The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIf you could only take ONE tv series with you to a desert Island........
which one, created in the last 10 years, and why?
For me.....The Big Bang Theory
Lochloosa
(16,063 posts)I have them all on DVD. And still watch them.
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Miss this show.
LonePirate
(13,416 posts)Walter Bishop is a personal hero.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Guy who played Walter was on Forever series just recently, and I felt like saying..."Hi, Walter..how ya been?"
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)Because best show ever.
applegrove
(118,600 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)cause otherwise we would all grab MASH,,,,,,
applegrove
(118,600 posts)still funny though dated in its sexual harassment in the early seasons.
calimary
(81,200 posts)It always helps me remember how thoughtless, self-absorbed, myopic and narrow-minded CONservative characters - like Frank Burns - were portrayed. Properly, I thought. As total jokes and comic foils and antagonists. Objects of justifiable derision for the jerks they are. Now, hell, liberals get that treatment, and CONS are elevated almost to hero status.
Might still try to sneak something "Star Trek" in despite its age, though, and/or "Babylon Five" - which would conform to the "last ten years" specifications here.
But "West Wing" maybe, because it helped keep me sane during bush/cheney.
applegrove
(118,600 posts)to think of anyone as charismatic and good and funny. What a great character: a brilliant doctor with Maine 'groundedness'.
calimary
(81,200 posts)and more. You really got a sense of authenticity - in the same way that BJ mentioned Mill Valley and Radar talked about rural Iowa.
And yeah, back then they had the laugh track and the freewheeling themes of drunkenness and sexism and Hawkeye trying to put the make on anything in a skirt (except, of course, for Corporal Klinger!) - and I'm as staunchly ardent a feminist as you'll probably find. Even so, he was lovable. AND for those of us in "that" generation, he spoke for us about the outrage of war. It was fresh from the Vietnam era, although they put it in Korean War terms. But it spoke for US. And it was very meaningful and super relevant to US. It gave us words and meanings and helped to shape and frame our own turbulent feelings about what our country had just gone through.
GREAT character. STELLAR. They ALL were. No wonder it was such a successful show. It went WAY beyond just a "sitcom." Started as one, but went WAY beyond that.
My husband and I even have a few private jokes about it. Not a meal goes by where we don't talk about "the Margaret." The begrudging little teeny leftover bite that's all you can spare to share from a great meal. "This for Margaret" was that line from Charles Emerson Winchester in the "Grim Reeper" episode where the side story was about food. Just remembering the gourmet meal Charles and Margaret shared with the canned pheasant that was bad and made them sick, and the wounded soldier from Toledo who bonded with Klinger and then sent him a care package from Packo's Hungarian Hotdogs. The stingey little single-bite morsel - "ample reward for opening a jar!" - in response to Charles not sharing his gourmet picnic basket with his bunkies. And then they gave in and gave him the whole hotdog, but added "hey, save some for Margaret!" My husband will often fix himself a snack and bring it up to bed to enjoy, and then hand me a spoonful or the dish with about a quarter-cup of whatever's left, and declares - here's "the Margaret." Or he'll ask if I'm interested in having "the Margaret?"
We've got a bunch of those. "See these boots? Picture them kicking you across the compound!" Make sure you extend your flattened hand slowly outward as you say that, the way the annoyed Colonel Potter did. We've got a bunch of those. Little private jokes we've had with each other for years.
LOVE that show. It really got under my skin.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)We were all in our mid 20's at the time.
And we had a ritual of tv night to watch Upstairs Downstairs and M*A*S*H* together.
We were emotional wrecks when a key character was killed on Upstairs
and total messes at MASH's "Abyssinia, Henry" when Colonel Blake was declared dead.
We walked around the next day like we had lost a family member, among a sea of students on campus who also looked numb.
best show ever, IMHO.
Hell, I might take that one to the Island.
calimary
(81,200 posts)Btw - when I was in Toledo a couple of years ago, my sister took me to Tony Packo's. O.M.G. Hallowed ground! They even had a veritable shrine to "M*A*S*H"! They had another big tribute to Jamie Farr, Corporal Klinger, in the gift shop. Their walls are covered with signed hot dog buns - from every kind of celebrity past and present and dear departed. Presidents. Actors. Writers. Sports stars. Politicians galore. Nobel prize winners. Even a Pope or two. Celebrities of every imaginable stripe. EVERYBODY who was ANYBODY has a signed hot dog bun on display somewhere. I understand the first signee was Burt Reynolds. President Obama has one up there! So does mitt romney and john mccain, for that matter, plus Biden, ryan and palin. You name 'em - they're up on there somewhere. I took photos all over the inside and finally gave up because there was no way to photograph them all - and besides, our food had arrived!
And the spread that was sent to the 4077 by that soldier who returned home to Toledo? We sat there in Tony Packo's and ate that! Including the pickles! I bought a dozen of their pickle pens for stocking stuffers for the kids and the band members that Christmas. They even sell plastic hot dog buns that look like the real thing they serve, and the package comes with a mini sharpie so you, too, can sign a Packo's hot dog bun!
http://www.tonypacko.com
(Full disclosure - I have nothing to do with Tony Packo's. I don't have a piece of them - other than maybe a tiny bit of leftover extra mass on my back end after all the eating I did there! I gain nothing else by talking them up. I'm just a rabid "M*A*S*H" fan who became a Tony Packo's fan because of that show.)
jen63
(813 posts)I'm in OH, so all I have to do is go to the grocery! A little pricey but totally worth it! (I'd take MASH too, even though it misses the cutoff. Best show ever!)
applegrove
(118,600 posts)to describe all manner of manipulation in order to protect themselves from being taken in (unless of course they were the ones doing the taken inning). We need a vocabulary like that these days what with the GOP constantly running nefarious types in every election.
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)Prior to the last 10 years, Xena.
Both are complex and diverse series. Good actors, good writing, good direction. There is something new to be found every time I watch them. Xena withstands the test of time, and I think Game. Of Thrones will too.
woodsprite
(11,910 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,669 posts)Great stories, terrific acting, never dull.
I was going to say Twin Peaks but that's more than 10 years old. Nothing has exceeded its weirdness since.
So I'd have a catalog of all the Dharma snacks.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)I'd try to find one of those good "survival" shows like Naked and Afraid or Dual Survival.
840high
(17,196 posts)NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)When I was diagnosed with lupus, I let out an audible "HA"!
Tom_Foolery
(4,691 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Lost (no irony intended). Community a close second.
There's a peculiar sense of satisfaction I get in watching and re-watching something I can't really understand, or explain why it draws me in.
First Speaker
(4,858 posts)...maybe this is cheating, since it comprises a bunch of different shows under one umbrella--Sherlock, Endeavor, the later Poirots, etc... If I had to choose one, it would be Sherlock.
narnian60
(3,510 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,376 posts)Mine would be MM, too. Honestly, the BBC is the consistently best thing on television, IMHO.
mithnanthy
(1,725 posts)with actor David Suchet. My husband and I watch the reruns over and over to see the beautiful scenery, buildings and art pieces.
GeorgeGist
(25,319 posts)liberaltrucker
(9,129 posts)Except perhaps NCIS. My choice would be Hogan's Heroes
Yep, I'm old.
roody
(10,849 posts)LynneSin
(95,337 posts)Even 10 years later they make episodes so funny I almost pee myself from laughing
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)I have not seen it.
Gasp.
IrishEyes
(3,275 posts)I've every episode already but I would watch them again.
Paper Roses
(7,473 posts)trof
(54,256 posts)I'd have all those survival tips.
blue neen
(12,319 posts)Everything about that show is fascinating.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)That killer closer of last week's episode, showing Peggy walking down the hallway with a whole new attitude.....hell of a shot.
blue neen
(12,319 posts)I think it's one of those shots (along with some other great ones) that will become synonomous with Mad Men.
LeftInTX
(25,224 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)and the writer points out that the main characters are sitting in this shot in this pose which alludes to a shot in Season 5 which shows that they have .....blah blah
and then says
the line Don spoke in this episode refers back to that other episode in Season 4 when the writers used the image of.....etc etc
After reading recaps like these, I have to go back and watch the episode all over again.
The use of color and clothes design is so purposeful, as was Breaking Bad.
And the little items on a desk are original to the period of the shot, etc.
I had forgotten how much orange ad yellow and lime green was used in the 70's. *shudder*
LeftInTX
(25,224 posts)There are so many details/characters that I didn't connect from one season to the next, that rewatching it becomes more relevant.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)By the time the show rolls around again, I forgot what was going on.
blue neen
(12,319 posts)I think a lot of people are going to go into grief after May 17!
Sancho
(9,067 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)Because I can watch them over and over without getting tired of them.
sarge43
(28,941 posts)Ino
(3,366 posts)Runners-up...
The Office (British version)
Curb Your Enthusiasm
edited to add...
Rome
olddots
(10,237 posts)you know budget cuts and all ........ okay mayne 2 and 1/4 Men
valerief
(53,235 posts)Just in case I want to get off the freakin' island!
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)There is also on YouTube something called the 15 million pound tunnel..I may have screwed up that titles---
about how they are making a new subway/train underground track in London.
Somehow they made that a fascinating 3 part series.....I was mesmerized.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)don't ya think?
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)...having the main character (Kevin Spacey) turn to the audience every so often and drawl something like "You didn't see THAT coming, did ya?" is just so double cool.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Whadda ya think Claire is gonna do next season?
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)Claire left because she lost her job and her own personal identity is very important to her. I think she will come into a situation where her strength is restored by some means, and then she will be able to return as a real partner/wife to the President.
calimary
(81,200 posts)SO much clever and illuminating stuff gets by you so fast in the dialogue that you have to rewatch it to catch it all.
Callmecrazy
(3,065 posts)Or Bear Gryllis.
I wanna live.
greendog
(3,127 posts)Maybe I could take my guitar and some art supplies instead?
charlie and algernon
(13,447 posts)I'm taking the West Wing with me. Last season was 2006.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)you don't need any grief from me.
West Wing it is.
rurallib
(62,406 posts)and it has really sucked for two years.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)The Ping Pong match.
I was laughing so hard the dog went and fetched Mr. Dixie.
I crack myself up just thinking of that bit.
mainer
(12,022 posts)to see which one has the largest. Then they do the jiggle test to really compare.
mainer
(12,022 posts)THAT was my favorite episode.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,170 posts)with his mother's meatloaf and it stuck to the ceiling.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)and fabulous acting and writing and as a side effect will teach you more about America's social issues than any other show.
All taking place in the poor neighborhoods of Baltimore.
ballabosh
(330 posts)Sorry I earlier said Monty Python, but I didn't see the last 10 years thing
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,324 posts)Lots of ideas on how to get off the island without that fucking Gilligan fucking things up.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)I always wanted one of those suitcases that "Ginger" had with a million costume changes in it.
Throd
(7,208 posts)shenmue
(38,506 posts)First Speaker
(4,858 posts)...all evidence to the contrary has been fabricated...
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)Secretary.
It's well acted, well written, and relevant to what's happening in the real world.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Number9Dream
(1,560 posts)MST3K - Funniest show ever for me.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)It does hold up well to repeated viewings, doesn't it?
Number9Dream
(1,560 posts)Apparently, Mr. Dixie has good taste in many things (smile).
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I'll take the episodes from this point on and back ten years; don't have to have the whole set. But it would be fun, especially as my desert isle likely wouldn't have any cars, trucks, or roads. Although I might learn how to make a powered blimp or hovercraft and then ruin someone's picnic
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)Runners up - Seinfeld, The Sopranos
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)archiemo
(492 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,639 posts)But NCIS from about 12 yrs. Somehow, I can watch that over and over and over.
kairos12
(12,852 posts)lunamagica
(9,967 posts)nirvana555
(448 posts)I LOVE friends. It may not be "cool" but I laugh so hard even if I've seen the episode 20 times. I write on the side so I may look at T.V. shows in a different way. It's got great dialogue and there's even physical comedy. Also it's SO nuisanced. I agree with what folks have said about MASH - absolutely stellar. And Hawkeye is probably one of the best T.V. Characters ever. But my God, there are so many:
Breaking Bad - regardless of all the praise its gotten, it's still not overblown. IMHO it's genius
Lost - I've seen the entire series 3 times - Amazing
Seinfeld - Classic
Six Feet Under
And so many more
Older shows:
The Twilight Zone
Andy Griffith
I Love Lucy
Sorry I'm not following the question of the post, but I love Great T.V shows and movies almost more than anything so whenever something like this comes up, I love it!
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Chuckles the Clown.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)I feel like every one of them is a family member and I mourn their loss when they get killed off.
trueblue2007
(17,203 posts)mackerel
(4,412 posts)Response to dixiegrrrrl (Original post)
distantearlywarning This message was self-deleted by its author.