# What (fictional) tv series do you find the most realistic/true to life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323 "2011-12-15T19:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/1 "2011-12-15T19:16:08Z")
Spinning off (heh - see what I did there) from the King of the Hill thread [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634791) What shows and characters do you find the most realistic? My choice would be Freaks and Geeks or Undeclared. The characters seeemed like people I know and acted as such. For the most part the situations were funny without being over the top - ok, Undeclared did go off the deep end a few times, like when Adam Sandler (as himself) hung around a dorm room for hours. You? ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/2 "2011-12-15T21:23:31Z")
_Rosanne_; at least the first few seasons before it went off the rails. I’m convinced that Lanford is based on the town in Illinois my mother is from ([Morris](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris,_Illinois)). Lanford was once even described as being 50 miles southwest of Chicago, which is exactly where Morris is, and it seems to be about the same size and demographics. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/3 "2011-12-15T21:25:21Z")
Ugly Americans. Sure, you can _try_ and tell me NYC _isn’t_ full of vampires, zombies, succubi, land whales, and man-birds (SUCK my balls!) but I’ve been there before, I know what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/4 "2011-12-15T22:46:16Z")
12 oz. Mouse But then I drank a lot of cough syrup today. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/5 "2011-12-16T00:04:23Z")
I understand that Adam 12 is considered the most realistic cop show ever. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/6 "2011-12-16T00:15:15Z")
Gilligan’s Island those poor people… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/7 "2011-12-16T00:16:55Z")
For me, there will likely ever be a fictional show as realistic as _ **Barney Miller** _ was back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/8 "2011-12-16T07:23:11Z")
The Sopranos? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/9 "2011-12-16T07:38:16Z")
Also, **[ReGenisis](http://www.tv.com/shows/regenesis/)** has some refreshingly good verisimilitude for a procedural drama about a Microbiology and BioThreat lab/security. The science (for a TV show) is some of the more realistic and well done execution I’ve seen. I’ve been watching the entire 4-season run addictively on [Hulu](http://www.hulu.com/search?query=regenisis&st=0&fs=) for the past week and a half, I’m almost done with season 2. Also, it’s weird to see Ellen Page so young. I give it 4 Macrophages up! ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/10 "2011-12-16T07:43:41Z")
The Wire, of course. ---
**Author:** ![\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/eada6e/32.png) [@\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Undecided_Adrian)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/11 "2011-12-16T08:50:25Z")
The best portrayal of what work in a hospital is really like is apparently **Scrubs** , of all things. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/12 "2011-12-16T23:06:52Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > For me, there will likely ever be a fictional show as realistic as _ **Barney Miller** _ was back in the day. Just what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/13 "2011-12-16T23:15:04Z")
_Mork and Mindy_ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/14 "2011-12-17T17:04:19Z")
The Big Bang Theory. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/15 "2011-12-17T17:11:33Z")
Curb Your Enthusiasm. People are dicks. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/16 "2011-12-17T18:36:15Z")
Saw this thread was still alive and remembered another show I liked that was canceled after only 6 episodes. I remember when watching them thinking “this will never survive; it’s waaaaaay too close to reality”. [United States](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080300/) (1980) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/17 "2011-12-17T19:07:45Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Just what I was thinking. Concur. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/18 "2011-12-17T19:11:24Z")
The West Wing. I’ve worked with clones of those people! ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/19 "2011-12-17T19:38:31Z")
The show I came in here to mention was mentioned in the OP. Freaks and Geeks. I lived as a geek back then and didn’t have much contact with the freaks, but that circle of geek friends reminds me a lot of my circle of friends. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323/20 "2011-12-18T00:19:52Z")
I don’t know that it’s the _most_ realistic, and certainly plenty of unrealistic things have happened on the show, but the US version of _The Office_ strikes me of a fairly realistic depiction of the American office environment. My sister once mentioned that she can’t stand _The Office_ because “It’s so unrealistic!”, but as I pointed out, she’s never actually worked in an office. I have, and I’ve recognized plenty of things on the show as being similar to my own experiences. A few years ago I was casually chatting with some coworkers and one of the guys suddenly dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups. I thought this was rather odd, but he was kind of an odd guy. THE VERY NEXT DAY on _The Office_ Ryan started doing push-ups in the middle of a conversation with Kelly in an attempt to impress her. If my sister happened to see this episode she probably thought that scene was unrealistic, but it seemed perfectly plausible to me! Funnily enough my coworker’s name was also Ryan. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fictional-tv-series-do-you-find-the-most-realistic-true-to-life/606323.md?page=2)