Great TV shows discovered after the fact

[Duane Dibbley]

Hello, all. I haven't been around lately, but thought I'd check back in. I don't know if this has been discussed before, but a quick search didn't reveal any past discussions.

What great TV shows have you discovered recently that people have been raving about, but you avoided for one reason or another up until now? Within the past year or two, I've started watching 30 Rock, Monk, and Fringe, all of which are now some of my favorite shows. For 30 Rock and Monk, I knew their basic premises, but I didn't find them all that enticing. When I actually sat down and watched them, however, I realized how hilarious they are. For Fringe, I avoided it because I figured that since it was on Fox, it would be canceled soon. My friend gave me the season 1 DVD set, and basically said I had to watch it. I have started watching, and now I'm hooked.

[mkiker2089]

Sadly, most of them.

Red Dwarf, it's not done but I came in late, that's for sure.
Monk, I was actually there in the beginning but lost cable. Now with streaming I'm going to have to play massive catch up.
Soap, I was too young to get it. I love it now.
Jeeves and Wooster
Benny Hill
Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett)

and much much more.

That's the good thing about the modern take of home video. Shows are no longer mostly disposable like they used to be. Now great TV can live on just like the great movies do.

[cdouglas]

Not even counting shows that were before my time, this happens to me with alarming regularity. I discovered 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Deadwood, The Sopranos, Lost, Mad Men, Weeds and plenty of others when they were already well into their run or even finished. Every now and then I'll actually manage to catch a show that I really like from the original pilot airing (Pushing Daisies, for instance), but more often than not I'll hear good word-of-mouth about something and then try to catch up.

[Mach6]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel: Mid-to-late 90's, I had the mindset that everything on the WB sucks, so I never watched either of them. When Buffy went into syndication & switched from the WB to UPN, I finally watched it & had to stick my foot in my mouth. Pretty soon I had to watch everything Buffy related, & got hooked on Angel pretty quickly. I even bought seasons 1 & 2 of Buffy on DVD cause I didn't have cable & I couldn't put up with 1 old Buffy episode per week.

The Unit: I never saw an entire episode during its original run. It was in the wrong time slot for me. I was just too lazy to give it a chance & too cheap to buy the DVDs. The local My Network TV station started showing 2 reruns every Wednesday last September & I was hooked right away. This is my favorite action show on TV right now. I look more forward to Unit reruns than to new episodes of Burn Notice or Human Target.

[jcankerhuxley]

I hate to admit it, but the Bruce Timm animated series: Batman: TAS, Superman, Justice League / Justice League Unlimited - These are some of the best series ever made, animated or otherwise. This coming from someone who actually got laid in high school, never been a comic book fan, did not get moist in the shorts at the Heath Ledger Joker and detests every non-animated superhero movies.

[HGervais]

I hate to admit it, but the Bruce Timm animated series: Batman: TAS, Superman, Justice League / Justice League Unlimited - These are some of the best series ever made, animated or otherwise. This coming from someone who actually got laid in high school, never been a comic book fan, did not get moist in the shorts at the Heath Ledger Joker and detests every non-animated superhero movies.

Wow. Smug & enthusiastic all at the same time.

[HGervais]

Profit...an early 1990s Fox drama that was so ahead of its time and so twisted in every way that Fox pulled it after 3 episodes being broadcast due to screaming protests. While the tech & fashions on display are dated the writing and the performances are still kind of shocking.

[Future Man]

Alias The first and second seasons were the among the best TV I've ever seen of its type, thrilling, thrilling stuff. I never caught one episode when it aired.

[molly1216]

i do have a habit of avoiding the trendy shows until they have been around a WHILE, sometimes not until they are over.
but then i get to indulge in a straight marathon.
I didn't bother with either Fringe or Mad Men until they had been picked up for season 2, there is NOTHING more painful than watching a good show disappear after 13 episodes.

I am in the middle of catching up with past seasons of Heroes and 24.
and i just discovered Chuck and the Big Bang Theory.
whereas i can't say any of them are my new favorites,
Both Heroes and 24 have continuity issues that make me crazy crazy
i will definitely miss them when they are gone.

[J.M. Vargas]

^^^ You're not supposed to notice (or remember) those "Heroes/24" continuity issues a week after seeing an episode on TV. But stacked back-to-back-to-back the glaring inconsistencies stand out.

[jcankerhuxley]

by HGervais on Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:30 pm

Wow. Smug & enthusiastic all at the same time.

For those who need a breakdown of that post, the enthusiastic (and brilliant) part was:

I hate to admit it, but the Bruce Timm animated series: Batman: TAS, Superman, Justice League / Justice League Unlimited - These are some of the best series ever made, animated or otherwise. This coming from someone who actually got laid in high school, never been a comic book fan, did not get moist in the shorts at the Heath Ledger Joker and detests every non-animated superhero movies.

The smug part of that post was:

[B]uying DVD's is cheaper then spending my money on booze, drugs & hookers -- Harold Gervais

[Duane Dibbley]

I am in the middle of catching up with past seasons of Heroes and 24.
and i just discovered Chuck and the Big Bang Theory.
whereas i can't say any of them are my new favorites,
Both Heroes and 24 have continuity issues that make me crazy crazy
i will definitely miss them when they are gone.

You'll miss the shows, or the continuity issues? If it's the latter, just stick with Heroes and watch them pile up.

[molly1216]

I am in the middle of catching up with past seasons of Heroes and 24.
and i just discovered Chuck and the Big Bang Theory.
whereas i can't say any of them are my new favorites,
Both Heroes and 24 have continuity issues that make me crazy crazy
i will definitely miss them when they are gone.

You'll miss the shows, or the continuity issues? If it's the latter, just stick with Heroes and watch them pile up.

after 40+ years of tv, continuity issues are par for the course...they just stick out more in BETTER shows.

i just popped in Season one of the Wire.
i am sick of seeing it labeled as the best tv show ever and not having seen one episode

[Dunnyman]

Working a zillion hours a week at times makes getting into new TV a challenge, so I often have to catch up later, however there's been a few that I've wondered "how the hell did I not catch this at first?", like Big Bang Theory, Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls, and Psych. It seems a new season will come out and I'll be excited to catch several new shows, and either they suck, like Hank, or they're great and get an early axe, like Eastwick. In recent years I've really only gotten into one winning show, and that's Modern Family, which I think is going to be around for ages because it's so damn well written and acted.
Of course, missing something isn't such a big deal these days, wait til the DVD is out, get the first disc to sample, and go from there.

[molly1216]

. . . and that's Modern Family, which I think is going to be around for ages because it's so damn well written and acted.
Of course, missing something isn't such a big deal these days, wait til the DVD is out, get the first disc to sample, and go from there.

I agree, i am waiting for a dvd marathon on this.

btw just saw a awesome scene in S1 the Wire - two detectives reconstruct a cold crime scene with hardly any dialogue...just soto voce versions of the F word. Marvelously choreographed. i had to watch it twice.

[Dan Mancini]

I just started watching Lost about a month ago. Considering I've only watched, like, five episodes, I wouldn't exactly say I'm in love, but I'll probably stick it out at least through the first season.

In the past, I've been a late-comer to:

Firefly
Arrested Development
The Office
30 Rock

[Bryan Pope]

Interesting you should mention 30 Rock. I finally watched my first episode yesterday on Hulu. Jan Hooks guest-starred as Jane Krakowski's mom. Pretty funny stuff. I'll be going back and watching from the beginning now.

[Duane Dibbley]

Interesting you should mention 30 Rock. I finally watched my first episode yesterday on Hulu. Jan Hooks guest-starred as Jane Krakowski's mom. Pretty funny stuff. I'll be going back and watching from the beginning now.

Last week's episode ("Don Geiss, America and Hope") was possibly the funniest episode ever. You may want to watch it before starting at the beginning.

[molly1216]

I just started watching Lost about a month ago. Considering I've only watched, like, five episodes, I wouldn't exactly say I'm in love, but I'll probably stick it out at least through the first season.

Personally i think most people keep watching the show just hoping things will suddenly start to make sense. if we thought it would continue from week to week like some sort of Absurdist play where questions and puzzles are created and never answered i think most people would bail. But I will say that if they end it without satisfying conclusions that no one will ever again invest so much time and energy into a show that is this far outside of the box. televisionus interruptus anyone?

[Steve T Power]

I'm knee deep in the BBC Robin Hood series right now, and i gotta say i'm having a great time. Different spin on the mythology for sure.

[cdouglas]

I'm knee deep in the BBC Robin Hood series right now, and i gotta say i'm having a great time. Different spin on the mythology for sure.

I watched the first season of the show (actually reviewed it for the site) and couldn't really get into it. Loved Keith Allen's performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham, but most of the show was just too moody n' broody n' Smallville for me.

[mkiker2089]

Of course this discussion brings in the counter point. what shows work well in marathon viewing and which ones don't.

I like House and can watch it all day but I can see where others find it redundant and have to watch it in chunks. any others that stand out either way?

Keeping Up Appearances is one that I watch two episodes, maybe three, and walk away. The humor seems to work better that way. On the flip side I can watch Are You Being Served and Star Trek Voyager all day.

[cdouglas]

Of course this discussion brings in the counter point. what shows work well in marathon viewing and which ones don't.

In general, I find that shows that focus on long-arc plotting (Lost, Mad Men etc.) tend to be easier to plow through in marathon viewings than shows with a more self-contained "done-in-one" format (the aforementioned House or an anthology show like The Twilight Zone, for instance). It's a lot easier to keep going when you feel like you're working your way towards something rather than simply rinsing and repeating.

[Dan Mancini]

In general, I find that shows that focus on long-arc plotting (Lost, Mad Men etc.) tend to be easier to plow through in marathon viewings...

Not only are they easier, but marathon viewing are preferrable to me (as long as the seasons aren't too long). Mad Men is probably my favorite show on television right now, but I never actually watch the broadcasts. I plow through seasons over the course of 3 or 4 days when they come out on DVD/Blu-ray. It's the only way to really catch all of the subtle connections between episodes.

[molly1216]

Of course this discussion brings in the counter point. what shows work well in marathon viewing and which ones don't.

i was surprised to find that not all tv shows benefit from marathons.... dense satiric comedy like Soap, Absolutely Fabulous, Family guy ...i found i can watch 3 or 4 episodes in a row, sometimes even less and then i have to go away for a while.

Definitely long arc plotting Lost, 24, Mad Men, Heroes , I enjoy 100 times more in a marathon than i ever did week to week.
I find science fiction, Farscape. Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica is perfect for this because it keeps you in that alternate universe for extended periods of time...i found them richer and more layered from marathoning.

oddly the high laugh per minute ratio of Simpsons puts it into the 3-4 at a time category for me, but Futurama I can watch in very long marathons.

I discovered that Classic TV shows also fall into the 3 - 4 at at time rule - Magnum, Rockford, etc ...that have some long arced character development and some multi episode plot arcs, i can't watch them for days without getting bored...but i can pop handfuls of them now and again.

[cdouglas]

In general, I find that shows that focus on long-arc plotting (Lost, Mad Men etc.) tend to be easier to plow through in marathon viewings...

Not only are they easier, but marathon viewing are preferrable to me (as long as the seasons aren't too long). Mad Men is probably my favorite show on television right now, but I never actually watch the broadcasts. I plow through seasons over the course of 3 or 4 days when they come out on DVD/Blu-ray. It's the only way to really catch all of the subtle connections between episodes.

You know, I agree with this even though I actually watch the episodes in week-to-week broadcast form. I've found that re-watching them in the span of a few days on DVD/Blu-ray is a more satisfying experience that enables me to fully appreciate the overall narrative of the season.

[mavrach]

I have so much TV on DVD that I can't find time to watch. So now I'm picky when it comes to new TV, and I even go as far as to avoid shows that I know I'll love (House) because I don't want to get involved in another multi-season show. Frankly, the "cancelled before their time" shows like Firefly appeal to me more greatly because they're less of a time committment.

When I am into a current show I won't watch it when it's on TV, I always wait for DVD because I don't have to discipline to watch it every week. I know I can watch it whenever I want, but I just want to marathon everything at the same time when it comes on DVD. That being said, at best I will be a season behind so somewhat late to the party. Also since I will only watch on DVD, that makes me even more careful since I'll only blind buy something that I think I'll want to rewatch.


Most of the shows that I champion today are shows that I discovered after the fact: Buffy/Angel, Arrested Development, Firefly, Wonderfalls, Farscape, Futurama.

The only current TV that I'm watching (i.e. waiting for the DVD's) are Chuck and Doctor Who.

[Selk]

Lost - I missed this show for about the first two seasons. I had faintly heard that it was a hit but I had no interest in it. I thought it was a show about a group of people who crash land on a deserted island and have to learn to survive. Then after the second season, I found an article in Entertainment Weekly that listed it among the top 25 great Sci-Fi series. I didn't know it was a sci-fi series. My wife and I started getting the episodes from Netflix and we were instantly hooked. We watched like 4 episodes per night until we got caught up.

Heroes - Came in second season. At first, it sounded like a TV knock-off of X-Men. Just like Lost though, I got instantly hooked. Sadly though, after the second season, it started kind of slipping downhill. The scripts got weak and serious and some of the juice went out of it. This past season was better and hopefully it will indicate what is to come.

True Blood - Discovered this by accident. I don't have any more interest in vampires then the man in the moon, but this one was different. It has interesting characters, interesting stories and they both evolve and I LOVE THAT in any series. So far, I have just finished up the first season, can't wait to get into the second. I love this series.

Pawn Stars - Discovered this by accident. I'm big on The History Channel and I tuned in to watch something that had been pre-empted. I thought, initially, that it was along the lines of American Chopper - which I don't like but I found that this one was a little more engaging, plus you can actually learn something.

Being Human - My wife struggled to get me into this. She discovered it by accident one night while watching Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America - I guess she saw it advertised. When I heard Vampires, Werewolves and Ghosts, I was immediately turned off, but I was surprised at the writing in this series. I love it but I have no idea when it is coming back.