laceblade | TeeVee

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TeeVee

So, no, I'm not done with Veronica Mars yet, nor Arrested Development.

Shows on the air right now that I watch are Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fringe (I'm behind), The Office, and Grey's Anatomy (I missed most of season three and am also behind, but still like it enough to have a goal of catching episodes on ABC.com when I can). I also haven't seen any of season three of Heroes, but the promos I've seen in commercials all look really....bad. Please advise if I should try again, otherwise I'll mainline it later in life, :D

But I come to you, Internet, for information. I've grown a pretty big list of TV shows I'd like to see, but there are a lot that I don't know that much about. Which shows are your favorites? Why? Do you have recommendations that aren't on my list?

[Please don't use this post for anime or j-dramas/etc. ....I try to keep my media consumption ridiculously organized!]

Here's what I have so far on my list:
Alias
Pushing Daisies
Bones
Psych
Scrubs
Doctor Who
Torchwood
Ugly Betty
Twin Peaks
Due South
How I Met Your Mother
Deadwood
Carnivale
Homicide: Life on the Streets
Venture Brothers
Samurai Jack (I actually watched 1.5 or 2 seasons of this already)
Roswell (I started watching this when it was on the air, but didn't have time to keep up with it. LOL high school.)
Wonderfalls
Tru Calling
Dark Angel
Freaks and Geeks

Also, what about Xena or X-Files? People in fandom talk about these shows all the time, but I've only seen a few random episodes. Are they shows that everybody talks about just because everybody watched them while they were on? Or is it more like they're actually good, and I should watch them?

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hmm. X-files was kind of hit or miss in my opinion, and at some point it stopped making sense to me. Alias used to be a "meet up every single week" type of show for us.

have you tried Dexter? I don't think i've heard you mention it before, but based on some of the others you listed you might be interested in it. its all "serial killer is the hero" type thing

I have not tried Dexter!

Perhaps I will add it to the list.

I think you would LOVE Freaks and Geeks!

I don't actually think you would care much for Doctor Who or Torchwood, based on your tastes and personality.

There are some good X-Files, though I don't think it's necessary to watch the whole show through--if you see a few episodes, you'll have the sense of them.

I like Bones! You might, too, if you can be into crime dramas. The leads are both good.

:[ on the Dr. Who business. Maybe I'll try a few episodes at some point just so I can tell people why I dislike it, :D

Freaks and Geeks also has the advantage of being hella short, right?

Bones seems like Fringe - is that you who said that? I know my mom likes Bones, so we could bond and whatever.

It seems like the consensus from all is to try a bit of X-Files, so maybe I'll watch it until I get bored or something. I know Kristy and her sister used to be totally into it, hehe.

yes, it's very short, it's like 12 episodes. AND IT'S AWESOME.

Bones is a little like Fringe except no conspiracy stuff or weird paranormal stuff, it's pretty straightforward genius scientist can figure anything out, yo, kinda crime show. but David Boreanaz is better in it than he was in Angel--more lively (pun intended).

If you haven't watched at least the earlier seasons of X-Files you're missing out! If you can go in knowing
(a) no, they're never really going to do anything with the big mysterious conspiracies
(b) you have to quit when it starts getting stupid (season 5? 6?)
then I recommend it highly.

Xena, I dunno, it was kind of too cheesy for me...

lol Xena. Maybe I'll watch one disc's worth, or something.

Also, good info on the X-Files! I'll perhaps plan on going with the first four seasons.

I definitely recommend Doctor Who and Torchwood. If I'm flipping channels and Bones or Scrubs is on I will often watch but I haven't felt the need to go back and mainline whole seasons. I feel similarly about Ugly Betty. I wasn't that impressed with the one episode of Heroes I watched(finale of S1) or the two episodes of How I Met Your Mother I've seen, but I am kind of picky about TV shows. I felt the plots and/or characters were kind of cliched.

The show I want to see is Arrested Development, I've had that recommended by a number of people who have similar taste to mine.

You also might consider Northern Exposure (big city doctor moves to small down Alaska), it's offbeat and funny. I think it's similar to Due South but I haven't seen Due South.

Edited 2008-10-24 17:30 (UTC)

Yeah, Arrested Development is just....I don't know, like light and fluffy popcorn. It's not deep or anything....just ridiculous and fun to watch.

I liked Heroes in the first season quite a bit, but was mostly disappointed by two. I wouldn't judge the first season by the finale, though....the rest of the season was actually pretty good, in my opinion.

Thank you for the other info!

I loved Wonderfalls. Quirky, entertaining, fresh plot... I'd highly recommend it.

I was also way into Twin Peaks back in the day. It clicks amazingly well with my brain, but you really have to appreciate a story that wanders all over reality, picking up bits & pieces of plot as it goes along. It's definitely a series for people who appreciate the journey more than the destination. If that sounds like you, pick it up.

Yay on Wonderfalls!

I'll keep that in mind with Twin Peaks, and see what happens.

I watched the first season of Dexter this summer and really liked it. Darla from Angel is in it!

The first season of X-files is really pretty bad, and you don't really need to see it because the show is pretty episodic at the beginning. I suggest starting with the 3rd or 4th season, or just watching random eps.

I might be wrong, you might really like DW and TW, but they are both really inconsistent shows, with some really fabulously well done episodes and some heinously bad ones, so.

I think you would probably like Bones. It's a little like the Fringe but without the conspiracy stuff and the supernatural stuff.

Ooohhh, Darla.

LOL bad first season of X-Files. I'll be sure to keep that in mind!

You're probably right that the bad episodes of DW and TW would bother me....I almost feel a sense of obligation to watch it, though, just because so much of my FL does.

PSYCH IS THE BEST SHOW ON THAT LIST REALLY. It is NEVER BORING.

Scrubs is also a very entertaining show.

I'm actually excited about Psych because of Dule Hill, as I loved him on The West Wing.

Scrubs seemed pretty funny from what I've seen, but I might a little bit after I've gotten over the silliness of Arrested Development.

I third the recommendation of Dexter, the first season at the very least.

I have been following Heroes and Lost, both of which are hit-or-miss... season three of Heroes so far has been... eh. Needless character deaths! Pointless new characters!

I also have watched a lot of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I've watched some of the other Law and Order series but this one is my favorite. Not sure if you're into Law and Order.

An oldie but goodie is still Stargate SG-1. 83 I know that show is over but it's still on the air, right? I have no idea... it used to be on every day...

Okay, now many people have recommended this show I had previously heard nothing of. Maybe I should do it!

I've liked what I've seen of lots of random L&O. I know my mom, best friend, and various co-workers all like SVU....we'll see!

As for Stargate, I might wait a bit. I know it's 10 seasons long, and then there's SG:A (lots of my friends are into Atlantis.). Having just finished Buffy/Angel, I think it'll be a little while before I do a huge run like that again.

hey if you like "weird shit in every episode" how about Picket Fences or Eureka?

picket fences is one of those older shows that I don't fully remember other than crazy stuff happened, but i keep thinking about it for some reason.(it might be due to my slight obsession with Holly Marie Combs)

smallish sized town, crazy characters, people breaking into houses,cleaning them and stealing underwear. Also, spontaneous human combustion.

Yes! I loved Picket Fences when it was on the air. I had a standing date with a friend of mine to go over to her place and watch it. We even made a road trip out to one of the two Romes in Wisconsin on account of that show.

(And a big +1 to the Holly Marie Combs thing.)

I'll talk about the ones I've watched.

Scrubs - The first couple of seasons were really funny. We borrowed them from friends and I remember thinking I had missed out. Somewhere in season 2 or 3 they decided that funny meant creating the most ridiculous plots you could think of. At this point I decided it wasn't worth my time to watch anymore episodes. I think they beat some horses to death as well, if I recall.
Doctor Who - Enjoyable if you like low-budget scifi (I love it). Lots of morality in the stories. Don't really know what else to say. I mean, it's Doctor Who!
Torchwood - Doctor Who without any morals. Very "adult-themed". It actually reminds me more of a paranormal detective agency than DW. Only most of the time they're dealing with aliens instead of ghosts.
Venture Brothers - Very hilarious. I've watched the first 2 seasons and a few other random episodes, and I love it. It sort of pokes fun at a lot of genres, including superheroes, classic sci fi, pulp noir, Scooby Doo, and itself.
Xena - I used to watch this as a teenage boy. That's about the only appeal I see in it.
X-Files - I was above X-Files when it first aired. Then, my sophomore year of college, I had a friend who was really into the show, and told me I had to watch it. FX was re-airing all the episodes M-F at 9PM or some such, so every night we would drink beer, eat popcorn, and watch X-Files. And I loved it. A lot of the stories are stand alone tales of the weird. Those are probably the best ones. There is the ever present extended story arc of aliens and Mulder's sister, but, if I remember correctly, it doesn't get in the way of the series. The year we were watching them on FX was also the season the regular show lost Mulder and brought in the T-1000. I wouldn't suggest watching any of those episodes.

DW sounds like it'll be pretty hit or miss....I tend to loathe morality stuff, and judge pretty harshly on low budget. I'm sure I'll try that and TW anyway, though.

Am planning on watching Scrubs, VB, and X-Files.

Of those, Homicide is probably one of the best. It's a great and intense show, and my parents totally shouldn't have let me watch it when I was a kid.

Scrubs is one of my favorite shows of all times. It makes you feel good. I think the first four seasons were the best, but the later ones have their moments.

How I Met Your Mother cracks me up a lot. It has some gender issues sometimes, but it's a regular sitcom, so I guess that's expected.

And Bones is just fun. Although it also has its problems with gender and sex.

Yay! My mom was telling me that she loved Homicide, so that's cool. I've also heard that so far as representations of people on color on TV go, it's one of the best, especially considering that it's from the '90s.

Aww, there's lots of Scrubs love. I think I'll do it!

Yay for HIMYM cracking you up. It mostly went on the list because of Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris, so it's good to know that the show as a whole is funny.

Boo to gender problems on Bones and HIMYM! But....David Boreanaz. Mmmm....

I want to get you and

were_duck to watch Dark Angel. It's only 2 seasons, and I have them to lend. I'd also watch along with people.

I liked Wonderfalls a lot! Only 1 season, different and fun.

Um, my other favorite show is ST: DS9, but I'm not sure if Trek is your thing or not. I'll be watching S1 Deadwood at some point-- Bridget lent it to me.

I've never really done Star Trek. One of my high school friends (who got me into BSG) really loved DS9 too, though. Isn't that where Ron Moore came from?

I'll watch all of those other three, I'm sure.

X-file is very good and I think you will enjoy it. I'm sort of surprised that you haven't seen it already.

And actually, even if you end up not liking X-files, it's such a cultural phenomenon, I think it's necessary to have a season or so under your belt.

Alias is also very good (or maybe I just like that you get to see awesome places around the world...) and actually, since it's a spy show, I think you'll find it's a lot like Veronica Mars, only I admit that the increased use of mysticism got annoying in later seasons. And I wasn't wild about the ending...but I'd watch the first season and then judge. (It has Quentin Tarantino in it. It also has Gina Torres who, I promise you, is extremely kick ass in her character. Literally.)

Xena is...well, I really liked it. I can still sing the "Jockster the Mighty" song. It was funny. It was cute. But when I tried to watch it a decade later, I did find it a bit hard to sit through. (Actually, Lucy Lawless is in VM, too).

Yeah, it is sort of surprising, although I think I was relatively young when it came on? I know my friend Kristy was into it while it aired, so I wasn't "too young" to watch it, but I didn't really habitually watch "shows" on TV except for Dawson's Creek and Felicity until college. I'll watch it, though - I agree that it's probably culturally necessary.

Lucy Lawless was in Battlestar Galactica, too! Maybe with Xena, I'll just try one disc or so, and be like, "Okay, got it."

Quentin Tarantino! Alias just moved up a little bit on my list...

I can vouch for Pushing Daisies. I haven't seen much, just the first few episodes of the first season, but Creighton's parents absolutely adore it, and I've definitely loved what I've seen. Surreal morbid-but-actually-quite-sweet fairy tale with random musical interludes! And adorable actors. The first season is already out on DVD, too.

The one show not on your list that I can definitely recommend is Babylon 5. Have you seen it? It's from the mid 90s so the CG is pretty dated, but hoooooly crap is it an amazing story with wonderful characters and absolutely stellar actors. Political intrigue in space, yo. I can't recommend it enough.

Yeah, everyone I've heard talk about Pushing Daisies absolutely loved it.

I think I might have seen the first episode of Babylon 5 at some Anime Club summer showing? Or maybe that was Farscape. Maybe I'll do it!

Doctor Who and Torchwood are, of course, always on my must-see list. I highly recommend them and will every chance I get.

Also, I was recently sucked into Dark Angel when Sci-Fi Channel was airing some episodes. My TiVo now has it as an auto-record wishlist. I'm not sure if I was so sucked into it because the show is actually good or because of the Michael Weatherly hotness. In any case, it seemed to me to be at least worth another look.

I think I'll try DW and TW at some point, for sure, if only beecause so many people on my FL like it. Its campiness and morality stuff might bug me, but I'll try it anyway.

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