Becker (1998 - 2004)

I usually write about something in the world of science fiction, science, or both related in some special way but today I decided to mention one of my favorite television shows called Becker. The only thing about this show remotely related to science fiction is the actress Terry Farrell who played one of my favorite characters in Star Trek: DS9 by the name of Dax. It is refreshing to see an actor not get typecast in science fiction shows as I discussed in a post a while back.
Getting back to Becker, it is a witty show about a medical doctor (played by Ted Danson) in the Bronx of New York who freely speaks his mind to anyone who will listen. Dr. Becker is jaded, gets angry at the stupidity that people can display on a day to day basis, hates organized religion, and does not even attempt to be politically correct in public or private, but at the same time has a good heart and usually really means what he says. I find the show extremely funny, clever, and familiar as if it could be a page from my life since I work in a medical clinic in a big city with a primarily ambulatory population that comes to the clinic without appointments, dealing with people on the street, and knowing your neighbors and all their quirks.
Finding a show with such good writing that is sincerely funny is rare these days but not impossible to find. I just got the first two seasons on DVD and what a relief because I had some old fuzzy VHS tapes on which I had been watching the show. If you can, it is so worth the time to watch this clever show.