Six Shows I Will Rarely Admit To Loving
Apr. 23rd, 2008 09:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deird_ljSo I'm a television fan. Information which probably won't come as a shock to anyone here. But while I will freely admit my small-screen love to almost anyone, there are some shows I tend not to talk about, despite my infatuation.
But these shows deserve their day in the sun just as much as the more socially acceptable ones. So I thought I'd make a list:
But these shows deserve their day in the sun just as much as the more socially acceptable ones. So I thought I'd make a list:
Six TV Shows I Love, But Hardly Ever Admit To Watching
6) To The Manor Born
My parents had control of the television when I was younger. So I grew up watching British comedies from the 80s. I could identify Penelope Keith by sight long before I'd heard of Brad Pitt.
Thankfully, some of my inherited tv-watching is considered interesting - Yes Minister, for instance. But if you tell people you like To The Manor Born, they ask "what's that?" and when you explain that it's about a widow who has to sell her estate to a business man and thereafter spends most of her time looking through binoculars or drinking tea, they look at you kinda funny.
6) To The Manor Born
My parents had control of the television when I was younger. So I grew up watching British comedies from the 80s. I could identify Penelope Keith by sight long before I'd heard of Brad Pitt.
Thankfully, some of my inherited tv-watching is considered interesting - Yes Minister, for instance. But if you tell people you like To The Manor Born, they ask "what's that?" and when you explain that it's about a widow who has to sell her estate to a business man and thereafter spends most of her time looking through binoculars or drinking tea, they look at you kinda funny.
5) Inspector Gadget
No, I don't mean that I have sentimental reminiscences of childhood afternoons spent watching this show. I mean that right now, if I got the chance to spend an afternoon watching this fantastic piece of television, I would cheer on Inspector Gadget, and wish that I owned Penny's book, and shiver over the guy with the cat, and yell "Go Go Gadget Legs!" every time they did that sproingy thing.
I am such a fangirl.
One day, some insane studio executive will decide to release the entire thing on dvd, and I will be a very happy woman.
4) Friends
Used to be my favourite show. And I still love the first four seasons to bits. I don't care if it's completely lame comedy relying on stereotypical humour for cheap laughs - I'm still a Ross/Rachel shipper, and always will be.
No, I don't mean that I have sentimental reminiscences of childhood afternoons spent watching this show. I mean that right now, if I got the chance to spend an afternoon watching this fantastic piece of television, I would cheer on Inspector Gadget, and wish that I owned Penny's book, and shiver over the guy with the cat, and yell "Go Go Gadget Legs!" every time they did that sproingy thing.
I am such a fangirl.
One day, some insane studio executive will decide to release the entire thing on dvd, and I will be a very happy woman.
4) Friends
Used to be my favourite show. And I still love the first four seasons to bits. I don't care if it's completely lame comedy relying on stereotypical humour for cheap laughs - I'm still a Ross/Rachel shipper, and always will be.
3) Buffy The Vampire Slayer
And right now, you're all probably scratching your heads and wondering "Wasn't the list about shows she WON'T admit to watching? As opposed to the show she won't shut up about?" But that's because you read my LJ.
In real life, I have learnt to my cost exactly how many weird looks you get when people find out that a) you like shows about vampires, b) you like a show about someone called "Buffy", and c) you're not joking.
These days, I tend to lead up to it. I tentatively mention Doctor Who, possibly mention Terry Pratchett, and if I discover that they've heard of Firefly then I mention this show that I might possibly have maybe seen. Once. Or twice. In passing. And it's by the guy who did Firefly. And it's really not all that bad. And it's called... Buffy.
With most people, I just give up and tell them my favourite show is Frasier.
2) Hey Dad
For international visitors to this LJ: Hey Dad is a show from the early 90s about a single dad with three kids, a wacky secretary, and some nutty next-door neighbours. You know the sort of thing. Anyway, in Australia it's generally considered acceptable to have fond memories of this show, and to chuckle reminiscently about how naive we all were because obviously, seen in the clear light of day, the show wasn't actually any good.
And it probably wasn't. Not really.
... but I kinda love it.
And right now, you're all probably scratching your heads and wondering "Wasn't the list about shows she WON'T admit to watching? As opposed to the show she won't shut up about?" But that's because you read my LJ.
In real life, I have learnt to my cost exactly how many weird looks you get when people find out that a) you like shows about vampires, b) you like a show about someone called "Buffy", and c) you're not joking.
These days, I tend to lead up to it. I tentatively mention Doctor Who, possibly mention Terry Pratchett, and if I discover that they've heard of Firefly then I mention this show that I might possibly have maybe seen. Once. Or twice. In passing. And it's by the guy who did Firefly. And it's really not all that bad. And it's called... Buffy.
With most people, I just give up and tell them my favourite show is Frasier.
2) Hey Dad
For international visitors to this LJ: Hey Dad is a show from the early 90s about a single dad with three kids, a wacky secretary, and some nutty next-door neighbours. You know the sort of thing. Anyway, in Australia it's generally considered acceptable to have fond memories of this show, and to chuckle reminiscently about how naive we all were because obviously, seen in the clear light of day, the show wasn't actually any good.
And it probably wasn't. Not really.
... but I kinda love it.
And, my all-time show that I am absolutely nuts about and will deny ever watching even if you put me under oath...
1) Dawson’s Creek
All four seasons of it. Some weirdos on the internet claim there are two more seasons set in Boston, but I refuse to listen to such ridiculous rumours.
I am absolutely mad about this show. Hopelessly, deeply, passionately in love with it. I squeal over Pacey's smile, yell at Dawson to stop being so dense and OPEN HIS EYES, ship Pacey/McPhee like nothing else, rewatch the countdown-to-a-kiss over and over, burst into tears at "ASK ME TO STAY" on the wall, grin madly every time Gretchen appears, and cheer on Jen whenever she gets snarky at someone.
But I do have a slightly less squeeing-fangirl reason for loving this show.
You see, Dawson's Creek was the first time I watched a show first and foremost for the directing. As much as I loved the characters and their insanely soapy plotlines, the reason I watched was to look at interesting lighting choices, well placed lines, and homages to films. And, if you're just watching the director, the show is superb.
Back then, I didn't really know anyone who watched tv like that. In fact, I didn't know you could watch tv like that. "TV as an artform" simply hadn't occurred to me. Until I saw Dawson's. That show is almost solely responsible for getting me to take television seriously.
And this is not back in the days when I thought Frasier was the best American tv had to offer. This is before those days, when I hadn't seen Frasier yet, and still thought that tv studios in America were purely interested in Candid Camera and lame rehashing of The Brady Bunch knock-offs. And even though I still thought that, Dawson's gave me hope that, one day, someone might produce some more tv worth analysing.
And that's why I love it, and always will.
1) Dawson’s Creek
All four seasons of it. Some weirdos on the internet claim there are two more seasons set in Boston, but I refuse to listen to such ridiculous rumours.
I am absolutely mad about this show. Hopelessly, deeply, passionately in love with it. I squeal over Pacey's smile, yell at Dawson to stop being so dense and OPEN HIS EYES, ship Pacey/McPhee like nothing else, rewatch the countdown-to-a-kiss over and over, burst into tears at "ASK ME TO STAY" on the wall, grin madly every time Gretchen appears, and cheer on Jen whenever she gets snarky at someone.
But I do have a slightly less squeeing-fangirl reason for loving this show.
You see, Dawson's Creek was the first time I watched a show first and foremost for the directing. As much as I loved the characters and their insanely soapy plotlines, the reason I watched was to look at interesting lighting choices, well placed lines, and homages to films. And, if you're just watching the director, the show is superb.
Back then, I didn't really know anyone who watched tv like that. In fact, I didn't know you could watch tv like that. "TV as an artform" simply hadn't occurred to me. Until I saw Dawson's. That show is almost solely responsible for getting me to take television seriously.
And this is not back in the days when I thought Frasier was the best American tv had to offer. This is before those days, when I hadn't seen Frasier yet, and still thought that tv studios in America were purely interested in Candid Camera and lame rehashing of The Brady Bunch knock-offs. And even though I still thought that, Dawson's gave me hope that, one day, someone might produce some more tv worth analysing.
And that's why I love it, and always will.
Re: Wowsers!
Date: 2008-04-25 02:20 am (UTC)By the way, I've just finished watching Terra Firma. So much fun!
Re: Wowsers!
Date: 2008-04-25 02:43 am (UTC)So sad though, too...poor DK and Laura :-(
I think 'Kansas' is an awesome ep...so sad when he tries to talk to his mum...
Sigh. When do we get more of this show? (apart from the upcoming comicbooks- they don't count)