Good TV Shows To Watch: Suggestions Wanted

[TheStatutoryApe]

I don't like many TV shows so I don't watch TV much. Unfortunately I have lately not been able to do much but sit around at home on my days off. There are only so many movies out there to watch so I have taken to watching current and older TV shows on Hulu and elsewhere. One TV show can last me weeks or more depending on how long it ran. I'm running out of options though. I've watched all of the good TV shows that I was aware of and found and watched TV shows that I was not aware of. I am hoping I can get some good suggestions.

What I have watched?

West Wing- Currently watching it.

Kingdom Hospital

Babylon 5

Battlestar Galactica (new)- I am not sure I could get into the old series so I have not watched any of it yet.

Total Recall 2070

House

Dexter

Six Feet Under

Carnivale

Red Dwarf

Quantum Leap

Journeyman

Star Trek- All iterations save Enterprise which my roomie has told me too much about for me to be able to enjoy watching it right now I think.

Eurika

The Lost Room

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

Aeon Flux

Spawn

The Maxx

Cowboy Bebop

The Boondocks

Monk

Top Chef

Heroes

X-Files

Smallville

Northern Exposure

Picket Fences

The Practice

Dead Like Me

Chuck

Legend

Firefly

Merlin

Torchwood

Hustle

Those are all the ones I can think of. Gilmore Girls drives me nuts and I do not like Angel, Charmed, Buffy, or any shows like them. So far I have avoided CSI, 24, Big Love, and Weeds. I don't think I will like them a whole lot.

Looking back on this I think that maybe I watch too much TV. I save my books for when I am not at home though, I tend to spend way too much money on them when I read all the time.

 

[Pengwuino]

Wow that list is HUGE. Why not 24 though? I use to watch when it was new and the first season was awesome! I have it on DVD. What about The Office? Everyone I know loves it and the one person who doesn't is a spawn of the devil i think.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Wow that list is HUGE. Why not 24 though? I use to watch when it was new and the first season was awesome! I have it on DVD. What about The Office? Everyone I know loves it and the one person who doesn't is a spawn of the devil i think.

Many of those I watched years ago back when I was still a couch potato. I figured I would mention having seen them incase anyone suggested them. I've also just thought of a few others. :-/

24 really isn't my style but I have considered it. Still considering.

I hear a lot about the office but have not watched it. I don't care for sitcoms much. I'll keep it in mind though.

 

[lisab]

Wow, that is a long list, haha!

I didn't watch any TV in college (and I mean none...didn't even own one). Then after I graduated, I spent about 2 years watching a *lot*. Ugh. I just needed to de-stress and unwind...probably didn't need to take two years to do it, though.

Then I finally realized I was wasting my life, so I made a rule that I wouldn't start watching new shows. And I kept to that rule for many years...I'll watch House now and again. But I hardly ever watch anything...just news, mostly. It just seems a wasteland to me.

 

[Cyrus]

I waste my time on the interwebs with the likes of you people :)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Tsu and were instantly addicted to West Wing.

Sliders
There is about 30 years of Dr. Who

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Wow, that is a long list, haha!

I didn't watch any TV in college (and I mean none...didn't even own one). Then after I graduated, I spent about 2 years watching a *lot*. Ugh. I just needed to de-stress and unwind...probably didn't need to take two years to do it, though.

Then I finally realized I was wasting my life, so I made a rule that I wouldn't start watching new shows. And I kept to that rule for many years...I'll watch House now and again. But I hardly ever watch anything...just news, mostly. It just seems a wasteland to me.

When I was staying at my parents for a while they had tivo and I would watch a show or two they recorded before bed to unwind. Smallville and Eurika were good time killers. Smallville started to get really bad though. I liked Monk and Top Chef well enough but not so much I guess since I have not kept up with them.
Heroes and Chuck were the only ones I really enjoyed watching. Then I found out about House and Dexter. I was suprised that there were actually four really good TV shows on.

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

I'd suggest you go check out Firefly. It has good righting, and it is a sci-fi western in space, however it isn't hokey like some of the early westerns.

Dollhouse has some good potential however it took almost till the season finally to get there and I have no idea if it will be picked back up.

Rescue Me is a good show. Just a word of warning if you don't like dark comedies steer clear of it.

Also Babylon 5 is a awesome series, it is a 5 season movie, in the first season it alludes to things that will happen several seasons down the road, and keeps dropping hints of things to come in the future. It also shows the consequences of the characters choices, and how they deal and or have to deal with them. It is one of the best written sci-fi shows out there.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I waste my time on the interwebs with the likes of you people :)

But you all leave me alone here in the middle of the night. :-(

Tsu and were instantly addicted to West Wing.

Sliders
There is about 30 years of Dr. Who

I remember watching Sliders. I don't remember if I watched the whole series or not though. Since I can't remember it might be a good one to watch.
And I'm not sure about Dr. Who. I watched some of the new episodes. Then they changed the Doctor and I didn't like the new guy so much. I actually found and watched the whole Torchwood spin off. Pretty cheesy.
I might actually enjoy the older episodes. BBC does good sometimes.
Good calls.

 

[turbo]

Babylon 5. Get the whole set on DVD. Killer.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I'd suggest you go check out Firefly. It has good righting, and it is a sci-fi western in space, however it isn't hokey like some of the early westerns.

Dollhouse has some good potential however it took almost till the season finally to get there and I have no idea if it will be picked back up.

Rescue Me is a good show. Just a word of warning if you don't like dark comedies steer clear of it.

Also Babylon 5 is a awesome series, it is a 5 season movie, in the first season it alludes to things that will happen several seasons down the road, and keeps dropping hints of things to come in the future. It also shows the consequences of the characters choices, and how they deal and or have to deal with them. It is one of the best written sci-fi shows out there.

I just added Firefly to the list. I really liked that one. And Babylon 5 is on there. I actually recently rewatched the whole series including all of the movies and the Crusade spin-off. The acting is not so good but the writing in the original series was fairly impressive.

Dollhouse I have never heard of. I'll look into that. And I really enjoy dark comedy. If you haven't seen it before I would suggest Dead Like Me. Six Feet Under is a dark comedy but also a drama. Still quite good in my opinion. I think the writer from Dexter was in on that one. One of the main characters is actually played by the same actor as Dexter and some of the other actors that have shown up on Dexter were also in Six Feet Under.

So Dollhouse and Rescue Me.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I might actually enjoy the older episodes. BBC does good sometimes.

The old Dr. Who shows require a certain... latitude... Keep in mind that it was a low-budget TV series. I always said that it is where you go when Star Trek is too limiting. It also happens that an amazing number of civlizations in all of time and space look remarkably similar to 16th century England.

I assume that youv'e seen all of the Trek series - esp TNG.

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

The big reason I started to watch and continued to watch Dollhouse through its incredibly slow and painful start is that is is written and directed by the same guy who did Firefly. I'm just hoping that in the second season we get to see the writing that made firefly such a good show to watch.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The old Dr. Who shows require a certain... latitude... Keep in mind that it was a low-budget TV series. I always said that it is where you go when Star Trek is too limiting. It also happens that an amazing number of civlizations in all of time and space look remarkably similar to 16th century England.

I assume that youv'e seen all of the Trek series - esp TNG.

There are some older cheesier shows I like. The first season of Red Dwarf was quite good I thought but it started to get really repeatitive as time went on. I remember I used to love watching the old black and white Perry Mason shows.
During the couch potato years I watched more than one Star Trek marathon. I doubt I have seen all of the episodes but probably a majority of them. I watched every episode of TNG and DS9. Voyager came out when I was weening myself from television and I didn't enjoy the show all that much anyway. Enterprise happened after I had stopped watching TV much. I have heard its pretty good but only seen an episode or two. My roomie told me all about it so I am waiting to forget it all so I can enjoy it.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The big reason I started to watch and continued to watch Dollhouse through its incredibly slow and painful start is that is is written and directed by the same guy who did Firefly. I'm just hoping that in the second season we get to see the writing that made firefly such a good show to watch.

Joss Whedon is great! except for Buffy. Have you seen his Dr Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog? It's hilarious if you are at all into comics and superheros.

 

[Chi Meson]

ALL of http://www.hulu.com/arrested-development" is available on hulu, and you haven't seen it yet? After watching all of that CRAP?

COME ON!

Start with the Pilot, and go in sequence. Here's the line that will hook you:

"They're illusions Michael, a "trick" is something a whore does for money."

"or candy."

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

ALL of http://www.hulu.com/arrested-development" is available on hulu, and you haven't seen it yet? After watching all of that CRAP?

And this is supposed to make me believe that I'll like your suggestion?

Admittedly though many of those shows were not so good. ;-p

 

[GeorginaS]

If you're watching The West Wing, I'd recommend you stop watching after Sorkin left after season four. It's simply not the same show after that. I don't watch t.v. regularly but I rarely missed The West Wing when it was on.

I'd recommend The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, but I don't know that it holds up if you're not current with it.

 

[Cyrus]

All I have to say is: DUN DUNNNNNN

 

[Nephyte]

Tsu and were instantly addicted to West Wing.

One of the best shows on TV in the past decade in my personal opinion.

I'd think that The Big Bang theory would appeal to a lot of members of this forum.

If you're watching The West Wing, I'd recommend you stop watching after Sorkin left after season four. It's simply not the same show after that. I don't watch t.v. regularly but I rarely missed The West Wing when it was on.

There was definitely decline after Sorkin left, but it wasn't all about his writing. The cast remained mostly intact except Rob Lowe, and they were still all excellent through the final season.

 

[redargon]

I watched a few episodes of Lexx, sort of space fantasy. It was pretty good, but a while ago, so not 100% sure. definitely different.

Also, for comedy, watch Invader Zim. It's a cartoon, but I think it's awesome. "mmmm tacos"

 

[Evo]

I loved the first and second season of LEXX, then when they made Lexx sick, the show wasn't worth watching anymore.

 

[drizzle]

I love the x-files, I liked Buffy and Lost [but only the first season, the following ones are boring]

...

Dexter

Six Feet Under

...

Dexter! you mean the cartoon? man my little brother drives me crazy, he just wanted to [build] a laboratory just like his, he keeps saying don’t you guys want me to be as brainy as he is?!

though, I'ld like to watch Six Feet Under, I heard it's good, but time isn't helping!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

One of the best shows on TV in the past decade in my personal opinion.

I'll second that. It was the best series, IMO; esp considering that TV dramas rarely hold my interest any longer.

My favorite from the 90s was Northern Exposure. I liked every episode except the one that had Shelly singing.

 

[Cyrus]

I saidddddddd, DUNN DUNNNNNN

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I loved the first and second season of LEXX, then when they made Lexx sick, the show wasn't worth watching anymore.

That's another one I forgot. I always enjoyed trying to explain Lexx to people.
The second season with the planets Fire and Water was the best. And that last season was pretty bad.

 

[Cyrus]

God people, Law and Order. DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNN.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

God people, Law and Order. DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNN.

Ah, is that what you were Dunning about. Never watch it. I burned out on Cop shows somewhere between Dragnet and In the Heat of the Night.

 

[Cyrus]

Ah, is that what you were Dunning about. Never watch it. I burned out on Cop shows somewhere between Dragnet and In the Heat of the Night.

You've never seen law and order? It's a really good show. They said on the radio the other day its been on for 20 seasons now.

 

[GeorginaS]

I'll second that. It was the best series, IMO; esp considering that TV dramas rarely hold my interest any longer.

My favorite from the 90s was Northern Exposure. I liked every episode except the one that had Shelly singing.

Northern Exposure was excellent. Funny that I actually recall that exact episode you're talking about. I don't think I especially liked or disliked it, but I remember staring at the teevee sideways during it.

 

[Saladsamurai]

Ah, is that what you were Dunning about. Never watch it. I burned out on Cop shows somewhere between Dragnet and In the Heat of the Night.

So that means you didn't make it to Miami Vice?

 

[Pyrrhus]

ALL of http://www.hulu.com/arrested-development" is available on hulu, and you haven't seen it yet? After watching all of that CRAP?

COME ON!

Start with the Pilot, and go in sequence. Here's the line that will hook you:

"They're illusions Michael, a "trick" is something a whore does for money."

"or candy."

This is one of my favorite shows!. Very good taste in Comedy, Chi Meson.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You've never seen law and order? It's a really good show. They said on the radio the other day its been on for 20 seasons now.

I've caught a few episodes. Tsu likes it. Like I said, burned out on cop shows long ago. I don't like medical shows anymore either. House is pretty good but I only watch it if Tsu has it on. I've seen enough screwed up people and tragedy in real life. I don't need it for entertainment. Why Tsu likes to watch medical shows I will never know. She has seen enough misery for ten people.

Actually, I'd bet I do know": On TV, the patients almost always get better.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

So that means you didn't make it to Miami Vice?

Nope, never had that vice.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Northern Exposure was excellent. Funny that I actually recall that exact episode you're talking about. I don't think I especially liked or disliked it, but I remember staring at the teevee sideways during it.

That one had us both cringing.

One of my favorites was where Chris and Bernard meet. That was classic! The episode that introduced Adam and Eve was also a favorite. And I rate Rick's death and funeral as one of the best TV episodes of all time - right up there with the WKRP turkey drop.

I had to hand it to the creators of Dead Like Me. They managed to top getting killed by a satellite!