What are some popular TV shows recommended by a scientist?

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SUMMARY

This forum discussion centers on popular TV show recommendations from various users, highlighting favorites such as Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory, and Sherlock. Users express mixed feelings about shows like Dexter and Boardwalk Empire, noting a decline in quality over time. The conversation also touches on the impact of character development in series like House and How I Met Your Mother, with users debating the effectiveness of plot-driven versus character-driven storytelling.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with popular TV series and their cultural impact
  • Understanding of character development in television storytelling
  • Knowledge of streaming platforms like Netflix and BBC iPlayer
  • Awareness of narrative structures in episodic television
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the narrative techniques used in Sherlock and its adaptations
  • Explore character arcs in Breaking Bad and House
  • Investigate viewer reception and critical analysis of Dexter and Boardwalk Empire
  • Learn about the evolution of sitcoms, focusing on How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for television enthusiasts, writers, and critics interested in character development, narrative structure, and the evolution of popular TV shows.

Jameson
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I'm really into a few series. My favorite show right now is Breaking Bad. Highly recommend it. The first few seasons of Dexter were amazing but the show has gone downhill. Also recently on BBC there has been the best version of Sherlock Holmes I have ever seen. Recommend as well Shameless and Californication (both on Showtime) and finally The Big Bang Theory. A few more shows I watch when I can: House, The Mentalist and The Office (yuck).

What about you?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Law and Order
The Big Bang Theory
 
I agree with Breaking Bad. Maybe my n°1 TV series.
But since I'm catching up with Oz, I'm wondering if this one shouldn't be n°1 ! Anyway, they are two really AMAZING shows.
Another recommanded one : Six Feet Under, maybe the only show which made me feel like I learned something while watching it : truly overwhelming.

I have also been recently disappointed by Dexter and some other show such as Boardwalk Empire (which first seemed to be outstanding !).
Anyway, with my exams coming nearer and nearer, I don't find the time to watch as much as I used to...
Yet, I keep watching Oz :')
 
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The Big Bang Theory
After Lately
Storage Wars
The King of Queens
 
i watch a lot of tv. shows i watch (in no particular order):

House
Castle
Person of Interest
Dexter
CSI
Unforgettable
Game of Thrones
Once Upon A Time
Grimm
The River

probably forgetting some stuff. oh well.
 
Jameson said:
Also recently on BBC there has been the best version of Sherlock Holmes I have ever seen.
You rang?

---------- Post added at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 PM ----------

I really hope Moriarty returns in the next series somehow. The BBC also screened Inside Men, the last episode of which will be transmitted tomorrow night on BBC one (I imagine the whole series will be available on iplayer for a while after, though). I think it's really good.
 
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Big Bang Theory
Sherlock (which I don't like very much because it is too predictable)
Dr Who (when its on)

and not much else any more...

CB
 
CaptainBlack said:
Sherlock (which I don't like very much because it is too predictable)
If it was really predictable, explain the ending then! (Rofl)
 
Sherlock said:
If it was really predictable, explain the ending then! (Rofl)

Given the epsisode title you know he did not die. Given that, I was not bothered to work out the detail, however my 17 year old daughter says she spotted what happened.

(In fact I was miffed off at the ham-fisted way the producers felt they had to explicitly give the game away by showing he was alive, same with the beheading of The Woman)

CB
 
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  • #10
CaptainBlack said:
Given the epsisode title you know he did not die. Given that, I was not bothered to work out the detail, however my 17 year old daughter says she spotted what happened.

(In fact I was miffed off at the ham-fisted way the producers felt they had to explicitly give the game away by showing he was alive, same with the beheading of The Woman)

CB

I read quite a bit about theories of how Sherlock survived the fall but none of them seemed convincing. What does your daughter say about it? Obviously telling John to stand in place was a big part of it and the cyclist hitting him as well seems too perfect to be coincidental.
 
  • #11
Jameson said:
I read quite a bit about theories of how Sherlock survived the fall but none of them seemed convincing. What does your daughter say about it? Obviously telling John to stand in place was a big part of it and the cyclist hitting him as well seems too perfect to be coincidental.

To be honest I did not ask.

There may have been some TV jiggery pokery involved as it certainly looked like Sherlock on the ground despite not quite being shown a close up. But it is quite obvious that the real body if there is one is Moriarty's. Also in the book they both fall, if that is a clue?!

CB
 
  • #12
I want to add Damages to my list. I'm not very into law shows but after watching the first season in three days on Netflix I am officially hooked.
 
  • #13
CaptainBlack said:
Also in the book they both fall, if that is a clue?!

I thought that in The Empty House, Holmes explains that "I have some knowledge, however, of baritsu, or the Japanese system of wrestling, which has more than once been very useful to me. I slipped through his grip, and he with a horrible scream kicked madly for a few seconds, and clawed the air with both his hands. But for all his efforts he could not get his balance, and over he went."
 
  • #14
Opening up the PVR...

Pointless
Eggheads
Motorway Cops
TV Burp
Mock the Week
The Tube [ended yesterday]
The Big Bang Theory
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
 
  • #15
At the moment:

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman
Unforgettable
Criminal Minds
 
  • #16
CaptainBlack said:
(In fact I was miffed off at the ham-fisted way the producers felt they had to explicitly give the game away by showing he was alive, same with the beheading of The Woman)

I agree with this entirely (although I wasn't bothered about the Woman bit). There were quite a few bits in the series which didn't quite `work'. I mean, in the Baskervilles episode, why was the guy still producing the gas? Was he hoping to sell it somewhere or something? I just wasn't convinced by it...
 
  • #17
Jameson said:
I read quite a bit about theories of how Sherlock survived the fall but none of them seemed convincing. What does your daughter say about it? Obviously telling John to stand in place was a big part of it and the cyclist hitting him as well seems too perfect to be coincidental.
I love how i met your mother series the most and also love to see vampire diaries and in HIMYM I love barney's character most.
 
  • #18
Jameson said:
I want to add Damages to my list. I'm not very into law shows but after watching the first season in three days on Netflix I am officially hooked.
Hi Jameson,
I want to ask you something that my post should be 8 in the forum but there is only one displaying,What is the reason behind this?

 
  • #19
anky2930 said:
Hi Jameson,
I want to ask you something that my post should be 8 in the forum but there is only one displaying,What is the reason behind this?


Posts made in the chat room don't count.
 
  • #20
Alexmahone said:
Posts made in the chat room don't count.

That is correct. We like a user's post count to reflect high quality posts so by not having posts in the chat room count toward this total it allows more freedom in the chat room.
 
  • #21
Just watched The Big Bang Theory season finale. Wasn't too impressed. Lots of season finales are coming up though and summer shows will take over. I've kind of forgotten what most of those shows are so can't really say what I'm looking forward to but I'm hoping a couple of them will be my new regulars. If not, well then I should be studying anyway for my exam in July so I'll live. Anyone excited about a finale wrapping up or a new show coming up?
 
  • #22
It's old but relevant. I'm almost ending sixth season of House and so far it's one of the best. How many of you have watched it? I think it's amazing.
 
  • #23
Fantini said:
It's old but relevant. I'm almost ending sixth season of House and so far it's one of the best. How many of you have watched it? I think it's amazing.

I watched the first four seasons but I noticed towards the end of season 4 it became a generic character based program (instead of plot driven)
 
  • #24
Fourth season was the worst, in my opinion. Perhaps if you continued you changed your mind. The main plot of the show became basically the personality of House, which I do find very amusing. The "unsolvable" medical cases became just the background for what really mattered: the relationships between the characters.

Maybe what I just pointed out is what exactly you didn't enjoy in the show though. In that case, happens. (Drunk)
 
  • #25
House hit a low at some point around the fourth season, although I can't remember precisely. It definitely picked back up again and became watchable until the end, and believe me I am a very harsh critic so I do not say that lightly. :)
 
  • #26
I haven't seen many TV series,but yeah I must say Big Bang Theory is my favorite from all.
 
  • #27
Well, the list is long, so I'll say the main ones:

Curb Your Enthusiasm (staring the cocreator of Seinfeld, Larry David)
Louie
Seinfeld (just finished the 4th Seinfeld marathon in my life, not counting the episodes I watxhed on TV)
The Big Bang Theory is good, although the writing structure is a little cliché
HIMYM
 
  • #28
ModusPonens said:
Well, the list is long, so I'll say the main ones:

Curb Your Enthusiasm (staring the cocreator of Seinfeld, Larry David)
Louie
Seinfeld (just finished the 4th Seinfeld marathon in my life, not counting the episodes I watched on TV)
The Big Bang Theory is good, although the writing structure is a little cliché
HIMYM

Louis CK is my favorite comedian at the moment. He's crude, unapologetic, politically incorrect and hilarious. Louie is not a normal sitcom or comedy show by any means but I too like it a lot.

First few seasons of HIMYM were very funny but the story has dragged on too long for me. Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel are carrying the show.
 
  • #29
Jameson said:
Louis CK is my favorite comedian at the moment. He's crude, unapologetic, politically incorrect and hilarious. Louie is not a normal sitcom or comedy show by any means but I too like it a lot.

First few seasons of HIMYM were very funny but the story has dragged on too long for me. Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel are carrying the show.

He's my favorite stand up comedian. My favorite comedian is Larry David. Louie still has much to do to catch up with Larry, an almost impossible task, imo. He's young, so we'll see. :) Have you seen Lucky Louie, his previous sitcom?

I see where you're coming from, on HIMYM. I didn't have that problem because I saw 6.5 seasons in a row, so it didn't seem too long. :D Jason Segel is my favorite. :)
 
  • #30
I like the big bang theory, house and seinfeld lol. To bad house ended.