Yes, it's not related to television, but it's still my favorite way to start out a brand new list.
As Lao-tzu so eloquently put it, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
#50: Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979)
Episodes: 95 (over four seasons)
Starring: Gabe Kaplan, John Travolta and Ron Palillo
Emmys: Nominated four times (Outstanding Comedy, 1976).
Plot: "Gabe Kotter is a high-school teacher with a bunch of unruly students in
his class. The student troublemakers are led by Vinnie Barbarino, who
has a knack for rhyming insults."
Channel: ABC
Stock: Down
The show that launched John Travolta into stardom is the same show that launches our countdown. A show I'm willing to bet the majority of my constant readers have never watched. A show that I haven't seen myself in nearly a decade. But a great show nonetheless.
Welcome Back, Kotter tells the story of Mr. Kotter (Gabe Kaplan) coming back to his hometown after a lengthy absence. He picks up a job as a substitute teacher for a group of misfits (The Sweathogs). Mr. Kotter was a former "Sweathog" himself and finds himself with the unenviable task of being on the other side of the desk. The four main students are Vinny Barbarino (John Travolta), Arnold Horshack, Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington, and Epstein.
While Mr. Kotter does a superb job of teaching and making connections with The Sweathogs, the real reason this show made my list is the comedic continuity. Each and every episode you could count on Barbarino telling someone to stick a rubber hose up their nose, or for Horshack to violently raise his arm with an answer, or Boom Boom to throw in a "hi there," and to have Epstein hand an excuse note. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Fitting in some strange way that we start another list with a show titled, "Welcome Back."
#49: Murder In Small Town X (2001)
Episodes: 8 (over one season)
Starring: Gary Fredo, Pat Battistini and Heather Campbell
Plot: "Murder in Small Town X is an unscripted drama series in which ten
ordinary people compete to track down a fictional killer in a town
filled with improvisational actors playing the suspects and witnesses."
Channel: FOX
Stock: Holding
One of those weird shows that I honestly have very little reasoning for including on this list. And yet, I couldn't pull the trigger and cut it because I can remember how excited I was for a two month period when Murder In Small Town X debuted eleven years ago.
The concept of MISTX was unique and groundbreaking. It put ten contestants in a small Maine fishing port where a murder has captivated the entire town. These contestants tried to solve the mystery while not getting "killed" themselves. At the end of each episode, two contestants would go to two separate locations. One would bring back an important clue and the other would be "killed" by the murderer. It was equal parts game show, reality television, and mystery-drama. And I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately the show lasted just one season and I've missed it ever since.
Quick sidenote: the winner of the show was Angel Juarbe, a NYC firefighter. Angel was one of the first units called in to action on September 11th. His body was found a couple months later. R.I.P Angel.
#48: Matlock (1986-1995)
Episodes: 195 (over nine seasons)
Starring: Andy Griffith, Nancy Stafford and Clarence Gilyard Jr.
Emmys (1): Outstanding Music (1992). Nominated four times.
Golden Globes: Nominated once (Best Supporting Actress/Julie Sommars, 1990).
Plot: "Matlock features criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock seeking to
prove the innocence of his client as he takes on his/her case, of which
most involve murders."
Channel: NBC/ABC
Stock: Down
My mother and I are at a pretty good point in our relationship where I can honestly say the following without fear of repercussion: I faked being sick on occasion when I was younger. Sure, I might have had a little headache, or my throat might have been a little sore, but I was pretty good at embellishing my symptoms just enough to miss school. Having said that, one of the best side effects of a missed school-day was watching Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) solve crimes.
It's probably been a decade since I last watched an episode of Matlock, but it was a staple of Luke Florence Sick Days in the 1990s. I can still hear the theme song to this day. I can still see Matlock outwitting the guilty suspect in the courtroom. And I can still picture Matlock flashing that winning smile of his. Besides that I don't really remember too much, but if all you can recall are good things, that should count for something.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention one of my favorite Arrested Development quotes which just so happen to focus around Andy Griffith. The pretext centers around George Bluth Sr. trying to convince his son Michael to let Andy Griffith sit with them during their trial.
"If we're going to plead not-guilty we have to have someone big behind us. Our own private Matlock. I made some calls and I got him ... Andy Griffith. What, you've never seen Matlock? " - George Sr.
"Not a real attorney dad." - Michael
"Now for ten-grand he'll actually sit behind us in court and read the paper. For fifteen he'll actually sit at the defense table. For twenty thousand dollars he'll twice lean forward and whisper something in your ear. Oh, the white suit, that's extra." - George Sr.
"Well that's an awful lot of money for the stupidest idea I've ever heard." - Michael
#47: Life's Too Short (2011)
Episodes: 7 (over one season)
Starring: Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Plot: "The show centers on Warwick Davis in his day-to-day life, complete with the frustrations he faces."
Channel: HBO
Stock: Holding
Life is too short and so was this show which only lasted seven short episodes. Yes it was hilarious, and yes it could have been re-upped for a second season but Ricky Gervais (the producer) had seen enough and decided to do a "one-hour special" instead of a second season. It's really too bad, because Life's Too Short had me laughing harder than any television show I've watched in recent memory ... maybe ever.
Ricky Gervais has called this show, "a story about the life of a showbiz dwarf." The main character is Warwick Davis, a real-life dwarf who has actually been in Star Wars and the Harry Potter series. In Life's Too Short we find Warwick struggling with his finances, his ex-wife, and his inability to land significant roles. It is shot in the same format as The Office, with face-to-face interviews and constant acknowledgment of the camera.
Outstanding cameos by Liam Neeson, Steve Carell and Johnny Depp had me rolling on the floor in pain from laughter. Depp's "no one makes fun of Tim Allen on my watch, and gets away with it," will stay with me forever. Well done Ricky Gervais. Well done.
#46: Ghostwriter (1992-1995)
Episodes: 74 (over three seasons)
Starring: Sheldon Turnipseed, David Lopez and Blaze Berdahl
Plot: "The show is about a group of teens who goes around solving neighborhood
crimes and mysteries in New York City as young detectives with the help
of a very secretive friend: Ghostwriter! Ghostwriter cannot hear, talk,
smell, or feel. He can only read and write. He only sees words. No one
else can see him but the Ghostwriter Team!"
Channel: PBS
Stock: Up
If you can remember back to my favorite movie list I would tend to favor films that centered around writing (Stranger Than Fiction, Secret Window, etc). Same holds here for the smaller screen. Truth be told, I remember very little about Ghostwriter, except that I thoroughly enjoyed it whenever it was on.
The premise was pretty simple: a group of NYC teen detectives solve crime with help from Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter highlighted clues around the city that were missed by the teenagers. Often times bringing attention to something hidden, or scrambling letters around to get the young crime solvers headed in the right direction, Ghostwriter was the star of the show.
I was always reading as a kid, and what I loved most about Ghostwriter is that I could read both old stories I had previously seen on television and brand new ones as well. What other show offered that?
The thing with Ghostwriter, or any show I haven't seen in a long time, is that it actually benefits from my extended viewing absence. If I were to watch an episode of Ghostwriter today, I would view it as a 26-year-old and more than likely hate it. This exact scenario happened a few years ago when - after a drunken evening at OU - I was practically giddy with excitement for the 3AM episode of Nick Arcade, a show I absolutely loved as a kid. By 3:07AM I was disgusted. The show was horrendous and as a result, you won't see Nick Arcade anywhere near this list.
Here's to hoping I don't stumble upon a Ghostwriter episode anytime soon.
Apologies for the week-long absence. That's what a ten-day vacation without internet access will do. The next five shows will be up tomorrow and then we will be back on track.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
- Luke Florence
The premise was pretty simple: a group of NYC teen detectives solve crime with help from Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter highlighted clues around the city that were missed by the teenagers. Often times bringing attention to something hidden, or scrambling letters around to get the young crime solvers headed in the right direction, Ghostwriter was the star of the show.
I was always reading as a kid, and what I loved most about Ghostwriter is that I could read both old stories I had previously seen on television and brand new ones as well. What other show offered that?
The thing with Ghostwriter, or any show I haven't seen in a long time, is that it actually benefits from my extended viewing absence. If I were to watch an episode of Ghostwriter today, I would view it as a 26-year-old and more than likely hate it. This exact scenario happened a few years ago when - after a drunken evening at OU - I was practically giddy with excitement for the 3AM episode of Nick Arcade, a show I absolutely loved as a kid. By 3:07AM I was disgusted. The show was horrendous and as a result, you won't see Nick Arcade anywhere near this list.
Here's to hoping I don't stumble upon a Ghostwriter episode anytime soon.
Apologies for the week-long absence. That's what a ten-day vacation without internet access will do. The next five shows will be up tomorrow and then we will be back on track.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
- Luke Florence
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