TV Land To Go

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A copy of this book is available at the Sherman Public Library 

791.4575 Hill

 

 

 

 

TV Land To Go: The Big Book of TV Lists, TV Lore and TV Bests by Tom Hill

 

Trivia and TV go together like bananas and ice cream.  And like any good trivia book, this one won't bore you with the minutia of background behind the scenes stuff that no one except an avid fan of the TV show in particular would even care about.  Instead you get lists of things that even hold the attention span of someone who likes to channel surf at the speed of light.

The book is the compiled (one could say "opinionated") listing of various topics concerning classic TV. Since it is titled "TV Land" with the appropriate logo from the syndicated station, one would probably think it is a promotional book for said station, and I can't argue one way or the other.  I admit to watching TV Land broadcasts in years past, but I really don't know whether ALL the shows in the book had a residence in one way or another on the station.

While well over half of the book is a countdown of the Top 100 Sitcom Episodes (and here that disclaimer I made about not "boring you with the minutia" might be called into question, especially if you disagree with the author's ranking). The author claims to have  used some formula for determining how the shows rank, but I think it's just some made up gobbledygook to justify the arbitrary ranking he makes.  (Does it sound like I dispute his ranking?  Maybe...)

Even if you don't look at his TV episode ranking section, there are still some interesting lists to scan. One of my favorite's is "TV's 15 Greatest Grumps" which points out some of those cranky old geezers that TV audiences loved.  Admittedly, like most of these lists, it's geared towards an older crowd (for ones who saw the shows when they first aired) or for those of a nostalgic bent who just prefer the bygone era of TV to today's stuff.

The book was published in 2001, so don't expect to see anything relating to some favorite 2010's show. Like I hinted at the beginning, the book may just be one big promotional to get people interested in a then "new" network. (TV Land itself had only started as a viable station 4 years prior to the publication of this book.)

 

Until next time, happy browsing.

Quiggy

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