So I just wanted to do a fun post about my favorite TV shows. I've been procrastinating blogging like crazy, so this is a good way to get back into it. I'll probably do some more top 10 lists in the future on some others stuff, so stay tuned.
I really enjoy watching TV shows. What I mean by that is that I actually like sitting down and watching a season or entire series of a particular show. I'm generally opposed to just browsing channels on a regular basis because it pretty much just wastes time. Actually getting into a story is much more interesting. That being said, sometimes you just want to watch a comedy episode that stands alone without caring too much about an overarching story.
I'll first post my top 10 TV shows and a little about why I like each one. Afterwards I'll post the top 10 shows I'm interested in watching, and you can tell me if I missed anything. There are some shows that I would probably enjoy but choose not to watch due to nudity, such as Game of Thrones. There are too many quality shows without much nudity to justify spending a lot of time on shows with it.
So, my top 10 TV shows!
10. Futurama
Futurama (or Simpsons in space) is the only animated show to make it on my list. I considered South Park in this spot instead, but South Park is a little hit-or-miss with the offensiveness factor. South Park as a whole is funnier, but I just can't put it in the top 10 due to a few episodes that are disgusting. When I list Futurama here I mean the original 4 seasons. After coming back from cancellation Futurama just wasn't quite as good (the Family Guy syndrome). Futurama beats out the Simpsons because it just has more freedom when it comes to story (and hence jokes). Being set in the future and focused on a group of people instead of just one family means that Futurama was able to do some crazy episodes. Favorite character: Dr. Zoidberg.
9. The West Wing
I watched most of The West Wing (never finished it) while home from college in the summers, borrowing seasons from the library. Great characters and fantastic dialogue, which should be expected in an Aaron Sorkin production. I can't say I appreciated the politics of the main characters and the somewhat ham-handed way they handled conservatism, but this is a show that made me care about the characters and how they would handle the situations that arose. Favorite character: Toby Ziegler.
8. Prison Break
Gotta start off with a disclaimer: the first season of Prison Break only. Second season was good, afterwards I stopped caring or bothering (did they have more than three?). But first season? Holy cow. Amazing. The tension, the layers, the characters, the unknown. Just learning more about who these people are is amazing. Favorite character: hard to say, maybe Linc? Abruzzi?
7. The IT Crowd
British sitcom about the three members of an IT department at a large company. The interactions of the three characters create some truly absurd situations that have to be seen. This show is completely hilarious in every way. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself. Favorite character: slight edge goes to Roy.
6. Jeeves and Wooster
Another British comedy! Jeeves and Wooster stars Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry as P.G. Wodehouse's famous idle rich man and his "personal gentleman's gentleman." Amazing characters and witty dialogue (on the part of Jeeves of course) are highlights in the many stories of Jeeves extricating Bertie from the horrors of the prospect of marriage to any one of a number of over-the-top women. This show is an example of how to adapt fiction to the screen well. Favorite character: it's Jeeves and Wooster. Each is only understood in the light of the other. Favorite minor character: Spode. No wait, Gussie. No, Madeline. Basically anybody around at Totleigh Towers.
5. Lost
Lost is the show I was into the most while the show was actually being aired. I remember watching the second season at a friend's house off-campus or in the TV Lounge in Trinity Hall and shouting at the TV in amazement at various points. Lost is a show that started off just about perfectly. Season one is definitely one of the best seasons of television ever made. The show faltered in the third seasons but managed to pick it back up after then, to the point where season six is almost as good as season two (and yes, I'm one of the few people who actually likes the much-maligned ending). Favorite character: Mr. Eko.
4. Arrested Development
The only American comedy on my list, I consider Arrested Development to be the funniest show ever made. The characters are amazing, the dialogue is hilarious, the recurring jokes are great, the hidden jokes are great. There are some cringe-worthy moments that some people don't appreciate, but definitely worth it in my opinion. Among the many quotable shows and movies, this is one of the most quotable (especially anything said by Gob). The recent season on Netflix after years of cancellation wasn't great, but I wasn't really expecting it to be. The original three seasons are incredible. Favorite character: Buster.
3. Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a ten-part mini-series made by Tom Hanks following Easy Company of the 506th regiment, 101st Airborne division as they experience WWII in Europe, including Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and the siege of Bastogne. Band of Brothers is warfare at its most realistic. Not for the faint of heart, but the way you are placed in the action alongside the men is incredible. I highly recommend it if watching warfare doesn't bother you. Favorite character: Winters. Couldn't really choose anyone else.
2. Sherlock
Sherlock is an interesting choice in that each episode is ninety minutes long, so basically a movie. Sherlock sets Sherlock Holmes in modern-day London and manages to pull it off very well. Holmes' eccentricities are played to the maximum, but it actually works. Only six episodes so far (in two seasons), but that's a lot of TV with the length of the episodes. Sherlock manages to be very intelligent while still fun. Favorite character: Watson.
1. Firefly
Firefly is hands-down my favorite TV show. They didn't even make a full season since it got cancelled pretty early on. This is an example of a cult show that is worth the hype. The network airing it really screwed it over by not showing the pilot and starting with the second episode (which didn't include much introduction). Ratings were not there, but man is this a great show. The premise is basically a western in space (trust me, it works) where the rebellion against the evil empire people failed. The show follows a ship just barely making ends meet by taking any kind of job (even legal ones) that'll keep them in the air. The characters are amazing, the dialogue is great, and the universe is fantastic. Firefly does an excellent job of showing a future that could actually happen, not the white-washed future of Star Trek. Great humor, great action, great plot lines that sadly do not get enough time to fully develop. Watch the show, then watch Serenity (the movie made after the show was cancelled). Favorite character: hard to say, either Mal, Jayne, or Simon.
Top 10 shows I'm interested in watching: (some of these I've seen a few episodes of, but not a season or anything)
10. Parks and Recreation
9. Alias
8. Mad Men
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
6. Once Upon a Time
5. Twin Peaks
4. Fringe
3. Farscape
2. The Wire
1. Dollhouse
Thoughts? What did I leave off that I have to see?
Some thoughts from me since you were so kind to tag me on facebook :D
ReplyDelete10) Yeah it's good stuff. There were a few gems in the new season. The last episode was an excellent ending. I also highly recommend a few others from these last few seasons...I can't think of them, but I sent one to BQ that I was laughing at like crazy.
9) I tried the pilot. You're right. It's unfair to conservatives.
8) Yes. OMG yes. I met a lady who was a writer for the first season and I geeked out like crazy. I'll never forget physically crying when Veronica told Lincoln how much she loved him right before he went to the chair...Gosh. Tullius and I seriously blitzed like 9 episodes in a day. Just awesome. Yeah, then it got bad,
7) The IT Crowd. You're welcome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9srs5Pua-A
6) I've never been to Kennsington. OH WAIT! We went there together!
5) Lost. Yes. Austria 2005. Much thanks to Kam for getting me hooked on this. We'll always have Washbish's house.
4) Arrested. Wonderful. Yeah it took a nose dive, but it had some good moments.
3) Still haven't seen it all. How sad is that?!
2) Sherlock - Still only have seen the first one. With you guys!~
1) It's amazing. Joe says the ship is actually at Universal Studios right now. If you guys make it to So Cal at some point, we'll try to find a way to get you guys in there :D
Alias was excellent for the first two seasons.
I love Once Upon A time (the creators wrote for Lost. They wrote a number of episodes including "Greatest Hits." Oh Charlie.
I liked Fringe for two seasons, The Wire really is that good, Game of Thrones I finally got on and it's awesome (just gotta cover the screen with a sheet once an episode...and uh...I'm trying Sleepy Hollow. It's good.
LATER
Well okie day. I'll follow Shko on this one. My list would be remarkably close to yours when all is said and done but in a different order (though not sure what it would be...)
ReplyDelete10) Excellent. Agree on all the points on SP and while I agree that the later seasons are not as good they still hit some high marks. On any given month though I would flip-flop between Simpsons or this being better.
9) Never saw it but am pretty sure I would like it.
8) LOVED season 1 when I saw it. The rest was so awful that I can't look at it the same way anymore.
7) My favorite of the British comedies. You've got big balls Roy! Although Moss is better.
6) Never seen it. Will look it up.
5) Agree on every point.
4) Greatest sitcom of all time and while the new season wasn't as good the Gob/Tony Wonder episode is in the all-time funniest 30 mins of tv history.
3) Haven't seen it. Embarrassed about that.
2) Glorious television. Can't wait for the next season.
1) I struggle with this one. I loved it so much when I first saw it. But it's idiosyncrasies became a bit more glaring to me with repeat viewings. It's still amazing but the Whedonisms are much more apparent over time. Also I hate River. She's a generic weirdo with nothing unique to offer. Which may be why I struggle with Firefly. She drives so much plot, and even though where it goes is interesting, she is not.
I'd have to add M.A.S.H to the list. A brilliant look at war while still being funny and poignant. Also no list is complete without Seinfeld. We wouldn't have Arrested Development without it's pioneering. Also its just freaking hilarious. I'm only half way through Breaking Bad but it is undoubtedly going to be in the top 5 for me. Spectacular television.
I'd have to think harder because I know Id add a few more.
I'm in the same boat with Game of Thrones. A friend gave me them on DVD but haven't watched them yet. In prep though I made a dim mode on my tv that will make the screen unintelligible but allow for dialogue. I hope its enough but it may just not be a doable series otherwise.
Your title drew me in from facebook. Hello! :) I've only seen about half of those shows, but I'll agree with their excellence. I just recently started on Futurama (sometimes it's fun to be WAY behind the curve!), so your context is useful.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm excited to see Fringe and Farscape on your list! Both are underviewed for how excellent they are, IMO. Fringe explores characterization in a way that is impossible with most other shows, and stays away from a lot of annoying tv tropes. Even the inferior episodes are still excellent, compelling TV. And they say that when you watch it a second time, you can find dozens of Easter eggs pointing to the later seasons even from the earliest episodes. Well done, writers.
And Farscape is just so incredibly creative! It stands alone in my mind in so many ways; I literally cannot say enough good things about it: use of muppets for really alien-looking aliens, detailed story arcs that permit real character growth, moments of absurd hilarity that somehow manage to be taken seriously, Crichton's continual use of earth pop culture references in a universe of people who can't possibly understand what he means! (Bonus points for the fact that it was kind of the show that saved the Sci-Fi channel, proving that new shows could be successful, AND for the fact that fan response actually brought about an excellent film conclusion after its sudden cancellation, AND for the incredible camaraderie and goodwill that exists between everyone involved in its creation--the entire cast and crew, down to the lowest guy on the totem pole!) Not that I'm biased or anything. :)
Kyle Murphy. You have pretty excellent taste.
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of cable in general, so I watched most of these shows after the fact. I loved Lost and Band of Brothers, and I just watched all of Firefly this summer. I could not fathom how such an amazing show could be so mishandled by the network. Uggh! I've seen at least a little of each of these shows except The IT Crowd. I'll have to check it out. Another one I would put on the list is Psych. It's hilarious without the same level of vulgarity that most comedies today require.