Although I love Buffy, I’d counsel against. Somewhere around season 6 she starts banging another central character so hard it brings the house down. Definitely running on fumes for a while there…
But it got better again, much like a newt.
We’ve been watching lots of British detective series, and prefer amusing ones. New Tricks has lots of good character and laughs, and no gun fights. We went through all of A Touch of Frost available on NetFlix. A bit more drama and violence, but still excellent.
We also watched Pie in the Sky with Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter’s uncle) as a detective cook, though that is a bit better for the food than the detection.
Almost science fiction is Murdoch Mysteries (the series is better than the movies) set in Toronto in 1895 with a detective who invents much of forensics. It has a nice steampunk flavor. Guest characters include Tesla, Buffalo Bill, Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini. There is a bit of a lag where they start treating psychic stuff seriously, but it recovers. It is still on, we’re waiting for the next season to be released.
We love Buffy. Plenty of casual sex, but it wasn’t the focus of the series, even if it was the focus of some plotlines.
sixty-tenth?? That’s numberwang!
I never understood what was funny about that.
From what I’m reading, it looks like Fringe and Veronica Mars are the most appealing. I’ve seen Babylon 5 already (caught it in syndication back in its first run), and at $400-odd, the Law and Order Complete DVD set is a bit much.
So maybe I’ll get both…
Sports Night sounds interesting too. Since it’s only two seasons, and is about a decade old, that might be a good one to put in the Netflix queue… oh, wait - it streams!
I’ve been watching Burn Notice recently; it’s pretty funny and lots of casually blowing cars up and shooting bad guys.
Have you seen the British versions of Life on Mars (two seasons) and *Ashes to Ashes (*three seasons)? Based on the other things you like, you might enjoy those.
AAAAAAnnnd, along with Spaced, is currently available on Netflix Instant!
Another fun, clean Canadian sit-com to go with Corner Gas is Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Your wife is really horrified by “casual sex” ?
I love Parks and Recreation and Community, it is implied that some characters have sex with other characters, like any mainstream sitcom. Party Down has a bit more sex and some HBO level nudity in it.
Haven.
Is that one available streaming/Netflix/etc yet? I seem to recall I wanted to start watching it when it came out but we had too many shows we were already following… I would ask you what it’s about but rather than bother you I’ll wikipedia it for a synopsys.
The first season is on DVD. You can buy the episodes from both seasons for $1.99/each from Amazon and there are a few for free on syfy.com and hulu, but beyond that I don’t know the other options.
Cool, I may have to add them to my netflix queue (if they have them.)
I’ve been watching “Sports Night” on Netflix streaming and am really enjoying it - thanks, standingwave!
Slings and Arrows - the life and times of the Shakespeare festival in [del]Stratford[/del] New Burbage, Ontario. Even for civilians, it’s surreal and funny; for theatre insiders, it’s hysterical.
I got:
Friday Night Lights: Complete Series (? I don’t understand why she gave me this. Anybody have any opinions on this show? Is it worth my time, or should I exchange it for what I really wanted - Fringe?)
**Six Feet Under: Complete Series ** (the box is awesome! I’m keeping this one - I liked S1 when I saw it a few years ago, but for some reason never picked up the subsequent seasons.)
The Wire: Season 2 (Again, another keeper.)
I gave:
Doctor Who: Season 6
Community: Season 1
Planet Earth
John Adams (HBO miniseries)
Friday Night Lights is almost a sacred cow. I loved the first season, mostly because of the way the writers handled the relationship between Coach Eric and his wife – they were so adult! But season two went a bit off the rails, and I couldn’t trust it after that.
I’ve never seen Fringe but if that’s what you really want, trade it in.
Season 2 of The Wire is my favorite. Feel free to post as you watch – there are a lot of fans who’d love to relive it with you, maybe even rewatch. We’ll be careful about spoilers.
How’s American Horror Story?
Fringe is good. It starts out like X-Files, with a formulaic monster-of-the-week approach, but then the main arc starts to seep in and takes over, and it becomes compelling.
I also recommend Psych, Chuck, Leverage,and Eureka, which are each fun, irreverent, but exciting shows, with great characters.