What landmark shows have you missed?

[lurok]

A bunch of us of are thinking of having a Firefly first-time watch and it got me thinking/wondering what landmark shows people might have missed? And why. My list would include:

West Wing (just started S2)
24 (after S1)
Twin Peaks (though have seen Fire Walk With Me)
Bab 5 (gave up after few eps; ditto Farscape)
Lost
any Irwin Allen series (though have seen Voyage To... movie)
Blakes 7
Red Dwarf (bar couple of episodes)

 

[lennier1]

- Lost (Watched the first 2-3 episodes and then gave up on it.)
- 24 (After the useless twist at the end of S1 just for the sake of adding a shock moment I simply didn't give a damn anymore.)
- Twin Peaks (Only ever watched the pilot.)
- Red Dwarf (Couldn't stand more than part of the pilot.)
- NYPD Blue (Never really got into that one.)
- Alias (Tried some episodes, but never really got the point of hunting after Rambaldi's magic toilet seat and other stuff the bored-to-death writers pulled out of their ass.)

 

[Skywalker]

The West Wing. I've seen most of Season One, but that's about it. I really do want to watch the whole show, just haven't gotten around to it yet. Some folks in the IRC chat on election night insisted I watch it, so once I get some spare time in my TV queue I definitely intend to begin making up for my oversight.

 

[lurok]

Having just finished S1/started S2 of WW, I'm really enjoying it; writing. acting, camerawork. Even the unexplained disappearance of a major character hasn't bothered me as they didn't seem to be doing much anyway. I'm curious whether they're able to keep quality for the entire seven series.

 

[Skywalker]

Based on what I've seen of S1 of TWW, I think I know which character you're talking about. They really did seem pretty useless.

I've heard that the show experiences a dip in quality in the middle seasons, but picks back up again towards the end.

 

[Kegg]

I never saw any Lost. I've seen fragmentary episodes of West Wing, which generally convinced me the show wasn't worth my time (it just seemed so damn obnoxiously smug, in an preening, unlikeable way - the same reason I generally avoid anything with Aaron Sorkin's name on it, from The Social Network down to Newsroom).

I did see a couple of episodes of The Office back when it was on, but I never found it or Ricky Gervais very funny and thus never bothered with the American remake. Likewise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel were programs I was quite adamant about not getting the point of when they were airing.

Past part of the first movie and fragments of episodes never really watched The X Files.

Beyond that, eh. There are other shows I didn't watch in first run but later have (because I was too young, or not interested, or it was unavailable or whatever) so I think those are some of the bigger shows.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I really want to catch Breaking Bad. I haven't seen it because I missed it initially and it probably needs to be watched from the beginning. I'm slowly starting Homeland which I just didn't have time to get to initially.

Also didn't watch X-Files, didn't appeal to me at the time but I can't really say why. I enjoy Fringe though so I've been thinking about checking it out sometime.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I missed The Wire and Babylon 5.

 

[tomalak301]

Lost
The Wire
The Sopranos
Mad Men
Breaking Bad

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Never seen Breaking Bad. I've seen like two episodes of The Sopranos. Haven't missed it, and didn't understand why people would waits years for a new episode. I watched one episode of The Wire. I watched one or two episodes of Babylon 5 before losing interest, and returning to watch it all during its fifth season. I couldn't sit through a whole episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Angel. I found them obnoxious and cheap looking. That is until two years ago when I watched them both from beginning to end and thoroughly enjoyed them. I skipped firefly when it aired and bought the DVDs at deep discount when almost the whole of this board and especially Lindley seemed to rave about them (good advice.). 24. Like a poster upthread, I found season one's shock ending to be more than a little pointless. Didn't watch the show again until like it's fifth season. I'm sure I'll get around to the previously mentioned shows eventually when I'm in the mood.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I've never seen a full episode of M*A*S*H.

 

[Warp Coil]

There are a lot of popular, highly-regarded series that I just never watched (or perhaps just sampled an episode, but never committed) for one reason or another. I'll probably never go back to watch, in part because many of these series just don't really interest me.

24
Babylon 5
Breaking Bad
Law & Order
Mad Men
NYPD Blue
The Shield
The Sopranos
The West Wing

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Recently caught up with Arrested Development. Just now getting around to The Shield.

Still sitting forelornly in my queue: The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. Someday, someday...

I tried watching The West Wing and Buffy, but neither grabbed me.

Took me a couple tries to get into The Wire, but I'm glad I did!

I gave up on Mad Men at one point but then I relented. I guess the quality compensates for the fact that I largely find the characters tiresome. Backburnering Betty helped a lot.

I've seen fragmentary episodes of West Wing, which generally convinced me the show wasn't worth my time (it just seemed so damn obnoxiously smug, in an preening, unlikeable way - the same reason I generally avoid anything with Aaron Sorkin's name on it, from The Social Network down to Newsroom).

Same here, smugness is a deal killer for me. Can't stand anything from Sorkin.

 

[Kegg]

I never had any interest in 24 even when it was on, but that Homeland's scribes are veterans of the show is I guess retroactively interesting to me. And I never did watch Forbydelsen or honestly most of the Nordic noirs that it's been in vogue for British channels to import - Borgen being the sole, albeit excellent, exception.

Recently caught up with Arrested Development. Just now getting around to The Shield.

Weird you'd put it like that as I just finished Arrested Development today (in conclusion: it was pretty funny) and The Shield was one of a half-dozen programs I was considering checking into next.

I mean, it has Walton Goggins. That has to count for something.

I gave up on Mad Men at one point but then I relented.

The thing about Mad Men is I stopped watching it in the second season and then could never remember why I did, because I really enjoyed the first season an the amount of the second season I saw. I've since caught up with it, and continue to find it really excellent top tier television.

 

[lurok]

Thank you for all the contributions so far and interesting to see the breadth of series and which ones come up a lot. There's quite a few others have mentioned I haven't seen either I enjoyed The Shield a lot but lost interest by final series. The only one on my original list I feel I must get round to seeing one day is Twin Peaks, which I've heard mixed things about. Mind you, that seems par for course for poor old Lynch

 

[RoJoHen]

Saved by the Bell.

 

[TheGodBen]

What's the deal with Seinfeld? I like the idea of a comedy show about nothing, but the few episodes of the show I have seen haven't even managed to elicit a chuckle out of me. I don't understand why it's so universally praised. Same goes for Curb Your Enthusiasm.

I've seen some episodes of The X-Files, but never actually watched it. Same with Buffy and Angel. And Farscape.

Even the unexplained disappearance of a major character hasn't bothered me as they didn't seem to be doing much anyway.

Get used to it. Quite a few characters in The West Wing disappear to Mandyland, but a few of them were lucky to show up again years later.

I'm curious whether they're able to keep quality for the entire seven series.

Be aware that Sorkin left the show after season 4 with the mother of all cliffhangers, and the writing staff hired to replace him struggled in their attempts to imitate his style. Once those writers stopped trying and focused on their own storylines, the show improved again, but at the cost of being a very different show from what we knew.

I've seen fragmentary episodes of West Wing, which generally convinced me the show wasn't worth my time (it just seemed so damn obnoxiously smug, in an preening, unlikeable way - the same reason I generally avoid anything with Aaron Sorkin's name on it, from The Social Network down to Newsroom).

It's extremely smug, and it has a litany of problems, but damn if I don't love it anyway. It actually reminds me a lot of Star Trek; smug, pretentious, and melodramatic, but with great characters, some great stories, some really thought-provoking episodes, and a genuine warmth to it.

The only one on my original list I feel I must get round to seeing one day is Twin Peaks, which I've heard mixed things about. Mind you, that seems par for course for poor old Lynch

Twin Peaks is great up until they resolve the Laura Palmer murder, after that the show completely loses focus until the excellent series finale, but that ended in a cliffhanger that was never resolved because the show was cancelled. It's definitely worth watching, but it really isn't worth going past the Laura Palmer stuff unless you have a lot of time to spare.

 

[J.T.B.]

I enjoyed The Shield a lot but lost interest by final series.

Yeah, it was much the same for me. I said here before that The Shield was four seasons worth of good material stretched over seven seasons. Some disagree.

The only one on my original list I feel I must get round to seeing one day is Twin Peaks, which I've heard mixed things about. Mind you, that seems par for course for poor old Lynch

It's hard for me to judge what it would be like to see it now, but in 1990 is was so weird people almost couldn't believe it was on television. It was a really fun experience, like few I've had with TV. It would have been better as a limited-run series, though.

What's the deal with Seinfeld? I like the idea of a comedy show about nothing, but the few episodes of the show I have seen haven't even managed to elicit a chuckle out of me. I don't understand why it's so universally praised.

Probably because it was so different from TV comedy up to that point. Plus it was a really well-crafted show, instead of a standard main plot and B-plot, all three characters had their own plotline in every episode and they end up intertwining.

I've never seen The Singing Detective, though I keep meaning to seek it out. It somehow evaded my radar when it was on.

I was born too late to see the great early TV anthologies like Playhouse 90 and The Philco Television Playhouse, I'd love to see more of that stuff.

I never saw E.R., I resented it as something of a knock-off of my beloved St. Elsewhere and wouldn't give it a chance.

Justin

 

[stj]

Only saw a half dozen Friends episodes, one Seinfeld, no The Sopranos, no The Shield, only half at most of first season The West Wing, no 24, no Mad Men, no Glee.

 

[Harvey]

I never had any interest in 24 even when it was on, but that Homeland's scribes are veterans of the show is I guess retroactively interesting to me.

I wouldn't get your hopes up; I watched every episode, but the series was a mess. Season two was probably the best, and a good place to start watching the series (it's the first season I saw).

Seasons 3, 4, 6, and 8 are pretty awful, though. (The series manages to waste an astonishing number of excellent guest actors, too, which is always a shame.)

--

For some reason, I've never seen The Sopranos. I should probably pick up the DVDs from the library, since they're out of my price range to buy at the moment.

I've only seen two or three episodes of Lost; they all struck me as pretty silly.