The built-in obstacle for a dramatic series about teenage life that aims to engage an adult audience has to do with its level of sophistication. My So-Called Life bravely takes on this problem, and even adds a degree of difficulty.

I It’s as darkly riveting an examination of the elusiveness of justice as has ever aired on broadcast television, before or since.

Take away the nude lovemaking scene, the revolutionary level of potent cussing, the curiosity-stirring controversies surrounding Steven Bochco’s premeditated shock elements, and NYPD Blue remains one helluva cop show.

The hippest crime flick this side of “Goodfellas,” Reservoir Dogs has all the hallmarks of a modern classic.

Like most good satire, the show’s humor comes from its ability to mimic the real thing (the network talk show) while showing its utter falsity.