Be Not Afraid of Greatness...

I watch TV. Not as often as when I was younger, but probably just a little bit more than I should. There are shows that I am an avid fan of and wouldn't miss for anything. If I am out when the show airs, I have it recorded so I can watch it at my discretion. Now, although there are a few shows that I currently watch, and over the years there have been quite a few that I have adored, I have found the task of naming three great shows increasingly difficult. I love the shows I watch, but are they great? I would have to say no, they have no underlying message, they have no purpose other than to entertain and for a short period of time, they do somewhat educate, but does that make them worthy of greatness? William Shakespeare once wrote, "Be not afraid of greatness, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them" (from his play The Twelth Night).

It is hard, not impossible, to find someone that does not recognize the picture to the right. But when people see this picture what images come to their mind? For me, I imagine a woman in her early to mid-thirties with bright red curly hair and an even more vibrant personality. Her name is Lucy, she is married to a strapping young man named Ricky.

The show was somewhat "of the time." I say this because, although the show was in black and white, there was one line of color that was crossed, a line had never been crossed before (at least to my knowledge). The show began in the early '50s and ran through to the late '50s, it was a time when there was no such thing as the term interracial and the thought of the word was never discussed. But "I Love Lucy" both defied the 'norm' and enhanced a stereotype by creating a television show based off of the real life relationship of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In today's society this television show would be completely acceptable, but in the '50s this show made way for the television and the open society that we currently know today.

"The Cosby Show" came along about 30 years later and, like "I Love Lucy," it shared a message that not many other television shows of the time did. "The Cosby Show" was about an all black family and their daily lives. Prior to "The Cosby Show" there were other shows which focused on black families, but none took up quite the popularity of "The Cosby Show." It showcased the idea that although the Cosby family may have a different skin color, they can still be of middle to upper-middle class, they can have a big family filed with love, and they can most certainly lead their lives just as other families do. The Cosby family presented the idea that a black mother can have a successful career while the husband has a successful career and they can successfully raise a family. "The Cosby Show" although not the first of its kind, it created a message that resonated with a much larger and broader audience.

In today's society it seems to be getting harder to find a "Great" television show. That is not to say that there aren't many shows still left to name that are great, but not that I can find myself familiar with. My unfamiliarity with "Great" television shows leads me to my third choice. I have to say that there are so many others that preceed this show on the list of "greatness" but without the knowledge of these shows, I find myself in no position to judge. So the show I find myself calling my third choice for great television show is "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." You may be asking yourself how I can find this television show to be "great," well I say to you that I watch the show almost religiously and it is from this show that I have learned about how crime scene investigation works. Now, this is not to say that the show is true to the core,
But, nonetheless, it teaches you, if nothing else, how to commit a crime and get away with it. This show has made way for numerous other television shows of its kind, as well as ones similar in style. Although this television show has not made a great impact on society itself, it has done incredible things for the world of television.

Shows have changed since the early days of television, but one thing that has not changed is the ability of many televisions shows to capture an audience and influence society. Television shows are like books, they invite you into their world and take you away for a short period of time. Whether it is a world of darkness and murder, or light-hearted comedy that keeps you laughing from start to finish. Television is just like the technology that surrounds it, always evolving, always changing, and forever leaving imprints and memories of our favorite characters in our minds. I mean, who could possibly forget to take their "Vitaveatyvemeanyminimoe."