TV shows are different from movies. You need to invest more time, more energy and more emotion into it. You can finish watching a movie in 2 hours, but it might take up to 2 weeks to finish a series. And then there's always the cliffhanger that makes you want for more, or makes you feel "Oh dang! How am I supposed to go to bed with that suspense on my mind?"
Which is why I don't watch too many TV series.
After last week's Top 10 favorite movies, now it's turn to compile the list for TV shows. If you read that first list, you know I'll cheat. I'll find ways to include as many shows as I can.
ACCLAIMED SHOWS / SHOWS WITH RABID FAN BASE THAT I DID NOT WATCH
Breaking Bad & Mad Men: By the time I finally decided to watch these two, they were already in season 5 and season 6 respectively. It's a bit time-consuming to start watching from season 1 now, but I might one day.
Homeland: A tale of terrorism spread over a few seasons? No thank you. I'll re-watch Zero Dark Thirty, it only takes 2.5 hours.
The Good Wife: Procedural drama is not my cup of tea, may it be about cops, lawyers, doctors or nurses. There's only been one that I am truly interested in catching up...
Law & Order: SVU: ...but just as with Walter White and Don Draper, I took an interest a little too late, like 7 or 8 seasons too late (now it's in season 15). It's exhausting to start watching from the beginning now (though procedural drama doesn't require you to start from the beginning as it's "case-of-the-week" format, my OCD will always prevent me from starting at the middle).
Scandal: Maybe this year. Maybe.
The Hippocratic Crush II (On Call 36 小时 II) & Triumph in the Skies II (冲上云霄 II): Confession - also did not watch the first one for both series. Just not very attractive to me.
Korean series &
SHOWS THAT I DID WATCH after the break
I used to like them but now they are just meh and bleh
Glee: They tried very hard to make us care for the newbies, of their love triangle, of their eating disorder, or their family trouble; but all I can say is "I simply don't give a damn". To be fair to the show, they really do need these newbies as the original characters have graduated and moved out of town. But juggling multiple story lines of multiple characters in multiple cities makes the show lost without a focus.
Modern Family: They were once smart and funny, but now they are mostly annoying. Especially Sofia Vergara, and Lily, and Cam, and... Well, basically everyone on that show.
Downton Abbey: Are they going to make the show all the way to 1960s where we will see Lady Mary in her 70s with her grandchildren? The story lines had been boring and repeating, it's time to end the show.
Top
Merlin: The final season of this magic fest was still very intense, but to see a full season of how Merlin and Arthur fought the evil Morgana was still very satisfying.
Recommended episodes: The 2-part series finale "The Diamond of the Day", where all battles came to a climactic end.
Under the Dome: I did not read the novel, but it might be a good thing since I heard they did some major changes to the characters for dramatic effect and to prolong the series for more than 1 season. The show is more a character study than just a plain storytelling of the dome mystery.
Recommended episode: Pilot; where everything began. Spoiler alert: There's an eerie scene of cow-dissecting.
Top of the Lake: This miniseries about a detective trying to solve a case of missing girl is surprisingly engaging that I was willing to overlook my "no procedural drama" policy and watch it from the start til the end.
Recommended episode: This miniseries only works if you watch all of it, from the start to the end. It's only 6 episodes.
The Bible: Another miniseries, but this time telling a story so familiar it must have been the 1001st adaptation of the Holy Bible. This might not be the best Bible adaptation (that honor belongs to a series of TNT adaptation in the 90s) but no one can deny it's beauty.
Once Upon a Time: Just when you thought they were going to prolong the whole "fairy tale characters forget who they were" format, they broke it in season 2. When you thought they were only switching between nowadays Storybrooke and flashback Enchanted Forest, they brought you to Neverland in season 3. Minor point deduction: The plot line can sometimes be overly melodramatic or even jumping the shark. The characters always have father issue or mother issue and after a while this makes you feel tired. But I like how they always take a fairy tale you are so familiar with and turn it around to become something else. Creative is always a draw for me.
The Bible: Another miniseries, but this time telling a story so familiar it must have been the 1001st adaptation of the Holy Bible. This might not be the best Bible adaptation (that honor belongs to a series of TNT adaptation in the 90s) but no one can deny it's beauty.
Recommended episodes: I like the Old Testament part, though it felt too rush to cram all the stories into 5 episodes.
Hilariously Smart & Crazily Dumb - The Big Bang Theory & 2 Broke Girls: Both shows know what they do best and what people like about them, that is... being silly. Still funny, despite some very troubled racist jokes.
Hilariously Smart & Crazily Dumb - The Big Bang Theory & 2 Broke Girls: Both shows know what they do best and what people like about them, that is... being silly. Still funny, despite some very troubled racist jokes.
Recommended episodes: Most of the episodes are equally funny.
Game of Thrones: Two words - red wedding, though everything else in season 3 was also mesmerizing. I pray no more heroes are being killed off in future episodes.
Game of Thrones: Two words - red wedding, though everything else in season 3 was also mesmerizing. I pray no more heroes are being killed off in future episodes.
Recommended episodes: Season 3 Episode 9, The Rains of Castamere. That's right, it's the red wedding episode.
TVB Double - Always and Ever (情逆三世缘) & Brother's Keeper (巨轮): The formal features Bobby Au-yeung and Esther Kwan, whose good chemistry makes every other flaws forgivable. The latter is the kind of series TVB is known for, a family drama with plot line that spans across many years.
TVB Double - Always and Ever (情逆三世缘) & Brother's Keeper (巨轮): The formal features Bobby Au-yeung and Esther Kwan, whose good chemistry makes every other flaws forgivable. The latter is the kind of series TVB is known for, a family drama with plot line that spans across many years.
Recommended episodes: Always and Ever - watch the first 13 episodes when Bobby time travelled back to 13th century and became Bao Zheng. Brother's Keeper - It's hard to choose, just watch the whole series.
American Horror Story - Coven: I didn't watch the first two seasons, but it's not an issue since this series works independently every season with new cast and new story lines. This season is all about witch, and I'm enchanted. Kathy Bates is so hilarious as a racist witch from 19th century.
American Horror Story - Coven: I didn't watch the first two seasons, but it's not an issue since this series works independently every season with new cast and new story lines. This season is all about witch, and I'm enchanted. Kathy Bates is so hilarious as a racist witch from 19th century.
Recommended episode: Episode 9; where Kathy Bates is nothing but a head, and this racist head is forced to watch Roots.
Arrow & Revolution: I group these two new series that started their first season in 2012 together not just because I started watching them around the same time, but also because both have sci-fi elements in them and both feature flashback in every episode (flashback is a trend now among TV shows, see my next entry).
Arrow & Revolution: I group these two new series that started their first season in 2012 together not just because I started watching them around the same time, but also because both have sci-fi elements in them and both feature flashback in every episode (flashback is a trend now among TV shows, see my next entry).
Recommended episodes: Arrow - Season 1 Episode 14; where the super awesome Felicity found out that Oliver is the vigilante and joined his team as his super cool tech expert. Revolution - Season 1 finale; featuring a plot twist that sets the motion for season 2.
Once Upon a Time: Just when you thought they were going to prolong the whole "fairy tale characters forget who they were" format, they broke it in season 2. When you thought they were only switching between nowadays Storybrooke and flashback Enchanted Forest, they brought you to Neverland in season 3. Minor point deduction: The plot line can sometimes be overly melodramatic or even jumping the shark. The characters always have father issue or mother issue and after a while this makes you feel tired. But I like how they always take a fairy tale you are so familiar with and turn it around to become something else. Creative is always a draw for me.
Recommended episode: Season 3 Episode 8, Think Lovely Thoughts; where (spoiler alert) jaw-droppingly we learned that Peter Pan was in fact Rumpelstiltskin's dad. It was like, WHAT????
Special "Blast from the past" award - Brothers and Sisters: This series was cancelled after its 5th season in 2011, but even after its cancellation I still secretly hope they revive it (although the possibility is almost non-existent). I love that there were so much interactions between the siblings with all the fighting and reconciliation. I love that in almost every episode there's one disastrous dinner where all hell breaks loose and then the incredible matriarch Sally Field will be the one to bring all of them back together. This is one family drama not to be missed.
Recommended episode: If we limit ourselves to the final season, I'll say the Christmas episode is the best. In a hallucination state, the mother re-imagine how her family members will live today if she was never there to support them, and two siblings fought over who should be hosting the Christmas party during the absence of the mother.
THE CHAMPION
Orphan Black: I cannot even put down in words how much I love this series, though it's only 10 episodes in season 1. It's about clones, and the leading lady Tatiana Maslany played multiple characters, complete with different accents and hairstyles. It's so engaging that I watched all 10 episodes in just two days. I can't wait for season 2.
Special "Blast from the past" award - Brothers and Sisters: This series was cancelled after its 5th season in 2011, but even after its cancellation I still secretly hope they revive it (although the possibility is almost non-existent). I love that there were so much interactions between the siblings with all the fighting and reconciliation. I love that in almost every episode there's one disastrous dinner where all hell breaks loose and then the incredible matriarch Sally Field will be the one to bring all of them back together. This is one family drama not to be missed.
Recommended episode: If we limit ourselves to the final season, I'll say the Christmas episode is the best. In a hallucination state, the mother re-imagine how her family members will live today if she was never there to support them, and two siblings fought over who should be hosting the Christmas party during the absence of the mother.
THE CHAMPION
Orphan Black: I cannot even put down in words how much I love this series, though it's only 10 episodes in season 1. It's about clones, and the leading lady Tatiana Maslany played multiple characters, complete with different accents and hairstyles. It's so engaging that I watched all 10 episodes in just two days. I can't wait for season 2.
Recommended episodes: You really should watch all of them. It's worth your time.
If I did my counting correctly, I've mentioned 26 series, 18 of which I watched. Alright, I did watch a lot of TV shows. I stand corrected.
If I did my counting correctly, I've mentioned 26 series, 18 of which I watched. Alright, I did watch a lot of TV shows. I stand corrected.
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