I. The Prisoner
As far as I'm concerned, this was the greatest work of art (of ANY medium) of the Twentieth Century, clearly and deftly dealing with the essential struggle of Mankind in the modern world: that being the Individual vs Society.
II. Twin Peaks
In this I am including the David Lynch episodes of the original series (I've never seen a show crash and burn so hard as when Lynch abandoned it in the middle of the second season), and the more recent Twin Peaks: The Return. A masterpiece of psychological horror and symbolism, wrapped in the jazz-noir style of a genius.
III. The Storyteller
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of folklore and fairy tales, which I've spent the larger part of my life devoted to researching. Jim Hensen's The Storyteller is perhaps the only television series to actually faithfully and beautifully capture these original stories, with exceptional writing, a fantastic cast including the inestimable John Hurt, and the remarkable puppet effects that passes the bar the studio previously set by Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal.
IV. Pushing Daisies
Bryan Fuller's incredibly charming modern fairy tale noir intertwines incredibly dark and twisted concepts in a witty and whimsical artistic approach that is perhaps best described as a cross between His Girl Friday and The Addams Family. While I've loved all of Fuller's work (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Hannibal), Pushing Daisies particularly struck a note with me.
V. Community
Besides continuing to be laugh out loud funny in a way almost no contemporary comedies ever managed, Community alternated between exploring the history of pop culture media and the personal development of a diverse group of people whose failures in life all brought them together. Heartwarming, hilarious, and clever, it transcends the very notion of sitcom.
VI. Dollhouse
Years ago, Buffy and Angel would easily have been on this list. Whedon's trope-destroying genre deconstructions revolutionized television and the effects are still seen today. But the deconstruction eventually ate each show as the premise of subverting cliches became cliche in and of itself, and the very nature of deconstruction is that without reconstruction to complete the cycle, it becomes unsatisfying, anti-climactic, and alienating. Firefly was, perhaps unfortunately, a still birth, and while amusing in the very same way full of Whedon characters spouting Whedon witty lines, I've no doubt it would have, if allowed, followed itself to the same fate. I think being cancelled early and existing as a handful of episodes and a film, was maybe the best thing that could have happened for it.
Anyways, fast forward a couple years, and Dollhouse premieres. To be perfectly honest, I took one look at the supposed premise, and thought "Jesus Whedon, what are you doing?". At first glance it seemed shallow, exploitative, and derivative, a clone of similar shows like Alias with a single gimmick that couldnt save it. So it wasnt until a few years later when I found a DVD of the first season in the bargain bin that I bothered to give it a chance.
Simply put, Dollhouse is Whedon's masterpiece. Everything you think the show is about is wrong. This is classic high concept science fiction in a way TV almost never manages to sustain; take one piece of speculative technology and explore the implications and effects on society. And without the desire of ruining it for anyone else who missed or misjudged this show, let's just say the implications are explored to an extent that takes the series from a action spy thriller to a pst apocalyptic cyber war, all the while playing with the notions of identity, self, and the soul that hits close to The Prisoner.
Anyways, fast forward a couple years, and Dollhouse premieres. To be perfectly honest, I took one look at the supposed premise, and thought "Jesus Whedon, what are you doing?". At first glance it seemed shallow, exploitative, and derivative, a clone of similar shows like Alias with a single gimmick that couldnt save it. So it wasnt until a few years later when I found a DVD of the first season in the bargain bin that I bothered to give it a chance.
Simply put, Dollhouse is Whedon's masterpiece. Everything you think the show is about is wrong. This is classic high concept science fiction in a way TV almost never manages to sustain; take one piece of speculative technology and explore the implications and effects on society. And without the desire of ruining it for anyone else who missed or misjudged this show, let's just say the implications are explored to an extent that takes the series from a action spy thriller to a pst apocalyptic cyber war, all the while playing with the notions of identity, self, and the soul that hits close to The Prisoner.
VII. Neverwhere
Neil Gaiman was at the top of his game in the 90s, the generational voice of modern fantasy, and of all his works, Neverwhere is the one that I connected with the most. I first read the novel, before even The Sandman comicbook series (indeed, it inspired me to do so and thus, indicretly, started my love affair with Vertigo comics even as I was cutting ties with Marvel from my youth). But the novel is actually based on the TV mini-series, which came first, and it is a distillation of the 90s aesthetic of a secret fantasy world parallel to our own, as popularized by Charles De Lint, White Wolf, and The X-Files. Laura Fraser is amazing as Door, Paterson Joseph (who really should have been Doctor Who at some point) is masterful as The Marquis de Carrabas (a fairy tale reference that is beyond hilarious once one gets it), and Clive Russel and Hywall Bennet are the penultimate British villains, equal parts amusing and terrifying. The story, the world, leaves you wanting more, with hinted at depths that could sustain many seasons of a television series (or book series), but sadly all we got was a taste. That taste, however, is the richest imaginable.
VIII. Farscape
Another entry by the Jim Henson company, Farcape was hit and miss in it's blend of humour, romance, horror, and adventure, but when it succeeded, it transcended anything else in the genre. I'm not going to wax poetic about this one, if you havent seen it, you owe it to yourself to experience this most unique and gonzo re-imagining of Buck Rogers.
VIII. The Avengers
Few shows hold up like the Emma Peel era of The Avengers, which I still say could play on Prime Time today and captivate an audience. Avant-garde and delightfully charming, it sets a bar that I dont think has ever been surpassed, from understated sexual tension of its flirtatiously British leads, to the menagerie of bizarre and captivating villainous plots. Everything from X-Files to the X-Men owes a debt to The Avengers.
IX. I, Claudius
Based upon the novel by Robert Graves, author of The White Goddess, a seminal work in the understanding of pagan ritual and magick, I, Claudius is a ten part mini-series chronicling the fall of Rome from the PoV of it's last great Emperor. Spanning Claudius' childhood as the nephew of Tiberius, through the insanity of Caligula's reign, to Cladius ultimate ascension and death. I'd say this is essential viewing for any fans of Dune as well, as it clearly lays out the plans of the God-Emperor, based as they were upon Claudius' great plot to destroy the monarchy he was trapped inside.
X. Doctor Who
Don't think I really need to say anything about this one.
Runner Ups:
Adventure of Brisco County Jr, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Altered Carbon, Ash vs The Evil Dead, Black Adder, Black Books, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Brother Cadfael Mysteries, Buffy/Angel, Captain Power, Covington Cross, Daredevil, Dexter, Eerie Indiana, Father Ted, Fawlty Towers, Flight of the Conchords, Frasier, Friday the 13th: The Series, Game of Thrones, Get Smart, Hannibal, Highlander, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, House, The Invisible Man, Jeeves & Wooster, Kids in the Hall, Lovejoy, The Middleman, Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs, News Radio, The Office, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Quantum Leap, Read All About It, The Punisher, Red Dwarf, RThe Ricky Gervais Show, Robin of Sherwood, Scrubs, Sherlock, Sledge Hammer, The Soup, Spaced, The State, Strange Luck, Stranger Things, The Tripods, Wonderfalls, The X-Files
Runner Ups:
Adventure of Brisco County Jr, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Altered Carbon, Ash vs The Evil Dead, Black Adder, Black Books, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Brother Cadfael Mysteries, Buffy/Angel, Captain Power, Covington Cross, Daredevil, Dexter, Eerie Indiana, Father Ted, Fawlty Towers, Flight of the Conchords, Frasier, Friday the 13th: The Series, Game of Thrones, Get Smart, Hannibal, Highlander, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, House, The Invisible Man, Jeeves & Wooster, Kids in the Hall, Lovejoy, The Middleman, Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs, News Radio, The Office, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Quantum Leap, Read All About It, The Punisher, Red Dwarf, RThe Ricky Gervais Show, Robin of Sherwood, Scrubs, Sherlock, Sledge Hammer, The Soup, Spaced, The State, Strange Luck, Stranger Things, The Tripods, Wonderfalls, The X-Files