What is your favorite show?

LOST is a great show in so many ways. But for me the ending ruined the entire last season by making it pointless. Until the last episode it had so much potential to be great magical realism or something else entirely, but ended up being useless shit. The ending cannot ruin all the good episodes and story arcs, but since Lost is so driven towards a conclusion in its very essence, it somewhat does anyhow.

I guess Lost's ending was, for me, as good as I ever expected it to be. I at least felt like it gave closure to the characters, and resolved most of the broad story without getting pedantic. The last season tried some weird stuff though, so I can totally respect that not all of it paid off for many people.

There's a lot of other stuff I could add to that, but I'll forgo it for now. There are people who are watching it, and it's too hard to discuss the endgame without spoiling it.

If we are going by stuff that I actively watched from beginning to end while it was on the air, then I would go with Chuck. The show was never a big success, but I found myself always enjoying it. It had a great cast of characters that you genuinely cared about. The premise was outlandish and you always knew Chuck and Co would save the day at the end of the episode, but it was enjoyable. It provided a nice escape for one hour a week and I liked that the show wasn't deadly serious. I didn't care for the series finale, but all in all it was a fun little ride.

My favorite show that I watched on DVD (though I did catch a few episodes as a kid) is HBO's Tales from the Crypt. Just a top notch effort and as a fan of horror it is a timeless treat to own on DVD. The A-list talent that surrounded the show is amazing. Each episode you would constantly get wowed at the directors or actors that you would recognize. Plus you can literally pop in any season and just pick an episode to watch since their is no continuity to worry about.

My favorite cartoon tv show is Ren and Stimpy. It took everything from the Looney Toons era and cranked it up to 11. Such a wonderful little show. Looking back at it, I can't believe some of the stuff in those episodes! I'm glad my parents never sat and watched it with me lol.

mads b. wrote: I'm a huge Buffy fan, so I'll probably go with that. In many ways The Wire is better - especially because of the conversations about real life each episode will start. But the thing about Buffy is that it's an ingenious take on the classical coming of age story. And while most of the personal stuff the characters deal with is just run of the mill stuff about growing up, setting it on a backdrop of a world that's litteraly about to end makes it all so much more poignant.

Honorable mention goes to Frasier. It's just so damn tight and funny, and the motor that is Daphne and Niles creates a dramaturgical constant the rest of the show benefits from. And episodes such as The Ski Lodge, Three Valentines, and the one about Oedipus are comedy gold.

Ah yes. Fraiser is GREAT. I also heard good things about the new Shelock Holmes, but I have not seen it.

The Wire is definitely my favorite. I have been contemplating a re-watching soon. I don't have anything new to add about why it is great, it just is. Six Feet Under is probably the closest contender for me (although Deadwood, the original Office and Seinfeld aren't far behind). I've seen all of Six Feet Under at least two times (some seasons more due to rewatching when a new season came out on DVD) and I still love the characters (except Ruth).

The Wire isn't real popular here in Baltimore.

S.

FRINGE, dammit! Sci-fi elements, mystery & intrigue,... plus (unlike LOST) they actually give answers. Also, fantastic characters. Much better than any other quasi-sci fi show that has tried to pick up the LOST mantle.

Sagrilarus wrote: The Wire isn't real popular here in Baltimore.

S.

I can see how that would be true. I think that most people outside of Baltimore (myself included) don't see it as a condemnation on the shortcomings of that city. I see it as a portayal of the problems of urban society throughout the US.

clockwirk wrote: FRINGE, dammit! Sci-fi elements, mystery & intrigue,... plus (unlike LOST) they actually give answers. Also, fantastic characters. Much better than any other quasi-sci fi show that has tried to pick up the LOST mantle.

While I love Fringe, it's been pretty sloppy with it's stuff too. Anyone who says it's providing answers better than Lost did is fooling themselves. The entire subplot of Dunham's first partner has been totally dropped so far, which is just as bad as the whole Walt subplot on Lost.

Besides that, it just doesn't hang together as well as Lost does. Before anyone starts rolling their eyes, recall that there's a definite progression from season to season in Lost. Fringe sort of wobbles between stuff. Besides that, it's just as guilty of massive filler as the worst of Lost, but it often didn't even bother to try to connect that filler to the overall series. It only really hit its stride at the end of season two. At it's best, it's just as effective as Lost at generating "must-watch" moments, but to say that it "answers stuff" better than Lost is selective memory.

Having said that, Fringe is a great show. It's done a good job at staking out it's own territory, and I think it sells the show short that people pretend that it's Lost Jr. It definitely does true sci-fi, albeit the softer variety, and it's got some great characters. I really like it, and I'm glad it's back.

Marcussen wrote: Ah yes. Fraiser is GREAT. I also heard good things about the new Shelock Holmes, but I have not seen it.

Hey Christian! Welcome. Sherlock Holmes is a lot of fun. It's worth checking out.

Rome
Robin of Sherwood
Father Ted
The Young Ones
The Office

#1) Mystery Science. I have a few on DVD, and can watch them over & over. Most notably: Mitchel;
Tom Servo: [watching a film in which a man is shot and thrown off a boat] "So long, CHUM!" Laughed till I cried. Still do.
#2) Chappelle's show. Charlie Fucking Murphy Skits, especially the Prince one. I'll also think about the "Ask a black Dude" skit where Paul Mooney goes into how Mariah Carey married a white dude but can't help "humping on black chairs".

Boomtown.

Jeff White wrote: Father Ted

I forgot about this show too.
Father Ted: "Fascists dress in black and go around telling people what to do, whereas priests... more drink!"

Fallen wrote: #1) Mystery Science. I have a few on DVD, and can watch them over & over. Most notably: Mitchel;
Tom Servo: [watching a film in which a man is shot and thrown off a boat] "So long, CHUM!" Laughed till I cried. Still do.

I love this show too. The "Werewolf" episode remains one of the funniest things ever to air on TV, for my money.

Title screen: WEREWOLF
Servo: I dunno, you had him last!