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TV for snobbish cynical people

Heroes is the best example of this.
 
bojanglefunk said:
I can't help you if you think the Wire is too contrived (I know you haven't tried it yet). The creators literally lived on the streets of baltimore to research it and I have heard multiple prosecutors, cops etc. say it is about as realistic as TV gets.
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I don't know about that....

If your aim is realistic TV...I'd say go for LOST or The Walking Dead....both are excellent.
 
Not sure if it has been posted or not, but if you like Louie I would recommend Wilfred as well. Also a fan of Justified and Sons of Anarchy for good shows.
 
GoDeacsGo said:
Most shows are written to go on and on and on which really screws up the plot. They basically have to keep coming up with dumb reasons to keep the storyline going (ala Lost). While the first 2 seasons of American Horror Story may not be your cup of tea at least they are making an attempt at keeping 1 theme per season.
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As Sorkin said TV is all middle.
 
Six Feet Under
Rome

I am watching Game of Thrones right now.
 
GoDeacsGo said:
Most shows are written to go on and on and on which really screws up the plot. They basically have to keep coming up with dumb reasons to keep the storyline going (ala Lost). While the first 2 seasons of American Horror Story may not be your cup of tea at least they are making an attempt at keeping 1 theme per season.
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This is basically my problem with current TV shows. I can't think of too many shows where I've been able to watch more than five seasons. I think that's the threshold for a modern television show before it becomes completely stupid and contrived, or the characters becomes caricatures of their original selves. The only show I can think of off the top of my head is Scrubs, but even that got incomprehensibly stupid in the last couple seasons (when it ended, then came back, then came back on another network, then tried to spin off a new version of itself, etc.). How I Met Your Mother followed a similar trajectory, going rapidly downhill after about 5-6 seasons and devolving into its current state, which is practically unwatchable. Dexter has had some great seasons, but also some really bad ones (seasons 3 and 5 jump to mind). LOST went off the rails at about that point, as have Psych, Burn Notice, Bones and a lot of other shows that I used to watch. Countless others have crapped out well before that.

It seems like most of the shows that I really love these days are smart sitcoms: Arrested Development, Community, Archer, Louie, Modern Family (although that has gotten pretty stupid in the last year or two). For hour-long shows, I would definitely echo the recommendations of Breaking Bad and Justified. IMO, those are the two best shows on television. The first season of Homeland was pretty good, Walking Dead isn't half bad and I've really enjoyed the first two seasons of Suits.

Anyway, my $0.02.
 
Also, Deadwood. So much Deadwood. I've yet to meet someone, regardless of cynicism, taste, or intellect that didn't enjoy it on some level.
 
As an odd segue, I coach Varsity girl's soccer. We played in a tourney today, and after a rather pedestrian first half, I was seized with a fit of divine inspiration at half-time, and proceeded to deliver a modified version of Stringer Bell's 40 degree day speech about our play up to that point during the day. Needless to say, it did not have the effect that I had intended. Lot's of blank stares. Both great t.v. and motivational tactics are lost on our contemporary generation.
 
bmoneydeac said:
also prison break. started out so good, ended up absolute shit. i think they broke out of jail like 4 times.
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First season of Prison Break was tremendous. Second season was ok, until the finale, at which point I knew to not even try season three.

And Harvey Birdman > SGC2C.
 
Me and my wife like "Copper" which is a British import on BBC America. Also, we really like "Banshee" on Cinemax.
 
Skydog Deac said:
I know people liked "The Wire", but after reading about it online, it also sounds contrived with stereotypical roles. Everything tends to descend into one giant soap opera, only the subject matter changes.
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If you don't end up liking The Wire, you're probably stupid. I don't want to come off as arrogant, but I think every person I've met who says they didn't care for it has been a little stupid. Of all the shows you've listed it's probably the least contrived/soap-opera-like. If you don't like "soap opera," you're definitely going to hate Downton Abbey.

Honestly, sounds like you just don't care for episodic drama. :noidea:
 
Archer. If you don't like it, you have absolutely no sense of humor.
 
Seriously though....Prison Break Season 1 was really great...got through it in like 3-4 days

It definitely down hill after that though (what do you expect with a show called PRISON BREAK shows characters actually break out of prison?)
 
This thread is why the Democrats lost the election. Maybe if you all didn't turn up your nose at The Big Bang Theory and Two Broke Girls, Trump wouldn't be President. Also, Kevin James is the greatest sitcom actor of all time.
 
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