The 'idiot box' : Entertainment and beyond

Picture this: a family gathered some evening in a home around a big box with flickering images that appear seemingly from thin air. All eyes are affixed to the images that move behind the central curved glass screen and all ears are attuned to the noise and dialogue that float from small slots surrounding the screen - it's wholesome family fun! It's the TV ... one of man's greatest inventions, and, boy oh boy, has it has come a long way.

I grew up watching a lot of television. In fact some of my fondest memories of tv was sitting glued in front of it with my siblings or with my whole family (cousins included) being awed and entertained by series such Sesame Street (I still like it ok?), 3-2-1 Contact, Electric Company, ThunderCats, M.A.S.K, Visionaries and the like. We also used to have a good round of laughs with choice gems like Three's Company (although I sometimes think I was too young to appreciate the jokes), The Cosby Show and Mind Your Language; sat thrilled by the likes of MacGyver, Star Trek: The Next Generation and ChiPs (my brother and I had bicycles and used to play ChiPs ... haha); I even remember staying up late at night (I was still in primary school, and it was during UPSR) watching the very addictive Cantonese drama series 'the Seasons'.

The TV has certainly come a long way - and not only the TV but its programmes. Pure entertainment made way for education and more advanced news reporting and with the advent of reality TV, real life (besides news) was brought right before our very eyes. Whoa. Of course a lot has been said about the advantages and pitfalls of TV, but come what may, the TV is a truly unique invention.

Through this post, allow me to present to you, what I think are some of TV's best and defining moments. I will even be so bold to say that some of these programmes are 'inspirational'.

Behold, the creme de la creme (to melah, Top 10) of secular TV:

10: The Simpsons

Like it or not, the Simpsons have made an impact on TV and the society that watches TV. The 'yellow first family of Springfield with 4 fingers on each hand' can make you laugh and gasp at the same time, with their um, unique brand of humour. Although I do not condone all that is done in the series, as some messages are very questionable, where entertainment value is concerned, they deliver. Watch with caution though.

9: Bagdad Cafe (the tv series)

Most of you are probably wondering what this is all about and rightly so as it was a short lived comedy. It starred the ever hilarious Whoopi Goldberg and is based on the movie of the same name: about a black lady who runs a desert inn and the white lady (Jean Stapleton) who comes to move in and the lives they impact. Funny does not begin to describe the series as this is one series where I truly laughed and laughed. Talk about ebony and ivory ...

8: The naked chef/Cooking with heart and soul:

Presenting chefs extraordinaire: Mr Jamie Oliver and Ms Kylie Kwong, a Brit and an Aussie (Chinese) who can truly cook up a storm. There is nothing (probably) more appetising than watching a good cooking show and not only do they deliver, but deliver in fine style: Jamie with his simplicity and humour and Kylie with her oh so Australian accent and charm. They even make preparing the ingredients for the dishes (which I find a tad troublesome) fun to watch and, whoa, when they finish, I wish I was there to sample the menu. Yummy.

7: The X Files

Agent Mulder: So what do you think Scully?

Agent Scully: There must be a rational, scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

Agent Mulder (smirks): Maybe it is just an X File.

The rivalry, the attraction, the mystery and the originality truly made this series one for the books. Agents Scully and Mulder both had enough charisma to keep the series running and with well written scripts and storylines, why should anyone be surprised at the serie's success? Although I always used to wonder why Mulder had to explain a few scientific things to Scully. She was a doctor right?

6: Friends

If you think about it, the characters (on paper) are truly stereotyped: you have the manic worrier, the high school prom queen, the popular guy, the witty albeit slightly bitter guy, the girl who wants to make everyone happy and the weirdo - Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, Monica and Phoebe. What keeps this from being just your average run of the mill comedy series is a sharper than glass script and applaudable acting chops from the cast. Episodes were almost always fresh and more often than not, unpredictable.

5: American Idol

What do you get when you combine three sometimes difficult judges, one talkative host and 12 contestants that can sing and sing and sing? In the words of Ryan Seacrest: 'This is American Idol'. Haha ... watch and you will see why it is on the list.

4: Frasier

What a change. From pub to posh, this is Dr Frasier Crane ... and he is listening. :) This is the thinking man's comedy, a comedy so fresh and wit filled that you can just sit back and put those brains to good use even while relaxing. With a cast of commendable actors (and an actress that manages to make the cockney accent sound posh) and a one of tv's most famous dogs, Frasier entertained without being condescending.

3: Boston Public

'Inspire them! You're a teacher ...' is a phrase from TV's drama filled high school series that I shall always remember, and frankly it really made me think about teaching as a profession. Oh yes, the drama was always neck high and some characters were over the top (I was usually quite 'tired' after watching it), but it was real, albeit possibly exaggerated ... and the pretty actresses also added to the fun. Boston Public highlights many of the issues in schools today and you learn to appreciate teachers for who they are. Three cheers for this school.

2: Monk

The OCD with OCD. Hahah. The obsessive compulsive detective with obsessive compulsive disorder, Monk is a rarity among tv series. Fun, intelligent and funny all at the same time, with endearing characters and crazy plots, it is hardly a surprise it is perennially on the Emmy shortlist. Kudos aside, I actually enjoy this a lot because Adrian Monk reminds me of ... me, at least who I used to be, obsessive compulsive (haha, hey ask my family loh). It is Sherlock Holmes meets Charlie Chaplin.

1: Star Trek: Voyager

Finally the 'big momma' of tv series and one of my all time favorites, ST: Voyager. When I first began to watch it in the UK, I found it ok. It was another ST series, pretty much the same. A few years later, Astro began to screen it on AXN and believe you me, I watched the series (from beginning to end: about seven seasons) back to back almost three times. Gasp. The storyline may be same ol, same ol, but its the characters that grip you, and my personal favorite ST character of all series, Seven of Nine is vava voom. Intelligence and beauty with a resonant strength - a beautiful borg (and fyi she is also in Boston Public). Let's hope they make a movie from this series.

Whew ... there is so much more to say with so many other notables like Ally McBeal, the Cosby Show, Mind Your Language, MacGyver, Quantum Leap, Golden Girls, Knight rider, ST: TNG, ER, 21 Jump St, CSI (Miami, NY, LV), Ed, The A Team, Relic Hunter, Silk Stalkings, Murder She Wrote, Scrubs, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Malcolm in the Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond, Home Improvement, Cheers, Three’s Company, Gilligan’s Island, I love Lucy, Facts of Life, Mad About You, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Futurama, Dexter's Laboratory, Survivor, 'V', SeaQuest DSV, Misfits of Science, Whose Line is it anyway? and the Most Extreme, but I shall stop here for now.

Happy watching ... and oh yes, watch responsibly. :)

God bless you.