Which show should I check out?

Pigman II

I'm interested in checking out some shows that I've heard good stuff about but to date have never seen a single episode of. I've prepared a shortlist above. Which one do you recommend I start with?

Or if you think something else is particularly watch-worthy feel free to mention it here.

herobear

carnivale, farscape, deadwood, freaks & geeks, invader zim and twin peaks are all great! but tbh it really depends on what genres you like, like for example farscape is pretty heavy sci-fi.

my current obsessions are both veronica mars and las vegas, both of which are fantastic.

if you let me know what type of stuff you're already into, i can advise further.

Pigman II

I'm fairly open to all genres. Wouldn't just write off something because it was coming from a particular angle. Would have to see it and then make a decision.

Earthhorse

Haven't seen everything on your list so I'll just comment on what I have seen...

Freaks & Geeks: A good, offbeat show about a bunch of kids coming of age in the eighties. I remember quite liking this at the time it was first shown RTE, even championing it to friends and family, but it only ran for one season so there isn't much development of plotlines or characters. I think some people with this show lament what could have been rather than what actually was - it's entertaining sure but it's also overrated.

Mysterious Cities of Gold: A cartoon from the eighties. You know what that means don't you? Everything good you've been hearing about it is a result of nostalgia. I remember enjoying this as a kid. As an adult coming to it for the first time I can't see what you'd get out of it.

As the first reply said, it really does depend on your taste. I'd personally avoid Farscape (sci-fi at it's mediocrest) and Jam (humourless humour) but that's based purely on my taste.

From your list Twin Peaks stands out as being most worthy of a try. TV normally dates quite badly but when you've a visionary like Lynch behind the scenes it's unlikely that'll happen.

I don't know what else you've seen. Personally I think the best shows of the last few years have been Firefly, Prison Break, Life On Mars, House and Veronica Mars (roughly in that order too).

J.R.HARTLEY

brisco county jr is my reccommenndation, it's bruce campbell for god sake, a sci-fi western, how was it ever cancelled, only problem is it's expensive (if your buying, not renting )

Cina

I'd recommend Carnivale, it's magnificent, beautifully shot, great acting, wonderful storyline which I could see no flaws in. Everything that happened was always given an explanation, nothing left untold. It's a shame it got cancelled really as the first season was excellent and the second season was unbelievable!

Also, another fantastic HBO show is Rome, first season finished before xmas. Wonderful television, I remember one reviewer saying it was like they put the Sopranos into Roman times!

Hell, have HBO ever made anything bad?

tvnutz

Carnivale and Deadwood are well worth watching. Carnivale is very slow moving in the first season so if you have no patience,you might not like it! It was also cancelled after the 2nd season so we didn't get a proper ending. Still an amazing show though.

Cina wrote:

Hell, have HBO ever made anything bad?

Extras...complete pile of crap,well I suppose it wasn't all HBO's doing.

Faerie

They've already been mentioned but I would definately recommend Veronica Mars and Rome. They're excellent! Also if you're one of the very few who don't watch Lost, watch it!

I've not actually seen any of the programmes on your list but I've heard lots of good things about Freaks and Geeks. It's supposed to be a classic.

1huge1

Faerie wrote:

They've already been mentioned but I would definately recommend Veronica Mars and Rome. They're excellent! Also if you're one of the very few who don't watch Lost, watch it!

I've not actually seen any of the programmes on your list but I've heard lots of good things about Freaks and Geeks. It's supposed to be a classic.

i find lost to be really dragging on used to love it and all

Takeshi_Kovacs

-Watching Deadwood at the moment, very well acted and written,
-The Sopranos is excellent.
-Veronica Mars is very good too, and i love Veronica's wit and especially when she says " a pony!!??" yumm..
-Rescue Me is very good too, funny and serious, and Denis Leary is crazy...
-House M.D. is another one to watch, very well acted, and House himself is classic..
-Prison Break currently on RTE, is a great show, although it remains to be seen how the second series will live up to the first
-Lost... you either love it or hate it...
-Greys Anatomy.. haven't seen it yet, but getting good reports of it
-ER...
-The Wire, being hearing really good stuff about this series, but haven't yet gotten my hands on it yet.. working on that though..


well theres a few for ye...
Looking forward to 'The Black Donnellys', which will be aired in the US this winter.. looks interesting.

Wertz

Have to vote Farscpae from your list, very innovative sci-fi, the SFX and puppetry is outstanding, great story arcs, convoluted plot with plenty of twists and a truly stunning finale (:D) I watched almost all the episodes years ago on BBC2, and eventually ended up getting all 4 seasons which I'm currently re-watching.

...and I thoroughly recommened The Wire, if you've not had the pleasure.

SoupyNorman

JAM is sick, twisted, dark, warped, unsavory, and disgusting.

I love it.

ixoy

Out of your list:

"Twin Peaks" - It allowed TV to be different, to break away from the typical cop/court-room drama mould. It has some of the zaniest and most original characters I've ever seen and some really innovative scenes and idea. A beautiful soundtrack and some highly memorable moments. S2 isn't on DVD as yet so the only versions floating around of that aren't of the highest quality, but don't let that put you off. Watch the movie only after seeing all the episodes.

"Farscape" - Fantastic sci-fi. Really original in how it takes the standard mould and twists it out of recognition. With S2+ you also get some really meaty arcs with proper character development. Also sprinkled with a nice dose of humour.

"Carnivale" - Slow-paced, beautifuly shot and acted drama about the last battle, as it were. Sort of reminded me a little of "Twin Peaks" in styling, in that there's a lot of mysterious characters with their own agenda (although considerably less "kooky"). Unfortunately prematurely killed, which is a shame.

Might I strongly add "The Wire" - I think I was one of the first to preach it here and I will continue to do so. Very realistic drama set around a wire-tap unit in Baltimore with each season basically following a single investigation. What's particularly good is its even-handness depiction of both criminal and cop without making a judgemental moral stance. Some fantastic characters too.

Jilm

The main problem with Deadwood is the fact it is in a fixed setting, most westerns aren't as static. Once you get over that it is well worth the watch.

Twin Peaks hasn't aged well IMHO, despite this it is essential viewing.

Freaks & Geeks and Invader Zim are both worth the buy/download.

Not very familar with the rest.

ScruffySlayer

Dead Like Me, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars are all worth a shot. All currently airing in various slots around the channels so look for them, they're all in that "sounds ****e but are actually brilliant" genre of TV.

byte

I voted MCoG, having finally watched all 39 episodes. Though, as mentioned earlier, it's a nostalgia trip. If you've never seen it before, you probably won't enjoy it.

I see trailers on UKtv Gold for Prison Break which looks good though being on this channel, it's not really new.

Ruu_Old

byte wrote:

I voted MCoG, having finally watched all 39 episodes. Though, as mentioned earlier, it's a nostalgia trip. If you've never seen it before, you probably won't enjoy it.

I see trailers on UKtv Gold for Prison Break which looks good though being on this channel, it's not really new.

Another vote for the MCoG.

pickarooney

Most of the series mentioned require you to be in a certain mood to watch them, I reckon, apart from Freaks and Geeks. Of the lot, Twin Peaks is by far my favourite.

Whoever mentioned Rescue Me should be speyed, however.

Rockerette

24

yeeeeah

GrumPy

Rockerette wrote:

24

yeeeeah

Agreed, I am half way through series 1 (watching it as I type) and it's very good.

Rockerette

yup it is, i love it.

Elmo

Freaks & Geeks: A good, offbeat show about a bunch of kids coming of age in the eighties. I remember quite liking this at the time it was first shown RTE, even championing it to friends and family, but it only ran for one season so there isn't much development of plotlines or characters. I think some people with this show lament what could have been rather than what actually was - it's entertaining sure but it's also overrated.

I felt that the Characters where very well developed over the 22 episodes and the acting was excellent. It was a far more realistic version of Teenage life in american (unlike the incredible clickly like oh my god OC and the like not so cool One Tree Hill).

Is it overrated by the fans? Maybe but when you look at it as a Teen Drama it is one of the best if not the best, definently up there with the melodramatic My So Called Life. But then its not hard to be good in a genre which defines cool and ridiculs reality.

Mysterious Cities of Gold: A cartoon from the eighties. You know what that means don't you? Everything good you've been hearing about it is a result of nostalgia. I remember enjoying this as a kid. As an adult coming to it for the first time I can't see what you'd get out of it.

Did it ever ****ing end?

brisco county jr is my reccommenndation, it's bruce campbell for god sake, a sci-fi western, how was it ever cancelled, only problem is it's expensive (if your buying, not renting )

I thought this was so funny when it was on, would love to see it repeated.

"Twin Peaks" - It allowed TV to be different, to break away from the typical cop/court-room drama mould. It has some of the zaniest and most original characters I've ever seen and some really innovative scenes and idea. A beautiful soundtrack and some highly memorable moments. S2 isn't on DVD as yet so the only versions floating around of that aren't of the highest quality, but don't let that put you off. Watch the movie only after seeing all the episodes.

Perhaps it me but Uhhh! Twin Peaks! total over rated show. The soundtrack is ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The movie is dreadful. I just cann't watch this show.

Spahrep ti em tub hhhU! Niwt skaeP! yllatot revo detar wohs. eht kcartdnuos si hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhha! eht eivom si lufdaerd. I tsuj t'nnac hctaw sith wohs.

Dead Like Me, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars are all worth a shot. All currently airing in various slots around the channels so look for them, they're all in that "sounds ****e but are actually brilliant" genre of TV.

Dead Like Me is good. Gilmore (how fast can we talk and how to write a script about nothing) Girls.

Veronica Mars I haven't seen yet!

Medium is quite good.

monkeyfudge

Elmo wrote:

Did it ever ****ing end?

Yes it did... but the BBC in their infinite wisdom saw fit not to show the last episode.

Ruu_Old

Elmo wrote:

Did it ever ****ing end?

It did, wouldn't want to spoil the ending for you or anyone else though.

Elmo

Yes it did... but the BBC in their infinite wisdom saw fit not to show the last episode.

Well I was watching it on the den. Ulassey's was another one that never ended. I just thought they where ****.

monkeyfudge

Ah they were great. They didn't talk down to kids like crap shows like Bravestarr, He-man and M*A*S*K with their heavy handed morals.

ixoy

Elmo wrote:

Well I was watching it on the den. Ulassey's was another one that never ended. I just thought they where ****.

Yes it did and it ended properly and has only, I think, 27 episodes (I have the DVDs). Never slag Ulysses 31! And not liking "Twin Peaks"? Begone to the Black Lodge!

Ruu_Old

ixoy wrote:

Yes it did and it ended properly and has only, I think, 27 episodes (I have the DVDs). Never slag Ulysses 31! And not liking "Twin Peaks"? Begone to the Black Lodge!

26 episodes I think, great series! I have them also.

Wertz

Godamnit, now I have to go hunt up Ulysses....I've seen most of them, but never saw the conclussion. Best cartoon ever 'cept for The Pink Panther Show

jor el

Ah Ulysses31, used to love that but never seen the end. And due to my exceedingly low will power and openness to suggestion I've just bought the DVD. Wasn't it Spartacus that never bloody ended though, and got seriously weird too.

From the list though I'd say Carnivale, strange and slow moving, but really good none the less.

But I'd recommend The Wire as must see TV. Such a brilliant show. First two seasons are available on DVD from play.com pretty cheap, even seen them in Xtravision for €40 each I think, not too bad.

Basq

'F and G' FTW!

Bixmoo

you seen Trailer Park Boys?