All-time best of the box - part two

There isn't enough time in the world to write about ALL the amazing television I've ever seen, so I've tried to keep it within limits!

Please feel free to let me know your thoughts...

True Blood - Vampires are so NOW! Twilight has made the undead hotter than ever, and HBO didn't waste any time in adapting the Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris for the small screen. Featuring NZ's own Anna Paquin as mind-reading heroine Sookie Stackhouse, this is steamy, adult, sexy and fun.

The West Wing - Word has it that writer/creator Aaron Sorkin would lock himself away in a hotel room for days on end to write each episode but however he did it, it paid off. Featuring some of the greatest writing on TV (I've often had to rewind segments just to catch every part of the pacy dialogue) along with some top performances, I would like to think that Martin Sheen may yet one day make life imitate art and run for US President.

Flight of the Conchords - Let me just stress, I know I'm saying best shows but with Brett and Jermaine I mean season one, NOT season two. Sorry boys, it just didn't make me laugh... but I admit I stopped watching before the epileptic dogs episode - apparently that was funny. Anyway, the first season was fresh, quirky and utterly appealing as those deadpan Kiwis tried to make it in the Big Apple.

House - Many shows can become formulaic over time, but House generally avoids this pitfall, thanks mainly to the Golden Globe-winning performance of Hugh Laurie. As the acerbic, misanthropic, pill-popping titular doc, British Laurie has achieved a career transformation many actors only dream of. Top marks!

M*AS*H* - I did promise I was going to keep this mainly modern, but there are a few gems in the archives that can't be overlooked (see Monty Python below too). I remember watching this show as a child and, while a lot of the gags thrown in the direction of "Hot Lips" Houlihan passed me by, this taught me what comedy was. And Alan Alda's recent appearance on 30 Rock showed me that he is still the man.

Six Feet Under - From Alan Ball, who also came up with True Blood (see above), this show takes black comedy to another level. I haven't seen the whole thing, but I was immediately taken with this tale of a family struggling to cope after the death of their father which features some amazing acting, especially by Michael C Hall (who you can now catch in the excellent Dexter).

30 Rock - Quite simply, this is the funniest show on TV right now (okay, the third season just ended, but you get my point). Creator Tina Fey has proved that women can be funny, as well as giving us a reason to love Alec Baldwin again. Snappily written, combing a bitter indictment of the corporate world with some ridiculously OTT acting, it's always laugh-out-loud funny.

The Daily Show - Quite simply, this is the funniest show on TV right now. Oh wait, I just said that. Okay then, this is quite simply the cleverest show on TV right now. John Stewart is the coolest host, managing to juggle hilarious banter on some serious issues with a guest list whose IQs always top 200; it's worth staying up for.

Outrageous Fortune - When I was applying for Kiwi residency, I made it my mission to watch OF to get an understanding of what it is to be a New Zealander. I am considering offering my idea to Immigration NZ as this show defines not only what it is to be a Kiwi, it showed me what it means to be a Westie, a struggling family, running a business or anyone who's had a bust-up with someone they love. Gritty, real, funny and sweet, I'm hoping for a green light for series six.

The Muppet Show - Like M*A*S*H*, this taught a whole generation (or three) what it means to be funny. Jim Henson is a genius who made a show about talking puppets the hit of the 20th century, spawning a host of ace movies (Muppet's Christmas Carol was always a fave in the Evans household) and making icons out of creatures made from felt.

Monty Python's Flying Circus - Does this need any explanation? I re-watched a few episodes recently to see how well it had stood the test of time and, while some sketches were more miss than hit, it is still the craziest, most wacky and brilliant surreal humour yet made, and continues to inspire comedians - and catchphrases - everywhere. Would the excellent Mighty Boosh exist without Monty Python? I don't think so.

Dr Who - The old version scared us all as kids, and the new reboot is getting a whole new generation to hide behind the sofa! Matt Smith has some big shoes to fill as David Tennant moves on the galaxies new and while it's sometimes cheesy and overblown, that's part of the fun. Long live the Doctor!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Vampires? Tick. Hot blonde chick kicking ass? Tick. Sassy sidekicks who love to crack wise? Tick. Joss Whedon created a legion of followers with this seven-season corker, which inspired a spin-off show Angel. Quirky, funny, sexy and cool, I'm not going to climb aboard my feminist soapbox but Buffy is certainly a star I'd want my daughters to watch.

Summer Heights High - Even writing about it makes me giggle, which may be a good thing, or maybe not... The audacity of creator Chris Lilley made me sit slack-jawed as I watched the first episode, as he morphed from super-camp teacher Mr G to hair-flicking Ja'Mie King to breakdancing Jonah Takalua. It's indescribable. Just watch it. Please.

Seinfeld - Confession: I have never actually seen this show. But the consensus in the Y!X office was overwhelmingly in its favour, thus I have included it. I have however seen Curb Your Enthusiasm and Larry David's angsty shouting got on my nerves. Does that mean I am a humourless freak? Probably. Have you seen Seinfeld or CYE? What did you think?