10 Best TV Shows of All Time

[Entertainment ★★★]

(P1) Getting people to agree on the greatest TV show of all time is about as futile as trying to sway people to your side in a political argument on Facebook. Undaunted, Rolling Stone adds its thoughts to the mix with what it calls its “definitive ranking of the game-changing small-screen classics.” The magazine polled actors, writers, producers, critics, and showrunners. It even got Garry Marshall’s picks before he died in July. With absolutely any show eligible, “from the black-and-white rabbit-ears years to the binge-watching peak-TV era.” In the No. 1 slot: the “inspiring, terrifying mess” that was HBO’s The Sopranos. Here, the top 10 boob-tube winners:

1. The Sopranos
2. The Wire
3. Breaking Bad
4. Mad Men
5. Seinfeld
6. The Simpsons
7. The Twilight Zone
8. Saturday Night Live
9. All in the Family
10. The Daily Show

WORDS: 140

SOURCE: http://www.newser.com/story/231819/10-best-tv-shows-of-all-time.html

VOCABULARY: futile, sway, undaunted, game-changing, showrunners, binge

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.

1. Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
2. Do or did you watch any of these shows in the top 10? If so, which one is your favorite? Why?
3. What is your favorite TV show today? Why?
4. Why do some people watch TV a lot nowadays?

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. Who created the list of the 10 best TV shows of all time?
2. Rolling Stone magazine only polled people who work in the industry. (T or F)
3. Who participated in the poll before he passed away?
4. What’s another name given to the television in the article?
5. Which show came in 6th place?

EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:

What do the following expressions or phrases mean?

• adds its thoughts to the mix
• black-and-white rabbit-ears years
• binge watching peak-TV era
• boob-tube

Image source: by “unknown” http://www.top-ten.tv/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Top-Ten-TV-Shows-Of-All-Time.jpg