10. Shaq’s Big Challenge – Stay with me here. NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal takes it upon himself to whip six overweight Florida youths into shape, and it was glorious. It was sort of like the making of a reality show, with mistakes made by all parties from the beginning. (In the first episode, Shaq asked a childhood obesity specialist whether he recommended “pills or surgery”.) There were amazing missteps, fart jokes, and, yes, inspiration. And just about every week, I was crying like a prison bitch by the end of the episode.
9. The Daily Show / The Colbert Report – Yes, I’m counting them as a single show. It’s my list. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert brought us excellent fake news and fake punditry night after night. It’s unbelievable that both of these shows manage to stay so sharp on a regular basis. I know I’ve gotten stupider since the Writer’s Strike scuttled production. The bears are up to something, but I don’t know what.
