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WONKA VISION PRESENTS :: THE TOP 10
TV SHOWS
Photo
credit and captions for Top Ten TV Shows Story by Katie Ellsweig and
Justin Luczejko in Issue 37
Television. TV. “The boob tube.” Anyone who says
they don’t watch it is obviously masking their undying
devotion to Laguna
Beach and QVC.
Fortunately, for those of us with somewhat better taste, primetime
television is ablaze these days with straight-up entertainment and
enough guilty pleasure to go around, and around. These 10 super-shows
not only have a cult following, but a well deserved one. They are the
crème de la crème of all that rests inside that
tiny (or extravagantly large) black box against the living room wall
with the power to keep an entire human race on the edge of their
seats.
1. LOST
Why
to watch: Since Lost
started telling secrets to American
Express card holders, the number of incoming credit card applications
skyrocketed. Only in the aftermath of a place crash would a spinal
surgeon and an ex-con find themselves competing for the affection of a
fugitive. Lost is
not a TV show, it’s a phenomenon.
Soundtrack:
Music composed by Michael Giacchino.
Airs:
Wednesdays, 10 pm EST on ABC.
Cross-marketing:
Well, there’s Lost
the magazine to pair up with Lost mugs,
water bottles, t-shirts, and super-smart looking composition
books!
Photo
Credit: © 2007 American
Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
(ABC/MARIO PEREZ)
Photo Caption: YUNJIN KIM, EMILIE DE RAVIN, DANIEL DAE KIM, HENRY IAN
CUSICK
2. 24
Why
to watch: For the character alliteration, of course.
Curtis, Chloe,
Jack, Josh, Milo, and Marilyn—say that 10 times fast. Also
find out that a “suitcase nuke” is a nuclear weapon
small enough to fit in a briefcase and a Cobra Helicopter costs $10
million. In season five, Tony was killed by a lethal injection of
Hyocine-Pentothal. This is a fake drug.
Airs:
Mondays, 9 pm EST on Fox.
Cross-marketing:
Make sure to watch 24
while hanging up your 24
calendar, playing your 24
board game, polishing your 24
DVD collection,
and flipping through one of over a half dozen 24 books.
Photo
Credit: Fox
 3.
HEROES
Why
to watch: If saving a cheerleader could really save the
world, one might want to think about showing some more school spirit.
This nighttime drama is based around regular people with irregular
abilities, finding connections with each other in a world that needs a
lot of saving. Words like gripping, frustrating, and dangerously
enthralling don’t even begin to describe this show. Heroes
brings out the superhero in all of us.
Soundtrack:
Bright Eyes, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, and more.
Airs:
Mondays, 9 pm EST on NBC.
Cross-marketing:
Two words—graphic novels.
Photo
Credit: NBC Chris Haston
Photo
Caption: "Parasite" - Episode 118 -- Pictured: (l-r) Masi Oka as
Hiro Nakamura, James Kyson Lee as Ando Masahashi
4.
GREY'S ANATOMY
Why
to watch: Five interns; one engaged to her superior,
another broke up a marriage to date hers, one married his co-worker,
one was briefly engaged to her patient, and the other is just sleeping
with his boss. Lives are saved somewhere between messages of
inspiration and spouts of infidelity.
Soundtrack:
Damien Rice, Aqualung, Tegan and Sara, Camera Obscura, Nat King Cole,
Iron and Wine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol, Gomez, Beck, Regina
Spektor, and more.
Airs:
Thursdays, 9 pm EST on ABC.
Cross-marketing:
Be eco-friendly. Instead of buying box after box of tissues to soak up
the primetime drama tears, invest in a hankie.
5.
THE WIRE
Why
to watch: Rap music, cops, tough guys, and the mean
streets of Baltimore. The devastation inside of inner-city schools is a
very real thing. No one wants to be a teacher in Baltimore and no one
wants to be a student.
Soundtrack:
DoMaJe, Al Green, Salt-n-Pepa, The Meters, Three 6 Mafia, Billie
Holiday, Ray Cash, Curtis Mayfield, Chamillionare, and more.
Airs:
HBO.
Fun
fact: Episodes of this show were filmed at locations which
have since been torn down. The
Wire not only captures the realism of
Baltimore, but its transformation as well.
6.
HOUSE
Why
to watch: The cynicism and only the cynicism. Dr. House is
skeptical, bitter, somewhat insensitive, and strange as hell. Of
course, getting shot changes a man, doesn’t it?
Soundtrack:
Lizz Wright, Damien Rice, Ella Fitzgerald, Ben Harper, Mazzy Star,
Gorrilaz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Otis Redding, Ryan Adams, and more.
Airs:
Tuesdays, 9 pm EST on Fox.
Fun
fact: Hugh Laurie was once on an episode of Family Guy and
also played the voice of Mr. Little in Stuart Little.
Impressive.
 7.
ENTOURAGE
Why
to watch: For the guest stars, and because Jeremy Piven is
better
than birthday cake. Is it true that men from Queens “hug it
out?” Undoubtedly the best guest star on this show is Seth
Green, who plays himself. Unfortunately for him, he will still be
better known for Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, Austin
Powers, and Can’t
Hardly Wait.
Soundtrack:
Outkast, Franz Ferdinand, Northstar, Kings of Leon,
Electric Soft Parade, Nada Surf, Beck, Interpol, Aretha Franklin, The
Bravery, Lyrics Born, and more.
Airs:
HBO.
Cross-marketing:
No life is complete without the
“Let’s hug it out, bitch” baseball cap.
Photo Credit: Claudette Barius/HBO
8. WEEDS
Why
to watch: Episode eight of Weeds is called
“MILF
Money.” What more of a reason does one need? Here’s
one: A hot mom sells trees (and not the Christmas kind) to support her
family after her husband drops dead.
Soundtrack:
Death Cab for Cutie, The Be Good Tanyas, Jenny Owen Youngs, Elvis
Costello, Snoop Dogg, Of Montreal, Sufjan Stevens, The New
Pornographers, Flogging Molly, The Mountain Goats, and more.
Airs:
Showtime.
Fun
fact: The use and sale of cannabis is still illegal and
obviously Showtime didn’t graduate from the D.A.R.E. program.
9.
DESPERATE HOUSE WIVES
Why
to watch: Marriage and divorce are like a trip to the
grocery store. Old women have strokes at the most convenient times and
trying to figure out why an entire neighborhood street is comprised of
only young, good looking people is dumbfounding.
Soundtrack:
Liz Phair, Macy Gray, Indigo Girls, Shania Twain, KD Lang, Joss Stone,
Martina McBride, Gloria Estefan, and more.
Airs:
Sundays, 9 pm EST on ABC.
Fun
fact: So far this season, three people have fallen off a
roof, a man was raped by his ex-wife, and another man woke up from a
coma to find out he might have killed a woman whose sink he was hired
to fix.
10. THE OFFICE
Why
to watch: Because unless you work for Google, chances are
you hate your job at least one day a week. This show makes workplace
loathing funny. At least on that one day, you can huddle to your living
room and chuckle for a bit.
Soundtrack:
The sounds of paperclips being flung across the room.
Airs:
Thursdays, 8:30 pm EST on NBC.
Cross-marketing:
Go to NBC.com and play “Bobblehead Bash.”
Photo Credit: NBC Justin Lubin
Photo Caption: "Cocktails" - Episode 3018 -- Pictured: Steve Carell as
Michael Scott
FIVE
WORST SHOWS ON TV
1.
WIFE SWAP – This show is
the sole reason why two thirds of
all marriages end in divorce.
2. AMERICAN IDOL – How
many
careers have to fail before Fox
stops believing in karaoke and Paula Abdul?
3. DEAL OR NO DEAL – Who
knew
regular people were
this greedy and stupid.
4. SUPER SWEET 16 – Tiny
Paris-to-be’s parading
around their parents’ cash and crying over boys. Great.
5. NANNY 911 – See
description
number one. Then proceed with
projectile vomiting.
Photo
Credit: © 2007 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc
(ABC/MICHAEL RUBENSTEIN)
Photo
Caption: TORI "MAD SALLY" BAUR
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