Must-see TV

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Are there any shows you're feeling evangelical about, that you think other people here might enjoy? Shows that have changed/are changing your life? Things you'd stay in for on a saturday night (coughdoctorwhocough - I was late for a party because I couldn't bear to miss it). Old shows, new shows, any shows you adore, whether trashy or quality. What should we be watching? And why? For what mood?

I'd like to put in a good word for some UK shows for starters, that might not get much attention in the US...though some probably do...

Ultraviolet - late 90s UK sci fi show, not a very long run*, but really worth checking out. It's about vampires and a secret(ish) agency devoted to controlling the threat they pose.

Spooks - spy drama, still going, not sure when the next season is...but it's a little bit like Tinker Tailor Solider Spy meets 24. Grittier and less glam that 24 (though still lots of pretty people), with some really great terror-related plots, and fascinating stuff about what it's like to be a spy, the impact that has on your relationships...and how you sometimes have to shag people for information It's not flawless, it's not "Great" (in the way I'd say that buffy or Deadwood or the Sopranos are Great), but it's very watchable, and I particularly rate it for having characters who rely as much on their wits as their physical abilities to tackle scary terror types (including animal rights nuts, as well as the religious groups and drug types you might expect).


Doctor Who - the third season of the New Who (ie the show that picked up after a hiatus of, what, 20 years?? Maybe not that long...but almost) is really kicking into high gear, with some amazing acting, some scary monsters and some impressive writing. Sure, it's a kids' show, but one with an eye on the adult audience at all times.



*most UK drama shows are, or used to be, only about 6-8 eps a series...we don't call em seasons, or we didn't until recently...and sometimes just come in one off bunches of six eps or so)

[tangent]

well just continuing the subject of u.k t.v.

Cracker - Old but very good, the original flawed hero and some very powerful storylines make for compulsive viewing. Early perfomances by Christopher Ecclestone and John simm as well.

Waking the dead - A sort of u.k csi (ish) Trevor Eve is fantastic and again some top writing and acting.

Life on Mars - Just all out brilliant a 70's cop show/scif fi show that really grips from the get go and doesn't let go.

On the u.s side of things i would just like to mention a couple of older shows that some might not be familliar with.

Twin Peaks - Wierd and wonderful david lynch series and every bit ads good as you might remember it.

Kung-fu - another cross genre show that worked really well. Shaolin monks in the american west.

macguyver - The spy who could do amazing things with the just the contents of his pockets.

[Dorian's Kitten]

*most UK drama shows are, or used to be, only about 6-8 eps a series...we don't call em seasons, or we didn't until recently...and sometimes just come in one off bunches of six eps or so)

Ah yes, figured this one out for myself just recently. Very confusing. Why so few episodes? Also apparently you can have a lot more shall we say naughty stuff on tv. I've been watching Hex, which started off with potential but does not seem to be fulfilling it. Anyway, it has apparently been edited significantly for BBC America and yet remains more graphic than just about anything else we have on tv.

And on to my plugs:

I did not think I would enjoy Ugly Betty. I am now completely hooked. It is very funny and generally uplifting. I love the evil people and Henry is adorable.

Kyle XY-it's fun. New season starts this week!

[spidol]

ER is IMO one of the best shows in existance. The later and indeed current seasons are still v. good but not as good compared to earlier ones which i stongly suggest people should acquire and then of course watch.

Frasier A spinoff of the sitcom Cheers. I believe that Frasier surpasses Cheers in every way and I liked Cheers an awfull lot. The comedy while brilliantly witty and humorous comes second for me next to the actual storylines and acting... A rare occurance in most comedies.

[carousel_girl8]

I really liked Ultraviolet, I watched it recently on Sci-Fi. My must-see isn't very big anymore stupid people keep cancelling my faves.

Heroes - I love this show, I can't bear to miss an episode, so many shockers appear in each episode, I love it. In my opinion, it is best show on TV at this moment.

Big Brother - lol I know this is really bad, but I have been addicted to the last few series, this series is just awful at the moment with the constant bitching and some of the worst housemates ever, but that makes it such compulsive viewing, you just want to know who is going to wind you up this week.

What About Brian - Me and my mum started watching this show when it came over here and to begin with we weren't sure about it but it is getting really interesting. All the relationships in the show are dysfunctional in some way or another but it's interesting to see how they cope.

Scrubs - I can't get enough of this show, I love every character. I wish life was like this lol it would be hilarious. It's one of the best comedy shows around.

[Rosamunde]

I'm not feeling very evangelic about any shows at the moment, unless you count Seinfeld. There's a lot of great fluff out there, such as Grey's Anatomy, which reminds of a bubbly pop song you feel guilty about liking. You know it's daft, but you can't stop listening to it. I also recently watched the first three series of the US version of Queer as Folk, and I have to say it's worth it for the theme tune alone. It's annoyingly issue-y at times, but some of the characters are very likable, and the writing is very witty at times. I'm really loving The Mighty Boosh as well: it's like a psychedelic panto with lots of slashy subtext.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Ah yes, figured this one out for myself just recently. Very confusing. Why so few episodes?

I'm not sure, it's how it's always been...though it's changing. Doctor Who has HBO-length seasons (around 13 eps) now. Though I think we still call them series. Confuserama.

I'm very much evangelical about a couple of US shows at the moment...

The Wire - best cop show ever, and perhaps the best show since Buffy for me. Slow, rich, complex brilliance. And an entire scene where they do nothing but use the f-word or some variant on it, and yet, it doesn't seem crass, it seems totally in character. Cos they're cops. But, that perhaps doesn't do the show justice. It's more about the ways in which institutions work against individuals, whether you're a drug dealer or a cop, and how the city is a teeming, living thing, full of the "little people", who are just trying to get by - get the job done, hold onto their lives, their livelihoods, their families. There's nothing grand about this show - no apocalypses, no hundred-man shootouts, just the small-scale turbulence of a city's underbelly.

Deadwood. Whores. No laws. Realpolitik in miniature. Plus Timothy Olyphant is a fittie. Though I'm not sure if I spelled his name right.

The Sopranos - it's over, sniff, but loved it. It's not consistent in terms of quality, but has some great seasons (first few and the last, I've enjoyed a lot). Shrinks, mafia, delicious-sounding food...perhaps what makes this show for me are the WAGs (what? Works for football, why not the mob?). And the children. Actually, and Tony. And Dr Melfi. Oh, I love it all.

Now I'm humming "woke up this morning, got myself a gun..."

[Nikole]

Just popped in to gush about Friday Night Lights. I HATE football but I love this show. That is how awesome it is. It just feels so real. The acting is great, fantastic storylines, great characters, etc. Just yeah. It rocks.

Also Battlestar Galactica is amazing. Not just some little scifi show. It's more of a political scifi-ish drama. Can't say anything besides it rocks hardcore. And it brings the eyecandy. lol

[Jenni Lou]

Also Battlestar Galactica is amazing. Not just some little scifi show. It's more of a political scifi-ish drama. Can't say anything besides it rocks hardcore. And it brings the eyecandy. lol

I resisted watching for so long 'cause it seemed to hardcore sci-fi. But my fiance bought the dvds and I was hooked! I'm still working on s3 now. SO good. Great show. Highly recommend it as well.

[vampcruella]

There is going to be a vampire show on HBO in the fall by the same person who did Six Feet Under, which was an amazingly visual character-driven show with lots of magic realism and special effects. I'm so excited about it that I signed up for HBO so we could get it.

Thanks to members for tips on Ugly Betty and Heroes-------I will try them again!

I've been watching the DVD's of an old show, Forever Knight, and it's really not bad. Some aspects reminded me of Angel's themes---the vampire with a conscience looking for redemption, keeping the identity secret, etc. It obviously didn't have the budget or technology for big effects, and of course it lacks Joss, but not bad...

[LRae12]

I resisted watching for so long 'cause it seemed to hardcore sci-fi. But my fiance bought the dvds and I was hooked! I'm still working on s3 now. SO good. Great show. Highly recommend it as well.

Same here...my brother shoved his DVDs on me last summer when I had nothing better to watch, and now i'm hooked...we don't get the channel here that they air on, so I'm waiting on him to get S3 when it comes out...

Also, for anyone who has yet to try 24...I finally got around to watching it last summer, too...great show...this last season was a bit slow, but hopefully the new one will be awesome...it will be a bit strange for me to watch one on TV now after seeing all the others on DVD...

My all-time favorite show, though was La Femme Nikita that was produced in Canada for the USA Network in the states...the best kick-ass spy drama ever! I totally recommend it to anyone who loves good television. And all 5 seasons are on DVD now!

[tangent]

o.k one i forgot.

Banacek.

A seventies show starring George Peppard as an freelance investigator working on insurance cases. Most of the cases involve 'impossible crimes' (a quarterback disappearing from underneath a scrum, a bullion train going missing en route with no track turn offs etc). Very ,very hard to find though. I signed up to an online petition on amazon to get the series available on dvd as a collection.

[LRae12]

Oh, I forgot one as well - but I'm sure most people watch it anyway...Grey's Anatomy. It runs on ABC, um Thursdays, I think it was this past year...It has some really great humor - very buffyesque. Especially the character of Christina - she's my favorite, a real smart-ass...MUST.SEE.TV!