There's more to television than superficial newscasts and talk shows whose appeal cannot be of anything but a sociological nature. Some things do stand out of the general mess, some excellent shows that have managed to further the arts of storytelling and drama. Amongst those would be...

in the realm of suspense, horror, and the sublime:

• Twin Peaks (David Lynch) - the show that basically opened up the television discourse for a stronger interest in the paranormal again, while at the same time reinforcing new narrative schemes for prime time drama television
• The X-Files (Chris Carter et alii) - for gender-bending the FBI, contrasting the scientific with the paranormal, a constant errand into the wilderness, some genuine moments of horror and hilarious satire, a deeply paranoid (or realistic?) world view, and an overall sublime and magnificent style, visual and musical and narative-wise, with the beautifully minimalistic music of Mark Snow
• Millennium (Chris Carter et alii) - the logical extension of its parent show, The X-Files, into the even more frighteningly normal abysses of the human soul, with a supreme Lance Henriksen and a magnificent sense of style and music as well
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon) - post-modern satire, horror and action, always hovering between hip fun and deepest tragedy, expanding narrative structures and always pushing the limits of the audience; taking each and every character into their absolute best and worst; a perfect cast, perfect dialog and a smashing sense of style, an over-the top cinematic score by Christophe Beck (Seasons 1-4); daring, innovative, & absolutely addictive once you let yourself in
• Angel (Joss Whedon) - not a spin-off but an extension of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, more of the same, more of the insane

in the realm of science fiction:

• Star Trek (Gene Roddenberry) - the original series, a bit dated, but never out-dated, a daring and fresh and persistent insistence on a better world, with the classic triad of Kirk, Spock and McCoy at its center, the essence of the Sixties movement and a glimpse at an America that still holds a promise
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (Gene Roddenberry / Rick Berman) - the hallmark re-definition of everything science fiction and drama, absolutely classy, with a sublime Patrick Stewart as Capt. Picard, redefining authority and speaking both to reason and emotion
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Rick Berman / Brannon Braga)- a bold move towards the rims of the standardized world, a world both more masculine and feminine than any Trek before, with a towering Avery Brooks as Capt. Sisko and a brilliant René Auberjonois as Odo; an ever tightening storyline and a view at the darker aspects of the globalizing force of the Federation
• Star Trek: Voyager (Rick Berman / Brannon Braga) - overcoming a muddled start, since its fourth season not only rising up to the standards of The Next Generation, but even outgrowing them; with a strong female cast feat. Kate Mulgrew as Capt. Janeway and Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Enterprise (Rick Berman / Brannon Braga) - simply the definition of Trek, and a bold move to leave the TNG/DS9/VGR storyline and go back in time, charting the growth of humanity and the struggle in a world that is still mysterious, unknown and dangerous; showing a form of soft leadership in the form of Capt. Archer that is a soothing counterpoint to current political trends; persistently insisting on the belief in the general goodness of people, even though circumstances may suggest otherwise
• Space: Above and Beyond (James Wong, Glen Morgan) - transferring the X-Files sense of visuals and story into space, creating a modern version of Nothing New on the Western Front, making it an anti-war piece as strong as it could possibly be, with the beautiful music of Shirley Walker - canceled by Fox after just one season amidst a brutal cliff-hanger
• Babylon 5 (J. M. Straczynski) - for perfecting serial storytelling and for not being shy to establish grand narratives and extending the possible scope of television into infinity, with a terrific and daringly new approach to scoring televison by Christopher Franke
• Farscape (David Kemper, Rockne S. O'Bannon)- the post-modern approach to science fiction, using madness and insanity as its defining means, one big pastiche of science fiction clichés reinterpreted, reshuffled, remixed; with a grand cast and ever growing scope; shame on the Sci-Fi channel for cancelling this most innovative approach to science fiction and televised narration
• Firefly (Joss Whedon) - the extension of Joss Whedon's view of things into the world of science fiction; focusing on the rogue vs the regulated, more horror than sci-fi, way too short-lived, shame on you, Fox Network

in the realm of drama:

• The West Wing (Aaron Sorkin / John Wells) - poli-sci 101
• Magnum, p.i. (David P. Bellisario) - for revolutionizing the detective show and the way prime time television works, by focusing on the psyche of the main cast, showing a group of war veterans tortured by their experiences, overplayed by moments of great comedy between Magnum and Higgins (or is he Robin Masters?), moving into the paranormal even, and discovering the possibilities of a story arch for non-soap opera television, thus increasing narrative depth and strength
• JAG (David P. Bellisario) - only a military show on the surface level, rather a law show; not as fresh as Magnum, p.i., but still quite strong
• Picket Fences (David E. Kelley) - focusing on a family in the prototypical Middle American small town, issue-oriented drama storytelling at its most insane, most pushing, most political; with a strong Tom Skerrit as Sheriff Brock
• Chicago Hope (David E. Kelley) - a tale of two shows, centering either on an insane Dr. Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin) with a superiority complex or a strenuous Dr. Kate Austin (Christine Lahti) with an inferiority complex, with a solid cast, focusing less on the medical elements but almost entirely cast- and psyche-driven; though suffering from the shift from Geiger to Austin and then back again to Geiger; but the first two seasons are worth it
• The Practice (David E. Kelley) - the definition of the law show, edgy, stylish, strong
• Ally McBeal (David E. Kelley) - a mixed bag, hovering between being hip and trying to be hip, some good law cases, some interesting investigations into the human psyche, good, but generally over-rated
• Snoops (David E. Kelley) - short lived over-the-top detective fun with an amazing Gina Gershon in the lead
• Early Edition - charming family entertainment with a strong sense of morality and some paranormal elements
• The Sopranos (David Chase) - the ultimate tale of the American (mafia) family, exceptionally strong and exceptionaly minimalist at the same time, a keen sense of photography and music, and a cast that's to kill for
• Sex and the City (Darren Star) - yet another issue-oriented show, the issue being sex, female sex; set in opposition to shows like Seinfeld, but of a more serious nature, less comedic, rather drama; a strong cast and exeptionally strong writing, though the fashion factor is a tad disturbing
• Six Feet Under (Alan Ball) - digging deep into the psyche of an American family which happens to be running a funeral home, touching issues like sexuality and emancipation, showing human beings as deeply disturbed and traumatized, haunted by the past (and especially the father who died in the first episode) and by the present of corporate America

in the realm of comedy:

• Frasier - absolutely sadistic and maniacally funny, with characters that are both overblown and human at the same time, able to combine intelligent comedy with serious insight and charm, there's nothing quite like it
• Cheers - Frasier's parent show, with a great cast (Ted Danson and Shelley Long) and a big heart, especially through Coach (Nicolas Colasanto), a sense of warmth that's pretty much unique, and a foreshadowing of lots of things that would later make Frasier stand out
• Will and Grace - fun comedy with great dialog and a super strong cast, brilliant performances and a very sympathetic approach to themes like class and gender, a wild thing but (thankfully) not as sadistic as Frasier
• South Park - bad to the bone, intelligent issue-oriented satire, utterly political and essential for approaching contemporary Western society
• Seinfeld - the resurrection of the intelligent comedy, focusing on the little details, a show about the big nothings that define contemporary life; great cast, sadistic, inventive
• Friends - solid ensemble comedy, out of which Matthew Perry stands out; sympathetic and charming, yet not necessarily original, but still a great watch
• Home Improvement - family entertainment between the serious and the comedic, lots of physical comedy, sometimes a bit strenuous
• The Simpsons - original and political comedy, yet a bit watered down through its focus on the family, loses a lot of possible bite through this, yet still essential American curriculum
• Futurama - a panorama of science fiction clichés dealt with in the Simpsons style, nice, but a bit tedious

other categories coming soon