THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050035
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: 62 lines
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV show? When polled by Electronic Media weekly, my colleagues among the country's TV critics voted for ``Homicide: Life on the Street.''
I picked ``Law & Order.''
The critics' top 10 favorites, in order of preference, were: ``Homicide: Life on the Street,'' ``NYPD Blue,'' ``Frasier,'' ``Murder One,'' ``Seinfeld,'' ``ER,'' ``The Larry Sanders Show Starring Garry Shandling,'' ``The Simpsons,'' ``Law & Order'' and ``The X-Files.''
My 10 favorites, in order of preference, are: ``Law & Order,'' ``NYPD Blue,'' ``ER,'' ``Seinfeld,'' ``The Larry Sanders Show Starring Garry Shandling,'' ``Friends,'' ``Rose-anne,'' ``Murder One,'' ``Homicide: Life on the Street'' and ``Party of Five.''
While I'm in the mood for making lists, I might as well write this column as a list of lists. Here goes:
Tired old shows that don't deserve to be back on the network schedules next fall but will return - ``Wings,'' ``Coach,'' ``Martin,'' ``Murphy Brown'' and ``Dave's World.''
Pretty good shows that were dropped from the new fall schedules but should not have been - ``Due South,'' ``America's Most Wanted,'' ``Profit,'' ``JAG,'' and ``Partners.''
Old shows that will stagger and stumble through one more season before being canceled - ``Married . . . With Children,'' ``Melrose Place,'' ``Beverly Hills 90210,'' ``The John Larroquette Show'' and ``Family Matters.''
Good old shows that began fading and sliding toward cancellation in 1996 - ``Home Improvement,'' ``Grace Under Fire,'' ``Mad About You,'' ``Star Trek: Voyager'' and ``Ellen.''
Shows that will fall in the ratings next season because they've been moved from a good time slot to another - ``Caroline in the City,'' ``Boston Common,'' ``Touched by an Angel,'' ``Savannah'' and ``3rd Rock From the Sun.''
Five shows that people watch religiously but are ashamed to admit it - ``Baywatch,'' ``Xena, Warrior Princess,'' ``Talk Soup,'' ``Tales From the Crypt,'' ``Singled Out'' and ``Silk Stalkings.''
The editors at Electronic Media also asked the TV critics to pick the best new shows of last season. The consensus: ``Murder One,'' ``Profit'' and ``3rd Rock From the Sun.''
I agree. It was a bad year for new shows. Out of 40 of them, only one (``3rd Rock From the Sun'') came anywhere near being a hit.
The best cable shows in the critics' opinion: ``The Larry Sanders Show Starring Garry Shandling,'' ``Politically Incorrect'' and ``Outer Limits.'' I substituted ``Talk Soup'' for ``Outer Limits.''
The worst series? My friends among the critics selected ``Malibu Shores,'' ``The Single Guy'' and ``Kindred: The Embraced.'' I would have picked ``Kirk,'' ``Simon'' and ``Nowhere Man.''
Best movie or miniseries of last season? ``Gulliver's Travels.'' We all agree on that. The worst? Other critics chose Tori Spelling in ``Coed Call Girl.'' I liked it in a guilty-pleasure kind of way. Tori will soon be the queen of the made-for-TV flicks. She's hot.
The biggest waste of time on TV last season in my opinion was the revival of ``The Thorn Birds.'' MEMO: File your comments on this column by calling Infoline 640-5555,
press 2486. by CNB