Which tv shows should I watch?

Cafe Society
1

I just realised for the past little while, I’ve been watching very few new episodes and a lot of Simpsons reruns. Of course, I can easily use the time to entertain myself by reading, but sometimes, sitting in front of that idiot box is just so satisfying after a long day at work.

The checklist so far:

Current shows I try to watch every week:

Gilmore Girls
Scrubs (this Thursday, yay!)
Veronica Mars (Watched first two seasons in two weeks and can’t stop watching)

Current shows I sometimes watch:

Simpsons
Family Guy
the Office (I’ve only watched the first season and a couple episodes of the second, a few of the third here and there, so I’m sometimes lost in terms of plot line. I find that watching Michael incredibly awkward, and it’s focussed too much onto him. Also, I know the people are sheep, but why doesn’t just one person stand up and say “Michael, shut up!”)

Shows I watch in syndication and DVD:

Futurama
Arrested Development
Roseanne
Friends (overrated, I know, but something about knowing all the episodes makes it easy to watch when nothing else is on)

Shows I never really liked:

Seinfeld (Apparently, this makes me crazy, because Seinfeld is teh funny??! I don’t know, something about the characters makes me want to switch channels in a hurry)
Everybody Loves Raymond
Will and Grace
Lost (I know, I know, innovative and exciting, but I really can’t bear to torture myself every season wondering what the hell the big mystery is. Nothing ever seems to get explained and more and more plot twists are thrown in, and from the few episodes I watched, I realised it wasn’t a tv show I’d like watching)

The list can go on, but that’s a few ideas. So, kind people of the Cafe Society, can you recommend some shows to catch up with? It’s nice on these cold (almost) winter days to snuggle up in a blankie and stare at the idiot box for a few hours.

2

I missed it when it first started airing, but I’m really enjoying catching up with My Name Is Earl on DVD.

3

I’d say give The Office another go, and check out 30 Rock. Also, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia makes Arrested Development look like Home Improvement (at least in terms of cruel characters).

4

Must See TV is back with a solid block of good shows on NBC Thursdays between 8/7 and 10/9. “30 Rock” improved surprisingly fast compared with “The Office,” which took into the second season to find its footing.

“The Unit” is a good Adventure Soap* Tuesdays at 9/8 on CBS. So is “Bones” on Wednesdays at 8/7 on Fox. “House” may be a struggle to get up to speed on since you need to have some background so you don’t just write Dr House off as the biggest jerk ever who deserves everything he gets, though one could still make a good argument for it.

    • Adventure Soap is a term I just made up to describe those shows where the characters’ lives and interactions are as important as the exciting stuff they are doing. “The X Files” was an Adventure Soap while the various forms of “CSI” are not, since, almost completely, the characters don’t really have personal lives except when one is needed to trigger the adventure.
5

Those are my three favorite comedies right now, so I’ll just second what Cat Fight wrote.

6

Don’t know if you’re just looking for comedies, but if not, I recommend House. Hugh Laurie is fantastic as the title character.

BTW, I agree with the OP completely about Seinfeld. Hate it. Never could see the appeal (same with Friends).

7

Thanks to those who have replied so far! I’ll definitely look into the shows recommended.

I don’t know about House though. I tried giving it a chance a while ago. I originally refrained from watching it (and also Grey’s Anatomy) because Scrubs is a great medical sitcom and I don’t know if I can handle anything inferior to it. Anyway, I watched an episode of House, and it’s not that House is a jerk that turns me off from it… it’s that he’s not believable as a jerk. For a doctor that doesn’t answer to anyone, has unique ideas on how to solve medical mysteries, he sure answers to a lot of his staff. Bad ass tv doctors (such as Dr. Perry Cox) doesn’t answer to lowly peons. He may explain when it’s all said and done, but when he wants the peons to do something, they do it without asking. Anyway, I don’t expect much from tv shows on Fox, but that show really requires a lot of suspension of disbelief.

I will look into the other shows though! Any DVD suggestions are also welcome!

8

I enjoy How I Met Your Mother.

9

My must-see sit-coms and dramas: Ugly Betty, Heroes, Shark. I know Ugly Betty and Heroes are doing okay, but not sure about Shark. “Shark” is James Woods…for God’s sake, do you need to know any more than that? (Well, for you guys, Jeri Ryan is in it, but she doesn’t get a lot of screen time.)

Animal Planet: specifically, Meerkat Manor. Follows the adventures of a Meerkat family in the Kalahari Desert, and, frankly, I consider it a whole lot more interesting than most of the human sit-coms. If you’re an animal lover (as am I), you’ll find a lot to interest you on Animal Planet.

Biography: Not every show appeals to me, but when favorite actors, directors, screenwriters, etc., are on, I watch.

History: I used to refer to it as the “Hitler Channel” because it featured so much of WWII and the Nazis (I know because my hubby watched it). They seem to have diversified lately, and I’ve found some shows worth watching.

National Geographic: If you’ve an interest in archeology, ancient history, various cultures, origin of species, researching Biblical accounts, myths, and legends, etc., etc., and want to challenge your standard outlook and beliefs, check it out.

Re-runs: Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Roseanne, and Frasier. Especially Frasier, which I consider to be one of the best sit-coms ever…funny, witty, sarcastic, sophisticated, occasionally romantic and suspenseful, and rarely predictable. I’m taping my favorite episodes. (Plus, I’m in love with Niles (David Hyde Pierce) even though I think he’s gay in real life.)

What with all the cable/satellite channels out there, I think you need to do some surfing and find out what’s available and what may appeal to you. I like The Daily Show and a few other shows on the Comedy Channel, but they’re not “must-sees” for me. So, try out some of the suggestions in this thread, but also explore – you may like something that we haven’t mentioned.

10

I would highly recommend Six Feet Under. All 5 seasons are out on DVD. I just finished watching the finale, and it was very moving. Not for everyone, but certainly one of the better shows on TV in the last 10 years.

11

The best show on TV right now is The Wire, but (a) it’s on HBO, and (b) the fourth season is almost over. Nonetheless, run don’t walk to acquire DVDs of it.

The other best show is The Office. Definitely give it a second chance. And people do occasionally completely tell Michael off. But, (and this is where I think it’s definitely better than the British version), the show also sometimes shows the good qualities that he has. He’s not just a one-note oblivious unaware ahole.
And your timing is just about right to join a large and vocal SDMB fan club for season 6 of 24, which is (I believe) starting in January.

12

The Shield. I think it’s one of the best dramas of all time. 4 seasons have been released on DVD so far and season 5 will be out the beginning of next year. Probably around the time the sixth season starts.

Each season is only 13-15 episodes long so it’s not too much to take in and each episode is really good. No episode seems like a filler.

And if you do decide to watch the Shield, do not, repeat DO NOT look up any information on the internet if you want to be surprised. If you look up info you will probably come across major spoilers. That’s what happened to me.

Other shows:
The Office (love this show)
South Park (10 seasons and still great)
The Tick Cartoon (season 1 is out on DVD, this is one of my all time favorite shows)

13

I came in here to mention this one. I think it stands up to The Sopranos or The Wire any day of the week. Definitely go rent the DVDs of this one. You’ll be hooked from the first episode. And I agree with bclouse - avoid spoilers if you can; there’s too much that can be given away.

14

Nobody’s mentioned picking up the DVDs for Firefly yet. I’d recommend it. It’s only 14 eps, but oh, what eps!

StG

15

I try to avoid new shows, as I have better things to do with my time (or so I’d like to believe). But last night I saw Standoff, and I think that’s going to have to become a must see for me.

16

Because you mention my first favorite show on TV (Veronica Mars), I’ll suggest my second favorite show on TV. Supernatural. It’s on the CW on Thursdays.

Other possibles:

Ugly Betty
Doctor Who
Desperate Housewives is very love it or hate it. I love it. Lots of people hate it.

17

For a long time, we were watching barely any tv. This year, however, we have an embarrassment of riches. We set the VCRs for:
Corner Gas
The Class (it’s really growing on me - I laugh out loud a couple of times each episode.)
Heroes
Studio 60 (there are usually moments in the show where I’ll pause the tape and re-watch some discussion, because it’s actually provoking thoughts in me.)
Stand/Off
House
My Name is Earl
The Office
Smallville
Supernatural
Shark
Battlestar Galactica

I also like Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother if we ever catch them.

18

How I Met Your Mother is a good show. It’s a Friends clone that works, and Barney is one of the best characters on TV.
It’s consistently good, and not unfrequently flat out hilarious.