HBO officially greenlights the new David Simon Miniseries, “Show Me A Hero.” The miniseries tells the story of “the housing desegregation fight in the 1980s and 1990s that tore the city of Yonkers and its political leadership apart and resulted in more than a decade of political trauma and racial divisiveness.” Jason Isaacs and Catherine Keener star.

 

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I know I know..this has nothing to do with Baltimore. Oh well. You’ll get over it.

10. “The Big Bang Theory”

I’ll admit..back in 2007 when this show premiered, I didn’t have high hopes for this show. It was a show about nerds after all.  The show centers around nerds, Sheldon and Leonard, and their hot neighbor, Penny, and friends Raj and Wolowitz. Over the course of the series so far, Leonard and Penny have fallen madly in love; and Sheldon surprisingly has a girl in scientist Amy Farrah Fowler.  Wolowitz took a wife in Bernadette, and Raj is still having lady issues.

It was a decent first season, shortened to 17 episodes due to the Writers Strike. The show was renewed for a Season 2, and that’s when magic happened. The show became about more than just nerds; it became about friends, who might get on each other nerves every week, but deep down they’ll always be together.

9.  “Full House”

“Full House” is the quintessential 80’s/90’s family sitcom. The show chronicled the Tanner family, after the death of the families mother. Danny Tanner is left raising three girls, along with their Uncle Jesse and Danny’s best friend, Uncle Joey. Supporting players include DJ’s boyfriend Steve, best friend Kimmy Gibbler, and Rebecca Donaldson, who soon becomes Jesse’s wife. Throughout the series, you see the ups and downs of family life, the struggles of losing a parent, and the hilarity that can take place. I’ve recently watch some episodes in syndication, and yes, it still holds up!

8. “Boy Meets World”

This coming of age comedy lasted 7 seasons on ABC. It followed Cory Matthews, his family, his best friend Shawn, and his forever crush, Topanga.  We take the journey with them from middle school, right up until college, and ultimately Cory and Topanga’s wedding. This show strikes a cord with my generation because it spoke to what we were going through at the time. Heck, we even wore the same clothes. And who can forget Topanga? #Goddess.

The show delivered one of the saddest, yet poignant endings in recent memory. Cory, Sean, Eric, and Topanga visit Mr. Feeney one last time before they move on with their lives.

Mr. Feeney: “I love you all. (pause) Class dismissed.”

7. “Roseanne”

The show focuses on middle class Connor family, in Lanford Illinois. Wacky Roseanne and her husband Dan, have three kids: Becky, Darlene, and DJ. Aunt Jackie is forever in and out of there home as well. The show was/is a hit because they embody REAL people. And not cookie cutter models hired to act. It also helps that Roseanne (regardless of what you think of her antics of politics) is absolutely HILARIOUS.  The show became known for it’s Halloween themed episodes, my favorite being “The Tower Of Terror.” Two standout episodes for me include “A Stash From The Past” and “Toto, We’re Not In Kansas Anymore.” The last season was a let down storyline wise, but the finale saved it. We learn that the entire series was a novel based on Roseanne Connor’s life. Coping, she embellished some major plot points, including the family winning the lottery. They in fact did not win the lottery, Dan suffered a fatal heart attack, Jackie was a lesbian, and Becky and David were couple, as was Darlene and Mark instead of the opposite.

6. “All In The Family”

This classic sitcom follows Archie and Edith Bunker, and their crazy, yet loving relationship. Archie is a outspoken bigot, who hates everyone who is against his conservative and sometimes ignorant views. Edith however, proves to be the wisest character when she stands up to him. The show tackled taboo subjects of the time, including rape, abortion, women’s lib, and racism. Archie and Edith may have clashed occasionally, but the most important thing was there..love.

5. “The Wonder Years”

This classic comedy takes place in the 1960’s, one of the most radical times of change in United States history. The writers and creators masterfully tied the challenges we faced as a country, to the Arnold family. Throughout the course of the series, we would experience what every teenager goes through, through the eyes of Kevin Arnold. From his first kiss, to his first job, we follow him in his quest for love, for meaning..for purpose. We can all relate to having our own “Winnie Cooper.” That girl, or guy, we just fall in love with as a kid, and have a special place in our heart for, whether we end up with them or not.

The episode highlights for me are “My Father’s Office” and the Series Finale. I can’t wait to introduce this series to my kids one day.

“Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back… with wonder.”

4. “The Golden Girls”

I know I know..WRONG demographic for this website. But you know what, fellas? They don’t make shows like this anymore. The  writing is superb, top notch, creative, etc etc etc. The show centers around 4 ladies in Miami who move in with each other, and become like family. Each character has her own personality. The sexy one, the smart one, the old one, and..Rose.

Each actress brings life to a character that has been copied over and over and over..but no one can pull off Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, or Sophia like these ladies can! Carrie Bradshaw..eat your heart out.

3. “Friends”

I can remember waiting impatiently every Thursday night as  a kid waiting for this show to come on. Of course, I probably didn’t understand much that was going on until the show and myself got older, but I still knew it was funny. The show follows six twenty-somethings trying to make it in NYC. The writing was smart, and even in Season 10, never got stale. OK admit it..who had the Rachel?

2. “I Love Lucy”

I shouldn’t really have to describe this television institution that much. Lucille Ball is one of the greatest TV comedians of all time. “Lucy’s Italian Movie” and “Job Switching” are probably two of the best episodes of ANY show, of all time.

1. “Cheers”

One of the best ensemble comedies of all time. The sexual tension between Sam and Diane, and later Sam and Rebecca, is masterful. My favorite part of the series is that the show takes place in CHEERS throughout the course of the show. That’s NOT easy, people.

Wouldn’t you wanna go where everybody knows your name? I sure would.

Honorable Mentions:

“Seinfeld”

“The Cosby Show”

“Modern Family”

“Married With Children”

“Who’s The Boss?”

 

 

Drunk History” originated as a series of shorts for FunnyOrDie.com. Soon it was a weekly show on Comedy Central, garnering a little over a million viewers a week. Fast forward to a Season 2 renewal. Creator, and Baltimore native, Derek Waters brought the show to Charm City. Most of the scenes filmed in Baltimore took place at Mother’s Grille and at the Inner Harbor.

 

The first segment is narrated by “Criminal Minds” alumn, and hottie, Paget Brewster. Who knew she was THIS funny? Anyway, the segment chronicled a secret plot to kill Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore. His security detail consists of Allan Pinkerton (Charlie Day), Harry Davies (Preston Flagg), and the first female detective in U.S. history, Kate Warne (Adrianne Palicki). To disguise Lincoln, they took off his “Pop-tart hart, or whatever that was”, and gave him a beanie. Yes.  A beanie. The 16th President Of The United States was saved (for the time being) by a freaking beanie. I’ll admit, I literally LOL’ed.

 

The next segment featuring a for once not annoying Jeffrey Ross as Francis Scott Key. The bit plays out pretty much historically accurate on the writing of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Well, except for the part where the tune of the soon to be National Anthem was set to a  British drinking tune. So, in the end, it was an improvement.

 

The last segment was about, of course, Edgar Allan Poe. Who else? Jesse Plemons plays the infamous poet, and Jason Ritter plays his arch nemesis Rufus Griswold. Probably somehow related to Clark. Anyway, Griswold offered Poe $100 to publish three of his poems. Poe took the money and wrote a scathing review, and talked trash on his national book tour. He returns to discover Griswold has taken his job. This was the beginning of the end for Poe; his wife died soon after. He was then found dead on the cobblestone streets of Baltimore. Griswold, the asshole, decides to write an insulting biography of Poe trying to destroy his image. Welp. That didn’t really work. As the show put it: ““Everyone in America read this, and they were like, ‘Wait, what? Drunk, crazy guy who wrote about ravens? Where can I get this book? That sounds awesome.’ As we all know, Poe has become one of the best literary figures in history. So I guess Ravens fans should thank Griswold? 😉

 

Derek Waters described Baltimore simply: “Baltimore is a shoe. It’s scuffed and worn in, but it doesn’t need polishing, because all of those marks have stories to tell.”

Agreed.