Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

[Bellsprout]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

The Daily Show..... shouldn't qualify. Not really a T.V. Show per se.

How is a show that airs on television not a television show?

[Watson]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

ugh, Seinfeld.

Repeated phrases, REPEATED PHRASES!!

[justblaze09]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

The Daily Show..... shouldn't qualify. Not really a T.V. Show per se.

Stop it, just stop it.
It airs on TV, it's a TV show.

[UATide]

Seinfeld is probably my favorite show and it is #2 so no complaints from me there.

I thought the Office would have been a lot higher though (US).

[deaduck]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Stop it, just stop it.
It airs on TV, it's a TV show.

But how do you feel about Secretariat?

[Bellsprout]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

I thought the Office would have been a lot higher though (US).

I'm guessing it got punished, and rightfully so in my eyes, for the last 3 seasons.

Early Office, seasons 2 and 3 specifically, would probably be much higher if you could discount the rest of the series.

[daflyboys]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Stop it, just stop it.
It airs on TV, it's a TV show.

Don't be so simplistic. Reality shows air on TV, but they're not TV shows in the same sense that a majority of this listing. Other than Letterman, every show is constructed and a script/storyline is written. The Daily Show is largely a political commentary show, with a liberal bent. It's not a fictional piece of writing.

And in further response to these shows being written in regard to events going on at the time of their appearance, then what about MASH, Star Trek, etc.

As far as the Secretariat comment.....if you can't follow the analogy, sorry.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Don't be so simplistic. Reality shows air on TV, but they're not TV shows in the same sense that a majority of this listing. Other than Letterman, every show is constructed and a script/storyline is written. The Daily Show is largely a political commentary show, with a liberal bent. It's not a fictional piece of writing.

And in further response to these shows being written in regard to events going on at the time of their appearance, then what about MASH, Star Trek, etc.

As far as the Secretariat comment.....if you can't follow the analogy, sorry.

Reality TV shows - at least now - are the same to me as any other show since they're so heavily scripted/produced. They're horribly constructed shows so you don't see them on this list.

I don't have a problem including in the late night and these "mock" news shows especially if you're including shows like Saturday Night Live. I can look at the Daily Show and see that it has much better writing than Whitney or Big Bang Theory despite those shows having "storylines" and a traditional "script."

And the Secretariat analogy makes no sense. Its an animal. Why would you include it with human athletes? The Daily Show is still a TV show, but its a different genre of TV. Its the same as compiling a list of human athletes across different sports.

[daflyboys]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

And the Secretariat analogy makes no sense. Its an animal. Why would you include it with human athletes? The Daily Show is still a TV show, but its a different genre of TV. Its the same as compiling a list of human athletes across different sports.

Of course it makes sense. That's the whole point. Secretariat was considered an athlete amongst human athletes. It was ridiculous to include him in that list despite being involved in a sport.

I don't consider it a TV Show in the same vein as these other shows. It's a commentary show first and foremost with a comedic angle. News programming is on TV, but that doesn't make it a TV Show.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Of course it makes sense. That's the whole point. Secretariat was considered an athlete amongst human athletes. It was ridiculous to include him in that list despite being involved in a sport.

I don't consider it a TV Show in the same vein as these other shows. It's a commentary show first and foremost with a comedic angle. News programming is on TV, but that doesn't make it a TV Show.

Its on TV on a regular schedule. Its a TV show. Simply because its not a drama or sitcom doesn't mean it can't be compared and included. Its obviously not in the same vein as most of the other shows, but that doesn't mean its a completely different species.

The horse versus human thing is not applicable.

[daflyboys]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Ok....then where are all the documentaries?

[Redacted01]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

The Wire>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Sopranos (except for the first couple of seasons or so).

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Ok....then where are all the documentaries?

Aren't most of those simply mini-series or one show specials?

[daflyboys]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Aren't most of those simply mini-series or one show specials?

Biography has been on since 1987 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092322/). The Daily Show is not a contiguous plot/storyline like you have in most every show on that list, which is partially my point.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Writers Guild 101 Best Written T.V. Shows

Biography has been on since 1987 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092322/). The Daily Show is not a contiguous plot/storyline like you have in most every show on that list, which is partially my point.

I understand that, but neither does The Twilight Zone, Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live, Carol Burnett Show, etc. Simply because these shows don't adhere to the same plot/storyline formula that carries most shows doesn't mean their writing is subpar. I think there are pros and cons to both formats and I don't think one is necessarily easier than the other.