Alright, I just started my Netflix subscription back up again, because there isn't any movie at the local Hollywood Video that I either haven't already seen or looks like it was made by six year olds.
So I'm back on Netflix. And I've learned that I enjoy finding series I can get involved in and lost in for long periods of time. But I hate waiting another season for DVDs to come out, and REFUSE to try to watch any more of these shows live (Except maybe 24. All will eventually kneel before 24).
So anyways, I'm tapping the wisdom of Hatrack for suggestions for complete TV series that have been released on DVD and offered a satisfying resolution at the very end.
I know a guy starting a thread at Hatrack has as much chance of controlling the tread as of roping the moon, but please try to keep it as spoiler-free as you can. But if you disagree with somebody please say so in as spoiler-free a way as is possible--this is going to be a huge chunck of my time whatever I choose, and I want to make this decision informed.
--------------------- Short version for people who skimmed the self-indulgent paragraphs:
Know any good complete TV series on DVD?
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
I quite enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer and am now starting on Angel. Buffy had a satisfactory conclusion; I don't know about Angel yet as I've stayed pretty spoiler-free, but it ran for five seasons. Those two are all I can think of off the top of my head.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Babylon 5
Posted by Mintieman (Member # 4620) on :
Veronica Mars Season 1, I thought was quite self-contained and satisfying.
Posted by Baron Samedi (Member # 9175) on :
Freaks and Geeks.
Brilliant writing, acting and character development. The drama and the comedy are both nailed perfectly. It's only one season, so you won't be ordering DVDs forever. There isn't a single boring or inessential episode in the lot. And it's got one of the most satisfying conclusions I've ever seen. It's really bittersweet, because a show like that should be on the air forever, but they couldn't have ended it better in a million episodes.
A Judd Apatow production. What else can I say?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Second Babylon Five.
I can't suggest 24 enough. That show blows me away every year.
Posted by Mig (Member # 9284) on :
I second all of the above.
The two seasons of the original UK version of The Office. I think its about 13 total episodes, so it won't take as long as a full US series. Plus it leaves you with more time to rewatch it because you'll want to.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
A warning about Babylon 5: the first season is pretty rocky.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
All the shows I would have suggested have just been suggested...
Going back a bit, you've also got Twin Peaks (you can stop watching after they reveal Laura Palmer's killer) and maybe Wise Guy.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
I'll second Angel, though some of the early seasons are shaky.
And I loved West Wing. Others might disagree, but I thought that was some quality writing and acting for television. That's the only TV series on DVD that I've actually purchased so far (most of my DVD money is reserved for movies I'm writing papers about).
Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
Season one of the Sopranos.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
There's always Firefly... you certainly won't be waiting for the next set of dvd's. Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I wouldn't call Firefly a complete story arc. Satisfying it is, but not complete, it'll leave you hanging, but that says nothing about the quality of the show.
I second West Wing. Amazing show. Stumbled a bit when Sorkin left, but went out strong.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Hiatus.
Earth: Final Conflict could've had a great story arc if they hadn't killed off the main guy after season one, then brought in the hot guy, then shot the hot guy off into space, at which time the show became another Chicks with Boobs and Guns show.
-pH
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
Since you say you like 24, you might give Alias a try. I only watched the first three seasons, but for the most I rather liked them. Somebody else will have to tell you if the end was satisfying.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I thought Hiatus was overrated.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Did Alias even have an end?
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Due South.
I love that show.
Along with that I recommend Slings & Arrows, Season One. I haven't seen the other seasons yet, but I adored the first one, which is a complete story arc. It's a bit oddball, but if you like the sound of a dysfunctional Shakespearean theatre company (including one main character who's dead), this might be the show for you.
Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
Sure, Alias ended! I liked the ending. Not sure if it's worth watching all 5 seasons though.
My new favorite show is Coupling, which is like a slighly racier *British* version of Friends in it's general setup - and it's like Seinfeld in that all of the random tangents of the characters get pulled together in every episode. Basically, it's really, really good comedy writing. I haven't yet worked my way through all the seasons (there are four), but a friend tells me it ends pretty satisfactory.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: Due South.
I love that show.
Due South is great. Not so much of a story arc, but its a great show.
Babylon 5 is like the epitome of a story arc show. The warning of the first season is all good, but if you want an arc, thats an arc
Rome (the miniseries on HBO) was a good story arc too.
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
Quantum Leap
The final season five should be out on DVD by Christmas.
There are a few really good Halloweeny episodes in the first four seasons. My faves are the episode in which Sam meets Satan, and the episode involving an Egyptian tomb.
Unfortunately, like a lot of TV, as much as they pretend to travel around the world, it all looks like So. Cal.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
Both Buffy and Angel had complete story arcs, although I think the latter was more successful, going out on its highest note (whereas Buffy sorta puttered to a stop).
The West Wing had several very satisfying story arcs during its run, at least while Sorkin was in charge. The entire second half of Season 2 is some of the finest storytelling ever to hit television, an unbroken string of A+ episodes that all wrap up in one hell of a season finale (which in turn sets in motion the major story arc of the third season).
My top recommendation: Veronica Mars, both seasons 1 and 2, are densely plotted and complete story arcs. And unlike most television series (including Buffy and Angel), the season-long arcs are planned in advance, so that hints given in early episodes actually pay off in full- one of the few story-driven series where it's just as fun to watch the second time through, because then you can really pick up on all the little hints the showrunners scatter throughout each season. There are lots of red herrings, since the show *is* a noir, but each of them is actually revealed to be a red herring, rather than being tossed aside and ignored.
Coincidentally, the third season of Veronica Mars just premiered today, and you can watch the entire episode for free online here. It's being purposely aimed at new viewers, since the show has never had the best ratings, so the episode is very "pilot-y." A great time to jump on board if you haven't given the show a try yet. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
quote:The two seasons of the original UK version of The Office. I think its about 13 total episodes, so it won't take as long as a full US series. Plus it leaves you with more time to rewatch it because you'll want to.
I wouldn't waste my time. It was... uncomfortable. It's watching someone embarrass himself constantly, over and over again. I would not willingly watch it a second time. I'd rather burn the DVDs and do a rain dance around them or something.
Coupling - there's both the British version and the American version. We have both and have watched both. The British version is much, much funnier.
Alias... We got bored about season 3, but kept watching to the end of season 5 anyway. Everything was wrapped up, but... I dunno, the last two seasons aren't great, unfortunately.
I agree with West Wing. I'm not American, I don't like or undertand American politics, but the show was fun, intelligent, and interesting anyway. I've only seen the first few seasons, though, although I'd love to get the rest...
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mucus:
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: Due South.
I love that show.
Due South is great. Not so much of a story arc, but its a great show.
Well, it has a beginning and an end, and most of the loose ends get tied off one way or another. No, there's not a continuous plot running through all four seasons, but the story is complete.
Posted by Mig (Member # 9284) on :
Regarding the UK version of the The Office, quidscribis wrote:
quote:I wouldn't waste my time. It was... uncomfortable. It's watching someone embarrass himself constantly, over and over again. I would not willingly watch it a second time. I'd rather burn the DVDs and do a rain dance around them or something.
Although I love the show, there may be some truth to this depending on your comic sensibilities. I lent my copies to a buddy of mine and he had the exact same reaction as quidscribis. My friend couldn't get past the first season because the show made him feel so unconfortable. Comedies are hard to recommend because humor is so different from person to person.
I forgot to mention one of my all-time favorite shows: Wonderfalls. It only lasted 13 episodes and is from some of the same people who made Firefly. The producers understood that their quircky show was a long-shot so the the 13th episode ends by tieing-up the lose ends a with a sense of closure.
Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :
Sports Night. Some may argue that it didn't conclude, but I think the few episodes wrapped wrapped up loose ends in a very satisfying way.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
I don't know if I'd say Angel had a complete story arc. It was building up to its climax, it got cancelled, and Joss scrambled to put a capper on the end of that season that wouldn't be entirely disappointing. There were an amazing number of balls tossed into the air and left hanging at the end of the final episode.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Sports Night. Some may argue that it didn't conclude, but I think the few episodes wrapped wrapped up loose ends in a very satisfying way.
While I love that show, the arc, what little of it there was, was one of the weakest parts of that show. If you're looking for good story arc, it's pretty unsatisfying.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
quote:Originally posted by FlyingCow: I don't know if I'd say Angel had a complete story arc. It was building up to its climax, it got cancelled, and Joss scrambled to put a capper on the end of that season that wouldn't be entirely disappointing. There were an amazing number of balls tossed into the air and left hanging at the end of the final episode.
I agree that the mid-season cancellation forced Joss to write an ending for the series a lot earlier than anyone had expected, but I think the ending we got was pretty much the ending we would have gotten even if the show had run for another two seasons.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
The ending on a "cliffhanger" was absolutely a measured decision by the showrunners, who could very easily have ended the show with a big battle between Angel Investigations and the Wolf, Ram and Hart. A big finish, closure for the biggest plotline of all, everyone goes home happy. Except that the overarching theme of the entire series is that the fight never ends. It's suggested pretty much from the very first episode that there can be no grand victory for the Angel crew, because evil ultimately comes from the very people they are trying to protect. In fact, I'd argue that "Not Fade Away" is one of the most ambitious series finales of all for actually taking its show's somber theme to its logical conclusion (not to mention that it's gorgeously filmed, and does provide a great deal of personal closure for each of the main characters). Plus, only Joss Whedon would have the guts to kill off every remaining human protagonist in his show. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
A second for the first seasons of Veronica Mars. The second seasons was a complete story as well - very satisfying.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I second (or third or forth): Buffy, Angel, 24, Wonderfalls and Bab5.
Seasons 3 and 4 of Bab5 are possibly the most satisfying TV ever written. The characters, the plot, everything is wonderful.
It makes it worth suffering through the first season to get the joy of seasons 3 and 4. You are seriously missing out if you don't watch this show.
Oh, and don't cringe too much with the pilot? It's a wonder we even got the show...
...
And after you watch Wonderfalls (which I can't recommend enough), you'll want to watch Dead Like Me, even though it was cut short and wasn't really an arc show anyway.
Pix
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote: And unlike most television series (including Buffy and Angel), the season-long arcs are planned in advance, so that hints given in early episodes actually pay off in full
I disagree about this in regards to Buffy. Buffy is clearly planned in advance. I enjoyed watching it a second time almost more than the first because of all the little hints.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
I'll add Life On Mars, a British show about a Detective Inspector who is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in the 1970s. Very funny and serious as well.
I liked the first season of Veronica Mars more than the second but both are definitely worth watching.
Wonderfalls was excellent and the end was very satisfying.
Freaks and Geeks is amazing. One of my favorite shows ever. The ending was appropriate but I didn't want it to be over.
Corner Gas isn't a story arc kind of show but it is one of the funniest shows in recent years.
Saved had it's first season finish a few weeks ago and I thought it was quite well done. It ends with a cliff hanger though.
Posted by Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged (Member # 7476) on :
Band of Brothers- tech not a show but a mini series...
Posted by Silent E (Member # 8840) on :
How about Northern Exposure? I didn't see all the episodes, and probably missed a couple of entire seasons, but what I saw I loved, and I did see the last Dr. Fleishman episode, which is where the series ended. There were no additional episodes with a different doctor and his silly wife.
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
quote:Life On Mars, a British show about a Detective Inspector who is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in the 1970s.
Fantastic show. I checked it out after your recommendation in a previous tv thread, and loved it. I hear they're working on an American version, and I have to wonder why.
I just finished watching Buffy yesterday. I never watched it on TV, and always thought it looked kind of stupid. But then Firefly made me a Whedon fan, and I decided to check it out. I watched the entire series, and for the most part I thought it was great. There were definitely some weak moments, but even the worst seasons have incredible episodes.
Ah, Northern Exposure. Perhaps my favorite show ever. I agree that it should've ended with Joel leaving. Maggie and Chris getting together just seemed wrong.
Posted by Luet13 (Member # 9274) on :
Six Feet Under.
One of the best series ever. The series finale of that show was so intense after everything that came before, I cried through most of it.
There are five seasons, and you MUST watch them in order. It's like one intense movie that lasts for days. Beautiful show.
Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :
Wow. Some great suggestions here.
Buffy, Angel, Alias and B5 were kind of the ones I had in mind going in, but for some reason there's a bit of hesitancy for me on all three. I was hoping to see whether someone could talk me into them or out of them.
Here's my rationale on each:
Buffy While I watched this sporatically during its run, that was it--sporatically. I never got really into it, to where I had to watch it each week. So I'm afraid I'll get started on it, still feel almost as apathetic about it, but then feel obligated to see the thing through.
Angel Feel like I can't do this until I'm done with Buffy.
Alias I actually really dug this show, but just didn't have time to watch it. However, I've heard very bad things about where things went when the star got pregnant, and that it kind of fizzled out at the end.
Babylon 5 When this was on, I didn't know the difference between it and any of the sci-fi crap that came out around that same time--around the same time we got all the Xena-inspired fantasy crap. I still need a little more reassurance this show is more than just another "Bad Actors in Bad Makeup" show.
As for the others:
Veronica Mars My wife is really into this, and the best reccomendation I've heard for it is that it's what Smallville would be like if it were about Chloe. I dig that, but I think I want to wait until it finishes up. Which might be soon, unfortunately.
Firefly Know it, own it, love it.
Quantum Leap I was a teenager when this one was on, and I think I saw all the "important" epsiodes. Good stuff. Weird ending. Didn't get it at all.
All The British Shows These all sound great. I really want to see The Office and Life On Mars. The problem is my wife just doesn't do British comedy, and I kind of need something we can at least marginally agree on. I will definitely get to them.
Freaks and Geeks I'll have to check this one out.
And the Rest Some great suggestions in this thread.
Any other ideas? Or thoughts about my concerns on series that have been suggested?
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Buffy While I watched this sporatically during its run, that was it--sporatically. I never got really into it, to where I had to watch it each week. So I'm afraid I'll get started on it, still feel almost as apathetic about it, but then feel obligated to see the thing through.
That's similar to my situation. I saw episodes here and there, and wasn't all that impressed. But on the recommendation of others, I neflixed it and really enoyed it. Watching it in order adds a lot to the show.
Angel -- I agree. Don't bother with it until you get to that point in Buffy.
quote:I still need a little more reassurance this show is more than just another "Bad Actors in Bad Makeup" show.
It's more than that. It's an excellent story which was designed from the beginning to last for five years.
There are a few episodes in the first season that might make you doubt me, but it's really fabulous.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
Oh man, somebody mentioned 'Coupling' which caused me to remember my favorite comedy of all time.
Spaced.
Highly, highly recommended. If you look into it you will not be sorry, I promise.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
By the way, to add my voice to the further reassurance, Babylon 5 is very, very good and very, very epic. Think of a Lord of the Rings-type of story in space, but done (unfortunately) on a very low budget and with a series of small false starts (the writers stuttered a bit at first because their first concern was trying not to get cancelled, and their second concern was the big story they had in mind). If you can get past the low budget kind of stuff, you will be rewarded in a huge way.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Someone's going to hate me for asking this, but...
...what the hell is Veronica Mars?
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
Think Nancy Drew but cool.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
quote:Originally posted by docmagik: All The British Shows These all sound great. I really want to see The Office and Life On Mars. The problem is my wife just doesn't do British comedy, and I kind of need something we can at least marginally agree on. I will definitely get to them.
Life On Mars is not really a comedy. Each episode has a crime to be solved and that part of the show is taken seriously, as is the sci-fi element of the show. The humor comes in because it is about a modern police officer being thrust into the environment of a cheesy 70s cop show (Complete with all the politically incorrect and socially reprehensible behaviour that went on there).
It is only 8 episodes (for the first season, more to come in January I think) but it is one of the best shows that I have seen in the past few years.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Star Trek DS9 has what I thought was a very good story arc. Like most Star Trek, it wanders away from the arc every now and then to do some character development stories, but it always comes back to it. In the last few seasons, it's almost always pushing forward, and it's exciting. It's still my favorite Trek show, and at the end I felt very satisfied.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
RE: B5.
With dialogue like the following, how can you not want to watch?
quote:"I'm not authorized for that kind of information."
"But you are the head of security."
"Then what kind of head of security would I be if I let people like me know things that I'm not supposed to know? I know what I know because I have to know it. And if I don't have to know it, I don't tell me, and I don't let anyone else tell me either. Now look, we have tried most of the other ambassadors, why don't you speak to G'Kar, maybe he knows something about this ship."
"Under the terms of our recent treaty, I am not authorized to have any official conversation with the Narn without Centauri approval."
"So you'll ask unofficially. And I can give you reasonable assurances that the head of security will not report you for doing so."
"Because you won't tell yourself about it?"
"That's right. I never get involved with my own life. It's too much trouble."
"This is a very strange place you have here, Mr. Garibaldi."
"Thank you."
Posted by the_Somalian (Member # 6688) on :
In terms of arc storytelling "Babylon 5" stands out the most, at least in its first four seasons. I can't comment on season 5 as I haven't seen it, but I've read that it was haphazardly produced. In fact, except for the final episode (which was originally produced to conclude season 4), the whole of season 5 of B5 is "optional" viewing. The first four seasons though are a must for any sci-fi fan.
I've seen some Buffy and honestly I've never been a great big fan of this show, but Season 3 & 4 of Angel absolutely impressed me with their strong story threads and evolving story.
Final season of Deep Space Nine is neat too.
Also, "Gargoyles" from disney: Nearly every plot element builds on something that came before. It's very dense and story-arc driven.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote: Someone's going to hate me for asking this, but...
...what the hell is Veronica Mars?
If you have forty minutes to spare, watch the episode linked to above by Tarssk. Even better, rent the first disk of the first season. Veronica Mars has one of the best first episodes I've ever seen.
It used to be on UPN and is now on the CW. It's about a teenage detective. The dialogue is witty, the characters are developed, and the mysteries are intriguing. It's currently on its third season.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Band of Brothers was incredibly good.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
One final pitch for B5.
One good reason to read it.
Because, after reading through a page of b5 quotes, I have begun to believe...
The President Bush is Londo. The Vice President has too many similaritie to Santiago to be comfortable. Rumsfeld reminds me so much of Morden its scarey. And Bester could be Rove.
Honestly, much of the issues shown in the series are important in today's politics. I can't help but picture Sheridan's Incarceration scenes when ever talk of torture and coercive interrogation are discussed.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by SoaPiNuReYe: Band of Brothers was incredibly good.
I can't recommend that series enough.
[ October 04, 2006, 06:16 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]
Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
I'd rather rabidly reccomend Band of Brothers to anyone who hasn't seen it... this is just a phenomenal series.
Also strong umpteenth's for Babylon 5 (the acting isn't necessarily phenomenal but if you want a series that actually got to complete their arc this is it) I will agree that season 5 is somewhat superfluous, interesting but not necessary. Also, the fact that Bab5 had no less than 4 episodes of pure wrap-up at the end makes me grieve all the more for my other two favorite sci-fi series (see below)
Both of these can be at least partly frustrating because they weren't finished per their plan, and both are at least partly more episodic than you may be looking for:
Firefly
Farscape (i'm astonished that it hasn't been mentioned yet by anyone else) Especially in season 3 and 4 it get's very plot-arc-ish and in my mind is still one of the best television series around. While the ending of season 4 is frustrating, I still maintain that they did a good job tying things up while sucessfully allowing for further development (the miniseries)
Also, Alias, despite it's flaws towards the end was a fascinating show.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
Dan: Please don't try to ruin Bab5 with Politics ='(
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
That should be left to the professional writers who have years of practice ruining it.
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
By the way, what is "Bab5"?
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head:
quote:Buffy While I watched this sporatically during its run, that was it--sporatically...
That's similar to my situation. I saw episodes here and there, and wasn't all that impressed. But on the recommendation of others, I neflixed it and really enoyed it. Watching it in order adds a lot to the show.
Angel -- I agree. Don't bother with it until you get to that point in Buffy.
Actually, I must be one of the rare individuals that only watched a handful of Buffy episodes (maybe 15 or so) and then dove straight into Angel since it was on cable every night. I was lost for a bit (Wikipedia and some online FAQs helped a lot) but I ended up enjoying it a lot more than Buffy (after going back and checking out the rest of Buffy).
It could be that its a slightly more mature show [ trades teenage angst for young-twentysomething angst ] and a bit darker (Wesley starts off kind of annoying but becomes a really interesting dark character).
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Picket Fences Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Dark Angel! I loved Dark Angel.
The X-Files started out great, and then got sucky but "I need to know the ending"-ish. So don't start it unless you're willing to watch 3 seasons of "will they or won't they tell us what the heck is going on" at the end.
Due South was a really great show but Netflix doesn't have it, don't seem interested in getting it, and it's annoying as heck.
I'd recommend Lois and Clark, one of my all-time favorite shows, but it got cut short after season 4 and you have to read seasons 5 and 6 as fanfic if you want any kind of closure.
Posted by Frogman (Member # 9776) on :
The B-5 pilot was mentioned. The T.V. series was great, especially 3-4 seasons. But we will forget that the pilot was ever created. The third and fourth seasons are an example of the best tv that sci-fi has to offer; however, the pilot episode is an example of the worst it has to offer.
How about some suggestions of great TV shows without story arcs? Due South has already been mentioned, so lets add M.A.S.H., Futurama (give it a shot, it's smarter than it seems), and my wife is insisting that I mention Little House on the Prairie--I'm not fond of it, but I guess it isn't that bad.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I don't think MASH really had anything close to a story arc other than 1. they are in korea and 2. they leave korea.
Other than that it's all Star Trek TNG style random episodes.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dobbie: By the way, what is "Bab5"?
Babylon 5
quote:The B-5 pilot was mentioned. The T.V. series was great, especially 3-4 seasons. But we will forget that the pilot was ever created.
You know, I don't remember thinking the pilot was bad at all, except for the man-Delenn.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
BABYLON 5 : The Lord of the Rings in space.
Greatest sci-fi show out there... with the exception of the new Battlestar Galactica. BSG has taken up the mantle of Bab5 imo.
[ October 05, 2006, 05:19 AM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
Posted by Mig (Member # 9284) on :
The inclusion of Band of Brothers in this listing, reminded me of two things. That most of the TV shows listed here have aired within the past ten years and that there are many great TV miniseries that are older. If you are younger than 30, there’s a good chance you’ve missed some of these, but I guarantee that these are all winners. All are available on DVD. You’ll note that I have a fondness for Masterpiece Theater-type productions, but not all the great miniseries are Brit.
American TV miniseries worth your time:
Roots Should be required viewing. The Stand After the Shawshank Redemption, this '80s mini is the best adaptation of a Stephen King story ever. Sybil Sally Fields as a girl with multiple personalities gives one of the greatest performances you’ll ever see. The Holocaust This 1970’s WWII miniseries gave me nightmares as a kid, but for some reason it looks like this is only available on DVD in Europe. ”V” and V: The Final Battle I believe that these two sci-fi miniseries about an alien invasion from the 80’s remain the highest rated TV minis in history. They can be a bit campy and the SFX are not up to modern standards but they are great fun.
British TV miniseries worth your time:
Pride and Prejudice This is actually and American/Brit co-production, but the A&E version with Colin Firth is the best adaptation of a any book to film ever. I, Claudius Intrigue in Imperial Rome. There can be no excuses to not to watch this. Absolutely incredible show. Gormenghast For you fantasy fans out there. This is an adaptation of the fantasy classic by Mervyn Peake. If you haven’t heard of this, Amazon compares Peake’s books to a combination of Dickens and Tolkien. Bleak House The BBC series production of the Dickens novel starting Gillian Anderson from the X-files is one of the best things I've seen in the past year. Brideshead Revisited My all-time favorite miniseries, I must have watched this at least 20 times.
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
quote: My new favorite show is Coupling
I second Coupling. I started to get a little bored of it around season three. It turned too much into a soap opera. But it was very good.
I also want to suggest The Office (BBC original version). It is only 2 seasons and then a Christmas Special (which is two long episodes).
One of the differences between American TV and British TV is the 100 Episode mark you need to make in the American networks to get to syndication. Once syndicated you make lots of money on reruns.
That means it is economically viable to make filler crap shows to boost your show numbers. The BBC doesn't have that. The Office is a very good show that is short, has a nice story arch to season 2 and completely concludes with an awesome ending.
I also loved Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, 24, Six Feet Under, Twin Peaks, X-Files, Lost, and Desperate Housewives.
EDIT: Oh, I can't neglect Buffy and/or Angel!
Posted by Frogman (Member # 9776) on :
Try out Winds of War, it's an older period piece, one of those 'fictional family set in true events' type things--it predates the Work and the Glory books, and if you're a bit of a WWII buff it will hook you right in.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
quote:The Stand After the Shawshank Redemption, this '80s mini is the best adaptation of a Stephen King story ever.
I respectfully disagree with this. First, it was early 90's, not 80's. Second, it was godawful, both as an adaptation and just as a piece of television in its own right.
I know Stephen King wrote the script himself. And I'm not sure what to blame its godawfulness on. Some combination of the limitations of the television format, bad casting (though there was some good casting too) and the time-honored terribleness of its director, Mick Garris, who -- although I'm sure he's a wonderful human being -- is one of the hackiest filmmakers ever to hack.
Sorry, but even now, 12 years later, I'm still upset about the poor quality of 'The Stand.'
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
Perhaps if one hasn't read the book....
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I enjoyed the miniseries version of The Stand. But then I was expecting it to be as horrible as "IT".
I'd like to add "Shogun" as a good, old timey mini-series.
Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :
I thought the IT was terrific, as long as you forget about the spider.
As opposed to the book, where you had to forget about the spider AND the deeplights. And the dead turtle. And the giant plastic statue of Paul Bunyan.
Beep, beep, Richie.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: Someone's going to hate me for asking this, but...
...what the hell is Veronica Mars?
Veronica Mars is, essentially, a film noir set in high school (and, starting with the current season, college as well). Each season has one or more major mysteries, along with smaller mysteries that happen within individual episodes. And we're not talking about stolen cell phones and "who kissed who" here: the first season opens with Veronica's best friend recently murdered, and Veronica herself dealing with the aftermath of date rape. The show treads a delicate balance between its frequently dark plotlines and a wry, sarcastic sense of humor. It's also heavily character-driven: Veronica herself is smart, sassy, and capable, but her confidence sometimes gets the best of her, and her experiences have left her with a somewhat bleak "don't get mad, get even" approach to life. The other characters are similarly complex and textured.
As I mentioned, the season-long plot arcs are all meticulously planned in advance- a necessity, I think, given the show's mystery-story structure. That means that it pays to watch this show with your brain on, since half the fun is trying to piece all the clues scattered throughout the season together. Rob Thomas, the show's creator (and incidentally, not THAT Rob Thomas), has said in interviews that his goal is to make the season-long mystery just difficult enough so that about 15% of the audience guesses correctly. In my experience, talking with friends, he's succeeded admirably.
So yes, do check Veronica Mars out. It's one of the smartest shows on TV right now, and it needs the ratings.
quote:I disagree about this in regards to Buffy. Buffy is clearly planned in advance. I enjoyed watching it a second time almost more than the first because of all the little hints.
Joss Whedon has said in interviews that relatively little about Buffy's season-long arcs were planned in advance. Some major plot twists, like Dawn's appearance, were conceived long before they occurred (allowing Joss to stick a few hints in here and there), but by and large, there was little in the way of long-term plotting.
Posted by Mig (Member # 9284) on :
Talking of Joss Whedon, he guest stared on Veronica Mars last season and is a huge fan of the show. Whedon has declared VM: "Best. Show. Ever."
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
quote:But I hate waiting another season for DVDs to come out, and REFUSE to try to watch any more of these shows live (Except maybe 24. All will eventually kneel before 24).
I am currently OBSESSED with 24. My friend lent me his first season DVDs and I devoured them in a week flat. Now I'm netflixing the rest of the seasons and I'm halfway through season 2. This is the first series I've had the patience to netflix because I actually want to watch 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5) episodes in one sitting. I'm planning to catch up by the time season 6 starts in January, and then I'll be held hostage every week with the rest of the sad souls who have to watch it with commercials.
As for other series that I've netflixed and loved, I recommend:
Blackadder II, III, and IV. III and IV are my favorites and because it's a British comedy, there are only 6 episodes per season. Laughed myself silly.
Jeeves and Wooster is also fun, though a little meandering at times. The comedy is great, and if you love Hugh Laurie *looks innocent* you'll really like it.
I'm going to netflix Wonderfalls soon as well as Dead Like Me. Those two seem like fun and quirky series I could get attached to.
Once I'm done with 24, of course.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Deep Space Nine Babylon 5 Lost (so far)
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote: Joss Whedon has said in interviews that relatively little about Buffy's season-long arcs were planned in advance. Some major plot twists, like Dawn's appearance, were conceived long before they occurred (allowing Joss to stick a few hints in here and there), but by and large, there was little in the way of long-term plotting.
Interesting to know. I still found it worth a second viewing. Perhaps I was just more able to pick up on things I missed the first time.
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
quote:Interesting to know. [Smile] I still found it worth a second viewing. Perhaps I was just more able to pick up on things I missed the first time.
I think what Joss did was throw in a lot of random stuff in his episodes and used that for inspiration for future episodes. It may not have been planned, but the format of the show made it easy to retroactively create story arcs. Plus, having supernatural and super-science themes helped him create connected arcs that might not be possible if reality had to be obeyed.
One example is Spike. He started off as a single story character, but the fan base loved him so much he got developed into a major character in both Buffy and Angel.
Josses flexibility made his story arcs possible, not necessarily his pre-planned story ideas.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
quote:Originally posted by Amanecer:
quote: Joss Whedon has said in interviews that relatively little about Buffy's season-long arcs were planned in advance. Some major plot twists, like Dawn's appearance, were conceived long before they occurred (allowing Joss to stick a few hints in here and there), but by and large, there was little in the way of long-term plotting.
Interesting to know. I still found it worth a second viewing. Perhaps I was just more able to pick up on things I missed the first time.
Oh, Buffy's absolutely worth a second viewing. And a third, and a fourth... Despite the impression I may have given here, I'm a huge fan of all things Whedon. He, Sorkin, and Thomas are the Holy Trinity of television, as far as I'm concerned.
Posted by Giant-Size Man-Thing (Member # 9546) on :
quote: sassy
I hate that word. Blech.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
quote:Originally posted by lem:
quote:Interesting to know. [Smile] I still found it worth a second viewing. Perhaps I was just more able to pick up on things I missed the first time.
I think what Joss did was throw in a lot of random stuff in his episodes and used that for inspiration for future episodes. It may not have been planned, but the format of the show made it easy to retroactively create story arcs. Plus, having supernatural and super-science themes helped him create connected arcs that might not be possible if reality had to be obeyed.
One example is Spike. He started off as a single story character, but the fan base loved him so much he got developed into a major character in both Buffy and Angel.
Josses flexibility made his story arcs possible, not necessarily his pre-planned story ideas.
I think you're absolutely right, but I also think that some shows demand pre-planning. Flexibility is a critical skill for a show like Buffy, which is structured as an actin-adventure. For a show like Veronica Mars, where the mysteries are the whole point of the story, pre-planning is crucial, since the clues from the beginning of the season have to lead somewhere, even if they turn out to be red herrings. It's just the nature of writing a good mystery.
Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :
Despite it not being mentioned in this thread, I've somehow ended up watching Millenium.
Without spoilering me, is this show going somwhere? Is it true the story is wrapped up in an episode of X-Files?
Oh, and you're all right about the first season of Babylon 5. I'm having a real hard time getting through it.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Pretty sure stuff does happen in Millennium....I've only gotten halfway through season 2 in this watching of it. I loved it when it was on tv, though now I don't remember what happens.
-pH
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Millenium does end with an episode of X-Files. I remember when it was aired, and they ran a Millenium marathon on FX leading up to it. Those were the only episodes I had ever seen, so I still want to go back and watch all 3 seasons.
Posted by orlox (Member # 2392) on :
Farscape
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
The best shows on TV are all on HBO:
Rome The best show on TV! Deadwood (though I thought the third season was kinda rambling and not as good as the first two) Sopranos (I can only vouch for the first couple of seasons) Six Feet Under (I saw the first couple of seasons, and the last season, the ending couldn't have been more complete or satisfying, IMHO) Oz (Season 1, then it went downhill)
I'd put Carnivale in there, because it was a great show, but the story wasn't really finished when the show was canceled, and to me, the ending was very much NOT satisfying.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
I can second Rome. It grieves me deeply that it is over now. but definitely a good *complete* story arc, epic even. Amazing production values, good writing, and so forth. The really nice thing is that most of the plot twists are actually from history. As in, there is a cast of historical characters and a cast of ahistorical characters. What happens to the historical characters essentially is what really happened, with some time compression and merging of characters to make it fit. Any "plot twists" that occur to the historical characters are really what happened and sometimes even manage to surprise if you weren't paying full attention in Roman History lectures. In some sense, the fun is in how you get there, not what actually happens. (In the same way that Babylon 5 oftens tells you what happens, three, or five seasons in advance but the fun is in how you get there)
There's a lot of confusion as to what constitutes a complete story arc in this thread. My own personal scheme would resemble something like this:
1. Completely non-persistent: Relatively rare, but no plot developments *ever* stay for more than one episode. e.g. maybe children's cartoon shows, Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show 2. Almost totally non-persistent with a few reoccurring characters/gags e.g. Simpsons, Family Guy 3. Organic persistent universe: The story universe is persistent but no plot developments are really thought of beforehand. Any interesting plot developments/characters are carried forward but there is no evidence of a season-by-season or complete plan. e.g. early Stargate SG1, ST:TNG, ST:Voyager, Sliders, early ST:DS9 4. Pretentious planned universe: The storyline teases the audience with what seems to be a complete story arc, but the evidence never materialises or fails completely due to other factors. e.g. The X-Files, Andromeda, EFC 5. Season-by-season planned persistent universe: Plot developments are mostly planned out on a season by season basis. There may be occasional planning that goes on beyond the season, but not dominant: e.g. late Stargate SG1, late ST:DS9, Buffy, Angel, Jeremiah 6. Total complete story arc: Most major plot developments are laid out seasons in advance. Bonus points for actually knowing the ending of the series when starting the series. e.g. Babylon 5, Rome (historical TV shows with a defined time period obviously make this a bit easier)
Now, there are obviously some TV shows that are hard to categorise, especially cancelled or in progress TV shows. BSG might be a 6 or a 5, we do not know yet. Firefly is likely a 5. Heroes hopefully a 6. In addition, some shows are not cut and dry.
The thing is, there is a lot of stuff in this thread which is really just a 2 or 3. Not that there's anything wrong with them, but it seems a bit odd to mention them as having "satisfying complete story arcs". But I'm not going to point any fingers
quote:Originally posted by docmagik: Oh, and you're all right about the first season of Babylon 5. I'm having a real hard time getting through it.
docmagik: I love Babylon 5, so definitely don't give up now. There are two suggestions I can give to make the first season go a bit easier. Some have suggested starting with the movie "In the Beginning" Personally, I think it gives away a smidgen too much, but it does give a glimpse as to the epic nature of the universe. I even have some friends which have only watched it, and still enjoy it a great deal. However, its a much much better introduction than the pilot "The Gathering" which I recommend skipping entirely.
As for the first season itself, the must-see episodes are really only Midnight on the Firing Line, Born to the Purple, The Parliament of Dreams, Mind War, And the Sky Full of Stars, Signs and Portents, the two parts of A Voice in the Wilderness, Babylon Squared, and Chrysalis. The first season is the least plotted of the seasons. The conceit is that they're laying down the foundation for a "United Nations in space" before completely flipping over the sandbox and going for broke. Thus some stories are really just light Star Trek re-treads with a small twist to remind you you're in Babylon 5. The real signature Babylon 5 content comes later.
For sure skip Infection, Believers, Survivors, By Any Means Necessary, TKO, Grail, and Eyes. Infection and TKO are particularly bad.
Later you'll discover a key difference between JMS and Joss Whedon in my mind. While both are great head writers (albeit with very different tone), Joss Whedon is much more of a writing team builder. He's great at forging a cohesive writing team, his stories don't stand out from the others, several good writers come out from his Buffy team to work on Angel and Firefly. JMS does not play well with other writers (and his fights with studio execs are legendary). His episodes stand head and shoulders above the rest of the stories, which end up having drastically different tone. This works well in Babylon 5 since he writes like 80% of it and pretty much all of season three and four. This dynamic is less exaggerated when he moves on to Jeremiah (which is another good show), but its still present.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
I have only watched In The Beginning, and The Gathering back when it was first on. The two episodes after The Gathering put me off, maybe I will give it all another chance.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
Although I agree that one of Joss Whedon's greatest strengths is his ability to forge a fantastic writing team, I have to disagree on one point- I do think his scripts noticeably stand out. While he wrote a few mediocre episodes during Buffy's run ("The Freshman" being the most egregious example), his scripts were almost universally among the best episodes the show ever produced. I mean, look at this list (and it's just the ones off the top of my head):
Hush Once More, With Feeling The Body Innocence Becoming, Parts 1 and II Doppelgangland The Gift When She Was Bad Graduation Day, Parts 1 and II Restless
It helps that Joss tended to write the episodes that broke the usual conventions of the series (the musical, the silent episode, the art-film, etc), but there are quite a few in that list that were, at least in plot and style, fairly standard episodes but for the quality of their scripts. "Innocence," for example, has some pretty shocking plot twists, and runs the audience through the emotional wringer like no episode prior to it, but the look and feel associated with most episodes of Buffy are present in their usual form.
Posted by Damien.m (Member # 8462) on :
Taken is the best mini series ever written. Ever.
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
quote:Taken is the best mini series ever written. Ever.
Accoding to your referenced site, it is actually the 513th best show out of 16,437 ever.
Posted by Damien.m (Member # 8462) on :
Yeah well thats pretty good in my book!!!
Posted by the_Somalian (Member # 6688) on :
The Wire on HBO--a sprawling, novel like epic.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Macguyver. All the way. Complete, satisfying story with interesting caveats along the way. A tear jerker ending that leaves the viewer feeling like everything really will work out in the end. Season's one through four are excellent, getting a little slower as you go. Season's five through seven are much more involved in who Mac is, and less on cool/impossible stuff and mullets. But still very good. A++
Posted by xtownaga (Member # 7187) on :
quote:Originally posted by TheGrimace: Farscape (i'm astonished that it hasn't been mentioned yet by anyone else) Especially in season 3 and 4 it get's very plot-arc-ish and in my mind is still one of the best television series around. While the ending of season 4 is frustrating, I still maintain that they did a good job tying things up while sucessfully allowing for further development (the miniseries)
I'll third Farscape, and I read through the entire first page waiting for someone to mention it.
I'll also say it again about Babylon 5, it starts off a little rocky, but once it picks up it's amazing, really some of the best TV ever made.
I'm also going to mention Scrubs, it doesn't have much in the way of long-term plot arcs, so it may not be what you're looking for, but the writing, acting, etc. is all good enough to still suck you in and be absorbing for hours on end (at least IMO).
Posted by Snail (Member # 9958) on :
I'm a little surprised at how much everybody seems to dislike the 5th season of Babylon5 . Sure, it took a long way to get going, and it lives by no means to the quality of seasons 3 and 4 but I still thought it was better than the first two seasons. The stuff with Londo and Lyta especially near the end was really good. Plus I liked how the whole telepath situation forced Sheridan to choose the morally grey option for a change. (He was always a bit too goody-goody to my tastes.)
Anyway, my favorite American shows are The Sopranos and Twin Peaks of which the Sopranos has a rather good story arcs each season whereas I suppose most people know that Twin Peaks became really bad in the end. Apparently the problem was that the murder of Laura Palmer was never supposed to be resolved, and once Lynch and co were forced to resolve it they didn't really have anything more on which to build their series.
I am currently watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the first time, and just finished the first season a couple of days ago. The first season was okay, there were one or two of really bad episodes but overall it was a fun thing to watch, the best thing about the show probably being the witty banter. Still, it hasn't been Earth-shatteringly good yet, but I expect that to change in future seasons because of the way everybody's always going on about this show. My favorite character is probably Cordelia with Xander being the most annoying. (Seriously, teenage boys aren't that stupid. At least I never was.)
I've also watched the first season of Lost, which is semi-entertaining (and at least promises to have a good story arc) even if it looks like a shampoo commercial. I have to say, I'm much more intrigued about how the Island functions and what it represents than I am of the continuous flashbacks. I mean, some of the flashback scenes were good and touching, but too often they just played like random soap opera.
I second the recommendations for the BBC adaptations of Gormenghast and Bleak House. Gormenghast especially was spectacular - easily my favourite fantasy adaptation of recent years, much better than the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter movies.
My current favourite show is a British sitcom called Green Wing, though to call it a sitcom is a bit of an understatement as it is in a genre completely its own. It's set in a hospital which I suppose draws some comparisons to Scrubs though they are mainly unwarranted seeing as the setting is the only thing Green Wing has in common with Scrubs. Scrubs is the sort of show where doctors treat patients, while Green Wing is more of a show where doctors eat gall bladders, ride camels and accidentally have sex with their mothers. Seriously, it's the best thing to come out of Britain since Monty Python and the Fawlty Towers. Green Wing has two seasons and a Christmas special episode that has as little to do with Christmas as the show has with medicine. It also has an arc of sorts... actually to a show this insane it has a couple of surprisingly moving storylines and the ending of the special episode is downright tragic.
Posted by RyanINPnet (Member # 8363) on :
I actually really enjoyed Earth2. I watched it when it was on in 1995, and bought it last year to watch it again. It is only 1 season, and pretty much wraps everything up. Very sci-fi, and very cool.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
Life On Mars just wrapped up and while part of the ending looked very cheesy to me (visually), the ending was very satisfying. It's two seasons long (8 episodes per season) and very entertaining.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Seriously, teenage boys aren't that stupid. At least I never was.
I sure was.
Posted by Snail (Member # 9958) on :
quote:
quote:Seriously, teenage boys aren't that stupid. At least I never was.
I sure was.
Hmm... I suppose it's just the whole going-completely-out-of-whack-when-seeing-a-sexually-attractive-person thing that bugs me, because I don't think I've ever been like that. Also when I was a teen I learned to hate the American teen movie cliché of boys being emotionally more immature than girls of their age because I felt that all teenagers were emotionally immature except me. (So okay, in retrospect maybe I had some blind spots.) I guess it's also culture specific, because Cordelia too is an American high school movie cliché yet I never ran into people like her either at my old high school. I mean, there were bullies, both male and female, but they never fit into such easy molds. Also, I don't really know how to put this into words properly, but I think the whole school world in Buffy and in American high school movies in general feels a lot more "gendered" than school in Finland. In that there are certain things boys are supposed to be and certain things girls are supposed to be, and I don't think we have such things here.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
I'm currently watching HBO's Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons. I've made it through half and it's fantastic. But then, I'm a British history nerd.
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