The Good TV thread

SamYourEye

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Hi Guys, the idea here is for a place where we can discuss all things TV and recommend shows to one another, i'm sure there are all sorts of little gems that we may not have heard of in England or for that matter wherever you guys are. Any recommendations, past and present, are welcome as we can watch near enough anything nowadays.

I'll start;

Arrested Development.
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Hilarious American show focussing on a disfunctional family who lose their fortune. It was given universally great reviews and cleared up the awards, however a combination of poor marketing and the American public not 'getting it' caused its cancellation mid-way through season 3.

Give it a watch, it may take a few episodes as a number of running jokes (backwards and forwards) are used when the show is at its best, i promise you won't be disappointed.
 
The Flight of the Conchords

Time to add another;

The Flight of the Conchords.
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Flight of the Conchords: best new sitcom in years?
HBO's new comedy Flight of the Conchords, coming to BBC4 later this year, is up there with Larry Sanders and Curb Your Enthusiasm in the pantheon of classic sitcoms.
July 13, 2007 9:08 AM

The top brass at the BBC are currently under fire from accusations of vacuous ageism, making decisions like Vicky Pollard (whatever the hell that means), and even faking footage of the Queen having a tantrum.

But at least one of the suits at the Beeb seems to know what they're doing - because BBC4 has just landed the rights to Flight of the Conchords, the best new sitcom to emerge for YEARS, writes Scott Murray.

Flight of the Conchords started its 12-episode run in the US last month on HBO, and already the show should be considered right up there with the channel's other stone-cold classics, Larry Sanders and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The series - a spin-off from the BBC Radio 2 programme of the same name - follows the efforts of New Zealand's "fourth most popular digi-folk parodists" Jemain Clement and Bret McKenzie as they attempt to break their band in the States - all the while "trying to get with some very hot women".

They're never very successful at achieving either of their goals, thanks to the total ineptitude of their manager Murray, and their habit of following each other around when they go on dates. As a result, their conversation at times reaches Peep Showesque desperation:

"Man, back in New Zealand I was getting it on with lots of chicks."

"Who?"

"Sarah Fitzpatrick. Michelle Fitzpatrick. Claire Fitzpatrick. The list goes on."

"That was all of them."

"Triple figures."

"That's not triple figures, that's three."

Risible failure awaits round every corner. One particular date goes pear-shaped after Jemain helps Bret turn his two-hour ballad ("I'd solve the hardest puzzle / Race the fastest animal / Eat the biggest meal / Just to be with you") into the breezy If You're Into It, a cute love song which degenerates into an offer of a threesome involving the lewd use of foodstuffs. (The arrival of the glockenspiel at the end is pure Vic Reeves, you'll note.)

Meanwhile the Conchords' other musical pastiches are uniformly excellent - there are too many to mention, but the "motherflippin'" Hiphopopotamus should suffice for now. The Conchords currently have a fanbase of one, the besotted and borderline-deranged Mel, but back in the real world, Mighty Boosh levels of cultdom surely await.

BBC4 aren't going to air any of this until the autumn. But if you can't wait til then, new episodes are posted on the HBO website every week for a limited period. Exactly when I can't figure out though; that site's all over the shop.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2007/07/conchords.html



I've seen a few episodes and its shaping up really well. Give it a go.

EDIT- seen them all several times now, absolutely amazing! Recommended to anyone.
Any more suggestions, old or new are welcome.
 
Arrested Development is probably the best comedy show I have ever watched. Brilliant
 
The WIRE

Must see show.
It's not your 24, PB, LOST or Heroes. It's to TV shows what Godfather is to movies.

Best way to describe it is : visual novel.

It is about the drug situation in Baltimore, US from the perspective of police and drug dealers. And you actually see how tedious police work can be and the red tape they have to go through. It's not all boom boom like in movies or other shows.
It can be very slow for some people and you would have to be patient, just as when you are reading a book. But each character is given a large time to develop it's own story. Anyone who truly appreciates cinema on Televsion, won't be disappointed one bit.

It has completed 4 seasons now. First one would be slow to start with but last few episodes are very rewarding. 2 is a slow season throughout and most don't enjoy it. 3 is brilliant, 4 start is the best sequence of episodes in the series but finishes with a slow pace.
 
Yeah i really wanted to watch that but i couldnt get the first episode to work so never got round to it
 
I like a lot of shows, but only a few them are truly good quality TV. These would be

Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dexter
 
Ok, going a bit further afield with this one. If anyone is interested in Japanese culture or Manga in particular then this is for you;

Bleach

10247_bleach.jpg


Bleach is addicting and just plain awesome!, 3 July 2007
10/10
Author: babyblue04002 from United States

When I first started watching Bleach it was because I had nothing else to do, i caught it around episode 5. After i watched two shows i was completely hooked. I love everything, the characters, the animation everything! I was running around like a mad woman trying to catch up on the episodes. For main characters we have

Ichigo: A normal 15 year old boy, except for the fact he can see spirits. He's torn up over his mothers death and he's angry. Rukia: A past soul reaper who's lost her powers helps Ichigo all while trying to understand him. Kon: A mod spirit who is actually really funny, i love that he was added to the show.

Once you start watching your captivated for the next half hour, as soon as i turn on Bleach the next thing i know its over.

There are no words to explain how much i love this show, and i know i'm not the only one.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434665/
 
Sam Atherton said:
Lost Season 2 was drivel, seasons 1 and 3 were excellent, but 24 beats the pants off lost
Click to expand...

i liked season 2 the most...season 1 was good too but the first half of season 3 was boring untill the last 6-7 episodes..cant wait for season 4 :boring:
 
Sam Atherton said:
Lost Season 2 was drivel, seasons 1 and 3 were excellent, but 24 beats the pants off lost
Click to expand...

Lost 2 definitely weaker tha the others but still important in the context of the series (just watched them all again. Never seen 24 - do you recommend watching from start?
 
Oh my god, watch 24, seasons 1, 2, 4, and 5 have been simply sensational, 3 and 6 were poorer but it is undoubtledly the revolutionary tv show of its time
 
Sam Atherton said:
Oh my god, watch 24, seasons 1, 2, 4, and 5 have been simply sensational, 3 and 6 were poorer but it is undoubtledly the revolutionary tv show of its time
Click to expand...

Agree completely.
24 and Prison Break are the two shows i would watch over anything else.
 
Sam Atherton said:
Ok, going a bit further afield with this one. If anyone is interested in Japanese culture or Manga in particular then this is for you;

Bleach

10247_bleach.jpg


Bleach is addicting and just plain awesome!, 3 July 2007
10/10
Author: babyblue04002 from United States

When I first started watching Bleach it was because I had nothing else to do, i caught it around episode 5. After i watched two shows i was completely hooked. I love everything, the characters, the animation everything! I was running around like a mad woman trying to catch up on the episodes. For main characters we have

Ichigo: A normal 15 year old boy, except for the fact he can see spirits. He's torn up over his mothers death and he's angry. Rukia: A past soul reaper who's lost her powers helps Ichigo all while trying to understand him. Kon: A mod spirit who is actually really funny, i love that he was added to the show.

Once you start watching your captivated for the next half hour, as soon as i turn on Bleach the next thing i know its over.

There are no words to explain how much i love this show, and i know i'm not the only one.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434665/
Click to expand...


Bleach was good up until the Soul society arc finished. All the constant fillers fecked it up, same thing happened with Naruto. The manga is still brilliant though. Other quality animes are One Piece, Full Metal Alchemist, Ruroni Kenshin, Flame of Recca and Dragonball Z.
 
Top Ten Tv Comedies Results

1. Blackadder with a score of 114 points

2. The Office UK, 93 points

3. The Simpsons of old, 89

4. Fawlty Towers, 83

Joint 5th. I'm Alan Partridge, and Red Dwarf, each with a score of 73 points

7. Curb Your Enthusiasm, 72

8. Seinfeld, 65

9. South Park, 63

10. Monty Python's Flying Circus, 59


There you have it, discuss........
 
KingEric7 said:
Agree completely.
24 and Prison Break are the two shows i would watch over anything else.
Click to expand...

Is Season 3 of PB any good? I really didnt like season 2.

24 is sensational, Lost got me again in season 3, and Sopranos is probably the best of the lot. You wont see better acting than in Sopranos

Arrested development is hilarious, watching it at the moment.
 
The Black Donnellys
Brilliant show, first season has just ended here in Denmark - I then went to check if season 2 had begun in America only to find out they've canceled the show.
It was a really great show and I can't understand why the viewers in America didn't rate it.
I also fail to see why the tv station here in Denmark decided to show the season when there's no real closure to it - got us all addicted and leaving us in dark.
I'm about to download some web-only episode which reportedly gives the show a closure.
 
Top said:
The Black Donnellys
Brilliant show, first season has just ended here in Denmark - I then went to check if season 2 had begun in America only to find out they've canceled the show.
It was a really great show and I can't understand why the viewers in America didn't rate it.
I also fail to see why the tv station here in Denmark decided to show the season when there's no real closure to it - got us all addicted and leaving us in dark.
I'm about to download some web-only episode which reportedly gives the show a closure.
Click to expand...
I know how you feel, i'll never forgive the Yanks for cancelling Arrested Development halfway through production. Same with Family Guy although it did come back.

Whats this show about then??????
 
Top said:
The Black Donnellys
Brilliant show, first season has just ended here in Denmark - I then went to check if season 2 had begun in America only to find out they've canceled the show.
It was a really great show and I can't understand why the viewers in America didn't rate it.
I also fail to see why the tv station here in Denmark decided to show the season when there's no real closure to it - got us all addicted and leaving us in dark.
I'm about to download some web-only episode which reportedly gives the show a closure.
Click to expand...
I remember reading about the possibility of the show moving to HDNET for a potential season 2, but the ratings on HDNET weren't high enough to green light it. Great show mind.
 
I'll have to put this here:

The Wire

Before I watched this, I thought the best TV show I had ever seen was 'OZ', now I probably have to change my mind to 'The Wire'. The show is mind-blowing, the acting is superb, it's consistently brilliant throughout the 4 released series.

If anyone would want links, I'll pm them.
 
Hectic said:
I'll have to put this here:

The Wire

Before I watched this, I thought the best TV show I had ever seen was 'OZ', now I probably have to change my mind to 'The Wire'. The show is mind-blowing, the acting is superb, it's consistently brilliant throughout the 4 released series.

If anyone would want links, I'll pm them.
Click to expand...
I'll give it a go then Hectic, if you see this, PM me
 
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