OT: Favorite TV Shows no longer in production

[maclean]

Samurai Jack is pure television art.


It was able to pay tribute to countless classic films and TV shows while forging it's own lore. It pushed boundaries in terms of storytelling, it wasn't afraid to tell mature and serious stories when it wanted to, and was patient when it needed to be.

I respect your opinion but I really think you should give it another shot. I honestly don't think there's an animated show that used its medium as well as Samurai Jack.

This is what I hear and I may try to come back to it, but I gave it a whole season and every episode followed the same formula - a few lines of inane dialogue with some random characters, then a bunch of mindless fighting. The stories have no depth to them, each one is completely predictable and on a higher level it is also completely evident where the whole series arc is headed.

 

[saskriders]

I figured I would take us off the hockey subject and possibly get some new recommendations on TV shows.

What are your favorite TV shows that are no longer in production

Mine are (in no particular order)

The Office (US Version)
IT Crowd
Community
Parks and Recreation
Psych
M*A*S*H
Longmire
Chuck

Such a great show even after this many years have passed by.

 

[Langdon Alger]

You just basically told us how old you are

I pretty much watched every sitcom in the 90’s.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Such a great show even after this many years have passed by.

They had some really amazing moments (huge for the time period in television):







The character of Winchester was so underrated. Dude was quite complex in the few episodes where they chose to focus on him.

 

[Senscore]

This is what I hear and I may try to come back to it, but I gave it a whole season and every episode followed the same formula - a few lines of inane dialogue with some random characters, then a bunch of mindless fighting. The stories have no depth to them, each one is completely predictable and on a higher level it is also completely evident where the whole series arc is headed.

I see what you're saying. The story is rather straightforward in it's overarching structure. This is a legend, a myth. Good vs evil. The hero's journey to restore balance to a world plunged into darkness.

It also has to balance long term story telling with serialized stories. Yes every week has a new challenge and a new character or group of characters to help. However as the series went on they did change things a bit. Jack would encounter recurring characters as time went on, they tried more interesting story telling methods within the structure of individual episodes, and occasionally used flashback episodes to help flesh things out.

I mean you could argue it's predictable in the way Star Wars was predictable, but for the type of story they are telling I don't think that really should be held against it. We are dealing primarily with archetypes.

For what it's worth the final season which at last came out last year completely tossed serialized storytelling out the window and was a season of one extended story. Not only that but one without the limitations of a child friendly rating.

 

[JimmySpaetzle]

Friends
Seinfeld
How I Met Your Mother
The Office (US version)

 

[maclean]

I see what you're saying. The story is rather straightforward in it's overarching structure. This is a legend, a myth. Good vs evil. The hero's journey to restore balance to a world plunged into darkness.

It also has to balance long term story telling with serialized stories. Yes every week has a new challenge and a new character or group of characters to help. However as the series went on they did change things a bit. Jack would encounter recurring characters as time went on, they tried more interesting story telling methods within the structure of individual episodes, and occasionally used flashback episodes to help flesh things out.

I mean you could argue it's predictable in the way Star Wars was predictable, but for the type of story they are telling I don't think that really should be held against it. We are dealing primarily with archetypes.

For what it's worth the final season which at last came out last year completely tossed serialized storytelling out the window and was a season of one extended story. Not only that but one without the limitations of a child friendly rating.

I don't know that Star Wars is the same thing, the characters there have internal conflict. Luke is impulsive, conflicted, doesn't always make the right decision. Anyhow, I'm sure we'll come back to it at some point, but for now we're going through all the seasons of Adventure Time instead, which is like the diametrical opposite

 

[Samsquanch]

Sopranos

It took waaaaaay too long for this to get mentioned.

Seinfeld, Sopranos, the Wire, Entourage, Dexter, Deadwood, Big Love, Tru Blood (guilty pleasure)... man, HBO used to be so much better...

 

[Senscore]

I don't know that Star Wars is the same thing, the characters there have internal conflict. Luke is impulsive, conflicted, doesn't always make the right decision. Anyhow, I'm sure we'll come back to it at some point, but for now we're going through all the seasons of Adventure Time instead, which is like the diametrical opposite

Fair enough. I would like the point out that it becomes clear Jack feels an immense sense of guilt for allowing the world to become what it is, and often hurts his own chances at success because of the responsibility he feels towards helping others.

 

[topshelf15]

Night Court
High Incident
Starman
Night Heat
Moonlighting
The Greatest American Hero
The Incredible Hulk
Science International (What Will They Think of Next - US and syndication title)
The Littles (for the kid in me)
The A Team
V (although I think they did bring that one back recently?)
The Edison Twins (again for the kid in me)
Sliders



And ditto to others already mentioned:
WKRP
Star Trek (virtually all series)

I pity the fool.....Knight Rider,and Dukes of Hazzard would be others

 

[harrisb]

Dallas

 

[topshelf15]

Dallas

Falcon Crest...btw I shot JR

 

[Beville]

Friends
How I met your mother

Think that’s about it for me.

 

[emo]

Cheers
Seinfeld
M.A.S.H.
Night Court
The League
Kids in the Hall

The Wire
Breaking Bad
Tour of Duty
Dungeons and Dragons

 

[otown]

Six Feet Under with Michael C. Hall

 

[Bileur]

I won’t repeat those already mentioned but I’d add

Rome
Friday night lights

 

[Langdon Alger]

Cheers
Seinfeld
M.A.S.H.
Night Court
The League
Kids in the Hall

The Wire
Breaking Bad
Tour of Duty
Dungeons and Dragons

The bass line in the night court them song is sick.

 

[Mingus Dew]

In no order either and ones not mentioned by you:
The League
Party Down
Extra's
Seinfeld
Flight of the Conchords
Eastbound & Down
Life's Too Short
The Larry Sanders Show

Party Down is so incredibly good. It’s criminal that most people have never heard of that show.

 

[BondraTime]

Eastbound and Down. Gimme more Kenny P

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I pity the fool.....Knight Rider,and Dukes of Hazzard would be others

The amount of 'cool vehicle' tv shows in the 80s was insane.

Airwolf
Simon & Simon
Miami Vice
Magnum PI
Fall Guy
Hardcastle & McCormick



I wouldn't want to be the stunt guys on Airwolf...crazy stuff:

 

[Laphroaig]

Deadwood
Bored to Death
Justified
SCTV

 

[Tundraman]

I go way back with some of my early favorites:

Maverick - James Garner
Gunsmoke - James Arness
Rawhide - Eric Fleming who drowned making a film also Clint Eastwood
Wyatt Earp - Hugh O'Brian
Bonanza
Lost in Space (Guy Williams aka Disney's Zorro)
The Time Tunnel
Kids Incorporated (For my youngest who wouldn't miss a show)
Quantum Leap

as well as 3rd Rock from the Sun, Seinfeld and Mash among others mentioned here before

 

[maclean]

Eastbound and Down. Gimme more Kenny P

Ha, I recently finally watched the newish Alien movie with him in it and I was like - hey! Kenny Powers in space!

Vice Principals I also really enjoyed

 

[Mingus Dew]

And yeah Deadwood is the greatest series to ever air on TV. The fact that it ended on a cliffhanger (more-or-less) is tragic.

 

[Grizz MacArthur]

The Wire
Breaking Bad
Seinfeld
Lost
Mad Men
Sons of Anarchy
The Office (US)
The Sopranos
Six Feet Under
Dexter
The Shield