My favorite TV shows

I really like TV, but there are very few shows that I have followed religiously. Here are my all-time favorites.

1. Quantum Leap: This is the first show that really had an impact on me. It caused me to think about social issues and to really think about stepping into other people's shoes. It also exposed me to a number of historical events in the recent past that I was able to think about in a different way (about how people were actually affected instead of just what happened).
   This is where I first learned about Man of La Mancha, now one of my very favorite musicals.
   
2. Star Trek: TNG: This again exposed me to social issues in a different way. I loved watching Patrick Stewart on screen; Picard was such a great role model. And I enjoyed the idea of exploring new worlds. Both this and QL were shows that were very formative in my teenage years.
3. Frasier: This was such an intelligently written show, I just found it a lot of fun to watch. I love the titles in between segments, and I honestly think that some of its moments are the funniest I've seen on TV (most of them involved David Hyde Pierce, who I consider to be a comedic genius).
4. The Office: I really enjoy this show (especially the Jim and Pam relationship), even though some of the characters are extremely painful to watch!
5. The Cosby Show: I love the parenting on the show--they are intelligent, loving, and funny.
6. 24: It's an adrenaline rush a minute, and though I really hate all the torture and I know it's not at all realistic, at the same time I think it's a lot of fun to watch.
7. Scrubs: Well, at least seasons 1-5. I love how offbeat it is, the acapella group singing at times, the random side thoughts, and the fresh writing. My favorite episodes are "My Way Home" (the Wizard of Oz episode) and "My Mistake" with Brendan Fraser.
8. Law and Order and Law and Order: Criminal Intent: I love procedural dramas, and these are by far my favorite--I'll watch them any time I can find them on. I love that they're topical and that they usually give Nate and me something to talk about.
9. Monk: I really love detective shows, and the best detectives have something that set them apart, make them quirky, and give them an edge. (For example, my favorite detective, Poirot, is obsessed with neatness, order, and his own intelligence--but he's always right.) Monk has major OCD and can be frustrating, but he's also endearing and amazing.
   

There are a lot of other shows that I've enjoyed in the past and continue to enjoy, although I'm not sure if they qualify as my all-time favorites . . . They include, in no particular order, Psych, Angel, Jack and Bobby, The Wonder Years, I Love Lucy, and seasons 1-4 of Buffy. I'm sure I'll be able to come up with others, but these are the ones that come most quickly to mind.