Looking for great TV series

BlindZenDriver

I looking for lightish entertainment for those evenings where my brain is to tired after work to do much on it's own. In other words - any suggestions on great TV series?

I know this is of course subjective so here is a little incomplete list of what I like:

Coupling (Original UK version)
The Green Wing
A Touch of Frost
Battlestar Galactica (Not so much the last season or so)
How i met your mother
The Big Bang theory
The IT crowd
Smallville
Top Gear
Red Dwarf
L-Word
Californication
Initial D
Heroes (Not so sure about the third season)
Twin Peaks
Fraiser
Simpsons

The order above is pretty random except Coupling which in my mind is THE show:P

And a few examples of what I do not like:

Baywatch
Seinfeld
Family Guy
Ally
X-files (got boring very quickly)
and finally ANY "reality"-show.


Basically I like TV which is surprising, intelligent and perhaps even a little strange.

Coupling - The sock gap scene

Ritchmeister

LOST
THE OFFICE
EXTRAS
THE WIRE

GO

KalTorak

I'd try out The Office (US)(start either with Season 2 or Episode 4 of Season 1). Also I just got into The West Wing, it's good stuff.

Lord Malory

I second the Wire - it was a great series, and i saw every episode.
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
IT"S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA
(Both strange and funny)

ROME
DEXTER
WEEDS

MeeOk

Dexter
Six Feet Under
If you liked the Simpsons, maybe Futurama?

BlindZenDriver

Interesting input already. Thank you all.

A couple of those mentioned I do know already.

I have tried Lost but the unrealistic jet-engine thing did ruin it a bit. Maybe I should try again.

West Wing - great show. Make sure to check Studio 60 at the Sunset Strip (Made by some of the same people).

The Wire should have been on my "likes" list - great show (except the fake stone at surveillance camera in the intro bit for every episode, a chip in the glass box does not kill a camera).

The Office. Can anyone speak to the difference between the UK and US version?

Dexter, Six feet under, Futurama, Rome, Weeds, Arrested development, Extras, It's always sunny in P...

Already a good list to check out. Oh, what do you all think of Coupling?

Lord Malory

Also, every episode of Arrested Development and Its always Sunny are at www.hulu.com, Streaming.

Peen

The first 4 seasons of The West Wing are the finest television that has ever been made.

The Gilmore Girls is very fine as well.

Echo

BlindZenDriver wrote: »

Basically I like TV which is surprising, intelligent and perhaps even a little strange.

Farscape, you say?

KalTorak

BlindZenDriver wrote: »

The Office. Can anyone speak to the difference between the UK and US version?

I enjoyed both versions. The UK version (original) is well worth watching, though it's not everyone's cup of tea. Gervais gets a ton of feeling and character out of just two seasons and 1 Christmas special, but a lot of the humor in it is based on the "uncomfortable to the point of being painful to watch" type. Try a few episodes to see if you like that sort of thing, it's well worth it.

The US version started out as a direct tribute (the pilot of the US version is almost word-for-word the first episode of the UK version) and the style didn't quite translate. It started to come into its own near the end of the first season and really started to hit its stride in the second. I wouldn't start at the beginning of the series because it really isn't that indicative of what the show became - by season 2, it found its own voice and started delivering solid hits. The US version follows the same documentary format, but not quite as much of the embarrassing humor as the UK version, and because of the longer run it has more time to grow and flesh out the characters.

vonPoonBurGer

BlindZenDriver wrote: »

I have tried Lost but the unrealistic jet-engine thing did ruin it a bit. Maybe I should try again.

That's one scene from the first episode. The jet engine blows up and there are no more jet engines in the series for like, ever. I'd give it 3-4 episodes before you decide it isn't for you.

Unknown

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JaysonFour

I'd say NCIS. It's actually intelligent without being boring, the characters are all worth following, and there's an underlying current of humor mixed with dramatic portions. I started following it in season 2, and it's one of the bright spots of the week for me.

Elrosst

I had the same opinion as Kal on the UK version of the Office; SO uncomfortable. You can definitely start watching in the second season, but if it turns out you like the series, you will also enjoy going back and watching the first. It's still good, just has a different feel than seasons 2-5.

I'd highly recommend:
The Big Bang Theory
Carnivale
The Office (US)
Flight of the Conchords
Rome

zilo

Echo wrote: »

BlindZenDriver wrote: »

Basically I like TV which is surprising, intelligent and perhaps even a little strange.

Farscape, you say?

Seriously. Farscape is excellent. It has its share of throwaway episodes (hi Star Trek: TNG) but the story arcs are excellent and if you buy into the Muppet Future thing (the effects were done by the Jim Henson company) it's one of the most compelling shows ever made.

JaysonFour

Yeah, Farscape is worth watching- provided they're still running it. I haven't seen it in eighteen months.

GungHo

Give Supernatural a look-see. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and is better written than you'd expect.

You might also like Monk, Psych, or House.

Lord Malory

Another show i particularly enjoyed was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Its smart, funny, made by the same producers of West Wing, I think. Matthew Perry is one of the main characters and its great. Only lasted one season....but yet again, every episode is on HULU, so it won't be painful to check out.

On the UK office - I love british humour, but not THIS kind of british humour. The US version is, as you guys have said, a completely different animal.

I second and third the motion to watch House. Some of the best contemporary telivision at this moment. Even if you don't like the show, Hugh Laurie as an actor is superb and worth watching.

zilo

House is the exact same show every week, and every week it's awesome. I've been watching since season 1 and I never get tired of it.

TychoCelchuuu

I am extremely confused that we made it this far without someone saying Firefly. That's just incredibly bizarre. I mean really weird.

Other options:
Veronica Mars
Eureka
Pushing Daisies
Reaper
Six Feet Under

Unknown

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Sentry

Shame on all of you for not mentioning Weeds.

I am so disappointed.

Toxin01

Uuuh, Flight of the Concords, Futurama?

musanman

Sons of Anarchy
Breaking Bad
Always Sunny

ANTVGM64

West Wing, Sports Night, and Studio 60 on the sunset strip are fantastic

Tomanta

I sense a trend here and any show I mention would just be repeating earlier suggestions.

So I'm going to just limit it to Arrested Development.

theconductor221

i third Dexter, it is amazing and one of the best shows currently on TV
Also How i Met your Mother is really funny
First season of heroes is defiently worth a spin

Improvolone

I'll second the Gilmore Girls. It has very fast and clever writing. It does appear to be aimed towards the fairer and younger sex, and you need to get over that. It's just such an enjoyable show with well developed and interesting characters, realistic-able storylines, and nothin you really need to think about.

OremLK

There is a serious dearth of shows by Joss Whedon on your list. Get yourself some Firefly, then Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff, Angel. And yes, if you haven't seen it: Buffy is incredibly smart and well-written, despite the stupid-sounding name and premise.

I will also third (or whatever) Farscape, which is one of the best science fiction shows out there, and Gilmore Girls, which is funny and charming and great.

A couple other shows I don't think have been mentioned:

-24. The intriguing format is what will hook you, but later on the plotting, moral dilemmas, and Jack motherfucking Bauer will keep you watching.

-Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the darkest, most complex, most story-driven Trek show, and the one most worth your time. It was brought to greatness by the same guy who helms Battlestar Galactica.

Sam

The Wire, and The Sopranos

no other shows have really expanded the possibilities of TV as a medium the way these did

watch them

Sam

Tomanta wrote: »

I sense a trend here and any show I mention would just be repeating earlier suggestions.

So I'm going to just limit it to Arrested Development.

which you can watch all the episodes for free on msnbc

KalTorak

Sam wrote: »

Tomanta wrote: »

I sense a trend here and any show I mention would just be repeating earlier suggestions.

So I'm going to just limit it to Arrested Development.

which you can watch all the episodes for free on msnbc

Also on hulu.com.

Hedgethorn

mcdermott wrote: »

I see no mention of House.

For shame, people.

You really should be watching House.

Also, Dexter.

My wife and I started watching House about three weeks ago.

Thanks to syndication and the magic of DVR, we now have over 30 unwatched episodes recorded. Despite the fact that we've basically watched two to three episodes every night in December.

JohnDoe

Terminator
Dexter
Babylon 5
Firefly

The Space Pope

All the seasons of Peep Show are on youtube. try watching them

heres a link to one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LPtaWfF2W0

Bistiboy

Mad Men.
Mad Men.
Mad Men.

proXimity

Doctor Who. That is all.

matisyahu

PEEP SHOW

Desert_Eagle25

If you aren't watching Dexter or Weeds, than you're bloody insane.

sportzboytjw

Carnivale was really odd and pretty enjoyable. Deadwood was nice too. Well, nice isn't the right word, but it was good. My wife and I enjoy Bones and Monk for somewhat lightheaded crime shows. NCIS is solid also. Most of these have been recommended already, but I'd like to second them.

sportzboytjw

Oh and Venture Brothers!