TVSquad

New York, New York -- a place so big that had to name it twice. Isn't that what they say about the Big Apple? Recently, movie critic Leonard Maltin, host of the ReelzChannel original series Secret's Out named his picks for the 15 greatest New York scenes in movie history. That got me thinking about the television shows that are intimately tied to New York, series that are inextricably New York shows. Whether they are -- or were -- filmed in the city, here's 15 absolutely, positively New York TV shows (in the order in which they debuted!). You don't have to agree with me -- and I may have overlooked one or two (which I urge you to comment and let me know) -- but I have good reasons for every one of my choices!

Everyone at one point or another watched a TV show (or a movie) and said: "That can only happen on TV!" We even have a saying in French to explain that something is so far-fetched that it can't be real. It roughly translates as "This is set up by the movie guy." The Have Happy Fun Time blog came up with the "Top 25 Things that Only Happen in Movies." But, as you'll see, that list also works for TV series.

In July, I was at a sitcom writing seminar in which Sam Simon (who helped develop The Simpsons) declared: "the sitcom is dead." Veteran comedy writer Ken Levine (who hosted that sitcom seminar), however, disagrees. Ken believes the traditional multi-camera sitcom might be on a respirator, but still has a pulse. Levine said, "I would amend Sam's statement and say that yeah, the bad, stale, family sitcom with tired rhythms, forced laughs, and bogus characters is dead."

I guess if you're trying to revive the dying sitcom, a good way to start is by assembling a top-notch team. And Fox's new Wednesday night comedy, Back to You, does just that.

As most people know, there is very little about being an alcoholic or a drug addict that is funny. For most people who suffer from addiction the best they can hope for is to live "one day at a time" and do their best not to screw up their life and those around them. However, in the world of TV comedy, the addict is often the funniest person on the show. Many characters throughout TV history have given us all a belly laugh while they were under the influence. Here is my list of the funniest of those with this particular problem.

1. Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd) - Taxi
What could make a young Ivy League undergrad from a rich, influential family become a burned out reverend/cabbie with questionable judgment and a terrible memory? I doubt that even Jim could compile a complete list? At least his driving isn't any less safe than most New York cabbies.

Well, I finally found a question obscure enough to stump everyone.

Last week I asked...
On Michael Chiklis' short-lived sitcom, Daddio, what performer did his neighbor, Bobick, play way too loud on his stereo?

The answer is Tom Jones.

Here's another question from a reader that isn't quite as tough...
Luis Antonio Amaro wrote, "I need help on a 80's cartoon. People think I'm crazy when I mention this. A cartoon about a group of people whom changed into superheros. One was a sailor who turns into a rope, a clockstore owner who turns into an owl and I remember the leader being a baby who would change in his crip and takes off wearing a blanket for a cape and a baby bottle in his hand. I know theirs more charaters involve. Please say I'm not crazy."

Welcome to TV Squad Lists (formerly 'The Five'), a feature where each blogger has a chance to list his or her own rundown of things in television that stand out from the rest, both good and bad.

Being newly single, I've been spending a lot of time these days thinking about the perfect woman. More often than not, my thoughts end up drifting into the realm of television and all of the perfect women there. So I decided to compile a list of the ten hottest moms on television. Unfortunately, there were way too many to fit on a top ten list, so I expanded the list to fifteen. This was a tough list to compile and I'm sure many of your favorites are absent, but I doubt that anyone can refute the fifteen below.

Susan Mayer - Desperate Housewives (Teri Hatcher) Hatcher has always been smoking hot but it wasn't until Desperate Housewives that she became a TV mom. The best part of her character is how Susan is continually clumsy, awkward and unsure of herself and still manages to be hot.

A new weekly feature here at TV Squad, as we list some recent deaths of those involved with TV, on screen and behind the scenes.

• Roscoe Lee Browne: The veteran actor appeared in a number of TV shows, including All in the Family, Benson, Columbo, Mannix, The Invaders, Will and Grace, and a voice actor in cartoons. He was a classically trained film and theater actor as well. He died April 11 in L.A. of cancer at age 81.
  
• Stan Daniels: He co-created Taxi and won several Emmys for that show and his writing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He died of heart failure on April 6 at age 72.

Welcome to TV Squad Lists (formerly 'The Five'), a feature where each blogger has a chance to list his or her own rundown of things in television that stand out from the rest, both good and bad.

Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Tony Danza is one of television's most recognized personalities. Most of us have watched him on one show or another. So, in honor of the go to guy for sitcom jokes, here is my collection of his best characters.

1. Tony Micelli (Who's the Boss)
Sam's dad. Angela's housekeeper. Mona's confidant. Whatever he was, he was pretty great. WTB was certainly not a groundbreaking show by any means, but as I watch the reruns, I can't ignore the chemistry between Tony, Judith Light and Katherine Helmond. Tony Micelli was an enigma amongst single TV dads. He was tough, streetwise, a devoted father and a maid. As long as I live, I will never figure out why this worked, but it did.

Veteran writer, producer, and director Stan Daniels worked on several shows over the years. He won three Emmy Awards as a writer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and another three as a creator and producer on Taxi.

Daniels wrote for several other shows as well, including Phyllis (a spinoff of The Mary Tyler Moore Show), The Associates, and The Bill Cosby Show. As a director he worked on many sitcoms, including Dear John, Flying Blind, Best of the West, Almost Perfect, High Society, Sparks, and The Good News. His last credit was as the writer and producer of the 1991 animated TV movie The Kid.

Daniels died of heart failure on April 6 in Los Angeles.

I have often said that all television falls into two categories, good and bad. However, I have recently discovered that television can also be categorized as classic and non-classic. But there's a catch.

When I was growing up, there wasn't a lot of good TV due to the fact that there were only three networks (four if you count PBS, which I certainly didn't). Consequently, local affiliates had no choice but to fill their daytime schedules with reruns of popular sitcoms like The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island and The Monkees. These shows and shows like them have become classics almost by default. Bottom line: when an entire generation can sing the theme song of a show, it's a classic.

One of the saddest changes in the television landscape has been the disappearance of the theme song. They're really not that important to the people who create TV shows now (or the networks who want to get more commercials in). Lost has just a single note as their theme song, ER has changed and shortened their theme song, Jericho has static, and Heroes doesn't have a theme song or credits either.

Luckily, the shows that still have theme songs also have opening credits. Shows like The Office and Dexter all have theme songs and opening credits. They're classic TV openings. Of course, it's nothing like years gone by, where almost all shows had theme song and opening credits. The Onion has picked 22 that they feel fit their shows perfectly. I don't know if that is the same as "best opening sequences," but the choices are interesting, quirky, a little maddening, and they left out a few, as I'm sure you'll agree.

In case you have an empty room in your house that you don't plan on using anytime soon, may I suggest something to put in it? As the final episode of The Tony Danza Show quickly approaches (it's this Friday), the show has listed it's trademark Extravadanza gameboard on E-Bay. For those that have never seen the show, Extravadanza works just like Plinko on The Price is Right. However, Extravadanza is far superior because it has two large moving hands that shake uncontrollably while the contestant drops the puck. If you're interested though, better break out the checkbook and fast. Last I checked, there were almost 60 bids and it's already over $700 with an $800 minimum shipping fee.