• by January 3, 2001

NBC's award-winning series "The West Wing" has garnered another honor - it's been named the best series on television in a nationwide survey of TV critics conducted by Electronic Media, the television industry newspaper.

Electronic Media published the full results of its Critics Poll in a copyrighted article Monday, January 1. "Malcolm in the Middle," a quirky new family comedy from Fox, finished second. The highest ranked new show was NBC's "Ed," followed by "Gilmore Girls" (WB), a freshman show that was launched as part of the Family Friendly Programming Forum initiative. Veteran series "Law & Order" (NBC) rounded out the critics' top five.

"An American Tragedy," the O.J. Simpson docudrama that appeared on CBS, was the critics' choice for best miniseries, movie or special. (Ironically, the movie also finished third on the critics' "worst" list.)

Rounding out the top five best miniseries, movies and specials were "For Love or Country" (HBO), "Napoleon" (PBS), "Dune" (Sci-Fi), and "Hopkins 24/7" (ABC).

Electronic Media's Critics Poll also recognized the worst of television, including worst series, "The Michael Richards Show" (NBC) and worst miniseries, movie or special, "In the Beginning" (NBC).

NBC was the network with the most top-ranked series; they placed 4 shows on the critics' best 20 list. Twentieth Century Fox was the critics' favorite studio; they placed four shows on the critics' best 20 list.

Fifty-four critics participated in Electronic Media 33rd semi-annual Critics Poll, including commentators for the Cincinnati Inquirer, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Dallas Morning News, Denver Post, Houston Chronicle, Miami Herald, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, New Orleans Times-Picayune, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Orlando Sentinel, Toronto Star, TV Guide and USA Today.