I think the two TV shows Mom and The Office could not have been made without the human touch. Loved every moment of them. Mom is a brave woman who just does not give a hoot about anything. Her daughter is always in a frenzy, hesitant. The words and the scenes bring out laughter. It is also about human feelings... like a strong bandage, a caring mom and a daughter with enough faith in her mom. The Office is a workplace comedy. It has its moments of rivalry, two timings, binging on food, gossip and a tankful of laughter. The boss is an eccentric. But they also share food, help each other and wipe tears when it’s needed. (Add to the list of shows that could not have been made without the human touch... June 6.) Kousik Majumdar

Confining myself to just the first two that come to mind. First is Good Will Hunting, a great Hollywood movie of all-time. Released in 1997, it launched the careers of both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, both superstars now. A mathematical genius (Matt Damon) is cleaning hallways for a living. A maths professor discovers the prodigy by accident and doesn’t want him to lose his way. So does his buddy Ben Affleck. When the genius himself is adamant in having his own way, he is referred to a counsellor (Robin Williams). The movie delves into the minds of both the healer and the healed. There is also a girl student involved and things get more complicated. The sheer scale of emotions displayed would make this an impossible task without humans, for sure.

3 Idiots: This movie is said to have triggered full-scale national debates in countries like China and South Korea where the education system and job priorities resemble ours. Released in 2005, this Raju Hirani masterpiece takes us through a roller-coaster ride in the lives of three engineering undergraduates studying in a premier engineering college. Portraying Aamir Khan’s masterly act, or Madhavan’s and Sharman Joshi’s camaraderie on screen would be impossible without the human touch. It was an unforgettable experience. Pampa Paul

AI is definitely one of the greatest achievements of science but no matter what, it is not as creative and efficient as the human brain. Writers are the soundboard of society, they meticulously observe us and express our lives through their brilliant writings. Some of my favourite shows which wouldn’t have been possible without a bit of ‘human touch’ are F. R. I. E. N. D. S. (1994-2004), The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019), Schitt’s Creek (2015- 2020) and Suits (2011-2019). All these shows were positively received by the audiences and praised for their writing, humour and impressive performances. Going down memory lane, in the era of Doordarshan, shows like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bharat Ek Khoj, Chandamama, Malgudi Days and Mirza Ghalib give ample proof of the writing prowess of our Indian screenwriters as well. Those were the simple, happy times when just watching our favourite shows would lift up our spirits easily. Aayman Anwar Ali

Although AI has advanced and is probably capable of conveying human-like emotions, the one show that can never be generated by AI would easily be F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The humour, the homeliness and the togetherness vibes of the show is unmatchable. From Rachel’s “Noooo” to Monica’s “I know!”, from Ross’ depressed “Hi” to Joey’s flirtatious “How you doin’?”, from Chandler’s sarcasm to Phoebe’s weirdness, no AI would be able to give us this range of characters while maintaining the quality of the show. This show is truly a masterpiece, an evergreen classic that can never be recreated. Arundhati Das

The Big Bang Theory is one of the funniest shows you’ll ever watch. It’s amazing how much they can pack into an episode, and it never gets old! You might not understand some of it at first, but after watching a few episodes you’ll get used to everything happening in them and start laughing at all the witty comments made by Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj as well as their friends on set. Generally, TV shows don’t have many catchy tunes to their title song, but this one is out of the box. “Math, Science, History... unravelling the mysteries that all started with a big bang” keeps playing in my head all day. This show very beautifully depicts the value of true friendship and how your friends can become more than your family and come to mean your whole life. Perfect show with the ‘human touch’. Dyutiman Bhattacharya

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.: It wouldn’t have been possible for AI to bring out Ross’s “We were on a break”, Monica’s “I know”, Joey’s “How you doin’?” and Janice’s “Oh My God!” Even Matthew Perry contributed to many lines to make them sarcastic and humorous. And the way the different scenes on the show triggered our human emotions, AI-generated content couldn’t have done the same. Gossip Girl: The scandals, the romance, the suspense, the tantalising drama and finally our very own Gossip Girl’s juicy headlines and messages, would never have been possible by AI. Sreemoyee Bandyopadhyay

Six Feet Under approaches the subject of death through the eyes of the dysfunctional Fisher family who run a funeral home in L.A. It is laced with irony and dark situational humour. It opened every episode with death and followed the grief, awkwardness and silence of it along with the lives of the characters. It dealt with issues of same-sex relationships, self-esteem, infidelity, drug use, sex addiction, abortion, and dementia, investing all these in its characters and their struggles. The last few minutes of the series finale were penned to perfection. Led by an outstanding cast with the finest scripting and acting, it was way ahead of its time and stands today as one the best shows of all time.

Breaking Bad chronicles the story of the transformation of Walter White from a poor high school teacher to the meth king of America. Its surprising and interesting plot twists played well with Walter’s psychological complexity and his simultaneous antagonisms. His demise is literally poetry in motion surrounded by meth. Jesse’s development is noteworthy as well. His transformation from a reckless to a caring man whose actions are well-balanced with his emotions. His desire to settle into a peaceful life is heartwarming. With unique dialogue and complex references to the chemistry and the formation of Walter and Jesse’s bond with time, this show is nothing less than a cinematic genius. Ramyani Sanyal

With its relatable and realistic portrayal of the workplace, dynamic and diverse cast of characters and consistent and wellwritten storyline, The Office is truly a masterpiece of television. It has a relatable and realistic portrayal of the workplace, it perfectly captures the mundanity and absurdity of working in an office, from the cringe-worthy meetings to the eccentric co-workers. Not to mention, the show accurately depicts the pain of having to interact with a person like Toby Flenderson on a daily basis. It had a clear and compelling story arc that kept audiences engaged throughout the entire series. Plus, the show’s ability to make a mockumentary style of filming interesting, is a testament to its brilliance. The writing of the series is impeccable. It wasn’t written for the early 2000s time period, rather is meant to be topical and funny decades after it aired. I love how the writers manage to sneakily include jokes even in episodes with a rather serious subject matter. Each episode manages to maintain the series’ excellent momentum and comedic timing. Each character is given separate personality traits and a rich and layered backstory. Most of the characters are multifaceted with endearing and often eccentric quirks. Mindy Kaling, BJ Novak, Paul Lieberstein, and Michael Schur all pulled double duty and managed to both write and act in the series. It is particularly surprising and amusing that Paul Lieberstein who portrays Toby Flenderson wrote Michael Scott’s iconic and hilarious insults to the character. Steve Carell as Michael Scott is the obvious standout of the series. Also, I learned that relationships come and go, but we should not place our happiness in the hands of others. Jim, another favourite character, taught me that there is beauty in living a simple life. He also taught us that while you may not enjoy your first job, it can become your career if you give it a chance. The best part is I felt something of a personal attachment to some of the characters; I really rooted for some and loved to hate some of the quirky characters. Roshni Ojha

The five critically-acclaimed shows that t2 listed in its write-up represent different sentiments of human beings through comedy, drama or satire. To the list, I want to add the evergreen American sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The megahit show depicts the lives of six friends-Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey in a comic light. While living together in the same apartment complex, their lives become entwined with each other through work, relationships and breakups. The emotional scenes as well as the cringe-worthy moments are adored by viewers. But what is the most important is the friendship among the six. This show needs a proper understanding of the lives of millennials and it can’t be generated by AI.

Another show I want to add is BBC’s Sherlock. With Benedict Cumberbatch donning the hat of the legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes, this show is involved with the detective’s careful analysis of the complex human mind and coherent deductions from subtle clues. So, these elements can never be replicated by AI. Sikrity Ghosh

I read the t2 piece on the five critically-acclaimed shows which could not have been made without the ‘human touch’ with keen interest and enjoyed reading it. I want to add to the list a couple of popular web shows. Those are the coming-of-age music-themed series Bandish Bandits and the slice-of-life romantic comedy series Little Things. I strongly believe that without the ‘human touch’, only by using artificial intelligence writing tools, such heart-warming love stories couldn’t have been written, as the AI writing tools still aren’t capable of producing such wonderful stories, with the same level of creativity as human writers. Sourish Misra