My Top 10 TV Shows of All Time

Given how much I love television, and how television has literally given me the life I have had, it is almost impossible for me to pick my top 10. I would struggle with picking a top 10 of shows on each night of the week in every season.

That said, here ARE my top 10 favorite shows of all time:

1. The Ed Sullivan Show. No matter how busy our lives were, every Sunday night at 800pm, my entire family would gather around the tv set and be entertained and bond together. I wish with all of my heart that I could sit around the tv set just one more time with my father, mother and brother who have long since passed, and my two sisters, who live 3,000 miles away.

2. M*A*S*H. There is a reason that the final episode of M*A*S*H remains the most watched season finale ever. A sitcom about the horror and heroism of war running during the Vietnam War seems unlikely to have ever been a success, but wow, was it ever.

3. Lost. I have said this to the execs on the show, and the execs at ABC Studios...years from now, when students are studying the impact of television in the 21st century, Lost will be a masters course. One of the best pilots in tv history became one of the best shows in tv history. Confusing? Yes. Confounding? Yes. Brilliant? Oh yes.

4. Saturday Night Live. No show has captured the essence of the moment and set it on its ass like SNL. After nearly 35 years, it still is must see tv. Lorne Michaels is a genius, and no show has set the stage to open up avenues for new comedic and musical talent.

5. CSI. Another genre breaker/maker, CSI made science cool with great story telling and never before seen special effects.

6. Arrested Development. The funniest show in the history of the medium. I will always be thankful for its existence, and always be sad that all of America never caught on to the madness of this show. I am thankful there will be a theatrical in 2010, and hopefully more after that.

7. Late Show With David Letterman. Leno is good, Kimmel is good, Conan is good, but I am certain Carson watches Letterman each night, wherever he is.

8. Star Trek. The original 79 were cheaply produced, poorly lit, and brought so much joy to my life. I enjoyed the spin offs, and even got to spend a good portion of my career working on them, and I am exited about JJ Abrams and the next Star Trek movie, but the original will always be the best.

9. The Twilight Zone. Creepy, thought provoking, scary, brilliant, funny, insightful, respectful, and perfect.

10. TGIF. Any combination of the 4 sitcoms that ran on ABC in the 90's. No matter how busy our lives were, every Friday night my wife and two children would gather around the tv set and be entertained and bond together.

Honorable mention goes to just about every other show on tv.