Jun 16 2008
I’m A Telly Addict
I watch a lot of TV (well, strictly speaking I buy boxsets and download a lot of TV shows to watch, but you get the idea). I love television and always have. It’s one of the things Lottie and I most enjoy doing together. We’ve watched entire series over a weekend and took less than a month to watch every episode of the new Battlestar Galactica so far. Earlier this year we saw West Wing from start to finish and have found Boston Legal too.
We love Heroes and Doctor Who is religiously followed. We found Lost and lament the loss of Studio 60. Torchwood is brilliant and Ashes to Ashes is an admirable follow on to Life on Mars. House and 24 are pure genius. The more recent Pushing Daisies and Reaper have so much promise.
Sometimes we don’t always agree though. I despise Smallville and, while I think if Lottie was honest with herself she would admit its crapness, she still keeps up to date with it. The OC was shockingly poor and I’m glad Lottie no longer has it to watch. I don’t really follow Prison Break or Bones, but they’re not that bad.
Thankfully, we both agree that One Tree Hill, The Hills, Hollyoaks, most reality TV shows, Grey’s Anatomy and many more are awful.
Then there are those shows that we haven’t gotten around to yet, but probably will: The Sopranos, Weeds, The Tudors, Rome, Nip/Tuck (the later series).
For the most part, I avoid chick-targeted shows, but Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty do catch my attention – they’re just so funny. And that brings us to the newest show we’ve started to watch. 
Gossip Girl is a TV spin-off of the series of books by Cecily von Ziegesar revolving around the lives of socialite young adults growing up on New York’s Upper East Side who attend elite academic institutions while dealing with sex, drugs, jealousy, and other teenage issues. I guess it’s maybe a US take on Channel 4’s Skins. It’s a surprisingly clever show which has characters which are slightly less two-dimensional than the usual US show. I think it’s caught my attention because it feels like a natural follow on from one my favourite movies, Cruel Intentions. We’ve watched just the first three episodes, so it may all go horribly wrong, but for the moment I’m enjoying it.
But, of course, all of this pales into insignificance when we remember that Rose returns next Saturday night. Who knew Billie Piper would become one of the most iconic characters in a TV series ever. Rose Tyler returns to Doctor Who at the earlier time of 6.40 on Saturday on BBCOne. Here is a preview:
It is the small glimmer of hope that makes me follow Smallville. I am constantly disappointed every episode but maybe….on of these days…..
but Heroes really turned to crap once season 2 began, godawful, tripe, terrible, etc.
Studio 60s first few episodes were positively perfect, then it gradually declined as it tried desperately to find a core audience which it would appeal to.
RTE have once again pulled a masterstroke in their summer day-time television by repeating all of desperate housewives on a daily basis.
Reaper is terrible but I was delighted to see it get renewed, tons of possibilities.
They got rid of Tate?!
watch the thick of it!
Small child does not equal lots of telly, so I’ve missed a lot this year.
I have one issue – The OC shockingly poor? But no! I loved it, loved it, nothing has brought me as much joy since Buffy abandoned me… you’re missing something. My husband even liked it!
Have you seen Firefly?
Jo, if you’re a fan of Buffy you should’ve watched the first 2 seasons of veronica mars!
Joss Whedon adored it, done tons of work to keep it on television after the first season got the worst figures in its Timeslot.
Firefly is brilliant too, have you seen the trailer for Dollhouse(his newest television product)?
@ # B’dum B’dum – the Dollhouse looks like it has potential. however, Eliza Dushku does not seem to have the best luck with the shows she picks. Nothing she is in as a full time character seems to last past a second series.
You really did watch a lot of TV this weekend! Hope you’re feeling better buddy.
24 has never done anything for me due to its over-serious nature. Lost has lost the plot. House is great but a tad formulaic. Just bought the Season 2 boxset so hoping that cahnges a bit. Billie Piper’s return might just provoke me into watching Dr. Who but I still miss Ecclestone a bit too much. One Tree Hill (in particular) and The OC are indeed ridiculously crap but they do contain an awful lot of lovely ladies.
With american shows, it’s a lot better to see them cancelled early, they have very little soul in them to begin with due to their writing style(big teams).
By the 3rd/4th season, most shows have lost everything that made them special(Sliders being the most obvious example, the best Sci-Fi show ever yet it’s rep is ruined by the final 2.5 seasons).
Whereas if you look at shows like Freaks and Geeks, Wonderfalls, Undeclared, Firefly, Arrested Development… they are still adored by everyone who watched them because they were close to flawless without getting the chance for any decline.
In america you can either get cut off too soon or be made go on for far, far too long.
Just my opinion.
B’dum is absolutely spot on. Arrested Development in particular is an under-appreciated gem.
I would maintain that Peep Show is one of the best things to hit TV in the last decade. I bought series 4 today so I’m excited.
Of the 33 you’ve mentioned, I watch 5 and have seen 8.
I don’t watch series on TV normally. Love the box sets. Bring it on!
With you on most of what you say, I have the advantage that the wife likes sci-fi too. Though Galactica is boring me these times. Heroes, Dr. Who, etc. all good, agreed Smallvile sucks satans ass and I hate Grays Anatomy, but the wife likes it, then again I like Scrubs and she HATES that.
@Lottie You know it’s never going to happen!
@B’dumX2 The writers strike fecked up the continuity and the storylines a lot, but even that can’t be blamed for those awful Irish accents in the first few eps of series 2. It’s still a great show though. And I agree, a lot of shows shouls give up long before they actually finish, but if the writing is good enough, it can work long term. Buffy’s 7 series were perfect and ended on a great high. I actually welled up. We sat in silence for a good te minutes when it finished. I still miss it.
@Andy Come over to ours on Saturday and watch Doctor Who – I promise you won’t be disappointed.
@Darragh 33? Really? Wow! And those are just the ones that quickly came to mind – there are many more I dip into.
@ThriftC I have to admit, I’m very lucky to have a girlfriend who like the same shows I do. Last year (or maybe 2006) I introduced her to This Life on DVD too. She loved it. We also tracked down all of Press Gang and the first few series of Sliders. There’s just so much good TV and so little time to watch it all.
Buffy is an unusual project though in that it had Joss Whedon at the helm, who had the Buffy project completely ruined on him one time earlier(there’s an early 90s film y’know) and didn’t want to see that happen again, is also extremely dedicated to his work.
The writers strike cant be used as a valid excuse for Heroes when the other big show(Lost) had a flawless run despite being just as, if not more, compromised by the strike.
When the writing is done in teams as opposed to one or two people who created the project you have a huge amount of problems:
-not caring as much about what they write since it’s not their baby
-a key writer leaving to make their own show after making most of the quality input(eg. that season that Aaron Sorkin didn’t do the West wing).
-jokes just feel bolted together(eg. family guy)
-not sticking to the one style of writing, creating a schizophrenic experience
-more I can’t think of for some reason
i think greys is brilliant .. the first 3 seasons i thought were very good .. season 4 has deteriorated a bit but i still love it coz im an avid fan !
have never watched studio 60 and didnt know it got cancelled either so i think ill give it a miss…
a show that u didnt mention darren was The Big Bang Theory . i honestly think this show has a massive future and am eagerly awaiting the second season !
nearly every show u mentioned i think are great .. i would love to get all these box sets too but unfortunately cant afford them!! ( maybe i can persuade sean to grab them off u 🙂 )
Ohhh, I’m with B, Heroes was ruined in season 2! I was a diehard fan of the first but *sighs* it will take a LOT to salvage that awful second start.
I rather like The Hills despite its vacuosity regarding Lauren’s love interest/rival of the week. Have you ever seen Medium? It was always shifted around the graveyard slot but I think Patricia Arquette is excellent in her role. And her kids crack me up 🙂
30 Rock is filling the void left by Studio 60 quite nicely for me – and shows no signs of being cancelled, tra-la!
I’m with B and Nay on Heroes too, though, they lost me with the fake Cork accents and I haven’t been able to forgive them for it since!
@B’DumX2 I know I can’t blame the strike on the appalling start to Heroes season 2, but I love the show so much I’m in denial about its inadequacies.
@Dermo Yeah, Big Bang is actually really funny. It’s stupid but good at the same time. I love it. As for boxsets, place your order and ye shall receive.
@Nay The Hills? Medium? Really? Can’t stand them. Arquette’s show had a lot of potential but it just didn’t gel for me. Maybe I should give it another go.
@Catherine 30 Rock? I will check it out.
When is the new Joss Whedon thing starting then? My friend mentioned it. Tru Calling didn’t really do it for me, I’m not sure about Eliza Dushku outside of Faith, we’ll see.
Does anyone remember something similar ach, whatsername, that pretty girl with big dark eyes, she was in Fantastic Four? A sci fi, post apocalyptic show about a girl who’d been genietically modified and escaped, and was a bit of a superhero, trying to find out about the lab she came from and her past? It was quite dark, I never saw the end. Can’t remember what it was called now. Sorry for the awful ‘you know thing, with yer one, whatserneame’ comment!
Dark Angel? it was awful. and it got cancelled before ending.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDcEKo4V7fA dollhouse trailer.
late autumn/early spring airing.
since it’s joss whedon, late spring.
I meant to comment on this a few days ago. I have to say I’m pretty much the same with you. I’ve either watched or am currently watching 17 out of the 33 you’ve just listed- I’m not that interested in those OC style shows. I only either download my TV or buy the boxsets. The last thing I watched on TV would be Band Of Brothers.
I’m currently watching The Shield, Buffy, Sports Night, Star Trek: Season One on HD-DVD and, coming out on DVD this Tuesday, one of my favourite shows while growing up – Early Edition: Season 1.
You should check out 30 Rock, The Wire and Alias. They’re awesome.
Oh wow, I think I may be in love with you guys!
I have a friend who watches more telly than I do, ( I loves her too) – I should introduce you sometimes.
It’s funny how none of us really watch TV on the television that much anymore.
@Annie I told you you’re not alone in this. And yep, all downloads now. Waiting for Heroes as I type.