Favorite Live Action TV Shows

[Avaitor]

I love Community. Fuck Big Bang Theory, this is the sitcom of choice for nerds. If the epic paintball and zombie episodes weren't enough proof of this, last night's Dungeons & Dragons episode should be.

More people need to watch this show.

[Angus]

An Idiot Abroad where the guy goes to China..heh I was just there last month, except he gets to visit the Great Wall...lucky guy.  The best quote is where he talks about not wanting to try toad there because he might like it and when he comes back to the UK he might miss it.

[Angus]

For geek-themed shows, you might like The IT Crowd.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Finally got myself into watching Dexter. I regret not starting it sooner.

[gunswordfist]

I've been watching a Burn Notice DVD marathon. Definitely my favorite show. I started the marathon on Sat. when I got season 2 and 3 from my library. I watched all 16 episodes of season 2 from Sat. up to Mon night/Tuesday morning. I watched some of the first episode of season 3 early that morning but since I've seen it a ton of times, I decided to go to sleep. Then on Monday and Tuesday I watched some more episodes. Man, I love this show. It was great to see all of season 2 and of course all of it in order. Even better than the first season and I'm loving the show more than ever. I should be through Season 3 in no time.

[Dr. Insomniac]

May as well post why I find some of these shows my favorites.

The Wire – This is the closest thing we'll get to a novel on TV. Everything about is gripping and forces you to concentrate on all of the exact details. The interconnected arcs and the sheer grit portrayed within the drugs crews and the police force is just jaw-dropping. And all of its characters, especially Omar, are awesome to watch. It is the complete and utter crown jewel of HBO (sorry Sopranos), and you won't be the same after going through all five seasons.

Doctor Who – Back in the summer before high school, when I thought life was pointless and I had no place in this world, seeing this show for the first time was like some sort of enlightenment. There's just a unique sense of charm in watching the Doctor and his companion save the world every week, not with brute force, but with a screwdriver and a truckload of wit. What I also love is that with the use of regeneration, the ventures through completely different eras or planets, and the shifts in cast, this show can literally be anything. It can be funny, tearjerking, heartwarming, psychotic, brilliant, and all those things at once. Instead of sticking to the status quo like we got from most Sci-Fi here in America, it always changes its form while always retaining that spirit of wonder and adventure. All in all, it's simply amazing.

Freaks And Geeks – Just recently found this show, and it has incorporated everything I wanted in a high school series. It manages to be realistic while not being full of itself with messages. And what truly defines this show is its characters and how true to life they feel. We all knew a Sam Weir, a Kim Kelly, a Nick Andopolis, or a Bill Haverchuck back then. We all had moments where we stood at a crossroads with friends like Lindsay Weir, or dealing with family issues like Neil Schweiber. This show is Judd Apatow at his finest, as well as one of the best dramedies I've ever seen, so it absolutely pains me how this show ended after one season. It's the equivalent of discovering the Canterbury Tales, only to find out Chaucer died before he could tie things up.

Six Feet Under – This show was like my obsession last month. It magnificently shows the flaws and beauty of life, from how it can be torn down in an instant, to how it can persevere under the darkest of times. Yeah, there were bumps in the middle of the road, and sometimes the show took itself too seriously, but it managed to shine in the end. If anybody wants to see the right way to do a family dramedy, you're looking at it.

Deadwood – I've only had time to watch the first season so far, but it is fucking ace. Where the golden age of the western had John Wayne leading the forefront, and how the silver age had Clint Eastwood, this era has Ian McShane in his finest role as Al Motherfucking Swearengen. While it admittedly goes into extreme excesses in an attempt to feel dark, it also adds a certain feel to how Deadwood looks. It forces you out of your comfort zone in order to see this gritty, godforsaken excuse of a town for what it is. And like with Freaks and Geeks, it's an absolute shame how this show got cancelled before it could wrap everything up (though fortunately, the history books offer some closure).

Babylon 5 – GregX can define why this show is good way better than I can, so I may as well link to his post.

Skins (UK) – Let's be clear here, this show is not an accurate representation of the teenage life by any stretch of the mind. If anything, Inbetweeners is far better at realism. However, I find that it captures the bipolar, hodgepodge mindset of youth pretty well. And you can see it in how the show whiplashes at you when it comes to development. There will be episodes where I want half the characters dead; while there will be others where I'll sympathize like hell for most of them. Though you might find that to be signs of an inconsistent series, I see it as a subtle metaphor for the ups and downs of being 17 going on 18.

[gunswordfist]

Watched one of my favorite episodes of Burn Notice yesterday. Very powerful. And it was an ending to a very important part of season 3. I thought that 'arc' would last longer'. I watched most of it in a day. Anyway, I can't wait to see how the next part of Season 3 starts. I've already seen most of it before, I believe.

[Spark Of Spirit]

You ever see My So Called Life, Insommy?

[Dr. Insomniac]

You ever see My So Called Life, Insommy?

Watched a few episodes before stopping a few months ago, mostly since I just didn't like Angela as a character. Still it had enough promise for me to consider continuing it in the oncoming weeks.

[Avaitor]

Imma do the same thing Cartoon X did with movies, for TV shows. Since it's a pain in the ass to do and most of these have a LOT of episodes, I'll just stick to 15 shows.

I'll also be fair and stick to mostly recent series, with a couple of classics I really like in.

1- "Enjoy your night."
"We'll try!"
"Did those two just become our archenemies?"
"They've always been our archenemies. They've only just revealed themselves."

2- "I'll make him die in ways he can't even imagine."
*long pause*
"That would have sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas."

3- "How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sporting with the puppies?"

4- "You don't know this man outside of hitting him with your car?"
"No. And you're gonna think that I'm kidding, but you can really get to know someone fast when you hit 'em with a car."

5- "I'd never shot anyone before..."
"I was there, son. I'm fair sure you haven't shot anyone yet."

6- "Keep up."
"I don't think I can, m'lord."
"It's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy."

7- "Hey Dad, can I borrow the car? I have to drive through a rough part of town. I find that if I turn my hat backward and drive your car, even the gangs cut me a wide path."
"Dodge say's something very special about you!"
"Oh yes. Say's 'Damn right I Failed!'"

8- "But... you're real!"
"Well, of course I am. Isn't everybody?"
"I used to think so."

9- "I bet he felt great when he woke up this morning."
"I'm sure you're right."
"But that's life. One minute you're on top of the world; next minute, someone is running you over with a lawn mower."

10- "Yeah, it's like all women. If they're not turning you down, they're suspecting suspicious behavior in lingerie changing rooms."

11-  (to himself)"I can't evaluate myself."
"Would you describe me as warm, professional, or both?"
I describe you as: I'm on my lunch."

12- "There's an exposed wire above the bathtub as well."
"Oh yeah, shockwire! I call it that cause if you take a shower and you touch the wire, you die!"
"Yes, that is accurate."

13- "Look, if caveman and astronauts got into a fight, who would win?"
"You've been yelling at each other for 40 minutes about this?"
*pause*
"Do the astronauts have weapons?"

14- "'I'm bored' is a useless thing to say. You live in a great, big, vast world that you've seen none percent of. And even the inside of your own mind is endless. It goes on forever inwardly. Do you understand? Being the fact that you're alive is amazing, so you don't get to be bored."

15- "What are we building?"
"You said it yourself."
"A robot?"
"... a battery."

[LumRanmaYasha]

For a long time I've been relatively inexperienced with the best current (and past) highly-acclaimed live-action television shows, but with the aid of Netflix, Imma going to change that. Right now, though, my Favorite Live-Action TV Shows are the following:

10. NTSF:SD:SUV
9. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
8. Children's Hospital
7. How I Met Your Mother
6. The Office
5. The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report (tie)
4. Parks and Recreation
3. Orange is the New Black
2. 30 Rock
1. Community

[Avaitor]

Nice list!

[Goldstar]

There are only a few live action series that I go out of my way to watch, and interestingly, it seems to be an even smaller number of them now than it was 10 years ago. Nonetheless, if I had to make a top 10 list of favorite live action shows, it would be these:

10. 30 Rock
9. Night Court
8. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart/The Colbert Report/Real Time with Bill Maher (tie)
7. The Black Adder
6. The Young Ones
5. Upright Citizens Brigade
4. The Aquabats Super Show!
3. Red Dwarf
2. Mystery Scinece Theater 3000
1. Mr. Show with Bob & David

[VLordGTZ]

Here's my top 10 :
10. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
9.  The Office
7. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
6. The Colbert Report
5. Children's Hospital
4. NSTF:SD:SUV
3. How I Met Your Mother
2. 30 Rock
1. Community

[Silverstar]

10. Cheap Seats
9. Monty Python's Flying Circus
8. Portlandia
7. Red Dwarf
6. SCTV
5. The Kids in the Hall
4. Mr. Show with Bob and David
3. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart/The Colbert Report/Conan (tie)
2. Mystery Science Theater 3000
1. The Aquabats Super Show!