Author Topic: Best TV Series in the Cable Era  (Read 33782 times)

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Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #90 on: September 13, 2016, 09:16:53 PM »

Offline Eja117

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I feel like we're past the cable era now. We're in the internet/Netflix era.

So I would roughly declare the cable era to be....1992 till 2014.

But most of the best shows during that time were on network TV.

I have to shout out to the Simpsons that has gone for 28 seasons and South Park that has gone for 20.

King of the Hill went for 13 and was underrated the whole time.

Big Bang Theory is up to 9

So basically....someone says to me....You are gonna be on a deserted island alone for 15 years and you can only have a handful of shows that are largely contained in the cable era...gimmie...in some order close to this...

1 GOT
2 Gilmore Girls
3 Big Bang Theory
4 South Park
5 King of the Hill
6 Firefly
7 Modern Family
8 Parks and Rec
9 The Chapele Show
10 The Middle
11 The Office
12 Seinfeld
13 30 Rock
14 Lost ..sight unseen
15 Downton Abbey sight unseen
16 Sopranos sight unseen
17 Two and a Half Men
18 Frasier
19 Aqua Teen Hunger Force
20 How I Met your Mother sight unseen
21 X Files sight unseen
22 Will and Grace
23 Wings
24 Melrose Place.....hey....I'm gonna be stuck on an island
25 Malcolm in the Middle
26 Mad about You....ok now I'm getting indifferent


WOW....According to Jim ran 8 seasons and I hardly knew it existed

Empty Nest went 7 seasons?

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #91 on: September 13, 2016, 10:46:54 PM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

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The Wire.

This to me tops my list. Just nothing short of a masterpiece.
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Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #92 on: September 13, 2016, 11:30:52 PM »

Offline chambers

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Sopranos
Breaking Bad
The Wire
Game of Thrones
South Park
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Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #93 on: September 14, 2016, 08:00:01 AM »

Offline Redz

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I feel like we're past the cable era now. We're in the internet/Netflix era.

So I would roughly declare the cable era to be....1992 till 2014.

But most of the best shows during that time were on network TV.

I have to shout out to the Simpsons that has gone for 28 seasons and South Park that has gone for 20.

King of the Hill went for 13 and was underrated the whole time.

Big Bang Theory is up to 9

So basically....someone says to me....You are gonna be on a deserted island alone for 15 years and you can only have a handful of shows that are largely contained in the cable era...gimmie...in some order close to this...

1 GOT
2 Gilmore Girls
3 Big Bang Theory
4 South Park
5 King of the Hill
6 Firefly
7 Modern Family
8 Parks and Rec
9 The Chapele Show
10 The Middle
11 The Office
12 Seinfeld
13 30 Rock
14 Lost ..sight unseen
15 Downton Abbey sight unseen
16 Sopranos sight unseen
17 Two and a Half Men
18 Frasier
19 Aqua Teen Hunger Force
20 How I Met your Mother sight unseen
21 X Files sight unseen
22 Will and Grace
23 Wings
24 Melrose Place.....hey....I'm gonna be stuck on an island
25 Malcolm in the Middle
26 Mad about You....ok now I'm getting indifferent


WOW....According to Jim ran 8 seasons and I hardly knew it existed

Empty Nest went 7 seasons?

Gotta question Lost for deserted island viewing.  If I'm stuck on an island and somehow have been given the distraction of tv to keep my every waking thought from my inevitable demise, this might make things worse.  At least go for Gilligan's Island if you've got to watch people in a similar predicament to yourself (TV Land counts for the cable era, right?).
Yup

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #94 on: September 14, 2016, 09:30:13 AM »

Offline gift

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Separate categories for more typically half hour-ish comedies and hour-ish dramas. I just can't compare between the two. Off the top of my head these are definitely on the list. Someday I should really create my own rankings though:

The Wire
Breaking Bad
The Sopranos
Friday Night Lights
The West Wing

curb your enthusiasm
The League
The Office
Seinfeld

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #95 on: September 14, 2016, 10:29:54 AM »

Online Roy H.

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A couple of under appreciated shows:

Bloodline (Netflix)
Rectify (Sundance)

I just finished Penny Dreadful. It was solid, but I thought it didn't fully live up to its potential.





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Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #96 on: September 14, 2016, 11:49:12 AM »

Offline gift

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A couple of under appreciated shows:

Bloodline (Netflix)
Rectify (Sundance)

I just finished Penny Dreadful. It was solid, but I thought it didn't fully live up to its potential.

Both Bloodline and Rectify are really good shows and are certainly underappreciated. I'm getting the sense that Bloodline will never, and can never really, get anywhere in the story though. The plot will just run around in circles (see Damages by the same creators). Though Bloodline is better than Damages.

Rectify is a little bit of the same. The drama between characters has not really changed that much (especially in the third season) and the plot crawls along at a very slow pace. Is Rectify doing a fourth season? The end of the third seemed very much like they were unsure and wanted to add in a little bit of resolution just in case.

If you like Rectify, I'd recommend watching The Red Road (also on Sundance and Netflix)

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #97 on: September 14, 2016, 11:52:23 AM »

Offline celts55

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Rectify is doing a forth season. It will be the last. I believe it's scheduled for mid-end October.

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #98 on: September 14, 2016, 12:00:51 PM »

Offline celts55

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So maybe I missed it in the 7 pages, but I love Ray Donovan. Still great.
Last Week Tonight I find to be very funny and informative.
Now a really weird show I've recently become hooked on, Bates Motel. Watching it on Nexflix. Don't know where it aired, but there are 30 episodes and 3 seasons, so somewhere someone must have been watching it.
 

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #99 on: September 14, 2016, 12:29:50 PM »

Offline boscel33

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As much as I don't necessarily like to admit it here I gotta give a shout out on Sex in the City
Oh you mean the female version of "Entourage"?

Since Sex in the City came first, shouldn't it be that Entourage is the male version of it?   ;D
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Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #100 on: September 14, 2016, 01:39:11 PM »

Offline mef730

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The Wire, Breaking Bad, Battlestar, Dr. Who, Game of Thrones, The West Wing, Lost, Buffy
another Buffy.  Nice.  Really is a great show.  Thought the interaction among the characters felt the most real of any teenage centric show ever.  They really did a good job capturing the high school aged human emotion and interaction.

Buffy was a show that didn't take itself too seriously and had fun within the genre.  A sci-fi fantasy / teen show that was made by people who actually know and like those genres.  Talented cast, well written. 

Hard to have more fun watching a show like that over the course of seven full seasons.

"The Body" and "Once More With Feeling" are two classic episodes.  Great TV.
Can't forget "Hush" where there was no talking for almost the entire episode.  Might have been the best episode of any tv show I've ever seen.  Just so unique in the premise.

I mostly remember "Hush" as when Willow and Tara first started getting to know one another.  Good episode though.

I'm glad somebody brought up Buffy and, in particular, the episode "Hush." That was also my favorite. Many diehard fans would say "Once More, With Feeling." That one, and the other fashionable one "The Body," just never did it for me, although Anya's breakdown in the latter was incredible acting.

My faves:

1) Picket Fences (Seasons 1 & 2)
2) Buffy (although I could drop 5 & 6)
3) Veronica Mars - If you liked Buffy, you'll like this one. Bonus points because the VM movie had tons of easter eggs and shout-outs to fans
4) The West Wing

Other shows of importance:

1) Simpsons: redefined the sitcom and animated genres
2) Cheers: One of the first, if not the first, 30 minute comedy that didn't have to have a happy ending each episode
3) Seinfeld: Because it's Seinfeld

Shows people tell me I would love but that I can't get into:

1) The Wire
2) Battlestar Gallactica
3) Mr Robot

Current shows that have a chance of someday being among the five greatest:

1) Stranger Things (greatest #11 since Edelman)

Shows that I should have watched back then but am getting into now:

1) Freaks and Geeks

Mike

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #101 on: September 14, 2016, 02:23:05 PM »

Offline TheBigTicket23

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1) The Wire

2) The Sopranos
3) Entourage

Narcos is pretty cool now,
Power is amazing too, yes the 50 cent show, but man its good, so exciting. Also love Ballers, the NFL version of Entourage.

About to start The night of, anyone experience?
Still havent seen Suits either, gonna start that one as well.

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #102 on: September 14, 2016, 03:32:01 PM »

Offline Timdawgg

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No Dexter love in here???...Not my number 1 but up there.

TOP 5 for me

Band of Brothers
Breaking Bad
Sons of Anarchy
6 Feet Under
Walking dead



Stranger Things is creeping up there fast after one year for me. Game of Thrones, The Strain are notable too.
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Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #103 on: September 14, 2016, 05:21:32 PM »

Offline dannyboy35

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No Dexter love in here???...Not my number 1 but up there.

TOP 5 for me

Band of Brothers
Breaking Bad
Sons of Anarchy
6 Feet Under
Walking dead



Stranger Things is creeping up there fast after one year for me. Game of Thrones, The Strain are notable too.

I loved Dexter but I was really dissapointed in the ending. Nowhere near a " Lost" debacle but I was bummed out.

Re: Best TV Series in the Cable Era
« Reply #104 on: September 14, 2016, 05:22:37 PM »

Offline dannyboy35

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I'm gonna have to check out " The Strain".