The Great 2020 All Time Television Draft: The Simpsons is judged the greatest show of all time (6 Viewers)

[Gally]

Before the categories get locked...

What about mini-series? (roots, people vs oj Simpson, etc.., Chernobyl etc..)

greatest tv finale of all time? 

best guest star/arc of all time?

what about the greatest television star of all time - all eras? A Battle royale...(Can choose someone from your category like the Best Show of all time)

biggest moment in tv history? (Moon landing, who shot jr, Super Bowl half time wardrobe malfunction etc..)

best commercial of all time (apple 1984, Mikey like it etc.)

best tv producer (ie Bochco, **** Wolf, MTM productions, Shonda Rhimes, Ryan murphy, David chase)
Best documentary series (making a murdered, the stairway, etc.., 30 for 30)
beat holiday tv show of all time 

what about breaking the timeline from 50’s-80 and 81-20?  Just using two eras...
These 3 time slot categories seem to blend together a lot

And that would add more one-off categories which are a lot of fun to think about....

anyway just 2cents...

I like some of these however are there enough finale & guest star arc's to really fill out up to 20 rosters?  Seems like there would be a handful that are obvious tops but then trickles off pretty fast.

As far as commercials that would nearly be impossible to judge.....i mean even more so then these already difficult categories.

 

[Gally]

Instead of all the co-star categories that seem to get a little redundant why not go more character based and have something like:

• Best TV Mom
  
• Best TV Dad
  
• Best TV Detective
  
• Best TV Vehicle
  
• Best TV Sidekick
  

I am sure there are others.  Seems like characters would be a more interesting discussion but I am probably way off base.

 

[AAABatteries]

Just go ahead and make it 100 categories because we may all be shelter in place in 2 months and will need something to do.

 

[tuffnutt]

Instead of all the co-star categories that seem to get a little redundant why not go more character based and have something like:

• Best TV Mom
  
• Best TV Dad
  
• Best TV Detective
  
• Best TV Vehicle
  
• Best TV Sidekick
  

I am sure there are others.  Seems like characters would be a more interesting discussion but I am probably way off base.

I actually like this idea

 

[timschochet]

OK check out the OP; I have removed some categories and added several that were suggested. We’re still at 50/51. 

 

[timschochet]

14 now in. 

 

[Zow]

14 now in. 

Are we capping at 16? Please say yes. 

 

[BobbyLayne]

Are we capping at 16? Please say yes. 

and a seeded single elimination tournament after we’re done

 

[BobbyLayne]

Haven’t read all the posts but I guess we are shoehorning cop shows/crime drama into the two drama cats?

 

[timschochet]

Haven’t read all the posts but I guess we are shoehorning cop shows/crime drama into the two drama cats?

Yeah. And action when it’s warranted. 

 

[timschochet]

Are we capping at 16? Please say yes. 

16-20. 
We’ve already got enough for the first round but I’ll wait another day before setting an order. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Probably need to ask rockaction, TBH.   

I think "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"? should do well in that category.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Holiday Show 

Is this a Holiday Special? 

 

[hagmania]

Yes, I'll do the spreadsheet.

 

[hagmania]

I don't anticipate following along like a hawk though. Someone else will have to do the data entry and you'll probably have to PM me if there is troubleshooting needed.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I don't anticipate following along like a hawk though. Someone else will have to do the data entry and you'll probably have to PM me if there is troubleshooting needed.

whoa easy

we’re not writing a western here

 

[BobbyLayne]

Instead of all the co-star categories that seem to get a little redundant why not go more character based and have something like:

• Best TV Mom
  
• Best TV Dad
  

I am sure there are others.  Seems like characters would be a more interesting discussion but I am probably way off base.

this is a great idea but should be Cool Mom, Cool Dad

 

[Doug B]

My proposed categorizations would break down very roughly (and with some stretching) as:
 
1950-1969 (B&W Era plus a few years [some B&W bridged to color, anyhow])
1970-1989 ("The Rural Purge" on through the Big Three Era)
1990-2009 (Cable find its legs, plus a fourth broadcast network takes off [in 1987, but close enough])
2010-present (Streaming services arrive and change the landscape once more)

What's eight more categories?   (Don't think 2010 - present needs a theme song category, and it's even iffy for 1990-2009)

EDIT: Oops -- what's TEN more categories. Comedy, Drama, and eight acting categories.

I really struggled with how to divide the time periods. But 4 is too many. 

With the acting categories trimmed down ... is four still too many?

[regis]

Final answer?

[/regis]

 

[timschochet]

Yes, I'll do the spreadsheet.

THANK YOU! 

 

[timschochet]

Is this a Holiday Special? 

Yes

 

[Doug B]

Is this a Holiday Special? 

Specifically, it should be:

Holiday Special featuring one or both of Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship

 

[timschochet]

With the acting categories trimmed down ... is four still too many?

[regis]

Final answer?

[/regis]

Yes. We’re at 50 + 1 categories now. 

 

[timschochet]

Specifically, it should be:

Holiday Special featuring one or both of Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship

Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship is the name of my 70s funk hits cover band. 

 

[Doug B]

With the acting categories trimmed down ... is four still too many?

[regis]

Final answer?

[/regis]

Yes. We’re at 50 + 1 categories now. 

I'll have to abide ... but I still think 1950s-60s B&W television should be judged more against it's contemporary peers and not against mid- to late-1970s fare. If you don't care to carve out the Cable and Streaming eras, that's not so terrible. But the years between wide adoption of color programming and the Rural Purge were a pretty major page turn for broadcast television.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I'll have to abide ... but I still think 1950s-60s B&W television should be judged more against it's contemporary peers and not against mid- to late-1970s fare. If you don't care to carve out the Cable and Streaming eras, that's not so terrible. But the years between wide adoption of color programming and the Rural Purge were a pretty major page turn for broadcast television.

yeah we should have a category for best show that started in black n white but finished in color!

I do think we should maybe have discussion on a few categories. Mini Series (miniseries?) is a well deserved nod to a handful of blockbusters broadcast on one of the three American terrestrial networks. Add in BBC and PBS and we *might* have sixteen worthy entries. IDK, seems woefully thin after the first few picks. Are we lumping in cable channel miniseries. What’s the working definition of miniseries? Self-contained anthology limited to one season, with a defined story arc?

 

[hagmania]

I think a "greatest episode" would be a good include apart from the finales.

 

[Tom Hagen]

yeah we should have a category for best show that started in black n white but finished in color!

I do think we should maybe have discussion on a few categories. Mini Series (miniseries?) is a well deserved nod to a handful of blockbusters broadcast on one of the three American terrestrial networks. Add in BBC and PBS and we *might* have sixteen worthy entries. IDK, seems woefully thin after the first few picks. Are we lumping in cable channel miniseries. What’s the working definition of miniseries? Self-contained anthology limited to one season, with a defined story arc?

I wouldn't see why cable miniseries wouldn't count.  There are a few HBO ones off the top of my head that I would think would score extremely well.

The Emmy definition is

a program with two (2) or more episodes with a total running time of at least 150 program minutes that tells a complete, non-recurring story, and does not have an on-going storyline and/or main characters in subsequent seasons.

 

[Gally]

I think a "greatest episode" would be a good include apart from the finales.

another one that would be impossible to judge

 

[Doug B]

I think a "greatest episode" would be a good include apart from the finales.

another one that would be impossible to judge

Gotta think about, too, whether or not a conscientious judge is going to (a) want to watch all these finale episodes and (b) are all those episodes readily available?

...

In the Movie Draft, there was a general ethic to watch all the films in a category that one was judging. I wonder if that ethic is going to carry over to the TV Draft? I would think that everyone has some major holes in their TV-watching histories, and filling all those holes would be an intensive time suck.

 

[AAABatteries]

I don't anticipate following along like a hawk though. Someone else will have to do the data entry and you'll probably have to PM me if there is troubleshooting needed.

I'm your huckleberry and I promise to not get a TO no matter who wins the election.

This is a totally empty promise.

I would like someone to be my backup/help so if you want to volunteer please do.  I know I will be unable to do any updates Nov. 4th-8th so will definitely need somebody to help out then.

 

[jwb]

I'll have to abide ... but I still think 1950s-60s B&W television should be judged more against it's contemporary peers and not against mid- to late-1970s fare. If you don't care to carve out the Cable and Streaming eras, that's not so terrible. But the years between wide adoption of color programming and the Rural Purge were a pretty major page turn for broadcast television.

I agree. Waaaay too many choices here, and almost impossible to judge. I'm not liking The Honeymooners, Lucy, and Leave it to Beaver going up against All in the Family, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore, etc. They should really be judged against their contemporaries, and these really aren't contemporaries. 

I personally would like to see 1950-1970, 71-90, 1990+  And you make the proper category the bulk of the run - Seinfeld started in 89, but it's definitely a 90's show. 

I think it works much better like this. If we have to cut a few categories to fit them, so be it. Just my .02

 

[timschochet]

I personally would like to see 1950-1970, 71-90, 1990+ 

Agreed. We will make this change. 

 

[KarmaPolice]

Just curious Tim- is there a reason this is so actor/character driven? I have the impulse to join in, then I look at all those categories and get overwhelmed.  

I was just surprised and was expecting more focus on the actual shows, seasons, episodes.  

 

[timschochet]

OK here is the order for Round 1: 

1. @Hov34

2. @Gally @Charlie Steiner

3. timschochet 

4. @AcerFC

5. @higgins

6. @AAABatteries @BobbyLayne

7. @mphtrilogy

8. @tuffnutt

9. @AndrewClark

10. @jwb

11. @Mrs. Rannous

12. @Zow

13. @Tolstoy

14. @Doug B

 

[timschochet]

Anybody else wants in we’ll put you at the end of round 1: #15, #16, etc. all the way up to 20. 
1 hour clock starts next Monday from 10am EST to 7pm EST, off weekends as always. But we can start drafting now with no clock...

 

[jwb]

Silly question Tim.  "Leading man" (etc) = character or actor? I'm assuming character, but you know with these things...

 

[timschochet]

Silly question Tim.  "Leading man" (etc) = character or actor? I'm assuming character, but you know with these things...

Character. 

 

[Doug B]

Silly question Tim.  "Leading man" (etc) = character or actor? I'm assuming character, but you know with these things...

Character. 

I'm glad jwb asked -- I had assumed those were actor/actress categories.

So, strictly ... there are no actor/actress categories at all in this exercise.

 

[ScottNorwood]

I love these drafts.  I don't think I have the attention span to participate anymore, but keep on trucking gentlemen.  

 

[jwb]

Like our other drafts, no repeats either, right? Characters/shows appear once.

But what about show reboots 20-30 years later, with the same named characters but different actors? Is that ok? Let's make sure we're clear on this before starting.

 

[jwb]

I'm glad jwb asked -- I had assumed those were actor/actress categories.

So, strictly ... there are no actor/actress categories at all in this exercise.

This makes it a lot better, too - I was also intimidated by all of those "person" categories, but if they're characters, then it's pretty cool.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Ok, character over actor is better!  Might actually join in then.  

Any chance we get judges before starting up and/or mild genre expectations so we don't repeat movie draft mistakes? 

 

[krista4]

I don't watch nearly enough TV to participate as a drafter or judge, but are there slots still available for hecklers?

 

[timschochet]

Like our other drafts, no repeats either, right? Characters/shows appear once.

But what about show reboots 20-30 years later, with the same named characters but different actors? Is that ok? Let's make sure we're clear on this before starting.

Of course. A show reboot is a different show. 

 

[timschochet]

Ok, character over actor is better!  Might actually join in then.  

Any chance we get judges before starting up and/or mild genre expectations so we don't repeat movie draft mistakes? 

Unfortunately it won’t work. We just need to find judges over time and hope they stick. 
I will judge any categories left over, no matter how many.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I don't watch nearly enough TV to participate as a drafter or judge, but are there slots still available for hecklers?

Bring your own fruit

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Of course. A show reboot is a different show. 

What about with a game show?  Does classic Match Game get the Alec Baldwin stuff?

 

[timschochet]

What about with a game show?  Does classic Match Game get the Alec Baldwin stuff?

Depends on the judge I guess. 

 

[mphtrilogy]

@timschochet  quick clarification on what era a show falls in, is it the first year or the bulk of the years?  Friends for instance started in 1994 but ended in 2004 so spans two eras for the draft...

 

[mphtrilogy]

What about with a game show?  Does classic Match Game get the Alec Baldwin stuff?

imho they are two different shows, Match Game with Gene Rayburn is definitely a different show... and for me a much better one 

same goes with Supermarket Sweeps, this new incarnation is rough... lol