'Must watch' TV shows

life on mars -

best thing the beeb have produced in years...being made into a US version as we speak, with the UK follow-up "ashes to ashes" out next year...

Heroes
Weeds
Lost (when the new season starts in February)
My Name Is Earl
South Park

Some new shows that are interesting:

Chuck
The Reaper

I hate most tv -lost, csi, heroes etc just cheesy wank, however over the years there's been a couple of series that have been a touch more cerebral and that have really grabbed me (aided by box sets of course)

Sopranos
Six feet under
The Shield
Northern Exposure
Dexter ( a bit stupid but very well done)
Deadwood

The only TV show I regularly watch is Popstars. Yes, Popstars. I'm ashamed of it, I curse its stupidity, and yet I tune in every Thursday night. I'm addicted.

Given the current level of talent on Popstars and the apparent success of Monrose (last season's Popstars spawn) I'm now convinced that with a teeth bleaching, a couple of voice lessons and a week's worth of Pilates I could probably get a record contract.

Deadwood - bestest writing ever.

anyone know when season 4 of Boston Legal starts airing?

there, I've corrected it for you.

A few of my favourite clips from Flight of the Conchords:
Flight of the Conchords: The Most Beautiful Girl



Flight of the Conchords: Frodo, don't wear the ring!



Flight of the Conchords: If that's what you're into

We've just started watching The Riches which is pretty good so far.

sorry...quoting myself!! - can anyone recommend other series to me based on the ones above? ie. no cheese please!

oh and just to add twin peaks to the list!!!

@Worm:
The Wire

Stumbled across Deadwood for the first time this goddamn fucking weekend and watched the fucking first four cocksucking episodes. Well, shit-damn, nail me in my coffin and throw dirt in my face, that's some purty fine viewin'.

Just thought I'd fucking share that. Ya cocksuckers.

@worm: OZ. Without a doubt, one of the best shows ever. If you like The Shield (Also one of the best ever), you'll really like OZ. It's a prison drama from HBO. It's NOT for people that dislike senseless violence, excessive use of profanity, constant racial slurs, male nudity, and the occassional homosexual act.

Also to the list are:

NYPD Blue (especially the early seasons with David Caruso)
Angle (cheesy vampire stuff, but better than Buffy)
Alias (gotta love Jennifer Garner)
24 (overdramatic at times, but well done)
CSI (the original in Las Vegas)
CSI Miami (and I won't do NY because I've met Gary Sinise in person and he's a prick)
Friends (always good for a laugh)
Prisonbreak (amazing idea with the whole tattoo thing)

No one has mentioned M*A*S*H ???
My all time favorite show EVER.

Dharma and Greg on comedy ccentral on Viva Plus.

I did not like ker till 2002. Now, i seem not to have choice.

Why talk about shows that we can't access here in Germany? After all we are not in America or UK.

@whoever it was,
I stay in Munich and watch Dharma with no probblems on Dish?

My So Called Life is a must for everyone. It rates right up there with All in the Family, St. Elsewhere, The Waltons and The Wonder Years for reality of the times.

Herman's Head, Taxi, Boston Legal, WKRP in Cincinnati, Good Times, MASH, Happy Days, I Love Lucy, Hill Street Blues, Mad About You, Green Acres, Wings, The Jefferson's, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show, Beverly Hills 90210, Cheers, Cosby, Law and Order, CSI, Homicide, Rhoda, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Mannix, Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI and That Girl just to name a few are worth watching again and again.

Course, I also like F-Troop, Man from UNCLE and a bunch of other shows few people have ever heard of. I be a TV junkie!

If you are looking for a show to watch, start downloading SPOOKS from the first season.

Agreed, it's brilliant. Too bad there's only 8 episodes per season.

My favs are:

Sex in the City

Will & Grace (I looove Karen!)

Coupling

I love old Brit shows like:

Keeping up Appearances

Allo Allo

Are you being served?

Old American shows:

Dukes of Hazzard

Green Acres

That Girl

Road Wars! Sky 1 and 2
Watch Pat and Carl (Tango Victor 32) of the pro-active team chase a red Fiesta around Reading.

I forgot two shows of great import:
Picket Fences and Northern Exposure.

Oh, I so loved this show...!

Yep, a cult classic indeed. I was addicted to this show from 1967-68 when I watched it in the early '80s long before most of you kids were born. It's available on DVD, so grab it - it has to be by far the greatest T.V. show ever produced.

The Prisoner - Intro

I'm completely addicted to 24! Has me at the edge of my seat every episode!

Coupling is also always good for a laugh...favourite episode, "The man with 2 legs" :-)

One thing I definitely must watch tonight is Ashes to Ashes. It's the new spin off from Life on Mars set in the 80's. Looks good from the trailers.

But you can access them.
Some buy DVDs, either in the country concerned or get them sent via post. Some download possibly (but I can't be sure for legal reasons). Some have satellite systems (ditto for some services).
Access is there for those that want it.

My all time favourites if a bit old now (but available on DVD):

Frasier
Seinfeld
Father Ted
Columbo
Yes Minister
etc

I still love this classic show:

Oh nice bit of youtube pasting Fuzzytony, thanks! Just had me giggling like a little girl - especially that bit with the exclamation mark - classic!

Current faves--

Dexter
Lost
Battlestar Galactica
Heroes

After the death of the sorpanos, BROTHERHOOD is similar in many respects and very entertaining. I know the first series got released in the US 2006/07 and the second series in the latter part of 07 (on showtime i think). No idea if getting released on sky or whatever, but I got really into it when i was living over the pond for the last two years ! So try and watch Brotherhood when it comes out !
Also Dexter (been mentioned), was on same channel and followed directly after, a great sunday night double bill !

Brilliant! I loved everyone of those shows. And let's not forget this one:




I remember watching this show when it first came out in the '70s and loving every episode. They're available on DVD now as well as a movie version expected to be released next year.

Family Guy
American Dad
South Park
My Name is Earl
The Red Green Show
Northern Exposure
anything by David Attenborough
Doc Martin

UGLY BETTY
HEROES
LIPSTICK JUNGLE
HOUSE

i know candace bushnell wrote this and sex & the city. what is the difference? is it aired on public t.v. in the u.s., if so will not be able to compare to SATC, which was aired on HBO & had some cool adult themes.

1. AMERICAN IDOL - it is Hot this year
2. House
3. NCIS
4. Dexter
5. CSI
6. Ghost Whisperer

I've heard about this show but never seen it yet, although I did get to watch the first ten minutes of the first episode from season one on YouTube. If they're not taken down yet I'll watch the remaining six parts of episode one on YouTube. And if it's really good enough (and from what I've seen so far it certainly is) I'll get my hands on both available seasons of Brotherhood. Being a die-hard Sopranos fan too, I think I'll enjoy this show. Thanks for the recommendation, action.

Brotherhood - Season Two Trailer:

New/Current Stuff:
Lost
Prison Break
House
Heroes
The Office (US version)
Weeds
Ugly Betty
Chuck
How I met Your Mother
My Name is Earl

Older stuff:
Dharma & Greg
Friends

eurovol, you might remember this one from the Sixties just as much as I do:

Petticoat Junction - Intro

The Shield
House MD
Stargate Atlantis
Deadliest Catch
Dirty Jobs
Battlestar Galactica
Heroes
Weeds
Trailer Park Boys
CSI (Las vegas)
NCIS

If your looking to see when your fav. show will return from season break, would like to know the episode titles or numbering order
or a brief summary of whats going to happen. Have a look at EPGUIDES.COM Current shows,
old shows.. Its all there.

For those that asked:

* Deadliest Catch season 4 Starts Tomorrow.
* Boston legal Season 4 resumes on April 8th
* Battlestar Galactica Season 4 (Final Season) started on Friday (4 April)
* CSI (LasVegas) Season 8 continued with Ep. 12 on April 3rd

Am currently working my way through Damages and am probably a bit slow compared to everyone else by only watching it now. I'd seen episodes in NZ and the UK, but wanted to watch the whole thing through.
And if anyone tells me how it works out before I'm through, I shall kick them. Hard.

A lot of people on this thread have mentioned the show Dexter which I've never seen before, so I decided to check out season one, episode one. Woah! Not a bad show. Another critically-acclaimed series to take note of. I'd like to get my hands on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter which the show is based on.

Even the introduction of Dexter looks quite interesting:




Season three should be out on Showtime sometime this year.

Trivia question: How many other shows is this one linked too?

All in the Family had the Jefferson's and Maude spinoffs, but Petticoat Junction was linked to more shows if I remember correctly. I told you I was a TV junkie.

Okay, let's see now (correct me if I'm wrong). The ones I can remember that were closely related to Petticoat Junction are Green Acres, Hee Haw, Dusty's Trail, Mayberry R.F.D. and most especially The Beverly Hillbillies.




And to prove that I'm a really ol' geezer, this was another TV show I was addicted to long before most TTers were born:

Petticoat Junction and Green Acres shared Drucker's Store and both are set in Hooterville. Granny of Beverly Hillbillies had to go to Petticoat Junction when the baby arrived and there were several other crossover episodes. There was a link to Andy Griffith/Mayberry RFD via Kate Bradley's character having some relationship to Aunt Bee.

Now if we are talking connections via actors, "dog" is Benji and Alice Cooper is named after a character on Mayberry RFD.

I implore you all to watch Breaking Bad. Great show

Anyone who hasn't seen it yet really should: Rome

Two shows that I loved and love are Deadwood and the Wire. Anyone know if they are coming to German TV? I would love to know how they would translate the colourful expressions in both. Maybe I would find the Wire easier to understand in German rather than the Baltimore Ghetto slang of the original.

Another good show to watch, a bit like the Wire is Underbelly which is from Australia and based on organised crime in Melbourne between 94 and 2004.