Jim Werdell, the chairman of Mensa International, the society of brainy intellectuals, that requires its members to have an IQ in the top 2% of the population, recently gave an interview to Fancast.com in which he picked the top 10 smartest TV shows of all time. Werdell said about his list, “They tended to be shows that dealt with issues in the world, and from my perspective that’s considered smart. Some sitcoms reach a higher level of intellect than others, and you can say the same about some of the dramas. The stories may be cliché, but the characters and dialogue are smarter.
Here is Werdell’s list (in no particular order):
1. “M*A*S*H”
2. “Cosmos” (with Carl Sagan)
3. “CSI”
4. “House”
5. “West Wing”
6. “Boston Legal”
7. “All in the Family”
8. “Frasier”
9. “Mad About You”
10. “Jeopardy”
So, what do you think? I’ve never seen “Cosmos”, but the name and host, imply smarts to me. Which show(s) would you add to the list? My personal entry would be “Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Real news with a twist. Like their website says "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart -- it's even better than being informed."
