I'll go with awesome shows that were cancelled: The Upright Citizens Brigade: An awesome sketch comedy show that was on Comedy Central in the late '90s. All of the sketches would have a certain theme, and they would all be tied together at the end of the show. However, like all genius TV shows on Comedy Central they pulled the plug in favor of stuff like Mad TV reruns and Blue Collar TV. Notable sketches: Ass Pennies, The fortune cookie "in bed" game. Mr. Show with Bob and David: A sketch comedy show on HBO in the '90s, I used to love getting stoned and watching it when I was in highschool. The sketches had an ingenius way of segueying into each each other that gave the show a surreal feel that has to be seen. Notable sketches to look up: Taint Magazine and Carwash Change Theif Action Squad. Wonder Showzen: A "childrens'" show aimed squarely at adults that ran for two seasons on MTV2. Just imagine what Sesame Street would be like if it was written by people like us, and that would be Wonder Showzen. It had muppets and everything. Each show would have a theme like patience, addiction, etc. TV Funhouse: Another awesome kids show for adults that Comedy Central pulled the plug on. Written by Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), it starred a bunch of animal puppets, the Anipals, and Doug, the human host, who would have a new adventure every episode. Notable episodes were when they decided to volunteer for animal testing to make money, and the Christmas episode where they drain Doug's spinal fluid (because they think that is where Christmas Cheer comes from), synthesize it into a powder and snort it, then go on a rampage around the city singing Christmas carols. The _______ Dana Carvey Show: This sketch comedy show aired on ABC in 1996, and only had 7 episodes. Each show had a different sponsor (Ex: The Taco Bell Dana Carvey Show, The Szechuan Dynasty Dana Carvey Show, etc.). I was surprised that it even got aired at all, what with it's prime-time time slot and being on network TV. It was cancelled for being too edgy. It's sad to think of what might have been. I also like to watch the Adult Swim lineup, with the notable exception of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job. That show is retarded and gay, and I mean that in the most negative way possible.
Boy Meets World is the best sitcom of ALL time. Take a normal, run-of-the-mill Anglo Saxon American family, and place an unknowing Jewish kid in the middle of it. BAM! Why won't his "parents" tell him he's an adopted Jew-kid? Where was his chutzpah to tell them he wants to go live on the West Bank? Was Topanga in it just for his money? So many questions were left when this show ended, I want more! This is motherfucking "Lost" on Zionist acid.
1. The Simpsons. I can watch season 3-8 over and over again and not get bored, there is not a single bad episode there. I even like seasons 1 and 2 for nostalgia. 2. I can't believe that nobody has mentioned my second favorite television show of all time yet: King of the Hill. I have to admit that I had only seen a few episodes up until January of 2009, then I started to catch the reruns on Adult Swim. It didn't take long for me to become addicted. I fell in love with the characters, especially Hank, Bill, Dale, Cotton, and Bobby. Although there were some bad episodes here and there the show was consistently funny for 13 seasons. 3. I am a nerd, and my 3rd favorite television show of all time is Jeopardy! It is the only game show I can watch 5 days a week and not get bored with, mainly because of its fast-paced format. The quality of the clue writing can be a little weak at times, but I think it's forgivable for a show that is on its 26th season in its current incarnation. And it's Tournament of Champions week this week, which is always the best time to watch the show. 4. I am also surprised that nobody has mentioned That '70s Show. The last two seasons were kind of bad but it was consistently funny throughout its run. If you can appreciate the humor then it's another show where you will fall in love with the characters after only a couple of episodes. 5. The first five seasons of 24 were awesome. Jack Bauer kicked some major ass. 6. When it is good South Park is hard to top, but when it's bad it is garbage. The show's humor has evolved since it hit the airwaves in 1997, but in all that time no show's humor has pushed the envelope more. I can appreciate both the older episodes and the newer episodes.
The Wire: Realism, acting, and the themes of each season. I seriously watched 2 seasons in 4 days. If you have not seen this show, it's consistently ranked in the top ten for the decade. South Park: I feel like I grew up with this show, I graduated from the Simpsons to South Park right as I was entering high school. Back in the day, South Park was like pornography to us, it was prohibited due to my young age. Now, it's still hilarious and I can't wait for each new episode. Sons of Anarchy: Biker culture meets family drama. I grew up around a bunch of bikers and construction workers, so maybe I'm biased, but it's a fucking excellent show. I am terrified that the 3rd season will start to go downhill. Deadwood: On dialog alone, this show is spectacular. Well acted, the set designs are exceptional, but just listening to the characters speak makes this show epic. Any time one of my friends gets called a hoople-head cocksucker, I hear it in Al's voice.
I'll have to second The Sopranos. We've have the box set for most of the seasons and have been watching them here and there, and the episodes are as enjoyable as ever. In terms of comedy, South Park is up there, along with Little Britain and Little Britain USA. On the obscure side, there was a reality TV show a while back called Pioneer Quest (http://www.pioneerquest.ca/) Basically, two couples were selected to spend a year living as Canadian Pioneers. They had to build their own cabins, hunt, grow their own food, etc. I loved that show.
My Top 10 Jackass: This was (for me, at least) ground breaking tv. Who knew that people would intentionally put themselves in extremely painful/possibly illegal situations? And who knew that millions (if not billions) of people would tune-in to see it? The movies are still spectacularly awesome. America's Funniest Home Videos: People getting hurt + video camera = happy Samr. Nitro Circus: Are they doing a new season? This is like Jackass meets the X Games. The Simpsons: I honestly haven't watched this in a few years, simply because it started getting repetitive. Still, it will forever go down as one of the greatest ever. The characters were simply awesome. Unfortunately, now the plot lines are sucking. The Simpsons Movie was a few years too late. Whale Wars: I'm not an environmentalist in the least, but you have to respect what those guys are doing. This show has been/hopefully will be one of my favorites, simply because of the consistency of entertainment in each episode. If I wasn't so damn afraid of drowning, sobriety, and insane levels of sea sickness, I'd try to join those guys in a heart beat. The Office: First few seasons were some of the best television I have ever seen. Last few seasons (or at least the few episodes of them I have watched start-to-finish) are absolute shit. Survivor: First few seasons were awesome. Then I stopped watching, because it was the same-old. Pawn Stars: It is too new to know for sure if it will go down as one of my favorite shows of all time, but it's headed that direction. Iron Chef: Food porn at its finest, and similar to Whale Wars, each episode is endlessly entertaining. Bill Dance Outdoors: First television "show" I can ever remember watching (yes, before Power Rangers). It holds a special place in my heart for that.
I think the past 10 years or so have been a golden age for television. The shows on HBO and Showtime from the Sopranos onward have been extremely good and have inspired a lot of other shows. Here are some of my favorite shows ever: Drama The Sopranos: Changed the way drama is done forever for the better. Paved the way for so many shows with its multi-layered storylines. Breaking Bad: The best drama currently on television. The writing is absolutely sublime. The Wire: The smartest show I've ever seen on TV. Deciding to do one storyline per season allowed them to make something great every time around. Brought up so many issues it would take several books to discuss them all. Weeds: Only the first 3 seasons though. Dispels the notion that drugs are only prevalent in poor communities. Deadwood: Nettdata and others covered why this show was so awesome. Incredible dialog. Hoopleheads will never leave vocabulary Dexter: Does the whole "is this good or is this bad" conflict to perfection. Also one of the most compelling characters I've ever seen. Every season has been better than the one before it. Comedy Seinfeld: Observational comedy at its finest. Absolutely epic characters to boot. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Observational comedy at its 2nd finest. Proves Larry David is one of the greatest comedy minds. Flight of the Conchords: This show was so amazing because it didn't care at all about what format comedy could take. Their songs and characters were all amazing. Summer Heights High: Chris Lilley is a god damn genius and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. Wrote, produced, and played each main character in the show and did it to perfection. An incredible exploration of narcissism. Also, absolutely hilarious. Arrested Development: Covered here many times for good reason South Park: Covered here many times for good reason.
Honestly I could go on and on about HBOs quality programing, and I haven't even seen any of The Wire, Deadwood, or Rome. Got to give it to Oz for pioneering the hour long format on that channel. Fuck I even miss some shows I disliked when they aired but grew on me after they were canceled like Lucky Louie and John From Cincinnati. I haven't had HBO in a couple of years and have missed half a dozen other shows they have that are supposed to be great (True Blood/Treme are two). AMC has started to set the bar outside of HBO. I started watching Mad Men season one and loved it but I downloaded Breaking Bad season 1 and 2 and Mad Men instantly went on the back burner. Breaking Bad is extremely good. I wouldn't say I like it more than the Sopranos but it has a similar mix that really enjoy.
There are three: Queer as Folk (American Version). Yeah, I know...the one with all those fags. I don't care what people think - that show was phenomenal. The character development and the story lines had tremendous drama and the content (at the time) was absolute push-the-limits t.v. Additionally, the story arcs followed a real-life time line. Characters actually remembered and talked about stuff that happened four years prior (both in the show and in actual time). If a character from Season One reappeared in Season Three? Same actor, no backstory needed. Few dramas expect such a level of awareness from their audience. A ballsy (no pun intended) show that dared to discuss and show things that few other shows in the history of television have ever done. Plus, Gale Harold playing the character Brian Kinney is the hottest thing EVER. Arrested Development. I hate sitcoms. I hate anything that even remotely resembles a sitcom. Twenty-two minutes of predictable crap, 99.9% of the time. This show is the exception to the rule, and man...does it blow the rest out of the water. Hysterically funny, subtle, layered. And, like QAF, the jokes and plot lines carried through season to season. The worst thing Fox ever did was cancel this show. The only intelligent comedy show ever filmed. Battlestar Galactica. I never thought anything would take the place of QAF in terms of my level of enjoyment and the ability to make me so excited to see the next episode that I would actually clear my schedule so that I'd be home. What makes it so great, I think, is not the special effects or the plot or the acting. I think the fact that it's character driven and real is what's so compelling. They didn't invent a lot of science fiction garbage just for the sake of filming the actors using it; despite the fact that this is a futuristic (well, long ago in the past, but I'm splitting hairs) space ship they still use whiteboards and telephones with chords. That, and of course the plot and story lines and drama are incomparable. And any girl who doesn't want to be Starbuck, at least a little bit, is lying to herself.
Family Guy Hands down bar none the funniest, most viscious show ever created. It should be a law that evcrybody has to watch this show. It is beyond hilarious, and probably will never be defeated. Real Time with Bill Maher I can see why people hate him. I do not, not at all. He fact checks and hardballs both sides of the spectrum, despite his opinions. Northern Exposure Kooky as it gets, but I enjoyed it heavuly until Flieshman left. Weeds When it was a show about suburbia, it was top-notch, with one of the most winning comedy casts you could imagine. Little Britain Warped, warped, WARPED. Matt Lucas is utterly deranged, and a comic genius. The Sopranos Arguably the best show ever created. Not a straight-up gangster show, but a mind-bending drama-satire that bombards you with red herrings and was NEVER predictable. The Simpsons T.V's greatest institution. It's run out of steam, but I have so much to thank it for. Deadwood Turned the Western on its ear. Never has the "Wild West" seemed so believable, and takes profanity and cruelty to new heights. Law and Order: SVU The most depraved L&O, but it has the best performances and it's the only one I thoroughly enjoy. Entourage I thought I would hate it, but I have never missed an episode. It's always funny and a blast to watch.
Lost Been Watching since day one I cant believe its all going to be over in 3 days. Seinfeld My dad watched it all the time and I hated it until I grew up and finally started catching on to the jokes. Law and Order: SVU I have every season on my netflix instant queue. Family Guy Still love how the push the envelope with every episode. The Simpson's Watched it everyday after school. But like most of you on here I haven't seen it in years, I honestly cant believe its still on TV. Nitro Circus My roommate just got me into it this summer. Travis Pastrana is the fucking man!!! The Tudors Who wouldn't love a show about the king of England fucking every girl and starting shit with every country. Sons Of Anarchy Cant wait to see the outlaws back for season 3. Heros There Starting to lack compared to the first 2 seasons but I'm hoping they'll pull through with something spectacular
If you haven't already guessed by my avatar, NewsRadio. Every single character was cast perfectly. The dialogue (written in the mid-90's no less) still remains as sharp as it did then as it does now. Dave Foley - Played a small town Wisconsinite who takes over a news radio station with a wide-eyed innocence you might expect from a character who admits to winning "Best Preserves" 4 years running for the local 4-H. Maura Tierney - Played an overachieving, overeducated, highly ambitious, yet hopelessly neurotic journalist gunning for Dave's job. You last saw her on ER. Vicki Lewis - She played every hyperactive, quirky, scatterbrained secretary you've ever known and possibly had a slight crush on. Also a ginger which raised the level of crazy. Joe Rogan - Played a conspiracy theorist obsessed electrician who believed in aliens and Big Brother. Watch his standup sometime. It's pretty much the same thing. Andy Dick - Played a weirdo. Was arrested for sexual assault. Coincidence? Phil Hartman - If Eric Cartman became a radio broadcaster and became less interested in racism and more into sex, he'd be Phil Hartman on this show. and finally, Stephen Root - Plays a crazy as hell billionaire with a global empire, yet spends 98% of his time at a radio station that never fails to go over budget and lose money. Imagine Mark Cuban with a severe case of Asperger's Syndrome and 50 pounds heavier. Highlights include building a mansion and calling it Fort Awesome, gambling away employees at a poker game, and of course, playing April Fool's pranks on the staff in February. And + 1 on pretty much everything else everybody already said on Dexter, The Wire, and Arrested Development.
Deadwood - It's been mentioned several times, and if you haven't seen it yet you need to cancel all your plans for the weekend and rent/ buy all three seasons. Excellent character development and always a good time to wait for what's coming out of Swearingen's mouth next. I might catch some shit for the others, but here goes... Jericho - The idea of a post apocalyptic America intrigues me, what can I say ? Kings - Another one with Ian McShane, it was "Swearingen light" sometimes. The idea of the story of David set in modern times was interesting. I don't think NBC gave it a fair shake. The Waltons - Go ahead and laugh fuckers, but I have watched this show since I was a kid. Sure it was kinda over the top in sweetness, but I still love it. And I'm glad to see the new "V" got interesting. Still not as good as the original though.
The Simpsons- Classic. I grew up on it, and still continue to enjoy it. South Park- This blew everything else out of the water when it hit television. Definetely broke every boundary known to animation. I still remember watching it when it debuted while I was in 8th grade...we couldn't stop doing Cartman voices. Mystery Science Theater 3000- Oh how I miss Joel, Tom Servo, Crow and the rest of them add their own hilarious color commentary on bad sci-fi and horror movies from the gutter. The best part of waking up early on Saturdays was to catch some of the episodes when they aired on the Sci-Fi channel.
All In The Family When I was young my parents had this on all the time, and I hated it. Now that Im older I get the jokes, but it's amazing what people got away with saying on TV back in the early 70's. Just stuff that Archie Bunker says reminds me alot of how my grandfathers acted (both a good and a bad thing) Little House On The Prairie Even as a kid I loved this show and its one of the only series' that I have all the seasons for on DVD. It just portrays a honest simplier time in life where there was no bullshit global warning, no terrorism, no nuclear nothing, hell, none of the crap that makes our current world such a shit hole to live in. Back then, there was no child molesting, rape, or serial murder because back then the citizens would hand out the proper justice a waste-of-skin like that deserves. There was no getting off on a legal technicality or getting a 5 year sentence for murder because you rolled over on your accomplice, the people would hunt you down and straight up beat you to death. All what the people back then did was try to do their best to get by in life, by being honest and hard working. That simply dosent exist today. These days everyone is trying to outdo everybody, and rip other people off and harm people which leaves the hard working and honest to get fucked in the ass. If I could pick any time period to live in, I would definitely choose to be a content broke farmer be in in the Little House In On The Prairie days.
Oh man, I just thought of another one... The Unit: Hands down the best military show I have seen on prime time TV (not counting Band of Brothers, of course). It followed a highly classified Army special forces team, both on their missions and also some of their life at home with family dealing with the fact that everyone thought they were a logistics unit and that they couldn't tell anyone they were bad ass Spec-Ops. The Drama was actually pretty solid, the writing was good although not amazing, and the action was great. As a civilian that really knows nothing of Special Forces, it seemed to be pretty accurate...or at least as accurate as a TV show can be. The cast was great too: Dennis Haysbert (aka President David Palmer, aka the Allstate car insure guy) Played the team leader, call sign Snake Doctor. Robert Patrick (aka the T-1000) played the CO, col Tom Ryan, call sign Dog Patch 06 Scott Foley (aka Sean Kelly, Elliot's boyfriend on Scrubs), Call sign Cool Breeze As well as some other pretty solid actors. Really a great show, if you are into modern military shows, especially special forces stuff, than I highly recommend it.
The Simpsons. Enough said. Although I stopped watching about 10 years ago. However, it is the reason why Mr. Pink and I got together. After I said "Purple is a fruit" the first time we met, it became a quote-fest all damn night between the two of us. I knew he was the man after I said "Sideshow Bob has no decency!" and he answered "He called me Chief Piggum!" It wasn't hard to fall into bed with him after that. Six years later, I still randomly text him quotes all day. Quite possibly the show that formed 90% of my sense of humor. The Sopranos. Let's just say I could identify with a lot of the storylines about the Mafia, and it was filmed 20 minutes from my house. 30 Rock. I don't know what it is, but something about Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin is just pure comedy gold. The Tudors. Boobs and beheadings. What could be better? Only a gorgeous Henry VIII and an interest in learning about Tudor England that turned into this weird, crazy hobby.
Millennium X files .... hey , it was back in the 90's ok Married With Children *The Sopranos Seinfeld *Dexter *Battlestar Galactica Top Gear *because of their non PG rating , the Australian networks shifted the screening schedule all over the fucking place and even played episodes out of order.
Jericho - A show like this gets canceled but the simpsons is still on? This show had everything, post apocalyptic America? Check. Towns fighting against each other for their survival? Check. Nuclear weapons? Check. Survivalism? Check. 24 - Okay so the plot is always the same, terrorists get their hands on a nuclear bomb, someone from the government/agency is working with the terrorists but jack saves the day, but still Jack Bauer kicks ass. Lost - Well it's Lost, a bunch of people running in a jungle, that's enough for me to be considered a good show, but I'll probably be pissed off when the writers end the show with "oh yeah everyone's dead, so no need to give explanations" or something to that effect. Prison Break - A great first season, the show keeps you on the edge of your seat. That 70's show - Probably the funniest show I've ever seen. Edit, For some reason I forgot to include Battlestar Galactica - How can anyone not like this?
Always Sunny is the funniest, by a mile. My litmus test for humor is whether or not it can make me laugh out loud when I'm watching it alone, and Always Sunny never fails this test. I can't make the same statement for any other show save for once or twice an episode on Family Guy or South Park - although South Park may be my favorite overall show. Breaking Bad is the best show I've seen on television in years. The cinematography, editing, and acting are all leagues ahead of the closest competition. It's the apex, period. But due to my newfound red-dot haven for some reactionary comments against a couple dick teenagers (who, after some reflecting... I admit still do deserve the right to wear those clothes on Cinco De Mayo) I don't expect my opinion to be taken too seriously. Anyway take it for what it's worth, but if you don't watch either Breaking Bad or Always Sunny you're doing yourself a serious disservice!