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Television

Apathy

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
101
Location
Pomona, CA
Party Down and Veronica Mars

party down is the goat comedy and veronica mars the goat drama. i cannot champion these two shows enough. party down is ballsy. the characters aren't watered down for the sake of absurdism. the sense of humor can be simultaneously raunchy and sophisticated while still being grounded. and yet the episodes are still stand-alone entities.

veronica mars' charm is that it doesn't take itself seriously. it's not preachy like the wire and makes up for its contrived serialized existence by layering oodles of charm amidst subtle writing. the characters are just so freaking likeable.

lo and behold both shows have much of the same talent behind it. rob thomas created both shows while dan etheridge produced. kristen bell, ken marino, adam scott, jason dohring, ryan hansen, enrico colantoni, jane lynch, alona tal, ed begley jr., j.k simmons, steve guttenberg, and joey lauren adams, among others, all appeared in both shows. most importantly they are all GREAT in both shows, truly superb talents.

adam scott just has to be seen to be believed. j.k. simmons is a legend and nails his character role so perfectly. steve guttenberg is LOL on so many levels playing the role of enlightened hack hollywood star. joey lauren adams is self ****ing explanatory. ken marino is a comedic G. i like him way more in veronica mars because he blends in effortlessly; on party down he's the fall guy and has a lot of hackneyed stuff imo. but he's great at physical comedy and is foolish in diverse ways.

ryan hansen is so-so on party down because his character is the most contrived. he's superb on veronica mars, however, and i have no idea how he doesn't get more work. jason dohring is one of the very strongest players in veronica mars (only below kristen bell imo) and nails his role on PD. kristen bell is absolutely adorable but has legitimate acting chops, significantly more than most women you find in hollywood. and amazingly enough she's even BETTER in PD -- she kills every scene she's in and it's a shame she didn't have a bigger role.

and then PD has ken jeong. he's really hit-or-miss in general, tending to ham it up awkwardly. in the first season of community he goes a long way in carrying the show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQPZY...eature=related is one of the best scenes i've seen in any comedy). on PD he's hilarious because he's so laid-back. that's ken jeong? you can display range?

Louie

one of the few shows i'd classify as great, not in its consistency, but in its scope.

it fails often and hard, but only because louie is, almost single-handedly, pushing boundaries in his attempt to share his vision with you. (it helps that the guest stars are almost universally amazing.)

my favorite episode of any television show comes in Eddie. too riveting to be missed or spoiled; you shouldnt even read that link.

Breaking Bad

a baller show that deserves a dope write-up when i find the motivation

The Wire

the wire is really overrated but it's a pretty sweet example of politics in action. that said it can drag and it's preachy in spots. but the acting is great and it has the best ensemble of characters on any TV show by a mile.

Community

as a whole this show sucks but it has some truly epic moments your first time through. it's worth watching just for those moments but it drops off a cliff after season one.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

it's alright. extremely overrated by its fans to the point of obnoxiousness. sweet dee and frank are mostly terrible characters who take up 2/5 of the show. that right there knocks it down a lot. charlie and mac are the stars of the show and in general are funny/amusing greater than 50 percent of the time.

Parks and Recreation

THIS SHOW SUCKS

The Sopranos

THIS SHOW SUCKS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter

has one of the greatest characters in television history in sgt james doakes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdA2NEWd67c)

first two seasons are quality. but it's pretty mainstream in how lame it can be. it can be REALLY lame. but the premise makes up for it.

Mad Men
**** THIS SHOW IS BORING

Curb Your Enthusiasm

the guest stars make this show. leon, vivica a. fox, richard lewis, the black dude playing krazee-eyez killah, seinfeld cast, and someone else i'm forgetting make this show. this show can be and often is cringe-inducingly bad. it's worth watching but not worth savoring.
 

DanteFox

Smash Champion
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
2,628
Location
Santa Barbara, California
Community

Most episodes are absurdly funny; the dialogue and delivery really packs a punch! I love me some Ken Jeong!
No.

Watch Modern Family instead. It's better than Community in every way.
Mad Men

Subtle. Atmospheric.

Or boring.

I am trying hard to get into this show but it is very slow. The production values are through the roof and the dialogue is laced with entendre; it's a legitimate period piece. But it's so different from any other show you've seen; it's methodical and entirely character driven.

If you want to test your patience, give it a shot. It's widely considered as one of the best dramas in television history. There are a ton of things about it I respect but I just don't like it.
I love this show. All of the characters are hard ***** though, which makes it hard to truly like any of them. But I still find myself rooting for certain characters at times.

Here are my additions:

No Reservations

A fantastic food/travel show that's unlike any other. The host is a lot less phony and more of a rebel, but still pretentious enough to aspire to eat and see good things. Check it out. It's a show with attitude.

Louie

The best show on TV bar none. Louis CK is a comedic genius, and in this show he reveals the way in which he views the world. It's dark, absurd, but at the same time heart warming. It's a show that's overflowing with heart.
 

HyugaRicdeau

Baller/Shot-caller
Joined
Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,883
Location
Portland, OR
Slippi.gg
DRZ#283
That youtube video about The Wire was great.

A Game of Thrones is badass as ****. Great acting and almost none of the corniness you might expect in a fantasy series (we'll see if this is maintained next season). Aidan Gillen (aka Tommy Carcetti) also stars.

No Reservations, as mentioned, is a really great show too. And guess what?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXcOAUt2Ds0
 

Apathy

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
101
Location
Pomona, CA
OH MY GOD HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT LOUIE

Eddie is my favorite episode of television ever

Modern Family is the hour-long dramedy on ABC, right? I watched a couple of episodes and thought it was cute but campy. I'll give it another shot.

I'm not finished with S1 of Community yet so my opinion may change. But so far it's amazing! WTF!

AND I HEAR BADGER IS A GUEST IN ONE OF THE EPISODES!

Other shows I will add: Arrested Development, The Shied, Through the Wormhole. And many other shows!
 

debaser

Smash Lord
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
1,124
Location
Oregon
community's quality sky rockets after season 1 oh my god.

it gets more "meta", but is pretty subtle about it so it doesn't detract from plot and character development. they also really begin to **** around with genres and styles after s1.
 

HyugaRicdeau

Baller/Shot-caller
Joined
Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,883
Location
Portland, OR
Slippi.gg
DRZ#283
Louie Theroux's Weird Weekends is a fascinating documentary show on BBC. Each week he investigates different subcultures, generally those with some kind of extreme beliefs.

The British version of The Office is 6 episodes and a special, and I believe it is on Hulu, so everyone should give it a watch. I haven't seen much of the American version, but I prefer the British based on what I have seen (probably because Ricky Gervais is amazing).

Oh yeah, and all of Star Trek: The Next Generation is on Netflix streaming now, get at that **** immediately. First season is mediocre, everything else is fantastic. I haven't put the time in to watch DS9 or Voyager so I can't speak on those.

Fox is airing a new Cosmos series, this time with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, starting next year, so I'm planning on watching all of the Carl Sagan original soon.
 

HyugaRicdeau

Baller/Shot-caller
Joined
Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,883
Location
Portland, OR
Slippi.gg
DRZ#283
Not really. Most episodes are stand-alone deals but there are a few wider story arcs, none of which you'll really miss out on if you skip the first season. It's still a good watch but there's an elevated cheese factor + the actors haven't really come into their roles yet.
 

Strong Badam

Super Elite
Administrator
Premium
BRoomer
Joined
Feb 27, 2008
Messages
26,545
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
top 3 cartoons of today imo
 

CableCho57

Smash Lord
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
1,656
Location
Goleta/Santa Barbara, CA
parks and recreation is the best show on tv right now imo

the first season kinda sucked (the creator said so himself. you can skip it tbh) but it reeeeeally picks up in the 2nd season and then with the addition of rob lowe and adam scott in the 3rd, it gets freaking awesome. its nothing like the office really, except for the mockumentary style. and aziz does not carry that show, amy poehler and nick offerman (ron ******* swanson) do. but the other main and supporting cast play a huge role in making this show amazing, particularly rob lowe and chris pratt imo. great character development, awesome small recurring characters (citizens of pawnee, perd hapley, JEAN RALPHIO) and guest stars (will arnett, louis c.k., megan mullaly). this show is just too freaking good. the kind of show that rewards you when you watch it again


some of you have probably already seen it but for those who havent, arrested development is a great tv show i'd recommend. It was under appreciated and really ahead of its time back in 2003 with its unique production style/format and humor, as well as story arcs. and any devoted fan knows its coming back as a mini series then feature film which give those who havent watched it, a good incentive to do so
 

Apathy

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
101
Location
Pomona, CA
now i see what debaser means. this show is getting too meta.

it's devolving into too absurd a universe. party down shall remain my favorite comedy because it's realistically funny.

chang gets too much screen time; less is more. chevy chase is ****ing terrible. shirley is booooring.

britta turns out to be the consistently best character on the show (11.28 edit: nah, jim nash aka the dean is by far.) because she's realistically funny. i also relate way too much to her political outbursts. she's also gorgeous. waaay hotter than allison brie.

it sucks when shows become too self-aware.

buuuuuuuuuuuuuut some episodes are still >>> than anything that has ever been aired before humanity

the episode where britta turns abed into a mean girl (and hilary duff guest stars! <333) is a laugh riot! AND TROY AND JEFF FIND SALVATION ON THE TRAMPOLINE IN THE SECRET GARDEN! donald glover's delivery in this episode is off the charts!

there's also the episode where Abed makes a movie about God. Abed is a metaphor for enlightenment and shirley is a metaphor for BULL**** RELIGIOUS DOGMA. it's so ****ing well done. it's so true, is filled with entendre, and does it all while being respectful. absolutely knocks it out of the park.



POP POP!
 

Apathy

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
101
Location
Pomona, CA
parks and recreation is the best show on tv right now imo

the first season kinda sucked (the creator said so himself. you can skip it tbh) but it reeeeeally picks up in the 2nd season and then with the addition of rob lowe and adam scott in the 3rd, it gets freaking awesome. its nothing like the office really, except for the mockumentary style.
"mockumentary style" is so ****ing lame. such a contrived crutch. the whole "look into the camera for monologue" every 5 minutes is a weak plot device. it cements the show as absurd and feels like it's playing for laughs every second of its existence. as a result it devolves into rapid fire family guy-esque jokes and loses all hope of being clever.

(i think ima just see what eps adam scott is in and go from there.)

modern family is the same way. two of the worst shows i've ever seen and i can't force myself to watch through more.

i also take back 90% of what i said about community. it loses all of its value on rewatch and ends up being entirely one-note. i hate what caricatures these characters are (community, curb, p&r, always sunny -- every ****ing comedy that's not party down basically). first watch i was enchanted but all that is said to deceive may be also said to enchant.

party down is the goat comedy and veronica mars the goat drama. i cannot champion these two shows enough. party down is ballsy. the characters aren't watered down for the sake of absurdism. the sense of humor can be simultaneously raunchy and sophisticated while still being grounded. and yet the episodes are still stand-alone entities.

veronica mars' charm is that it doesn't take itself seriously. it's not preachy like the wire and makes up for its contrived serialized existence by layering oodles of charm amidst subtle writing. the characters are just so freaking likeable.

lo and behold both shows have much of the same talent behind it. rob thomas created both shows while dan etheridge produced. kristen bell, ken marino, adam scott, jason dohring, ryan hansen, enrico colantoni, jane lynch, alona tal, ed begley jr., j.k simmons, steve guttenberg, and joey lauren adams, among others, all appeared in both shows. most importantly they are all GREAT in both shows, truly superb talents.

adam scott just has to be seen to be believed. j.k. simmons is a legend and nails his character role so perfectly. steve guttenberg is LOL on so many levels playing the role of enlightened hack hollywood star. joey lauren adams is self ****ing explanatory. ken marino is a comedic G. i like him way more in veronica mars because he blends in effortlessly; on party down he's the fall guy and has a lot of hackneyed stuff imo. but he's great at physical comedy and is foolish in diverse ways.

ryan hansen is so-so on party down because his character is the most contrived. he's superb on veronica mars, however, and i have no idea how he doesn't get more work. jason dohring is one of the very strongest players in veronica mars (only below kristen bell imo) and nails his role on PD. kristen bell is absolutely adorable but has legitimate acting chops, significantly more than most women you find in hollywood. and amazingly enough she's even BETTER in PD -- she kills every scene she's in and it's a shame she didn't have a bigger role.

and then PD has ken jeong. he's really hit-or-miss in general, tending to ham it up awkwardly. in the first season of community he goes a long way in carrying the show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQPZYG7pPlk&feature=related is one of the best scenes i've seen in any comedy). on PD he's hilarious because he's so laid-back. that's ken jeong? you can display range?

suffice to say if you like TV at all you must check out these two shows. they hit all the right notes: accessibility, depth, subtlety, wit, acting, writing.

comedy is notoriously difficult. i try to give a lot of time for something to grow on me and absorb a lot before i attempt to filter it. but as i mature i just dont understand the appeal of most comedy people love. maybe i'm weird.

now i'ma give some of sheridan's shows a try and update my OP cuz i said a lot of terrible ****.
 

DanteFox

Smash Champion
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
2,628
Location
Santa Barbara, California
"mockumentary style" is so ****ing lame. such a contrived crutch. the whole "look into the camera for monologue" every 5 minutes is a weak plot device. it cements the show as absurd and feels like it's playing for laughs every second of its existence. as a result it devolves into rapid fire family guy-esque jokes and loses all hope of being clever.
as long as it's funny, who cares?

Guess what? Every single comedy is playing for laughs. Yeah I admit sometimes it gets a little try-hard, but for the most part, if done well, it works. and no, the mockumentary style doesn't negate the cleverness of the show.
 

Apathy

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
101
Location
Pomona, CA
"funny" isn't static. it exists in a continuum. contrived plot devices cap the level of funny.

it's like a rapper talking about guns and drugs and sex all the time but being really good at it. at what point does the medium you're using reflect on the quality of the entire piece?

here's an example:

amy poehler:

"i know it's greg pikitis! but i've never been able to prove it.

he's like an invisible adolescent james bond criminal mastermind.

[looks at the camera]

or maybe someone else is doing it. but i really feel like it's this kid."

CRINGE! how ****ing awful is this? it's like "set up for obvious punch line, deliver obvious punch line in the very next sentence." time and time again! why don't you hit me over the hammer with your hackneyed delivery?

nor is that a cherrypicked example. it was in the first couple of minutes of the first episode i clicked. it's in scene after scene after scene. yuck. where's the diversity? what boundaries are they pushing? repeat same delivery over and over. comedy is ALL about delivery! vary it up!

even louis c.k. is terrible on this show. OH MY GOD HE'S TERRIBLE. and i love the guy!
 

WhatIsFear

Smash Ace
Joined
May 26, 2005
Messages
509
+1 on game of thrones.

i also like the show wilfred with elijah wood/jason gann. it's a dark comedy with great writing, and each episode deals with a certain theme like hapiness/trust/fear/etc.
 

commonyoshi

Smash Hero
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
6,215
Location
dainty perfect
"mockumentary style" is so ****ing lame. such a contrived crutch. the whole "look into the camera for monologue" every 5 minutes is a weak plot device. it cements the show as absurd and feels like it's playing for laughs every second of its existence. as a result it devolves into rapid fire family guy-esque jokes and loses all hope of being clever.
This.
i also take back 90% of what i said about community. it loses all of its value on rewatch and ends up being entirely one-note. i hate what caricatures these characters are (community, curb, p&r, always sunny -- every ****ing comedy that's not party down basically). first watch i was enchanted but all that is said to deceive may be also said to enchant. .
Not this.
 
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