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The TV Guide listed what they believe is the top 25 cult shows to American Audiences. I seem to favor cult shows since I watched all 25 at one time or another. The reason I say American Audiences is that even though they list Dr. Who, the Prisoner and the Avengers they don’t list Red Dwarf, Blake 7, Sapphire and Steel, and a number of other British shows that have cult status. Of their up and coming cult TV I watch Alias and am thinking about giving Stargate a try since it is a new series. I tried 24. I have tried 24 two seasons in a row. My parents sing the praises of 24 but it fails to hold my attention. Maybe I’ll rent the DVD of the 1st season this summer and watch it. I would also add the Muppet Show to the list of cult TV but maybe that is me. Here are the series that they list
25 Freaks and Geeks : It amazes me the legs that this short lived show has
24 Ab Fab : Oh Sweetie Darling. It’s too too fabu for words. They tried to do an American Version but the network said no swearing, no drug use even implied and no drinking so what’s left? I think it’s called “America’s Next Top Model”
23 Forever Knight: Angst Ridden Vampire tries to make good for his evil deeds....Hmmm where I have heard that before (or rather after since FK was before Angel but after Dark Shadows)
22H. R. Puffinstuff : I watched ALL the Sid and Marty Kroft series. My favorite was the Banana Splits but Puffinstuff was a close second followed by the Bugaloos.
21 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman : I was too young when it first aired but I saw some of it in syndication. Never quite floated my boat, but I give it many points for some really gutsy TV
20 Twin Peaks- I will always remember the first episode when Laura Palmer is found wrapped in plastic. I think the 1st season was the best part of this series but there were some priceless moments in the 2nd
19 Dark Shadows- The Original Angsting Vampire. Dark Shadows had some supernatural elements before Barnabus showed up (Phoenix anyone?) but it shows how the right casting can kick something to a new level. Jonathan Frid played him very classical and mysterious which sent many a heart throbbing. I was partial to bad boy Quentin myself.
18 Dr. Who - The typical question you are asked when you say I like Dr. Who is “Which Doctor is the Doctor?” I started with Tom Baker and still think his run was one of the best for writing.
17 The Avengers- First time I went to a convention I saw Never Never Never Say Die with Christopher Lee. Then my local PBS station started to show the Diana Rigg Avengers and I was hooked. I even watched all the episodes of the New Avengers
16 My So Called LIfe - I watched because my friends were.
15 Quantum Leap-Got into it as of the 2nd season because I had met Dean Stockwell through a mutual friend and thought he was a pretty cool guy.
14 Beauty and the Beast- Sucked me in with the first episode and never let go. I even watched the episodes in the summer after everyone thought it was canceled. Post Vincent gets his kid back. Yes there were episodes after Vincent got the kid back.
13 Babylon 5 - I didn’t get into B5 until a friend of mine sat me down am made me watch the first 6 episodes. Then I was hooked. As a bonus, Peter wrote two episodes of the series
12 Family Guy- How can you NOT like Stewie?
11 MST3000 - A friend told me to watch this and I did and pulled a couple of muscles from falling off the couch for laughing so hard
10 Pee Wee’s Playhouse - Most subversive show on TV. It was pure genus
9 Xena - I didn’t start watching it until Peter and I got together but I am glad I did. I think it was better than Hercules.
8 Twilight Zone - Scared the crap out of me when I was a kid, but in a good way
7 The Prisoner - I saw it when it first aired as a summer substitute since my parents were watching it. For years I though I had had a weird dream about the Rover and some other images. I told my father about the images and he told me that they were from the Prisoner which they were showing on PBS. Made a lot more sense at 14 rather than 4
6 The Simpsons - I started with the first episode and have been watching it ever since. It is amazing to me how fresh it still is after all these years
5 Monty Python’s Flying Circus “Hello. I would like to register a complaint” is probably one of the most famous opening to a piece of sketch comedy. Again PBS was my intro to the Pythonians and a second run movie theater let me see Holy Grail.
4 Farscape: This one surprised me as to how high it was in their rating but I agree about the following of the ‘Scapers who have a fanatical devotion to their show. When Peter started watching it, I had to give him running commentary as to who was who and what had gone before which is very important to this series more so than Babylon 5.
3 Buffy: (and Angel) I think this one will stand the test of cult time. Considering the number of books about the series being published including religion and philosophy, it will be in the collective hive mind for years to come
2 X-Files: There was a time I knew I could find any of my friends at home during the X-files but that they would not pick up the phone until it was over
1 Star Trek; I agree . It is the Granddaddy of cult shows
25 Freaks and Geeks : It amazes me the legs that this short lived show has
24 Ab Fab : Oh Sweetie Darling. It’s too too fabu for words. They tried to do an American Version but the network said no swearing, no drug use even implied and no drinking so what’s left? I think it’s called “America’s Next Top Model”
23 Forever Knight: Angst Ridden Vampire tries to make good for his evil deeds....Hmmm where I have heard that before (or rather after since FK was before Angel but after Dark Shadows)
22H. R. Puffinstuff : I watched ALL the Sid and Marty Kroft series. My favorite was the Banana Splits but Puffinstuff was a close second followed by the Bugaloos.
21 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman : I was too young when it first aired but I saw some of it in syndication. Never quite floated my boat, but I give it many points for some really gutsy TV
20 Twin Peaks- I will always remember the first episode when Laura Palmer is found wrapped in plastic. I think the 1st season was the best part of this series but there were some priceless moments in the 2nd
19 Dark Shadows- The Original Angsting Vampire. Dark Shadows had some supernatural elements before Barnabus showed up (Phoenix anyone?) but it shows how the right casting can kick something to a new level. Jonathan Frid played him very classical and mysterious which sent many a heart throbbing. I was partial to bad boy Quentin myself.
18 Dr. Who - The typical question you are asked when you say I like Dr. Who is “Which Doctor is the Doctor?” I started with Tom Baker and still think his run was one of the best for writing.
17 The Avengers- First time I went to a convention I saw Never Never Never Say Die with Christopher Lee. Then my local PBS station started to show the Diana Rigg Avengers and I was hooked. I even watched all the episodes of the New Avengers
16 My So Called LIfe - I watched because my friends were.
15 Quantum Leap-Got into it as of the 2nd season because I had met Dean Stockwell through a mutual friend and thought he was a pretty cool guy.
14 Beauty and the Beast- Sucked me in with the first episode and never let go. I even watched the episodes in the summer after everyone thought it was canceled. Post Vincent gets his kid back. Yes there were episodes after Vincent got the kid back.
13 Babylon 5 - I didn’t get into B5 until a friend of mine sat me down am made me watch the first 6 episodes. Then I was hooked. As a bonus, Peter wrote two episodes of the series
12 Family Guy- How can you NOT like Stewie?
11 MST3000 - A friend told me to watch this and I did and pulled a couple of muscles from falling off the couch for laughing so hard
10 Pee Wee’s Playhouse - Most subversive show on TV. It was pure genus
9 Xena - I didn’t start watching it until Peter and I got together but I am glad I did. I think it was better than Hercules.
8 Twilight Zone - Scared the crap out of me when I was a kid, but in a good way
7 The Prisoner - I saw it when it first aired as a summer substitute since my parents were watching it. For years I though I had had a weird dream about the Rover and some other images. I told my father about the images and he told me that they were from the Prisoner which they were showing on PBS. Made a lot more sense at 14 rather than 4
6 The Simpsons - I started with the first episode and have been watching it ever since. It is amazing to me how fresh it still is after all these years
5 Monty Python’s Flying Circus “Hello. I would like to register a complaint” is probably one of the most famous opening to a piece of sketch comedy. Again PBS was my intro to the Pythonians and a second run movie theater let me see Holy Grail.
4 Farscape: This one surprised me as to how high it was in their rating but I agree about the following of the ‘Scapers who have a fanatical devotion to their show. When Peter started watching it, I had to give him running commentary as to who was who and what had gone before which is very important to this series more so than Babylon 5.
3 Buffy: (and Angel) I think this one will stand the test of cult time. Considering the number of books about the series being published including religion and philosophy, it will be in the collective hive mind for years to come
2 X-Files: There was a time I knew I could find any of my friends at home during the X-files but that they would not pick up the phone until it was over
1 Star Trek; I agree . It is the Granddaddy of cult shows
