Must-See TV

[Pyro Tramp]

To continue a question asked in another thread, what do you consider to be essential TV viewing. Not your favourites but what are the shows that have changed the TV landscape, pushed the boundaries of the medium or are just seminal examples of what can be done and you're compelled to continually recommend to other... ?

Mine would be

Twin Peaks
The Simpsons
The Wire/The Sopranos
Friends
24
Dr Who
Lost
Arrested Development
Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I'm probably missing good ones pre-1990s/2000s and other genres but that's what you're all here for :)

[Brodinski]

Seeing as you didn't limit it to series, I'd say that whatever show it was that started the whole reality TV hype is essential viewing. Don't know which one it was stateside, but in Belgium, that was Big Brother.

Other good ones:

Seinfeld
The Simpsons
Oz (people claiming this paved the way for The Sopranos)

[mark f]

"The Honeymooners"
"I Love Lucy"
"The Twilight Zone"
"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson"
"Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"
"All in the Family"
"60 Minutes"

I need to add some more dramas to the list.

EDIT- I added ones not mentioned before, but it goes w/o saying that The Simpsons is my fave TV show, along with All in the Family. Also, "Twin Peaks" is way up there.

[KasperKristensen]

To continue a question asked in another thread, what do you consider to be essential TV viewing. Not your favourites but what are the shows that have changed the TV landscape, pushed the boundaries of the medium or are just seminal examples of what can be done and you're compelled to continually recommend to other... ?

Mine would be

Twin Peaks
The Simpsons
The Wire/The Sopranos
Friends
24
Dr Who
Lost
Arrested Development
Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I'm probably missing good ones pre-1990s/2000s and other genres but that's what you're all here for :)

No Game of Thrones, despite the avatar? :p That's mine, if I had to pick one.

[Pyro Tramp]

It's only one season in, seems a bit premature! Definitely in favourites atm though.

[Thursday Next]

I'd add:
Pride and Prejudice (1995 bbc series)
The Forsyte Saga (1967)
Queer as Folk
This Life
Blackadder
Fawlty Towers
The Office

[Iroquois]

Mystery Science Theater 3000.

[ash_is_the_gal]

Spaced
The Twilight Zone
Bewitched

[KasperKristensen]

It's only one season in, seems a bit premature! Definitely in favourites atm though.

Well as for pushing the boundaries of what TV can do I think it's up there with and even surpasses Lost. Every episode I feel like I'm watching Lord of the Rings but better.

[Pyro Tramp]

But, not that it will, the following seasons could fail. Yeah, it's good but still premature, there's too many characters to have a strong sense of characterisation, thus far. If they jiggled the format, longer episodes or a couple more then it would be up there based on one season but I think we'll have to wait and see. I don't feel like it's LoTR because the budget is forcing it to scale back a lot of what could be done.

[MovieMan8877445]

LOST
The Twilight Zone
The Simpsons
The Wire
The Shield
Flight of the Conchords
Arrested Development

[akatemple]

24
Strangers with Candy
The Twilight Zone
Are You Being Served
Lost

[honeykid]

Inspector Morse (try finding 2 hours detective drama series before that.)
Tizwaz (Anyone in Britain who enjoyed Saturday morning tv owes this programme a thank you)
The Quatermass Experiment
Steptoe & Son (not only for what it showed here, but for becoming Sanford & Son in the States)
Till Death Us Do Part (again, not only for its impact here, but for becoming All In The Family in the States)
The X-Files
That Was The Week That Was (both for what it was and for the talent that came from it)
Monty Pythons Flying Circus (Still influencing comedy)
Star Trek (Both for its sci-fi influence and its multi-racial cast. Not only a black woman, but a Russian and a Japanese man)
Boys From The Blackstuff
Cracker (pioneering stuff, 10 years before Criminal Minds and 10 times better)
Have I Got News For You (The last 20 years of panel shows are a result of this programme. Not only that, but it changed the way we showcase stand-up comedians on tv.)
Goodness Gracious Me!/The Real McCoy (the first UK all Asian/Black comedy sketch programme)
Grange Hill (Probably the first real life 'serious' childrens drama)
House Of Cards (If, for no other reason, intoducing the phrase "You might well think that, I couldn't possibly comment." into the English language.)
Yes, Minister (As close to politics in Britain as you'll ever get. If you like(d) In The Loop/The Thick Of It, take a look at it's dad.)
Neighbours (The reason we have teen soaps/serious teen soap characters in this country)
Corronation Street (The world's longest (currently) running soap opera. Nearly 51 years now.)
Cathy Come Home (A one-off play that helped change the law, public opinion and society in general.)
Dallas (Soaps made large. Also a powerful tool for capitalism in Eastern Bloc countries)
Prime Suspect (Strong female leads characters, especially in cop drama, owe everything to Helen Mirren and Prime Suspect)
Top Of The Pops (From 1964-2006 everyone who started a band wanted to be on this programme, no matter how cool they were.)

And a few documentary series.

Horizon
The World At War
The Ascent Of Man
Civilization
7 Up
Equinox
Q.E.D

That'll do for now, I think.

[will.15]

Hill Street Blues


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8EXTzNMOzg&feature=related

[Pyro Tramp]

Don't know how I forgot X-Files and Star Trek. Facepalmed at them.

On HIGNFY, did you prefer Angus or like the rotating hosts?