I know this has been done a frillion times. Sorry.
I’d like to maybe watch some TV series out on DVD. The caveats? I have a low tolerance for gore, realistic violence, and grit. I am, in fact, a weenie about it most of the time.
I’m also pretty easily upset nowadays, so depression, doom, and death is probably not a good bet.
My current favorite shows are Ugly Betty, Supernatural, and The Amazing Race.
Other recent favorites:
Veronica Mars
Psych
Angel
I have a feeling this isn’t going to work because I’m weird, but any suggestions greatly appreciated.
I like Veronica Mars and Angel, too. Have you seen *Buffy *and Firefly? I know you’re not a big sci-fi fan, but *Firefly *is really very good.
How about: The Closer (I don’t usually like cop shows, but the ensemble cast is funny.)
*Bones *is fun to watch to see David Boreanaz being pompous and cheerful instead of dark and brooding.
*Extras *is hilarious, but only if you like Ricky Gervais.
*Rome *is excellent, as is the old I, Claudius mini-series, but there is a fair amount of violence in these, as you know.
Have you seen the *Cadfael *mysteries?
I know people who don’t much like Gervais but love this for the cameos. It is so funny watching good actors make themselves look silly. Ben Stiller the egotist, lewd Kate Winslet, self obsessed Orlando Bloom and pubescent Daniel Radcliffe were all great fun.
If by “a fair amount of violence” you mean “more bloody, gruesome, horrific torture, disfigurement, and murder than on nearly any other show ever made, including Deadwood and The Sopranos,” I agree :). Probably not what the OP is looking for, although Rome is a wonderful show.
I was very skeptical about 30 Rock: the premise sounded dreary, and I’m not a huge fan of sitcoms. But my wife and I rocketed through both DVD seasons over the past few weeks. And best of all, there’s nothing remotely realistic about it.
You’re right. But I don’t find violence in a historical setting nearly as depressing as violence in a modern setting. It seems less real to me, I guess. Anyway, I think I remember that the OP read I, Claudius recently and enjoyed it, and I know she’s read some Steven Saylor, so that’s why I suggested it.
If you’re willing to take a miniseries rather than a full series, I strongly recommend Cranford. Nineteenth-century British village life, with the focus on the women – portrayed by an amazing cast.
I recommend Hustle, a very shiny British show about con artists. There are only six episodes in each series, but it’s engaging and funny and the opposite of gritty. If you like The Spanish Prisoner or Sneakers or Ocean’s Eleven, you may enjoy Hustle.
Hijack: my wife and I just started watching this, after many recommendations. During the second episode (we figured we should give it another chance after the dreadful first episode), my wife said, “This might be scary, if I’d never seen television before.” I agreed.
If folks say we’re crazy and that the show is great, we’ll return the disc and never watch it again. If folks agree that the first episodes are weak but that it gets better, can you tell us what episode/season to skip to, so we can see why it gets recommended so often? (We’re happy to read some brief synopses of previous eps to get up to speed).
Have you seen the Jeeves & Wooster series from back in the day?
I also recently picked up a shovelware compilation of old Jack Benny episodes from Half Price Books. Some episodes hold up, some don’t, but for under ten bucks you can’t go wrong.
Freaks and Geeks has been mentioned already so what about Undeclared? You might want to watch Freaks and Geeks first then, if you like it, get Undeclared.
I was going to recommend Middleman but I don’t think it’s out on DVD yet.
Have you checked out the website Hulu? It has a pretty remarkable library of free streaming videos. I watched all of Arrested Development over about a week (53 episodes). It’s an off the wall comedy, but has a large following here on the Dope. I think it’s hilarious.
Trust me, you’ll love it, if you like the 40’s, etc.