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I think it has a cult following, but not massive ratings. Like Mad Men. Its cultural impact is magnified by the degree to which its viewers like it, and the degree to which writers and critics and whatnot rave about it.

So glad I still have this to look forward to, by the way. It's one of a very, very short list of has-to-be-great-based-on-all-I've-heard shows that I haven't seen yet. I've got the first two seasons on DVD already and I'll probably be starting them soon.
You have until July 17th to get all caught up with all 3 seasons.



I'll probably just DVR the new ones to give myself some time. I want to savor this. I really am just about out of the "you have to see this!" shows.



What ones does that list include? I don't recall seeing you post in the Game of Thrones thread. That's definitely making my version of that list.



I'm not sure if there are any others on the list any more. For a long time I had The Wire and Mad Men on there, but I'm all caught up there. Parks and Recreation got to that point awhile ago but I'm caught up there, too. 30 Rock, which I've seen the majority of twice. Most of the others are from way back; Arrested Development, which I've seen three times all the way through.

The Wire was the big one I was saving for a very long time. It was that, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad have been the big ones for about a year now, and BB is the last one left.

Game of Thrones will almost certainly be on there, but I don't much like paying for a premium channel, and I like to know it's worth the trouble first, just in case. Sounds like it is. I also held off because I was thinking of reading the books first, though I've more or less decided not to.

Anyway, after this I'm down to ongoing shows that I have to wait to start, and new ones that look interesting. But I can't think of any others that are established, so obviously going to be great, and have 2-3 years already waiting for me. When I find one (like Justified), I devour it pretty quickly, so this might be the last one for a bit.



I'm not sure if there are any others on the list any more. For a long time I had The Wire and Mad Men on there, but I'm all caught up there. Parks and Recreation got to that point awhile ago but I'm caught up there, too. 30 Rock, which I've seen the majority of twice. Most of the others are from way back; Arrested Development, which I've seen three times all the way through.

The Wire was the big one I was saving for a very long time. It was that, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad have been the big ones for about a year now, and BB is the last one left.

Game of Thrones will almost certainly be on there, but I don't much like paying for a premium channel, and I like to know it's worth the trouble first, just in case. Sounds like it is. I also held off because I was thinking of reading the books first, though I've more or less decided not to.

Anyway, after this I'm down to ongoing shows that I have to wait to start, and new ones that look interesting. But I can't think of any others that are established, so obviously going to be great, and have 2-3 years already waiting for me. When I find one (like Justified), I devour it pretty quickly, so this might be the last one for a bit.
I've been meaning to watch Justified for awhile now, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.



Watch the pilot. It'll tell you with a great deal of likelihood whether or not you'll like the rest. I can't imagine someone like the show but not the pilot, or vice-versa.



Watch the pilot. It'll tell you with a great deal of likelihood whether or not you'll like the rest. I can't imagine someone like the show but not the pilot, or vice-versa.
I've seen random episodes while hanging out with friends that watch it, and I liked what I saw. I just haven't gotten around to watching from the start just yet.



Sorry, I'm confused, then. Do you mean the ones I've already seen, as well? Ongoing shows that haven't ended yet? Both?
Yeah, just all of them, generally. What do you consider to be 'must-see shows' - so what is on your list/was on your list and you'd recommend to others, like.



The ones that come to mind first:
  • The Wire
  • The West Wing
  • Arrested Development
  • Flight of the Conchords
  • Firefly
  • Scrubs
These ones would go first because they're not as "obvious" as others. Any decent list has to include Seinfeld and The Simpsons, but nobody really needs to be told about those or encouraged to watch them much, so I feel like the list is less "useful" with them.

After that tier, I'd put:
  • 30 Rock
  • Parks and Recreation
  • The Sopranos
  • Lost
  • South Park
I'm also deliberately leaving off shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000 that don't consist of an ongoing story. I'd say Mad Men is just uneven enough sometimes that I wouldn't put it on either list yet. But that could change in a hurry.

I think these are the only shows I'd really feel someone has missed something on. Though I also have to admit that Parks and Recreation is a little out of place, and it's probably on here because I'm particularly high on it right now.



I'll be honest, surprised at the last 3, Scrubs is rather mediocre with a few excellent bits that can't raise the rest. I love the other two shows but never thought of them as seminal viewing. Interesting.

You say that about Seinfeld but it never took off over here, at least for me to notice. Only know of it at all from Curb so it's probably getting enough shouts to push me to looking into. Any episodes/seasons you'd recommend starting?



I could never get into Seinfeld. Something about it just never really appealed to me.



I dunno, I don't remember many low points for Scrubs. The thing is, what it lacked it wasn't even trying for. It's not supposed to be incredibly dramatic. It's supposed to be really funny, and fairly sweet. For me it was partially about consistency: both in that I thought tons of episodes were at least good (if not always great), and the rapid-fire pace of the jokes meant it was very difficult to have an entire episode "miss." That, and the consistency of always managing to balance the sweet with the funny. It really did that exceptionally well.

It also helps that the finale was basically perfect.

I'd have to ponder what to recommend in terms of Seinfeld. Like most shows it hits its stride a couple of seasons in and peaks right around the middle. I'd probably recommend everything from 3-6 pretty emphatically. But it feels like "crucial" than the other shows because it's really nothing other than the comedy. That's what I like about it, largely, but it also stops me from loving the show, because it didn't move me at all.



The sentimentality that capped every episode of Scrubs killed it for me, no matter how much I enjoyed an episode that often let it down. And JD's character became annoyingly love-sick and righteous far too often. Dr Cox was a near faultless performance but got a little boring eventually. I might check out the finale.