What do you watch on TV? (by way of the Emmys)

[100ProofBE]

So the nominations for the Emmys came out today.

You can see them here: http://www.tvguide.com/News/2010-Emmy-Nominations-1020284.aspx

First and foremost... fuck Glee. I don't expect that to be a particularly controversial or outlandish thing to say on a forum filled primarily with intelligent adult males (and a smattering of intelligent adult females), but the fact that this garbage garners 19 nominations would be flabbergasting if it wasn't so predictable from the award show that spent years rewarding Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. Yet another one of those situations where I'd be disappointed with the state of popular culture if I didn't understand how far detached I am from that particular demographic.

Anyway, with that bit of ugliness out of the way, what are your relationships with the boob tube? I've never been much of a TV fan (always preferred movies and video games in my idle time), but I always manage to have a few regular shows. 90% of what I watch these days is Discovery (Mythbusters), History (whatever's on at the time), and ESPN, but I must admit scripted television has gotten pretty good in the last 10 years since networks decided "reality" game shows was the wave of the future and all of the good talent started moving to cable. 

So I suppose my question is... do you watch episodic television? If so, what do you watch? Anyone have recommendations?

I'll start off with a couple:

If you aren't watching Mad Men, start. DVDs can be had on the cheap and AMC will be running the entire series up to this point before it's season premiere in a couple of weeks. Apart from the lovely Ms. Christina Hendricks (who is nearly worth watching the show for on her own), the show is a bastion of intelligent writing and believable characters (for the most part) written for adults.
 
If you liked the first couple of seasons of X-Files but got bored with/turned off by the alien conspiracy nonsense, I heartily recommend Fringe. Same basic format (weird stuff is afoot and the FBI gets sent in to investigate), but add in a quirky mad scientist and an overarching mythology with a very human element to it. I'm not normally one for nerd TV, but I can't get enough of John Noble (as seen in my current avvie).

I've got the first couple of seasons of Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad to go through as everyone in the known universe keeps telling me to watch them.

[notty]

I don't have cable, so I don't partake of casual viewing. The shows I do watch I watch religiously.

In terms of quality:

1. Dexter

Last season was just epic. Everything worked brilliantly. One of the all-time great guest appearances by John Lithgow and one of the all-time great season finales.

2. Justified

Timothy Olyphant is mesmerizing as a gun-slinging U.S. Marshall. Walton Goggins is equally good as a white supremacist turned evangelist. They both should have been nominated.

3. Mad Men

Certainly the finest pedigree on television. I only rank it third because of occasional issues with pacing, and the tendency of certain characters to disappear for several episodes. However, since they apparently pruned the cast in the amazing season finale, that may no longer be an issue.

4. Fringe

What a magnificent premise. What fascinating characters. What awesome production values. Definitely must see TV.

5. Hung

Thomas Jane as a Detroit high school gym teacher and part-time male prostitute. Jane Adams as his neurotic, ineffectual pimp. Together they are the Happiness Consultants. Funny and touching and often bittersweet.

6. True Blood

Sex, blood, and creole. Salacious subplots. Hotties who frequently get naked. What's not to like?

7. Burn Notice

Getting to be rather formulaic, but the formula still works very well. Bonus points for Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe.

8. Human Target

Cheese, but of the best kind.

[pedonbio]

I only watch broadcast tv, and not much of that, so the only two series that I follow that were nominated were The Good Wife (and I'm glad that Archie Panjabi got a "best supporting" nomination) and 30 Rock. They are about the only broadcast series that deal with sex in anything close to an adult fashion--especially all the boob talk on 30 Rock.

[Shara]

I only watch sitcoms, preferably animated.

If you need stuff to watch that'll make you laugh, ask me

[brakblake]

I don't have cable, so I don't partake of casual viewing. The shows I do watch I watch religiously.

In terms of quality:

1. Dexter

Last season was just epic. Everything worked brilliantly. One of the all-time great guest appearances by John Lithgow and one of the all-time great season finales.

2. Justified

Timothy Olyphant is mesmerizing as a gun-slinging U.S. Marshall. Walton Goggins is equally good as a white supremacist turned evangelist. They both should have been nominated.

3. Mad Men

Certainly the finest pedigree on television. I only rank it third because of occasional issues with pacing, and the tendency of certain characters to disappear for several episodes. However, since they apparently pruned the cast in the amazing season finale, that may no longer be an issue.

4. Fringe

What a magnificent premise. What fascinating characters. What awesome production values. Definitely must see TV.

5. Hung

Thomas Jane as a Detroit high school gym teacher and part-time male prostitute. Jane Adams as his neurotic, ineffectual pimp. Together they are the Happiness Consultants. Funny and touching and often bittersweet.

6. True Blood

Sex, blood, and creole. Salacious subplots. Hotties who frequently get naked. What's not to like?

7. Burn Notice

Getting to be rather formulaic, but the formula still works very well. Bonus points for Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe.

8. Human Target

Cheese, but of the best kind.

Bruce Campbell = full of awesome! ^_^

[Shara]

awesome is made of campbell

[brakblake]

awesome is made of campbell

Hmmm.....alright....I'll give you that

[Lightfoot]

Let's see... Heroes was cancelled, Lost ended...  I never got around to watching FlashForward before it was cancelled...

I still watch,
Futurama (back again after 6 years or so),
House (I suspect the next season will be the last),
Mythbusters (even though I often miss them "new")
and Stargate Universe (It's been getting better).

[Starscream]

I'm watching less & less TV shows. I basically keep it to:

Futurama
Simpsons
Family Guy
American Dad
Cleveland Show
Smallville
Chuck
Big Bang Theory
Neighbours From Hell

So 99% of that is cartoons, but that just shows how bad TV shows have become for me

[MaxBigfoot]

I mostly watch reality shows.

Mythbusters
Holmes On Homes
Holmes Inspection (Holmes On Homes' successor show)
Deadliest Catch
Destroyed In Seconds

[solvegas]

I mostly watch, if I'm watching TV at all, the Discovery channels, the Military channel, History channel, CNBC and during Football season, of course, as many Cowboys games as possible.

[100ProofBE]

Scary how closely all of our tastes align. Or it could just be that Mythbusters, Bruce Campbell, and what not are, in fact, AWESOME.

Oh... and huzzah for Futurama being back on the air!

[Palomine]

I am SO burnt out on Mythbusters... I pause while surfing past only if Kari Byron is on, and even then, only for a moment. I too am glad Futurama is back, though the first few new shows have only been so-so (but still enjoyable). I never watched it before, but I did catch the season premiere of White Collar (on USA) last night and it exceeded my modest expectations by a slight measure, so I'll probably watch it again. I also watched the series premiere of Covert Operations (or whatever it's called... the USA show that follows White Collar starring Piper Perabo whom I'm developing a bit of a crush on despite the lighter hair color) and while it's no Bourne Trilogy (contrary to what the teasers suggest) it is mildly diverting, which is saying a lot these days. The new season of Rescue Me seems weak... the show has become a caricature of itself... but I watch out of habit (as I did during the last two seasons of Lost). I'll also watch the new season of Sons of Anarchy when it comes out... I'm not a huge fan, but again: it's mildly entertaining at times (plus, Katie Sagal is always a pleasure to watch).

Um, that's about it. I wasn't wild about the first season of Stargate: Universe (other than the bits featuring Lt. Hooters) but of course I watch it too: http://forum.bearchive.com/index.php/topic,9979105.0.html . And I still enjoy Venture Brothers on Cartoon Network quite a bit, though some episodes feel iffy, as if written in a rush. Plus the usual smattering of new Frontline, Nova and similar shows.

[RandomX]

Simply because no one has mentioned it yet:

How I Met Your Mother. Though this past season was less awesome than the other awesomely awesome episodes.

[Hiram]

Personally the only thing worth watching on TV is the HBO show True Blood.  I wish all TV was that interesting.

[PregNut]

I don't have cable, so I don't partake of casual viewing. The shows I do watch I watch religiously.

I have to ask: Since six of the eight shows you listed are on cable channels, how do you watch them?


As for myself, in no particular order: Dexter, Mad Men, NCIS, Deadliest Catch (RIP Capt. Phil), Futurama (yay, new episodes!), Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, Eureka, V, Stargate Universe, Survivor, The Amazing Race and several others not named here.

[notty]

I have to ask: Since six of the eight shows you listed are on cable channels, how do you watch them?


As for myself, in no particular order: Dexter, Mad Men, NCIS, Deadliest Catch (RIP Capt. Phil), Futurama (yay, new episodes!), Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, Eureka, V, Stargate Universe, Survivor, The Amazing Race and several others not named here.

Hulu and/or shady methods.

[Argyle]

I'm going to plug Breaking Bad.  I watched all 33 episodes from the first three seasons in little more than a handful of days over 4th of July weekend and I've been in something of a psedo, quasi, meth paranoia-like angst ever since waiting for the 4th season premiere, July 17 (this Sunday).  This show is positively unlike anything that's ever been on television.

Not everyone will like it.  Not everyone will get it.  It requires some thought to truly appreciate.  Sure, on one level it's a drug/crime drama, but that characterization totally and completely misses the point.  It's the chronicle of one hapless man's spiral down from despair and mediocrity to a life of uncontrollable violence and wantonness.  It's poetic, it's beautiful, it's art.

Stephen King wrote a beautiful review about it here:  http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20263453,00.html

Watching Breaking Bad is addictive--you really can't stop at just one episode.  That's why I highly recommend buying the set on DVD and watching it straight through.  It's an epic.

[DruulEmpire]

I agree, it's a kind of Ultimate Black Comedy.  I like all kinds of touches to it, like Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) seeming like some mere gung-ho clown at first, but we're coming to sympathize with him more.

Striking gold consistently is tough.  I thought Rubicon only got good towards the end of its debut season, and then it got yanked, and I simply never got into The Killing.

V to rtpoe below: good Letterman quote -- and yes, I continue to be astonished by how good 60 Minutes continues to be.

[rtpoe]

I don't have cable or any other pay-to-view TV. I get mine free, over the broadcast airwaves, the way God intended it.

About the only time you'll find me glued to the tube is on a Sunday night.

60 Minutes (in the hopes that they will have something interesting)
American Dad
Bob's Burgers (anyone else enjoying this?)
Family Guy (not as funny as it used to be, but still good)
The Cleveland Show

[mcgarp]

I guess a lot of us on here are alike!  I enjoy, mythbuster, dirtyjobs, big bang, family guy, starting to realize the Simpsons are done for, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars,  How I met your Mother, ENTOURAGE I'm gonna miss my subscription to HBO!  Many similar shows as others, a few different.  I think I watch too much TV!
Please excuse my random capitalizations, my shift key finger was lazy for a bit!

[Palomine]

As I'm lazy/limited just to what Cartoon Network shows in the wee hours, I've been catching up on Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell episodes I missed, and I've also started watching another anime oddly named FLCL (apparently pronounced in English as "Fooly Cooly" according to Wikipedia) which is enjoyable (though I don't follow all of the backstory yet). I'll usually also sit through a rerun of Archer on FX if I've only seen it once before.

[number3fac]

Cowboy Bebop is awesome, and to date the only anime I've been able to thoroughly enjoy.  How's Ghost in the Shell?  It looked good but I never got a handle on its scheduled airtime and the random times I tuned in I didn't catch enough to get a feel for the series.

These days I catch most of my TV thru Hulu, which also has a large selection of older, defunct series that I fully intend to watch.  For instance, I saw Cleopatra 2525 on there the other day and I'm thinking of giving it a marathon viewing this weekend (assuming it's still available), partly because I enjoy light/fluffy/action-centric sci-fi, but also because the three leads are very hot women.   

The must-watch shows I check out each week are:
Modern Family
Happy Endings
Community
Parks & Recreation

But I also enjoy (and find in other places than Hulu):
Amazing Race
Hawaii Five-O
New Girl
Young Justice
Thundercats

[Tenshi]

As I'm lazy/limited just to what Cartoon Network shows in the wee hours, I've been catching up on Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell episodes I missed, and I've also started watching another anime oddly named FLCL (apparently pronounced in English as "Fooly Cooly" according to Wikipedia) which is enjoyable (though I don't follow all of the backstory yet). I'll usually also sit through a rerun of Archer on FX if I've only seen it once before.

hahaha, and you never will
(FLCL is meant to not be understood )

[Palomine]

Cowboy Bebop is awesome, and to date the only anime I've been able to thoroughly enjoy.  How's Ghost in the Shell?  It looked good but I never got a handle on its scheduled airtime and the random times I tuned in I didn't catch enough to get a feel for the series.

These days I catch most of my TV thru Hulu, which also has a large selection of older, defunct series that I fully intend to watch.  For instance, I saw Cleopatra 2525 on there the other day and I'm thinking of giving it a marathon viewing this weekend (assuming it's still available), partly because I enjoy light/fluffy/action-centric sci-fi, but also because the three leads are very hot women.  

The must-watch shows I check out each week are:
Modern Family
Happy Endings
Community
Parks & Recreation

But I also enjoy (and find in other places than Hulu):
Amazing Race
Hawaii Five-O
New Girl
Young Justice
Thundercats

First, let me say that in terms of anime/manga/etc... I freely admit to being an ignoramus compared to many of my much more learned peers in this forum, let alone at anime-specific forums. I just enjoy some of them... late at night when I'm up anyway from insomnia. Of course, being the perv that I am, if they feature scantily-clad women of improbable proportions that usually helps hold my interest too.

I like Ghost in the Shell... maybe not as much as Cowboy Bebop (there were feature films released in the states for both of those btw) but that might have something to do with the noir atmospherics of Cowboy over the cyberpunky Ghost, as well as the fact that IMO Faye Valentine (see attached) is just a bit saucier than The Major. FLCL's got some sauce, plus a scooter (which always endears... I still remember "Scooty Puff Junior" from that ep of Futurama with the Infosphere) plus unlike some other series, an ongoing competition (martial arts, fighting robots, etc...) isn't primary to the plot... I personally find that sort of thing a bit tedious. I enjoyed Read or Die... that whole busty librarian thing... but of course, it's lightweight anime and I recall Shara making fun of me for liking it.  

Again, I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination... there are a couple of other series that I liked, but as they're not in Adult Swim's current schedule, I can't recall their names. One was a family comedy of sorts, with a mischevious little boy the only chi1d of his (American maybe?) parents living in Japan, and the other had a trio of adventurers, involved some magic, was beautifully animated... of course, that describes a bunch of different animes I'm sure.

I've used Hulu just once to watch all three seasons of a British show called Doc Martin (that I've mentioned here before). If I ever get an internet-enabled TV (instead of my ancient laptop in bed, which isn't that comfortable) I'll probably do more with it and other streaming sources.

I heard Community was just cancelled on NBC... I don't watch any of those other shows you listed. Of course, at 3am, I tend to be less finicky.

[Tenshi]

for a good laugh, epic animation and no lack of boobs you could watch Tengen toppa gurren lagann

[Shara]

for a good laugh, epic animation and no lack of boobs you could watch Tengen toppa gurren lagann

this ^

[Palomine]

So, I watched the premiere of Alcatraz on Fox tonight... executive produced by J.J. Abrams of Lost fame.

It had all of his usual bits: time travel, a conspiracy, flashbacks, Jorge Garcia, etc... even what sounds like the exact same musical cues. However, thus far it seems like a dumbed-down version of Lost: there's the facile character development; the improbable things that the audience is expected to take for granted (a guy who runs a comic book store teaming up with a cop to work covertly for the Feds is the least of it); at least some gunplay and a chase scene per episode thus far, etc...

It's early days, but Alcatraz is off to a rock-y start (pardon the pun ). There's a wee bit of eye candy in the form of the cop, played by Sarah Jones, who's got a nice figure and spends a bit of time running each episode. Also, Parminder Nagra (of E.R. and Bend it Like Beckham) has a supporting role and is as cute as ever.

I'll give it a few more episodes (considering how little else is on Mondays this season) but my hopes aren't high.

PS: though I loved it in it's prime, Lost lost it's way towards the end of the series IMO, and Cloverfield was mostly disappointing.

[number3fac]

I never watched Lost; either I was already invested in another show during its timeslot, or by the time I'd heard that it might be worth checking out, it was too much effort to catch up on all the episodes (or it was a combination of those two factors).  I've seen the promos for Alactraz several times over the last month, and it still doesn't strike me as something I want to get involved with.

However, I have become hooked on the two based-on-fairy-tales series on TV: Once Upon A Time, and Grimm.  And I recently learned that Once has at least some of the writing talent from Lost on its staff, so maybe that'll draw in some viewers.  I can't compare it to Lost, but as I understand it that show did use flashbacks regularly, and that's a main part of the storytelling on Once Upon A Time.  The short backstory is that the Evil Queen (from the tale of Snow White) has cast a curse that plunked all of Fairy-Tale-Land into our world as a small town and implanted fake memories so that none of them has their happy endings anymore...except for the Queen herself, who's supposedly the only one aware of what she's done.  But Snow's grown-up daughter (played by Jennifer Morrison, from "House") escaped the curse as a baby, and has been drawn into the town so as to break the enchantment.  As she goes around changing people's lives for the better, there are flashbacks to those people's FairyTaleLand selves, so you get a kind of parallel storytelling as you see both how they lived before the curse and then reclaim some measure of that in the "real" world.  Plus, there's lots of Jennifer Morrison in tight pants, boots, and tight shirts; and apparently the Evil Queen's FairyTaleLand wardrobe is designed to heavily feature her cleavage. 

Grimm doesn't have anywhere near as many female roles, but is basically a police-procedural show with a supernatural element.  There are people with supernatural inner-selves based on stuff from fairy tales, and the lead character is a cop with the special ability to spot those inner-selves, and many of the cases involving these people have elements based in those stories.  Like a girl who breaks into an empty house that just-so-happens to be owned by a family of "bear" people.  But probably the most enjoyable aspect of the show is that the cop has befriended (and gotten help from) a "big bad wolf" who's been working to reform himself (the "wolf" gets a lot of fun dialogue).

Ooooh, with all this talk of supernatural stuff, I just reminded myself: the new season of Being Human (the US version on SciFi, which has proven to be an excellent show) just started this week!  Off I go to watch on Hulu!

[Palomine]

I've never seen Once... I did try Grimm for a few episodes at the start but got bored fast. I've already given up (just about) on Alcatraz... Sarah Jones has a nice figure, but it's just too facile: I'd rather spend the hour doing something else.

I saw a screener of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the other week and it was decent... Gary Oldman was great of course (when is he not?) but as a film, it wasn't exactly riveting. It's been many years since I read le Carré, but I do remember the impression TTSS left on me at the time: I was riveted... thoroughly.

Except for Venture Brothers in an hour, it's a PBS evening. Downton Abbey is still very enjoyable and afterwards was S1E3 of Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbtach and Martin Freeman are a pleasure to watch, and not just because of the well-above-average cinematography. Martin's going to be Bilbo in The Hobbit of course, and I recently learned that Benedict will be playing Smaug the dragon. Should be fun.

[Lightfoot]

I have Alcatraz episodes recorded, but I haven't watched them yet.

Fringe is just about the only show I watch regularly anymore (and it might be getting cancelled).  I tend to watch sci-fi shows I've noticed.

[Bad Kitty]

I don't watch tv.

but i do watch some tv shows on the internet.
those would include:

mythbusters
dexter
southpark
aqua teen hunger force
bleach

and I'm ashamed to say I follow the vampire diaries... guilty pleasure, really i'm just watching Damon though, don't like the other characters really. well caroline is actually a surprisingly good actress, didn't see that one coming.

[Palomine]

"Mary Shelley's Frankenhole" on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network). Tonight's episode: "H.P. Lovecraft's Vagina"

http://video.adultswim.com/promos/mary-shelleys-frankenhole-hp-lovecrafts-vagina.html

[pedonbio]

I've watched "The Good Wife" since its beginning, and I still find it amusing with the occasional hottie.

I see "30 Rock" as often as I can. It is without doubt the best comedy on.

"Downton Abbey" is a guilty pleasure, but "Nova" is better.

I've tried to like "Grimm", I really have. It tries, it really does. I really tried to like broccoli, too.

[Hiram]

I really enjoyed the first season of Homeland.  The actor playing Brody is British, which surprised me - as did the prison governor is Alcatraz.

I've now lost count of the British actors in Hollywood, they seem all over the place.