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May 25, 2006 Never one to shy away from a good challenge, I’m taking up the one laid down in Patrick Hurley’s recent piece on his ten all-time favorite TV shows. Instead of reaching back into the mists of time, though, I’m staying in the present. Since I don’t watch a lot of episodic prime-time television, my list leans heavily on sports programs and documentaries. My picks are listed in alphabetical order. 1. Around The Horn (ESPN). Billed as the program of competitive banter, Around The Horn is a half-hour talk show focusing on the latest news from the world of sports. Tony Reali, who holds the role of “Stat Boy” on another ESPN property, Pardon The Interruption, is the ringmaster of a circus that features a rotating panel of sportswriters from around the country, including Kevin Blackistone, Tim Cowlishaw, Jay Mariotti, Jackie McMullen and Woody Paige. 2. Deal or No Deal (NBC). Although Howie Mandel is better known as a comedian and actor, he’s definitely made a name for himself with this series. The gameplay is incredibly simple—pick one of twenty-six cases, and hope that it has $1 million in it. Of course, finding out if you’ve got that lucky case doesn’t come without heartbreak, especially if The Banker decides to cut a deal that you just can’t refuse. 3. Jeopardy! (Syndicated). The answer is: This is the better and more cerebral of the two game shows created by entertainer Merv Griffin. The question is: What is Jeopardy!? With twenty-three seasons under its belt, the Alex Trebek version of this long-running quizzer is one of television’s smartest and most enjoyable half-hours. 4. MegaStructures (National Geographic Channel). Big buildings and big machines are the focus of this informative documentary series. Subjects of previous episodes include the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Channel Tunnel connecting England to France, and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan. 5. MythBusters (The Discovery Channel). Long-standing urban legends and myths get put to the test by special-effects gurus Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, and their capable Build Team, which includes Kari Byron, Tory Bellici and Grant Imahara. 6. Pardon The Interruption (ESPN). Washington Post sportswriters Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon engage in lively discussion of sports, with the topics typically mirroring those featured on Around The Horn. Tony Reali, a.k.a “Stat Boy”, shows up at the end of each episode to tell Kornheiser and Wilbon what they messed up on during the show. 7. The Price Is Right (CBS). The longest-running game show in television history, and one of the longest-running series of any kind in history, The Price Is Right remains fresh and fun to watch. And although Bob Barker has continued to defy time—he will be 83 on December 12--one has to wonder how much longer he will host the show, AND if the show will go on without him. 8. Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO). A veteran of reporting both news and sports on network television, Gumbel hosts this popular series featuring stories that go deeper inside the world of sports. Regular correspondents include James Brown, Mary Carillo, Bernard Goldberg, Frank Deford and Armen Keteyian. 9. Seconds From Disaster (National Geographic Channel). Some of the most infamous events in history are deconstructed to give moment-by-moment accounts leading up to the moment of doom. Disaster featured on previous episodes include the Tenerife jumbo-jet collision (1977), the Chernobyl nuclear accident (1986) and the breakup of the space shuttle Columbia (2003). 10. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Syndicated). Though ABC managed to kill this golden goose with overexposure in prime-time, Millionaire does well as a daily strip. The gameplay has been tweaked over time to add a fourth lifeline, Switch the Question, after a player reaches the $25,000 plateau. The question now is: Will Meredith Vieira, who is moving from the ABC henfest The View to join The Today Show on NBC, continue to serve as host? And here are my Honorable Mentions—good shows that fall in my second tier of must-see-TV: America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC), American Justice (A&E), Beyond The Glory (Fox Sports Net), City Confidential (A&E), Jim Rome Is Burning (ESPN), Nova (PBS), Outside The Lines (ESPN), Sábado Gigante (Univision), The Sports Reporters (ESPN) and Tu Desayuno Alegre (Univision). ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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