What's the Best Show on TV?

Around water coolers and in neighborhood bars debates are raging over which tv show is the best in all the land right now. Each of the four finalists (Sopranos, 24, House, Lost) can all make a convincing case but only one can be crowned the best. Here's a look at each show before I make my pick.

The case against the Sopranos: Five years ago this would have been the hands down winner by most accounts. Heck, even two years ago. But the show's highly anticipated return this year after a year and a half layoff has been a big letdown and like a fading sports star who hangs on for too long it looks like the Sopranos didn't know when to quit.

The case against 24: This is the kind of show that you need to watch from day one and since I didn't I haven't been able to watch. I've still caught parts of it on syndication since like Seinfeld its on tv on some channel every night. The parts I have seen have been good so I can see why people like it so much. And of course you have to give them bonus points for having casted Elisha Cuthbert. The idea to shoot a show within the time frame of one day is a groundbreaking idea but ultimately there's only so much you can do within that premise. Honeslty how many times can Cuthbert get kidnapped?

The case against House: I'm so sick of hospital dramas that House and Grey's Anatomy get disqualified automatically. If they were eligible I still wouldn't chose House because the premise of every episode is that there's some strange disease that no one's ever heard of and House has to solve the case. I'm sorry but if the hospital staff is that bad that they never know what the hell anything is then I can't vote for them.

The case for Lost: Well you knew I was going to pick Lost. The only question was why. And it's in the writing. J.J. Abrahams who just produced MI3 is the best young mind in Hollywood. Anything he touches turns to gold. Unless of course you're talking about Tom Cruise's approval rating. Cruise aside all of his shows from Lost to Alias have been critically accliamed. Lost rivals 24 for best premise and then outshines it in character development, back story, and plot. No other show has conflict between characters and themselves, characters and other characters, and between characters and their environment. Throw in the use of flashbacks and dream sequences and the show has every element of a Shakespearen play. Seriously people, it's not even close. Lost is the best show on tv. Next question.