# One TV Marathon You'd Sit All The Way Through **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432 "2009-06-21T00:55:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/21 "2009-06-21T03:32:40Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Plus _Pushing Daisies._ Why didn’t somebody tell me I needed to watch it? I caught the last show… We tried, but you didn’t watch and, as you, a trend maker or breaker, hadn’t given your imprimatur, they had to cancel it. Sorry, but it’s entirely your fault. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/22 "2009-06-21T03:43:40Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > You’d watch all of Prisoner Cell Block H? Seriously? > > Have you ever watched a similar UK series called Bad Girls? It might be your cup of tea. Yes, as I get the DVDs I am taking up WAY too much of my time watching the fun of Australia’s favourite crims. I’m up to the Myra years now. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/23 "2009-06-21T04:00:50Z")
I’d like to see a marathon of _Soap_. I have no real desire to buy the DVDs, but if I could watch a marathon of it, I would. ---
**Author:** ![Rin\_Twisted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rin\_Twisted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rin_Twisted)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/24 "2009-06-21T06:03:15Z")
Add me to the Firefly and Star Trek lists. Also, Golden Girls. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/25 "2009-06-21T06:17:50Z")
**Dio** got to The Larry Sanders Show before I could. Discovered it on HBO it’s last two seasons and used to be uncensored on a Canadian channel we get up here. Maybe it’s because I was late in getting into it, but it seems to me like one of those rare, GOOD shows that got even better in time, and had great last episode. Other would be: Ducktails Arrested Development The Office (either one) Twilight Zone Firefly ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/26 "2009-06-21T13:52:03Z")
Second \*The Muppet Show \*and _WKRP_. Also _Tales of the Gold Monkey_, _Hogan’s Heroes_, _Jeeves and Wooster_, and _Blackadder_. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/27 "2009-06-21T14:24:38Z")
_Banacek_ the George Peppard TV series from the 70s. There weren’t a lot of them, I have never seen a DVD available in Australia and whenever I have mentioned it to people they don’t know what I am talking about. _Cracker_ the Robby Coltrane series from Britain. Another British series _Journey to the Unknown_ a great series of fantasy stories, again not seen on DVD. This was from the late 60s and I’d love to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/28 "2009-06-21T14:48:48Z")
I’ve actually been running seasonal marathons of _northern exposure_ in my house each week, watching a whole season per weekend for about five week ends so far. This weekend is just two episodes of it away season five. I dunno, I caught a few episodes when it was on a while back, but now that I re-watch it I can’t get enough. Maybe I’m wierd, I dunno. Same for _Black Books_. I saw it recommended here in another thread, and I just been eating it up since. How many series are there in that one again? ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/29 "2009-06-21T15:09:12Z")
Keeping the spirit of the OP who asked what one series we’d be _willing_ to endure in marathon form… Robotech. I’ve actually done this one multiple times over the years, including extras like the Sentinels or the various Robotech movies. And I’ll do it again! I _love_ the Macross story and have read (and reread) the novels and comics… my ideal marathon would not only consist of watching the 85-episode series, but consuming all of the extras-- the two US movies, the Japanese Macross movie and OVAs, playing the games (both released and unreleased), watching Super Dimension Century Orguss just for the crossovers… I’ve experienced (and even enjoyed) plenty of other marathons over the years. Cross-programming against the Jerry Lewis telethon has, over the years, given me marathons of Star Trek TOS, the Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, and more. Bored MTV programmers gave me marathons of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the Monkees… (and a marathon of viewer-filmed videos for Madonna’s True Blue, which soured me on that song for life). My mom and I ponied up a bunch of cash and rented the entire Prisoner series (including the alternate Chimes of Big Ben!) on VHS in its first US release… a little numbing when watched back-to-back-to-back like that… more recently have watched Terminator: TSCC, Voltron, Wonder Woman, How I Met Your Mother, and the L Word in non-stop (if not marathon) fashion. Something about watching a single show for 12+ hours… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/30 "2009-06-21T15:15:08Z")
_Firefly_ and _Andy Richter Controls the Universe_. I’ve never seen a single episode of the first (although I saw and liked _Serenity_), and I really liked the second. Both were all too short, as noted earlier, so in terms of endurance it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge (I assume I can take bathroom breaks). In terms of good, old TV series I haven’t seen in far too long, _MASH, Hill Street Blues, Seinfeld, The Tick, Monty Python_ and _Star Trek: TOS, The Next Generation_ and _DS9_ would all be worth a look. I’d want to have a book or three with me, though, to read during the less-wonderful episodes. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/31 "2009-06-21T15:25:52Z")
My World and Welcome To It, came on before Laugh In . It was by Thurber and it had great writing. Funny show that evaporated. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/32 "2009-06-21T15:29:01Z")
_The Shield_ and \*Seinfeld \* ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/33 "2009-06-21T16:34:52Z")
One TV marathon I’ve always dreamed about is Bobby Flay Loses on Food Network–get every episode of _Iron Chef_ and _Throwdown_ where he gets his arrogant ass handed to him, and run them consecutively all day. I’d tune in! 😃 As for the OP, not that many come to mind: _The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Barney Miller, Mission: Impossible, The Bob Newhart Show_ offhand, though it would come in handy for series before my time (_Your Show of Shows, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Hill Street Blues_ or ones I’ve missed because of pay cable (_The Sopranos, The Wire, The Larry Sanders Show_). ---
**Author:** ![Scruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/34 "2009-06-21T17:26:39Z")
_Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – Making the Team_ ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/35 "2009-06-22T00:09:18Z")
[quote=“ArchiveGuy, post:33, topic:500432”] One TV marathon I’ve always dreamed about is Bobby Flay Loses on Food Network–get every episode of _Iron Chef_ and _Throwdown_ where he gets his arrogant ass handed to him, and run them consecutively all day. I’d tune in! 😃 😃😃😃😃😃 A director’s cut DVD with extras - I sense a best seller here! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/36 "2009-06-22T00:43:25Z")
I’d have to pick something with less than twenty hours of programming and that would be pushing it. Sorry, no eight day continuous marathons for me. So with a US hour long drama taking up 44 minutes that means I’ve got 27 episodes to work with or 54 half-hour long ones. That makes things simple: Firefly The Prisoner Monty Python’s Flying Circus (the previous two being British actually run for their full time slot but there’s few enough episodes.) And hey, let’s toss some anime on there since there’s quite a few entertaining series that just ran for a season (or half season as is more popular these days). It’s been a while since I watched Macross so I’ll go with that. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/37 "2009-06-22T00:52:44Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Babylon 5. I’d tape it(again) as it played. Heh, I own it on DVD ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/38 "2009-06-22T03:43:59Z")
Scrubs hands down. That’s prolly the only one, too. The episodes have their own contained story arcs (to capture my attention), but are still part of a larger arc (to maintain my attention). Plus, I love the writing and J.D.'s kooky nature. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/39 "2009-06-22T03:54:43Z")
Night Court, totally. I’ve sat through a Night Court marathon before and would again. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432/40 "2009-06-22T06:06:44Z")
Wow. While I like a lot of these shows, I don’t think I could force my biological functions to only work during commercials. Do most of y’all have access to TV while, say, in the bathroom? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-tv-marathon-youd-sit-all-the-way-through/500432.md?page=3)