April 28th, 2008
In furtherance of our no satellite policy (I mean really, isn’t TV watching just about 80% time wasting?) Husband and I are doing some strategic downloading of TV shows that don’t suck for the occasional viewing. I know, that’s still kind of watching TV – only with the element of “gee now that it’s on I guess I’ll sit here for five hours” removed. And commercials removed too. Okay. So I am appealing to you for advice on good shows to acquire. Because I’m really not up on pop culture and don’t know what the good series are.
Basically, I enjoy a good mystery or crime drama or just about anything as long as it is NOTHING like CSI. Holy crap, how can anyone watch that? Seriously. I cannot handle an hour of nothing but wise cracking smart assery and dominance plays- it’s like a fourteen year old jock’s idea of what adults might be like: angry, petty, hostile, and immature. People just don’t interact like that and, while I can suspend disbelief with the best of them, this just pushes it all way too far. End rant.
Shows I have enjoyed include Deadwood, Cracker, Dexter, Wire in the Blood, and I’m just starting to watch The Shield but it hasn’t fully passed its “not like CSI” test so I may not finish the first season. This is also why I deleted The Wire after watching only the first episode. Hostile cops who just shout at each other is so over done. Please, can we watch shows about people, not stereotypes? (I do have some rumbling Wire guilt since everyone seems to love it but I dunno… if it’s all like that first episode I’ll hate it.)
What would you recommend? What have you loved? What should I spend my precious bandwidth on acquiring? It doesn’t have to be new, just good. And by good I mean NOTHING LIKE CSI.
kthxbai!
Watch The Shield. Give it a chance and you will find that its way more than “like CSI”, or at least I hope you do. It is one of my all-time favorite shows.
You’ve got most of my drama selections covered, although House is one you may like, despite its similar weekly procedural medical format. Your husband may cringe over it, mind you.
Lost probably isn’t your thing, but I like it, despite it sucking for parts of seasons 2&3 after starting really well. Its regained its must-see form, though.
I would recommend the Office (both versions) for some comedy, and you may find How I Met Your Mother amusing, if you want some more traditional TV fare. I like it. Weeds, while not a traditional comedy, is amusing light entertainment.
I haven’t seen it, but I also hear that Rome was good. Tam loved it and is still trying to get me to watch it. She convinced me to try Dexter, and I’m glad I did.
Hope that helps.
ROME is indeed a tremendous program. Well worth watching.
Also, (if you can find it) there was a short lived series from 1995 called “American Gothic” about a supernaturally evil lawman preying on a town paralysed by fear.
The show was produced by Sam Raimi, who of course, gave us the Evil Dead series. So, there is even a tenuous zombie connection.
Regards,
~I.
American Gothic was a great show! I thought I was the only one who watched it. I would definately recommend Battlestar Gallactica (new version). It’s currently in its last season, which has been excellent so far. I’d also say House is still worth catching, there is a new one this week. And if you never watched The Closer, you will probably like it.
Rome is great.
I normally only watch Turner Classic Movies.