Top 20 Favourite TV Shows (Part 2)

And now we come to the thrilling conclusion of what my favourite TV shows are. Well, not much else I can add, except let's begin!

10. Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters

So, this is the second double up and this one kinda makes more sense. In the 90s, an animation studio called Cosgrove Hall made two series based on two different Terry Pratchett books. And every Thursday, my mum would rush me home from ballet lessons to get back in time to record it on our VCR. Somewhere in our house, we still have the videos. The animation in this film is not the best, but that doesn't diminish either the story or the excellent prose that is available in every Terry Pratchett book. This was my first introduction to the author, and because I loved the Soul Music TV show so much, it became the first Pratchett book I ever read. And I've read as many as I can ever since! I also might own the soundtrack to that show as well. (And it's really good!) A must watch for any Discworld fan!

9. Midsomer Murders

Ah! The show I always turn to when I need some light hearted fun! Midsomer County is the most dangerous place to live in the UK, and the deaths are the most ridiculous you will ever see! I've talked to my friends many times about the infamous wine episode, the most ridiculous of the lot. But the show keeps together through a number of things, mainly John Nettles as Tom Barnaby and Jane Wymark as his long suffering wife, Joyce. Sgt Troy is also my favourite sergeant, he can be so bumbling and dumb at some times! The mysteries themselves can be surprisingly intense at times,and it's always fun to see well known actors before they were famous getting stabbed in the stomach with a pitchfork.

8. Shadow Raiders

Another animated show from my childhood that I taped and still have the videos somewhere! This seems to be a show that people either remember and love intensely or can't remember a thing about. Which is fair enough, since it was never as popular as other shows similar to it, like Reboot or Beast Wars. But I this one stands out as a really good kids show that shows kids the horrors of war. The plot of the show follows a galaxy of planets who are forced to put aside their differences and stand together against a common enemy who appears in their system, the ominous Beast Planet. It's quite serious, but that's what makes it so memorable. And you really don't get kids shows that tackle the serious business of war in such a good way. If you feel like checking it out, then the show can be found on youtube. One of the best shows from my childhood, and one that re-watch every so often, whenever nostalgia strikes.

7. Community

I was introduced to this show after spending most of one New Years Day watching it non-stop with some of my friends. Since then I was hooked. I haven't watched the latest series', but I will eventually. I just love the characters, they way they bounce off each other ad the way the show incorporates pop culture into it's plots and premises. Of course, it did give me some false expectations about what uni was going to be like. It's been two years so far, an no zombie apocalypse! I am most annoyed! But this is the perfect show to watch with friends, and I have done. Many, many times!

6. Firefly

It should come as no surprise that this is on my list. I'm fairly certain that it appears on everyone's list of favourite TV shows at some point or another. And it should be! The characters, even the smallest supporting ones, are all memorable and interesting. The acting is great. The science works so well, and the special effects support it awesomely. And the stories that follow the crew of Serenity are not only interesting on their own, but also allow the main characters to grow into real people. You become so invested in these nine characters that you really do wish there were episodes of them and their adventures! However, I do think that any more seasons would have destroyed how good the only season that we have is. And in the end, we can't help but be pleased that we do have something of this fantastic show! Not too mention the fantastic movie that followed it!

5. Blackadder

Blackadder is probably one of my favourite shows because it parodies 4 different periods of history so well. The first series is very different from the other three, but that doesn't make it any less amusing. But my own personal favourite will always be the fourth series, Blackadder Goes Forth. It manages to combine the mentality and historical accuracy of World War One with humour and actual pathos. Especially in the last episode. But all every single series is excellent in its own way. Hugh Laurie as Prince George in Blackadder the Third, Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth in Blackadder the Second, and of course the ever faithful Baldrick, played fantastically by Tony Robinson. The way history is presented as comedy is exceptional, which can't be surprising considering it was written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. A must watch for any fan of British comedy!

4. Insektors

This is the last animated kids show from my childhood, I promise you! I'm not sure how many people will remember this show, or which version of it they watched. Yeah, there are two English versions of this original French animated series. The one we got in Australia was the North American dub, which makes it hard for me to watch any of the UK dub. But I digress. Again, this was a show that our family taped and that I get down from the shelves every couple of years or so to relive the memories. The story is pretty simple, and black and white, but I do love the animation style (considering when it was made, the animation is pretty top notch) and the characters. Most of the episodes revolve around two factions of insects and their never-ending inability to get along with each other. I love this show, I met some amazing people through the fandom this show spawned, and it was the first show that inspired me to make my own fan theory concerning the lineage of some of the characters! (It wasn't the first show that inspired me to write fanfiction, however. That's another confession for another day.)

3. The Vicar of Dibley

So, this show not only contains one of my favourite characters played by one of the most brilliant comedians ever to grace our screens. It's also one of the best representations of Christianity in popular culture. But I'm not going to wax lyrical about how the Church of England is not only mocked but celebrated as an accepting and forgiving entity. I'm just going to say that if there were more vicars around like Geraldine Granger, the world would be a better place. Again, this is a show that is hilariously funny, but can also contain some quite heavy and serious moments, and it knows how to handle them well without resorting to bathos (I learnt a new word, look it up!). The characters are also hilarious! I love the villagers and their dopey ways, and how their stupidity and misplaced enthusiasm bounces against the intelligence of Geraldine and David Horton. I love this show so much, that I even memorised Alice's butter speech (for a small fee of biscuits, I will quote it to you). But the heart of the show is the vicar, and I think that Geraldine Granger is one of the best characters ever created!

2. Dad's Army

Unlike a lot of titles on this list, this isn't a show that I grew up with. Instead, I just happened to be in the TV room while my dad was watching an episode of it one day. And since then, I've been hooked. Much like Blackadder, Dad's Army is able to create comedy out of Britain's darkest moment. It's able to combine the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' mentality that a lot of people felt during WW2 with humorous adventures surrounding a small town Home Guard. It's hard to put into words how clever this show is, especially if you know about England during WW2. And the stories are told through some of the funniest characters ever seen on television. I love these characters so much, that I can't even watch the show past the sixth series, because it would mean that I could no longer have the joy in watching James Beck as Private Joe Walker. And when I learned that Clive Dunne and Bill Pertwee had also died, I cried for days. It is now my ambition to meet Ian Lavender, and give him a massive hug, while wearing my hand knitted Pike scarf! I wait with excited breath for the new film!

1. Red Dwarf

For those of you who have been reading this blog (and I do thank those of you who have!) then this number one will come as no surprise! Red Dwarf is everything I could want in a TV show; funny scripts, an interesting premise, awesome characters played by excellent actors. And endless re-watch ability. I probably watch this show more frequently than any of the shows on this list (with the possible exception of Dad's Army), and every couple of years or so I find myself taking down the twelve or so VHS tapes of this show and slowly watch my way through all of them. One day I will get the DVDs, and spend a whole week watching everything that's on them! One of the best comedies ever, one of the greatest TV shows ever conceived and apparently, my favourite TV show. Red Dwarf, I give my double Rimmer salute!

So, that's that. I don't know when the next review will be up. It probably won't be a list, but possibly a rather terrible Christmas movie. Possibly starring Jeffrey Combs. Possibly, but who knows. If I don't post anything before then, have a wonderful Christmas! Until next time, readers.

Top 20 Favourite TV Shows (Part 1)

I am bored. I have finished uni for the year, and that in itself is a lot to celebrate. So, why not with a list.

Recently I have found myself watching more TV shows than movies. I'm currently binging on two series', and have recently discovered a third. So, why not a list of my favourite TV shows? I doubt anyone will actually be interested in this, but I don't really care. My blog, my lists.

So, I hope you enjoy reading my personal favourites. It was a little difficult to choose them, and how I should choose the ones to go on my list. In the end it came down to three things; nostalgia, re-watchability, and whether or not I actually waited to watch them on an actual TV when I did actually watched TV. 

Because I'm weird, or awesome as I prefer to think, I don't watch a lot of TV serials. So, shows like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, True Blood, and Boardwalk Empire won't appear on this list. Just getting that out of the way now so you won't be disappointed. Expect more comedies and mystery shows. You also may have noticed that there are 20 titles on this list. This is because there were some shows that I just could not bear to leave off, and it consequently brought the list up to 20. Sorry.

But enough banter, let's get on with the list!
  
20. The Mighty Boosh

I won't say that this was my first foray into absurd comedy, but The Mighty Boosh was definitely the first bit media that I actively sort out fanfiction for. And it introduced to me the wonder of slash fiction. Apart from initiating me into what fandom is, Mighty Boosh is also a pretty hilarious show. The double act of Howard Moon and Vince Noir is brilliant, and the crazy adventures they find themselves on are both genius and silly beyond words. The supporting characters are also funny, especially Naboo the enigma (who is probably my favourite character) and the Hitcher (who I may or may not have dressed up as at one point...). The live shows are also hilarious, especially the first one. And who could forget the songs! I still know the Hitcher's song off by heart, and will break into it if prompted! If you haven't heard of this show, where have you been living?

19. Jonathan Creek

And now we come to the first of the mystery series that I spent way too much time watching over and over again. Actually, this is probably the only show that I didn't watch over and over again. It spoils the mystery if you watch it too many times. While other mystery shows focus on who did it or why it was done, Jonathan Creek instead focuses on how it was done, which leads to a lot interesting lock door mysteries. I always had so much fun trying to beat the eponymous hero in figuring out how things were done, and even though I never got them right it was still really interesting to see what actually happened. And it stars Alan Davies as Jonathan Creek, who is an awesome grumpy magician's assistant who lives in a windmill. What more could you want?

18. Life on Mars

So, this is one of the shows that I would wait to watch on ABC every Wednesday night. I don't get attached to drama shows that often, but this one was different. It had an interesting premise that didn't get stale through the run of two seasons. And I kinda liked that the situation was never really explained, which is one of the problems I had with the sequel series Ashes to Ashes. The whole universe of the show lost its magic for me when it was explained. But in Life on Mars, the mystery was kept up for 2 seasons! And I was hooked for the entire run! Plus, it also introduced the world to one of the greatest characters ever created! Gene Hunt, the biggest bad-ass of them all!

17. Agatha Christie's Poirot

Agatha Christie has become one of my favourite authors, and I'm sure that favouritism was fueled by this TV show detailing almost every case of Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective. If you watch every episode in order (something I have yet to do, but do it I will!), then you notice a change come over the show as it moves from the rather light seasons of the 90s, to more darker tones and subtexts in the 2000s. It really interesting to watch how they change small things in the books to make the stories more cinematic or dramatic. And David Suchet is the best Poirot ever (sorry Peter Ustinov!). Suchet is also the first actor to appear in adaptations of pretty much every Poirot novel and short story (from what I've read, there's only one short story that hasn't been adapted with Suchet as Poirot). For that, he deserves a medal and every acting award!

16. Star Trek

 
While the picture may be of the original series, this spot is kinda reserved for all the Star Trek's. Or at least all the Star Trek's I've watched so far, namely TOS, Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine. I think in my heart, the original series will hold a very special place since it was the first Star Trek I watched, and it was the first time I was really introduced to the acting genius that is William Shatner.
The thing that really stands out about the original series in particular is that it's not about conquest, it's about discovery, finding new species and making friends with them, and maybe accidentally destroying said species in the process. Kirk might have ignored the Prime Directive more than once, but his loyalty to his crew and need to protect them is truly admirable. He's not that bad a captain. And the original series theme music is cheesy and brilliant and awesomely 60s!

15. Black Books

I don't return to this series as often as other ones on this list. But every time I do, I find myself watching every episode from every season in one huge binge! The world's grumpiest book shop owner, Bernard Black (played hilariously by Dylan Moran) has appeared on this blog before as the most loveable jerk you ever met. And the other characters are equally as awesome. Every actor who appeared on here has gone to other shows and movies, but I do love them in this the most. The strange scenarios they find themselves in become a little hit and miss in later seasons, but there are still some excellent jokes and one-liners to be found in even the least good of the episodes. British black comedy at its finest!

14. RuPaul's Drag Race & The Great British Bake Off

There are a couple of doubles on this list, because it's my list and I couldn't bear to leave any of these off. These two are put together because they are both reality TV shows, though their subject matter couldn't be any different.

I have a strange fascination with drag queens. I think it's cause I find them so talented in creating an illusion that most of the time looks better than the real thing (better than my best day, at any rate). I think that's why I got into this show, but I stayed because I fell in love with the drag queens. The show might be a bit manipulative, but then what show isn't. And they do take a lot time to show how talented each of the queens are. And I do like the message that drag queens create their own family that is hidden between the bitchiness and cat-fights. Plus the fashions that they all come up with! I have seen every season of this show at least two times, and I don't regret any of it!

Now, this show is almost the complete opposite in terms of tone, but that's what makes it so good! While other reality shows rely on bitchiness and scandal to sell themselves, The Great British Bake Off instead uses politeness and constructive criticism to keep it's audience. The judges are always fun to watch, and though they do critique the bakes quite hard sometimes, they always offer advice and try to offer a compliment to even the worst bakes. And the contestants are all really supportive of each other, and that means that you get really upset whenever any of them leave. I never thought baking could be tense. And the hosts, Mel and Sue, are so awesome! The puns they come up with! All the bun puns! Brilliant!

13. 2 Broke Girls

 

So, this is the most recent show on this list. I'm not that big a fan of modern sitcoms, I think a lot of them are annoying and stupid. But I like this one, and I think a lot of that comes from the excellent casting of the two leads. Kat Dennings is awesome in everything, and Max Black is now one of my favourite characters ever! But Beth Behrs is also really good as the straight man to a lot of Max's jokes, and I don't think she gets the credit she deserves a lot of the time. The whole premise of the show is also one that people can relate to, since almost everyone has been broke at some point in time (me more than others, it seems). I know the humour can sometimes be crude and obvious, but I still like it, and I think there should be more sitcoms with excellent female characters and actors. 

12. Heart and Soul, aka All the Small Things

I loved this show so much when it first came out that when I missed one of the episodes, I looked it up on youtube to watch it! I doubt many people remember this. It was a fairly light, 6 episode dramedy from the UK about the trials and tribulations of a small town choir. Each episode would focus on a different member of the choir, with an overarching story involving the strife of the family of the choir master. It's quite gentle, and the music is excellent with some awesome covers of modern rock songs (check out the acapella version of 'What's My Age Again'). It's one of those shows that whenever I watch it, I have to watch all 6 episodes in order in one big binge. I just have to, I get so caught up in the characters I need to know everything that happens! If you haven't heard of this series, but like little British TV shows, then I would definitely recommend this!

11. Daria

When I first watched this when it first came out, I don't think I really got it. I was too young to understand it. But after re-watching it a year or so ago when I was craving nostalgia, I fell in love with it completely! I love the character of Daria, the perpetual high school outsider (so much so, that I might have dressed up as her for a party at some point). The other characters are also great, and even though most of them don't turn up in Australian high schools, are still recognisable enough to everyone. The animation is also good, and while it is simple if fits the premise perfectly. One of the best kids show ever made, and now one of my favourite shows ever!

So, that's it for part 1! Part 2 will be up eventually. Until next time, readers.

Greetings and welcome

Hello people everywhere! Though I doubt many people will actually view this blog, I'm going to try and stick with it anyway.

So, I live in a world of lists. What films I like, what books I have to read, even what homework I have to do. And I would like to share some of these lists with all the world. This will probably end up very opinion based, but I don't really care. I'm mainly focusing on books, films and music, though I may branch off into other things like TV. Yep, I sure love my media.

So to get started, I thought I'd share some of my five favourite things, i.e books, films, albums and tv shows, and also, because I can, directors. So lets get started with books.

(Btw, these are my opnions. I don't really care if you think I'm insane for liking one thing and not liking another. It's just an opinion!! Also, I'm not going to go into detail as to why I like what I like. If people actually want that, then I can do it later. But right now, this is sort of just to get to know me.)

Books:
5. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett
4. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
3. 1984 by George Orwell
2. Peter Pan by J.M Barrie
1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham

I never realised how many kids books I like! Anway, moving right along...

Films:
5. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, dir. Woody Allen)
4. Singin' in the Rain (1952, dir. Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen)
3. The Blues Brothers (1980, dir. John Landis)
2. Corpse Bride (2005, dir. Tim Burton and Mike Johnson)
1. Harold and Maude (1971, dir. Hal Ashby)

So, yeah, that's that! Now for ...

Albums:
5. Strike! - The Baseballs (2009)
4. Made of Bricks - Kate Nash (2007)
3. Americana Deluxe - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (1998)
2. 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day (2009)
1. Help! - The Beatles (1965)

Again, I would like to stress this is an opinion. I don't really want to get replies asking why I picked one album or film or whatever over another.

TV Shows:
5. Pushing Daisies
4. Firefly
3. Dad's Army
2. Blackadder
1. Black Books

And finally (god, I didn't know this would take so long!)

Directors:
5. Terry Gilliam
4. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
3. Alfred Hitchcock
2. Billy Wilder
1. John Landis

For those Burton fans out there, he came in at no.6, just in case you were wondering.


So, that's it for this weeks blog. Hopefully I can get around to doing this at least once a week, but what with yr 12 being a complete bitch, we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading if you do, live long and prosper! TTFN