TOBY'S TIP TOP TOOB

As 'Lost' neared its finale after six seasons, I wondered if it would "stick the landing" - that is, if it would provide a powerful and satisfying conclusion that would at least answer the major questions.

In my opinion, it did. But I can understand why so many people were unhappy with it. For me, the Big Reveal at the end which splained away the structure of the sixth season provided a strong argument to link 'Lost' to at least four other series.

Happy as I was with the overall series, it just missed cracking my Top Five shows of all Time, which had been set in stone for thirty years:

1) 'The Prisoner'

2) 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'

3) 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'

4) 'Columbo'

5) 'Maverick'

However, upon reflection, I realized that the Top Five needed to be revised anyway, and 'Maverick' fell two slots to #7.

That's because I realized there's another show which deserves to be in that Top Five. It is a show which will always have me watching the repeats, no matter how often they crop up; I'm left eagerly awaiting the next new episode even as soon as the last one has finished airing. And the best test of all as to its greatness: if I stumble across an episode on TV, I'll watch it, complete with commercials - even if I already own it on DVD.

And that show - as if you couldn't tell from today's overall theme - is 'Doctor Who'.

So here's my line-up of my Top Ten Favorite TV Series:

1) 'The Prisoner'

2) 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'

3) 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'

4) 'Columbo'

5) 'Doctor Who'

6) 'Lost'

7) 'Maverick'

8) 'Star Trek' (umbrella title for the franchise)

9) 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'

10) 'The Wild, Wild West'

BCnU!