Stargate? Humph! He'll always be MacGyver to me!
Posted on 08/05/2004 10:09:20 AM PDT by dukeman
TOP 10 BEST AND WORST NETWORK TV SHOWS FOR FAMILY VIEWING
Each year, the Parents Television Council rates the best and the worst shows on primetime television on the seven major broadcast networks. The PTC Best and Worst list does not examine artistic quality. But it measures series' appropriateness for family audiences from a content perspective. The seven broadcast networks included in this listing are ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PAX, UPN and the WB. Primetime refers to 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (ET/PT), when the largest television audience is available.
BEST
#1. Joan of Arcadia - CBS 8 p.m. ET/PT Friday – first season. Not only the best new series of the 2003-2004 season, Joan of Arcadia may be one of television's most pro-family shows. Joan Girardi has an unusual relationship with God, who appears to her in many different forms to give her guidance and instruction, thus enabling her to help those around her. Joan is not rewarded for her faith and obedience, but she is allowed to see how her actions touch the lives of those around her.
#2. Doc - PAX 8 p.m. Sunday – #2 last season. Doc is a fish-out-of-water story about a country doctor who moves to New York City and gets a job at a busy HMO. Dr. Clint Cassidy's homespun values and friendly disposition provide a striking contrast to the jaded and impersonal city environment, but he refuses to let the harsh world in which he lives harden him, or make him forget the values of kindness and compassion that were instilled in him as a child. Doc consistently reinforces family-friendly themes such as honesty, compassion, hope, and reconciliation.
#3. Sue Thomas F. B. Eye - PAX 9 p.m. Sunday – #3 last season. This series, from the creators of Doc, tells the inspiring true story of Sue Thomas, a deaf woman originally hired to work in fingerprint analysis at the FBI but soon tapped for work in surveillance because of her talent for reading lips. It is action-filled and suspenseful but never contains graphic or gratuitous violence, inappropriate sexual content, or foul language. Sue Thomas skillfully illustrates, without being mawkish or overly simplistic, the challenges faced by deaf persons working in the hearing world.
#4. Reba - WB 9 p.m. Friday – #7 last season. Country singer Reba McEntire stars as divorced mother Reba Hart. Her marriage ended when her husband Brock got his assistant, Barbara Jean, pregnant and her oldest daughter got pregnant while still in high school. Nevertheless, Reba contains pro-family themes. It is never suggested that Reba and Brock's divorce was easy on the family, and the consequences of the breakup of Reba's marriage and her daughter's unplanned pregnancy are still playing themselves out, but Reba manages to handle these issues responsibly, without resorting to cheap innuendo or foul language.
#5. 7th Heaven - WB 8 p.m. Monday – #4 last season. 7th Heaven has ranked on the Top 10 Best Shows for Families every year since it began in 1996. It also has also been one of the highest-rated shows on the WB network. The series contains no violence or foul language, and sexual content is dealt with very responsibly. That doesn't mean that 7th Heaven steers clear of tough issues. One episode from this season centered on a sister and brother who had been sexually abused by their father. The subject matter was handled sensitively without delving into graphic details of the abuse.
#6. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - ABC 8 p.m. Sunday – first season. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition shows the heights to which reality TV can aspire. This uplifting and inspiring program showcases charity and selflessness. Each week, carpenter Ty Pennington and a crew of designers, contractors, and workmen completely renovate the home of a deserving family.
#7. Everybody Loves Raymond - CBS 9 p.m. Monday –not ranked last season. Ray Barone tries desperately to keep everyone happy. But beneath all the quarrels and arguments, deep-seated love holds the family together. The family isn't always in perfect harmony, but their love for each other is obvious and the laughs abundant in this family sitcom.
#8. American Idol - Fox (air dates and times vary) – not ranked last season. In American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, hundreds of young men and women compete for the opportunity to become America's next singing sensation. A handful of young hopefuls make it to the final stages of the contest where judges Simon Cowell; ‘80s pop star and choreographer Paula Abdul; and music industry veteran Randy Jackson judge their performances and viewers at home decide who will advance and who will be eliminated. American Idol is an entertaining show that the entire family can enjoy because it focuses only on the surprisingly good performances turned in by talented young singers.
#9. American Dreams - NBC 8 p.m. Sunday – not ranked last season. American Dreams is a heartwarming, realistic portrayal of an American family living in 1960s Philadelphia. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the civil-rights movement, and American Bandstand, the Pryors find themselves directly affected by the turbulent times while struggling to cope with everyday life. As the characters experience love, loss, and an awakening to social injustice they learn, and in turn relay, some powerful lessons about life.
#10. Bernie Mac - Fox 8:30 p.m. Sunday – not ranked last season. Inspired by series star Bernie Mac's life, The Bernie Mac Show is a half-hour sitcom about a man with unique views on parenting. The Bernie Mac Show is different from many Fox shows in that it actually portrays strong family values. Although the series is occasionally marred by mild profanities and sexual innuendo, the overriding themes stress the importance of family.
WORST
#1. Everwood - WB 9 p.m. Monday – not ranked last season. Everwood gives every appearance of being a family drama, but it's nothing of the kind. What makes Everwood problematic is the careless and irresponsible treatment of sexual issues, especially when the teenaged characters are involved. Such content might be more excusable in a series that was intended for and marketed to adult audiences, but Everwood's reckless messages about sex without consequences are expressly targeted to impressionable teens.
#2. That ‘70s Show - Fox 8 p.m. Wednesday – not ranked last season. Set in a small Wisconsin town during the 1970s, That ‘70s Show follows a group of teens as they learn to deal with parents, sex, and drugs. Teen sex and drug use on this series are depicted as risk- and consequence-free. This season's storylines included Kelso getting a girl pregnant after a one-night stand and Donna walking in on Eric while he is masturbating in her bathroom.
#3. Fear Factor - NBC 8 p.m. Monday – #5 last season. Fear Factor continues to push the envelope with its disgusting and physically dangerous stunts. NBC touts Fear Factor as family-friendly, but it does not depict healthy competition; instead it depicts a new low in Americans' endless pursuit of money. Language continues to worsen, as does sexual innuendo, largely because more and more episodes center on scantily clad female contestants.
#4. Two and a Half Men - CBS 9:30 p.m. Monday – first season. Promiscuous jingle-writer Charlie's life is turned upside down when his divorced brother Alan and young nephew Jake move into his home. Charlie's overpowering libido, unfortunately, trumps any impulse to be a responsible role model to his young nephew. There are constant references to the steady stream of one-night stands parading in and out of Charlie's bedroom.
#5. C.S.I. (Crime Scene Investigation) - CBS 9 p.m. Thursday – #1 last season. C.S.I. takes distasteful story lines a step further by providing graphic depictions of decaying bodies, grisly crime scenes, dissections, flashbacks of brutal rapes and murders, and kinky and bizarre sexual fetishes. Such content would be bad enough at 10:00 p.m., but this series airs at 9:00 (8:00 in the Central and Mountain time zones), with reruns often airing during the Family Hour.
#6. The Surreal Life - WB 9 p.m. Thursday – not ranked last season. Six B-list celebrities share a house for a couple of weeks as cameras film their daily interactions. The executives at the WB made sure there would be plenty of salacious material by casting adult film star Ron Jeremy; former Baywatch babe Traci Bingham; and Real World party girl Trishelle Cannatella. Episodes featured blurred nudity and extreme language. Although The Surreal Life won't be returning to the WB next season, it isn't going away. VH1 picked-up the series.
#7. Girlfriends - UPN 9 p.m. Monday – #7 last season. No subject seems to be off-limits for Girlfriends. Script writers will mine any topic for a cheap laugh, no matter how tacky. One episode last season, for example, had Joan telling her boyfriend she had a yeast infection to get out of having sex with him. In another, Joan's friend Sharon recommends classes at “Mama Gina's School of Womanly Arts,” saying, “Oh Joan, those classes are wonderful. I highly recommend ‘Owning your Orgasm.' And it's a prerequisite for ‘Finding Your Vagina.'”
#8. Las Vegas - NBC 9 p.m. Monday – first season. What can you expect from a show about Sin City, but sex, sex, and more sex? Las Vegas, a new drama about the staff of an upscale casino, delivers just that along with plenty of foul language and a little violence thrown in for good measure. This series has used every cheap sexual gimmick imaginable in a desperate attempt to lure viewers. Strong sexual innuendo can be found in just about every episode.
#9. Will & Grace - NBC 9 p.m. Thursday – #8 last season. Will and Grace began as a sitcom about the friendship between a gay man and his best friend, a quirky straight woman. Over the last few seasons its focus has changed, opening the door for even higher levels of crude innuendo and graphic anatomical references, both hetero- and homosexual, all of which is especially inappropriate given that episodes of Will & Grace often air during the Family Hour. Infidelity remains a common storyline. This show continues to rely on indecency as a source of edginess.
#10. Cold Case - CBS 8p.m. Sunday – first season. Cold Case is a drama about a Philadelphia police detective who delves into old murder cases with a fresh eye. Stories are often told in flashback, recounting graphic murders and other violent crimes. Disturbing plots included a case in which a nun accidentally kills an orphan and buries him anonymously in a field; an adult man who has his son bring young teenaged girls to the house so the father can rape them; and teenaged boys at a military school who murder the coach who molested them.
That's the department that issues said genes.
You got that right.
Holy crap. A reference to The Tick.
Marry me.
-The Evil Midnight Bomber what bombs at midnight
BUMP!
There once was a movie called "Stargate"
Then there was the spinoff TV show. "SG-1" is the name of a team of explorers who use the stargate. (There are several other teams, named SG-2, etc., which appear sometimes in the show.) Don't let the bad punctuation in the title put you off. It's every bit as good as Babylon 5.
CSI is one of the most provocative shows on television. It isn't necessarily family fare but the details they show aren't gratuitous either. It plays to our intelect rather than being a mind-numbing sitcom. Its popularity goes without saying.
I strongly disagree with Raymond being on the top 10... the show is more often than not about him trying to get some from his wife, and she turning him down. Ray and his wife obviously hate each other, and I just don't see this as a family freindly show. The children are usually an afterthought if mentioned at all, etc etc etc... Definately don't think this is a top 10 family friendly show.
On least family friendly... I don't know if I'd agree with that 70s show being on the list... yea it infer drugs and sex.. so I agree its not for the young ones... but I don't see it as anti family. Not a strong family values show certainly but there are much worse out there.
Top 10 worst for me would be all the reality shows that revolve around picking a mate and/or testing ones relationship with temptations... as well as the ones that hinge on betraying and lying to your family and friends in order to get the winnings. Those shows would fill up the top 10 all on their own, and definately send the wrong signals to everyone about what family is about.
I don't watch any of these shows.
I used to watch 'That 70's Show' but it got old after they all graduated from High School.
I think this survey focused on shows that start between 8:00pm and 9:00pm, and should be off by 10:00pm. Doesn't Nip/Tuck start at 10:00pm?
Which they use for gaining access to ATM machines.
Stargate? Humph! He'll always be MacGyver to me!
F/X and HBO have the best shows. Deadwood, The Shield and Rescue Me are probably my three favorite dramas.
Thanks for reminding me of my annoyance with WB for dropping Angel and keeping Charmed. (Ok, Holly Marie Combs is cute, but still).
I heard Angel was surprisingly good. We can't stand that character but we're big fans of Spike.
They read books for entertainment, and their grades reflect it.
I wholeheartedly agree! The only "reality" show I watch is Survivor (I think I like to watch human behavior under pressure). My wife really eats up "The Bachelor" and similar shows, but she won't watch the "tempted to stray" shows. I leave the room when the "find your mate" shows come on and watch Scarborough Country or some otner such show in my den. This generally works out okay since she doesn't like political TV ("too many people yelling at each other"). It works.
LOL. Thanks for a good chuckle.
I admit I have not watched much Stargate SG-1, in part because I do not like the original movie, and in part because I think the title is awkward and dumb...akin to the titles "Star Trek: NCC-1701" or "Knight Rider: Knight Industries 2000." Just calling it Stargate One would have been a better choice.
Given the BS Effect "science" used to explain the workings of the Stargate, they might have called it "Wormhole Extreme" ...
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