inspired by certain discussions i've been having...

[lirazel]

Okay, if y'all could force all of your friends (define "force" however you want: emotional blackmail, actual blackmail, duct tape, guns, whatever) to watch certain shows, what would they be? Here are my top 10.

1. Friday Night Lights, because it is a work of art and will make you a better person. I know I am given to hyperbole, but when I say that it's a work of art, I mean that it is a work of art.
2. The last three seaons of Buffy. I mean, I guess you need to see the first four to really get why the last three are so important, but I really just love the last three and they're the ones I watch over and over lbr.
3. Coffee Prince, because I genuinely think everyone in the whole wide world would like it. It's so lovable.
4. Parks and Rec because of happiness.
5. Press Gang, because no one but redsilverchains has seen it, and I have a lot of feelings I would work out in fic/flail form if there was a fandom for this show. Also: Lynda Day.
6. The Black Donnellys because best pilot ever and also heartbreaking brothers and Jenny Reilly is the best.
7. Designing Women because I'm pretty sure it's what made me a feminist. Also: best characters ever.
8. Miranda, because it is delightful and will make you all happy.
9. Shut Up! Flower Boy Band! because I want all the fic and I don't understand why there isn't a fandom.
10. The Good Wife, to convince you that it's possible for a lawyer show to be good. A lawyer show on one of the main networks, no less.

Play with me!

Comments

[snickfic]

I love that Lauren asks what TV people should watch, and your response is "DAWN." :)

[snickfic]

My list (which is not even close to ten):
1. BtVS, obvs.
2. M*A*S*H. Which apparently my generation doesn't watch? Or maybe it's just that we all saw the re-runs when they were too young to understand, and so no one really knows what it's like.
3. VM seaon one. Just that season. I've never even seen the other seasons; I'm not going to tell anyone else to. *g*
4. Firefly. Because it's cowboys in space and Gina Torres is perfect and I love the theme song. And it's short. (I think people could safely skip the movie, though. Whatever ending people imagine would be better.)

I think that's it? I definitely have other shows I enjoy, but nothing that I'd be willing to stake my TV taste reputation on, nothing that I'm willing to say, "I love this and also it's legitimately good." The first 1.5 seasons of BSG, maybe?

For cultural literacy, everyone should watch a season or so of MacGuyver, and also Gilligan's Island. (Both shows I mainlined, once upon a time.)

[youcallitwinter.livejournal.com]

...Oh, LOL, would you believe I didn't even notice that Lauren (I did not know that was your name btw, HELLO, I'M ZOE) asked about giving our choices about what to watch as well, because I got so excited over the fact that somebody knew what Press Gang was. We literally met like five minutes ago, and I judge people by whether they like Dawn (people, Spike likes Dawn, are you really going to question Spike's tastes?), so notice how I insidiously, VERY SUBTLY got that in, in a post that had nothing to do with it ;)

ALSO, IN THOSE FIVE MINUTES I HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT CAPSLOCK EVERYTHING IN FANNISH GLEE. I obv need to work at how I come across on ze internetz. /what is my life D:

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I have a Rory/Jess fic. :D

Also, dollsome writes EXCELLENT GG fic, mostly of the L/L variety.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I REALLY LIKE THIS COMMENT!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Or maybe it's just that we all saw the re-runs when they were too young to understand, and so no one really knows what it's like.

That's how it is with me. I should watch it as an adult sometime.

Gina Torres is so perfect.

[ceciliaj.livejournal.com]

It is the best Rory/Jess fic!!!

[angearia.livejournal.com]

NEW GIRL IS SO GR9

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

I've been asking myself this question lately as I less-than-legally download (is it still illegal if I own the DVD's but don't want to give up the space the DVD files would take up?) favorite shows to my external hard drive for France. I'm still considering bringing some DVD's, but space is an issue. So here's what I downloaded so far:

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for reasons.
2. Arrested Development, because it's probably the most critically-acclaimed and best comedy of the past 10 years.
3. Lost, watching Lost was an experience best done communally, and I felt connected to all the fans as we counted down to the final episods together, wondering how it would all end.
4. Battlestar Galactica, because it's first two seasons are brilliant and it serves as the best commentary on Bush-era politics.

That's what I have right. Next up for downloading is Veronica Mars (best first season ever), Friday Night Lights (because it surpasses all expectations to go above and beyond), Community (because I have a deep, abiding love for this show even though I haven't seen an episode since they came back from hiatus because I have no time. Also, Abed and Troy exist), Parks and Recreation (because its an antidepressant in television form), and even though I haven't seen them and would be watching them for the first time, The Wire (my mom got me season 2 when I hadn't seen season 1 so my viewing has been delayed) and The Sarah Connor Chronicles (which I'm watching over the summer with xlivvielockex, but know I'm totally going to love because LENA HEADY AND SUMMER GLAU).

[ceciliaj.livejournal.com]

Mine! These recs are written for an abstract general audience :).

1. Six Feet Under (best gay relationship ever on television, serious about faith, inter-generational wonder, perfect blend of psychological and spiritual)
2. The Wire (mandatory viewing for U.S. Americans and the people who have feels or curiosities about us)
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (duh)
4. Dollhouse (yep. for real. the whole thing. particularly, I would recommend this show to anyone who is uncomfortable with their level of investment in popular culture)
5. The Real Girl's Guide to Everything Else (mandatory viewing for anyone who ever enjoyed an episode of Sex and the City, but also for any feminist who can dedicate an hour of their life to watching a web series about cool feminists)
6. Glee (just the first two seasons, but I think that, like with Mean Girls, anyone who went to a large public school at any point in the United States, or knows and loves someone who has, could learn from Glee)
7. X Files (because my yahoo id was princessmulder for a reason)
8. My So-Called Life (some of the best representations of women's relationships with one another I've ever seen, a fundamental inspiration for Joss, who wrote lovingly about it on the DVD set)
9. Awkward Black Girl (the fact that this web series has not been picked up by a network is nothing short of appalling. U.S. media culture, you suck. Issa Rae, you deserve all the awards.)
10. The Guild (if you're reading this, you are on the internet. If you have been on the internet, you can get something out of The Guild. TRY IT.)

[theramble.livejournal.com]

bookmarking this page for future tv addict use? why yes i am.

i agree with everything you say about friday night lights, and i feel obligated to second the recommendation above and mention my all time favorite show, six feet under, which i feel just as strongly about. a work of art? oh yes. perfectly written characters and (especially family) relationships? oh yes yes yes. bonus: dealing with death, "the body" level? uh-huh, except throughout the whole show instead of one episode. *love!eyes*

[janie-aire.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna make a list that's all duplicates.

1. Community because of feels
2. Doctor Who for its amazing mashups
3. LOST because the Island is real
4. Fringe because of mashup feels
5. Dollhouse for the first truly polyphrenic character ever; and what ceciliaj said
6. Battlestar Galactica was a part of the plan
7. Buffy -- after all, this is what got it all started
8. The Good Wife because, uh, Alicia and Mr Big and, uh, mashup feels
9. Touch because of guilty pleasure feels
10. Life on Mars for Master worship, and going back

Okay, so one got in there by accident.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

THE X-FILES AND MY SO-CALLED LIFE! 90's me would approve!

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

DOCTOR WHO! How could I have forgotten Doctor Who? Cheers to you for adding it!

[ceciliaj.livejournal.com]

<3 90s forever!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! You're too sweet!

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

hahaha! YES. Vehicle is the word I was looking for! (I actually remembered it--it's in my second comment!) I was like, I know it's a v-word that means to carry forth.... what could it be!? It must be vessel!

8. I'll admit, the quality degrades after the first season, but I think the emotion is still there. And I think the relationship between Logan and Veronica has some of the best, most subtle romantic development for a major romantic relationship ever done on TV. So, I think it's worth plowing through. But then, I love it. So, I'm biased.

10. Unfortunately, I don't. *sad face* I actually was obsessed with GG before I really realized that fandom and fic existed, so I really haven't read any. But I know that our gentle hostess, Lirazel, has some GG fic which is sure to be good just because she wrote it. And the one comment fic that I ever wrote was a non-shippy GG fic for the Bechdel-Test ficathon.

[rosie1234.livejournal.com]

You're Beautiful, my first ever Korean Drama. (tried to make my mom watch but no one in my family likes subtitles :()

Buffy - I am making my brother watch and we are on season two so far, I can't wait until he sees the last three.

Doctor Who - I need someone to love David Tennet as much as I do.

Veronica Mars - She is full of awesome! :D

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

We literally met like five minutes ago, and I judge people by whether they like Dawn

I approve of this screening method. I was at a Buffy sing-a-long a few months back, and people in the audience were booing Dawn, and my friend had to talk me out following them to their cars and beating them up in the parking lot.

True story.

[ruuger]

Oooh! I'm really interested in what you'll think about it.

(whatever you do, don't get spoiled - it's one of those shows where remaining absolutely spoiler-free if totally worth it)

[ellievanna.livejournal.com]

1. Buffy, because it's my favorite show ever and all that (especially the last three seasons).
2. Avatar: The Last Airbender. IT'S JUST SO GOOD. Also because people need to see that cartoons doesn't equal badness or shallowness.
3. Firefly, because it probably shouldn't work but it does and I love all the characters.
4. Pushing Daisies, even though I'm not even finished with it, but I love how happy it makes me.
5. The Guild, a show about geeks done with so much love and also Felicia Day.
6. Vintergatan 5a/5b/Tillbaka till Vintergatan, okay, random Swedish children's show that probably won't ever be available for people outside of Sweden but THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD. Kids going into space and saving the world pretty much, and it's very much a children's show but I loved it when I was little and I think it is really well done.
7. Parks and Rec, because, yeah, happiness.
8. Lost Girl, because it's funny, action-y, has a nice mythology and also because it's sex-positive and has a bisexual main characters and several other LGBT portrayals.
9. The first two seasons of Misfits, because they're both really funny, with good drama and characters I love.
10. Dollhouse, because of Victor/Sierra, Topher, Adelle and their arcs.

There are some shows I'm still watching that'll probably make the cut when I'm finished, such as Six Feet Under and Leverage. Your list also reminded me I really need to continue watching Friday Night Lights (I still have only seen two episodes or so) because everyone loves it and I think I probably will too (I'm just scared of all the feelings I'll have).

[spunspider.livejournal.com]

daria!!

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

Giving a shout out to my beloved Rome; I noticed Isabel mentioned it, but since I introduced her to it I feel like I can claim it as my own lol. I want to tell everyone who is currently obsessed with Game of Thrones to watch Rome because it has a lot of the same qualities. Morally ambiguity! Ladies! Costumes! Heartbreak and bloodshed and tears and your tears are blood!

[spunspider.livejournal.com]

(hello!)

so, as far as asian dramas go, the show along with coffee prince that i think the majority of people who don't like typical asian dramas would love is capital scandal (the novels for both are by the same author!).1930s korean during the independence movement – flaky playboys getting sucked into the revolution by tiny bookstore-owner lobbyists of steel. suits and swing-dancing and intrigue and one of the greatest female characters ever, a beautiful courtesan by day, revolutionary assassin by night, and her tragic, doomed childhood love otp. also she's BFFs with the male lead ("oddly, we don't have chemistry, but we were touched by one another" lkdshljsdjlsd it's like V and wallace all over again i love this stuff). it's funny and snappy and the costumes and sets are wonderful and it is the best thing ever.

english shows i would stake my life for: veronica mars (perfect and yeah s3 is s3 but any veronica is good veronica lbr); s1 of prison break (and some of the latter ones bc of otp which is one of my favourite otps ever); the hour (so perfect); the high school seasons of sabrina the teenage witch (totally); community (so damn delightful, even if not completely consistently); kings (so ambitious, such superb characters, such great acting, ugh), and, yes, buffy.

[snickfic]

10. Thanks anyway. I've already pointed her to Lirazel's stuff. It kind of looks like no one I know has ever written much of it. Alas.