The Golds in The Golden Age of Television
My personal Top Ten list of TV Series
From political satire to family drama, and eventually deep-philosophical cartoons, these ten TV Shows contribute to the term ‘golden age of television’ and as well cut deep into my developing taste in TV.
10. MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
We were deafened by our laughter and blinded by their antics. Binging it while far away from home or searching for respite by isolating yourself from your chaotic family will always be a modern irony to your own family’s situation.
Sorry, too dark.
The show is full of heart. It starts with a problem and then a classic finished-in-a-20ish-minute solution. But I do not kid, it does teach you one or two about coping and understanding your family.
Like all comedy shows on this list, this is profoundly entertaining. The cast of characters is written so diverse making us wonder which team-up serves us best. Is it the ridiculous Phil and Luke or just a one-man show of Manny's classic antics?
9. THE MANDALORIAN (Disney+)
The main inspiration of the Eastern samurai and Western cowboys molded in The Mandalorian, a show — I can’t be pretentious or poetic in this entry. The Mandalorian is just cool and is a great segway for Star Wars fans who crave more Star Wars lore and content to strive away from the Sequels.
It looks good, it’s entertaining, the merchandises are cool and cute and it’s Star Wars.
More Stars and More Wars, please. Give Disney the paycheck.
8. BOJACK HORSEMAN (NETFLIX)
Bojack Horseman is a show that slowly unravels itself as a journey of psychological and philosophical endeavors in a setting where media and stardom champion superficial qualities.
In episodes where characters rise through their mental blocks, is truly empowering but in episodes where the characters fell down, it grips my sadness by the throat and makes it worse as if there will be no light because the tunnel is an endless loop.
Sorry, too dark — again. I promise this will be the last time.
7. YOUNG JUSTICE (WB)
The alumni of Teen Titans and early Gen Z’s rejoice as Young Justice is all about the DC lore. As Marvel gets their MCU, we DC fans, are still enjoying the privilege of Young Justice and DC’s animated world.
Interestingly, the show best serves the young adult market who enjoys Justice League, Batman: The Animated Series, and Teen Titans growing up. As their old target market matured, the show follows. They tackle personal dramas within their character’s friendships with mature topics like the death of a mentor and responsibility in a team but moreover, the mysteries that shrouded the team are complicated and solved with elaborated, tactical, and high-stakes missions.
It’s like a stealth game where you play as superheroes!
6. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (NBC)
There is no deep philosophical analysis but this ranks high as my funniest show on the planet that helped me cope with loneliness and isolation in early COVID-19 in my own hometown.
I enjoy how all characters are respectively ridiculous with their own antics especially my two favorite characters Jake and ‘rascal’ Gina. Like all sitcoms that are built upon its zany characters, we’re waiting for another next team-up or a zanier personality to be added to the roster.
There’s nothing memorable about the show and if asked about the plot point other than Jake and Amy’s cute relationship, Halloween heists, and the “Title of you Sex Tape” Jokes, I wouldn't know much.
But the show is cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
See, it’s not dark anymore.
5. ADVENTURE TIME (CARTOON NETWORK)
Inspired by DND, a twelve minutes per episode colored by the simplistic and colorful art style and released on Cartoon Network alongside Regular Show and Generator Rex era, Adventure Time is an ironic children’s cartoon. Its episodes tackled sickness and curses that kills our humanity, the complicated role as a father or brother (Jerome), and the do’s and don’t in moving on from a lover. The show teaches wisdom where it familiarizes children to accept that life is not kind and silver linings are bound to appear somewhere soon.
Most episodes can be classified as ‘fillers’ but I believe these episodes were the best ones as it’s not narratively constrained and consequently give creative liberties that tell the most fascinating and implicit messages in a silly world.
This list has become the ‘my journey to maturity diary’. Ew.
4. GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
There are no words needed to explain the greatness of Game of Thrones (excluding seasons 7 and 8). It’s war, political drama, medieval and slow-paced. My bread and butter. Enough said.
Big mature boy series only after this, it seems.
3. WATCHMEN (HBO)
Orchestrated by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ ominous theme song, the short sequel of Watchmen dabbles in metaphysics conversations such as human legacy, destiny, existence, and Godhood by weaving the story with US’s horrific history. (More on the HBO’s Watchmen in The Dark Cycle of Legacy.)
Its unique take on a limited series exemplifies how you can deliver quality by sacrificing quantity.
2. SUCCESSION (HBO)
With so many shows I’ve watched beforehand I seldom feel anxious. When I finally conceded to my Youtube algorithm to watch Succession, the robotic path speaks true.
Opening the show with its stellar piano and beats, the show is entirely a drama and dark comedy.
The set-up of Succession is their main strong suit. Set in a world of managing a family-based multibillion business, the characters are lacking in communication skills that stir up conflict. They lie and manipulate each other (and the watchers) to get what they wanted by using leverages they built slowly over the series.
I think what's jaw-dropping is how I can empathize with everyone and in turn worry if they successfully ‘hurt’ each other. Other than that because the show isn't about war (Like GOT) — death is absent — so the stakes are money and position. The problem is, most of the characters are incompetent at their job and in turn, when they lose their job, is basically losing their life.
My mind can't fathom what’s going to happen next and that is an amazing feeling.
1. MR. ROBOT (USA)
Hauled by Sam Ismail and Rami Malek, Mr. Robot is a mystery drama that explores the interconnectivity of psychology, socio-economics, and crime. The show is stylistic, stamping Ismail’s unique cinematography and pacing into every episode to take down the bourgeoise conglomerate Evil Corporation.
Not only it’s about style, communism ideals, and the faults of capitalism–– the show kept framing and reframing how ‘society’ is being manipulated into manipulative systems–– but Mr. Robot is also about mental health issues making the show quite unique as we question whether Elliot, the medium of this storytelling, a believable narrator.
