LIST-O-RAMA
The best TV of 2002-2003

It's been a week since the TV season ended and tube junkies like me are suffering everywhere. There's nothing like having your weekday evenings free, 50-plus channels to choose from and a television set full of reruns. But it's time to reflect, nay, bask in the morsels of goodness we had in the recently passed season. Herewith:

10. American Idol (Fox): Sure the last 11 weeks were almost pure filler interspersed with a few scraps of drama. But the show's first 3 weeks, with its hilariously entertaining auditions were television moments to cherish.

9. Dismissed (MTV): TV's best reality dating show is it's most shameless: the viewer is in for at least two makeout sessions every show. The show also gets bonus points for being the only dating show that occaisionally features gay couples. The men are always catty; the lesbians are always ridiculously hot.

8. Life With Bonnie (ABC): What looks like another lame family sitcom is actually a really funny change of pace. This is what happens when you get good actors doing well-written comedy.

7. Platinum (UPN): Why oh why did UPN cancel their only watchable show? This intriguing look at the hip-hop industry was filled with entertaining characters and plots that were wild but not unbelievable.

6. 24 (Fox): Somehow a show that started out as a riveting, mysterious action-packed thriller lost its way with about 6 hours ago. But a few weak subplots down the stretch don't completely diminish this smart, highly original thriller.

5. Without a Trace (CBS): This well-acted drama proves that you don't need five different subplots with weird twists to keep the viewers attention. I wish more cop shows would focus only one case per episode like Trace. And yes, it is OK to show that cops have personal lives.

4. Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central): I was amazed at how consistent this show stayed throughout its run. Chappelle is one of the most underrated comics out there and here he was given free reign to push every envelope and speak any truth no matter how un-PC.

3. The Daily Show (Comedy Central): Jon Stewart has added a great deal of intelligence to the show in the past six months and his jokes reap the benefits. This is by far the smartest political commentary on any TV network today. And his crack team of correspondents never disappoint. One criticism: More Frank DeCaro, less Lewis Black.

2. Six Feet Under (HBO): The Fisher family continues to bring us the most honest, realistic characters you'll ever meet. I most love the way Six Feet Under uses its funeral parlor setting to show death to teach us all about life. Thank God I had HBO this spring; now I can't wait for the previous season to come out on DVD.

1. Pardon the Interruption (ESPN): I've already gone off about the many virtues of this show, but I didn't mention the best aspect of it: No summer hiatus. No matter what time of year, no matter how slow the previous sports day, Kornheiser and Wilbon will undoubtedly find something interesting to debate.