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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Bill Silvers <wsilvers@earthlink.net> |
| Subject | Re: Dead Like Me, WAS: Off topic and then back |
| Date | Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:14:20 -0400 (EDT) |
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Richard Brown asked:
>"Wonderfalls" is next. Anything else after "Freaks and
>Geeks", "Dead Like Me" and "Wonderfalls" that is 'must
>see'?
It's hard to guess how much further past those "enderingly quirky" types ya wanna go (though your question below is a good sign <g>) so here's my nickel's worth:
VERONICA MARS- my favorite current regular teevee series- smart, funny, involving. It gets compared justifiably to BUFFY, but it's much more a cousin than a clone. Start with the Season One DVD's, and if you're hooked proceed to the not as perfect but still highly watchable Season Two, just out on DVD.
THE WIRE- only the best television on television, three years running- it's that simple. It's multilayered, dense and immensely satisfying teevee. It owes a debt to its obvious Baltimore streets precursors- "Homicide" and "The Corner" (both also "very highly NOT LAMEishly recommended", but somewhat older shows at this point), but it goes beyond those shows in its examination of modern urban cops and drugslingers, all the way into real-life sociology and economics and "the dark corner of the American experiment." One big caveat- Start with Season One and proceed *in order* through the three seasons (the fourth begins in a coupla weeks on HBO). The stories are involving, but they are also pretty involved, and it is difficult to pick the threads up partway through.
DEADWOOD- another HBO gem- rough, dirty and incredibly, nearly unbelievably profane, but damned if that cocksucker David Milch (see "NYPD Blue"'s very early years) can't write some fucking brilliant teevee for a stretch. Now wrapping up its third and with many lamentations and protests, final season on HBO (with THE WIRE picking up its Sunday night timeslot).
There's three that I'd recommend to anybody I care about. I should probably stop there, teevee whore that I am, and those three are tops.
>Anyone been following "Life on Mars" on BBC America?
>Great fun! On topic...lot's of great early 1970's UK
>rock on the soundtrack...
Boy howdy! I've noticed the old tunes sound better than I remember 'em, some of 'em. Any show with "Ballroom Blitz" for the theme is worth a look for pop geeks, but it's the best thing I've seen on BBC America since MI-5, and maybe ever. The central premise (the protagonist is a modern day DCI who's hit by a car and now in hospital in a coma in the 2006 world, somehow transported back to life as a DI in 1973 Manchester, with the resultant culture shock and very changed world the source of continuing wonder) is addressed each week in a way that's central to the character without seeming annoyingly gimmicky. Very clever and entertaining so far.
b.s.
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