# What is the best one hour of television you've ever seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777 "2014-06-01T16:46:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/21 "2014-06-02T01:05:21Z")
When Babylon 5 was at it peak you could pick just about any of the ‘arc’ stories from Season 2-4. [The Coming of Shadows](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coming_of_Shadows) would be one of the best. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/22 "2014-06-02T01:12:17Z")
The best one hour? Most definitely a sporting event. The Blue Jays winning the world series in 92 and in 93 are up there. Canada beating the US to win the gold at Olympic hockey are also up there. Mike Weir’s final round to win the masters in 2003 The Leafs beating the Red Wings to advance past the first round in the 1993 playoffs was magical too: an overtime goal in game 7 to boot. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/23 "2014-06-02T01:13:22Z")
[Soprano Home Movies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbWCE38tlY&t=3m20s) ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/24 "2014-06-02T01:45:32Z")
Macgyver’s homecoming to his college alma mater where he was one of the judges for that year’s barricade competition. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/25 "2014-06-02T02:23:09Z")
I wasn’t aware of _The West Wing_ when it debuted. After a while, I began to hear more and more about it, and when I finally made a point to watch it, it was December of 1999. The first episode I saw was _In Excelsis Deo_, where Toby donates a coat to a charity, and it is being worn by a homeless veteran who died in a park. It has his business card in one pocket, and he is called to the scene by the police. It was a true Holy Shit! moment. After seven seasons it was still the best episode of a truly great series. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/26 "2014-06-02T02:29:28Z")
Using “hour” figuratively, it’s either the first episode I ever saw of Fawlty Towers, or the recently restored Metropolis on TCM. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/27 "2014-06-02T02:34:45Z")
Game of Thrones, season 2, “Blackwater” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/28 "2014-06-02T03:41:54Z")
“The Man Who Had To Struggle For Everything” aka “Homer’s Enemy” on The Simpson’s was the best hour of black comedy I have ever seen ANYWHERE … and it was ONLY half an hour long. It wasn’t just that it was side-splittingly funny at times, but that it had a dark undercurrent that sets off the humor beautifully. Frank Grimes is the ultimate libertarian protagonist, struggling and achieving despite poverty and very tough circumstances (Grimes to Homer: “You have a beautiful two-story home! I live under a bowling alley and over another bowling alley!”) suddenly face-to-face with Homer Simpson, the ultimate fat, stupid, shortsighted go-along-to-get-along type. It’s no contest, Grimes is destroyed, and on the way we’re treated to a delicious skewering of humorless libertarian meritocrats and American middle crass behavior, both at the same time. There’s real anger at both types hidden under all that humor, beautifully expressed in black humor. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/29 "2014-06-02T03:54:00Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Frank Grimes Nitpick: he preferred to be called Grimy ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/30 "2014-06-02T04:44:54Z")
Star Trek, “City on the Edge of Forever.” (Or just maybe The Prisoner, “A, B and C.”) ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/31 "2014-06-02T05:13:02Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I can’t say it brings a \*smile \*to my face, but “Ozymandias” from _Breaking Bad_ is the best I can remember having seen recently. That would be my pick if I were forced to choose something from this millennium. It would be closely tied with an episode of _St. Elsewhere_ titled _Cora and Arnie_ that was quite remarkable for its time. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/32 "2014-06-02T05:24:20Z")
I’ve loved several already mentioned but I’d probably go with “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space.” (Unless it’s Christmas, when I must play “Seoul Mates” from _Northern Exposure_.) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/33 "2014-06-02T06:24:37Z")
Doomsday - the Dalek v Cybermen episode. Every scrap of dialog is a gem. _Daleks have no concept of elegance!_ This is obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/34 "2014-06-02T06:26:07Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > The Carol Burnett Show. Repeatedly. Which particular hour? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/35 "2014-06-02T09:28:34Z")
Oh, man, I completely forgot about the Puppy Episode of _Ellen_. That was a great hour of television. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/36 "2014-06-02T10:19:32Z")
Tie between two episodes of Twin Peaks- the one where we learn that Leland/BOB killed Laura and the one where Leland is identified as the killer and then kills himself. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/37 "2014-06-02T10:23:49Z")
I’m probably missing something obvious, but “The Full Boris”, the extended version of Boris Johnson’s first hosting of Have I Got News For You", is just one massive laugh after another. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/38 "2014-06-02T12:56:14Z")
Not so much a smile but X Files season 4 episode 2 (iirc) Home was possibly the creepiest hour of television ever. “I’m Hungrey” ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/39 "2014-06-02T13:37:30Z")
I would have to say the finale of Six Feet Under. It was just so beautifully done and matched the theme of the show too. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777/40 "2014-06-02T13:50:27Z")
The episode of Breaking Bad where the cousins are trying to kill Hank in the grocery store parking lot. I don’t know the name of it but it was fucking intense all the way to the last second. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-one-hour-of-television-youve-ever-seen/689777.md?page=3)