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Shows you're discovering/rediscovering on DVD

I discovered NCIS on dvd this last 12 months, and I've watched everything on disc until the most current season started airing over here in the UK. I'm in the process of re-watching nubsg at the moment and I've just finished season one. I've just bought all 3 seasons of TOS remastered since watching my first remastered episode last Sunday on the telly. It's really great to be spending time with Jim, Spock and Bones again. :)
 
I can't say I've truly discovered a show off DVD as I can't think of one show I've blind bought. I've also based my purchase off having seen at least half a dozen episodes and going for it.

Came close with Andromeda purely because I was going through a Sorbo phase thanks to Hercules and one of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry's shows I came close to blind buying as well and was only stopped by the fact I was too poor to get it and afford a the gift for a family member that I was there for.

NCIS - Watched the back end of season 6 and then got the DVDs to catch up.
Robotech - Enjoyed it on a purely surface "mecha are cool" level as a kid. Got 6 of the 7 boxsets and reached a new appreciation for the show. One day I'll go through Macross as well (seen Macross 2, Plus, Frontier but not the original).
'Allo 'Allo - Saw a few episodes here and there but loved it through the DVDs.
Brittas Empire - Another show I've seen two or three episodes before and have greatly enjoyed getting the DVD and watching through.
Red Dwarf - Technically it would be discovering it through VHS. SIster owned it and I was sick one day and lounging around and went through half of the tapes.
 
Working my way through Stargate: Atlantis. I have the 1st couple of seasons, and haven't watched the show season 3; the odd episode here and there aside. Dusted them off this weekend and started rewatching them. Show's better than I remember it being, makes me miss it.
 
Working my way through Stargate: Atlantis. I have the 1st couple of seasons, and haven't watched the show season 3; the odd episode here and there aside. Dusted them off this weekend and started rewatching them. Show's better than I remember it being, makes me miss it.


Could it be worse than you remember it? :lol:

Just wait until season 4, that's when I ditched. :lol:
 
Recently watching for the first time:

"Firefly"
"Freaks and Geeks"
"Spaced"
"The Office" (U.K.)

Recently revisiting:

"Xena Warrior Princess"
"Dream On"
"Family Guy"

Firefly was a disappointment. There were maybe three or four episodes that I thought were excellent, but I found the majority of them were spinning their wheels for most of their running time. But I'm probably negatively biased because I've never cared for Westerns. I really like the actors and characters in the show, but a lot of the plots (and the silly Chinese swearing gimmick) annoyed me. My favourite episodes were the ones that were very character-centered, focusing on an individual more than anything else (i.e. "Our Mrs. Reynolds" and "Jaynestown").

I honestly think "Dollhouse" did a better job of consistently telling interesting stories than "Firefly" did, so I'm a little baffled about why when "Dollhouse" got cancelled, so many people were saying they didn't mind as much as they did when "Firefly" got cancelled, and the latter deserved to run longer than the former did. Like "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", I think "Firefly" had a wonderfully diverse and endearing cast of characters, but was often too ambitious for its own good in terms of plotting.

"Spaced" took awhile to get into, but once I got comfortable with it, I was really enthralled. From start to finish, there were times when the humour annoyed me because it was a little 'too British', but the pop culture references, which seemed a little forced at first, became more and more brilliant as the show went on. The subtle "Pulp Fiction" parody in the Series Two opening episode is perhaps the greatest pop culture referencing parody I've ever seen. I laughed so hard. I don't think even "Family Guy" has ever done one better.

"Freaks and Geeks" is such an amazingly written, casted, and directed show. It's the one show I didn't grow up with that I can already say is definitely one of my all-time favourites, even with only one season. I can't believe how much humour, wit, and genuine emotion they can pack into every episode. The only show I've seen that's ever achieved such a sublime balance between the three was "The Simpsons" in its prime.

I don't like the U.K. version of "The Office" as much as the first three or four seasons of the American one. I think David Brent and Gareth are much more interesting and plausible characters than their American counterparts, but the rest of the cast is woefully underdeveloped, which I guess is part of the problem with the show purposely having such a short run. Tim and Dawn especially, who are supposedly the heart of the show, are so much less emotionally involving than Jim and Pam were :(. Also, it was weird how depressing the show got at times for a comedy. The end of series two really disappointed me with what a downer it was. I expect a season finale to be at least exciting, if not uplifting too.

About 40% of "Xena: Warrior Princess" is too silly with slapstick comedy and another 40% of it is too maudlin with melodrama, but the other 20% is some of the most creative and originally presented comedy and drama I've ever seen in a television show. It's not a consistent series, but if you pick the right episodes, it's a really unique joy to watch. They also had an amazing cast, which was equally adept at serious acting and hilarious pratfalls. Lucy Lawless playing like four different versions of her character over the course of the series was quite an impressive feat.

"Dream On" was way ahead of its time as a show where the character's thoughts in reactions to others are shown as clips from old black and white movies. A much smarter and more imaginative use of cutaways than the kind seen on "Family Guy" these days. Like "The Simpsons", "Family Guy" is dead to me now because every time I see a new episode, it's atrocious and an insult to the show in its glory days.

Watching over the first three seasons again, I've decided that in its second and third seasons, "Family Guy" was as inspired and unforgettable as "The Simpsons" in their golden years. Yes, it ripped that show off a few times in those early seasons, but at the same time, it also came up with some awesomely off-the-wall totally original ideas too. I especially like the early focus on Brian and Stewie trying to be so ambitious and on equal ground with everyone else in life, then being held back by the fact that no matter how hard they try, they can't escape the constraints of being a dog and a baby. :)
 
I'm rewatching Star Trek: Voyager which I haven't seen since first run. I saw all of seasons one thru three and some of four thru seven, so I'm watching it all right now. I must say, I've blown through season one, and while the plotlines are a little, shall we say, Brannon Braga-ish (weird) I am liking the characters. Neelix isn't as annoying as I remember and the episode Jetrel was a great episode for him. I still think Kes and B'Elanna blow Seven of Nine away in terms of hotness. I've already got season two and plan on starting it tonight.
 
Brittas Empire - Another show I've seen two or three episodes before and have greatly enjoyed getting the DVD and watching through.
Red Dwarf - Technically it would be discovering it through VHS. SIster owned it and I was sick one day and lounging around and went through half of the tapes.

I first got hooked onto Red Dwarf through PBS reruns about 9 years ago. (That's probably the best way to watch it. It makes the "Out of Time" & "Nanarchy" cliffhangers less torturous.) Every time I rewatch that show on DVD, I become more & more enamored with it, particularly Series I, IV, & V. (Series VII is better than I remembered, though still suffers from the lack of either Rimmer or a studio audience.)

I'm so hooked on Red Dwarf, I really wish they would release some of that cast's other series on DVD here in the U.S., like Brittas Empire, Maid Marian & Her Merry Men, and Robot Wars.

One show that I've been getting re-addicted to on DVD recently has been Roswell. I haven't seen it since its original run on the WB 10 years ago. What has really pleasantly surprised me is how good the acting is. When I was younger, I didn't have much use for Liz. Now I think she's one of the cutest characters in TV history (with Maria in 2nd place).:adore:
 
I did a lot of DVD watching this summer and fall, courtesy of the public library and a very generous friend...

New to me:

  • Battlestar Galactica (RDM) — watched all four seasons, and was completely blown away. This is something I would actually pay money to watch again.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer — I think I watched the entire series in about a month. I would have days where I was literally able to power through two discs, and the only reason I stopped was because of that pesky thing called 'work.'
  • Torchwood — A whole lot of fun, and "Children of Earth" was simply heartbreaking, not to mention damn good television. I'm glad to hear they got picked up for a fourth series, but have no idea how they'd top CoE.
Rediscovering:

  • Deadwood — I'd seen the first two seasons on DVD back around 2006, but never got to see the final season. It was definitely worth the wait. Really reinforced my belief that David Milch is some sort of writing deity. And Ian McShane is mesmerizing.
  • My So-Called Life — I haven't watched this show since it was originally on TV back in 1994-95, so I was afraid that I would find it lacking, tainted by a rose-colored memory. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded, and the show was just as good as I remembered. Really awesome performances from Claire Danes, A.J. Langer, and Wilson Cruz.
In the pipeline:

  • Freaks and Geeks — Everyone keeps saying I have to see this, so I guess I'd better see it. :p
  • True Blood — I've read the first four novels and just started the fifth. I've heard there's a lot of differences between the show and the novels, but I'm sure I'll be too blinded by Anna Paquin's utter hotness to notice.
  • Angel — After plowing through Buffy, I decided to take a breather before starting Angel.
  • Doctor Who 2009 specials — I'm hoping that the first two ("The Next Doctor" and "Planet of the Dead") don't need to be watched in order, because I'm still waiting on the former, and just got the latter today. Good news is that with Comcast forcing me to get a digital cable box, I now have BBC America. :)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — I've seen a smattering of episodes, but not so many that I'd run out of fingers and toes if I tried to count them up. Time to correct that oversight.
 
Neelix isn't as annoying as I remember and the episode Jetrel was a great episode for him.
I think, after rewatching Voyager once last year and now having just finished the first couple seasons again, that Neelix had a lot of squandered potential. And whie I hate to say it, I think that was largely a result of his relationship with Kes. Don't get me wrong - I love Kes - but Neelix always seemed at his worst when she was involved, at least until they finally broke up. I think both characters held each other back while they were together, with Neelix suffering the most.
 
On the thread's topic, I'm currently re-watching Earth 2. I'm amazed by how well the show has aged. The set design, costumes, and props are all on par with anything that might be produced today. Being a child of Amblin Entertainment, I suppose it doesn't really surprise me, but it does. Other shows from the same time period do not look nearly as sharp as this one. I love the show for the story and characters, but it's nice to not have that love hampered by dated production values. Granted, the occasional visual effect fell flat, but for the most part, the images are solid. :)
 
I'm going to start watching Oz on DVD. I caught the first ep and loved it. I definitely want to see more!
 
I actually discovered this on WGN America and YouTube, but I just bought all six seasons on DVD so I think that counts. ;)

Corner Gas

Ah yes, a true treasure from my country. I live in terror of the day Fox announces it's doing an Americanized remake. It would completely miss the whole point if they ever did that.

Alex

Agreed 100% - the show must remain Canadian only!


I've discovered quite a few shows on DVD. In the past little whileit's been Farscape and How I Met Your Mother

And to the poster up-thread, Veronica Mars is an excellent show :)
 
I actually discovered this on WGN America and YouTube, but I just bought all six seasons on DVD so I think that counts. ;)

Corner Gas

Ah yes, a true treasure from my country. I live in terror of the day Fox announces it's doing an Americanized remake. It would completely miss the whole point if they ever did that.

Alex

Agreed 100% - the show must remain Canadian only!

I don't think there's much danger of a remake. Executives would have to be aware the show exists in the first place. At least something like Red Green is regularly broadcast on PBS. Who shows Corner Gas anymore? (WGN doesn't.) That show's probably next to unknown in the US. I only found it because of this place! :)
 
As soon as I can swing the $40 I'm going to pre-order Jeremiah S2, which is (finally!) being released. Then I'm going back into the series from Ep 1. Can't wait to see Mr. Smith again!
 
I recently finished up watching Veronica Mars on DVD.

I am currently watching In Treatment, which is amazing. Easily the best show on TV when it aired.
 
I am currently rediscovering "Cheyenne" on DVD. Only first season is available so far; I also get episodes from the Westerns Channel. "Cheyenne" was broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963.

The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with regular characters, to last more than one season.
 
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