Watching TV: Weeds’ Elizabeth Perkins

by Quendrith Johnson
Fancast.com

When Elizabeth Perkins is not having a double mastectomy or going into a highly coifed alcoholic rage as Celia Hodes on Weeds, she watches TV like the rest of us. Only Perkins personally knows almost every actor on any given show since she is the coveted “1 Degree” of Kevin Bacon. On screen for 25 years, she’s been seen with the A to Z-list from Gwyneth Paltrow, Kathleen Turner, Whoopi Goldberg (Moonlight and Valentino) to that scrawny unknown guy who became Tom Hanks (watch the trailer for Big). You can view Elizabeth’s credits here, and this is her short list for the Best TV category.

All-Time Favorite Shows

1. All In the Family - Best written show on television EVER.
2. I Love Lucy - Nobody has ever been funnier, and nobody ever will be.
3. Seinfeld - Broke the mold; and then set it’s own.
4. Six Feet Under - A TV show set in a funeral home. Whoda thunk? And somehow an eerie prelude to Michael C. Halls’ amazing Dexter.
5. The West Wing - Great actors, amazing writing, fantastic directors…
The best of every element in every department that came together like an opera every week.

Best Series She’s Never Seen
Chicago Hope - I never saw an episode. Isn’t that somehow sadly, pathetic? David E. Kelly is a super-hero; Vondie Curtis-Hall is a friend; I think Christine Lahti is sublime and yet…gosh. I had no excuse. [watch 22 episodes of Chicago Hope here, starting with the pilot]

Most Underrated Series:
Smith: I think the John Wells/Ray Liotta show was never given a chance. Only letting it air for seven episodes and then pulling it was unforgivable. Amazing creator and writer, shot like The Italian Job, with an outstanding cast (Simon Baker, Virginia Madsen, Johnny Lee Miller). I was GLUED and highly disappointed when it left. Especially since Shark then stayed on the air…sorry.