Favorite TV shows

S

Stas_Tagios

Well-known member
Well, we've got threads on favorite movies, worst movies, and favorite directors, but no tv threads, so here's one. A lot of good work being done on the small screen, and IMHO, the last five to ten years of tv have produced series a lot more involving, compelling, and better-written than most theatrical films. Plus a show can develop characters and story arcs over the long form. And a lot of it's free! No plunking down ten bucks for something you wind up not liking.

Anyway, on with my list.

Classic TV
MASH
Moonlighting
Cheers (seasons 1-4)
Star Trek
The Twilight Zone

Post 80's TV
The Simpsons (Seasons 1-5)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Firefly
ER
Scrubs
Sex and the City
Seinfeld
Friends (Seasons 1-4)
Freaks and Geeks
My So-Called Life
The X-Files (seasons 1-4)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 3-6)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Seasons 1-2)

Extremely Guilty Pleasures/Childhood nostalgia/Temporary Insanity
Shazam!
The Dukes of Hazzard
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Going out on some real limbs, there, bud! ;)

In addition to what you write above:

I thought "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was one of the best-written, best-acted, most compelling dramas on the air in the '90s.

I thought the same of "Picket Fences," and the first couple seasons of "Chicago Hope."
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Damn Stas

We have similar tastes.

MASH
Didnt 'get it' as a child but do now. (I was born in 70)

CHEERS
Every freakin year it was on.

NIGHT COURT
John Larroquette!

FAMILY TIES
Alex P Keaton. Fox was such a talent (is)

FRIENDS
Lost interest in last few years due to Survivor and
the fact that I grew up (Married with 4 year old son; career; film dream) and they never did.

SEINFELD
Ended way before it should have :'(

MOONLIGHTING
Bruce Bruce Bruce

ER
Still watch religiously. Best Drama on t.v.

X FILES
Yes. The earlier years; super cool.

MY SO CALLED LIFE
Wow. Great great stuff; ahead of its time.

I never 'got' Star Trek :-/
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

John,

I didn't start watching ER until around season 4, then had to go back and obsessively watch the previous seasons in reruns on TNT, everyday, till I had caught up. Shows that can maintain a consistent quality for more than two or three seasons never cease to amaze me. How the hell do they do it? Lot of talented people working long hours, no doubt.

Thought the show faltered beginning around the season when Carter was stabbed by the mental patient; it started getting too melodramatic, with a new, more overblown scenario each week, but this last season is a huge improvement. Romano's arm getting chopped off and Romano being crushed by the crashing helicopter later in the season notwithstanding, the show's really gotten back to the characters, and character-oriented stories. I'm loving the current cast.

If I have a problem with the show, it's that after so many years on the air, I think they've exhausted the possibilities as far as medical cases go (how many more "abused children" or "dying seniors" storylines can they do? Plus, they've really worn out the biggest hospital show cliche, the doctor performing CPR on a patient who's already dead, but the doctor can't accept it, and finally one of his more rational colleagues has to say "Call it. Time of death..."), but since it's hard to remember the details of every specific patient on every episode of every season, I guess it's not a big deal.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still glued to my set every Thursday at 10. Will probably keep watching till it goes off the air. And buy the DVD's as well. :)
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Exactly

I love it till its end but sometimes agree that something else needs to go down; I loved the Congo storyline (or wherever they were!) and the show did falter for a time (When Clooney left I was like "Noooooooo!"). I actually thought it was killer when Carter was stabbed but that chick died (she was cool).

I was way over the Lesbian story; give me a break Im glad they killed her off.

Great show still!
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Past favs: Seinfeld of course
Cheers


Recently deceased: Fraser
Friends

Star Trek (Orig) was WAY ahead of it's time. So far ahead infact, I guess that is why it was cancelled after just 3 seasons in the 60's and cuaght fire ten years later. movies made so on and son.


Today's TV: Cold Case
Jamie Kennedy Experiment is funny from time to time.
Amazing Race
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Other than Seinfeld and 24. . .
1. Oz-definitely for the seasons 1, 2, and maybe 3. The writing started to jump the shark horribly going past 3, but then again, so did the Sopranos. Just watching the intros for new
2. Stargate SG-1-Didnt really care for the movie, but after reading the Amazon reviews, I decided to give the first season a whirl. Damn, most TV shows dont really find there strength after season 3 or 4(i.e.: Star Trek:TNG or Buffy), but this show got good at the last four episodes on season 1. Each season got better, and is the only show that I've bought all the DVD's for. The show takes place now, not 500 years from now, showing how the U.S. government and politicians deal with stargate. The show mixes sci-fi w/ancient mythology, and has comedy. Also, the storyline is continuing, unlike other shows that "reset to zero"(a lot of shows do this, but Trek was SOOOO guilty of this),with events happening in one episode, and then, the next episodes after make no mention of past events, except maybe in season cliffhangers. Best of all, Richard Dean Anderson, as Jack O'Neill, is still RDA that we love from MacGyver, the "Han Solo" character missing from sci-fi shows, not an upper class, snooty, 2-D cardboard guy, like in Trek. And the show has NOT ran out of steam going into season 8!!!
3.The Dead Zone-great Stephen King story, great writing, where special effects enhance the storyline!! the dvd box set of season 1 is filled w/so much extras.
4. WKRP-way ahead of its time and Bailey was hotter than Loni Anderson
5. Parker Lewis Can't Lose-seasons 1 and 2, great stuff. Season 3-he lost, and it was horrible way to go. Synchronize watches!!

*guilty pleasures: Three's Company, Saved By the Bell, Sherman Oaks, Married w/Children, WWE-yes, I grew up in the 80's!!
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

I'm on board with SG-1; I'm a total junkie.

Parker Lewis -- you may be the first person I've met who can even remember that show without being prompted. (Fox used to be a great network, once.)

It's Your Move, anyone?
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Okay, first of all, Parker Lewis was phenomenal. Wasn't it "synchronize Swatches?"

Secondly, It's Your Move was absolute dynamite. Jason Bateman was phenomenal in that show. Those were two of my favorite shows!

"The New Adventures of Beans Baxter", anyone?
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

My Mother the Car :)
Charles in Charge ;)
Cop Rock :D
American Idol ;D

Seriously, The Simpsons and Seinfeld are my all-time faves.
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

The Adventures Of Pete & Pete (Ahead of its time...)
Tales from the Crypt (Growing up this is what got me into horror films)
Degrassi (Junior High, High, and Next Generation...all are classic Canadian television series (I'm not Canadian))
Strangers With Candy (Amy Sedaris is hilarious!)
Freaks and Geeks (Don't know why, but I love this show)

- Austin -
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=movies;num=1087006029;start=0#9 date=06/14/04 at 16:30:19]
"The New Adventures of Beans Baxter", anyone?[/quote]

"It wasn't my mother who named me Sue."

Tellin' ya -- early Fox rocked the house!
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

I think 6 feet under has to be one of my favorites now.
Did anyone see "The Prisoner"? That was a classic. I have the first two DVD box sets.
OZ (seasons one and two)
When I was a kid in Mexico, I used to have 2 favorite shows:
"Señorita Cometa" A japanese Sitcom about this chick with a magic wand in a mini skirt who was the nannie of these two brothers: Takeshi and Cogi. At the end a cartoon proffessor would grade her on the cheek. Some of those stories were pretty deep. And by the way, the movie Toy Soldiers about the toys declaring war on these kids was a ripoff of one of the chapters of this show, where all the GI Joes declare war on Takeshi and Cogi. Really good stop motion.

The other show aws UFO (maybe a british show about aliens attacking earth) Where the humans would have these submarines where the tips would turn into jet airplanes to intercept the aliens. And their helmets were full of some type of black ink that didn't let you see their faces.

All the Looney Tunes as well.

Ecoloco
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

A magic wand in a mini skirt? Musta been some small skirt...

... oh, but that just totally flashed an image in my head: "H.R. PufNStuf", with that kid holding that horrible talking flute...
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a dissenter of my generation in that I *HATE* H. R. Pufnstuf!!

Dr. Shrinker and Wonderbug, though, are different stories . . .
 
Re: Favorite TV shows

Jimerson, dont forget Land of the Lost and ElektraWoman and DynaGirl--just what kids TV needs, more deranged Syd and Marty Krofft shows!! :P
 
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