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TV (The Book)
TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time | Matt Zoller Seitz, Alan Sepinwall
19 posts | 21 read | 35 to read
Is The Wire better than Breaking Bad? Is Cheers better than Seinfeld? What's the best high school show ever made? Why did Moonlighting really fall apart? Was the Arrested Development Netflix season brilliant or terrible? For twenty years-since they shared a TV column at Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper-critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz have been debating these questions and many more, but it all ultimately boils down to this: What's the greatest TV show ever? That debate reaches an epic conclusion in TV (THE BOOK). Sepinwall and Seitz have identified and ranked the 100 greatest scripted shows in American TV history. Using a complex, obsessively all- encompassing scoring system, they've created a Pantheon of top TV shows, each accompanied by essays delving into what made these shows great. From vintage classics like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy to modern masterpieces like Mad Men and Friday Night Lights, from huge hits like All in the Family and ER to short-lived favorites like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks, TV (THE BOOK) will bring the triumphs of the small screen together in one amazing compendium. Sepinwall and Seitz's argument has ended. Now it's time for yours to begin!
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Anton
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TV (The Book) is a series of essays on the 100 greatest television shows of all time, as ranked by the authors. Inevitably, every essay feels too short as most of these shows deserve an entire book to themselves. Still, this is an enjoyable read and a good examination of TV history. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
(Full disclosure: I skipped some entries because they covered shows I still want to watch someday, and I skimmed the sections on miniseries and TV movies.)

readordierachel Sounds interesting! 6y
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SarahSDavis
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Amazon shopping spree...

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shelf-improvement
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It's been a while since I went to a signing. This will probably always be one of my favorites. I'm such a TV junkie. #ReadJanuary #signed

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khooliha
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While I'm unfamiliar with most of the shows discussed in the Pantheon (their term) any book that recognizes Deep Space Nine is alright by me.

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khooliha
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Took until number 15 to get to a show I've watched any significant amount of. I quite like Arrested Development!

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khooliha

Continuing the march through giftcard prizes, it's a book all about tv.

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florinda3rs
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TV critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz have been debating television since they covered it for the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger 20 years ago. This collection of essays on the shows they‘ve rated as the 100 best ever may be the culmination of their discussions, but it‘s likely to fuel plenty of others. This is a must-read for people who take their television seriously. (And this show IS in the Top 100.)

PNWBookseller85 The West Wing. ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
15 likes2 comments
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shelf-improvement
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#photoadaynov16, Day 21: Reading in Bed.

Hard to tell here, but our headboard is a bookcase stuffed full of books and just enough space for a wombat souvenir from our Australia trip three years ago. The Sepinwall/Zoller Seitz book was a to-share purchase from a signing at @Kramerbooks this summer.

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Bookish_Predator
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#booknerdproblems I really, really need to be supervised when on #netgalley as I can't help myself when it comes to requesting more and more books and now my anxiety is getting worse because I know I won't be able to finish the 80+ that need to be read and reviewed this year 😞 they're all so pretty though so I'm using that as an excuse 😏

Alfoster Haha! Know what you mean! I always feel compelled to read them first even if there's a title I have that I want to read more! 7y
WordWaller Omg I totally feel this. I go way overboard every time I log on!!! Ugh 7y
PatienceFortitude Saaaaaaame 7y
Well-ReadNeck Yes. This. 7y
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Curley_Bender
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I may have to give up reading for a few months in order to catch up on all the great American TV discussed in this book. As a process junkie, I very much enjoyed the methodology employed by the authors. The write-ups on each show were a treat to read as well. I look forward to any future editions.

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JustinSteiner
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I love TV and I really liked this book. Sepinwall and Zoller Seitz attempt to rank the 100 greatest shows in TV history, but the fun is in the essays that accompany the entries...whether you agree or disagree (and I did both). It's a book to dip in and out of - it took me almost 2 months to read it. Plus, Chuck Season 2 gets its own entry!

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EclecticBookLover
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Can't wait to start reading about some of my favorite TV shows and hopefully discover some new ones! #Madmen #TVthebook #lists

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Vexingcircumstance
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Book Review: TV (The Book) by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz – vexingcircumstance
https://vexingcircumstance.wordpress.com/2016/09/23/book-review-tv-the-book-by/

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brendanmleonard
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TFW you randomly find your dad's name in the acknowledgements! This was a wonderful book, with an easy-going prose style you can luxuriate in. If you like TV or criticism, then this one is so, so easy to fall into. There are a few minor errors, and sometimes you wish one critic would let the other take over, but other than that: Highly recommended.

Chessa Whoa! 8y
Texreader Cool!! 8y
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Gezemice So cool! 8y
Yournewfriendsams So awesome!!! 8y
LeahBergen 👍🏼👍🏼 8y
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brendanmleonard
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One of the joys of this book is how it reframes shows I had discounted, or puts them in a new context to make me go "I want to see that again now."

LauraBeth Interesting 8y
MrBook Added! Your posts make this book intriguing 😊👍🏻. 8y
flyfarther79 Never thought about comparing 24 to those 8y
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brendanmleonard
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Getting some much needed outdoor reading time in on my lunch break...I was crazy obsessed with the *idea* of the X Files as a kid, but never watched the show all the way through. I think it might be time...😂

Carol The one time I tried to watch it there was a high speed police chase with a certain white Bronco. I now have weird associations with this show! 😂 8y
Qemorio DoIt!! I LOVED the X-Files when it was originally on TV and am in them idle if a rewatch. It's still good! Also, those new episodes! There is a new series of YA books coming out in Jan too. 8y
NCNY Ooh. I just picked this book up today! It's gonna be my next read. 8y
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brendanmleonard
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One of the joys of this book is, like the best guides about TV or the movies, it combines wit with criticism with history. For example, I didn't know this about Lucy - but the chapter illustrates just how important this method of filming was to the show's legacy.

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brendanmleonard
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The next couple weeks are gonna be in-tense when it comes to new releases, but I made sure there was room in my book budget for this! I have been reading (and listening to) these guys for years, and they're two of the best critics of anything working today! I am so excited to dive in - already, flipping through, I was like "that's right...that's way too low..."

Suetara I can't wait to read this one! 8y
ImaginativeMom This looks like a great gift book, too! 8y
brendanmleonard @ImaginativeMom the author Matt Zoller Seitz has another great gift book coming out: 8y
ImaginativeMom Excellent to know! Thanks!! 8y
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