Josh

You'll receive your standard-issue paintball gun and purple pen shortly. I had people over Thursday and we watched Community, but I have a hard time focusing when people are talking, so I watched that and 30 Rock today. 30 Rock was fun and I'll repeat that I'm loving Kristen Schaal. I get GoGo's criticism, but I'd rather they take the risk on an episode like this than just stay away from it and hope no one notices they've gotten more formulaic over time. Community was just tremendous top to bottom. Very quotable ("I grew up in the Bay Area, but I'm a father now!", "Put it in a letter, Jane Austen!", "I'm going through some stuff right now", "Eat fresh!"), a great homage without being 100% conceptual (always nice to just know it can be done), and above all else I love the focus on character and relationship development - or, in Jeff's case, perhaps non-development. I really, really like the dark direction for this season.

I seem to remember it happening that way, too. And, dude, you should seriously check out Louie. Seems right up your alley. Then again, you already watch some other FX shows, so you may be well aware.

Man, this happens at least once a year: I WISH I HAD HBO.

I didn't determine the bracketing, the nominations did! If I did determine the bracketing, The Tick would have gone up against something besides current ratings juggernaut, Zombies Zombies Zombies. Also, wow, the rare septuple post from ruderrocket. You having some formatting trouble?

1) The Simpsons vs. 16) Boston Legal - This kills me. I'm probably one of very few people who fucking LOVE Boston Legal, but . . . fuck man. It's The Simpsons. It's an All Time Top 5 choice for me, at least. Poor Boston Legal. 8) House vs. 9) Oz - Greg House is perhaps the best modern character creation since . . . Homer Simpson? I could be missing someone, but I honestly can't think of anyone. Plus, even if you feel House dropped off in the last 2 or 3 seasons, the first 5 or 6 were goddamn stellar. I'd honestly like to watch through Oz some time, but I cannot conceive of loving it the way that I do House. 5) It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia vs. 12) Deadwood - I've seen very little of both of these, but I have a soft spot for westerns. 4) The Sopranos vs. 13) Father Ted - Easy pick. Never seen Father Ted, but it can't possibly matter. The Sopranos might be the best TV drama of all time. 6) Firefly vs. 11) Smallville - Note what I said about Always Sunny vs. Deadwood, but add "space" to "western." 3) Dexter vs. 14) Louie - Okay, pay attention here. I have no doubt that Dexter is really fucking good, at least in the initial seasons. But Louie? I'm can't think of a single bad episode. Moreover, Louie deftly takes on material that I would never trust in the hands of other shows - anything from masturbation to religion to suicide. It can be shockingly funny or deeply moving, and its shown the ability to do both in one episode. It has its very own point of view that cannot be found elsewhere, while most other shows will ultimately parrot each other at some point in time. I once saw Louie described (perhaps by someone on here?) as more akin to a series of short films than a sitcom. At the very least, it is miles beyond standard TV fare. I think Louie has the potential to transform what sitcoms are and even how they are made. Dexter may be very good, but it simply cannot touch Louie. At the very least, you owe it yourself to watch the episode titled "Duckling." 7) 24 vs. 10) King of the Hill - I saw the whole first season of 24. I saw no further need for the series past that. If not for The Simpsons, King of the Hill would be the very best modern animated series. Even then, it's one of history's best sitcoms and sorely overlooked. 2) Scrubs vs. 15) Roswell - Never cared for Roswell. Scrubs was far from perfect, but it entertained me on more than one occasion. Some video evidence for a couple of my picks: A brief look at Louie. (Um. Probably NSFW.) A father/son scene from King of the Hill.

Central Bracket voting has closed. I will tabulate the results and have them later. In the meantime . . . MOUNTAIN BRACKET 1) The Simpsons vs. 16) Boston Legal 8) House vs. 9) Oz 5) It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia vs. 12) Deadwood 4) The Sopranos vs. 13) Father Ted 6) Firefly vs. 11) Smallville 3) Dexter vs. 14) Louie 7) 24 vs. 10) King of the Hill 2) Scrubs vs. 15) Roswell You have approximately 67 hours to place your votes. Voting for this bracket will end at 6:59 EDT/5:59 PM CDT/11:59 PM GMT on Wednesday, April 4th. Remember to vote on every match-up, or else your votes will not be counted.

That is indeed a problem. I've edited that post to save frustration for those who can't open spoiler tags.

While we wait for the final Central Bracket votes to roll in, here are the Eastern Bracket voting results! In the battle of 1) Community vs. 16) One Tree Hill, the winner is 1) Community One Tree Hill was crushed, 42-4. In the battle of 8) Only Fools and Horses vs. 9) The West Wing, the winner is 9) The West Wing Only Fools and Horses had a respectable showing, but went down 29-17. In the battle of 5) How I Met Your Mother vs. 12) Peep Show, the winner is 5) How I Met Your Mother Peep Show tried but just couldn't compete. Final score: 30-16. In the battle of 4) The Office (U.S.) vs. 13) Columbo, the winner is 4) The Office (U.S.) Columbo should be commended for even making a showing here. In the end, The Office won 35-11. In the battle of 6) Blackadder vs. 11) Eastbound & Down, the winner is 6) Blackadder Considering how the nominations and the other match-ups have gone, it's actually interesting to see an older, British show do so well against a current, American show. Final score: 30-16. In the closest battle we've seen so far - 3) The Walking Dead vs. 14) The Tick - the winner is 3) The Walking Dead The Tick nearly pulled off a narrow upset, but current and mainstream ultimately beat older and cult-audience. Final score: 24-22. Damn. In the battle of 7) The Shield vs. 10) Frasier, the winner is 10) Frasier I'd call this a minor upset. The Shield has its supporters, but not as many as I had predicted. In the end, Frasier asserted itself, 29-17. Finally, in the battle of 2) Seinfeld vs. 15) Star Trek: The Next Generation, the winner is 2) Seinfeld In the end, I think Seinfeld was just too comparatively ubiquitous here. ST:TNG tried, but lost 28-18. You still have about 6 hours to vote on the Central Bracket.

1. The Simpsons 2. Looney Tunes 3. King of the Hill 4. The Tick 5. The Critic 6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7. Darkwing Duck 8. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 9. Muppet Babies 10. Animaniacs

Tremendous.

1) Lost vs. 16) E.R. - Lost has simply never appealed to me, and I feel like E.R. was part of a 90's drama revival that I enjoy more in hindsight. 8) Mad Men vs. 9) Game of Thrones - The sole reason I haven't watched Mad Men yet is I'm big on watching a series from the beginning. And the whole genre that Game of Thrones falls in simply doesn't appeal to me. 5) Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. 12) Monty Python's Flying Circus - A comedy game-changer. Modern comedy owes a great deal to Monty Python. And, once again, Buffy holds no appeal for me. 4) Breaking Bad vs. 13) Bottom - See my reasoning for Mad Men. 6) Supernatural vs. 11) Fawlty Towers - If you want perfection in farce, you watch Fawlty Towers. 3) South Park vs. 14) Batman - Batman really is one the most underrated TV shows. It's tremendous absurdist comedy through-and-through. The creative forces behind it knew precisely what they were doing, and I'm so glad they did. 7) Farscape vs. 10) Freaks and Geeks - Any show that puts Trace Beaulieu in a recurring role deserves attention. Meanwhile, sci-fi is a genre that almost intentionally distances itself from me. Farscape very much fell in line with that. 2) Doctor Who vs. 15) Sons of Anarchy - However, when sci-fi elements are brought directly to our reality, it captures my attention. I've only seen some Matt Smith episodes, but I really dig 'em. Sons of Anarchy is probably a lesser example of Mad Men or Breaking Bad for me. I probably would be interested, but I haven't had a decent chance to watch from the start.

Yes. If you ever have any doubt what show is being referred to, click on its name in the bracket I post. That's why the link is there.

Eastern Bracket voting has closed. I will tabulate the results and have them later. In the meantime, new bracket! CENTRAL BRACKET 1) Lost vs. 16) ER 8) Mad Men vs. 9) Game of Thrones 5) Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. 12) Monty Python's Flying Circus 4) Breaking Bad vs. 13) Bottom 6) Supernatural vs. 11) Fawlty Towers 3) South Park vs. 14) Batman 7) Farscape vs. 10) Freaks and Geeks 2) Doctor Who vs. 15) Sons of Anarchy You have approximately 68 hours to place your votes. Voting for this bracket will end at 6:59 EDT/5:59 PM CDT/11:59 PM GMT on Sunday, April 1st. Remember to vote on every match-up, or else your votes will not be counted.

I've seen 2 of these!

Honestly meant no harm or offense with the rules or that last reminder. I get that it forces some arbitrary decisions and I knew it when I made the rule, but I figured the alternative was to risk getting next to no participation on some match-ups. I feel the rule should remain, but I do feel bad that it seems I may have offended a couple of you.

Just a friendly reminder: After all, this IS where you keep all your stuff.

Hate to be that guy, but I'm gonna be. Edit your vote so that you pick either Community or One Tree Hill. Otherwise, all of your picks are void. Just so everyone knows why I've made this rule: as several people have mentioned, there are going to be match-ups where certain people have seen neither show. Which shows this applies to will be different from person to person. If I allow "pick and choose" voting, I can forsee a scenario where certain match-ups are barely being voted on at all. So, keep in mind that a vote for something is a vote for progress. Literal tournament progress.

Nevermind.

As promised, my thoughts on this round's match-ups: - I would vote almost anything over One Tree Hill and it happens to be up against my current favorite show on television period. Community wins in a blow out. - I feel a bit bad for most of the British shows in this tourney, as I fear most of us Americans (and maybe those living in a third undesignated place?) will have never seen them. That's definitely the case with Only Fools and Horses for me. I feel less bad about not giving it the nod when it means I'm voting for The West Wing though. West Wing's never been my favorite, but it produced high-caliber television for quite a while on a consistent basis. I am kind of a sucker for eloquent dialogue and lots of it. - How I Met Your Mother was my choice and it's a strange one. I'm far from its biggest fan, but Peep Show is suffering from the aforementioned problem of being a British show I haven't seen. I've seen an episode of HIMYM and it was . . . okay. I might be convinced to change my mind here. - The Office might be the iconic post-2000 sitcom. Columbo was actually really fun television, and it's unfortunate that a lot of you likely haven't seen it. Peter Falk is an underrated actor these days and he did tremendous things with that character. That said, on most days, if you gave me the choice to watch one versus the other, I'm going with The Office. - Like British sitcoms, I may have difficulty finding HBO shows I've seen. Case in point: Eastbound & Down. Moreover, what little I have seen of the lead character makes me think I would get annoyed after a while. On the other hand, the several episodes I've seen of Blackadder have been downright fabulous. I especially like seeing Roawn Atkinson and Hugh Laurie together. Blackadder deserves this win. - I'm so over zombies. I don't doubt The Walking Dead has produced some fun episodes, but this genre is just awfully hard for me to enjoy. Conversely, if we don't hang ten for justice, who will? SPOON, people. SPOON. Seriously, rarely does a show aimed at kids have this kind of lasting power with adults. If you haven't watched it, get the fuck on that. - The Shield falls into the "haven't seen it, but I'd probably love it" territory. Wish I could say more about it. Frasier, meanwhile, is the rare laugh track/studio audience sitcom I can still enjoy. The modern incarnations are tough for me to watch, and the no audience modern sitcoms have made most classic sitcoms just as hard for me to watch. Frasier is one exception to this rule, and it's largely due to the high-caliber writing. The cast is stellar too, but good casts are often wasted on average or poor writing. Not here. - Finally, a very tough choice. Both Seinfeld and Star Trek: TNG did a lot for their genre, but at the end of the day I'm a comedy guy. Seinfeld it is.

Despite not having seen any of these films yet, I have a weird suspicion we may have compiled a pretty decent list for once.

EASTERN BRACKET 1) Community vs. 16) One Tree Hill 8) Only Fools and Horses vs. 9) The West Wing 5) How I Met Your Mother vs. 12) Peep Show 4) The Office (U.S.) vs. 13) Columbo 6) Blackadder vs. 11) Eastbound & Down 3) The Walking Dead vs. 14) The Tick (Animated Series) 7) The Shield vs. 10) Frasier 2) Seinfeld vs. 15) Star Trek: The Next Generation Usually I'll post my reasoning (and I will for these very soon), but I wanted to get mine up right away so you guys will have an example of formatting. For now, I'll say there's one or two of these where I can easily be swayed to change my vote.

Let the voting for the first bracket begin! EASTERN BRACKET 1) Community vs. 16) One Tree Hill 8) Only Fools and Horses vs. 9) The West Wing 5) How I Met Your Mother vs. 12) Peep Show 4) The Office (U.S.) vs. 13) Columbo 6) Blackadder vs. 11) Eastbound & Down 3) The Walking Dead vs. 14) The Tick (Animated Series) 7) The Shield vs. 10) Frasier 2) Seinfeld vs. 15) Star Trek: The Next Generation You have approximately 72 hours to place your votes. Voting for this bracket will end at 6:59 EDT/5:59 PM CDT/11:59 PM GMT on Thursday, March 29th. Remember to vote on every match-up, or else your votes will not be counted. My votes are coming up right away, so you'll all have an example of formatting.

The votes have been counted, the rankings have been distributed, and the brackets have been sorted. It's now time to pit our subjective tastes against each other in a fiery, rage-fueled tournament for the ultimate prize: niche message board bragging rights! EWB's All-Time Favorite TV Show Tournament When the nomination round came to a close, 165 fictionalized television series had been nominated for entry. Ultimately, 64 shows made the cut. For the sake of context and false stakes, here's a few shows that did NOT make the cut: - Cheers - 30 Rock - Taxi - The Muppet Show - M*A*S*H - Boardwalk Empire - Roseanne - The Big Bang Theory - and Yu-Gi-Oh 5DS. The prestigious 64 shows that were deemed battle-worthy have been assigned rankings according to the points they gained in the nomination round - the higher a given show was ranked, the more favorably it was placed in the tournament brackets. And now, the tournament begins. THE RULES - For the sake of our collective sanity, in the early rounds of voting we will vote on multiple match-ups at one time. The tournament's first round will be broken up into 4 brackets to be voted on: Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. Second round voting will be broken up into 2 brackets to be voted on. Once we have reached the third round (or Sweet Sixteen), we will vote on each match-up separately. - Once I have posted the new round to be voted on, each poster who chooses to vote will bold their selections. - For every round you vote, you must vote on every match-up. You may not leave certain match-ups off. Any incomplete selections will be discounted. - When each round's match-ups are posted, I will also post a deadline for the end of that voting period. No more votes for that round will be counted after that deadline. - You may edit your vote until that deadline is reached. You may post again to simply say you have edited your votes, but do not re-post your votes. This is to keep vote-counting simpler for me and to prevent any miscounts. - You are allowed (and encouraged) to post any reasoning you have for your votes. Feel free to pimp your favorites, post video clips that you feel are representative of a show overall, and generally give your opinions on the match-ups. This will become more and more important as the tournament progresses. Once I have posted the first bracket of match-ups from the first round - along with that bracket's voting deadline - I will post my own votes, so everyone will have an example of the voting format. Best of luck. The first bracket will be posted soon.

I can totally see why they wouldn't do another paintball episode. Doing it twice was ballsy. Doing it a third time may just be pushing their luck, as it will inevitably be compared to the others, possibly to diminishing returns. As for Dan Harmon having Asperger's, I think he's still in the process of figuring that out, judging from the articles I've read. Having said that, I think he said that he began to wonder when people started diagnosing Abed while watching the show.