TV series to watch - 2015-16

[rajagainstthemachine]

Silicon Valley.
curb your enthusiasm
the x files
parks and recreation
arrested development

You start off in a new all idealistic with "take on the world" attitude, but reality sets in and you have to temper your expectations and learn you've been naive because your job does not make you special. You spend a long enough time and suddenly you feel like someone's always trying to hide something, if not an outright conspiracy. Then as the days go by, you learn that everything you do just gets mired in red tape and bureaucracy. Eventually, you just accept that everything is dysfunctional and you really had no prospect of advancing in any way in the first place and you're gobsmacked that nothing has imploded yet.

that post made my head explode, you attempted to describe my personality and the tv shows at the same time.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Let's see... It's just the way it hit me when I first read them.

Silicon Valley. - Playland
curb your enthusiasm - everybody wants to go there and everything you read makes it sound like it THE place to be.
the x files - The secrecy of the various "projects".
parks and recreation - looking at the interiors of places like Google, MS, FB and some others they look like amusement parks and all have tons of recreational "toys" for the developers.
arrested development - To me what I perceive most gaming programmers have - brilliant but somewhat stunted social growth.

Obviously none is true (well, most anyway) but at first reading it's what entered my warped mind.

go easy on the pot gramps

[sundaymorningstaple]

Well, the first one actually reminded me of a movie but it would have dated me pretty much. Valley of the Dolls.

I was not attempting to describe you or anything else, but it was just my flashes that I got reading the titles. Nothing more. Even the movie I just named I mixed up the title with actresses as I've never been a real movie goer. I was actually thinking about Beyond the V....... by Russ Meyers and the connection was silicon and valley and California (San Fran) and Carol Doda. Yeah, maybe should have stayed off the stuff back 45 years ago!

[BBCWatcher]

Here are some more nominees:

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009, not the original series)
I, Claudius (1976)
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
The Simpsons (1989-)
Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975)
Oz (1997-2003)
South Park (1997-)
House (2004-2012)
Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
Weeds (2005-2012)
The Twilight Zone (the 1959-1964 original, not the revivals)
Queer as Folk (U.K. 1999-2000, U.S. 2000-2005)
The Office (U.K. 2001-2003; the longer running U.S. version is OK, too)
Dexter (2006-2013)
The Shield (2002-2008)
Yes Minister (1980-1984)
Yes, Prime Minister (1986-1988)
the U.K. House of Cards trilogy: House of Cards (1990), To Play the King (1993), The Final Cut (1995)
Skins (2007-2013)
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008, a one-off Joss Whedon special created during a writer's strike)
Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
Glee (it ran from 2009-2015, but I'd only watch the first season)
Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)
The Prisoner (1967-1968)
Mr. Bean (1990-1995)
Gotham (2014-)
Red Dwarf (the original 1988-1993 run is best)
Blake's 7 (1978-1981) -- "Shakespearean actors in space," basically
Fringe (2008-2013)
Prison Break (2005-2009)
Life on Mars (2006-2007) -- there's a sequel called Ashes to Ashes, but the original is better

[nakatago]

[Addadude]

I love this show.

[BBCWatcher]

If you like Daredevil (2015-) you might also like The Flash (2014-).

[nakatago]

If you like Daredevil (2015-) you might also like The Flash (2014-).

Outside from being superheroes, they're not really the same genre. Netflix Daredevil is crime noir with hints of Asian mysticism. The Flash is straight up fun superhero sci-fi fantasy romp. Arrow would be closer but from what I gather, it doesn't come close to Daredevil.

I didn't like the Flash but I could see how it has fans and those said fans may not be the same fans of Daredevil and vice versa.

[BBCWatcher]

They are different, true, but they're all good television in their own ways. (Which is not to say that you will like every good television program.) The Flash is a spinoff of Arrow (2012-), and Legends of Tomorrow (2016-) is another spinoff from Arrow. So maybe, if you like Daredevil, you could try Arrow first then see if you like either/both of its spinoffs, too.

Gotham (already mentioned) is also in the general superhero genre. Heroes (2006-2010) is another show that you might like in the same general genre.

Some people like Smallville (2001-2011), a young Superman series, but I didn't so much. I might be in the minority: it lasted 10 seasons.

[nakatago]

Gotham (already mentioned) is also in the general superhero genre. Heroes (2006-2010) is another show that you might like in the same general genre..

Both shows, with the exception of the first half of the first season of Heroes, are terrible.

At this point with DC/Warner and Marvel (and by extension Fox) are coming out with superhero movies/shows up the wazoo, "superhero" isn't just a genre anymore. It's better described as content; like how some movies can have US Presidents in them but can be a comedy, political thriller or action.

Let's just take the Captain America movies:
* the first was a WW2 period piece with sci-fi elements
* the second one was a political thriller with action elements
* the third one...we don't know yet.

And that's just one character that did at least two genres.

So I say, let the shows/movies stand on their own merit instead of "oh it has a character in it with a costume beating up bad guys just like everything else."

[BBCWatcher]

Both shows, with the exception of the first half of the first season of Heroes, are terrible.

Most people agree that "Heroes" started out much better than it finished. I'm a bit surprised you don't like "Gotham." Nobody is going to like every program, but a great many people like or even love "Gotham." It's at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, for example -- and that's quite high.

Tastes and preferences vary, of course. That's perfectly fine. Thank goodness there are so many great series to choose from.

[BBCWatcher]

Here are a few more nominees:

Girls (2012-)
The Good Wife (2009-2016, finale airing in May)
Hannibal (2013-2015)
Manhattan (2014-2016)

On edit, some more:

Sex and the City (1998-2004)
Modern Family (2009-)
30 Rock (2006-2013)
Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
Sherlock (2010-)
Hill Street Blues (1981-1987)
Taxi (1978-1983)
Entourage (2004-2011)
Scandal (2012-)
Sesame Street (1969-) -- for the kids (with you), of course
Alias (2001-2006)
True Blood (2008-2014)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-)
The Americans (2013-)
The Newsroom (1996-2005) -- the Canadian "Office," roughly
The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998)
Da Ali G Show (2000-2004)

[Addadude]

Daredevil is superb. The scripting, the acting, the fight choreography (just look at that clip that Nak posted!), the interpretation of the DD mythos and his super powers, everything. (Admission - Daredevil was my favourite superhero growing up). It's very dark and violent.

Arrow isn't bad but it falls short in just about every area by comparison.

Jessica Jones (in the same Netflix/Marvel universe) looks very promising. There is a Luke Cage series planned and I'm really looking forward to Ironfist - especially if they get Scott Adkins for the role.

Other series I enjoy include Supernatural (they had some very interesting experimental episodes), Grimm, House of Cards and The Blacklist. I liked Person Of Interest but I don't know whether it's been renewed or not. Millennium was an awesome series too - season two went a bit weird but the final season three was great.

[nakatago]

Jessica Jones (in the same Netflix/Marvel universe) looks very promising. There is a Luke Cage series planned and I'm really looking forward to Ironfist - especially if they get Scott Adkins for the role..

Jessica Jones is excellent. Go add it to your list, pronto.

Finn Jones has been cast for Iron Fist.

[BBCWatcher]

"Master of None" and "Transparent," two new shows on Netflix and Amazon respectively, both look quite promising.