Inspired by Ed's comment about Fox's bipolar nature..
In your opinion, what is the best and worst Fox show of all time (excluding Fox News) and why?
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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I remember reading about how in certain parts of Asia and in Macedonia, people use cormorants to catch fish.
The fisherman uses a ring or tie on the bird's neck so it won't be able to swallow the fish it catches.
Every seventh fish the fisherman has to give to the cormorant or else the bird will stop fishing.
And if I remember correctly, after a few years, the cormorant won't fish for the fisherman any more.
The cormorant would rather starve than lose all but the seventh fish.
Except maybe that last part isn't true.
The fisherman uses a ring or tie on the bird's neck so it won't be able to swallow the fish it catches.
Every seventh fish the fisherman has to give to the cormorant or else the bird will stop fishing.
And if I remember correctly, after a few years, the cormorant won't fish for the fisherman any more.
The cormorant would rather starve than lose all but the seventh fish.
Except maybe that last part isn't true.
14 comments:
Well, since I have a monopoly on the question getting the first shot, I'm listing.
Cops, Simpsons, X-Files, House, Arrested Development, Tiny Toons, Animaniacs
The PJ's, Who wants to marry a millionaire, Married by America, American Idol, Power Rangers
The best of the best is probably House.
The worst of the worst is Power Rangers.
Why? I like House more than the others because I'm a hypochondriac, I'm cynical, and he's the most atheistic and logical character around.
I don't like Power Rangers because it was the introduction of a whole generation of terrible halloween costumes. That and it was terrible martial arts mixed with terrible acting, terrible jokes, and terrible SFX.
but was power rangers a fox show? same for tiny toons (and was tiny toons a different show than animaniacs?). or just shown locally on a fox affiliate? and does that matter? i think those shows were syndicated shows, picked up locally. i could be wrong. (but, now p.r. is on our abc, tiny toons showed on wb that was owned by same owner as local fox affiliate)
this is a tough question to answer, due to: personal taste; changing shows; style.
90210 and the OC were very good shows at different points, and both fell off. Arrested Development was a very funny show, well made, but i think suffered from always having its status up in the air. i thought mad tv sucked in the first few seasons, but have really grown to appreciate some of it's sketches, and find it as a good counter to snl. dark angel, at least the first season, was innovative, edgy, and exposed america to a new starlet (j.alba). boston public was a good show at first.
i detested in living color, but others loved it, and it helped launch several famous comedians. i didn't like married with children, but there were aspects that could be appreciated, especially in the line of a family show like archie bunker.
i would say that the simpsons has to be the best fox show for a few reasons. it's had it's highs and lows, hasn't always been funny, but has at least been consistantly funny throughout it's existence. and, it's longevity, in a make $ system, testifies to how good it is. you're just not on tv that long if you're not good (at least most of the time). also, the show has morphed throughout it's time, and continues to evaluate itself. it started as story about bart. then, in it's best times, really took on the whole town and it's characters for stories. it then focused on homer. it has moved back from that a bit (fortunately) but you could still say he is the main character. finally, it is the best satire show on tv period. what haven't they skewed? what issues haven't they taken on? they allow us to reflect and laugh at ourselves in a safe manner.
as for worst show, there have been so many that came and went that sucked. married by america, temptation island, love cruise, joe millionaire, the simple life, who wants to marry... and so on. but really, these shows were blips on the radar, like i hope this stupid new brad garrret show is. and, it's hard to always remember all of the tragically bad shows that fox has had. expecially reality type shows.
so, i think their worst show is cops. and i admit i watch it sometimes. but really, what does it show about us, that we sit around and watch people get chased, arrested, embarrassed? the officers, good hard working people, generally provide the most banal assessments on life, crime, duty. i don't fault them, it's their honest opinions, but that's why good shows have good scripts. and, the episodes are pretty formulaic. sure, every show is going to have the same basic formula, but what do you get with almost every episode of cops? a car chase, where the guy gets out and runs. a dude with no shirt on, in cut offs or denim shorts with a really big wife/girlfriend/whatever that he smacked but now she doesn't want him taken away. some guy seen selling drugs, that they chase and catch, but they'll probably choke him so he doesn't swallow the drugs. and maybe a dog. it's just not good tv, but what the heck else is on saturday night @ 8?
But Ed, by your definition of longevity, Cops beats out the Simpsons. I think. Fox started in '85 I think and Cops in '86 or '87 and Simpsons was '87 or '88. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't have time to check the numbers.
Adam I really liked the P.J.'s. My favorite episode is when they were planting a community garden and Juicy was planting M & M's.
X-files is my personal favorite but I think the Simpsons is the best overall.
I'll have to think some more about the worst. Mainly because I'm guilty of watching them all.
So far my front runner for the worst shows are Joe Millionaire, When Animals Attack and Man vs Beast
I think you have to set a minimum of airing at least one full season for the worst shows. It is unfair to Fox to only pick quickly cancelled shows as the worst because every network has had their fair share of stinkers.
With that said, the worst of them all for me would be the Simple Life. There was no redeeming value to the show.
I can't decide between The Simpsons and Arrested Development as the best show. On one hand, as Ed has mentioned, the longevity is outstanding but the recent years are not the best. Whereas AD gave us three seasons of superstar performances. Both were risky, out side of the norm shows, with The Simpsons being able to catch on to the maintstream due to Bart.
I guess if you put a gun to my head I would go with The Simpsons.
By the way, how come Animaniacs is not part of Adult Swim?
if longevity was the only reason that i said the simpsons was the best fox show, i would agree with you. but, it was one of several.
now, i did say this, "you're just not on tv that long if you're not good (at least most of the time)" but, i think it should be read in the context of my whole statement.
i should say that i am stupified that cops has been able to stay on this long, being that it is as bad as it is. there have been other cop shows/police chase series that haven't lasted as long. and, there are other bad shows (not on fox) that fit into the same description as i gave for cops. america's funnies home videos being one shining example.
now, i'm assuming you think cops was a good show because you have it listed with a.d., etc. why do you think cops is a good show?
I like Cops for the reason that it is probably the introduction of "reality TV." Plus, I'm admittedly entertained by people trying to talk their way out of things, like prostitutes or drug dealers caught in stings.
I definitely believe in innocent until proven guilty, but when you get caught on camera soliciting a police officer, well, that's unfortunate, but makes for good watchin' in my opinion.
It was innovative TV at it's inception and like Simpsons, has become tiresome in several instances.
Are you really stupified? Heather likes Cops and I'm pretty sure she likes the sister shows on Animal Planet.
That's because Animal Cops RULZ.
Yeah, I said it.
It's true I love Cops. Especially HoHoHo episodes. Also Adam you are right agian I love Animal Cops, Animal Precient, Animal Cops Huston and Animal Heros.
Am I that transparent?
No, I like those shows too, as does Eleanore. We know our people.
hey, my blog moved.
craptanisty.blogspot.com
now
heather, err monticore's blog is actually @
craptanistyland.blogspot.com
i goofed, posting as her, on the last comment.
Hi, surfed over here from Pandagon.
I never actually watched Fox itself back when I had TV signal, which I dropped in October 2004. So I haven't seen most of these shows at all.
Since then however I have rented out all of Futurama and Firefly. These two shows I'd nominate as some of the best TV anywhere ever, certainly among the very best SF in any video medium.
I'm very bitter that Fox would allow Firefly to languish and die as they did; should that overcome my gratitude that they aired any of it in the first place?
The bad shows I never have to see at all. I did try watching a few of the first season episodes of Simpsons, but it was incredibly bland after seeing Futurama.
I'm leery of doing or saying anything whatsoever that might appear to support Fox as a network, due to the incredible damage Fox does posing as "news" under Murdoch.
But as the Onceler said--"If I don't do it, someone else will."
I have to say, Fox certainly does seem more adventurous in at least briefly airing stuff, good and awful, other networks seem too conservative to try.
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