Hey guys!
Here's my couch potato profile :
-- Loving --
*House M.D (Nice but he's on detox until september)
*Eleventh Hour
*Penn and Teller B*S (still running, but it's olny once a week)
-- Fed up --
* Monk (became sadistic porn imao)
* Stargate SG-1 (fed up since season 2 - Still watching)
(I guess you can see a pattern here)
-- Borderline --
* Mythbuster
Anyone know something really worth watching? I mean, something that's not insulting ppl intelligence?
Please?
Heroes
Smallville
Lie to Me
Dexter
The Big Bang Theory
The IT Crowd
Mock the Week
Scrubs
Animated TV shows an option?
Thanks, Trilian, I'm wikipeding your titles.
(Already watched Heroes and Dexter for 1 full season each, but... not my kind_)
Quote from: dkh on Mon 03/08/2009 12:40:03
Animated TV shows an option?
Why not? Go ahead.
How about South Park, The Simpsons and Futurama then? You'll probably have to get used to them, especially South Park with the high-pitched voices but if you're looking for intelligence on television and aren't afraid of political content, then go ahead. You can watch Southpark for free (legally) on southparkstudios.com - it's the studio's page and they want as many people to see their content as possible. The Simpsons are of course classic, you must know them already. I find Futurama easier to get into as it features a way smaller cast (and less episodes) - it just depends on whether you "get" the humor or not. In any case, they are also filled with intelligent reflections on various things ranging from everyday life, over family situations to politics etc.
Another show I like (non-animated) is Malcolm in the Middle. Of course, it targets younger people and you will have to "ignore" parts of the story-line sometimes for being transparent and cliché and so on but it also features great ambiguity and acting.
There are more shows I like and might suggest but if these mentioned don't do anything for you then we don't share the same humor and I'd be wasting my time.
futurama!
If you're up for animated, and like comics, not new but still great: "Batman the animated series" first and second season are brilliant.
And Smallville is not an intelligent tv show it's a soap opera pretending to be a action series about a comic book hero.
Red Dwarf? :)
For the record, I think Dexter hits it's stride in a big way at Season2.
As for other intelligent (as if I'm in any position to judge that) shows around at the moment: Ugly Betty shallow, camp sitcom exterior hides a hidden level of equally shallow and even more camp soap opera which itself hides a level of intelligent satire, loveable (or just lovably grotesque) characters and a refreshingly sincere desire to entertain (but still camp, wouldn't want it any other way).
Adult Swim's The Venture Brothers started off a somewhat smug Johnny Quest parody and quickly developed into one of the most inventive (and plot-heavy) shows on television, it's also painfully, painfully hilarious.
Apparitions is a completely wicked Supernatural drama starring Martin Shaw as an exorcist; the first series got stupidly overlooked by the usual crowd for this sort of drama... presumably because it's on the Catholics side and not ashamed of it, in my opinion that puts it a cut above. It's perfectly fine to not believe in the devil, but denying his awesomeness as a TV show villain is just plain arrogant.
The Street is kind of a longform drama/soap-opera hybrid by Jimmy McGovern; each episode focuses on a different story from a different inhabitant of... well, the street. The plots are tight, hard-hitting and emotionally intense but it never slips into the usual 'gritty drama' trap of being so unremittingly bleak it becomes dull.
Mighty B! is a kids cartoon about wacky girlscouts and... it's done about as well as that premise could possibly ever be done. There's been a slight renaissance for this kind of show lately, but this one sticks out for having an usual sense of setting (San Francisco), a strong female influence in the writing and slightly better jokes. The animation's also great but depressingly only animators ever seem to care about that...
Hope I covered enough bases there.
See, people dismiss Smallville as a shallow superhero soap opera all the time, but if you look closely at it there are several moments in the show, subtle nuances that are easy to miss, that are quite simply genius, in my opinion. The episode where Clark first tells Lana his secret, for example.
Quote from: LUniqueDan on Mon 03/08/2009 12:03:55
-- Fed up --
* Monk (became sadistic porn imao)
Would you mind explaining this? It's just that Monk strikes me as a very all-ages, cosy, no-discomfort show. I can see people finding it bland or dull, but offensive?
If you missed some of the big HBO shows that don't start with an S, I think you should definitely try out
The Wire,
Deadwood,
Generation Kill, and
In Treatment. They, along with
Battlestar Galactica and maybe
The Shield, is what I think of as "intelligent" in that they deal with big ideas in dramatic form. If you're at all interested in politics,
The Thick of It is almost like a response to The West Wing, showing the other side of the coin (or Yes, Minister crossed with Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Office UK). That show also has a movie "spin-off" out now called
In the Loop, about the run-up to the Iraq war.
For pop-culture savvy comedy and overall hilarity, I second
The Venture Brothers. Other good comedies include
Better off Ted and
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - although I'm not sure how to tell how smart they are. They tell jokes that don't feel overly predictable, I guess?
Decent action/comedy shows I'd recommend include
Burn Notice,
Chuck, and
The Middleman. Each comes with a fairly thick slice of cheese, but they make up for it in various ways. Burn Notice has a MacGyver-esque (or Mythbusters-like) penchant for home-made gadgets and tricks-of-the-spy-trade, Chuck offers a self-aware spoof of the secret agent genre, and The Middleman is so steeped in comics and SF lore that it reaches a kind of very watchable hyper-stylization (somewhere in between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the live-action The Tick).
Speaking about hyper-stylized, atone for letting
Pushing Daisies off the air by getting it on DVD.
I have to second The Wire. It is quite possibly the best show ever. And so much more satisfying to watch on DVD without having to wait a week between each episode. I've watched all five seasons twice, and they're even better the second time. I'll probably give them a third go through sometime soon.
The Wire is the most intelligent TV show I've seen in a long time. It's a police drama on the face of it, but the brilliant thing is that the police and the drug dealers are both characterised to the same extent, so you don't have a case of goodies vs baddies, you actually have a very realistic interpretation of crime in Baltimore.
From Wikipedia:
Simon has said that despite its presentation as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how whether you're a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or a] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you've committed to."
Despite never seeing large commercial success or winning any major television awards, The Wire has frequently been described by critics as the greatest television series of all time.
There are a list of several citations provided to back up the "greatest television series of all time" claim.
Quote from: dkh on Mon 03/08/2009 13:03:53
I find Futurama easier to get into as it features a way smaller cast (and less episodes) - it just depends on whether you "get" the humor or not. In any case, they are also filled with intelligent reflections on various things ranging from everyday life, over family situations to politics etc.
You're right that there
are intelligent reflections on social and political issues, but they are few and they stay in the shadow of often very silly humor based on the characters and the sci-fi setting. The way smaller cast isn't something good imo and though it is a small cast, I consider the characters as rather boring and cliché. While I really like the professor (he can be damn funny), I really dislike Zoidberg (he's just eating everything he sees all the time which isn't funny) and Fry is a bit lame too, just stupid and premature. The other's aren't really interesting too, Bender can be funny sometimes.
The same goes for Southpark. The characters aren't developed well and while they DO deal with some serious issues, often in a rather cool way, there's WAY too much toilet-humor in it, and I don't consider toilet humor as humor. I hope, it really is a correct term btw...
As for the Simpsons: I'm more or less addicted to them. I watched every episode several times, and the really funny ones quite often. On the other hand, I lost interest since the 19th season, they just aren't as good as they used to be.
Here are a couple non-network shows you may like. Episodes 9 & 10 of "Two Guys..." are a must see.
Two Guys Drinking at a Bar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaCYFH1Vu1c)
Drawn by Pain (http://www.drawnbypain.com/)
Stranger Things (http://strangerthings.tv/episodes)
I second Deadwood and The IT Crowd. Loved/loving both of them. Which explains my avatar! :)
Firefly? Flight of the Conchords?
Peep Show, The inbetweeners.
Weeds?
The before-last Weeds episode made me go "why the hell am I watching it?". After season 2 it became... stupid. Imho, of course, but meh.
Shows I can really recommend are Eureka (SciFi/SyFy), Bones, Castle (new show with Nathan Fillion of Firefly fame, silly but fun), How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and while I know it's got some ridiculous bullshit in it, I really do like Numb3rs.
And of course Doctor Who and Torchwood. Especially Children of Earth (Torchwood 5-hour, 5-episode season aired a couple of weeks ago).
Why can I really recommend them? Because of all these shows I've watched at least one season and I cant wait until I get my grubby hands on more. All other shows on my list are already in this topic (Burn Notice, House, Heroes, etc.).
I'm a TV show addict, yet I hardly ever watch TV. Huh.
Hey Voh, I love me some Doctor Who but I gave up on Torchwood somewhere around the dumb Faerie episode in Series 1. The whole thing just wasn't floating my boat. I've heard good things about Children of Earth, though. is it watchable by someone with only the first 7 or so eps of the show under his belt?
Sleeper Cell was great, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Supernatural is nice, not too deep, but pretty funny and well-done.
Thanks everybody.
I'll give a Try to The Wire, BurntNotice and the new Fillion.
(I have to confess I just watched 1 Episode of Doctor Who in my whole life, I should seriously give a try to this one too)
@Anian, Matti and others : Yeah, don't worry, I'm already a Simpsons Fan. :D For Futurama and South Park it's at small dose when I do have a crave for this kind of humour.
@One Dollar : Yeah I watched and enjoyed Firefly. Very light but interesting on how they created a Sci-Fi Western.
(I'm also in love with Inara but that's another topic.)
@Snarky: After some seasons Monk stopped to be a Detective Story. The original character loose half of his abilities and start discovering clues/solutions by pure luck. In most of the case, the investigation became more a pretext for displaying Monk in Ackward situations. (That's why I abuse of the keyword "Porn")
Torchwood: Children of the Earth was brilliant, and this is coming from somebody who doesn't like Torchwood.
I'll have to second Supernatural. Mostly every episode will give you a chuckle, and they are always dressing up as FBI or any official. The two protagonists playing as brothers are very entertaining.
Not everyone agrees but I happen to think Lost is pretty intellectually rewarding. It doesn't teach me anything new per se, but it certainly stimulates your broader knowledge... especially if you're active in the fan community, because you'll find yourself researching about all kinds of things that the show hints at, from Ancient Egypt to B. F. Skinner... as well as increasing your desire to read classic literature every time a classic work is featured or referenced in the show.
Has anybody mentioned Family Guy yet?
I watch extremely few TV shows, but I enjoyed HBO's Oz in a weird kind of way. I've tried watching Lost, Prison Break and similar series, but I always end up very bored.
The British The Office is arguably the smartest comedy show so far. I also really enjoy Futurama, although I've only seen a season or two.
Another vote for The Wire. It does take an investment of time for it to suck you in, but it's definitely worth it. If you're used to glossy, over-produced hollywood-esque shows then it hits you as being raw and mercilessly unsentimental.
Also looking forward to the 7th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I have the Curb theme as my ringtone as I'm a little bit sad like that.
QuoteStargate SG-1
Yea, now that's intelligent :-X
For a sitcom - more intelligent than others in genre, and absolutely best ever/actually funny IMO, I suggest
Two Guys and a Girl (formerly Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137330/)
You will have hard time finding a DVD though.
I don't understand why people watch Friends. Seriously.
I'll try to think more, I'm quite sure I know about really intelligent show that hasn't named yet. I hope you haven't forgot about The X-files...
From a long time and disappointed fan, Lost and Heroes both suck. Contrary to what stupot said, I find Lost nothing but rewarding. Except if you watch only first season and quit there.
Funny, I was never too fussed about the British version of The Office, so I assumed I'd hate the American version. But my friend got me to watch a few episodes and I found it hilarious.
Who said The Inbewteeners? What a load of rubbish! I've always been a bit like the guys in that show, so you'd think I might be able to relate to it... but the acting and the writing are so fucking terrible I've never been able to watch it til the end.
Friends might not be 'intelligent', but it was funny. The only reason it's not that funny anymore is because it's constantly repeated.
Aha, another one:
The Equalizer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088513/)
Quite intelligent show for a time when people watched such fun stupidity as the A-team, Airwolf and Knight Rider.
Also, it has most scary intro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1NiNKwueE) ever... had nightmares about it when I was a kid.
I recently pirated acquired 4 seasons and apart from some crappy episodes, it's really good. Protagonist (Edward Woodward) absolutely rocks, with using gun when needed, getting hit by bullets and being really clever overall.
It's on DVD also.
Another vote for The Wire. I've not finished it yet, but it's brilliant.
If you want some intelligent comedy go for Arrested Development. Three seasons of the best American sitcom I have ever seen.
Both these shows have finished so there's no pressure to catch up for the new season.
Furthermore, I'm a huge Lost fan, although that's not for everyone. Give the first season a shot and if it's not for you then so be it.
British comedy? Try Look Around You possibly my favourite British comedy EVER (definitely up there with Fawlty Towers and Father Ted or Black Books). For a sample of its' genius, try this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCWA7uevo_Q) out.*
Other favourites of mine include Firefly, Seinfeld, Futurama and Extras.
I am also starting to get into Fringe and Dollhouse, both of which aren't too far in and seem like decent enough sci-fi.
*Mr Flibble, for some reason I think you'd like Look Around You a lot. If not, I'm sorry!
I can't honestly recommend a single new tv show. Now, old tv shows I can do!
Sledge Hammer.
Spaced season one and two are both awesome. Black books is also brilliantly written, quality british comedy in all three seasons. Obviously Black Adder and Fawlty Towers are good.
Or if your into the American blockbuster style stuff then Bones is good (although the latest season is a little dry imo) and Lost is just getting stupid now, the last season was terrible.Heroes is great if you're into comic books.
Taken is good despite the poor CGI but you'll have to put up with hour and a half episode runtimes.
It's strikes me funny, that the topic clearly states "intelligent" shows, and yet we get stuff like Heroes or Terminator. Well, I guess to each his own...
I'd give Wired a vote here too. NYPD Blue was nice too, if you like cop series. At least in the beginning, though it got a bit soapy later on, as they all do. Myself, I've been watching the X-files and Urusei Yatsura through, but I wouldn't recommend either as "intelligent". Well, X-Files has the mood :)
I also like The Practise, when legal shows were hip :P
QuoteNYPD Blue was nice too, if you like cop series. At least in the beginning, though it got a bit soapy later on...
Seconded, both sentences.
Quote from: InCreator on Tue 04/08/2009 10:58:23
The Equalizer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088513/)
Protagonist (Edward Woodward) absolutely rocks, with using gun when needed, getting hit by bullets and being really clever overall.
Edward Woodward also has the disctinction of being in two of my favourite jokes ever...
House; Monk; Psych; Nip/Tuck; Deadwood; My Name is Earl; Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice; Scrubs; The
Inbetweeners; QI; Life; 30 Rock; Shameless; Green Wing; Peep Show; both versions of The Office; Extras.
Theses are all good shows. Not all of them really qualify is 'intelligent' though, but I'm too lazy to go into detail
The Mitchell and Webb Look :D
Berian.
I beg to differ!
Scrubs started off strong but went downhill after like season 4ish. Too sentimental and low-brow. I watched the last episode of the last season recently and felt it was wishy washy self-indulgent masturbatory crap (although I know you like that!)
The Office is good, but go with the British one as it is much much better.
And also, you like Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice? Far be it for me to judge, but I think that makes you a namby pamby nancy girl. Real men watch JACK BAUER catch BULLETS with his TEETH while riding a COUGAR.
I recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is a very smart young adult cartoon developed by Nickelodeon. There are only a few episodes that are groaners [OH OH WILL THEY KISS?!] but on the whole the show is amazing. Heavy Miyazaki influence with a pretty serious story underlining the show.
If you watch it, give it some time before dismissing it.
Quote from: ProgZmax on Tue 04/08/2009 11:54:07
I can't honestly recommend a single new tv show. Now, old tv shows I can do!
Sledge Hammer.
Just a couple of weeks ago I saw David Rasche (Sledge Hammer!) at a screening of
In the Loop, the movie I mentioned earlier. He plays a neo-con who is trying to manipulate and bully the US into war with an unnamed country in the Middle East (reportedly a character based on Wolfowitz, Addington, Rumsfeld et al.), and in the Q&A after the film he was positively giddy about getting a chance to tear into Rumsfeld. Rasche seemed like a good guy, and the film is fantastic. Go see it! A strong contender for the 2009 Jeff Lebowski Award for Best Swearing in a Motion Picture.
Green Wing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQk9excAowY
Sealab2021 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZN3-olI8pY
Frisky Dingo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgKgYcjm8tA
Psychoville - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IK-9l7F4QE
Adventure time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNVYWJOEy9A
Deep Space Nine - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XCWGc3KF-w
Ponderland - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b1oWgMQJRY
Quote from: veryweirdguy on Tue 04/08/2009 11:08:33
*Mr Flibble, for some reason I think you'd like Look Around You a lot. If not, I'm sorry!
Have you been peering into my brain? I absolutely adore that programme! I'm wondering how you knew that :)
Just from the top of my head:
"The Day Today" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6jZFZNeOF0) & "Brass Eye" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRRw1ERj2Gc)
- Truly brilliant and utterly hilarious media/television satire shows by genious Chris Morris.
"The Day Today" spoofs the absurdisms of TV news reporting, and "Brass Eye" focuses more on documentary-styled current affairs programs and how they deal with moral panic concering topics like crime, sex, science and most notoriously, pedophilia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Eye#Paedophilia_special_.282001.29).
"QI"(Quite Interesting) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zuAQAhhMI)
- Probably the only really, truly entertaining panel/comedy quiz show ever.
Led by the almighty Stephen Fry and filled with interesting, nerdy and quite often extremely funny knowledge.
"Charlie Brookers Screenwipe" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b7mwTK564o)
- British TV journalist Charlie Brookers spews out his biting, acidic, but also gut-wrenchingly funny views on both current and old television, filled with raging cynism and humour, but also moments of genuine heartfelt tribute to some true TV gems.
"Homicide: Life on the Street" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlC9ongtH-4)
- My personal favorite when it comes to cop shows.
The show was co-created by author/journalist David Simon, and based on his brilliant book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets", documenting a year with the Baltimore homicide unit in 1988.
The book later also laid the ground for his show "The Wire", which you've already mentioned. Now, I haven't watched "The Wire", so I can't really compare them to each other, but there is no doubt that "Homicide" is one of the finest and most realistic cop shows of its time, with more focus on showing the mundanity of real police work than fast-paced action.
It has colourful characters, good humour, great storylines and a gritty, shaky, almost documentary feel to it, at least in the early seasons. The show did drop in quality around season 6-7, but the first three seasons are nothing short of TV drama brilliance.
(Also, it had one of the most haunting and just hands down perfect opening sequences (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeZLSomwuLw) ever)
Quote from: veryweirdguy on Tue 04/08/2009 14:19:11
Berian.
I beg to differ!
Scrubs started off strong but went downhill after like season 4ish. Too sentimental and low-brow. I watched the last episode of the last season recently and felt it was wishy washy self-indulgent masturbatory crap (although I know you like that!)
The Office is good, but go with the British one as it is much much better.
And also, you like Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice? Far be it for me to judge, but I think that makes you a namby pamby nancy girl. Real men watch JACK BAUER catch BULLETS with his TEETH while riding a COUGAR.
Scrubs was shiter nearer the end, but I'm looking on it as a whole.
The Office American version is very different from the original, but they both have things to offer.
Grey's is totally for girls, but if you watch it long enough you get attached to it.
And I watched the first couple of seasons of 24, but it got boring after a while.
24 is good if you have whole season(s) on DVD and 3-4 days to endlessly watch one.
But catching it from tv with week apart kills pretty much everything... and yeah, same plots play over and over with tiny changes: the first "problem" is never too interesting because it's just cover for second, bigger one, which is cover for third, major conspiracy... :P
Oh, I can't believe I didn't think to throw out HBO's Rome! Another one of the best shows I've ever seen! It takes a couple episodes to find its narrative stride, but from then on, it's such a fantastic, bloody, and yes, intelligent, ride through (somewhat fictionalized) history.
Highly, highly recommended!
Quote from: Mr Flibble on Tue 04/08/2009 16:34:55
Have you been peering into my brain? I absolutely adore that programme! I'm wondering how you knew that :)
Score one for the VW-guy! I'm not sure sir, maybe it's your past discussion of British comedy or your general sense of humour? For some reason I thought you'd dig it. And for some reason I was awesomely right.
Quote from: Rincewind on Tue 04/08/2009 17:38:31
"The Day Today" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6jZFZNeOF0) & "Brass Eye" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRRw1ERj2Gc)
- Truly brilliant and utterly hilarious media/television satire shows by genious Chris Morris.
"The Day Today" spoofs the absurdisms of TV news reporting, and "Brass Eye" focuses more on documentary-styled current affairs programs and how they deal with moral panic concering topics like crime, sex, science and most notoriously, pedophilia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Eye#Paedophilia_special_.282001.29).
Good choice! The Day Today is the sort of thing that you initially think is dumb and silly (not necessarily in a bad way) but on further inspection is actually a pretty decent satire of the media. Still as relevant today as it was back then.
AGA: You make good points on all these things. Stop it?
The X Files. A lot of the info in it seems unreal or weird - but it's actually very accurate & the dialogue, IMO, is brilliant, especially if you like science and/or the supernatural.
Other than that, what about QI? It's billed as "the most intelligent panel show", and I don't understand a word of it, nor do I find it funny whatsoever, but a lot of friends like it and laugh out loud, so it must be doing something for someone ;)
Quote from: InCreator on Tue 04/08/2009 19:19:21
24 is good if you have whole season(s) on DVD and 3-4 days to endlessly watch one.
But catching it from tv with week apart kills pretty much everything... and yeah, same plots play over and over with tiny changes: the first "problem" is never too interesting because it's just cover for second, bigger one, which is cover for third, major conspiracy... :P
I watched the first two seasons like that, but I started to get bored halfway through the second. It was already starting to repeat itself.
Quote from: veryweirdguy on Tue 04/08/2009 19:43:55AGA: You make good points on all these things. Stop it?
Like I can do anything else. I'm a genious.
Quote from: AGA on Tue 04/08/2009 21:08:34
Like I can do anything else. I'm a genious.
Except at spelling. :=
Quote from: Vince Twelve on Tue 04/08/2009 21:34:12
Quote from: AGA on Tue 04/08/2009 21:08:34
Like I can do anything else. I'm a genious.
Except at spelling. :=
A link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony) for you.
Never heard of it. And also... I can't read...
The last decade of TV from any country has been pretty poor
There have been a few shows I've liked, but you really have to sift through the crap.
Probably one of the most entertaining series from the UK is Shameless (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/shameless) It's up to series 7 now, but as with most series, the first few are awesome, and what made them. Then they get more money to spend, and just seem to repeat the same stuff.
Probably the best series to come out of Australia was the first series of Underbelly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underbelly_(TV_series)) Based on true events in the criminal underworld in Melbourne, not sure if it has been shown overseas, but probably can download, or buy (it wasn't shown in the state of Victoria at the same time as the rest of the country, cause trials were still going on, certain characters names weren't revealed because of this)
Flight Of the Conchords is ok, I really like some of their music, but the show can get a bit lame
American TV has gone down hill a lot, prob cause there is just too much of it.
I suggest finding a good Radio station, and forget you had a TV, I've probably switched the tv on an average of 2 times a week for the last year, more often to watch a sporting event, or the shows mentioned above, which are usually on the same night for me.
I can't believe I forgot to mention Peep Show.
British comedy with David Mitchell and Robert Webb (recently both have been doing a lot of TV appearances). It's a sitcom but it's unique in that everything you see is filmed from the perspective of one of the characters, and you also get to hear the main characters' thoughts. The result is hilarious and often so hideously cringe-inducing that it is difficult to watch.
I'd have to say it's my favourite comedy show (even moreso than Red Dwarf, Look Around You and Yes Minister) and I watch it as a form of therapy sometimes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkrGOhLJuhY
It's also a bit like The Odd Couple in some ways: the mix between the straight, uptight, perpetually anxious one and the lazy, slobbish, oafish one. I heard the characters described brilliantly by David Mitchell, "they manage to be all at once self-important and deeply unhappy."
Ooh, Veronica Mars! You have to get past the concept (High school girl solves mysteries) and just try it. It's super intelligent. Even though network fiddling kind of broke the last season.
Quote from: Timosity on Wed 05/08/2009 05:47:34
The last decade of TV from any country has been pretty poor
There have been a few shows I've liked, but you really have to sift through the crap.
I would argue (in fact, I have argued (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33559)) that on the contrary, this decade has been the best time for quality television probably
ever. And I think that's mostly about cable channels like HBO getting in the game, not having to play by the rules of network television, and being able to target smaller niches. (And also about DVD box sets and Internet fandom making it possible to ask more of audiences.) Now even AMC is running acclaimed original programming like
Mad Men and
Breaking Bad.
If you're just watching whatever is on the big networks during primetime, then yeah, television probably seems worse than ever. But who does that, if they're interested in "intelligent" programming? There are so many ways to bottle up the stuff you want to watch and enjoy it on your own terms, you should never have to watch crap again unless you want to.
Quote from: Vince Twelve on Mon 03/08/2009 22:47:42
Hey Voh, I love me some Doctor Who but I gave up on Torchwood somewhere around the dumb Faerie episode in Series 1. The whole thing just wasn't floating my boat. I've heard good things about Children of Earth, though. is it watchable by someone with only the first 7 or so eps of the show under his belt?
Definitely. To me, as a Torchie, it was weird that some of the loose ends of Torchwood proper weren't adressed, which made it very obvious that Children of Earth is something intended for people to go into 'cold'. You'll be fine.
Watch it.
Also, I do watch Dollhouse and Fringe. Dollhouse I'm not sure about, Fringe has 'meh' moments but I still want more. They're both on the list until they prove to be either bad or good, right now they're mostly 'intriguing'.
Bones, to me, is usually one of the highlights of the TV-show-related week. I'm a big fan of David Boreanaz in it, Emily Deschanel is frickin' awesome in it... Hell, I love almost all the characters, their interactions, the comedy is actually funny and the drama is actually... Dramatic. Yes, it's sort of dry sometimes, and yes, it is, at the end of the day, a typical US procedural show, but I can't get enough.
It's my guilty pleasure :)
LOL. Did someone seriously list Scrubs as intelligent. I don't wanna re-read this thread otherwise I'll just laugh at that person for the next 7 years :P
Quote from: Phemar on Tue 04/08/2009 14:12:57
The Mitchell and Webb Look :D
This man knows best.
Quote from: Snarky on Wed 05/08/2009 22:34:53
Quote from: Timosity on Wed 05/08/2009 05:47:34
The last decade of TV from any country has been pretty poor
There have been a few shows I've liked, but you really have to sift through the crap.
I would argue (in fact, I have argued (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33559)) that on the contrary, this decade has been the best time for quality television probably ever. And I think that's mostly about cable channels like HBO getting in the game
Possibly a good point, and maybe a reason why I feel tv is crap, cause a lot of shows have moved over to cable. I'm not paying for tv. After not watching it a lot, I'm really glad I'm no longer addicted to it. It actually feels pretty good, I don't have to hang all week to see the next episode of whatever.
I looked thru that post you made, and I have seen some of the shows you mentioned, I saw the 1st season or so of sopranos but lost interest and never got back into it.
Someone mentioned Deadwood to me a few of years ago, it was only on pay tv over here, so I downloaded all seasons and watched it all, was disappointed it didn't continue.
One of my friends raves about Dexter, and i'll probably borrow the dvd's off him one day.
There's not many free to air channels in Australia, and they just play the big commercial crap.
A few of the alternative type shows get played late at night
I was more into sitcoms, and since Seinfeld, it has never really recovered, the first sign was when Raymond took over as the next big one. No other countries really make many sitcoms, or at least successful ones in recent times. The UK version of The office was good, not so much the US version. I really liked the UK version of Coupling, they also made a US version of it, but it didn't translate too well, didn't really work at all.
I'm more happy to be out of the tv addiction, and plan on getting out and doing more exercise, see what's really happening out there, not living on other peoples fantasies. just stick to a couple of shows and not be disappointed if i happen to miss them.
Not sure what you mean by "intelligent"...
Everyone Loves Ramond
Kim Possible (animated series)
I am married with a family so the above work for me. ;D
I cannot stress this enough: BREAKING BAD
Two seasons of sheer awesome. Seriously. I find it even better than HOUSE, M.D.
Also, I hear MAD MEN is pretty good.
He's alive!
QuoteTwo seasons of sheer awesome. Seriously. I find it even better than HOUSE, M.D.
Holy sh**
Better? Going to watch it right now.
Quote from: voh on Wed 05/08/2009 22:47:13Fringe has 'meh' moments but I still want more.
Agreed... I stuck with the whole season, but despite being slightly disappointed nearly every week something kept drawing me back.. and the ending of the season was enough to ensure I'll definitely keep watching.
Six Feet Under and Rome were great most of the time. Both shows are highly recommended!
For guilty pleasure, I recently watched Supernatural seasons 1 - 4. Once you get past the initial monster-of-the-week episodes it's actually quite a fun ride. Not necessarily intelligent, but currently among the best genre shows.