# I suggest The SDMB All-Time Television Awards **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566 "2008-10-25T23:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/1 "2008-10-25T23:04:56Z")
I can’t imagine that something like this hasn’t been done before, but I did a couple of searches and can’t find it, so I thought I’d give it a try. I propose that we, the denizens of Cafe Society, having in our possession enough pop-culture knowledge and expertise to choke a [Gomtuu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_Man_(TNG_episode)), are in a unique position to determine once and for all the answer to a question of earth-shattering importance: What’s, like, the best T.V. ever? I’ll post some categories, and we can all cast votes. I’ll do the math (others are welcome to check, of course) and in, say, a couple of weeks, I’ll post the winners. Sounds fun? Here’s the nuts and bolts: Nomination Phase: I’ll post a list of categories similar to the Emmy’s, Golden Globes or SAG awards. Anyone who wants to can make a nomination for any or all categories. I’ll tabulate all the nominations off-line, and at a pre-set date, we call the nominations closed and I’ll post the short lists of (say) 6-8 nominees in each category. The difference between these awards and the annual award shows is that we can draw from the entire history of television. So in terms of, for example, “Best Single Episode, Dramatic Series”, you could have “[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213826/)” up against “[Two Cathedrals](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745721/)”, “[Home](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751137/)” and … I don’t know… that episode of Dukes Of Hazard where Roscoe thought that Bo and Luke had drowned. That was pretty good. Voting Phase Once the nominations are up, we allow two weeks for voting. Again, I’ll tabulate all the votes, and at the end of the period, I’ll announce the winners. Champagne all around, and an after party at Fred Savage’s house. So tell me, please… Sound like fun? Sound like a decent format? What should the categories be? How long should the nomination/voting phases be? Should we vote in the threads, or in secret (voters could send private messages to me. Secret voting could increase the … uh … anticipation, I guess.) Whaddya think? ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/2 "2008-10-26T02:32:36Z")
> [@](#): > > So tell me, please… > > Sound like fun? > Sound like a decent format? > What should the categories be? > How long should the nomination/voting phases be? > Should we vote in the threads, or in secret (voters could send private messages to me. Secret voting could increase the … uh … anticipation, I guess.) > > Whaddya think? Sounds like fun. Category suggestions, just off the top of my head: Best season-long story arc Best romantic couple Worst romantic couple Best non-Bartlett TV U.S. President Worst U.S. President Best spaceship captain Worst spaceship captain Best one-liner Best mother Best father Worst mother Worst father Best non-Rockford private detective Best police detective Best cowboy Best setting Best bar/tavern Best sidekick Wackiest money making scheme I may think of some others. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/3 "2008-10-26T02:47:15Z")
Best non-Rockford private detective: Lance White 😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/4 "2008-10-26T12:15:44Z")
Best PBS show for middle-school aged children. (I"m real into Ruff Ruffman these days – but what was the math one about 15 years ago?) ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/5 "2008-10-26T12:26:14Z")
I suggest Best gruff/grouchy character. Possible candidates: Ed Asner - Lou Grant (_The Mary Tyler Moore Show_) Redd Foxx - Fred Sandford (_Sanford and Son_) Hugh Laurie - House (_House_) Ted Danson - Becker (_Becker_) Kurtwood Smith - Red (_That 70s Show_) Daniel von Bargen - Commandant Edwin Spangler (_Malcolm in the Middle_) Brenda Wehle - Lavernia (_Malcolm in the Middle_) William Frawley - Fred Mertz (_I Love Lucy_) Ken Jenkins - Dr. Bob Kelso (_Scrubs_) John C. McGinley - Dr. Perry Cox (_Scrubs_) ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/6 "2008-10-26T12:29:29Z")
Just thought of 3 more: Jennifer Saunders - Edina Monsoon (_AbFab_) Joanna Lumley - Patsy Stone (_AbFab_) Julia Sawalha - Saffron Monsoon (_AbFab_) ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/7 "2008-10-26T13:22:23Z")
> [@jali](#): > > I suggest Best gruff/grouchy character. Don’t forget: Dabney Coleman- Bill Bittinger (_Buffalo Bill_) Dabney Coleman- Otis Drexell (_Drexell’s Class_) Dabney Coleman- Jack Buckner (_Madman of the People_) Dabney Coleman- Slap Maxwell (_The Slap Maxwell Story_) What he lacks in quality, he makes up in quantity. (Heck, IMO, he was actually good even when the show wasn’t.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/8 "2008-10-26T17:26:15Z")
Best romantic couple—Rob & Laura Petrie, played by Dick Van Dyke & Mary Tyler Moore_The Dick Van Dyke Show_ Best spaceship captain–Commander Adama, Lorne Green _Battlestar Galactica:TOS_ ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/9 "2008-10-26T17:50:06Z")
Best Series Finale, Sitcom Category: _Newhart_. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/10 "2008-10-26T17:53:54Z")
> [@jali](#): > > I suggest Best gruff/grouchy character. > > Hugh Laurie - House (_House_) > Ted Danson - Becker (_Becker_) > John C. McGinley - Dr. Perry Cox (_Scrubs_) Any of these three gets my vote. For Best Grouchy Character, Guest-Starring Role: Adam, _Northern Exposure_. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/11 "2008-10-26T18:56:51Z")
> [@thwartme](#): > > Sound like fun? > Sound like a decent format? > What should the categories be? > How long should the nomination/voting phases be? > Should we vote in the threads, or in secret (voters could send private messages to me. Yes Yes Genra: Best Sci Fi, Best Western, Best Detective, Situation Comedy, etc. Best leading actor Best Supporting Actor A month. Vote in secret, discuss or argue in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/12 "2008-10-26T19:22:02Z")
Thanks, ' **Plant**. Exactly the answers I was looking for. I do want to have a mix of ‘traditional’ categories and some of the more fun ones. **zamboniracer** has a bunch of good suggestions. I think what I’ll do is leave this for a couple of days, and hopefully get some more feedback from the regular work-week crowd, and then by the end of the week I’ll open the official ‘nomination’ thread, which will have the list of categories. That will say how long the nomination phase will last, and the procedure (secret or open) for nominations. Cool! Looking forward to this. thanks, thwartme ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/13 "2008-10-27T00:47:40Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Best PBS show for middle-school aged children. (I"m real into Ruff Ruffman these days – but what was the math one about 15 years ago?) That was SQUARE ONE, best known for its daily segment MATHNET ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/14 "2008-10-27T01:45:25Z")
I suggest best dumb/slow/dense character. Possible nominees: Coach (Ernie Pantusso), _Cheers_ Woody Boyd, _Cheers_ Kelly Bundy, _Married With Children_ Randy Hickey, _My Name Is Earl_ Tardy Turtle, _Greg the Bunny_ and possibly Homer Simpson, though his mental level varies from season to season or even within an episode ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/15 "2008-10-27T01:52:20Z")
How About: Longest Running Checkov’s Gun Longest Period between Romantic Interest and Dating Most Screwed Over by the Network Most Screwed Over in Translation Least Funny ‘Joke’ Best Quality Change between Seasons Worst Quality Change between Seasons ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/16 "2008-10-27T01:54:04Z")
Also: Most Unusual Genre Change Funniest ‘Breather’ Episode Most Annoying Wesley/Scrappy ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/17 "2008-10-27T01:56:48Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > For Best Grouchy Character, Guest-Starring Role: Adam, _Northern Exposure_. That will get my vote too. This could be fun **thwartme**. All time awards: I think there should be many sub-catergories. Sit-Coms could have catergories like these … Early: Lucy, Honeymooners, Burns and Allen Show, Etc. Supernatural: Bewitch, I Dream of Jeanie, Munsters, Adams Family, Etc. Workplace: Cheers, Night Court, Taxi, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Barney Miller, Wings, Drew Carey etc. Wartime: M_A_S\*H, Sgt. Bilko, Hogan’s Heroes, McHale’s Navy etc. Early Family: Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Make Room for Daddy, Ozzie and Harriet etc. Middle Family: All in the Family, Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Family Ties etc. Later Family: Everybody love Raymond, Roseanne, etc. Cutting Edge: All in the Family, I Love Lucy, Friends: Odd Couple, Friends, Seinfeld, Kate and Allie Sci-Fi Sitcoms: Third Rock, My Favorite Martian, Etc. etc. Well just another idea for more awards. ---
**Author:** ![Flip\_Pancake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f1d935/32.png) [@Flip\_Pancake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flip_Pancake)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/18 "2008-10-27T08:00:17Z")
More suggestions for categories: Best ensemble performance in a drama/comedy/etc Best opening credits (never mind if the show itself is meh) Best set design/ Best art direction Ooh, fun! Edit to add: Best props: Those flashlights in the X-Files come to mind ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/19 "2008-10-27T08:29:01Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Most Screwed Over by the Network Maybe we could just go ahead and call that the “Joss Whedon Metal of Honor” so that other deserving shows (like “Freaks and Geeks”) have a shot. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566/20 "2008-10-27T12:23:44Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > Maybe we could just go ahead and call that the “Joss Whedon Metal of Honor” so that other deserving shows (like “Freaks and Geeks”) have a shot. I second that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suggest-the-sdmb-all-time-television-awards/469566.md?page=2)