Wednesday, July 17, 2002
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Wednesday, July 17, 2002 |
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Springer should not have topped list By MICHAEL BOYLAN I am outraged. Outraged and appalled. "The Jerry Springer Show" was named the worst TV show of all time by TV Guide. The worst of all time? Worse than "Cop Rock," which landed at number eight? Worse than the "XFL," which placed third? The show may not be for everybody but it has lasted for a long time (since 1991) and has had everything from the rescue of a 1,500-pound man (Jerry is a hero to the obscenely obese) to a week of secret spousal revelations. I mean, Springer isn't even the worst talk show of all time. Remember Morton Downey Jr. screaming at his guests and smoking in their faces or how about Pat Sajak's short-lived late night show? Springer may be trashy but that is part of its appeal. Otherwise "60 Minutes" would be on every day of the week. I also could not believe that "Hogan's Heroes" was ranked the fifth-worst show of all time. I know people who swear by that show. I never thought it was the greatest thing on TV after all, it is a show about POWs in a Nazi prison camp but fifth worst? The writers of the list found "The Ropers" to be a better program. What's that about? The rest of the list makes a little more sense. Heck, there are a number of shows I guess I'm fortunate to never have even heard of. Has anybody heard of "Holmes and Yo-Yo," "Manimal" or "Supertrain?" I don't doubt that these shows were terrible but I do wonder about why shows like "Small Wonder" or "The Starlight Vocal Band Variety Hour" weren't included. I guess they had to narrow the list down. If they were truly going to make a comprehensive list it would have had to have been the worst 1,000 shows in the history of television. What surprised me most looking at the list was the number of shows that were sequels to popular programs. I had no idea that they made "AfterMASH," "Still the Beaver" or "Hee Haw Honeys," which I imagine was just hokey jokes told by girls in Daisy Duke shorts and tied shirts. If the TV Guide writers didn't care for the ribaldry of "Hee Haw Honeys," where was "Benny Hill?" I am also surprised that they ranked "The Tom Green Show" at number 41. Where was "Jackass?" If you don't like Green's sense of humor and find the show to be random and sometimes idiotic and cruel, watch one episode of "Jackass" and Tom Green will look like Jack Benny. Ultimately, it is all about taste and personal preference. The people who enjoy "Baywatch," which was ranked 21st, are not usually fans of programs like "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which was on TV Guide's Top 50 of all time. This is a list to generate discussion and possibly enhance viewership of a television program based on the list. I'm sure the ratings will be very high. After all, who wouldn't want to see clips of the "Hee Haw Honeys" or a "Manimal." |
