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It would be nice to point to a precedent, to note that when the first millennium came to a close, Constantinople Weekly released its ''Ten Thousand Greatest Panpipers in Byzantium.'' Alas, there are no precedents for how to wrap up a thousand years, and that's not what we're all about anyway.
Instead, as we approach the year 2000, we've decided to do what we do best: to concentrate on our own time, to review the people and events of the past 50 years or so that have shaped the pop culture of today.
Our ''Fab 400'' project, four special issues to be published this year, will take a uniquely EW look at television, music, movies, and the top entertainers of our era. We begin this week with television's 100 greatest moments; the next three editions will appear in May, September, and November. ''If we do this right,'' says managing editor James W. Seymore Jr., ''at the end of the year we'll have a fresh new look at all of modern entertainment.''
But this quartet of issues is just the tip of the ''Fab 400'' iceberg. Because we know that EW readers love to debate and dissect our trademark lists, we want you to get involved in the process. Our website, EW Online, has already begun to conduct polls about your entertainment favorites. You'll find the fascinating results for the all-time greatest TV stars and shows starting on page 73.
Since we also hope these issues will whet your appetite to experience these timeless entertainment moments on your own, we've entered into a partnership with Virgin Megastores to make many of the TV shows, movies, and CDs featured in these issues readily available at special in-store displays. But wait, there's more -- as infomercial guru Ron Popeil (see page 100) might say: Stay tuned for details about future television specials related to the ''Fab 400.''
There will be no shortage of lists, issues, and events marking the new millennium. That's why we're determined to make our contributions as much fun as possible. In other words, no windy essays on the significance of 17th-century French drama. Just kick back and enjoy what you've come to expect from EW: a hip, smart, witty guide through our pop culture.
JOHN SQUIRES PRESIDENT
