MOMENT TOP TEN

The Best Jewish TV Shows of All Time

With decades of “Jewish” shows to choose from, Moment had to call in the experts, Harry Castleman and Walter Podrazik, authors of Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television to pick the top ten.

Milton Berle’s Shows (1948-1956) York accent. Yet when Rhoda departed The a Chinese restaurant or trying to find your Milton Berle, bom Milton Berlinger, spent Mary Tyler Moore Show, returning to New car in a mall parking lot). The characters decades on stage before becoming TV’s first York City for this spinoff, producers James perfecdy captured the upper-middle-class, superstar on Texaco Star Theater. Dubbed L. Brooks and Allan Bums rarely made her vaguely elitist, liberal, New York, quasi­ “Mr. Television,” he brought the fast-paced, Jewish identity explicit. One key moment neurotic personalities of its two Jewish smart-aleck world of Borscht Belt comedy to comes when Rhoda’s parents, Martin and Ida, creators (Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David). In America’s goyim. His outrageous costumes, first meet her new (non-Jewish) boyfriend. the world of Seinfeld, everybody was Jewish, aggressive personality and willingness Martin says to Ida: “How come you didn’t or might as well have been. to do almost anything for a laugh (even ask if he was Jewish?” Ida knowingly replies: Rugrats (1991-2004) cross-dressing) were straight out of the “If he was Jewish, I would have asked.” The Rugrats cartoon series starred five chil­ vaudeville playbook but seemed brand new dren—including half-Jewish infant Tommy to mainstream America. Pickles—and offered “equal time” for Jew­ The Goldberg, (1949-1956) ish holidays after years of Christmas and Startingin 1929, Gertrude Berg’s authentically Easter cartoon specials. In 1995’s “A Ru­ crafted characters from the Bronx became grats Passover” episode, Grandpa Boris tells America’s quintessential Jewish family, the Exodus saga during a family seder and transitioning effortlessly from radio to the kids imagine themselves as the biblical television in 1949. Familiar phrases (“Yoo- characters, with pushy Angelica as Pharaoh hoo, Mrs. Bloom”) and Berg’s own star power and even-tempered Tommy as Moses. This as Molly made the series a CBS hit. Sadly, in 30-minute lesson was a Passover primer for 1951 The Goldbergs fell victim to unproven the program’s gentile viewers. McCarthyist blacklisting of cast member Brooklyn Bridge (1991-1993) Philip Loeb. The best J ewish series you’ve probably never Sid Caesar’s Shows (1949-1958) seen, Brooklyn Bridge was producer Gary Isaac “Sid” Caesar teamed with comedienne David Goldberg’s (Family Ties) loving re­ Imogene Coca and producer Max Liebman creation of the Brooklyn neighborhood of to invent live, irreverent satirical TV comedy his youth. Set in the 1950s, Brooklyn Bridge in Your Show o f Shows. With stellar supporting focused on an urban Jewish family in a world players (including Carl Reiner and Howard of fading ethnicity and growing assimilation, Morris) and Hall-of-Fame writers (including with a deft mix of realistic personalities and Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and later Larry light comedy. The surprising gem of the Gelbart and Woody Allen), landsmen all, the series was Marion Ross as matriarch Sophie programs created some of the decade’s funniest Saturday Night Live (1975-Present) Berger, who blended force, will, pride moments, including hilarious parodies of Canadian writer and producer Lome M i­ and maternal concern into a memorably From Here to Eternity and This Is Your Life. chaels (born Lome Lipowitz) brought authentic figure, dominating the screen just back the Sid Caesar style of live TV satire as her character dominated family life. The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) in 1975 and effectively reintroduced clas­ The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Carl Reiner turned his comedy-variety resume sic Jewish comedy traditions. Much of the (1999-Present) and personal life into this classic sitcom, original cast was not Jewish, but they rec­ Often cited as the most respected news drawing on his real TV work life in Manhattan ognized funny as funny. Numerous Jew- anchor since Walter Cronkite despite not and his Jewish family life in New Rochelle, ish-related skits reflected their eras and being a news anchor, comedian and Daily New York. Although the domestic setting for included Gilda Radner touting “Jewess Show host Jon Stewart (bom Jonathan Rob and Laura Petrie was not presented as Jeans,” Mike Myers as “Coffee Talk” host Stuart Leibowitz) is so comfortable with his Jewish, the office world was another matter. Linda Richman and Adam Sandler per­ Jewish heritage that he easily and regularly In particular, Morey (Moritz) Amsterdam as forming his now-famous Chanukah song. Buddy Sorrell embodied the sharp-tongued acknowledges it. (No oblique references Seinfeld (1990-1998) Jewish writers of Reiner’s Sid Caesar days. here.) Drawing on generations of Jewish Combining a Manhattan feel, a baby boomer TV comedy, Stewart delivers his “fake news” Rhoda (1974-1978) mind-set and a heavy dose of Jewish ethos, with pitch-perfect verbal and visual timing Everyone knew that Rhoda Morgenstem Seinfeld, labeled a show about “nothing,” and the time-honored willingness to do was Jewish, thanks to her quick wit and New was really about anything (waiting in line at almost anything for a laugh.

22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011