TV

[desh]

A list of TV shows that I haven't seen yet, or have only seen a tiny amount of, that I might eventually watch, in order of likelihood:

1. Freaks and Geeks
2. Firefly
3. Dollhouse*
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. 30 Rock
6. Always Sunny In Philadelphia
7. The Wire
999. Every other freaking Whedon show that people keep talking about

* Because my roommate's watching it anyway, so it's easy; would probably be bumped to 5 or 6 otherwise

And this doesn't even count the 5 current shows I follow (NCIS/House/L&O/L&O/L&O) and the Arrested Development catching up I still have to do.

Plus, Degrassi: TNG. Let's not go there.

So, nnaylime and the rest of y'all who love BSG so much, here's the problem: It's competing for my TV time with 6 things I'm already hooked on (5 current and 1 on DVD), whatever sporting events I watch, and 4 other series that are either 30 minute shows or are fewer than 25 total episodes and are therefore less daunting. Still, one day...

Comments

[yolachka.livejournal.com]

"Battlestar Galactica" is AWESOME!!! Hubby got me into it a few months ago and we just went through 2-3 episodes per night until we got all caught up. Watched the series finale last night. Now, I am going through withdrawal. :)

[desh]

Yeah, that's the other problem: I don't have the stamina to watch that much of a show that quickly. If I see more than about 3 hours of a show in a week I tend to get overwhelmed, start disliking it, and start forgetting key stuff.

[yolachka.livejournal.com]

Don't know, we watched, discussed, watched more. :) I absolutely loved it but I'm the kind of person who's impatient about certain things and could't go to sleep without finding out more. :)

[krisispm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, both BSG and Alias we tend to watch in 6-episode blocks. I can't think of any other series that we are quite so impatient about.

[yolachka.livejournal.com]

If only I didn't have to get up and function at work the next morning, I could have totally done 6 episodes in one night! :)

[atthe-algonquin.livejournal.com]

BSG: Don't watch it all at once. I basically crammed 2.5 seasons into a month and it was, uh, not good. It's not what you'd call a cheerful show. (And there's so much depth to it, it's worth not racing through it. Although it's so damn good that's all you'll want to do.)

And, actually -- if you do wind up waiting a year or two (or more) to watch it, I'll be curious as to how it's aged. And, arguably, you'll be watching it under different cultural circumstances than I did -- I'm curious to see how it'll stand up to time.

BSG

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

that's a really good point. i stopped watching after season 2.5 (life got in between), and i wonder just how much i enjoyed it because it was in many ways cathartic in regard to the political situation in the US at the time; one could watch it as pure allegory.

i hear lots of people bitch about the finale, implying the writers didn't have a plan after all. oh well. :) i got my money's worth out of it already.

mmmh, lee with/woops/with towel.

[krisispm.livejournal.com]

Freaks and Geeks was cute. You could probably consume it in a week or two.

Firefly was enjoyable the first few times through. It's a very Indiana Jones, popcorn sort of series.

Dollhouse has been super-bad thus far. Wait until a whole season is over before you render judgment.

BSG through the first half of the third season is absolutely rivetting. It decliens after that. I would strongly recommend stopping at the midseason finale of season 4, because the last bit just doesn't hold up.

30 Rock had two amazing seasons. I've already given up on this season - it's become the Tina & Alec show. Netflix streams it for free, if you're a member.

I'm off teevee again. I was watching for BSG, Heroes, and 30 Rock, and they all disappointed me. I just don't have time in my life for other people's ongoing fantasies.

[krisispm.livejournal.com]

PS: OMG, how I fucking hate House. I've maybe seen 12 episodes now, and I always loathe it the entire time. It's a shame his great acting has to be attached to such a formulaic, condescending show.

[desh]

It's such a good formula! It's like listening to blues music—you don't get bored hearing the same damn song over and over if it's a good song done well.

[desh]

Oh, I forgot about Heroes. That's probably in there around 3rd or 4th.

Season 1 only. Don't worry, I'm no masochist.

[nnaylime.livejournal.com]

LOL! I'll try to temper the enthusiasm then, but I will agree with what the others have said. Also Adama is Jed Bartlett on a spaceship (and Tigh is Leo).

Firefly is fun, but frustrating because it never got the chance to fully develop.

[desh]

I didn't know there was a good Leo parallel. That definitely raises it another notch in my mind. Man, I miss Leo.

Re: Bartlett : Adama :: Leo : Tigh

[krisispm.livejournal.com]

OMG, totally.

Re: Bartlett : Adama :: Leo : Tigh

[nnaylime.livejournal.com]

And Josh & Sam are Lee & Helo . . . the analogy falls apart once I get to Roslin though - I can't decide if she's Abby, CJ, are just something unto herself.

[desh]

Wait, you agree with what the others have said, even about only watching 2.5 or 3.5 seasons?

[nnaylime.livejournal.com]

Oh, no . . . I agree that it's dark, and should probably not be watched in great big batches (although the temptation to do so will exist), but you gotta watch the whole thing.

The last half season (season 4.5) was one of the weaker seasons (they made the mistake of introducing some new elements even as they were wrapping the series up, and in some ways wrote themselves into a few corners that left some of the resolutions less satisfactory than I would've liked), but I would say both for a completest perspective (you're not gonna wanna be left hanging with the season 4.0 cliff-hanger) and from a story-telling perspective (there is an absolutely SPECTACULAR arc in there) you'll wanna watch it.

Season 2 and the first half of season 3 are probably the strongest, but even toward the end of it there was still stuff in there that kept me riveted and asking myself big, important questions.

[janinedog]

I love Firefly, and I'm loving Dollhouse too. Be sure to watch Serenity (the movie) after you watch Firefly (the series), since it wraps things up. Supposedly there are comics in between the series and the movie too (Whedon does a lot of comics for his shows), but I never read them.

[myq.livejournal.com]

I've heard BSG isn't as terrible as it sounds, but still, whenever I read a plot synopsis I want to beat people up and take their lunch money.

I've been wanting to watch The Wire, I'll probably buy the series on DVD and get around to it later this summer.

[desh]

I have to admit, if you take away my friends' ravings about BSG, and all I had to go on was what I'd read in newspapers and anonymous blogs and commercials I'd seen and plot summaries and so on, I wouldn't be interested at all. It's only my friends giving it tremendous praise that makes me interested. But my friends have good taste.