Supernatural Genre

Before reading this, I suggest you read the introduction to this site where I say what I'm doing.  

Previous Sections
The Shows That Changed Television
Quirky Comedy
Unconventional Drama
Classic Comedy
British TV Shows

This section of TV shows is relatively easy to understand.  It's a television show where there is a force beyond scientific understanding at play.  Simply put, these are shows with ghosts, aliens, and all kinds of other manifestations of that nature.

I mentioned that British TV Shows was a section I would finish pretty fast since barely any British TV shows last all that long.  Well, this is the direct opposite.  Most of these shows are long-running and the first TV show is hard to watch, because it is a show that has aged terribly.

I'm going to start in chronological order, starting with the TV show I am in the middle of watching.

Star Trek (1966-1969)
Well, I don't really know where to start.  I'm watching this the same way a movie buff would need to watch The Birth of a Nation.  Yes, it's not really good in modern terms.  Yes, it's definitely not politically correct in modern terms either.  But it changed television into what it is today.

Part of the problem is that many shows do what Star Trek did first.  So the originality aspect of Star Trek that made it so great is simply another cliched show from my perspective.  So let me run down the many problems that I've run into while watching this show:

Perhaps the worst effect any TV show can have on its viewer: boredom.  I constantly check to see if the episode is almost over.  It's a chore to watch most of these episodes.  I do it, because I want to appreciate television history, dammit.  But seriously, it seems like a lot of the episodes have a whole lot of what I call "filler" - pointless bullshit that doesn't advance the plot.

The acting is incredibly over the top from William Shatner and whoever the villian is that week.  Leonard Nimoy and DeForrest Kelley are actually great actors that only highlight how bad Shatner is at acting.  This is a problem that I can't blame on the time period, quite frankly.  Good actors existed in 1966 right?

Things I can blame on the time period: the sometimes blatant sexism evident in some episodes.  It's pretty bad as all the women just fall for Captain Kirk for pretty much no reason.  When I say all the women, I mean ALL the women.  Is William Shatner really that attractive?  I have no idea.  When stuff like that happens to men like Shatner and Dennis Leary in Rescue Me, I'm always so confused, because man do I not see it.

The special-effects are out-dated sure, but that has never bothered me before.  I don't know the writing just seems way out-of-date.  I'm trying, but I am struggling.  I'll have a post up about Star Trek whenever I finish.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
My interest in Star Trek was piqued because of the cult fandom it produced.  The reason I ended up choosing to watch it was because of this series.  I haven't seen an episode, but by all accounts, this one is actually good.  Like good in 2012 not good in 1966 only.

Really I want to watch this for two reasons: Patrick Stewart and LeVar Burton.  Stewart, because of X-Men really, and he just seems like a fantastic actor.  Already he's got a point over the older show because the leading man can actually act.  Burton, because, well any Community fans out there?  (That's the only reason by the way - He appears on episode of Community as LeVar Burton)

Also, Wil Wheaton hasn't turned out half bad.  Not all child stars become crazy lunatics.

X-Files (1993-2002)
I have never seen an episode of X-Files.  However, this is one of those shows I go into pretty much knowing its awesome.  There's a special value to finding a show when it starts and then watching it be one of the best on television (Here's hoping The Americans is that!).  But it's also nice being able to start at the beginning knowing the show is headed to a wonderful place.

And that's where X-Files is.  I haven't seen Californication, so I'm not familiar with David Duchovny's acting credentials, but for some reason he annoys me.  It's the representation of what I imagine his character is like in Californication and that imaginative character annoys me, so in turn he annoys me.  Sense, this makes none.  I know.

Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
I want to watch this really for one reason: Michael C. Hall.  Namely, I've heard he plays a vastly different character than he does on Dexter.  I mean that makes sense since Dexter is one of the most original characters created.  But if I thought I appreciated his acting on Dexter, I think I'm going to be blown away on this show.

I have no idea if he stars or is a supporting player, but I don't really care.  Also, I'm under the impression that it's actually a good TV show, which is important.

Supernatural (2005-   )
Here's a show that I've wanted to watch since it first aired.  I never got around to watching a single episode somehow.  This blog has given me the motivation necessary to watch this show.... in like a year.  Plus, some twitter friends of mine are die-hard watchers of this show who've recommended it to me.

The Guild (2007- )
Well, this is awkward.  I have basically no idea what this show is about.  I just found out it was a comedy and it also is apparently a web series.  I just assumed it was on television since it's on Netflix.  Anyway, I'm a fan of Felicia Day so I'll give this series a shot.

An important thing to note by the way is that my sections are meant to be general so if a TV show doesn't appear to belong in a section, I don't really care.  I'm just trying to organize my TV shows into a coherent way for me to easily view all of them at one time or another.

Anyway, I'm forcing myself through Star Trek, which as I said, has aged pretty awful.  The most excited I am for any of these series has to be Six Feet Under, which I've wanted to watch for a while.  Next in line would have to be X-Files, a highly regarded show.

Update on Current Shows: (Episode listed is first episode I haven't seen yet)
American Horror Story - Season 1, Episode 3 - Very shitty so far, heard season 2 is good, might stick with it

Freaks and Geeks - Season 1, Episode 11 -  I'm dragging this show out as long as possible.  Excellent.

The Simpsons - Season 1, Episode 8 - Haven't seen this show in a while.  Might attempt an episode tonight.

Sons of Anarchy - Season 2, Episode 4 - Still a very good show.  Surprised they've maintained the quality of the first season.

The Sopranos - Season 2, Episode 11 - I will finish season 2 at some point in my life...

Next post: Probably episode reaction to the second episode of season 1 of The Sopranos, though I may think of something for tomorrow.

The Sopranos: Pilot

About five minutes ago, I decided that for shows that changed television, I'll do episode-by-episode comments and reactions from myself.  The reason is because these shows are very different from any other show and each episode on its own warrants a full blogpost.

I begin with The Sopranos, because that is the show I am already in the middle of watching.  I stopped before I reached the end of season 2 for some reason and have not seen an episode in three months.  So instead of just dropping in on the episode I stopped, I watched the pilot for the second time to kind of get back in my mode where I want to watch Sopranos episodes.

It worked.  In fact, it worked so well, that it spurred me to do episode reactions.  Since I have the benefit of knowing how season 1 plays out, I feel it allows me more room to write.  As of right now, while I watch an episode a week, I'll also try and finish the episodes I haven't seen.  For example, by the time I reach Season 2, I kind of hope to have finished most of the series since that is 12 weeks from now.

Anyway, this post has obvious spoilers, not just for this episode but up until I stopped watching.  I probably won't post much about season 2, but I know I will post at least one thing about it in this episode.

This is not a typical Sopranos episode at all.  The set-up is different, there's more dark humor than any other episode, and I'd say 90% of the episode is about Tony.  Somehow, the remaining 10% are filled with only relevant details.  It seems like nothing unimportant happens in this episode.

 We find out a lot about Tony, none of it inconsistent with later representations.  I'm always impressed when shows have such a good grasp on their characters this early on.  Granted, they don't really give enough material to the other characters for that to happen, but every single character seems accurately written from the start.

To use an example, Meadow Soprano is pretty much the stereotypical teenager daughter in this episode, but everything she does in this episode is in-character to a tee.  Now, whether the writers had fully grasped the character at this point or if they figured it out later, it doesn't really matter.

The ducks representing Tony's family was way too-spot on to me.  I don't think psychology works like that.  That's a minor qualm as far as problems with episodes go.  Another psychology related thing I wonder is if people have dreams that symbolize what is going on with their life?  I personally have never had a dream where that was a case.  I don't know, it feels like it is something that only happens in movies and TV shows.  It seems like a pretty quick and easy way to show character details/development.

The little amount of screen time that Chris gets impressively shows a great amount of character detail.  Chris shows initiative and kills a man before he is supposed to.  He wants desperately the credit for this.  This is a recurring theme with Chris as he always wants to skip the part where he pays his dues.  Also, Chris and selling his life story is already brought up in this episode.

The part where Carmelo shows little concern for Tony at the hospital honestly seems out-of-character to me, the lone time I felt that way.  The priest/Carmela episode in Episode 5 is foreshadowed here as well.

The strange and complicated Artie/Tony friendship is explored her, a storyline that will be often repeated.  Actually Tony destroying the guy who owes him money by using different means than money is foreshadowed when he later does it to Robert Patrick in Season (I figure you'll remember the actor better than the name)

This is just a fantastic episode that works a lot better the second time.  Not that it wasn't great on first viewing, but knowing how far ahead the writers were thinking certainly improves the show.

So this is the basic framework of how my episode reactions will go.  And then I'll end the post with a letter grade, because... I don't know why, but I'm doing it anyway.

Quotes

"It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that and I know. But lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over."

Here we go. Here comes the Prozac! 

I'll have more quotes in future episodes when I write them down as I'm writing.
Grade: A

House of Cards Season Review

Let me preface this with saying that I overall enjoyed the first season of House of Cards and will be tuning in to watch the second season, whenever that comes out.  Also, this review will contain spoilers for anybody who hasn't watched the show.

This show is frustrating to me, because I look at how well-shot it is and I see how well-acted it is across the board, and yet I find myself not enamored with the show.  Something is missing.  Something that isn't obvious with shows this well-acted and well-shot.  The answer is the writing.  Creator Beau Williamson is not that great a writer.

It snuck up on me, but the things that are seen on the surface hide the very mediocre writing.  And almost nothing on this show is surprising, with the exception of the big twist, which I hated (more on that later).

Here's an interesting point to think about: Frank Underwood, even if you have no knowledge he was derailing the presidency, is a terrible VP candidate.  He is in charge of a major education bill, which causes a month-long strike.  The bill eventually gets passed, but that wasn't kind of a failure?  He was supposed to keep both sides happy.

Also, he is basically the driving force behind Peter Russo's nomination, which also ends in a huge failure.  And lastly, he helps Russo develop a bill to obtain jobs, which also fails when the votes don't come his way.  In what world is Kevin Spacey's character even remotely considered?  I'll tell you.  The lazy writing of Williamson and staff.

Everything about the newspaper storyline was extremely outdated.  New journalism vs. old journalism. I figured that would be dead by now.  Williamson's about five years too late with that.  I'm pretty certain any credible newspaper has adapted to the online format by now and editors have accepted it.  It's only logical.

Also, it's not great that the two female journalists we know most both apparently slept with guys to get stories to further their careers.  Uh, that's not good and kind of sexist from the writers' perspective.

Lastly, here's the biggest failure: the big twist of Frank killing Peter.  I'm going to ignore the fact that Peter was in the passenger seat, which should, theoretically, set off a huge alarm that he didn't kill himself.  No, that wasn't a big issue for me.

Peter is literally the only likable character on this show that I rooted for.  And now he's gone.  I suppose his girlfriend is likable, but there's really nothing to root for in her storyline.  All of her actions are related to Peter, and I guess we should now root for her in season 2.  Root for what exactly?

This seems like a death where the creative team was like: "Ok, so we need to do something drastic and kill off a likable character.  Then we'll get credit for being willing to kill off major characters."  Oddly, I'm usually a person who would support the killing of a major character, cause then it makes it seem like anybody could die.

However, Russo really didn't have to die.  I realize he's become a liability at this point, but he could have resigned his position as a candidate and then he's no longer a concern for Frank.  Frank's motivation for killing him is kind of unclear so using the fourth-wall, he could have explained why he needed to kill Russo.  It's just odd that a show that uses a fourth-wall doesn't explain a major event like that.

Now that Russo is gone, we, the viewers, are left with nothing.  Does anybody really like Claire?  Firing half her staff, then firing the person she fired half her staff for just because they disagree with her is really endearing.  Does anybody like Zoe?  If you say yes, I'm thinking you're letting Kate Mara's attractiveness overlook her general terribleness as a person.  Don't worry, I suffered that as well for a while.

Speaking of Zoe, her character development was poor.  At first, she's willing to get ahead, screw ethics.  Then out of nowhere, she just wants the truth, because her time as an unethical reporter had come and they needed a new storyline.  There was no transitional phase.  What's odd is they could have easily just had her want to destroy Frank and still remain true to character.  But it appears she wants the truth all of a sudden after not really caring as long as she went up in the world.

Does anybody like Stamper, Underwood's right-hand man?  Oh gee, helping that prostitute get a new life and then using her to destroy Russo makes him likable.  Then the only reason to like Underwood is because Kevin Spacey is playing him.

Man, and I haven't even gotten into the fact that there is no indication Spacey was willing to kill a guy for political gain in the first ten episodes.  He doesn't seem like a guy who would kill a guy and no hints are dropped that he's willing to. Then after he kills the guy, it's like it didn't happen.  Underwood is not deterred.  Remorse or taking the killing harshly would have achieved character consistency with a man who acted in a moment of weakness.

The plan to get Russo to self-destruct and then have the VP quit being the VP to run for governor is just a terrible plan and Frank was pretty lucky that it worked out.  I mean that hasn't happened in 200 years, it'd be pretty foolish to think he could pull that off.  I realize he did, but that's because the writer made it happen.  (At least, they made it clear early on that the VP was not happy being the VP)

I realize this review is almost exclusively on plot, but the acting and the camera work and everything that is usually a problem with a TV show were done beautifully.  The plot is the biggest weakness of this show in my opinion.

After all that, will anyone really believe me when I say I mostly enjoyed the show?  Season 2 might go a long way towards resolving some of these issues, but I was actively rooting for Peter Russo to succeed and then he died and now I have nobody to root for.  The Sopranos had good writers who made you root for Tony despite his awfulness as a person.  House of Cards just doesn't have the writing to make you care too strongly for Frank Underwood to succeed.

Grade: B

My All-Time Favorite Shows

I talk a lot about TV shows on this blog, but I just realized I haven't actually given a list of my all-time favorite TV shows.  I haven't listed TV shows that are my favorite purely from a personal enjoyment standard.  This is a show that is on TV and I'll stop what I'm doing and watch it.  

As I write this, I don't have a specific number in mind of how many I'll list so it could be anywhere from five TV shows to 20.  There's also no order, rhyme, or reason why I pick these shows.  It's not necessarily based on the best quality either.  So literally you cannot disagree with me on these shows as I have defined my list.

So with all that said, I would like some commentary on if my favorite TV show list is respectable, shameful, or whatever.  Then feel free to point me to your favorite and I'll see if I plan to watch or need to pay attention to.

Friends
Aired: 1994-2004
10 Seasons: 238 Episodes

This show needs no introduction.  Even if you weren't paying attention when this show aired, re-runs are on several different channels every week.  You've probably seen an episode or two or 10 or 100.

This was the first show I really watched.  I burned through this show with my sister six episodes at a time until finally we realize we should pace ourselves.  Then we re-watched it.  Several times.  The number of times I've seen this show makes it impossible for me to a put a number on it, however I'm sure I've seen the equivalent of well over 1,000 episodes.

This show consistently made me laugh and it still does.  Re-watching the episodes does not make the laughs any less harder or the show diminish somehow.  The characters were so well realized and so well written.  The creators knew what was funny for each character.  Chandler was an easy character to make funny since he's funny in the show, but Monica's obsession with cleanliness, Ross' bad luck in everything, Joey's dimwittedness, Pheobe's wackiness, or Rachel's cluelessness (at first), the show had a reliable humor machine for each of the characters.

Take characters you know well and like and put them in weird and funny situations and you have Friends.  It's funny, but that's how you make a successful sitcom.

The show does have flaws, namely nobody is overweight, nobody is unattractive (though this is TV), and seemingly nobody in that universe is anything other than white.  Also, the show could be described as "safe," as in it took basically zero risks. (Monica and Chandler could be construed as a risk.  It's hard not to use hindsight to know they just worked as a couple though)  The basic outline of every episode is the same.  Lastly, Ross and Rachel drama was hilariously stretched as thin as possible.  Most cliffhangers at the end of the season showed Ross and Rachel possibly getting together, only for a super convenient way to back out of that when the next season aired.

Most of those things don't actually bother me. (The lack of diversity is disturbing though)  But I realize how it technically is a fault of the show.  Anyway, I've rambled on enough about this show.  I plan to write episode recaps in the future on this show so I have plenty more to write!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Aired: 1997-2003
7 Seasons: 145 Episodes

I only just finished this show in December last year and I feel confident in saying this is one of my favorite shows.  A good barometer on how much I love a show is probably how much I want to write about it.  I am planning to write about this show a lot in the future, detailing the quality of each season.  Yeah, my outlet is writing because nobody I know will watch this show (except one!) so I can't talk about it ever.

This could be a bit more difficult to talk about.  If for some reason, someone somewhere decides to watch this show based on this recommendation, well I choose to avoid spoilers.  Also, I bet almost none of the people reading this have seen the show so that wouldn't matter anyway!

The character of Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar (sure everyone at least knows that), was fully realized from the beginning.  Her character arc is the most consistent over the seven seasons, with each representing her growth as a person.

In fact, I say this to anyone who I recommend the show to, Season 1 was terrible.  Not all of it was bad.   Like I said, Buffy's character was the only consistent part of the show and she was truly a three-dimensional character from the start.  Willow, played by HIMYM star Alyson Hanigan, and Xander were not.  They became awesome characters, but in the first season they get little to work with.

Granted, I'd say watch Season 1 if you have patience, because around half of the episodes are good.  They become worse with hindsight, but some of the episodes are actually good on first viewing.  If you have no patience, start with Season 2, though you may be a bit confused.  That's what you get for not being patient!

Seasons 2 and 3 have some of the best television I have ever seen.  It doesn't reach those heights after those seasons, but there are some amazing episodes such as The Body, Hush, and Once More with Feeling (a musical episode).

Breaking Bad
Aired: 2008-2013
5 Seasons: 62 Episodes

As of now, I'm conflicted on whether to do an episode reaction for Season 5 Part 2 episodes in the summer.  It's not something I do on this blog, but I think I'll make an exception.

This show is actually kind of hard to write about since I think anyone who has read this blog has seen the show.  The transformation of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman's characters has been remarkable.  If you told me in the beginning of this show that by the end I'd be rooting against Walt, well I'd have thought the show took a bad turn (I mean in quality) somewhere.  But it has not.

I had a whole paragraph written out and then I realized for anyone who hasn't watched Season 5, there were huge massive spoilers in there.  For the two people that read this that haven't caught up to Breaking Bad, I'm thinking of you.

I mean I got nothing else since I'm not writing any spoilers here.

The Wire
Aired: 2002-2008
5 Seasons: 60 Episodes

The best television show of all time.  When I first watched The Wire, there wasn't a show I had ever seen like it.  And I doubt there ever will be.  People who've never seen The Wire are surely skeptical, but try to find someone who has seen The Wire and thought it was alright, because those people don't exist.  I mean people who have seen the show, not people who've seen the first few episodes and gave up.

The first episode doesn't do a whole lot to soothe you in.  It acts like you've known these characters, drops in a million of them, and then by the end of the episode, you're not totally sure what happened.  You know how in a pilot episode, shows typically introduce the idea of the show and the characters and have characters saying stuff they already know just for the audience?  Well that doesn't exist in this show.

I promise that whatever the plot point it is, it leads to somewhere.  Almost nothing that happens is irrelevant.  In addition to entertainment value, the show makes these ambitious themes about modern America.  Institutions prevent change, the decay of the American working class, the ineffectiveness of the drug war, how the system consistently fails inner-city kids, the corruption of the government and the slow death of the newspaper.

Buy the entire series on Amazon if you have the money.  If you don't, buy it anyway and then sell it back once you've finished the series.  That's what I did.  Although I have been dying to re-watch the show and kind of want to buy it again.

That 70's Show
Aired: 1998-2006
8 Seasons: 201 Episodes

I think the remarkable thing about this show is that many of the actors in this show got their start here.  Topher Grace (Eric), Milas Kunis (Jackie), Ashton Kutcher (Kelso), Wilmer Valderama (Fez), and Laura Prepon (Donna) had never been in a credited role before this show.  Most of them were 20-years-old or younger with the youngest being Milas at 15-years-old (14-years-old probably when it was filmed).

The most experienced was Danny Masterson (Hyde) who had guest starred in a bunch of TV shows such as Roseanne, NYPD Blue, Party of Five, and Cybill plus had appeared in The Faculty as Fuck Up #1.  Actually most successful TV shows have careers very similar to Masterson's.  Lots of guest roles just waiting for the their big shot.

I think playing high school kids as a first time actor isn't terribly difficult, which is probably why this was successful.  I mean most of these actors were still kids.  Ashton Kutcher couldn't really act in this, but he didn't really need to.  With probably the exception of Milas and Wilmer, they were basically just playing themselves.

Kurtwood Smith (Red) is one of the best parts about this show.  Apparently they originally offered this role to Chuck Norris.  Thank God that didn't happen.  Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty) plays the seemingly normal, but actually crazy alcoholic mother really well.

This show just got a bunch of talented people together (discovered most of them) and wrote a funny script.  I don't think it's a mistake that all of these actors have had good success after this show.

Honorable Mentions
I guess that's it.  A few shows I debated with myself quite a bit about putting on here.  I'm going on pure feeling here and these shows just didn't feel like my favorite.   I got no other explanation.  Again, this isn't about quality.  Actually a few of these shows would probably be on the best ever list of their genre.

Friday Night Lights
I love this show.  This doesn't feel like a favorite show of mine if that makes any sense so I couldn't put it up there.  This could change.  I could re-watch it, appreciate it more, and then constantly want to re-watch it until it finally lands there.  I mean Friends, That 70's Show, and Breaking Bad were all more appreciated after they were re-watched.

But for now, it gets a strong honorable mention.

Archer
This is more of a length problem.  It's one of my favorite shows without a doubt that is currently airing. I feel weird putting it up on my favorites list with having seen only two seasons.  If it keeps up the quality that the first two seasons provided, then this will no doubt make its way up to my favorites.  I'm pretty confident it can pull off the job.

Game of Thrones
Copy that last paragraph and put it here.  This show has been phenomenal, but the show is geared towards a conclusion that hasn't been filmed.  It's pretty impossible as well to say this is my favorite as well because this next season is the first that deviates from the book.  Will it keep up the quality when it has to come up with semi-original content?

Shows that I appreciate but won't ever be my favorite
Mad Men
Man I really do respect this show and know it's well made and love watching it.  But what kind of favorite show has few memorable episodes?  The episodes all mix and mangle and I can rarely remember specific episodes that blew me out of the water.  From a critical standpoint, I appreciate the attention to detail, the characters' consistency, and the time period.  It'll always be on my best of list, but not my favorites.

Arrested Development
This is way different than Mad Men.  I find this funny, I laugh out loud more than most shows, and the witty and joke a second all works for me.  I like Archer more strangely even though I'll admit this was a better show (for now).  I feel like I just don't get it the way hardcore fans of this show do though.  I find it to be a great comedy, but I feel like I'm slightly missing something here.

Louie
In a sentence, this show is too depressing for it to be a favorite show of mine.  The show's outlook on life is entertaining, but not something I'll want to re-watch a lot.

That takes care of my favorite TV shows.  This spot was originally going to review Zero Hour until I found out that it was terrible and about evil Nazi clocks.  I don't like hate-watching TV like some people.

Next post: The supernatural section of my TV shows.

British TV Shows

Before reading this, I suggest you read the introduction to this site where I say what I'm doing.  

Previous Sections
The Shows That Changed Television
Quirky Comedy
Unconventional Drama
Classic Comedy

Some of these sections will be watched slowly.  This section is not one of them.  For a reason that eludes me, British TV shows don't last long.  With the exception of Doctor Who, both classic and the current version, most of these shows last just a few seasons.  That is fine with me.  The quality almost never drops from short-running TV shows, because they never run out of ideas.

This section lacks greatly in the shows I have watched and is exclusively shows I have never seen before.  I mean they are British.  Where do you watch British TV shows in America?  Netflix has provided me the opportunity to watch both classic and current British TV shows.  So I will go through my list that I have picked out.  Suggestions are welcome, however, if it's not on Netflix, I won't put it on this list.  Availability is a big factor when I choose shows as well as quality of course.

Downton Abbey (2010-Present)
Season 1 Review

I've seen the first season and am patiently waiting for the second to arrive on Netflix.  The first season was great and helpful in school!  My 20th Century Europe History class has already asked the class if we've seen Downton Abbey as it provides a good sense of pre-WWI attitudes.  So that's exciting.  (It's also not the only class where my obsessive TV watching has come in handy - Mad Men)

Anyway, read my season 1 review for my thoughts on the first season.  I'm excited to see where the show goes in its second season.  I hope it doesn't lose any of its quality or strangely addicting power.  Oddly, in a show that constantly comes up with reasons for Lady Crawley and Matthew to not just be together, the show manages to make the reasons feel organic and realistic.  Some shows do that kind of thing poorly, but Downton Abbey pulled it off I feel.

The Office (2001-2003)
Ok so this isn't a British thing so much as a Ricky Gervais thing.  He gets bored easily apparently.  Nonetheless, this show spurred an American show that became a hit.  Unlike that American show, it didn't last too long!  I haven't seen any of this show yet, but I am making sure to watch the British version first and foremost and then I'll watch the American version with Steve Carroll.

I just realized that Extras isn't on this list, but I've seen all of those episodes and there are only 13 of them as well.  Extras basically tells me I get Gervais' sense of humor so I'm almost positive I'll find this show funny.

Doctor Who (2005-Present)
Part of me wants to watch the classic version of this as well, but 1) those episodes are not streaming on Netflix and 2) there are 26 seasons of the classic.  Again, because this is British, those 26 seasons translate to less than 200 episodes, which makes it much more easily digestible.

Still, the older version probably has aged somewhat badly and is also not available. (I cannot stress enough how important that is).  I actually know very little about this show, I am just pretty certain it's good with a strong recommendation from a friend.

Luther (2010-Present)
Ok, so my reason for watching this show can be summed up with one name: Idris Elba.  He's awesome.  You know a beloved show you watch and when it ends you want to follow the actors when they star in new shows?  Well, that's what this is.  Elba, who I loved in The Wire as Stringer Bell, gets his own TV show.

Anyway, this kind of seems like a procedural show which is slightly disappointing and would disincentivize me from watching this show.  A show like Law and Order that can be watched out of order is a benefit when you flip through channels, but it's a hindrance on a project like mine.  There is nothing that convinces me to keep watching episodes.

Merlin (2008-2012)
Ok, so my reason for watching this show can be summed up with one name: Anthony Stewart Head.  He's awesome.  You know a beloved show you watch and when it ends you want to follow the actors when they star in new shows?  Well that's what this is.  Head, who I loved in Buffy as Rupert Giles, is in this show.

This will probably be my last watched of the British shows.  Head is in about 2/3 of the episodes, which is nice, but the show doesn't actually interest me a whole lot.  And I swear that's the last time I write the same paragraph to show why I watch a TV show.  But that is literally the reason I have chosen to watch both shows.

Sherlock (2010-Present)
Oh man this is so awesome I am restraining myself from starting it ahead of when I plan.  These are like mini-movies and there are very few episodes, but my god I love a good mystery and I love Sherlock Holmes and ...  Yeah so basically I am pumped up to watch this show.   

I have no other coherent thoughts to share with you except yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.

Skins (2007-Present)
When the American version of Skins came out, I didn't watch it, but I read the reviews.  I consistently read that it didn't have something that the British version did, and ever since I've kind of wanted to see what they were talking about.

Also better watch this now while it still can kind of apply to me.  I mean I don't want to watch it when I'm older and it scares me into not ever having kids.  Although whatever these kids go through, I hope I can semi-relate, because the description tells me I probably won't.

Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975)
This name just pops up on classic British TV shows, so what the hell?  Do I know what it's about?  No.  Do I think it'll be good? Yeah and that's what I watch TV shows for.  This is a show where I probably won't find anybody to talk about it with which is kind of a disappointing thought.

I know nothing about it so I can't say anymore and I'm just filling up space and you just keep on reading.

Final Thoughts
Sherlock and Luther are two shows I'm legitimately excited to start watching.  I've wanted to watch the U.K. version of The Office forever and this project gives me the opportunity to do so.  Doctor Who has been on my radar for quite a while as well.  Downton Abbey, for the moment, has been a success for me.  And I don't know where I found Upstairs, Downstairs or what made me decide to watch it, but I'm optimistic about that show as well.

(Skins and Merlin I'm extremely apathetic about that I may choose never to watch)

Update on Other Shows
Sons of Anarchy: I watched the first episode of Season 2 and the show has kept up the first season's momentum for now.  I'm not sure how much it can keep upping the ante on the graphic and horrifying scale, but they did it for this episode.

American Horror Story: I'm going to start this series probably right after I finish this blogpost.  I've heard it's really really weird and I'm not sure how I'm going to respond.  I'm just watching it for the uniqueness and the experience of having seen it.  FX is pretty good at picking out shows as well.

The Sopranos: I have for whatever reason made no progress on The Sopranos in months.  I'm still at the end of Season 2.  I don't get it.  I want to watch it in theory, but in actuality I never pick up the DVD to start.  I'll make an effort to finish Season 2 by the end of the upcoming week.

The Simpsons: I am waiting for this show to get good, but I can't get through Season 1.  Simpson fanatics will surely defend this season, but I think it's just bad.  I am pretty certain it was good in 1989, but I do not particularly enjoy this first season.

Star Trek: Almost halfway through the first season.  It has aged absolutely terribly in my opinion.  Show's not terribly easy to watch.

The Larry Sanders Show was removed from Netflix!  I called Customer Service and they told me they need to renegotiate.  So hopefully it comes back, because I was really liking the show.

Next Post: Because I'm a dedicated school student (don't laugh), I'm cutting my blogposts from three days a week to two.  On Thursday, I'll have my thoughts on the ABC pilot Zero Hour.  It looked good from the previews and I'll tune in and share my thoughts.  

Comedy [Updated: 3/14]

Before reading this, I suggest you read the introduction to this site where I say what I'm doing.  

The majority of the comedy shows I want to watch fall under "Classic Comedy" or "Comedy."  The only distinction is that the Comedy sections is for shows that are mostly still airing.  Some of them have stopped, but they were pretty recently such as Scrubs.  No further explanation necessary I hope, so I will start listing the Comedy shows.

30 Rock
Years: 2006-2013, 7 Seasons

I have officially finished this show having seen all five seasons.  While the show has noticeably declined, it's still worth watching because of Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's characters click so well on screen and for its endless amount of famous guest stars.  The show ends on a strong note with the seventh season being arguably one of its very best.

Archer
Years: 2009-Present, 5+ seasons

Archer is one of my favorite comedies and certainly the best cartoon comedy.  This is almost a natural succession to Arrested Development.  It even has Jessica Walter as a bitch mom!  I've seen the first two seasons and have kind of just stopped.  This is nothing against Archer, I just have a real problem watching comedies for some reason.  Anyway, I'm always a season behind on this as I just watch as they get added to Netflix.  (I don't understand the value of adding the previous season after the new season has already aired, but FX does this so I will never catch up to Archer and will not get to watch it live.  Seems like a stupid business strategy.)

Blue Mountain State
Years: 2010-2011, 3 seasons

This short-lived comedy is for a very, very specific demographic, but luckily I am a part of that demographic.  It's literally for college-aged males (though I know it also somewhat appeals to college-aged females).  But it's a pretty funny show so if you have a good sense of humor, you're likely to like it.  I watched all 3 seasons in a short amount of time and Denise Richards shows up because her career has went in the tank.

Community
Years: 2009-2014, 4+ seasons

Six seasons and a movie!  I'm not even sure where I left off on this show, but I'm pretty sure I've seen the first two seasons and a few season three episodes.  I've not heard particularly good things about the fourth season, but I've heard recent episodes have been good.  I don't know I watched a bunch of episodes in a short amount of time and haven't seen much since that time.  Either way, I want to start over for sure.

Eastbound & Down
Years: 2009-2013, 4 Seasons

This is the first show I have seen none of.  I hope to go home and see all the episodes available on my HBO package.  There's only 29 of these episodes which seems low, but the premise of this show isn't exactly far-reaching plot-wise.  Being a baseball fan, this show should be right up my alley though.

How I Met Your Mother
Years: 2005-2014, 9 Seasons

I'm going to need to get a consensus on when to stop this show, because it appears it does not know when to stop.  And there's apparently a spin-off so none of that sounds good to me.  But for a time, it was a highly acclaimed comedy.  I've seen the first season and about half of the second and then I stopped and have not picked it back.  Trust me, this is an all too common theme with me and comedy shows.

The Office
Years: 2005-2013, 9 seasons

Funny enough, I have managed to avoid almost all episodes of The Office.  I've seen about two or three of them.  Fair or not, I am not starting this show until I watch the British version first.  Don't ask why, I have a weird way of functioning.  Anyway, I know this show should probably have ended with Steve Carrell leaving and that's probably when I will stop.

Parks and Recreation
Years: 2009-Present, 6+ Seasons

I've seen four seasons worth of Parks and Recreation.  I started the fifth season, but didn't finish, because well that's what I do.  Anyway, this is a great show with a great cast.  There's almost nothing bad to say about this show from my perspective.

Trailer Park Boys
Years: 2001-2007, 2014, 8 Seasons

I know very little about this show, but I do know that it's been recommended to me enough times for me to give a shot one of these days.  That day won't be anytime soon as I would like to finish the comedies I am already watching.

Workaholics
Years: 2011-Present, 4 Seasons

This is an interesting comedy that I find I laugh more when I watch with other people than by myself.  I know that's not exactly a rare thing, but I almost want to avoid this show until I can watch it in succession with others.  Watching it alone isn't as funny somehow. I've seen parts of the first season, but never committed to watching any of it.

New Shows Since I Made Since I wrote this:
New Girl - Not a new show, but a show I got into since then.  I watched a lot... a lot of New Girl in a very, very short amount of time and managed to get caught up and I currently watch it as it appears on Hulu, although I'm always a few episodes behind.  I'll try to watch next season on television as it originally airs.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine- This show has one of the better ensembles I've seen.  I don't think there is a character who doesn't hold their weight and the side characters are just drawn out enough to get a laugh when needed.  This is a comedy that pretty much has gotten better since it started and I liked it from the word go.

And that's it.  It's worth pointing out that I have a completely separate category for shows that are on FX so that's why you may be wondering why I'm keeping out some pretty good comedies.  Well, that's the reason.  I should probably start trying to finish some of these extinct shows so I can prepare to add more in Fall 2014.

House of Cards Review

So I decided I will dedicate two posts to House of Cards.  One reviewing the show after just two episodes like most critics do.  The other will be a review of the first season.  I wanted to do a review immediately after it was put on Netflix, but at the same time I couldn't watch 13 episodes in three days.

Kevin Spacey plays Francis Underwood, a longtime politician who has paid his dues and is ready to become Secretary of State.  He helped get the current president into office and would be rewarded for his duties.  Except the president reneges on their deal and asks Underwood to be in Congress, where he would be more help.

And the premise of the show is Underwood slyly getting his revenge by ruining the administration and controlling their actions indirectly.  One flaw of the first two episodes is so how ridiculously easy everything fell into place for Underwood.  There is no way it's that easy to manipulate and gain access the way he does.

Spacey shines and relishes this role.  Spacey has a subtle Southern accent that works, because it's hardly noticeable.  With a worse actor, the moments where Spacey's character breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience could come off terribly.  They don't quite mesh with everything else that goes along, but it doesn't exactly hamper the show either.

Underwood's cold demeanor and calculating moves are only matched by his wife, played by Robin Wright.  They didn't give her much to do in the first episodes as her storyline is significantly less interesting than everything else going on, but she does what she can.

Corey Stoll plays Russo, a Congressman who parties and sleeps around a lot.  Underwood helps a drunk driving charge go away in return for Russo's loyalty, which he of course accepts.  Stoll's solid, but his relationship with his secretary is kind of hard to buy although not implausible by any stretch.  (The part that's hard to buy is that he seems to have had relationships with secretaries in the past) Basically I have no idea how he is still in office with the things we learn about him.

Kata Mara is phenomenal as an aspiring top journalist who really doesn't care about ethics or morals in her quest to the top.  Not exactly original, but Mara is really good in this role.  She's easily the second best thing about the first two episodes behind Spacey.

Overall, the first two episodes were great with some flaws holding it back.  It's clear it has enormous potential and I'm excited to see if it reaches that potential in the future.  If it never did reach the potential, I still think this show would be worth watching however.

(Side note: I get why they did the first scene, but that was a bit ridiculous.  Easily could have gone without it.  Seems like that was just for shock value.  If you've seen show, you know what I'm talking about.)

Next post: Classic Comedy, probably (I find half of these next posts end up inaccurate when I decide to write about a pilot so...)