I am enjoying Breaking Bad but trying to hold off on getting through S2; I don't want to get too into the later seasons until it's finished and I can watch it all at once.
You are in for an absolute treat, sir. Seasons 1 and 2 are positively sedate compared with what's to follow.
For me, Breaking Bad is one stuck landing away from beating out The Wire for "Best Show Ever". If Breaking Bad keeps what momentum it has and finishes strong, then it's the best. Full stop.
I think the only thing that may hurt The Wire in the long run was how the 5th season kind of just went out on a wimper. The big arc for that season with the newspaper and everything was just kind of underwhelming compared to how seasons 3 and 4 played out.
yeah, I think in S5 they really tried to take on a much bigger issue than they could cover in 12 episodes or whatever it was, and it winds up all feeling rushed. The whole story arc with McNulty felt pretty fantastical too, compared to the rest of the series.
I'm not a huge fan of procedurals, or at least the kind the CBS is famous for making, i.e., a series of one-off stories where the bad guys are obviously evil, the good guys are white hats, and the status quo is returned to by the time the credits roll around.
The Wire is the best procedural ever created, but largely because it's trying to tell a single unified story about the city of Baltimore in an episodic fashion. I can't stand shows like CSI and Law & Order; they seem tailor-made for people who don't like moral quandary.
CBS' success is the biggest evidence going for the existence of a 'silent majority.' The silent majority, it turns out, really loves police procedurals.
NBC's situation can be attributed to the fact that they're doing a lot of niche programming, I think. I mean Community and 30 Rock are great but I suspect they are only really appealing for the audience that enjoys that style of sketch-esque comedy. Lots of people would, apparently, rather watch Two and a Half Men.
ed: also horrible mismanagement of, you know, everything
The Silent Majority, if they're anything like my parents, are easily offended by television shows to the point where I think they go in looking for to be offended.
CBS offers them exactly what they want: cold comfort and familiarity. Their shows are safe, repetitive, and filled with the same kinds of casts and conflicts they've grown to know their whole life. CBS also frequently runs minstrel shows, just in some new evolved fashion, like "geekface" or "fatface."
NBC scares them with new things and political things that will confuse them or irritate them. FX and AMC will force them to deal with issues they're not comfortable with, like poverty and good people doing bad things.
Despite the fact that I know its quality is below that of other shows I watch and love, and it does things that frustrate the hell out of me, Supernatural is my all-time favourite show. I can re-watch it anytime, and generally enjoy it every week.
I also enjoy Breaking Bad and Justified. Dexter and Sons of Anarchy to an extent, but they've really taken dives these past couple seasons. As far as cancelled/finished shows go, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, The Wire, Rome, and the lone comedy in my list is Arrested Development.
I feel like Supernatural really took a dive, though in fairness I haven't watched this season yet. On the other hand, it had plenty of room to fall...it is one of my favorites as well. When it's great, it's absolutely great.
I like the idea that Archer could be a radio drama and still be just as entertaining, though I'm glad they didn't because the animation quality went up another notch this season it looks like.
Ha, I never really thought about that. The visuals are great, but it's true that like 90% of the show could be just as awesome without them. There have actually been a few shows that I have, for whatever reason, listened to without really watching (cooking, exercising, whatever) and they're every bit as funny. The voice work on that show is just hilarious.
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Nova_CI have the needThe need for speedRegistered Userregular
I haven't seen the last 2 or 3 (or more) seasons of Supernatural, but the episode that had a Groundhog Day thing going was absolutely hilarious and was a high point for the series.
The season that started with them being contacted by an angel was where I stopped watching. I should give it another go, I suppose.
Another show that I enjoyed as a kid was La Femme Nikita. It was trashy as hell if I remember correctly, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't allowed to watch which certainly appealed to me. But the story was ridiculous and everyone was betraying everyone, and you never knew what was going to happen next and the characters were just "cool". I can see a lot of it in Dollhouse actually, the original movie was good, but the TV show was definitely special.
Malkor on
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AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
edited January 2013
Ah, La Femme Nikita.
The movie that spawned a remake that spawned a TV show that spawned a remake of the TV show.
It reminds me of The Fugitive, the TV show that spawned a movie that spawned a sequel that spawned a TV show based on the sequel.
Including the acting? I've never watched it - and never really wanted to, seeing how it's not a genre I have much interest in - but I've heard good things about Kyra Sedgwick in it.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
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AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
Including the acting? I've never watched it - and never really wanted to, seeing how it's not a genre I have much interest in - but I've heard good things about Kyra Sedgwick in it.
Especially the acting.
Sedgwick puts on this horrific vague Southern accent, and then basically does a Vincent D'onofrio impression the whole show. Their idea of "police work" involves interrogating suspects in two different ways:
- Sedgwick playing good cop, offering concessions to get the confession, and then reneging on the concessions once the confession is obtained while saying something incredibly self-righteous like, "Don't you know we don't make deals with child molesters?"
- Sedgwick yelling "Confess!" to the suspect over and over again until they inexplicably do. It's like the "rule of three questions" from Austin Powers.
+2
BigBearIf your life had a face, I would punch it.Registered Userregular
Ooh, can I get in on this thread? I used to watch a lot of TV. Even though I don't watch nearly as much as I used to, there's a few shows that stick out to me as favorites.
Animated:
Adventure Time
Gravity Falls
That new Ninja Turtles show on Nickelodeon
The Simpsons (although I don't really watch it that much anymore)
Futurama
The Boondocks
Samurai Jack
Moral Orel
Spectacular Spider Man
Justice League Unlimited
There's a few other cartoons, but some of them I don't like as much as I used to, and I don't know if I watch them enough these days to call them favorites.
Live Action:
Mythbusters
Good Eats with Alton Brown
The first few episodes of The Walking Dead
Breaking Bad
The Wire
The first three seasons of the Office
Parks and Recreation
Community
The Adventures of Pete & Pete (although I admit that's partly due to nostalgia)
Seinfeld
Frasier
Psych
...and that's all I can think of for now.
Oh, wait, before I forget, I don't know yet if it will be a favorite of mine, but I did buy the first season of United States of Tara on iTunes. An old friend of mine from high school recommended it to me, he said it was a pretty funny show. Even though the show gets a tiny bit vulgar at times, I think it's pretty funny. It also has Brie Larson in it as a main character, so that's a plus. I'm digging it. Did anybody on here watch that show when it was on? What do you guys think?
Oh yeah, I've also been watching Doctor Who on and off. There are a small handful of classic Tom Baker episodes I like (particularly The Sun Makers and City of Death), but most of what I've seen and really liked so far came from David Tennant and Matt Smith's run. I saw the Christmas episode this year, and thought it was pretty great. The whole show, both classic and modern, is ridiculous and campy as fuck, but I think that's sort of part of its charm.
reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
The Nickelodeon CGI animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is totally awesome. It's got an interesting art style, it's incredibly well animated (especially by TV standards) and it is legit well written. There are a lot of great character moments, genuinely funny jokes and gags, and the stories do the whole "lesson of the episode" thing pretty well. Sure, you always see the lesson coming, but other than a few exceptions it always feels like a natural part of the episode rather than something that was shoehorned in just to have a lesson at the end.
On the negative side of things, the hip hop theme song aint all that and Shredder's mutant cronies look awful.
In addition to TMNT: the Wire, the Sopranos, the Shield, Breaking Bad, blah blah blah, you know the drill.
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AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
edited January 2013
This is potentially a bad year for TV watchers, or more accurately, the year before a bad year.
Definite series finales in 2012-2013:
- 30 Rock
- The Office
- Fringe
- Breaking Bad
- Treme
- Weeds
Prospective finales:
- Community
- Dexter
- 11th Doctor's run on Doctor Who
- Supernatural
- True Blood
Ending in 2014:
- Mad Men
- HIMYM
Absent until 2014:
- Louie
- Sherlock
- Venture Brothers
I don't know what the hell I'll be watching if all that happens. American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, and The Newsroom, I guess.
I'm with you on GoT and Newsroom. AHS just...didn't do it for me this season. First season was great. Maybe they'll find a theme I like next season.
I'm not sad to see all those shows I love go, honestly. Shows need to end, and some of those should have done so seasons ago. I take it as an exciting opportunity to devote some brainspace to some new shows, because there are always good new shows coming down the pipe. As long as you don't need to watch a ton of TV, it's never hard to find a few good shows to fill the time.
+1
AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
I'm with you on GoT and Newsroom. AHS just...didn't do it for me this season. First season was great. Maybe they'll find a theme I like next season.
I'm not sad to see all those shows I love go, honestly. Shows need to end, and some of those should have done so seasons ago. I take it as an exciting opportunity to devote some brainspace to some new shows, because there are always good new shows coming down the pipe. As long as you don't need to watch a ton of TV, it's never hard to find a few good shows to fill the time.
Oh, I agree, especially with some of the shows, like The Office. That show needed to end the minute Jim asked Pam out after breaking up with Karen.
I'm a big believer in the accuracy of this graph:
And I haven't seen the second season of AHS yet, waiting for it to come on Netflix. I was considering picking up Downton Abbey, but just about everyone has said that seasons 2 and 3 are much worse than the first season, so I don't know if that's something I feel like subjecting myself to.
I am currently re-watching Xena: Warrior Princess on Steam. Still on season 1.
Current shows that I like to watch are Madmen and The Walking Dead. There are a bunch of other shows that I like (Law&Orders, CSIs, Breaking Bad. American Horror Story, Once Upon a Time, Doctor Who and more). But those two are the only ones I actually bother to try and catch when it first airs. Other shows I just watch reruns when I happen upon them or watch them on Steam.
Oh! Totally forgot to mention The Hour. British show about the birth of the modern news program, on the BBC in the 60's. It's got a Mad Men esque charm from the time period, but has a strong "cold war politics and journalism" drama pull to it. Been meaning to start season 2, as I think it's all aired now.
I am currently re-watching Xena: Warrior Princess on Steam. Still on season 1.
Current shows that I like to watch are Madmen and The Walking Dead. There are a bunch of other shows that I like (Law&Orders, CSIs, Breaking Bad. American Horror Story, Once Upon a Time, Doctor Who and more). But those two are the only ones I actually bother to try and catch when it first airs. Other shows I just watch reruns when I happen upon them or watch them on Steam.
Man I still remember the days when I was watching Xena ~
I always liked how Xena and Hercules appear in each other's shows lol
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Johnny ChopsockyScootaloo! We have to cook!Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered Userregular
I'm with you on GoT and Newsroom. AHS just...didn't do it for me this season. First season was great. Maybe they'll find a theme I like next season.
I'm not sad to see all those shows I love go, honestly. Shows need to end, and some of those should have done so seasons ago. I take it as an exciting opportunity to devote some brainspace to some new shows, because there are always good new shows coming down the pipe. As long as you don't need to watch a ton of TV, it's never hard to find a few good shows to fill the time.
Oh, I agree, especially with some of the shows, like The Office. That show needed to end the minute Jim asked Pam out after breaking up with Karen.
I'm a big believer in the accuracy of this graph:
And I haven't seen the second season of AHS yet, waiting for it to come on Netflix. I was considering picking up Downton Abbey, but just about everyone has said that seasons 2 and 3 are much worse than the first season, so I don't know if that's something I feel like subjecting myself to.
Trope avoided by The Shield, which went six seasons of varying levels of high quality and then slammed the seventh out of the park.
But yeah, that graph is pretty accurate for 99% of TV.
I'm with you on GoT and Newsroom. AHS just...didn't do it for me this season. First season was great. Maybe they'll find a theme I like next season.
I'm not sad to see all those shows I love go, honestly. Shows need to end, and some of those should have done so seasons ago. I take it as an exciting opportunity to devote some brainspace to some new shows, because there are always good new shows coming down the pipe. As long as you don't need to watch a ton of TV, it's never hard to find a few good shows to fill the time.
Oh, I agree, especially with some of the shows, like The Office. That show needed to end the minute Jim asked Pam out after breaking up with Karen.
I'm a big believer in the accuracy of this graph:
And I haven't seen the second season of AHS yet, waiting for it to come on Netflix. I was considering picking up Downton Abbey, but just about everyone has said that seasons 2 and 3 are much worse than the first season, so I don't know if that's something I feel like subjecting myself to.
Trope avoided by The Shield, which went six seasons of varying levels of high quality and then slammed the seventh out of the park.
But yeah, that graph is pretty accurate for 99% of TV.
It's always better when a series has at least a vague stopping point in mind, even if it doesn't stick the landing 100%.
Angel is my all-time favorite show. Sure there are plenty of monster-of-the-week episodes and silly story arcs, but it has several redeeming qualities. Season 5 is probably my favorite season of anything ever. It's so well-written, genuinely funny, and chock full of gut-wrenching moments.
And then there's Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. His character arc from ridiculous baffoon to ridiculous badass is my favorite character arc of any fictional character in any story-telling medium.
I'm with you on GoT and Newsroom. AHS just...didn't do it for me this season. First season was great. Maybe they'll find a theme I like next season.
I'm not sad to see all those shows I love go, honestly. Shows need to end, and some of those should have done so seasons ago. I take it as an exciting opportunity to devote some brainspace to some new shows, because there are always good new shows coming down the pipe. As long as you don't need to watch a ton of TV, it's never hard to find a few good shows to fill the time.
Oh, I agree, especially with some of the shows, like The Office. That show needed to end the minute Jim asked Pam out after breaking up with Karen.
I'm a big believer in the accuracy of this graph:
And I haven't seen the second season of AHS yet, waiting for it to come on Netflix. I was considering picking up Downton Abbey, but just about everyone has said that seasons 2 and 3 are much worse than the first season, so I don't know if that's something I feel like subjecting myself to.
Trope avoided by The Shield, which went six seasons of varying levels of high quality and then slammed the seventh out of the park.
But yeah, that graph is pretty accurate for 99% of TV.
To be fair, The Shield is one of those magical series that kind of does everything right all the time and is amazing from the starting shot. It kind of stands alone in television because of that.
Current:
Breaking Bad
Top Gear
Sons of Anarchy
The Daily Show
Aqua Something You Know Whatever (aka ATHF, AUPS1)
Robot Chicken
Older:
The Sandbaggers
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Yes, Minister
Dr Katz, Professional Therapist
Lucy, Daughter of the Devil (needs to go back into production.. it's an injustice that Bob's Burgers took off while Lucy only got one season)
The Kids in the Hall
Zatoichi: The TV Series
Zoku Gojira on
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." - Bertolt Brecht
Okay, can someone tell me why the Wire is the very best show that has ever been. I watched the first, two seasons I think, and while I thought that it was a good show it didn't blow me away. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. I loved Omar, and I liked Stringer Bell and his #2 guy. Am I just doing it wrong? Was there something I missed? What was I supposed to find there that I didn't?
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to give into it." - Oscar Wilde
"We believe in the people and their 'wisdom' as if there was some special secret entrance to knowledge that barred to anyone who had ever learned anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche
I feel like Supernatural really took a dive, though in fairness I haven't watched this season yet. On the other hand, it had plenty of room to fall...it is one of my favorites as well. When it's great, it's absolutely great.
6 and 7 were rougher on the overall arc, but still had some standout episodes. I hated season 5 though, so generally my opinion of post-5 is higher than most. Season 8 seems to be getting favourable reviews from the vast majority of fans, though, and I'm also quite enjoying it.
I haven't seen the last 2 or 3 (or more) seasons of Supernatural, but the episode that had a Groundhog Day thing going was absolutely hilarious and was a high point for the series.
The season that started with them being contacted by an angel was where I stopped watching. I should give it another go, I suppose.
Ah, the episode you're talking about is Mystery Spot, from season 3. I think it's the best episode of the series.
You stopped watching in season 4 and they're almost halfway through 8 now so there's a lot of catching up to do. Personally, I hate the angels but season 4 was really well plotted. I hate season 5, 6 and 7 are generally enjoyable, and 8 is pretty fantastic so far.
This is potentially a bad year for TV watchers, or more accurately, the year before a bad year.
...
Prospective finales:
- Community
- Dexter
- 11th Doctor's run on Doctor Who
- Supernatural
- True Blood
...
I don't know what the hell I'll be watching if all that happens. American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, and The Newsroom, I guess.
Things are looking pretty good for a s9 renewal for Supernatural given the positive feedback for season 8 and the PCA wins, and the writers have ideas up to season 10. I think the CW is kinda screwed when SPN goes, so they'll want to hold on to it as long as possible.
Supernatural season 5 is one of the most enjoyable seasons of any TV show that I have watched. Seasons 4 and 5 of Supernatural are together amazing, and I love them. I was kind of meh about 6, and more meh about 7. I have a fear of trying to watch 8, but Reznik might have convinced me to.
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to give into it." - Oscar Wilde
"We believe in the people and their 'wisdom' as if there was some special secret entrance to knowledge that barred to anyone who had ever learned anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche
I'm recording Supernatural season 8 right now, but haven't watched any of it yet. I'll get to it, most likely.
I'll agree that The Shield doesn't follow the pattern from that comic, in that the final season is probably the strongest. IIRC it also had some weak seasons in the middle. It's a funky show that way.
Supernatural season 5 is one of the most enjoyable seasons of any TV show that I have watched. Seasons 4 and 5 of Supernatural are together amazing, and I love them. I was kind of meh about 6, and more meh about 7. I have a fear of trying to watch 8, but Reznik might have convinced me to.
Season 8 is under a new showrunner who basically has a plan for 8-10, so things are a lot more focused than 6 and 7.
Game of Thrones and Adventure Time are probably my favorite currently running shows. They're not necessarily the best two shows out there, but they're the only two that I make sure I'm going to be sitting in front of my tv every time a new one comes out.
The Wire is, of course, still the best TV show ever made. Which I always feel vaguely silly saying, since "best" art is sort of an impossibility, but still, if anyone gets the title, it's the Wire. It's not just well made, well acted, and well written, it's got something important to say. Other HBO shows like Generation Kill, Band of Brothers, and Deadwood are also pretty great.
I probably should include Battlestar Galactica, but I still haven't forgiven them for all those increasingly lame asspulls.
For comedies, Arrested Development and Archer. Especially AD. Loose seal. Wee brain.
BBC shows like Doctor Who (even though I haven't watched it for a while), QI, and sketch shows like That Mitchell & Webb Look, and A Bit of Fry & Laurie.
There's a few anime I'd happily include in the list of just plain great TV as well, like Cowboy Bebop, Mushishi, 12 Kingdoms, Usagi Drop, and Monster.
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
Deadwood wins for the setting, but The Wire was atcually finished as a series, so if I had to choose between the two The Wire gets my nod for best TV series ever made.
Twin Peaks, Breaking Bad, Rome, and Monty Python are pretty fucking great too. And Firefly.
Okay, can someone tell me why the Wire is the very best show that has ever been. I watched the first, two seasons I think, and while I thought that it was a good show it didn't blow me away. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. I loved Omar, and I liked Stringer Bell and his #2 guy. Am I just doing it wrong? Was there something I missed? What was I supposed to find there that I didn't?
Season 4 is generally considered the very best season. Season 1 is actually a lot better than it seems at first watch though. Think about how you feel about that gangster who gets away with murder in the first episode, and then how you feel about him at the end of the first season. And then realize that he's the same dude throughout that whole season, he really doesn't have much of an arc. The only thing that changes is our preconceptions of who he is.
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
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Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited January 2013
Currently running shows I like to watch:
- 30 Rock (way behind, haven't watched any of this season yet and missed huge parts of last season)
- Breaking Bad (also behind, have to finish season 5 at some point)
- Game of Thrones
- Doctor Who (although this season to date has been pretty eh, I'm hoping the new companion will be the shot in the arm it needs)
- Mad Men
- Misfits
- Sherlock
- The Venture Brothers (have to watch the Halloween special still)
- Arrested Development (I guess this counts as currently running?)
Shows I watch on Netflix:
- Damages (somewhere in season 2)
- American Horror Story (just started this tonight, definitely a guilty pleasure)
Things I have started but fell off watching:
- Cheers (somewhere in season 1)
- Parks and Recreation (somewhere in season 1)
- Nip/Tuck (somewhere in season 2)
- Terriers (have to restart, I've forgotten too much)
- Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes (somewhere in The Return of Sherlock Holmes?)
- The X-Files (somewhere in season 4)
The dearly departed:
- Fringe
- Twin Peaks (as you might have guessed)
- Veronica Mars
- Battlestar Galactica
- Bored to Death (where the hell is my boxset, HBO?!)
- Firefly
- The Amazing Screw-On Head (go to hell, scifi)
Favorite of all time? Hard to say, but it would probably be a toss-up between Twin Peaks and BSG.
I tend to think of things in terms of seasons, with that in mind:
Animated:
Simpsons, ~3-8 - duh
Futurama, 2 - initial cancellation - also duh, I think
Archer, all of it - The single funniest show currently on TV. Bizarre combination of utterly low brow humor with super super esoteric/nerdy references. Also incredible voice work by all involved.
EDIT: Also, Frisky Dingo/Xtacles
Cowboy Bebop - Do we need to discuss this? No, no we do not. Watch it.
Live action comedy:
HIMYM, 2nd and 3rd season - It's gone wildly off the rails since then, but god damn was it fantastic.
Chuck (SERIOUSLY), season 2. Only season 2. But God damn when they got things right they got it right. Has the single greatest 5 minutes on this list. Also, Yvonne Strahovski. Had it been cancelled as expected I wouldn't have been happy, but it was a better ending than what we got. Sigh.
Parks and Rec, 2/3 especially. Especially 3. The last two are also great but not at the absurd peak of those two. Season three is probably the best sitcom season of all-time.
Community, 1/2. For reasons, venture into the flame war that is the Community thread.
Drama:
Buffy, season 2/3 in particular. The last four inspire fights (I started hating Buffy as a character sometime in season four and she rarely recovered. A certain character's absence in most of six/seven almost single handedly makes everyone else miserable to spend time with and fuck Spike, for the record). But the second and third when they figured out what they're doing? Awesome. The Big Bad in the third season is still probably my favorite villain ever. Well, maybe Stringer.
West Wing, season 2. The first season is good, the third is mostly good, and Sorkin writes himself into a corner intentionally to fuck NBC for firing him in season 4, which the show never really recovered from (until bits of the sixth and seventh season with campaigning going on). But the second season is genuinely excellent television pretty much all around. "Shibboleth" and "Two Cathedrals" are two of my favorite episodes of anything ever.
Veronica Mars, season 1. Maybe one or two mediocre episodes. Otherwise pretty much perfect. Kristen Bell is fantastic and since she's on screen approximately 90% of the time, it all works. Particular highlights: the pilot, "An Echolls Family Christmas," and "A Trip to the Dentist." Also features a young Amanda Seyfried being awesome. Season 2 is frustrating at times (and the finale sucks) but is still mostly good. Season 3 is hit or miss.
Fringe, season 2 and most of season 3. I didn't particularly like the finale of season three and gave up entirely in season four, but when they hit their stride, it was a fantastic show for about 50 episodes from late in season one until the season three finale.
The Wire, 1-4. The best show I've seen. Pretty much The Great American Novel.
Friday Night Lights. Seasons not the second. The second best show I've seen. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton give great performances (better than Cranston, I think, but I've only seen the first season of Breaking Bad so far) as Coach and Mrs. Coach (who was robbed of Emmys, at least he got one). The first and third seasons are particularly recommended. The second is largely skippable, but there are a couple great scenes. Important episodes: the pilot, "Mud Bowl," and "State." Though also the 12th and 13th in season 3.
Reality (YEAH I SAID IT):
Survivor, S1, 2, 6, 11, 13, 16, 20, 24? (One World) - It's a fantastically designed game as a pure game. Also sadistic. The first two seasons are fascinating in retrospect, the sixth re-taught everyone how to play the game, the 11th has fantastic characters, the 13th started with a terrible idea (teams based on race!) and ended up with the best winner ever, the 16th and 20th are completely batshit insane, and the 24th has a lot going for it (like the best winner besides the 13th) after the stone cold bigot is smited by God (he gets sick and evacuated). Also a lot of the 14th sucks, but it has the best character and the best single episode ("It's a Turtle?") in the show's history. Yes, I like Survivor. Sue me.
The Amazing Race, S1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 - No longer up to its former glory, the first five seasons of this show (ESPECIALLY the first and third) are unbelievable. It recovered a couple times after it discovered that fighting assholes made for better ratings and put together a couple good seasons (and the All-Star season 11 isn't bad, it's just very, very poorly designed, last minute airline booking in Muslim Africa during the hajj is difficult, who knew? Also the winners suck) but was mostly crippled by the bickering asshole phenomenon. Also, one of the racers on season 3 is a member of this forum!
Currently working my way through:
Breaking Bad, as mentioned. It's an unquestionably well made and especially acted show, I'm just not sure how much I enjoy it because everyone is so terrible. Makes it hard, I think. The Wire at least had Wallace and Omar and Lester.
enlightenedbum on
Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
Posts
The Silent Majority, if they're anything like my parents, are easily offended by television shows to the point where I think they go in looking for to be offended.
CBS offers them exactly what they want: cold comfort and familiarity. Their shows are safe, repetitive, and filled with the same kinds of casts and conflicts they've grown to know their whole life. CBS also frequently runs minstrel shows, just in some new evolved fashion, like "geekface" or "fatface."
NBC scares them with new things and political things that will confuse them or irritate them. FX and AMC will force them to deal with issues they're not comfortable with, like poverty and good people doing bad things.
I feel like Supernatural really took a dive, though in fairness I haven't watched this season yet. On the other hand, it had plenty of room to fall...it is one of my favorites as well. When it's great, it's absolutely great.
Ha, I never really thought about that. The visuals are great, but it's true that like 90% of the show could be just as awesome without them. There have actually been a few shows that I have, for whatever reason, listened to without really watching (cooking, exercising, whatever) and they're every bit as funny. The voice work on that show is just hilarious.
The season that started with them being contacted by an angel was where I stopped watching. I should give it another go, I suppose.
The movie that spawned a remake that spawned a TV show that spawned a remake of the TV show.
It reminds me of The Fugitive, the TV show that spawned a movie that spawned a sequel that spawned a TV show based on the sequel.
although it ended on a good note
The Closer.
Seriously, fuck that show.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Especially the acting.
Sedgwick puts on this horrific vague Southern accent, and then basically does a Vincent D'onofrio impression the whole show. Their idea of "police work" involves interrogating suspects in two different ways:
- Sedgwick playing good cop, offering concessions to get the confession, and then reneging on the concessions once the confession is obtained while saying something incredibly self-righteous like, "Don't you know we don't make deals with child molesters?"
- Sedgwick yelling "Confess!" to the suspect over and over again until they inexplicably do. It's like the "rule of three questions" from Austin Powers.
Animated:
Adventure Time
Gravity Falls
That new Ninja Turtles show on Nickelodeon
The Simpsons (although I don't really watch it that much anymore)
Futurama
The Boondocks
Samurai Jack
Moral Orel
Spectacular Spider Man
Justice League Unlimited
There's a few other cartoons, but some of them I don't like as much as I used to, and I don't know if I watch them enough these days to call them favorites.
Live Action:
Mythbusters
Good Eats with Alton Brown
The first few episodes of The Walking Dead
Breaking Bad
The Wire
The first three seasons of the Office
Parks and Recreation
Community
The Adventures of Pete & Pete (although I admit that's partly due to nostalgia)
Seinfeld
Frasier
Psych
...and that's all I can think of for now.
Oh, wait, before I forget, I don't know yet if it will be a favorite of mine, but I did buy the first season of United States of Tara on iTunes. An old friend of mine from high school recommended it to me, he said it was a pretty funny show. Even though the show gets a tiny bit vulgar at times, I think it's pretty funny. It also has Brie Larson in it as a main character, so that's a plus. I'm digging it. Did anybody on here watch that show when it was on? What do you guys think?
Oh yeah, I've also been watching Doctor Who on and off. There are a small handful of classic Tom Baker episodes I like (particularly The Sun Makers and City of Death), but most of what I've seen and really liked so far came from David Tennant and Matt Smith's run. I saw the Christmas episode this year, and thought it was pretty great. The whole show, both classic and modern, is ridiculous and campy as fuck, but I think that's sort of part of its charm.
On the negative side of things, the hip hop theme song aint all that and Shredder's mutant cronies look awful.
In addition to TMNT: the Wire, the Sopranos, the Shield, Breaking Bad, blah blah blah, you know the drill.
Definite series finales in 2012-2013:
- 30 Rock
- The Office
- Fringe
- Breaking Bad
- Treme
- Weeds
Prospective finales:
- Community
- Dexter
- 11th Doctor's run on Doctor Who
- Supernatural
- True Blood
Ending in 2014:
- Mad Men
- HIMYM
Absent until 2014:
- Louie
- Sherlock
- Venture Brothers
I don't know what the hell I'll be watching if all that happens. American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, and The Newsroom, I guess.
I'm not sad to see all those shows I love go, honestly. Shows need to end, and some of those should have done so seasons ago. I take it as an exciting opportunity to devote some brainspace to some new shows, because there are always good new shows coming down the pipe. As long as you don't need to watch a ton of TV, it's never hard to find a few good shows to fill the time.
Oh, I agree, especially with some of the shows, like The Office. That show needed to end the minute Jim asked Pam out after breaking up with Karen.
I'm a big believer in the accuracy of this graph:
And I haven't seen the second season of AHS yet, waiting for it to come on Netflix. I was considering picking up Downton Abbey, but just about everyone has said that seasons 2 and 3 are much worse than the first season, so I don't know if that's something I feel like subjecting myself to.
Current shows that I like to watch are Madmen and The Walking Dead. There are a bunch of other shows that I like (Law&Orders, CSIs, Breaking Bad. American Horror Story, Once Upon a Time, Doctor Who and more). But those two are the only ones I actually bother to try and catch when it first airs. Other shows I just watch reruns when I happen upon them or watch them on Steam.
British:
IT Crowd
TopGear
and I always rewatch a lot of Red Dwarf and Black Adder
Animated:
Archer
Home Movies
Mission Hill
American Dad
North American:
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Game of Thrones
Community
Arrested Development
Honorary mention to Married With Children.
Man I still remember the days when I was watching Xena ~
I always liked how Xena and Hercules appear in each other's shows lol
Trope avoided by The Shield, which went six seasons of varying levels of high quality and then slammed the seventh out of the park.
But yeah, that graph is pretty accurate for 99% of TV.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
It's always better when a series has at least a vague stopping point in mind, even if it doesn't stick the landing 100%.
Better to go out like BSG than like X-Files.
And then there's Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. His character arc from ridiculous baffoon to ridiculous badass is my favorite character arc of any fictional character in any story-telling medium.
Hopeless Gamer
To be fair, The Shield is one of those magical series that kind of does everything right all the time and is amazing from the starting shot. It kind of stands alone in television because of that.
Breaking Bad
Top Gear
Sons of Anarchy
The Daily Show
Aqua Something You Know Whatever (aka ATHF, AUPS1)
Robot Chicken
Older:
The Sandbaggers
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Yes, Minister
Dr Katz, Professional Therapist
Lucy, Daughter of the Devil (needs to go back into production.. it's an injustice that Bob's Burgers took off while Lucy only got one season)
The Kids in the Hall
Zatoichi: The TV Series
"We believe in the people and their 'wisdom' as if there was some special secret entrance to knowledge that barred to anyone who had ever learned anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche
6 and 7 were rougher on the overall arc, but still had some standout episodes. I hated season 5 though, so generally my opinion of post-5 is higher than most. Season 8 seems to be getting favourable reviews from the vast majority of fans, though, and I'm also quite enjoying it.
Ah, the episode you're talking about is Mystery Spot, from season 3. I think it's the best episode of the series.
You stopped watching in season 4 and they're almost halfway through 8 now so there's a lot of catching up to do. Personally, I hate the angels but season 4 was really well plotted. I hate season 5, 6 and 7 are generally enjoyable, and 8 is pretty fantastic so far.
Things are looking pretty good for a s9 renewal for Supernatural given the positive feedback for season 8 and the PCA wins, and the writers have ideas up to season 10. I think the CW is kinda screwed when SPN goes, so they'll want to hold on to it as long as possible.
Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
Forget it...
Supernatural season 5 is one of the most enjoyable seasons of any TV show that I have watched. Seasons 4 and 5 of Supernatural are together amazing, and I love them. I was kind of meh about 6, and more meh about 7. I have a fear of trying to watch 8, but Reznik might have convinced me to.
"We believe in the people and their 'wisdom' as if there was some special secret entrance to knowledge that barred to anyone who had ever learned anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche
I'll agree that The Shield doesn't follow the pattern from that comic, in that the final season is probably the strongest. IIRC it also had some weak seasons in the middle. It's a funky show that way.
Season 8 is under a new showrunner who basically has a plan for 8-10, so things are a lot more focused than 6 and 7.
Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
Forget it...
Modern Family
New Girl
Dr. Who
Mad Men
Dexter
Breaking Bad
those are most of our current favorites. I still love Futurama and I loved Chuck when it was still on the air.
The Wire is, of course, still the best TV show ever made. Which I always feel vaguely silly saying, since "best" art is sort of an impossibility, but still, if anyone gets the title, it's the Wire. It's not just well made, well acted, and well written, it's got something important to say. Other HBO shows like Generation Kill, Band of Brothers, and Deadwood are also pretty great.
I probably should include Battlestar Galactica, but I still haven't forgiven them for all those increasingly lame asspulls.
For comedies, Arrested Development and Archer. Especially AD. Loose seal. Wee brain.
BBC shows like Doctor Who (even though I haven't watched it for a while), QI, and sketch shows like That Mitchell & Webb Look, and A Bit of Fry & Laurie.
There's a few anime I'd happily include in the list of just plain great TV as well, like Cowboy Bebop, Mushishi, 12 Kingdoms, Usagi Drop, and Monster.
Deadwood wins for the setting, but The Wire was atcually finished as a series, so if I had to choose between the two The Wire gets my nod for best TV series ever made.
Twin Peaks, Breaking Bad, Rome, and Monty Python are pretty fucking great too. And Firefly.
Season 4 is generally considered the very best season. Season 1 is actually a lot better than it seems at first watch though. Think about how you feel about that gangster who gets away with murder in the first episode, and then how you feel about him at the end of the first season. And then realize that he's the same dude throughout that whole season, he really doesn't have much of an arc. The only thing that changes is our preconceptions of who he is.
- 30 Rock (way behind, haven't watched any of this season yet and missed huge parts of last season)
- Breaking Bad (also behind, have to finish season 5 at some point)
- Game of Thrones
- Doctor Who (although this season to date has been pretty eh, I'm hoping the new companion will be the shot in the arm it needs)
- Mad Men
- Misfits
- Sherlock
- The Venture Brothers (have to watch the Halloween special still)
- Arrested Development (I guess this counts as currently running?)
Shows I watch on Netflix:
- Damages (somewhere in season 2)
- American Horror Story (just started this tonight, definitely a guilty pleasure)
Things I have started but fell off watching:
- Cheers (somewhere in season 1)
- Parks and Recreation (somewhere in season 1)
- Nip/Tuck (somewhere in season 2)
- Terriers (have to restart, I've forgotten too much)
- Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes (somewhere in The Return of Sherlock Holmes?)
- The X-Files (somewhere in season 4)
The dearly departed:
- Fringe
- Twin Peaks (as you might have guessed)
- Veronica Mars
- Battlestar Galactica
- Bored to Death (where the hell is my boxset, HBO?!)
- Firefly
- The Amazing Screw-On Head (go to hell, scifi)
Favorite of all time? Hard to say, but it would probably be a toss-up between Twin Peaks and BSG.
Animated:
Simpsons, ~3-8 - duh
Futurama, 2 - initial cancellation - also duh, I think
Archer, all of it - The single funniest show currently on TV. Bizarre combination of utterly low brow humor with super super esoteric/nerdy references. Also incredible voice work by all involved.
EDIT: Also, Frisky Dingo/Xtacles
Cowboy Bebop - Do we need to discuss this? No, no we do not. Watch it.
Live action comedy:
HIMYM, 2nd and 3rd season - It's gone wildly off the rails since then, but god damn was it fantastic.
Chuck (SERIOUSLY), season 2. Only season 2. But God damn when they got things right they got it right. Has the single greatest 5 minutes on this list. Also, Yvonne Strahovski. Had it been cancelled as expected I wouldn't have been happy, but it was a better ending than what we got. Sigh.
Parks and Rec, 2/3 especially. Especially 3. The last two are also great but not at the absurd peak of those two. Season three is probably the best sitcom season of all-time.
Community, 1/2. For reasons, venture into the flame war that is the Community thread.
Drama:
Buffy, season 2/3 in particular. The last four inspire fights (I started hating Buffy as a character sometime in season four and she rarely recovered. A certain character's absence in most of six/seven almost single handedly makes everyone else miserable to spend time with and fuck Spike, for the record). But the second and third when they figured out what they're doing? Awesome. The Big Bad in the third season is still probably my favorite villain ever. Well, maybe Stringer.
West Wing, season 2. The first season is good, the third is mostly good, and Sorkin writes himself into a corner intentionally to fuck NBC for firing him in season 4, which the show never really recovered from (until bits of the sixth and seventh season with campaigning going on). But the second season is genuinely excellent television pretty much all around. "Shibboleth" and "Two Cathedrals" are two of my favorite episodes of anything ever.
Veronica Mars, season 1. Maybe one or two mediocre episodes. Otherwise pretty much perfect. Kristen Bell is fantastic and since she's on screen approximately 90% of the time, it all works. Particular highlights: the pilot, "An Echolls Family Christmas," and "A Trip to the Dentist." Also features a young Amanda Seyfried being awesome. Season 2 is frustrating at times (and the finale sucks) but is still mostly good. Season 3 is hit or miss.
Fringe, season 2 and most of season 3. I didn't particularly like the finale of season three and gave up entirely in season four, but when they hit their stride, it was a fantastic show for about 50 episodes from late in season one until the season three finale.
The Wire, 1-4. The best show I've seen. Pretty much The Great American Novel.
Friday Night Lights. Seasons not the second. The second best show I've seen. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton give great performances (better than Cranston, I think, but I've only seen the first season of Breaking Bad so far) as Coach and Mrs. Coach (who was robbed of Emmys, at least he got one). The first and third seasons are particularly recommended. The second is largely skippable, but there are a couple great scenes. Important episodes: the pilot, "Mud Bowl," and "State." Though also the 12th and 13th in season 3.
Reality (YEAH I SAID IT):
Survivor, S1, 2, 6, 11, 13, 16, 20, 24? (One World) - It's a fantastically designed game as a pure game. Also sadistic. The first two seasons are fascinating in retrospect, the sixth re-taught everyone how to play the game, the 11th has fantastic characters, the 13th started with a terrible idea (teams based on race!) and ended up with the best winner ever, the 16th and 20th are completely batshit insane, and the 24th has a lot going for it (like the best winner besides the 13th) after the stone cold bigot is smited by God (he gets sick and evacuated). Also a lot of the 14th sucks, but it has the best character and the best single episode ("It's a Turtle?") in the show's history. Yes, I like Survivor. Sue me.
The Amazing Race, S1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 - No longer up to its former glory, the first five seasons of this show (ESPECIALLY the first and third) are unbelievable. It recovered a couple times after it discovered that fighting assholes made for better ratings and put together a couple good seasons (and the All-Star season 11 isn't bad, it's just very, very poorly designed, last minute airline booking in Muslim Africa during the hajj is difficult, who knew? Also the winners suck) but was mostly crippled by the bickering asshole phenomenon. Also, one of the racers on season 3 is a member of this forum!
Currently working my way through:
Breaking Bad, as mentioned. It's an unquestionably well made and especially acted show, I'm just not sure how much I enjoy it because everyone is so terrible. Makes it hard, I think. The Wire at least had Wallace and Omar and Lester.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWM4CQ8YEow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xp2voNtXUk
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Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
And, Dr. Who, The West Wing, The Wire and a bunch of other stuff already mentioned.
There are a lot of seasons of South Park, and a decent amount of the newer stuff is still funny.
Yeah, except it was good.