowboy kinda guy. But, it was Joss Whedon!

  1. Lana Gramlich says:
    27 March, 2008 12:14

    Gads...M*A*S*H*...What a show! The one where Henry dies broke me up SO badly! Powerful stuff on that show, from the laughter to the tears.

  1. Akelamalu says:
    27 March, 2008 12:38

    Mash was my favourite of all time!

  1. Anonymous says:
    27 March, 2008 13:36

    Wasn't David Cook awesome?? He's from my neck of the woods, you know. Ugh, That Man could watch MASH for hours. I'm sick of it now!

  1. Barb says:
    27 March, 2008 14:22

    No TT for me.. but I saw "Combat" :) I used to love that show!!!!

  1. Jeff B says:
    27 March, 2008 16:42

    With the exception of Combat, I watched them all.

    M*A*S*H is by far my favorite show of all time. I've seen every episode a hundred times, but they still are entertaining.

  1. Desert Songbird says:
    27 March, 2008 17:44

    Like Jeff, I think I've watched every single one of these except for Combat.

    I still miss The West Wing. I miss the quippy, snarky, fast-paced dialog, the drama, the tension, the humor.

    Sigh. I miss it. We have seasons 1 and two on DVD - think I'll have to watch a few.

  1. Desert Songbird says:
    27 March, 2008 17:45

    OMG - I missed that someone mentioned The Highlander! Adrian Paul - THUD.

  1. katherine. says:
    27 March, 2008 18:54

    okay...west wing! who knew?

    I came late to west wing...about season four...everyone I knew kept telling me I would love it...my daughter would call me every week and tell me that they were quoting me. I didn't watch cause I personally dislike Martin Sheen.

    so she sat me down and made me watch the first season. and that was it...I have recently introduced the teamster to it... he is halfway thru season two and is totally hooked.

    I quote west wing about two or three times a day...no kidding (I'm a freak)

  1. Travis Cody says:
    27 March, 2008 19:04

    Mo: I did watch Firefly. I came to it the same as you, after seeing Serenity. It's a shame the show didn't catch on.

    Lana: I know! M*A*S*H was at it's best when it walked the line between insane comedy and unexpected drama.

    Akelamalu: We have a channel that airs 4 episodes in a row in the evenings.

    Joely: DC rocks!

    Skittles: It was a great show.

    Jeff: It's funny how even the episodes I've seen so often can still crack me up.

    Songbird: I may have to have a WW marathon pretty soon.

    Katherine: Brilliant writing and top notch acting sometimes can trump the actor we don't like. I was never a Rob Lowe fan, but he just blended in with the rest of the outstanding cast.

  1. Cinnamon Girl says:
    27 March, 2008 19:07

    ER and Friends were both circa 1994. Good year. I loved ER. Then Doug and Carol left, they totally hosed Mark and finally they killed Carters kid! That was it for me.

    BUFFY!!!!!!!
    And Angel. Any Spike is good Spike =)

  1. Cinnamon Girl says:
    27 March, 2008 19:08

    Oh and Trav check out Dead Like Me on dvd. It was a short lived show on Showtime that had that dry humor and quirky attitude of Buffy. Bit more raunchy but hey :P

  1. Linda says:
    27 March, 2008 19:51

    I was thinking just the other day about McGarrett and the other guys at Hawaii Five-O! I liked E.R. for about the first five seasons and then got tired of it after that. Always loved Emergency! and wish we had those tones for the bay when I have to send an ambulance out!

    Oh, and I agree with Starrlight, check out Dead Like Me; a friend of mine recommended it to me and I loved it!

  1. Misty DawnS says:
    27 March, 2008 20:32

    David Cook has unbelievable talent! I honestly believe that now he is just wasting his time with Idol, because he could already be at the top of the charts and selling records! He's amazing!

  1. Jan says:
    27 March, 2008 21:36

    Hi Trav! I'm new stopping by for a visit. I love your list of favorite TV shows. I loooved watching Combat! :) David Cook is my favorite too! I hope he wins!
    Tookie

  1. Vinny "Bond" Marini says:
    28 March, 2008 05:43

    Only one that I really never watched was Buffy...

    HUGE Combat fan...used to have the soldiers and the jeeps and played with them all the time...You also kow how much i loved West Wing

  1. Unknown says:
    28 March, 2008 08:04

    Great list - my favorites on your list are "ER" and "Friends".

    We bought the "Band Of Brothers" DVD collection. Excellent!

    I´m also a huge fan of "24" and "CSI".

    Have a great day, Trav!

  1. Akelamalu says:
    28 March, 2008 10:22

    I'd be glued to that channel!

  1. Meribah says:
    28 March, 2008 15:33

    OOO! M.A.S.H! I loved that show! Still do. One of my fav scenes was the one in the final episode where Hawkeye and Hotlips share one of the longest smooches ever! LOL
    I also enjoyed Friends and The Cosby Show. It seemed to me that, with The Cosby Show, you didn't just see a "black family" you saw a family. Period. Race was secondary to the fact that they were people dealing with the same problems that all families have, and I think that made it a great show.

  1. Travis Cody says:
    28 March, 2008 15:59

    Starr: Yup...I couldn't watch past the 6th season. It just wasn't the same without Doug and Carol. I've heard about that show...I may check it out.

    Linda: Thanks for the second on that show...now I'll certainly keep an eye out for it.

    Misty: Now that he's gotten the exposure, I wonder what's going to be better...to win or just make top 5 and move on to a record deal.

    Tookie: Welcome to my place!

    V: Now I'm in the mood for a Combat marathon.

    Sanni: Band of Brothers is one I always stop and watch if I come across it while I'm flipping channels.

    Akelamalu: No kidding!

    Meri: I love the silliness of M*A*S*H, but then it's well known that I'm a silly guy1

  1. Julie says:
    28 March, 2008 20:52

    Ooooh yeah! You had some great picks in that list honey!

  1. Unknown says:
    30 March, 2008 16:04

    I loved the Cosby Show and M*A*S*H!

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