You know, I really want to like Chuck Klosterman. He's probably the only person in the world who takes pop culture more seriously than I do, and he often has some interesting things to say. But more often than not he's simply maddening. And you know what else? The guy is just incredibly wrong, time and time again.
Case in point: in the new Esquire, he calls Lost "the best network drama in the history of television." Sorry Chuck, but you are sadly mistaken.
Look, I love Lost. It's a fantastic show. But when you go around calling it the best drama that's ever been on TV, that's a lot to live up to. What about The Twilight Zone, The West Wing, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, The Sopranos, ER, Gunsmoke, one of the Star Treks, The Fugitive, Buffy, Homicide, Law and Order, The X-Files? And that's just off the top of my head.
It's obvious Klosterman doesn't really watch that much television, unless it's reality television. He tries to come off as someone who has watched all of television and is able to proclaim Lost as the best drama of all-time. But it's all surface knowledge. Lost is complex, Lost is popular, Lost is a very good show, and Klosterman doesn't really know much about TV drama, so all that makes Lost the best TV drama ever.
And you know how you can tell Klosterman is wrong? He proves it himself, by saying the only other (let me repeat, the only other) TV show that could compete with Lost as the best ever is Twin Peaks. I guess because Twin Peaks was hip and edgy and different than anything else on TV at the time means it was the greatest, or second greatest.
It's fine for people to have their opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs, of course. But Klosterman always tries to position himself, pushing his opinion as fact. And that's just lame.
Giveaway Monday: How I Met Your Mother season three DVD
Oops! Newspapers around the world use SNL pic as official Palin one - VIDEO
The evolution of TV Squad
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-15-2006 @ 9:04AM
Drex said...
Sounds like you have an ax to grind here... I do not agree with Chuck on Twin Peaks being the second best drama ever, I think he has it right about Lost being the best.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 9:07AM
Larry said...
Lost may have the potential to be the best, but it's only had 2 seasons, and it is still on the air.
To be considered "best" of anything, it has to stand the test of time. Give it a few years before we start calling it best.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 9:13AM
Matt said...
Are you male or female? I can't really tell by the picture. LOST is great, and could turn out to be the best show of all time. So maybe you are a little bit overrated.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 9:17AM
Victor said...
While I agree that while Lost is a great show, it's way too early to proclaim it the best ever. I think it has the potential to be that, but let's see where the next few seasons take us.
However, I also agree that you have an ax to grind. While pointing out how his opinions are presented as facts, YOU'RE presenting your opinions as fact.
Rather than attacking someone else's opinion, you would have been better off just referencing his article and then coming up with your own article about what you feel is the best show of all time, or simply an article why Lost ISN'T the best show of all time.
I'd save the personal attacks for talkbacks and comment sections.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 9:35AM
sipsie said...
i used to hang out with Chuck many years ago before he left the midwest. he got under people's skin before he ever became a writer for Spin, Esquire or had any of his books published. clearly you're no different than anyone else. the point is, Chuck has a huge pipeline to voice his opinions, whether you agree with them or not. and maybe that's what's really gotten under your skin.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 9:58AM
Omar said...
first season of twins peaks might be one of the best seasons of any tv drama ever but the second season brought it back down to earth.
i also like lost but again, i dont think its the best.
the point is though, its his opinion and while you might not agree with it, i dont think hes being malicious or underhanded in his approach and shouldn't be faulted for what he thinks.
man, i really should watch first season of twin peaks again. its similar to the first season of veronica mars - great idea, great delivery and then the second season doesnt have that one great idea and isn't as good.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 10:11AM
Gordy said...
I was agreeing with Chuck until you mentioned Buffy. Lost is good, but it's no Buffy.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 10:29AM
Gilder said...
Lost is a great show, but i'm really getting into Battlestar Galactica (new series) at the moment, and it's a cracking show, in some ways better than Lost...
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 10:30AM
Destin said...
If this article is about Chuck Klosterman, why does it have a photo of Sally Jessy Raphael?
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 10:41AM
Chris W said...
I agree with you, Bob. Lost, although spectacular and awesome, does not have the gravitas yet. Maybe one day, if Lost changes the face of network television like many other shows did... (Maybe they can show the first boobs on network TV) But until that day, I'd say there are tons of contenders for best drama in the history of tv.
And for the record, why can't you grind an ax on a blog? This isn't exactly the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 10:48AM
homerj312 said...
I really fear for Lost, I'm very happy with the first 2 seasons. Although trying to explain something and coming to an end game that is coherent and interesting is much harder than coming up with seemingly random mysterious goings on. Just ask The Prisoner or X-Files.
I know that they say that they have had an ending in mind but I really have a bad feeling it won't be even as close to as good the buildup. Maybe I'm wrong, I hope I'm wrong but that is where the "Best Drama Ever" title will be decided, the explanation of the mystery.
And I agree they're going to have to go a long way to take that title, at least in my mind, from the Twilight Zone. The ulitmate in build up and pay off.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 10:58AM
David Peltz said...
Sopranos. Best. Ever.
Game. Set. Match.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 11:20AM
Martha said...
I disagree with the article. While I love Lost I think a series needs to be seen in completion in order to be considered "the best". If they have a solid run with little to no creative stall then that title is a bit more undeserving to go to Lost.
However, if we're going off of an entire body of work, ER is definitely not deserving of this title at all. Seasons 10-12 were awful...season 12 is not shaping up to be much better either. It's all stuff that's been used before. Boring, yawn.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 11:58AM
SJ said...
I think it's obvious that most of the people who have commented here have never watched The Wire. As much as I love The Sopranos and Deadwood, nothing comes close to The Wire. That show has no flaws.
I know it's an opinion and all, but is Lost really that great of a show? The 2nd season was mediocre I think. It was way too slow.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 12:06PM
Jason said...
Lost can't be the best drama on television EVER, since it's not even the best drama on television NOW. That honor, and yes i'm making my own kingly (or Klostermanly, if you prefer) decree that The Wire is the best drama on television right now. And has been for, oh, the last 3 seasons its aired. Ergo, Lost loses. Now excuse me while I go write an article for UTNE Reader about how The Simpsons is the best cartoon in the history of television. :-)
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 12:17PM
Karen said...
I don't care whether there is axe-grinding going on here or not. I read the Klosterman piece last night, and I have to agree with Bob that it was simply OFF. I also have to agree with Bob that while I would like to agree with Klosterman, I have yet to agree with Klosterman in a single one of the pieces he's done for Esquire since he started there.
"Lost" the best series EVER? Seriously? As many point out, not even the best now.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 12:20PM
ThatHollie said...
I think it's obvious that most of the people who have commented here have never watched Manimal starring Simon MacCorkindale. If it isn't a Glen Larson production why would I even consider watching it?
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 12:39PM
Allen said...
Do your self a favor and read some Klosterman. He is insightful, smart, and, above all, funny. Start with Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs....
I think he is close to being right. Lost is definitely one of the high points in television. I would put it at the top 10 of dramas.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 1:35PM
Grim said...
To those saying Sopranos and The Wire, Klosterman is saying it is the best NETWORK drama of all time. Those are cable shows, they are better, but they aren't included in that debate.
I like Klosterman a lot, but here I think he is wrong, don't get me wrong, I like lost a great deal, but it isn't that good yet. Personally, being only 21 and a Brit, I haven't watched all of Network TV, but in my opinion the best network drama would be either The West Wing or Homicide.
Reply
9-15-2006 @ 1:42PM
jeff smith said...
The first season of the Wire was the single greatest season of television. As a whole though its close I have to put X-files up their too it was just so great for so many years. St Elsewhere was also a benchmark for great t.v. E.R. can't even hold a candle to that great medical drama with an all-star cast. Sopranos really has lost its luster the last 2 seasons which i think has brought it down a notch as a whole. Personally I would take Rescue Me, The Shield and The Wire over Lost.
Reply