Recommend a TV show!

[mousme]

Okay, so I'm looking to (slowly) increase my library of DVDs, specifically TV shows. All the television I get at home is what I see on DVD, so I'm looking for recommendations from my LJ friends. You guys have similar tastes, or at least tastes that overlap with mine. :)

Here's the kind of thing I like:

-drama
-crime/detection
-fantasy
-science fiction

Basically it has to be fiction (I am not a fan of reality shows, news shows, etc. I like documentaries but not enough to own most of them). I am looking for well-written, well-paced shows. Plot and characterization is key. :)

So. Recommendations?

:::ETA:::

The show need not be current, but it does need to be available on DVD.

Comments

[chasingthenuns.livejournal.com]

six feet under.

[grimmwire.livejournal.com]

Aeon Flux -- My fave SF show, and one of the best animated shows. Serious WTF territory.

Homicide: Life on the Street -- Best. Cop. Show. Evar.

The Prisoner -- Best. Damn. TV. Show. Evar. Period.

[wolflady26.livejournal.com]

The shows I love right now are:

Prison Break. This show is really amazing. It ends nearly every episode on a cliff hanger, without making the audience feel jerked around.

The IT Crowd. Hysterical, especially for nerds and nerd lovers.

Dexter. It's a show about a psychotic mass murderer with a heart of gold. Seriously, it's great.

It's Always Sunny in Philadephia. A show about four or five incredibly self-centered people that still manages to be roll on the floor funny.

The Gilmore Girls. Just ended, but it had a good run. The early episodes are particularly great.

House: Gripping, cool, sarcastic.

CSI: Las Vegas. Awesome.

Battlestar Galactica. Also awesome.

Two and a Half Men. Smart and funny.

How I Met Your Mother. Incredibly smart and incredibly funny. It starts off slow, though. You've got to get at least halfway through the first season before giving up.

Rescue Me. This show is about a bunch of incredibly flawed people, who also happen to be heroes. And I don't mean flawed in the cute Hollywood sense of the whore with the heart of gold, but rather in the heavily alcoholic, making horrible decisions, seriously broken sense - and yet, I still have so much sympathy for the characters.

Friday Night Lights. I never thought I'd like a show about a high school football team. I was totally wrong.

Medium. Really good, and quite "real" for a show with such a strong supernatural element.

These are shows that I like a lot, but are missing that indescribable "thing" that makes a show really amazing.

Eureka: Fun and quirky.

Heroes. Not perfect, but fun anyway.

Burn Notice. Just getting underway, and hasn't quite hit its stride, but it has a lot of potential. And a really hot chicky.

The 4400. The first few seasons were barely tolerable, but around the third season it got pretty cool. Each season changes, yet stays true to the storyline, which is good storytelling.

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

American Gothic - just be sure to check Wikipedia for the correct order to watch them in, because the DVD's are packaged in broadcast order, which was all mucked up.

Batman: The Animated Series. Justice League/Justice League Unlimited.

You can collect Doctor Who for your entire life, and not be finished, of course.

[rowen26.livejournal.com]

I seem to only like most shows that get cancelled ...

Dead Like Me : Two seasons. Cancelled before everything is resolved. But very amusing dark humour (it deals with Grim Reapers, after all.)

Wonderfalls : Only one season, sadly.

Carnivale : Shaky in the first season, but so awesome and creepy during the second ... once they knew they go cancelled. Don't look for anything to get resolved, but still worth the look.

Futurama: I don't know how you feel about animated shows, but give this one a chance. So many sci-fi geek references and crazy future in the year 3000.

The Muppet Show: Season two is out, with all the crazyness you expect from the Muppets.

[elanya.livejournal.com]

Brisco County Jr! - I am sure I have told you about this before. Bruce campbell! Western! Also time travel! Plus associated zaniness! Not a high quality show but it is campy fun.

Profit. A show the word wasn't ready for, alas. Although a full season was made, it was never fully aired. You can buy it. The basic premise is that the protagonist is evil corporate guy who wants to control everything. Also he sleeps with his trailer trash stepmom, who is played by Lisa Blount. made in the mid 90's, so some of the technology is kind of laughable by today's standards.

American Gothic. Gary Cole is the devil... and Sheriff of a sleepy South Carolina Town of Trinty. Never let your conscience be your guide. he is trying to corrupt a kid (his own bastard), who is protected by various people including his dead sister's angel.

Avatar: the last Airbender. Okay, so it is a kid's cartoon. But it is good, the second season especially presents a lot of complex character development, plus the animation is well done, and a lot of the martial arts stuff they do is strongly grounded in real forms.

I can't think of anything else that is available on DVD, alas...

[elanya.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, I was going to say Batman also ;)

[talyesin.livejournal.com]

ROME (historical drama)
Carnivale (historical fantasy/horro)
Supernatural (modern occult investigation)
Deadwood (historical drama)
Entourage (modern dramedy about Hollywood)

Pretty much everything HBO does, really. Bastards.

I have these available for viewing should you wish to sample before purchase.

[talyesin.livejournal.com]

I'm led to understand that Carnivale was always intended to be viewed in two-season story arcs. They had three in mind, for a total of six seasons. Naturally, (like Deadwood) anything with a specific series-spanning story arc winds up cancelled partway through.

[talyesin.livejournal.com]

Definitely second both American Gothic (though Universal, bastards that they are, burned the DVDs with the shows in the order they aired, rather than the order they're intended to be viewed, which causes some switching of discs if you're watching them in the 'right' order) and Avatar, because for a 'kid's show' it's remarkably complex in terms of characterization.

[elanya.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I meant to add Rome to my list too - I knew I was forgetting something!

I don't have HBO, but my friend has season 1 on dvd. It is sweeeet. And the packaging is quite nice also :o

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Oh, did they cancel Deadwood? Boo.

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

Should have sent you home with Slings & Arrows season 3! We'll add it to the growing stack of Stuff To Send Away With Phnee Next Monday..

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Argh! I totally forgot too.

[pasley.livejournal.com]

ROME. . . ROME. . . and furthermore. . . ROME.

We have the first season on DVD and can loan it to you. If you love it, we can always burn you a copy. . . and get the second season for you as well. For that matter, we haven't had a chance to watch the second season yet. . .
MOVIE NIGHT!!

[pasley.livejournal.com]

That was supposed to be a reply to mouseme! Sorry!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

w00t!

Incidentally, you and I are supposed to get together for a quiet morning one of these days. Who says the days of paying social calls is over? ;)

Maybe we could combine a Rome/PS2 thing, if you're feeling so inclined. Be warned that I suck at video games, and you're only allowed to laugh at me if you're nice about it. :D

Drop me an email (or an LJ comment) and we can plot!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

I am still kicking myself for not picking up the first season of Supernatural when it was on sale for $19. I have yet to find it for under $30 or $35 these days.

I have seen the first two seasons of Deadwood, and am enthralled. However, the price tag is a wee bit steep these days. I am still waffling about it.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Ooh, American Gothic! I remember watching that when it was on TV. Good stuff. Did they ever produce more than one season, though?

[mousme.livejournal.com]

I adored Dead Like Me. I was so sad when they cancelled it. Plus, Mandy Patinkin!

I hear you on only liking shows that get cancelled. Boo.

I never did get into Futurama. The humour is too sporadic for my taste. It does have its moments, however. I just don't like it enough to buy it. :)

I keep forgetting about the Muppet Show. I shall have to look into that.

[curtana.livejournal.com]

If you want to borrow Futurama, we own it all. I know that Peter has Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls and some of the new Dr. Who.

[rowen26.livejournal.com]

If you liked Dead Like Me, you'll love Wonderfalls, I'm pretty sure.

[sultrysong.livejournal.com]

I'm working my way through Season 3 of The Shield right now. Gritty and violent, but good good shit. Also, Michael Chiklis. There's also always the L-Word.

[gats.livejournal.com]

Brisco is awesome.

[gats.livejournal.com]

I recommend Heroes, Wonderfalls, Dr Who, Buffy, Angel, Eureka, Dead like me, the first season of Six feet under (What little I saw of the second season sucked. I hear it picked up again in season three), The West Wing, Brisco County, Jack of All Trades.