Ten for Those Who Want the Summer to be a Complete Waste of Time.
Having talked to...Well nobody, The Lost One figured he'd post a personal ego trip, and, in the ultimate act of hubris post a list of his personal favorite DVD's box sets of old television shows, for those long and boring summer nights. Enjoy.
Number 10:
The Office Season 1
brilliant British Television. Follows the misadventures of a boss, who is positive he is beloved of all his employees. Conceited, pretentious, and just plain stupid, David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is the boss you will be glad you don't work for. Watch, and feel all superior as he mugs for the camera and totally misbehaves. Good times. Word of warning, this is a British show, and the humor can be decidedly...Adult at times. Probably not one to watch with the parents.
Episode to watch for:
The Office Special (ok so the Lost One is cheating a bit), despite not being in the first season, its still a better ending to the show then the second season (which The Lost One found more depressing the funny). Catch up with all the office workers two years after David was fired, and watch as each deals with their lives in the aftermath of the documentary. In the end all the characters grow (even if only a tiny bit in some cases).
Number 9:
Sliders 1 & 2 seasons
Stellar Sci-Fi show, in a long line of shows too smart for the Fox network (three at least on this list alone). Follows the adventures of Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell) and friends as they "slide" from dimension to dimension visiting earths where history has taken a different turn then in the here and now, like the earth where communism has destroyed capitalism, or where women hold all positions of authority over men who struggle against the glass ceiling. Most of the show are smart, well scripted with a good balance between action and character development.
Episode to watch for:
Love Gods
On a world where men are all but extinct due to a virus that has wiped them out, Quinn, Rembrandt (Cleavant Derricks) and Professor Arturo (John Rhys-Davies) discover how the government can screw-up every school boy's idle fantasy, a world where every single women wants you. Funny as all go get out.
Number 8:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 3
Let me be clear: Joss Whedon's feminist masterpiece deserves to be viewed one way only--Start at the beginning (season 1) go all the way to the end (season 7). However, if The Lost One was walking home and someone jumped out of the bushes held a gun to his head and demanded to know his favorite season (as is much more rare now that a Republican is in the White house) 3 is the answer. In 3 the show hit its high point, bringing together the metaphor of High-school as hell with the general unease of graduation day and melded them seamlessly. Not suffering from a lack of purpose and family connections as in the later seasons, 3 had some of the best episodes as well as a pair of scene stealing villains, particularly Harry Groener who gives a tour de force performance as the evil mayor of Sunnydale, a nice mixture of pure evil liberally spiked with doses of Kermit the Frog. Genius.
Episode to watch for:
Dopplegangland
Side-kick and all around nerd girl Willow (the always lovely Allyson Hannigan) finds that there are worse things then being hopelessly square and being called "reliable", when an evil vampiric Willow is pulled into Sunnydale from another dimension. Chaos as never been so fun, I promise you won't say, "Bored now."
Number 7
Sports Night: the Complete Series
Aaron Sorkin's take on the world of sports journalism, is a lot of fun even if like me you can't stand sports (I watch the Superbowl, for the commercials, the last game of the world series, in case it comes up, and hockey, if their is nothing else on and I don't have a particularly good book waiting to be read). It takes place in the high energy environment of the studio of cable television show Sports Night and follows around the writers, producers and staff. Very funny with the Sorkin flair for dialogue, if you don't find bouncing dialogue annoying.
Episode to watch for:
Thespis
A mischievous ghost may be behind all the problems going on in the studio. But after flying frozen turkeys, angry co-anchors, and missing satellite feeds, what else could possibly go wrong?
Number Six:
The West Wing Season 2
Aaron Sorkin's second entry on my list combines politics (Hey!) and smart dialogue(Hey, Hey!), in one gloriously fun package. Oh, if only Mr. Sorkin wasn't such a liberal...Think of the potential! Still, pretty good despite the fact he leans so far to the left he's practically lying down. The Lost One chose the second season of WW because its where the series really hits its stride after losing Uber-liberal Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) in favor of, for my money, the most brilliant woman on television, Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter). Oh, my sweet, sweet, sweet Ainsley. (*Sound of School boy-like sigh*) Sorkin's sole pious stab at being bipartisan is only half effective, largely because Mr. Sorkin doesn't know what conservatives believe. Still, the lovely Ms. Procter (pre-CSI: Miami, and if your a big dork like me you'll probably notice Jorja Fox, pre-CSI as well, in the early episodes) manages to bring my Ainsley to life with energy and skill, and when Sorkin hits on (or usually, just near) a good conservative argument the result is quite a sight. You'll either brake into fits of Ecstasy or frustration.
Episode to watch for:
17 People
While Toby (Richard Schiff) and the President (Martin Sheen) spar over the president's non-discloser of his illness, the rest of the staff tries to rewrite the White House correspondents address that has forgotten the funny. Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Donna (Janel Moloney) argue over whether it is possible to send flowers in order to be mean, and most amusing of all, my Ainsley pops open a major can o' Florence Shipley on Sam's (Rob Lowe) liberal boo-tay. (Note: The Lost One only jokingly refer to the character of Ainsley Hayes as his, and not the actress Ms. Procter, there is no need to slap him with a restraining order...Please?).
Number 4 (tie)
Coupling Season 1 & Season 2
The BBC's answer to Friends follows the semi-autobiographical relationship of Steve (Jack Davenport) and Susan (Sarah Alexander) (Semi-Autobiographical because writer Steven Moffat is married to producer Susan Venture) and his best friend, his ex-girlfriend and her best friend, and ex-boyfriend. Incredibly fun and winning, easily earns the title best of the BBC. Hysterical. (A quick note for the Christians in the crowd, the humor in this series is decidedly on the adult side. Writer Steven Moffat once commented, "We've created a sitcom almost free of any sexual innuendo. Mostly because we say things, rather then hinting at them with innuendo." It shares the subject matter, and often, the subtlety of movies in the vain of American Pie. Decide for your self if this is going to be a negative for your walk, and if so...move on to one of the other choices)
Episodes to watch for:
Season 1 The Girl with Two Breasts
Jeff (Richard Coyle) is in love. Good thing for him she doesn't speak any English. Watch as Jeff makes a fool of himself in English, then watch again as it happens in Hebrew. Great stuff.
Season 2 The End of The Line
Steve is a nervous wreck, Susan is speaking in tongues, and Jeff is ecstatic that he finally has a girlfriend. The Honeymoon ends for Steve and Susan after several conversations between "Dick Darlington" and "Giselle the French...Er...Wench", wrecked on the rocky shores between France, and Australia.
Number 3
Firefly The Complete Series
Joss Whedon's brilliant and underappreciated is number three on the list. A sci-fi epic with a hillbilly feel, Firefly owes an equal debt to Bonanza just as much as it does Star Wars. Set in a future after a Civil War, the show finds Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his crew of Ne'er do-wells flitting from planet to planet looking for work. And if the job entails breaking the laws of the victorious Galactic Alliance, well, so much the better. As usual from Mr. Whedon sharp writing and story telling fuel this show, with more then a little good wholesome explosions thrown in to keep the kiddies interested. Though the show was canceled after only half a season, a movie, Serenity, is coming out September 30th. Beat the rush, watch it now.
Episode to watch for:
Our Mrs. Reynolds
After a quick job on the Outer Planets, the crew picks up an unexpected passenger in the form of a young woman who claims to be Malcolm Reynolds newly minted bride, prompting the captain to wonder, "Just how drunk was I last night?" Unfortunately Jaine's (Adam Baldwin) answer of, "I don't know. I passed out." is hardly reassuring. Like I stated earlier the shows owes a debt to Bonanza, which is most obvious in its love interests who rarely make it passed a single episode. Still, good fun to watch though.
Number 2
Wonderfalls the Complete Series
Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas) is twenty three, over-educated (philosophy degree *Shudder*) and unemployable. After getting denied the position of assistant manager at the souvenir shop she works at, and then watching it go to a kid a decade younger then she, Jaye decides she wants a change in her life. Unfortunately, the universe was listening. Now inanimate objects that have animal face are giving Jaye orders ranging from the simple( "Have a pancake.") to the bizarre ("Lick the light switch"). The thing is, when she obey things have a way of working out for everyone...Except maybe Jaye. Loved this shows tart sense of humor, and neo-slacker outlook on life. Every now and again it can be fun to indulge in a little round of , Oh, how pointless life can be. At least when a point emerges in the end.
Episode to watch for:
Pink Flamingos
When Jaye refuses to act on some azoic advise, Jaye's father pays the price. Convinced she must listen to the animal's orders Jaye is appalled when they tell her to help the school bully, and then really appalled when, after she has come to feel sorry for the girl, the order changes to, "Destroy her."
And her it is your number 1:
Dead Like Me Season 1
Georgia "George" Lass has had the worst day of her life. Not only was she late for her first day of work, in a fight with her Mother, fired at her first day on the job, died a fiery death when the Mir space station fell out of the Earth's orbit, dislodging a toilet seat that crashed into her, but she was also chosen to be a Grim Reaper, one of a number of the "undead" whose job is to collect souls and escort them to the afterlife. Now she has to deal with human culture from a strange position, that of the outsider. A great fun little series, that was one of the smartest shows on TV. By turns sad, funny, and morbid Dead Like Me is a quirky little testament to life, and all its follies.
Episode to watch for:
Reaping Havoc
George becomes closer to both Betty (Rebecca Gayhart) and Herbig (Christine Willes), but when not teaching George the ropes of being a reaper, Betty just might have problems of her own. Bonus: The Lost One loved the reveal on Reggie's (Brit McKillip) funny/sad/creepy memorial to her sister. Classic.
There it is and don't say you were not warned. Hours of useless fun. Enjoy
Number 10:
The Office Season 1
brilliant British Television. Follows the misadventures of a boss, who is positive he is beloved of all his employees. Conceited, pretentious, and just plain stupid, David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is the boss you will be glad you don't work for. Watch, and feel all superior as he mugs for the camera and totally misbehaves. Good times. Word of warning, this is a British show, and the humor can be decidedly...Adult at times. Probably not one to watch with the parents.
Episode to watch for:
The Office Special (ok so the Lost One is cheating a bit), despite not being in the first season, its still a better ending to the show then the second season (which The Lost One found more depressing the funny). Catch up with all the office workers two years after David was fired, and watch as each deals with their lives in the aftermath of the documentary. In the end all the characters grow (even if only a tiny bit in some cases).
Number 9:
Sliders 1 & 2 seasons
Stellar Sci-Fi show, in a long line of shows too smart for the Fox network (three at least on this list alone). Follows the adventures of Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell) and friends as they "slide" from dimension to dimension visiting earths where history has taken a different turn then in the here and now, like the earth where communism has destroyed capitalism, or where women hold all positions of authority over men who struggle against the glass ceiling. Most of the show are smart, well scripted with a good balance between action and character development.
Episode to watch for:
Love Gods
On a world where men are all but extinct due to a virus that has wiped them out, Quinn, Rembrandt (Cleavant Derricks) and Professor Arturo (John Rhys-Davies) discover how the government can screw-up every school boy's idle fantasy, a world where every single women wants you. Funny as all go get out.
Number 8:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 3
Let me be clear: Joss Whedon's feminist masterpiece deserves to be viewed one way only--Start at the beginning (season 1) go all the way to the end (season 7). However, if The Lost One was walking home and someone jumped out of the bushes held a gun to his head and demanded to know his favorite season (as is much more rare now that a Republican is in the White house) 3 is the answer. In 3 the show hit its high point, bringing together the metaphor of High-school as hell with the general unease of graduation day and melded them seamlessly. Not suffering from a lack of purpose and family connections as in the later seasons, 3 had some of the best episodes as well as a pair of scene stealing villains, particularly Harry Groener who gives a tour de force performance as the evil mayor of Sunnydale, a nice mixture of pure evil liberally spiked with doses of Kermit the Frog. Genius.
Episode to watch for:
Dopplegangland
Side-kick and all around nerd girl Willow (the always lovely Allyson Hannigan) finds that there are worse things then being hopelessly square and being called "reliable", when an evil vampiric Willow is pulled into Sunnydale from another dimension. Chaos as never been so fun, I promise you won't say, "Bored now."
Number 7
Sports Night: the Complete Series
Aaron Sorkin's take on the world of sports journalism, is a lot of fun even if like me you can't stand sports (I watch the Superbowl, for the commercials, the last game of the world series, in case it comes up, and hockey, if their is nothing else on and I don't have a particularly good book waiting to be read). It takes place in the high energy environment of the studio of cable television show Sports Night and follows around the writers, producers and staff. Very funny with the Sorkin flair for dialogue, if you don't find bouncing dialogue annoying.
Episode to watch for:
Thespis
A mischievous ghost may be behind all the problems going on in the studio. But after flying frozen turkeys, angry co-anchors, and missing satellite feeds, what else could possibly go wrong?
Number Six:
The West Wing Season 2
Aaron Sorkin's second entry on my list combines politics (Hey!) and smart dialogue(Hey, Hey!), in one gloriously fun package. Oh, if only Mr. Sorkin wasn't such a liberal...Think of the potential! Still, pretty good despite the fact he leans so far to the left he's practically lying down. The Lost One chose the second season of WW because its where the series really hits its stride after losing Uber-liberal Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) in favor of, for my money, the most brilliant woman on television, Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter). Oh, my sweet, sweet, sweet Ainsley. (*Sound of School boy-like sigh*) Sorkin's sole pious stab at being bipartisan is only half effective, largely because Mr. Sorkin doesn't know what conservatives believe. Still, the lovely Ms. Procter (pre-CSI: Miami, and if your a big dork like me you'll probably notice Jorja Fox, pre-CSI as well, in the early episodes) manages to bring my Ainsley to life with energy and skill, and when Sorkin hits on (or usually, just near) a good conservative argument the result is quite a sight. You'll either brake into fits of Ecstasy or frustration.
Episode to watch for:
17 People
While Toby (Richard Schiff) and the President (Martin Sheen) spar over the president's non-discloser of his illness, the rest of the staff tries to rewrite the White House correspondents address that has forgotten the funny. Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Donna (Janel Moloney) argue over whether it is possible to send flowers in order to be mean, and most amusing of all, my Ainsley pops open a major can o' Florence Shipley on Sam's (Rob Lowe) liberal boo-tay. (Note: The Lost One only jokingly refer to the character of Ainsley Hayes as his, and not the actress Ms. Procter, there is no need to slap him with a restraining order...Please?).
Number 4 (tie)
Coupling Season 1 & Season 2
The BBC's answer to Friends follows the semi-autobiographical relationship of Steve (Jack Davenport) and Susan (Sarah Alexander) (Semi-Autobiographical because writer Steven Moffat is married to producer Susan Venture) and his best friend, his ex-girlfriend and her best friend, and ex-boyfriend. Incredibly fun and winning, easily earns the title best of the BBC. Hysterical. (A quick note for the Christians in the crowd, the humor in this series is decidedly on the adult side. Writer Steven Moffat once commented, "We've created a sitcom almost free of any sexual innuendo. Mostly because we say things, rather then hinting at them with innuendo." It shares the subject matter, and often, the subtlety of movies in the vain of American Pie. Decide for your self if this is going to be a negative for your walk, and if so...move on to one of the other choices)
Episodes to watch for:
Season 1 The Girl with Two Breasts
Jeff (Richard Coyle) is in love. Good thing for him she doesn't speak any English. Watch as Jeff makes a fool of himself in English, then watch again as it happens in Hebrew. Great stuff.
Season 2 The End of The Line
Steve is a nervous wreck, Susan is speaking in tongues, and Jeff is ecstatic that he finally has a girlfriend. The Honeymoon ends for Steve and Susan after several conversations between "Dick Darlington" and "Giselle the French...Er...Wench", wrecked on the rocky shores between France, and Australia.
Number 3
Firefly The Complete Series
Joss Whedon's brilliant and underappreciated is number three on the list. A sci-fi epic with a hillbilly feel, Firefly owes an equal debt to Bonanza just as much as it does Star Wars. Set in a future after a Civil War, the show finds Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his crew of Ne'er do-wells flitting from planet to planet looking for work. And if the job entails breaking the laws of the victorious Galactic Alliance, well, so much the better. As usual from Mr. Whedon sharp writing and story telling fuel this show, with more then a little good wholesome explosions thrown in to keep the kiddies interested. Though the show was canceled after only half a season, a movie, Serenity, is coming out September 30th. Beat the rush, watch it now.
Episode to watch for:
Our Mrs. Reynolds
After a quick job on the Outer Planets, the crew picks up an unexpected passenger in the form of a young woman who claims to be Malcolm Reynolds newly minted bride, prompting the captain to wonder, "Just how drunk was I last night?" Unfortunately Jaine's (Adam Baldwin) answer of, "I don't know. I passed out." is hardly reassuring. Like I stated earlier the shows owes a debt to Bonanza, which is most obvious in its love interests who rarely make it passed a single episode. Still, good fun to watch though.
Number 2
Wonderfalls the Complete Series
Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas) is twenty three, over-educated (philosophy degree *Shudder*) and unemployable. After getting denied the position of assistant manager at the souvenir shop she works at, and then watching it go to a kid a decade younger then she, Jaye decides she wants a change in her life. Unfortunately, the universe was listening. Now inanimate objects that have animal face are giving Jaye orders ranging from the simple( "Have a pancake.") to the bizarre ("Lick the light switch"). The thing is, when she obey things have a way of working out for everyone...Except maybe Jaye. Loved this shows tart sense of humor, and neo-slacker outlook on life. Every now and again it can be fun to indulge in a little round of , Oh, how pointless life can be. At least when a point emerges in the end.
Episode to watch for:
Pink Flamingos
When Jaye refuses to act on some azoic advise, Jaye's father pays the price. Convinced she must listen to the animal's orders Jaye is appalled when they tell her to help the school bully, and then really appalled when, after she has come to feel sorry for the girl, the order changes to, "Destroy her."
And her it is your number 1:
Dead Like Me Season 1
Georgia "George" Lass has had the worst day of her life. Not only was she late for her first day of work, in a fight with her Mother, fired at her first day on the job, died a fiery death when the Mir space station fell out of the Earth's orbit, dislodging a toilet seat that crashed into her, but she was also chosen to be a Grim Reaper, one of a number of the "undead" whose job is to collect souls and escort them to the afterlife. Now she has to deal with human culture from a strange position, that of the outsider. A great fun little series, that was one of the smartest shows on TV. By turns sad, funny, and morbid Dead Like Me is a quirky little testament to life, and all its follies.
Episode to watch for:
Reaping Havoc
George becomes closer to both Betty (Rebecca Gayhart) and Herbig (Christine Willes), but when not teaching George the ropes of being a reaper, Betty just might have problems of her own. Bonus: The Lost One loved the reveal on Reggie's (Brit McKillip) funny/sad/creepy memorial to her sister. Classic.
There it is and don't say you were not warned. Hours of useless fun. Enjoy
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