Conservative politicians campaigning against PBS shouldn’t focus just on tax dollars: the network is also home to the most subversive show on American television. Sitting at a small desk on a bare set, Bill Moyers asks scholars, journalists and activists questions about our political system — whom it serves, how it’s paid for — that no one else is asking on screen.
And Alessandra Stanley's list includes the Presidential election:
Normally epic on-air meltdowns happen on reality shows or during an Oscar acceptance speech, but this year the most memorable live moments were prompted by the presidential campaign. The best came on election night on Fox News, when the channel’s Republican expert Karl Rove had a tantrum, rejecting his network’s own figures, and sulkily refused to accept that despite all his predictions, and “super PAC” spending, the winner was Barack Obama.
I would add the Republican debates to this list if you were strictly rating comedies (or is it farce?).
June Thomas in Slate has her own top 15 picks, with a few surprises including C-SPAN2's Book TV:
A DVR malfunction can reveal a lot about your true feelings for a show. When you feel bereft to learn that a show hasn’t recorded, you’re saying that some part of you finds it essential. Book TV—a parade of author readings, Q&As, and live feeds from book festivals from around the nation—speaks through the electronic program guide. Every few weeks I curse the TV gods when my Friday night cruise through the listings to find out which authors Book TV will be serving up this weekend comes up empty—offering vague listings rather than specifying which new books will be featured. That’s how I know Book TV is an indispensable part of my weekend.
I am still compiling my list, but it's fun to see what others are watching.
Posts
