I need a new favorite show. Sell me on yours.

[ColdCat]

If you have BBC you can try The Inbetweeners, which is basically what would happen if you set It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in a high school in England.
Also I've gotten into Justified the past few weeks, if you like hot head law enforcement battling redneck crime families. Good cast too.

 

[YGBFKM]

Justified is very good.

 

[BYH]

Late darkhorse addition: "Raising Hope." Very, VERY funny show from the creator of "My Name Is Earl." This week, "Earl's" Ethan Suplee and Jaime Pressly guest-starred as neighbors of Hope's grandparents. Hope's grandma gets pissed off at Pressly and blurts out "Your husband looks like the slimmed down version of the fat guy from Mallrats!" And Suplee gives her this knowing glance. About **** myself.

 

[Gator]

Everyone is different ... Modern Family is pretty good, very funny, but Parks and Recreation "litrilly" makes me laugh out loud at least three times per episode.

 

[TrooperBari]

Mythbusters... Kari Byron, Kari Byron, explosions, tons of random, cool experiments, Kari Byron, Kari Byron, guns, Kari Byron.

Seconded. Mythbusters is appointment viewing for me, especially now that The Universe is off the air.

 

[Batman]

There's also "Breaking Bad." If you have the time and intestinal fortitude, you should definitely check it out. My only qualm is how intense every episode can be -- I feel almost exhausted after each one. But it's totally worth it. I don't remember how many seasons it's been on -- maybe four or so.

Another vote for "Breaking Bad." Love, love, love that show. Yes, it's intense, but it's so well-written and well-acted that it passes the "9:45 test" (where you look at the clock, see that it's suddenly 9:45, and get a little sad that this episode is almost over and you won't have another new one for another week).

Other pros:
1) There really haven't been a lot of episodes, so you can catch up in a hurry. Only 32 episodes, if I'm counting correctly. Season 1 was only six shows because of the writers strike.
2) Season 4 starts in July. So if you can watch the first three seasons on DVD in the next two months, you'll caught up just in time to get excited for the new episodes.
3) Like all great shows, it's just starting to hit its peak right now.

Other cons:
1) As mentioned, it can be intense and unsettling at times. There's periods where the main characters are not only unlikable, but downright despicable -- which is, however, part of what makes the show so good.
2) It's only got a shelf life of 4-5 seasons, and its creative team has said that's all they're going to wring out of it. So if you get into it now and like it, you might be resurrecting this thread in a year or two.

 

[J-School Blue]

I'd suggest Veronica Mars if you didn't watch it when it was on the air. Don't be fooled by the high school setting, it just uses it as a framing device for the noir-style mysteries it tells. I discovered it on Netflix recently and mainlined it in a week. Well, the first season. The third season took a nose dive, imo, and while the second season was good I hated the way they ended that season's 'mystery' plot. Solid acting and writing all around, though.

I'm also loving 'Game of Thrones' so far, to continue the geeky suggestions.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

I would second Veronica Mars. But only the first two seasons. The third season is something entirely different and not that good. From there move on to Terriers. Don't know if it's out on DVD, but I'm sure you can download it somewhere. 13 episodes of perfect, heart-felt intense television. It will have the reputation of The Wire before too long.

I would give BBC's Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes a shot. And if you like comedy, the BBC's Peep Show can't be matched.

 

[HC]

"Breaking Bad". "Mad Men". These are worth not just renting but owning. Like "The Wire" and "The Shield" we go back to them over and over.

"Deadwood" is my current passion. An absolutely amazing show.

 

[Dyno]

"Breaking Bad". "Mad Men". These are worth not just renting but owning. Like "The Wire" and "The Shield" we go back to them over and over.

"Deadwood" is my current passion. An absolutely amazing show.

HC - I just finished watching "Deadwood." Loved it (and the others you mentioned as well, especially "The Shield").

 

[2underpar]

I'm currently watching "the killing" and it's very good.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I'd suggest Veronica Mars if you didn't watch it when it was on the air. Don't be fooled by the high school setting, it just uses it as a framing device for the noir-style mysteries it tells. I discovered it on Netflix recently and mainlined it in a week. Well, the first season. The third season took a nose dive, imo, and while the second season was good I hated the way they ended that season's 'mystery' plot. Solid acting and writing all around, though.

Your analysis of the seasons is excellent.

But VM is distinctive for being the most distinctive dirty-old-man delight of any series in a long, long time.

 

[dooley_womack1]

It's hard to go wrong with any of the Top Chef shows. Great-looking food and generally real people providing some degree of drama.

 

[dooley_womack1]

I'd suggest Veronica Mars if you didn't watch it when it was on the air. Don't be fooled by the high school setting, it just uses it as a framing device for the noir-style mysteries it tells. I discovered it on Netflix recently and mainlined it in a week. Well, the first season. The third season took a nose dive, imo, and while the second season was good I hated the way they ended that season's 'mystery' plot. Solid acting and writing all around, though.

Your analysis of the seasons is excellent.

But VM is distinctive for being the most distinctive dirty-old-man delight of any series in a long, long time.

So you have heard.

 

[HC]

"Breaking Bad". "Mad Men". These are worth not just renting but owning. Like "The Wire" and "The Shield" we go back to them over and over.

"Deadwood" is my current passion. An absolutely amazing show.

HC - I just finished watching "Deadwood." Loved it (and the others you mentioned as well, especially "The Shield").

Doesn't it feel like the Western that Shakespeare would have written?

 

[Dyno]

"Breaking Bad". "Mad Men". These are worth not just renting but owning. Like "The Wire" and "The Shield" we go back to them over and over.

"Deadwood" is my current passion. An absolutely amazing show.

HC - I just finished watching "Deadwood." Loved it (and the others you mentioned as well, especially "The Shield").

Doesn't it feel like the Western that Shakespeare would have written?

Absolutely. I love the language.

 

[outofplace]

BYH will probably not speak to me for weeks after saying this, but FG lost its fastball the last season-plus. Really hit-and-miss these days.

Wouldn't BYH not speaking to you for weeks be a good thing? :)

I guess he's not going to speak with me, either, because I agree with you.

On the list of reasons why I won't talk to you assholes, disliking FG most of the time is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY down the list!

I am actually in complete agreement with you assholes (need a decontamination shower, can't get rid of the stench!). FG misses far more than it hits. When it hits, it's awesome. But this year's had about two or three worthwhile shows and the rest have ranged from eminently forgettable to some of the most offensive **** ever aired on TV. There was an episode in March or so when Stewie's clone (wait a minute didn't they do that already?) went on a killing spree. Utterly without laughs, merit or any redeeming value whatsoever.

As for my contribution, try Glee. You should be familiar with the plight of the NERRRRRRRRRRDS!!!! :D :D :D

Also, it's good to know I know, albeit in a weird passive-aggressive message board rivalry sort of way, the only person in America who watched Smallville.

Tried Glee. Didn't care for it.

And I know two other people who watched Smallville. One is relatively normal. The other is a fantasy baseball fanatic who lives in the boonies in southern Virginia and looks like Larry the Cable Guy.

 

[imjustagirl]

I watched Smallville. I have a raging crush on Michael Rosenbaum.

 

[BYH]

And I know two other people who watched Smallville. One is relatively normal. The other is a fantasy baseball fanatic who lives in the boonies in southern Virginia and looks like Larry the Cable Guy.

Wait, I thought you were a Pennsylvania guy.

 

[outofplace]

And I know two other people who watched Smallville. One is relatively normal. The other is a fantasy baseball fanatic who lives in the boonies in southern Virginia and looks like Larry the Cable Guy.

Wait, I thought you were a Pennsylvania guy.

Funny. No, Larry the Cable Guy has more hair than I do.