So in the last 2 decades of TV what'd I miss?

[Engels]

Surprised no one has mentioned Stargate SG-1, I found that to be a good series...

Really? I found SG Atlantis watchable, but this first series was so so full of jingoistic patronizing militarism I just couldn't hack it. The 'helping our little enslaved brown brothers' tone was beyond the pale.

[Viin]

Invader Zim gets no love?

And the Tick animated series.

The Tick was mentioned a bit ago. Invader Zim is good (though I've only seen a few episodes) but along those lines good cartoons to see are Samurai Jack and the Clone Wars.

[Trippy]

"Pull some levers, PULL SOME LEVERS!"

[Oban]

The Simpsons jumped the shark over a decade ago, so you can scratch most of the series.

[Triforcer]

Simpsons seasons 3-9.  Pretend the rest doesn't exist.  Buffy seasons 1-3.  Pretend the rest doesn't exist.

[DeathInABottle]

Invader Zim gets no love?

You!  OBEY THE FIST!

[Ozzu]

I know it was mentioned already, but:

Band of Brothers

I can't emphasize enough the greatness that is this miniseries. If you haven't seen it, set aside a day and just watch the entire thing.

[Bunk]

Fuck, just realized that I totally forgot my favorite sitcom of the last ten years - Arrested Development.

[Oban]

The past eleven seasons of Top Gear, even if you hate cars.

[Jeff Kelly]

I second top gear. Even if you don't like cars or don't own one. Clarkson, Hammond and May are simply hilarious. And how hard can it be?

[K9]

I second top gear. Even if you don't like cars or don't own one. Clarkson, Hammond and May are simply hilarious. And how hard can it be?

Judging by 5th gear it's harder than they make it appear.

Also all 5 seasons of QI, the best panel/quiz show around at the moment and it has durable viewing quality as it doesn't rely on topical humour.

[Stormwaltz]

My favorites. I'm too lazy to read the whole thread and see what's been mentioned.

Drama
China Beach - Vietnam from behind the lines (usually). Features a young Marg Helgenberger (CSI) as a whore, if that floats your boat.
My So-Called Life - A teenage Claire Danes portrays high school in the 90s with the appropriate gawky grace.
Band of Brothers - I rewatched this last week, and it was as good as the first time I saw it. I expect that will still be the case in ten years.

Science Fiction
Babylon 5 - I think it has the best plotting of any SF TV series, though the dialogue and acting can be weak. And virtually all of seasons 1 and 5 are weak.
Firefly - Character-wise, the best science-fiction ever televised. Every damn one of these characters is fascinating and likable. Especially the jerks.
Angel - Buffy was good, this is better. It takes about a season to get into its groove, but after that it begins remorselessly turning every character's life into shit. Plus, you know, vampires and whatnot.

Cartoons
Animaniacs - The humor's getting a little dated now, but it's still as relentlessly quotable as Monty Python.
The Tick (Animated) - If you've ever liked or hated superheroes, you will enjoy this. It's worth it for the big blue guy's wrap-up speeches alone.

[Trippy]

China Beach - Vietnam from behind the lines (usually). Features a young Marg Helgenberger (CSI) as a whore, if that floats your boat.

You didn't mention a young Dana Delany.

[Jeff Kelly]

Also all 5 seasons of QI, the best panel/quiz show around at the moment and it has durable viewing quality as it doesn't rely on topical humour.

and it has Stephen Fry

[Slayerik]

The Wire.

Rome

The Wire.

[Engels]

If you're into soldiery things, Band of Brothers is awsome. If you are not into that type of thing, then it will probably bore you, as it did my GF, much to my consternation after swearing that it was the bestest thing ever (the Wire hadn't come out yet  )

[Oban]

Spooks, all six seasons of this BBC program are amazing. 

They really make the latest Bond look quite bad.

[Engels]

Really? Couldn't stand the toffy nosed twats.

[Oban]

I would fuck all of the twats on that show, minus the grandmother in season six.

[Phildo]

[Grand Design]

The Wire.

Rome

The Wire.

I'm 2/3 through the third season now and it just gets better and better.  Stringer and Omar are two of the best characters I've seen fleshed out in a series.  And Bubbles, but I know more than I should.

[Nerf]

Oh man, I totally forgot about animaniacs, I loved that shit. Pink and The Brain had their show for awhile IIRC, that was great too.

The Boondocks, if it hasn't already been mentioned is fucking amazing.

Hustle is oustanding, not sure if its still on or not, I havn't seen an episode in about a year but AMC is in the 700s or somthing so I always forgot to look.
Ad Men, another AMC series, I moved and missed the second half of the first season, but I enjoyed what I've seen so far.

[fuser]

I won't cover a lot that has been mentioned, here's two that you might enjoy:

Breaking Bad - Really dark show about a chemistry teacher who starts cooking meth, pretty much the best show I have seen lately.
Kenny vs Spenny - Comedy about two friends who do a challenge in each episode and the winner gets to choose a humiliation.

Others that are either totally hit or miss:

The IT Crowd - Sitcom about IT staff in a company.
Long way round - Follows Ewan Mcgregor and Charley Borman on a motorcycle trip around the world.
Torchwood - Honestly I'm still in season one but its a bit darker companion series to the new Dr Who (so if you end up watching it watch a few episodes)

[DeathInABottle]

So have you watched The Wire yet or what?

[Abagadro]

Ad Men

It's Mad Men to be precise.

And I don't know if we should be recommending The Wire. It would make everything else pale by comparison. Best to work up to that one.

Stringer and Omar are two of the best characters I've seen fleshed out in a series

Heh, just wait until the final episode of season 3.

[Signe]

Californication's first season is on On Demand so I finally got to watch it.  It's very funny.  I usually don't like shows that have a lot of graphic sex because that's what they always like to focus on, but not so in this show.  There's a lot of it, but it's funny and not intense.  I love David Duchovny in this show.  Rome is also on On Demand but I probably won't bother.  I'm all TV seriesed out now.  They're like MMOs.  If there is too much, too close together, I get bored and wander off.

[Oban]

Gah, how could I forget the best mystery shows?

Inspector Morse, all seven seasons from 1987 on and the specials!

Inspector Lewis, or just Lewis, the follow up.  Seasons one and two are quite good.

Foyle's War, all six seasons.

[Engels]

Well, yes, this is true. The Wire is second ONLY to Inspector Morse in my playbook. However, you have to realise that Morse isn't for everyone.

[Tale]

This is like reading a bacon thread where, all of a sudden, people start saying marmalade is right up there with bacon.

[NowhereMan]

Morse: "Lewis we've got a murder to solve... right after we stop off at this pub for a few pints of bitter." 

[Tale]

I've been watching season 1 of The Wire again because of this thread.

I've decided that in order to "get" The Wire, you need to watch the first 8 episodes of Season 1 without skipping a second. Sorry, that's 8 hours of your life, I know, but for anyone who understands, this means you get The Bunk and McNulty and Omar and it's all there.

Once you're at that point, you have another four and a half seasons to watch if you like it, so what's eight hours?

[Azaroth]

China Beach - Vietnam from behind the lines (usually). Features a young Marg Helgenberger (CSI) as a whore, if that floats your boat.

You didn't mention a young Dana Delany.

Fine, but what about Kim?

Rock on, Tour of Duty.

[Hoax]

Minor update:

I watched Dexter, didn't finish the first season.  While they get points for trying something nifty, it never really clicked for me.  It would have to have been so fucking dark to work.  Instead it felt pretty gimmicked.

I watched S1 of Californication.  Fuck me.  I couldn't turn it off, watched the entire season in one night.  That renewed my faith in this thread.  So much fun.  Great family story, totally fucked up, love stuff like this.  Honestly my complaints are sometimes the random bimbo fucking got in the way of the story bits.  Also the agent/best friend doesn't do anything for me.  I think I'm just spoiled from Ari on Entourage being so damn awesome.

Not sure what to check out next, I need something to buffer between that and watching Rescue Me, which I've always thought I might want to check out.  Perhaps 30 Rock, I love that O'Reiley from Oz is in it.

[Grand Design]

As gruesome as Dexter can get, its never meant to be dark.  Its told from his perspective, and he doesn't see what he is doing as wrong.  Minor thematic spoiler - a bit of the gimmick, the 'serial killer with a heart of gold' isn't intact by the end of the first season.  The supporting characters don't quite do it for me, but Hall just nails Dexter.






So.

Have you watched The Wire yet?

[eldaec]

Have we done Life on Mars yet?

Life on Mars.

But avoid the emo 1980s follow up 'Ashes to Ashes'.


Weeds deserves more mentions than it gets.

Also, My Name is Earl, same applies.