Maniac fun fact: Sano is one of two anime characters I have created in a wrestling game.
#16 Battlebots (2000-2002)
Game-show
Mega Mana's Ranking: 34
It's robots battling in an arena full of hazards. What's not to love? Plus it's a tournament, which I love. The different weight classes and wide variety of robots always kept things interesting and exciting. I loved when the guy who made the raptor bots decided to have two of his bot and fight in a higher weight class. I especially loved how each year people would make changes to counter stuff from the prior year. Strategy in the fights was always great.
I watched this with my dad every week and we would each bet on and cheer for different bots. It made things that much better.
I also watched some Robot Wars but the American version was too gimmicky and even with the British version I still didn't like it as much, in large part due to things like the ref bot and house bot interference.
This show should come back, I have no idea why it doesn't or how it managed to fail in the first place. Or at the very least they need to release DVDs of this season. I would buy them.
#15 Sports Night (1998-2000)
Dramedy, Sports
Mega Mana's Ranking: Not on List (you should watch it Mega)
"It's a Show About a Show About Sports, That Isn't About Sports At All." I love that motto.
Aaron Sorkin's first great TV show. This is about what goes on behind the scenes of a Sports Center type show. If you like sports than that by itself should get you to love this, but even people who have no interest in sports can still enjoy it. That's because this show has a full cast of great and fun characters with good interaction, storylines, writing, and character development. Easily on the same level as West Wing, if not better.
Two main things hurt this show. The actor playing one of the best characters in the show (Isaac, the boss) had a stroke and had to leave the show for awhile. The show handled perfectly though by actually giving his character a stroke, allowing the actor to return and any struggles to fit the character. Secondly it was cancelled after two great seasons, which is a real tragedy. My guess is too many people ignored it because it had Sports in the name, and too many Sports people ignored it because it really wasn't about sports.
#14 Colbert Report (2005-____)
Comedy, News
Mega Mana's Ranking: 81 (shameful)
Colbert is hilarious. His segments are great, especially his multiple part ones. The character itself is amazing. Every episode makes me laugh. The Word is one of the greatest things ever. I really just don't have a lot to say about this show except that is amazing and probably the best spin-off ever.
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(Maniac64 at work) [Browncoat] ~Board 570901~
All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.