Open Small Screen List Thread
Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 10:20PM Team Experience and I have been talking off blog about how better to handle TV coverage going forward. The disappointing Emmy nominations reminded us that while there's plenty of great work being done on TV, focusing on the Emmys turns out to be not even remotely the best way to honor it since they only have time for about 10 shows which they hang on to year after year. While we're never going to become The TV Experience (you need not worry movie-going cinephiles) nor will we be joining the traditional recapping game --- we experimented a bit but there's more than enough of that online and it wasn't really our thing -- but with the big screen / small screen / web screen lines are ever blurrier it's time to have at least a weekly column devoted to it.
Plus, the whole time I was watching Penny Dreadful Season 2, I was like 'Nathaniel, WHY are you not discussing this regularly with TFE readers? It's so gonzo and worth talking about!'
So our questions to you (yes even you who never comment - speak up) are:
1. What are your 10-15 favorite current shows that you (here's the key part of the question) most love to read about / discuss with others?
2. What are your 10 favorite shows of all time (that are no longer airing)?
3. Which shows that are not endlessly obsessed over online (like, say, Game of Thrones), should be?
Reader Comments (68)
ben1283 --
RIGHT? good grief he's annoying/insufferable. I love the show though.1) OINTB, Drunk History, Broadchurch, Inside Amy Schumer, Louie, Broad City, Transparent, American Horror Story, MasterChef Junior, Kimmy Schmidt, Bob's Burgers
2) Gilmore Girls, Alias, Rosanne, Star Trek: TNG, Futurama, Will & Grace, 30 Rock, Golden Girls, Mad Men, Star Trek: Voyager
3) For shows of old, I would say Star Trek Voyager. It's mostly "bad" but it does important work! And it's so entertaining and Captain Janeway is my role model. Lady driven sci fi is the best sci fi! For current shows, I think there's a lot of pick apart on Grace and Frankie. It is flawed for sure, but the highs are high enough that I'm excited to see if/how they iron out the kinks, and what happens once they do. Probably a B/B- of a season, but with A+++++ for potential!
1. Girls, Orange Is The New Black, Downton Abbey, Game Of Thrones, Louie, Community
2. The Wire, Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, Seinfeld, Smash, The Killing, Freaks And Geeks, Daria, Queer As Folk (U.K.), Boardwalk Empire
1) The Comeback, Hannibal, Transparent, Rectify, Louie, Orange is the New Black, Fargo, UnREAL, Inside Amy Schumer, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Real Housewives of NY, It's Always Sunny
2) As of this millisecond: Six Feet Under, The Simpsons (approx. seasons 1-10 of course), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twin Peaks, The Office UK, Arrested Development, The Comeback, Strangers with Candy, Absolutely Fabulous, Mad Men, My So-Called Life...
3) Hannibal obviously needs all the love it can get, but I'd say that and Rectify are currently the two most addictive and obsession-worthy and I'm always having to push them on people who have no idea they exist.
QUESTION 1:
The Americans, Sense8, Hannibal, Daredevil, Orange Is The New Black, Game of Thrones, The Fall, Gotham
QUESTION 2:
The Wire, Friends, Absolutely Fabulous, Nikita, Battlestar Galactica, Alo Alo, Spartacus, Looking, The X-Files
QUESTION 3:
The Americans for sure. That show is so so good!
Nikita had so little buzz and was incredible. The combo of CW and a female Asian lead may not be the hottest ticket
1 Orphan Black, Orange is the New black, Mr Robot (Fantastic new show), Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, Humans, Bojack Horseman, The Comeback, Transparent
2. E.R, Skins (UK version), The Wire, Pepper Ann, Happy Endings, Ab Fab, Sex and the City, Ghost Squad
3. Seems greedy to say OB when there is already quite a lot of chatter for a show with low ratings, but they do such interesting things with gender roles and female charactes in general that I would love to see more, OITNB as all the talk is so concentrated into a few weeks, Skins, Mr Robot (Cos it's bloody fantastic), Pepper Ann (no-one ever talks about pepper ann).
Also agree with ben1283 about Happy Valley. Outstanding show with an outstanding performance from Lancaster
I love Sense8. I would be devastated if it's not renewed.
NATHANIEL R --
I'm mystified as to why he's still part of the show, since he's such an obvious weak link. I'm glad that they're not pushing the romance with Callie anymore, but it's also left him with pretty much no purpose on that show.
broooooke --
I'm so pleased to see Sarah Lancashire getting these big meaty roles now. I also loved her in Last Tango in Halifax.
1. Madame Secretary (watched a rerun last evening and was totally captivated), Happy Valley, Penny Dreadful, Hannibal, Scott and Bailey, Survivor (guilty pleasure), Daredevil
2. Still miffed over the cancellation of Stalker and Forever. Parenthood. Star Trek anything.
Currently watching/obsessing:
Orange is the New Black
Penny Dreadful
Walking Dead
True Detective (feh)
Masters of Sex
Hell on Wheels
Game of Thrones
Favorite shows no longer on the air
Mad Men
The Whedon triumverate: Buffy, Angel, Firefly
Barney Miller (my single favorite sitcom ever)
Boardwalk Empire
thirtysomething
Northern Exposure
Star Trek original and Next Generation
Designing Women
Breaking Bad
WHY OH WHY is nobody obsessed with...
Hell on Wheels. WTF people?
This post is amazing! You'll have some great TV case. Also, getting some great ideas for what to watch.
I just have to 2nd Carala by saying that the UK version of Utopia is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen!!
Unfortunately, it's online presents is miniscule. I think this is mainly because it is not readily available in the US. However, everyone I've showed it to has become an instant fanatic. I am just so I have a heartbroken that it has been canceled. I hope the HBO/David Fincher version is even Half as good.
The Good Wife (the one and only network drama that combines a great cast, exciting guests, slick direction and really ambitious writing)
Game of Thrones (what an ensemble ! and i can't get over those dazzling visual effects),
House of Cards (i could watch Wright and Spacey reading the phonebook),
Penny Dreadul (can't wait to watch season 2, why did the Emmy voters didn't watch the first?), Veep (soooo clever, really hilarious),
Orange is the New Black (again, the ensemble is insane !),
Bates Motel (Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore are getting better and better in each season, then again Emmys don't care),
Downton Abbey (i don't care about the haters, the show is simply gorgeous, i love all the characters and the classy/soapy storylines, and of course the always axhilarating Smith/Wilton dialogues),
The Comeback (if it still is a 'current show'...),
Episodes (i fell in love with Tamsin Greig : Wake up Emmys, everything is not about LeBlanc),
American Horror Story (this show is, like "Normal" or "Grey Gardens", a sent from TV heaven to all Jessica Lange fans who missed her from the early nineties, which i am, also starring Frances Conroy, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett ... no need to say more)
Modern Family (i'm waiting to watch season 6 to decide if i'm tired of it...)
In the guilty pleasure category, i'm still very into Grey's Anatomy and Scandal.
I just started Kimmy Schmidt (Jane Krakowski is the best) but i think it will very soon be part of the list !
FAVORITES OF ALL TIME (no particular order)
1 - Sex & the City
2 - The West Wing
3 - Friends
-Ally McBeal (only 'til season 4, the fifth was really terrible)
-Dr Quinn Medicine Woman (yes ... i fell in love with it when i was 8 or so and then i found the DVDs some years ago and i fell back)
-The Closer (i discovered it and 'The Comeback' Season 1 on a trip in the US 10 years ago. Brenda and Valerie instantly became my new favortie tv-weirdos)
-Dexter (well, only the five first seasons, then it got complicated)
-Damages (season 4? forget about it...)
-Desperate Housewives (i know ... but i can't help)
I'm just starting to watch Six Feet Under, then i never ended The Shield (i watched for Glenn Close so i stopped after her ... but i really liked the show), nor Mad Men (season 5 bored me but i'm trying to give a chance to the sixth).
And Angels in American must be ineligible since it's a mini-series... But i had to mention it.
1. Orange is the New Black, Inside Amy Schumer, Black-ish, Veep, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Silcon Valley, Game of Thrones, The Last Man on Earth, Getting On, The Good Wife, Portlandia, Key & Peele.
2. Mad Men, The Sopranos, Happy Endings, Friends, All in the Family, ER, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roseanne, Arrested Development
3. I need more online obsession of Orange is the New Black. It's actressexual heaven.
Wow, what a great turnout! I'll undoubtedly be repeating some here, but here goes:
1. Broad City, The Good Wife (well, until the dud that was Season 6), Orphan Black, Doctor Who, Fargo, Parenthood, Peaky Blinders, Call the Midwife, Inside Amy Schumer.
2. The Wire, Seinfeld, 30 Rock, Arrested Development (Season 4 doesn't count), Happy Endings, Northern Exposure, Invader Zim, Wonderfalls, Murphy Brown.
3. Again, Broad City. But also, your use of the word "gonzo" reminded me of Danger 5 as well -- please delve into this "what the hell is this" show. And I still don't understand how Fringe didn't amass a larger following -- the show completely jettisoned its own premise THREE TIMES and started over.
1. The Good Wife, Game of Thrones, Veep, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Homeland, House of Cards, The Comeback, Grace and Frankie, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
2. Skip it, haven't watched enough TV series.
3. The Comeback. Its brilliance is so underrated and Lisa Kudrow is a magical wonder in it.
Kimmy Schmidt is the definition of cliche ridden sitcom and one of Fey's worst products. I'm shocked it's got so many fans.
Lots of Emmy complaining about things u either don't bother to watch or think you're too good to watch. These nominations were a fine representation of this past year in television, which, like it or not, has surpassed film in every way imaginable. The proof is right there in front of you if you're not willing to disregard them.
1. Vikings, Daredevil, Penny Dreadful, Sense 8, Supernatural, Happy Valley, You're the worst, Please Like Me, Suits, Elementary
2. Mad Men, Will and Grace, Golden Girls, Oz, Angel, Merlin,Enlisted, Firefly, Torchwood
3. Penny Dreadful, mainly for Eva Green!