Stuck for something to watch? Bored with Lizard Lick Towing, Pawn Stars and The Real Housewives of Orange County? Ready to gouge out your eyes rather than put the TV on? Well, how about you check out this lot?
These shows are some of my favourites, and if you haven't seen them, get off your arse and find them!! They will provide entertainment, education, and maybe even something to talk about when you get to work. Although you might be 10-20 years or so late with some of them...
No download links here, as I just can't be bothered to try and upload hundreds of hours of TV, but if you spend 5 minutes looking, you should be able to find some links somewhere. Or even go out and buy them on DVD...
Comedy:
Seinfeld. I don't think there is a better written sitcom out there. For 9 seasons, it didn't seem to dip at all!! If you have never seen it, get hold of some episodes and prove me wrong!! It doens't matter if you start at the beggining or half-way through, although I would suggest seasons 5 & 6! I have it on DVD, and seem to watch it at least once a year, from start to finish!
NewsRadio. Comedy, but set in an AM news radio station. Not as bad as that makes it sound! I think this one has been overlooked quite a lot. And Phil Hartman is (was...) a comedy genius!
Phoneshop. A Brit one, so some of you Yankees might not get the humour! Sums up the vacuity of cell phones and the people who sell them. Man say 'im a ting, 'im a ting, you get me?
Drama:
The Wire. This show kept up the quality of writing and acting through a wide array of characters, over 5 seasons, and had plenty of twists and action along the way. You need to see it!! I thought it was going to be slow and hard going, but I was hooked straight away, and had to watch episode after episode. Well worth the time!
The Sopranos. I probably don't need to write anything about this, do I? Watch it if you have never seen it before, and again if you have!!
Sherlock. A great modern take on a classic! Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as the detective, and it has a great balance of comedy and drama. Written by true fans of Conan Doyle's original, and it lives up to it too!!
Factual:
All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace. A slightly wonky look at how modern life is based on concepts that apply to machines & computers, and have very little to do with the natural world or human nature at all. Ever wondered what links the genocide in Rwanda, bank collapses in Korea, a strange Russian-American woman with ideas about free love, and Pong? This will explain it all. I have yet to find the third episode without Spanish subtitles though...
The Power of Nightmares. By the same guy who did the above programmes, Adam Curtis. In his trademark style, he looks at the creation of ideas that governments can use to keep us all in check, and how 'terrorists' try to get their own way through 'justified' violence. Some ideas can be linked with AWOBMOLG, and, although it was made in 2004, the ideas stand up to scrutiny with the benifit of hindsight from the present.
Requiem for Detroit. A fascinating look at how cars made and destroyed Detroit, and the effect it had on the centre of the city. Full of shots of beautiful old buildings collapsing, and people farming in the inner city. I think it illustrates the danger of big business and our over-reliance on the internal combustion engine quite nicely.
Feel free to discuss my suggestions and add your own favourites to the thread, as I am always on the lookout for more shows to watch!
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Originally Posted by butler bill
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