tv

Lost
I was a fan of Lost from the first episode, because I've always had an interest in desert island stories. But Lost goes way beyond that. The island is fraught with dangers, from the mysterious Others who were already inhabiting the island when the Losties arrived, to the science stations left by the defunct Dharma Initiative, to the smoke monster that occasionally pops up to kill someone, to the various outside groups and corporations that want to find or exploit the island. There are layers of mythos and each episode has dozens of literary and cultural references. The characters are diverse and interesting, and the writing is some of the best on TV.

"Why don't you shut up, Hammo, or your ranch disorder's going to be the new lead item on the coconut internet." -Sawyer

The Simpsons
The Simpsons is already a classic, and it's still on tv. It's the longest running sitcom in history. I've been watching since the first season, when I was 7 years old — I look back at the those early episodes, and I know I couldn't have understood half the jokes, but somehow I still liked it. It's wavered some in its funniness, but it's still better than most of the crap out there. And there have been some abso-fucking-lutely hilarious moments over the years. (Check out my Simpsons quotes page.)

"Okay Bart, it's time for Operation Crazy Plan. Step one: we chuck the raccoon in there." -Homer

The Daily Show
I watch the Daily Show (and the Colbert Report) every morning, and it really is a good source of news. Because it's ostensibly a comedy show, they have the freedom to really go after the hypocrisy, incompetence, and greed of the people in the news, and they provide some of the best media analysis there is. And of course, it's funny as hell. You can find a free archive of the show here.

"Religion. It's given people hope in a world torn apart by religion." -Jon Stewart

The Colbert Report
The Colbert Report, which spun off from a segment on The Daily Show, is a satire of an opinion/talking head show in the vein of O'Reilly, Hannity, and all those other Republican asshats. Stephen's political commentary is some of the best around, and of course it's hilarious because he delivers ridiculous conservative talking points completely deadpan.

"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." -Stephen Colbert

Battlestar Galactica
What I love about this show: 1) Their mythology is polytheistic, so they say things like "Thank the gods", which I've been saying for years. 2) They say "sir" to anyone of higher rank, male or female. 3) "Frak" is just an awesome curse word. 4) The characters are realistic and interesting. However good the concept of any show is, what makes it a success or a failure is the characters. (This is where Joss Whedon and shows like Lost excel.) 5) Starbuck. Yeah.

Adama: Captain Adama and Colonel Tigh are working on the plan now and I need some serious out-of-the-box thinking.
Starbuck: Out of the box is where I live.

30 Rock
I've been in love with Tina Fey ever since she started doing Weekend Update, 'cause smart chicks are so hot. So, it sucks that she left SNL but 30 Rock is so good that I can't complain. It's snuck under the radar as a feminist show with an awesome smart female lead, because it's really just that funny.

"All right, who told Tracy about anagrams?" -Jack

Late Night With Conan O'Brien
Conan is so much funnier than any of those other late-night losers. He also used to write for SNL and the Simpsons. Leno sucks and I can't wait until Conan takes over the Tonight Show in 2009.

"I've been thinking about this: I know I'm a little biased, but I think I'm the greatest person that ever lived." -Conan O'Brien

The L Word
I took a gamble and bought the first season having never seen an episode, and I was not disappointed. This is not only the first show on television about lesbians (and bisexuals), it is also a really well-written, well-acted show. It also helps that Guin Turner writes and (occasionally) acts on it.

"Some of us have it worse, Dana, you know. Some of us are dating lesbian men." -Alice

Off-air shows:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I started watching reruns on FX back in '03, and quickly became obsessed. It's the perfect show. It's a drama and a comedy, plus all the monsters and fighting and everything. It's incredibly witty and innovative and artistic — it's just the best show on television ever, and I'm including the Simpsons here, people! Which has always been my favorite show on TV — so it's really saying something that I like Buffy more. Anyway, Buffy's over, but you can still catch the reruns on FX and the WB, or get the DVDs.

"We will bring you the limp and beaten body of Bob Barker!" -Glory's minion

Firefly
I never watched this show when it was on, but after becoming an obsessive Joss Whedon fan, I decided to check out the DVDs, and this show is just SO FUCKING GOOD. I am constantly amazed at how terribly Fox handled it and how easily they give up on shows that don't become major hits right away. If they had aired the episodes in order, and not let it get preempted constantly, and actually aired all the episodes, and then given it a fucking chance, it might now be one of the best and most popular shows on television. Oh well. Anyway, the fans were so dedicated that it got made into a movie (Serenity) which is also really really good.

"I can kill you with my brain." -River

Veronica Mars
I started watching this halfway through the first season after reading an article on how it's the next Buffy, and I have to say I agree. So there's no vampires or witches, but Veronica is a kick-ass detective who's out to solve the big case of the year (her best friend's murder, a school bus crash, a campus serial rapist), and make little money solving cases for the townspeople as well. It's really nice to once again see a smart, self-reliant girl who stands up for justice (even if she occasionally breaks the law in her quest), and witty writing reminiscent of Buffy. It's even got things Buffy didn't have, like realism and a diverse cast. The show is a little simplistic in its mystery-construction (I quite often have it figured out halfway through the episode), but that's really all you can expect from a show written for teens, and hell I even have that problem with Law & Order, so maybe that's all you can expect from tv at all. This show has also featured a number of Buffy alum, including the lovely Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, and even the great Joss Whedon himself.

Veronica: Got any enemies you know about?
Wallace: Well, there's the Klan.

Angel
A spinoff from Buffy, about her ex-boyfriend, who's a vampire cursed with a soul. It's got the same lovely mix of drama, comedy, and action. It's quite a bit darker, and often more depressing (like when my favorite characters keep dying), but that just fits with Angel's character and his purpose in life. People die, and you gotta keep fighting. Got canceled after five great seasons (bastards) but there's reruns and DVDs.

Sensitivity trainer: What were your parents like?
Angel: My parents were great. Tasted a lot like chicken.

Arrested Development
The best sitcom in years. This show is consistantly hilarious and has so many uniquely idiotic characters. Also, Portia DeRossi is really hot. I cannot believe that Fox cancelled it. They just refuse to believe in a show unless it's an immediate hit, and you'd think they'd have learned their lesson after what happened with Family Guy. Anyway, there are three brilliant seasons on DVD.

Tobias: Well, it looks like I've prematurely shot my wad, on what was supposed to be a dry run... and now it seems like I've got a bit of a mess on my hands.
Michael: There's just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence.

Daria
This is a hilarious cartoon about a bored teen who enjoys griping about the stupidity of those around her. (Check out my Daria quotes page.) They show stupidly edited reruns on Noggin, but that's about it. No DVDs as of now, other than the two movies. Bit Torrent is the only way to get all the episodes right now.

Mr. O'Neill: Right here and now, let's pledge to make Daria's dream a reality.
Daria: You mean the one where people walking down the street burst into flames?

Queer As Folk
This show is fantastic! It's your typical soap opera, but with queer characters. Okay, it gets a little cheesy at times, but it still has some wonderful moments and it's both dramatic and hilarious.

"Seeing them in their beautiful home with their new baby and their arms around each other, I wished for a moment that I too could be a lesbian. But then I remembered that I'd have to eat pussy, so I said forget it." -Michael

Invader Zim
Having been a die-hard Jhonen Vasquez fan for the last few years, I just love this show. Especially the little inside jokes he throws in, like sticking filler bunny in at the beginning of one episode. It's really too bad they cancelled it, but it's out on DVD now. (Check out my Vasquez/Zim quotes.)

"The Earth is saved! I did it, GIR! Now let's go destroy it." -Zim

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