PARKS AND RECREATION

Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur made Parks and Recreation with the goal of mixing political satire and marriage with comedy. The main protagonist, Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) was a mid-level bureaucrat who helped a local nurse turn a construction site into a community park. However, the two encounter red tape and selfish neighbors. From 2009 to 2015, Parks and Recreation had audiences entertained by the main character’s weird optimism (credit goes to Poehler’s effective portrayal) amidst snotty and self-centered people. While the sitcom’s first season struggled to be at the same level as the sitcoms The Office and Pawnee, Parks and Recreation eventually found its own niche in the following seasons and had its final episode in 2015.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

In the 1970s, the original Battlestar Galactica failed to live up to its potential. But Ron Moore’s reboot in 2004 improved on it and made it better. Consisting of interesting characters and performances, the reboot was said to be darker than the original but better in every regard. It raised philosophical and theological questions in many an avid fan’s minds. Battlestar Galactica reflected the modern world despite that it’s a science fiction fantasy. It also takes credit for inspiring a few spin-offs.

SESAME STREET

Who doesn’t know Sesame Street–the show is, to their credit, one of the best children’s television programs in history. PBS truly marked this longtime program as every kid’s favorite. Indeed, every child back then grew up with lead characters Big Bird, Elmo, Ernie. These characters have evolved over time, and have turned into household names along the way. This show has also imparted important lessons for viewers–lessons that played a role in helping children navigate their young lives. It is now in its 50th season since it started in 1969, with no plans of ending its run.

THE SIMPSONS

The Simpsons is more than a sitcom. Proving that it can show off thought-provoking topics that are socially and politically relevant up to this day, it focused on the life of a dysfunctional family that had to navigate varying degrees of real-life situations. It was like this for the 600 episodes that it released since it first aired in 1989. It is, at 20 years long, the longest-running American sitcom. While its ending might not be seen in the offing, Homer and Bart Simpson will always be one of the most influential and recognizable pop cultural figures in the last two decades. The sitcom’s popularity also helped Fox become recognized as one of the biggest networks.

FUTURAMA

The success of the hit animated shows The Simpsons has transcended time, precipitating in the follow-up series Futurama. Although it did not get as big as the former’s popularity, Futurama, to some degree, earned a spot in the cultural zeitgeist. Its combination of comedy and sci-fi presented a whole new level of hilarity. Its cast of humans, aliens, cyclops, and robots have all entertained with their antics and weird shenanigans.

SOUTH PARK

This well-loved adult cartoon, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, satirized everything in the cultural zeitgeist that was worth paying attention to and became a television favorite. It is, to some degree, a combination of adult humor and political commentary that went beyond traditional standards. South Park features the lives of Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick as they go through mishaps and misadventures in Colorado. The show also faced various controversies because of some of its episodes. Its edgy content makes it a top favorite even to this day.

FAWLTY TOWERS

This 1970s comedy sitcom was one of the most loved shows on British television. The brainchild of John Cleese, who played Basil Fawlty, was a show that was fictionally set in Basil’s hotel.  Basil is a rude and hard-headed hotel manager who was always in verbal arguments with his wife, Sybil. Adding to that is the shenanigans is an incompetent Spanish waiter who has managed to still be employed. According to Cleese, he once encountered a real hotel owner, and this was what gave him the idea of creating the sitcom. Although many will find Basil’s personality disagreeable, he was a well-loved character to whom the show credits its success.

THE WEST WING

While this political drama did not make it to everyone’s favorite list of television shows, The West Wing, which first aired in 1999, had more than its share of fans. The story circles around a fictional Democratic President named Josiah “Jed” Bartlet and his slew of presidential advisers. This NBC drama featured scandals, threats, and political battles. Bartlet, apparently, had to go through a lot during his two presidential terms. With him was his White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman, and other staff who had to maintain a certain degree of balance in their work. This serial drama was created by Aaron Sorkin and its last episode aired in May 2006.

THE WIRE

HBO’s hit action-drama series The Wire dropped its first episode in 2002, with fans initially thinking the show was, to a huge degree, just another police drama. As its episodes and seasons unveiled, the show showed the ins and outs of the criminal justice system and focused specifically on Baltimore, Maryland. The story may seem inspired by former Baltimore journalist and author David Simon’s realizations about the judicial system. The series revolves around the lives of characters Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn), Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), and defense attorney Maurice Levy (Michael Kostroff). What made The Wire a truly remarkable hit was the fact that the showrunners did not hesitate to kill off lead characters, whom fans loved so well, for the sake of a good story. For 60 episodes, The Wire tackled various socio-political issues like the drug trade, mayoral politics, union longshoremen, print journalism, and the school system. While The Wire has long ended, it cannot be denied much of what it featured are still relevant today.

CHAPPELLE’S SHOW

Chappelle’s Show was a breath of fresh air during its time. Dave Chapelle’s comedy show, just like previous comedy shows led by stand-up comedians, combined politics and pop culture topics with the kind of racial humor that invited controversy. The skits were, to some degree, made to offend. The show’s unique take on racial issues was made with humor and wit, and it left many to burst out in hearty guffaws. Despite a few controversies, Chappelle’s Show was the premier program for racial comedy before it ended its run in 2006.