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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Adjunct to the Magic Box: What TV do you watch?

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

11:12 / 20.12.01

Not necesarily "do you make a special effort to watch", but what are the programmes that, if you notice they are on and you are in the house, you might well decide to take a shufti at?

11:16 / 20.12.01

invader zim
any forensic shows

...mmm, thats about it

11:21 / 20.12.01

TV user to be my best fried but we seem to be drifting apart these days, only shows I make a point of watching are -

Buffy
Sopranos
The Simpsons

Thats about it...

11:26 / 20.12.01

newsnight and c4 news...

Regrettable Juvenilia

11:29 / 20.12.01

This is going to the forum it so clearly belongs in...

What I watch:

Buffy/Angel (to be fair I see these on video far more than on the telly per se)
The Sopranos
Eastenders
The news/other news programmes (best = Channel 4 News and BBC2's Newsnight)
The Simpsons when I'm in and it's on, ie hardly ever
Farscape, see above
Ally McBeal
A fair few one-off things... dramas, documentaries
Films
Any old crap that's on, basically

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:59 / 20.12.01

Forgot to mention: JUDGE JOHN DEED. My hero.

Foxxy Feminist Fury

18:13 / 20.12.01

Oh, God. My list is so embarrassingly cheese-filled.

I REALLY don't watch TV that often. But if it's on, and if I'm around, I will watch.

"That 70s Show" - It WORKS here. And I think Donna is supercool. And a "Kids In the Hall" alum is on it. And TOMMY CHONG! "Hangin' OUT!!

"Scrubs" - Which I don't think has made it to the UK yet but it's very funny, and the lead guy is just so adorable.

"Simpsons" - de rigeur, non?

VH-1 "Behind the Music" - I am addicted. I wish there was a channel that showed nothing but "Behind the Music," all day long. The only problem is you always end up convinced that whatever band is being featured is the greatest band of all time. It's a three-way tie among the Heart, Billy Idol and the Go-Gos (a SHOEBOX full of cocaine! BELINDA!)episodes as fave.

"Dateline" - But only because it's the most emotionally manipulative "news" program I've ever watched, and I can't resist the trainwreck. My favorite line ever from dateline (in the 'Exorcism' episode): "Exorcism is the SUperbowl of the Soul. And tomorrow's game day."

Music videos, music videos, music videos.

"Nightline" - Because THAT'S real news and good reporting. And I love Ted Koppel's hair.

Most of the time though I just watch movies, if I'm watching at all.

09:44 / 21.12.01

If I watch 3 hours of tv a month, that's a lot.

My tv is a glorified monitor for my VCR and DVD.

I used to watch a bunch of geek shows but I just started to say 'no' about 3 years ago.

My brain has felt better ever since.

gentleman loser

09:44 / 21.12.01

Toons - toons - toons

Invader Zim (my favorite), Spongebob Squarepants, Fairly Oddparents, Samurai Jack, Grim and Evil, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block (no one can defeat the Quad Laser), The Ripping Friends, Futurama (when it isn't preempted by the stupid NFL). Much to my delight, King of the Hill seems to have returned to its early excellence (The Simpsons, unfortunately, hasn't).

Others

The Tick, Enterprise (best Trek since TOS), Special Unit 2, Junkyard Wars, Battlebots, Babylon 5 reruns, Larry Sanders reruns, those midday Sci-Fi Channel daytime blocks (especially Space: Above and Beyond and Dark Skies; let's hear it for endless repeats of underrated one season shows), National Geographic Channel (especially The Mummy Road Show), Discovery Channel's trippy Thursday night paranormal block.

Of course, I can't watch all of these shows every week.

Hooray for the VCR!

Another thing. Why are so many people ashamed to admit that they watch, or, God forbid, actually enjoy TV? There's lots of good stuff out there if you are selective.

[ 21-12-2001: Message edited by: gentleman loser ]

Regrettable Juvenilia

09:44 / 21.12.01

Good point. And bonus points for mentioning Space: Above and Beyond.

I feel the need to defend the fact that I watch Ally Mcbeal even though no-one has attacked it... basically the longer that show goes on, the more the writers/producers realise that Everyone Hates Ally: she's the most boring character in it, so they've basically made it the Fish & Cage show in all but name... and Fish & Cage, as a double act, rule. Richard Fish is my guru...

11:02 / 21.12.01

When these programs are on, they usually end up being watched:

The West Wing
Sopranos
Futurama (when I remember and I'm not eating)
South Park
Frasier (despite its decline into hell)
ER (so shoot me)
Cutting Edge/Horizon/Equinox/Documentary Strands
The News
Neighbours (for my sins)
Spaced
TOTP2, occasionally. It's good.
Umm
Umm
That's it. It's not all that regular, really. Only West Wing/Sopranos/ER get watched, never fail. The rest is more or less 75% of the time.

Films. LOTS of films. THey're the real meaning of TV.

Shame good British series are so hard to find.

15:36 / 21.12.01

quote:Originally posted by Flyboy:
I feel the need to defend the fact that I watch Ally Mcbeal even though no-one has attacked it...

Back when I watched Ally, I had written an entire essay about how the show was matriarchal revenge fantasy. But I was too afraid to post it anywhere. And now I barely remember why I thought that.

quote:
so they've basically made it the Fish & Cage show in all but name... and Fish & Cage, as a double act, rule.

Things may have changed, however.

quote:

Richard Fish is my guru...

Now THAT'S a little frightening. But actually I like him alot as well.

I HATE HATE HATE that stupid lounge singer, tho. I always picture women in their mid-30s vacuuming the house and singing along to her.

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:45 / 21.12.01

Maybe 'guru' was going a little too far...

17:52 / 21.12.01

have crap tv reception. and no sky. am sad. hence c4 news. and now, thanks to my godsend geek friend, xena via mpeg on cd! am thinking of massive investments along the buffy/angel/xena line in videos post ex-mass to see me through. Aside from that, I *still* have a leaning toward shite tv in the morning, i.e. gmtv, despite it leading me to a terrible bout of hypochondria last year [eg.
- it feels like i have a hangover, omg, i have meningitus!
- no, blue, you have a hangover...]

10:09 / 22.12.01

Invader Zim comes to the UK in January. On Nickelodeon, natch.

12:17 / 22.12.01

Simpsons-On one hour every night-thanks syndication

Futurama- Goddam FOX for putting it on during football in my time- they must want it to fail.

Titus-One of the funniest shows ever-very edgy

70's show.

The soon to be cancelled Tick. !@#$ Fox.

Dark Angel-It's corny eye candy.

Enterprise

Married with Children. My wife just recently discovered it on FX. Man it's funny

Used to watch Farscape but I no longer have digital cable.

Remeber G vs E- what a great show-to clever and smart for tv. Yet oddly enough, now there are shows that steal the style and daring camera angles/split screen.

Ahh TV my brain melts just thinking of it. I love/hate it because the shows are there to attract us to the commericals. They chemicals the laughter, horror and sex elict in us, only make us more succeptable to the ads they run.

19:49 / 22.12.01

My god Burning Man. It sounds like you have a TV that only gets Fox!!

"Malcolm in the Middle?" (That's Mom's fave!)

I'm not ashamed of the TV I do watch. I just feel there should be more to life than a rectangular glowing screen.

UH-OH.

Matthew Fluxington

20:10 / 22.12.01

My favorite shows which are currently on the air in the US:

Gilmore Girls
Saturday Night Live
Late Night With Conan O'Brien
The Daily Show
The Simpsons (though I never get to see new episodes, only reruns lately - plus, I'm a little bored with it, honestly.)

I never get to see That 70s Show, which I enjoy quite a bit, because it is on at the same time as Gilmore Girls, which is probably my favorite tv show ever.

I enjoy but very rarely see new episodes of: Boston Public
Ally McBeal
ER
Frasier

03:30 / 23.12.01

Buffy
Angel
Invader Zim
Fairly Oddparents
The entire Adult Swim lineup
Black Books
South Park
The entire Cartoon Network lineup, less anything involving Scrappy Doo, Land Before Time, Smurfs, Chipmunks
Friends (goddess help me)
Frasier
News Radio
Will and Grace
Simpsons
Smallville (seen one ep but it looks like it could be worthy of my worthless time)

Our Lady of The Two Towers

13:28 / 23.12.01

God this is terrible, I watch News 24, and flick between the other channels to try and find something to amuse me. And less and less does these days. For some reason it's too much of an effort to watch 'Mutant X' or 'Farscape' to see if I like them. I think it's mainly because Sky et al insist on scheduling them all at times when I can't watch them and I can't be bothered to get into the habit of videoing them on the off-chance I'll find some time to watch them. At the moment it's Twin Peaks on C5, Monty Python on Paramount and Family Guy if I remember. Otherwise there's nothing regularly.
Things may change in January when they have new Buffy and Angel, I may get my arse into gear to watch stuff.

14:53 / 23.12.01

Flux I find your affection for "The Gilmore Girls" utterly charming.

And I'd totally forgotten the Daily SHow!! I don't have cable so i don't see it that often, but it is hilarious. I heart Jon Stewart.

Molly Shortcake

14:50 / 24.12.01

I'll watch (or read) just about anything put in front of me. Which is exzactly why I don't watch much TV.

Besides, the WWF is the majority of shows wrapped into a neat litte bundle, as well as the most political show on American television, hands down.

Every four months or so I'll watch TV for weeks on end, to study the media.

I'd much rather choose my brainwashing in the form of video games, cyberpunk and art house films.

Matthew Fluxington

16:08 / 24.12.01

'art house films'

yikes. I really don't know what to say about that.

I always find it weird that there are a lot of folks out there who are proud to say that they disapprove of/don't watch any tv, which to me, is about the same as saying "well, I refuse to listen to any and all music!" "honestly, all books are shit!" "I avoid seeing movies whenever possible" "visual art is a waste of time!" etc...

As if being ingnorant about an artform is a reason to be congratulated or something.

[ 24-12-2001: Message edited by: Flux = Chief Lotsadough ]

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

12:17 / 25.12.01

I'm working nights presently, so I don't watch much tv. When I watched regularly, it was mostly

Cartoon Network (good anytime, but this new Adult Swim stuff is great. At least, the little I have seen is)

The Simpsons

King of the Hill (because it's on after the nine o'clock showing of the Simpsons)

Married with Children

Kids in the Hall

that's all I can think of...

09:45 / 27.12.01

Ok..seeing as how I work from home and have the comp in the same room as the tv...

Simpsons: but they've become boring and repetative this season.
Also watch the other Groening show.

Buffy and Angel: I dont miss these.

Roswell.

Enterprise. but its horrid.

X-files: and its talking all my will power to watch this yawn fest

Gilmour Girls: But I havent seen any of this season...

THE FAMILY GUY: The greatest cartoon on air.

E.R.

The many incarnations of Law and Order

The Passionate Eye. Documentaries from around the world
Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. A show more deserving of an extra 1/2 hour I have not seen.

The Sopranos

Late Night with Conan O'brien

Stargate SG1

Northern Exposure

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

09:45 / 27.12.01

I watch a lot of TV at times, and none at all at others.

I watch Buffy and Angel, but if Buffy keeps becoming a bad slash fan fic, I'll drop the damn thing.

Simpsons, Sopranos when it's new, Friends because I always have and it's silly fun, the two big wrassling shows and...well, sometimes I watch CNN or some other news channel for far too long.

I don't hate TV as some do. I think a lot of it is crap, but since I rarely watch TV to watch TV, I don't see it as a time sucks.

That's what the internet is for.