Ten Nostalgic TV Shows

Here are ten TV shows that I miss. They're probably all out on DVD. You should watch them. You know, if you'd like to become grafted to your couch like me.


Everwood
I suppose many people tuned in for the main story but for me it was all about 2 words, 1 guy and 1 great character arc: Bright Abbott.

Aaron Sorkin x 3 (SportsNight, West Wing - up to his departure after season 4, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip)
If you don't know how I feel about the man by now you need to spend some quality time with my archives. If you don't like the guy and you don't see what the big deal is then I ask you to watch SportsNight. Just watch. If you don't skim through the entire series and feel crushed when it's over then you're not human.

Joss Whedon x 3 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly)
A male writer with a degree in women's studies who actually puts all his skills to work. He likes women so much he's even willing to indulge our inexplicable desire for the bad boys...to a point.

Dawson's Creek
I don't mean to keep calling your humanity into question but if you weren't in love for at least a moment with either Pacey or Joey then you might be part Vulcan.

Gilmore Girls
Amy Sherman-Palladino can pack more words and more pop culture references into 46 minutes than some writers pack into a whole season. She has to because she's got a lot to tell the world and all we can do is hope we can keep up. If that's not enough for you there's Lauren Graham who not only learned to keep up she taught us all her tricks along the way...and in 3 inch heels to boot.

Veronica Mars
It's not often that someone figures out a way to do something new on TV, I know. Rob Thomas looked at all the trends - crime process shows, mysteries, teen romance shows, long arc deep myth shows - and he combined them into one delicious cauldron of hot teens combatting the forces of evil with $20,000 state of the art listening devices. Edge of my seat, every week.

Joan of Arcadia
Here's another reason to visit the archives: if you don't know how suspicious I am of organized religion. Someone wrote a TV show about it. Then they occasionally dropped my beloved Mrs. Landingham from The West Wing in and when the execs canceled the show I almost wept.

Six Feet Under
It's possible that the series finale of this show is the best series finale ever broadcast. But it won't make any sense to you unless you watch the rest of the show.

Once & Again
I could have made this one of the "All shows by ____" entries. It's created by Marshall Herskowitz & Ed Zwick who also did My So Called Life, Thirtysomething, The Last Samurai among other things. I am a character driven viewer (also character driven in my acting, writing and daily life) and these men have made careers out of crafting brilliantly 3 dimensional characters who can withstand the necessary growth of a series. Then they cast truly stellar performers to bring those characters to life.

Oz
Not just because my boyfriend Lee Tergesen was on it, though that is a factor. Not just because my other boyfriend Dean Winters...or Harold Perrineau...or any of a number of other actors are on it. Because it took a small world and explored every blessed emotional inch of it with unflinching devotion. Also because the series finale left an opening for something more so that hard core fans will always be waiting to see if there's another episode in the pipeline. Bastards.