Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

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englishozzy
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by englishozzy »

No.1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

An American teen series follows the life of Buffy Summers, the latest in a line of young women known as the 'Vampire Slayer', as she battles vampire, demons and other demons while also trying to juggle the normal problems a teenager grows up with.

The ultimate tv series growing up for me was Buffy, not only did it quench my thirst for horror but i also got to watch SMG week in week out. Joss Whedon's quirky dialogue worked well with the teenager era, and as the series rolled on delved alot deeper into today's problems. Never gets old and probably one of the only TV series that i can watch over and over again.

"Then telephone for an axe"

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englishozzy
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by englishozzy »

Hayley's No.1

Friends (1994-2004)

An American sitcom revolving around the lives of a group of friends living in Manhatten.

Friends is my all time favourite tv show because it is 100% my sense of humour. I see myself in all the characters - Chandlers sarcasm and wit, Joey's dopeyness, pheobe's unique wierdness, Monica's ocd and Ross and Rachel's relationship. I laugh at every episode even though i have watched everyone way too much, I know most of the lines and my favourite episode is season one episode 7 The one with the blackout

"Then telephone for an axe"

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Shrykespeare
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by Shrykespeare »

SHRYKESPEARE'S #1

Doctor Who (1963-1989)

There really can be no other choice for me. Despite the fact that as a kid, I was heavily into Star Wars and Star Trek, this show from across the pond brought sci-fi a lot closer to home for me. The idea of an alien from a long-lived, time-travelling race, futzing about in an old machine stuck in the form of an old Police Telephone call-box, just drew me in from the moment I saw it and never let go.

My local PBS station started showing episodes of Doctor Who the way they originally appeared on the BBC: on weekdays, one episode per day. However, eventually they just started showing one full story once per week. Either worked for me, whether a story consisted of two episodes, four or six. Tom Baker was so vivacious, so much fun, so iconic, that it was impossible not to love him. Whether he was battling Daleks, Cybermen, Zygons, Sontarans, Kraals or his vicious nemesis The Master, he mixed deadly earnestness and jovial humor in a way that I never saw before on Star Trek or Star Wars.

When Tom Baker was replaced with Peter Davison, let's face it, it wasn't nearly as good. But I really couldn't stop watching it because of that. And so it continued, through Colin Baker's brief stint (the "Key to Time" series was phenomenal) and finally, the Sylvester McCoy seasons. It saddened me when it all ended, but when it did, I have hundreds of hours of Dr. Who recorded on VHS (going all the way back to the B/W days, including a few stories involving William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee), and dozens of novels, which I gleefully collected and read.

Yes, I did watch the made-for-TV movie with Paul McGann, and I tried - so HARD - to get into the revamped hour-long Doctor Who show. But the show had changed so much: the writing, the acting, the effects... I know that adapting a classic show for a new generation requires a lot of changes, but I guess I am a DW purist at heart, and I really miss the days when it was all about the acting and the writing (let's face it, the F/X on the old show SUCKED). I really liked Chris Eccleston, but I finally gave up trying to keep up with the show about two seasons into David Tennant's tenure. I've even tried to give Matt Smith, the youngest "Doctor" yet, a chance, but it just doesn't hold the same allure for me any more.

In its heyday, there were some great stories, some great characters, and some truly awesome moments. Here's on of my favorites of all time, from the Tom Baker story "Revenge of the Cybermen". It's a classic!

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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W
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by W »

3. Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000, NBC, Comedy/Drama) - I saw this series in the middle of last year and I've seen it two more times since. It's about two high school cliques in the '80s, the Freaks and the Geeks, and a family with a kid in each clique. It's funny, charming, and more real than most shows set in high school. The cast includes a few of today's bigger names in Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel. Besides two or three episodes that get way too preachy, it's the perfect first season. We could have used a couple more.

The Whole First Episode (all of them are on YouTube)


2. The Twilight Zone (1959-64, NBC, ) - There were two series up for my number one slot and this lost out because I watch reruns of the other show more. It's easily one of the most original, smartest, and influential TV show of all-time. I've seen most every episode and I'm yet to find one that's bad. Each episode is like a short film normally sci-fi/mystery related and with a message related to the time it was produced and/or a timeless message/look-in on human nature.

And another great thing about the series is that you have absolutely no clue how each episode is going to end. It's not schmaltzy like most movies/shows where the hero has obstacles, overcomes them, and lives happily ever after. Anything can, and does, happen in the series.


"The Obsolete Man" (second half is slightly off sound-wise and slightly edited due to YouTube time restraints)


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Shrykespeare
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by Shrykespeare »

Happy Lucy's 100th birthday, UDM!
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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NSpan
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by NSpan »

Show #3
NSpan

Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993 - 2009, NBC)



This show hit the airwaves when I was 11. I watched semi-regularly through its entire 16 year run. I literally grew up with it. Conan informed my developing sense of humor. When I discussed Monty Python earlier, I made the claim that they were more than funny: they defined funny for an entire generation. I daresay that Conan O'Brien holds the same title for my generation. As a kid, I wasn't immediately drawn to talk-shows. My parents watched David Letterman--who I enjoyed... but it wasn't until Conan that it really clicked. His show always put humor as the top priority. The sketches were consistently funny, and many of the "interviews" ultimately turned out to be sketches within themselves. Some guests weren't quite "in on it," and Conan had to accommodate. But, for the most part, his guests understood that his show was a different breed and they happily played along. I suppose Space Ghost: C2C took this approach to its logical extreme. In addition to Conan himself (who was personally responsible for some great writing on SNL and some of the absolute best Simpsons episodes), he hired some brilliant writers and performers. A few names worth mentioning: Louis CK, Robert Smigel, Dino Stamatopoulos, Jon Glaser, Andy Blitz, Amy Poehler, Jon Benjamin, and Rob Corddry.
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undeadmonkey
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by undeadmonkey »

Shrykespeare wrote:Happy Lucy's 100th birthday, UDM!

hah, yea, i've been watching i love lucy reruns for most of the day

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NSpan
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by NSpan »

Show #2
NSpan

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (1988 - 1999, Comedy Central / Sci-Fi)



Come on, we're all film fanatics. How was this not in EVERYBODY'S top three??
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numbersix
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by numbersix »

#1. The Prisoner (1967-1968, ITV)





This show had a massive impact in my life. Not just in terms of what I enjoy about TV/cinema, but also in terms of my beliefs and the way I perceive the world. When I was 15 and in Boston, I read a newspaper article about The Truman Show, which happened to give considerable column inches to The Prisoner. I was already aware of the show, but now I felt impelled to view it. Coincidentally, the week I returned The Prisoner was being repeated at 1am and I stayed up to watch every episode. I was hooked. It appeared to be a sci-fi spy show, but its philosophies and symbolism made it more like art house TV, years before like likes of Twin Peaks turned up.

The premise is that a British spy who quits his job (without giving reason) is kidnapped and placed in a mysterious village in which he can’t escape. The spy is labelled Number 6, as everyone on the village has a number instead of a name. Rather than being simply imprisoned, the person responsible for running the village (Number 2, who changes from episode to episode) usually experiments on ways of breaking 6’s spirit, either making him give up his secrets and reasons for quitting, or making him conform to everyday life in this twisted retiree home.

Twin Peaks lagged in Season 2 (when it became an unbearable soap opera parody), but The Prisoner was more consistent across its 17 episodes. Admittedly, there are still one or two duds (the show was originally mean to be 15 episodes and you can really see which 2 were added later), but the quality of the rest more than make up for it. The final episode, in which Number 6 makes the ultimate challenge on the village’s authority, goes on trial, and discovers the identity of Number 1 (sort of), is one of TV’s greatest moments. The decision to not give a straight-forward conclusion avoided the disappointment of a neat answer, and at the time caused much outrage. But I maintain that without this show, you wouldn’t see the risks TV took afterwards (and that even extends to the brilliant closing scene of The Sopranos).

The Prisoner was more than just a sci-fi show, it was a philosophy. Creator/writer/actor Patrick McGoohan (who passed away last year) wanted to convey specific ideas about cultural imprisonment, about how society can slowly slip into a Big Brother mentality, and how the ideals of the individual can be crushed. Its ideas inspired me, and still do (hell, where did you think my username, email address, and avatar pic come from?). It has ensured that I question any and every authority, regardless of how standard and necessary it may seem. Indeed, my views on everything from religion, government, war, sexuality, and art have all been affect (or generated) by my response to this show. Surely that makes it an obvious choice for my favourite TV show of all time?
Last edited by numbersix on August 8th, 2011, 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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numbersix
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by numbersix »

I Love Lucy: Much reference, never watched. Loved the candy factory clip, though.

Spaced: Great show, must buy the box set one day.

The X-Files: Sorry, SS, I had the opposite reaction. The character dynamic was so standard and repetitive that I lost interest, especially during the non-arc episodes which got less and less inventive. After being the biggest X-Files fan ever for the first 2 years, I slowly gave up.

Buffy: Nice pick, good show

Friends: I've already made my opinion clear

Doctor Who: Made going to church better because reruns were always on Sunday afternoons. I liked a lot of elements of it, and Baker was alway amusing.

Freaks and Geeks: I've only seen one or two episodes but it has the same charm as Apatow's scripts

The Twilight Zone: Another show I must buy the box-set of.

Conan: I'm with Coco. He's my favourite US talk-show host (unless Jon Stewart is considered one). I've only seen random episodes from the last 5 years so perhaps I missed the peak.

MST3000: Never watched it.
Last edited by numbersix on August 9th, 2011, 6:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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silversurfer19
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by silversurfer19 »

Oops, almost forgot to post my no.1...

1. Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)


Awesome glad to see we have another fantaversian who appreciates this show just as much as me! I remember, it must have been 1998, and I was hanging out with a few friends during a free period in school, and we were reading a magazine which listed the hottest women on the planet at that time. I don't know if she was no.1 (in fact I'm pretty sure she was no.2 behind Gillian Anderson), but among the likes of Kari Wuhrer and a number of Trekkies, a young girl by the name of Sarah Michelle Gellar was listed. I had vaguely heard of a show called Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and given that I was (and still am) a little (well, a lot) obsessed with monster shows, I HAD to see this show! Eventually it made its way to terrestrial UK TV, and I was hooked. Whether it was Gellar's youthful good looks which belied her kick ass abilities, the smart and witty dialogue which has now become a Whedon staple, or how the team of teenage high schoolers came together, all misfits, to defend the earth from the hell mouth of demons (which gives me hope for The Avengers as a team under Whedon's guidance), or more likely a combination of all the above, I would wait in anticipation for each episode. By the time it hit series two there was not a show on TV which could touch it, and even though it would never be able to again reach those heights, it was always entertaining with a firm grasp of social and family issues. Every character was given huge depth, you could relate to each and every one of them (even the likes of Cordelia!) in some way. It subverted stereotypes and was hilarious at times, all the while maintaining the bond of friendship between the core " Scoobies". A few years ago I bought the entire series and have since re-watched the series in its entirety twice, and it still feels as fresh today as it did all those years ago. I almost feel sorry for all the teenagers growing up with Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries as poor substitutes for an immense vampire series, they could never compete with such a masterpiece. However, I feel lucky to have been a part of the series, to have watched it from start to finish during its run, and while nothing again may come close, at least we have a permanent record of how good tv could be.


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W
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by W »

1. That 70's Show (1998-2006, FOX, Comedy) - A comedy centered around a group of teenagers in small town Wisconsin in the mid-to-late 70's. It's based around the Forman family consisting of strict father Red, caring/overprotective mom Kitty, slutty sister Laurie, and timid brother Eric. Eric mostly hangs out with his friends in the basement in the circle (aka smoke pot), listen to Led Zeppelin and other music of the day, try to score beer, and basically get into trouble any way possible. The friends consist of the girl next door tomboy Donna, conspiracy theorist/delinquent Hyde, pretty boy/idiot Kelso, a full of herself cheerleader Jackie, and a candy/sex crazed foreign exchange student Fez.

Hilariousness ensues.

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NSpan
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Re: Favorite TV Shows: Top 10

Post by NSpan »

Show #1
NSpan

The Simpsons (1989 - 1999, FOX)
On the run from Johnny Law ... ain't no trip to Cleveland.

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