I also enjoy watching a good television show. I appreciate complex plotting, realistic characterization, and brilliant acting. All of the shows I enjoy have one or more of these elements (well, on occasion, I do like a strictly fun show, where I can overlook some plot holes (ie Prison Break), but the fast pace of the plotting & the fact that it isn't meant to be real life makes it ok to watch).
Anyway, this year (2005) I got a DVR, and instead of being forced to pick and choose between tv shows, I can now watch them all. I was forced to see that I am addicted to television. See the list below (which sadly is not completely full of all the things I watch, but only the ones I love best) for proof :)
My two favorite shows are Veronica Mars and Lost. Can't miss
them & yet
they air at the same time. This dilemma is what forced me to get the DVR in
the 1st place...
SPOILERS, FORUMS, & RECAPS
For some shows, I refuse to be spoiled at all (Veronica Mars, 24, Battlestar
Galactica, Lost).
For 24 (because Fox sucks at previews), I don't even watch the scenes for next
week, and avoid commercials for the new epi. For other shows (GG), I need
inside
information. For this kind of stuff, I obviously need a place to go. Also, I
only know a few people in the real world who enjoy (or at least admit to) as
much tv as I do, so I also need a place where people have intelligent
discussions about my favorite shows. Here are those places:
Television Without Pity
Watch with
Kristin
TV Guide Online
SpoilerFix.com
Ain't it Cool News
The Futon Critic
THE SHOWS
24 - SUSPENSE. In this concept drama, each season takes place within one 24 hour period.
30 Days - REALITY.
The 4400 - SCI-FI. 4400 people emerge from a blinding white light, people from all different ages and walks of life who have been presumed dead or missing - and none aged even a day from when they were last seen. Although not immediately evident, it soon becomes apparent that The 4400 have each been returned with a special power as they unwittingly begin to exhibit abilities including superhuman strength, healing touch, and clairvoyance. A new federal division agency of Homeland Security called NTAC (National Threat Assessment Command) is formed to follow The 4400, lead by Tom Baldwin, a crime investigator, and Diana Skouris, a bio medic. They discover that The 4400 were not abducted by aliens, but instead were taken by humans living hundreds of thousands of years in the future. Facing an end stage of human evolution and with a vested interest in the betterment of their predecessors, they have sent back The 4400 to play pivotal roles in upcoming events that will impact the future of mankind.
Battlestar Galactica -
SCI-FI. With the 12 colonies of man virtually destroyed in the climax of a
hundred-year war with the Cylon Empire, President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and
Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) gather up the few humans left and embark on
a journey to find the mythical planet Earth, not realizing that the Cylon robot
is no longer a recognizable enemy. Battlestar Galactica is a complete
re-imagining of the 1970s series - upping the ante on the action, adventure, and
drama that made the original so popular.
-See also: Battlestar Wiki
The Closer - MYSTERY / PROCEDURAL. In this riveting hit drama series, CIA-trained detective Brenda Johnson, played by Kyra Sedgwick, plunges headfirst into unfamiliar territory when she's transferred from Atlanta to the Los Angeles Police Department. Owing to her world-class interrogation and investigative skills, Brenda has been chosen to lead the LAPD's Priority Homicide Division, a special unit that handles delicate, high-profile murder cases. Unfortunately, the hard-nosed Southern lady's eccentric, tough-as-nails personality immediately rubs her new colleagues the wrong way in this male-dominated department. Despite lack of popularity, Brenda was chosen to lead this exclusive team because of her expert interrogation skills, and she continually proves to her critics that she's the perfect woman for the job. Brenda's keen talent for delving into her subjects' secrets and drawing confessions from them stems from profound understanding of her own neuroses and bizarre character flaws. In other words, she's the ultimate closer.
Dead Zone - SCI-FI. Based on the characters and story from the best-selling novel by Stephen King, The Dead Zone is a unique psychological thriller that combines a rich mix of the paranormal, action, and a continuing quest for justice.
Everybody Hates Chris - COMEDY. Inspired by his childhood experiences, comedian Chris Rock narrates the hilarious, touching story of a teenager growing up as the eldest of three children in Brooklyn, New York, during the early 1980's.
Gilmore Girls - DRAMEDY. From the beginning, this unique mother-daughter team has been growing up together. Lorelai was just Rory's age when she became pregnant and made the tough decision to raise her baby alone. This defiant move -- along with Lorelai's fiercely independent nature -- caused a rift between her and her extremely proper, patrician, old-money parents, Emily (Kelly Bishop, Dirty Dancing) and Richard (Edward Herrmann, The Cat's Meow). However, Lorelai was forced to reconcile with them when she found herself in desperate need of money for Rory's tuition.
Grey's Anatomy - DRAMEDY. Grey's Anatomy focuses on young people struggling to be doctors and doctors struggling to stay human. It's the drama and intensity of medical training mixed with the funny, sexy, painful lives of interns who are about to discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.
House - DRAMA. Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is devoid of bedside manner and wouldn't even talk to his patients if he could get away with it. Dealing with his own constant physical pain, he uses a cane that seems to punctuate his acerbic, brutally honest demeanor. While his behavior can border on antisocial, House is a maverick physician whose unconventional thinking and flawless instincts have afforded him a great deal of respect. An infectious disease specialist, he's a brilliant diagnostician who loves the challenge of the medical puzzles he must solve in order to save lives. House's roster of medical cases comprises the inexplicable ones other doctor's can't solve, and he has assembled an elite team of young medical experts to help him in his effort to solve these diagnostic mysteries.
Lost - SCI-FI.
After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific
island, its survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they
had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island holds many secrets,
including the intense howls of a mysterious creature stalking the jungle, as
well as a polar bear, a marooned and possibly crazy French woman, a mystical
boar, a mysterious group known only as "The Others," a ship called The Black
Rock and... a hatch.
-See also: The Fuselage.com:
The Official Site of the Creative Team Behind LOST
Medium - DRAMA / SCI-FI. From Emmy Award-winning executive producer, creator and director Glenn Gordon Caron ("Moonlighting") comes "Medium," a chilling drama series inspired by the real-life story of research medium Allison DuBois. Emmy winner Patricia Arquette ("Stigmata," "Flirting with Disaster") stars as a young wife and mother who, since childhood, has been struggling to make sense of her dreams and visions of dead people.
My Name Is Earl - COMEDY. Earl (Jason Lee, "Almost Famous," "Chasing Amy") has taken one too many wrong turns on the highway of life. However, a twist of fate turns his life into a tailspin of life-renewing events. Earl wins a small lottery, and, after an epiphany, he is determined to transform his good fortune into a life-changing event as he sets out to right all the wrongs from his past.
Monk - DRAMEDY. Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic (and still unsolved) murder of his wife, the devastated Monk became obsessive-compulsive. His psychological disorder has caused him to develop an abnormal fear of virtually everything: germs, heights, crowds... even milk. Monk's condition eventually cost him his job, and continues to pose unique challenges in his everyday life. Now working as a private consultant, Monk continues to investigate cases in the most unconventional ways.
Prison Break - SUSPENSE. Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is a desperate man in a desperate situation - his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), has been convicted of a sensational murder and is on death row in Fox River State Penitentiary. Despite the evidence against Lincoln, Michael is convinced of his innocence. With no other options and the clock ticking toward Lincoln's execution, Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother. Once inside, we learn that Michael - a structural engineer with the blueprints for the prison - has hatched an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out and prove that he was framed for the crime.
Project Runway - REALITY. The premiere episode of the thirteen, one-hour episode run, will pit sixteen designers against one another on the Road to the Runway. These contestants will compete in weekly design challenges at Parsons The New School For Design in New York City, until only three remain and face off once again at New York Fashion Week in February.
The Shield - COP. On March 12, 2002, The Shield burst onto the FX network like an incendiary grenade, and basic cable TV would never be the same. Creator Shawn Ryan's uncompromising police drama pushed the limits of basic-cable permissiveness, bridging the relative discretion of NYPD Blue and the HBO liberties of The Wire. These episodes justify their hype, focusing on pugnacious detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), whose amoral Strike Team employs dubious tactics in the crime-ridden (and fictional) Farmington district of Los Angeles. Mackey and his maverick partners are at odds with seasoned detectives and beat cops, escalating tensions with precinct Capt. Aceveda (Benito Martinez), a Latino with flexible scruples and a political agenda. The series invites viewers to form their own judgments regarding Mackey's volatile behavior. Teeming with gang-bangers, perverts, rapists, and killers, The Shield is unabashedly adult; even liberal viewers may flinch at plots involving child pornography and serial murder. Chiklis deservedly won an Emmy for maintaining the series' delicate morality; Mackey's a hero squirming in his own ethical quicksand. The Shield is excellent TV for those who can grasp its complexities; all others beware.
Supernatural - HORROR. Crisscrossing the lonely and mysterious back roads of the country in their '67 Chevy Impala, the Winchester brothers search desperately for their missing father - and hunt down every evil supernatural force they encounter along the way. As they follow the clues in their father's journal, the brothers realize that he has passed on to them all the knowledge he accumulated during the past 20 years. What they can't understand is why he has vanished and left them to carry on without him. Taking up the mantle of their father's crusade, Dean and Sam hunt down the evil that preys upon the innocent in the darkest corners of America.
Veronica Mars -
MYSTERY.
In the wealthy, seaside community of Neptune, the rich and powerful make the
rules. They own the town and the high school, and desperately try to keep their
dirty little secrets just that.secret. Unfortunately for them, there's Veronica
Mars (Kristen Bell), a smart, fearless 18-year-old apprentice private
investigator dedicated to solving the town's toughest mysteries.
-See also: Mars
Investigations: The (In)Complete Guide to Veronica Mars