An appraisal of the TV Shows I watch

For most of my life, I was never really a TV show kind of person. I think it was in part that I didn't like sitting in front of a TV, in part that shows on TV have commercials and I hate waiting and in part because most TV shows tended to clash with my studying time in secondary school.

Yes, yes. You read that last bit right. So, essentially, I just watched very few shows on Star World - Angel annndddd that's about it. I mean, I did watch Friends and Slam Dunk (Anime) but that's only because they were broadcast during dinner time so I could watch while eating.

But then, along came high speed internet. And suddenly, machine-gun toting sharks were no longer the greatest things ever.


Sorry bro.

High speed internet solved my 3 main television issues:-

1. Didn't like sitting in front of a TV - SOLVED -> Sitting in front of the computer enables me to do way more things than just sitting in front of a TV. Contrary to popular opinion, not all men are incapable of multi-tasking.

2. TV Shows have commercials - SOLVED -> TV shows on the internet don't have commercials.

3. TV Shows tend to clash with studying time - SOLVED -> Not that I am a formal student anymore but the internet frees me from the clutches and rigidity of scheduled television broadcasts.

So, because of high-speed internet, I now choose to watch way more TV shows. All in all, I currently keep up with 13. I recently dropped one (2 Broke Girls) and another concluded its run last season. Out of these 13, I've only watched 6 episodes of Parks and Recreation and 4 episodes of the New Girl, so it wouldn't be fair to assess these just yet. So, we have 11 to go.

As we all know, I love ranking things. On this occasion though, I have chosen not to rank the 11 TV shows but instead I will group them in the following ways:-

"DON'T EVEN BOTHER" - The only reason I watch shows in this group is just because I hate stopping something halfway after having committed so much time to it.

"CONSIDER A TRIAL RUN" - Shows (generally comedies) that are average and good as a "I don't want to think; I just want to watch something" fillers.

"STRONGLY RECOMMENDED; NOW WE'RE TALKING" - Shows which are really good that you might consider watching and then keeping up to date if there aren't too many seasons already.

"IF YOU DON'T WATCH IT, YOU'RE JUST DEPRIVING YOURSELF" - Self-explanatory.

Within each group, they're just sorted alphabetically. Again, these are shows based on my personal assessment of their quality. I don't care how much it impacts the world and that sort of thing. Okay? Alright? Onward ho. Oh, disclaimer. There may be spoilers here and there, so if there's a show you're concerned about, then you may want to skip it. I will be careful about spoilers though.

GROUP 1 - DON'T EVEN BOTHER

Bones

Brief Description: A team of top-of-their-field forensic investigators and FBI agents solve murders using science.

There's only one reason I watch this show. Honestly. If I was going to drop any show, it would be this one.

But my one reason won't let me:-


Brunettes are better

Pros: Emily Deschanel, Dude who plays Angel
Cons: It's so average, murder-of-the-week, run-of-the-mill.
Watchability scale: 3/10 (2 points contributed by Emily Deschanel)

Glee



Brief Description: Story about a collection of high school misfits and popular kids (Football players, cheerleaders) who come together to sing and dance in a musical journey of maturity and self-discovery.

Yes, yes, I watch Glee. I really liked the first half of Season 1. I thought the wit was quite good, the scenes were refreshing, the satire was funny. But it slowly degenerated into one massive drama show with some songs. AND! The drama just got even more batshit crazy! Just when you thought it couldn't get any more batshit crazy, the 4th episode of Season 3 happens. Look, I'm a guy who's comfortable talking about elves, orcs, superheroes, vampires and that sort of stuff. And even I think Glee is batshit crazy.

Some of the songs, though, are pretty good. But you can just google what songs were sang and Youtube them. So, there.

Pros: Dianna Agron, Heather Morris, Darren Criss(!!), Certain musical numbers (Some of my favourites - Bohemian Rhapsody (Jonathan Groff), Teenage Dream (Darren Criss), Ride with me (Glee Cast), Singing in the Rain/Umbrella (Glee Cast), I Want to Hold your Hand (Chris Colfer), Marry You (Glee Cast))
Cons: Batshit crazy drama and ridiculous storylines
Watchability scale: 4/10

True Blood



Brief Description: How would vampires exist in a world that openly acknowledges their existence where their sustenance can be derived from a synthetic drink called "True Blood"? Honestly, this is a very interesting premise.

But, I only watch for the lady above these days. My favourite guest star effectively died in Season 2 (Godric - oh how I adored thee). I started watching on the recommendation of a friend and also because of Anna Paquin. But Anna Paquin's character is. so. fricking. annoying. And oh, the story is even more batshit crazy than Glee. Look, even in a TV series about vampires, werewolves, Wiccans, Brujos, fairies, werepanthers, maenads, shapeshifters and all this weird crap, the storyline is just fricking ridiculous.

Pros: Deborah Ann Woll, the original premise
Cons: Everything else.
Watchability scale: 1/10

GROUP 2 - CONSIDER A TRIAL RUN

How I Met Your Mother



Brief Description: Future Ted Mosby tells a super duper long story to his children of how he met their mother, alongside other seemingly arbitrary stories of his best friends.

Spoiler alert: We're up to Season 7 and let's just say my frustrations with the purpose of this show continue. All in all though, HIMYM is a decent sitcom, very good for unwinding to at the end of the day. It's casual, it's comfortable, it's a known entity. So, we're all good. Plus, it has Barney Stinson.

My second-biggest complaint about the show? For all of Ted's idea that he's a nice guy and that sort of thing, he's actually quite a douchebag. So, yes, feel free to give it a trial run but you're not losing out on much if you choose not to.

Pros: Barney Stinson, Victoria, (#4 on list of 8 Fictional Female Characters I would totally date), Nice end-of-the-day unwinding show
Cons: Meh-ness of the show, Ted isn't actually a nice guy, Not a show for the impatient (I stick around because it's too late for me to back out now).
Watchability scale: 5.5/10

GROUP 3 - STRONGLY RECOMMEND; NOW WE'RE TALKING

Big Bang Theory



Brief Description: A story of the lives of a group of geniuses and their friend, Howard (inside joke for those who watch the show), with some female characters thrown in to provide the quintessential "nerds-don't-know-how-to-talk-to-females" jokes.

Get your nerd on! The Big Bang Theory is a really fun show; Much like HIMYM, it's very good for winding to at the end of a long day. You're guaranteed laughs with Sheldon Cooper around. Plus, being a nerd myself, I enjoy watching sitcoms about other nerds (though their luck with the XX chromosome significantly outstrips mine). And, I have no frustrations watching it. It can be very endearing at times as well.

Pros: Sheldon Cooper, Fun and Endearing characters, Nice end-of-the-day unwinding show
Cons: A bit of focus away from the 4 main nerds in recent episodes, formulaic episodes
Watchability scale: 7.5/10

Modern Family



Brief description: The lives of 3 families (one interracial + massive age-gap marriage, one heterosexual family of 5, one homosexual family of 3) who together, make 1 big extended family.

This is the latest show I've picked up on and updated to the most recent episode. It has a very simple premise - Let's put an 3 different families of 3 different structures who make up 1 big extended family together and let's see what happens. But it carries it out perfectly. Bonus points for not having a laugh track too.

Some of the one-liners in this show are great; the acting is top quality (particularly the roles of Phil Dunphy, Claire Dunphy, Cameron Tucker); the episodes are generally fresh ableit a little formulaic. But the coolest thing about this show for me is that it is super endearing. It makes me feel, sometimes, that it'd be cool to have a family of my own. It has some very very awww-inducing moments.

Pros: Endearing-ness, excellent acting and characters, fresh episodes, great lines, interaction between Phil and Luke Dunphy
Cons: Slightly formulaic episodes, voice of Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara)
Watchability scale: 8.5/10

GROUP 4 - IF YOU DON'T WATCH IT, YOU'RE JUST DEPRIVING YOURSELF

Community



Brief description: A group of 7 misfits collaborate into a study group. (Mis)adventures and hilarity ensues.

Community has some of the most original episodes in television today coupled with awesome metahumour. There's, for example, the Alternate Realities one, the Paintball Wars one, the Christmas Stop-Motion Animation one (my favourite), the Zombie Halloween one. Really top quality stuff. Also, bonus for no laugh track.

In, I think, seaon 1, Dean Pelton says, "Wow, really, there's every one of you isn't there?" or something to that effect. What he means is that the 7 misfits consist of a white disbarred male lawyer with daddy issues, a jewish female with a history of narcotics and a proneness for psychotic breaks, a white hippie agnostic female, a black super-religious lady with kids and an ex-husband who cheated on her, an old white male who does not understand political correctness, a black male football player who's a Jehovah's Witness and a Pakistani-American who only understands the world through TV shows.

But the quality of the show lies in its outstanding episodes. From the epic (Paintball) to the inane (Annie's Pen) to the touching (Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas), the show has it all. The cast is also great together, pulling everything off. You need to watch this show.

Pros: Great episodes, fun cast, Annie Edison (Alison Brie), clever lines (Don't sue a stripper; Life already sued her, and she lost), Metahumour!
Cons: Some episodes are mediocre but that's true for every show
Watchability rating: 10/10

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia



Brief Description: The adventures of a group of friends who run an unsuccessful bar in Philadelphia.

At first glance, the brief description sounds rather mundane. What's so cool about a group of friends running a bar? The kicker is that, in most tv shows, with most group of friends, you have people who are goofy/awkward/klutzy but generally all-around good people (Friends, HIMYM, Big Bang Theory etc etc). In It's Always Sunny, all the characters are real self-involved, obnoxious assholes. Which makes for some brilliant comedy.

The episodes are formulaic, but the formula is not mundane. It usually starts with one of the Gang coming up with ideas for an adventure which leads to massive hilarity. And amazing arguments - "Can a rat kill a scorpion?" Truly legendary. Also, bonus for no laugh track (see a common trend here?).

Pros: Funniest TV show out there with loads of actual LOL moments, formulaic episodes that work, Charlie Kelly screaming and going psychotic, jerks in action
Cons: Honestly, none that I can think of. Well, if you're generally a PC person, you might not find it tasteful.
Watchability scale: 10/10

Mad Men



Brief Description: Lives of a group of people working in an Ad Agency in the 1960s.

This show has won Emmys for Best Drama for each of its 4 seasons. I think it's deserving. It has some of the most powerful scenes and powerful acting I've ever seen. Sometimes, when I watch this show, I come away with my mind blown (For example, the episode called "The Suitcase" which may be the single greatest TV episode I've ever watched. Ever). It is very clever in its storylines - Seemingly trivial occurrences in 1 episode could be monumental in another. When you tack on the historical events with which the show runs parallel (the Cold War, JFK's assassination), it makes for a very compelling look at the times.

And, some of the stuff I've watched has led to some of my personal beliefs as well. For example, Don Draper's, "It will shock you how much it never happened," has become one of my fundamental principles. That scene, along with others such as the Nostalgia (Don Draper's Kodak moment) scene have really, really moved me emotionally and intellectually. Top, top stuff overall. So, essentially, all in all, you NEED to watch this show. It will blow your mind.

Pros: Don Draper(!!!!!), Joan Holloway(!!!!!), Elisabeth Moss, Alison Brie, amazing scenes which will make you go, "WOAHHHHH".
Cons: Betty Draper, A bit on the heavy side - not very casual watching
Watchability scale: 10/10

Sherlock (BBC)



Brief Description: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson solve crimes in modern day England

It is perhaps unexpected that I would be incredibly partial to this show. But seriously, this is Sherlock Holmes as I imagine him to be in my head. And given that Sherlock Holmes is my 2nd favourite fictional character ever, there's no way this show doesn't get a, "WATCH THIS SHOW OR I WILL STAB YOU IN THE JUGULAR" vote from me.

The show focuses on the intelligence and deduction of Holmes (played brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch) with Watson (played brilliantly by Martin Freeman) as the straight man (sniggers). It truly captures the essence of Holmes with loads of insider references to the books (Awesome). None of that Robert Downey Jr nonsense.

The show is wicked smart and keeps you at the edge of your seat for the entirety of the 90-minute episodes. Honestly, the only problem I have with this show is that there are too few episodes (just 3). This show is incredible. If you don't watch it, I will stab you in the jugular.

Pros: Essence of Holmes, insider references, Cumberbatch and Freeman, wicked intelligent
Cons: TOO FEW EPISODES! MAKE MORE PLZ!
Watchability scale: 10/10

South Park



Brief Description: The adventures of 5 foul-mouthed boys (am including Butters) and people in the quiet mountain town of South Park.

This is possibly my favourite show of all time. I can recall, quite accurately, almost all of the episodes in the entire 15 seasons of South Park. It does satire, comedy, tragedy, emotion, terror, WTF and everything. With some of the greatest lines of all time. My top 3 South Park characters:-

3. Randy Marsh
2. Butters
1. Cartman (9th favourite fictional character ever)

Granted, I've been a bit disappointed by the episodes in the first half of the current season but that's okay. The classic episodes over the years - Casa Bonita, The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers, The Wacky Molestation Adventure, It Hits the Fan, Scott Tenorman Must Die and many, many more - have me satiated.

Again, if you're an uptight PC person with a limited sense of humour, this show is probably not for you.

Pros: Just watch the damn show.
Cons: Occasional episodes which don't feature either Randy, Butters or Cartman, recent underwhelming episodes.
Watchability scale: 10/10

Well, that's all folks. In the future, it is likely that I would update this with Parks and Recreation (not so sure about New Girl). That said, there are other TV shows which have come highly recommended which I intend to watch:-

Bill Simmons, my favourite sportswriter - The Wire, claimed by Bill Simmons to be the greatest TV show of all time (Probability of watching: 100%)

Movie Kaki Ad - Breaking Bad (I think Movie Kaki Ad is on a personal mission to make sure everyone she knows watches this show) (Probability of watching: 60%), The Vampire Diaries (Probability of watching: 10%)

Movie Kaki Karen - Friday Night Lights (Probability of watching: 80%)

Aside from these sources, I also plan to watch the West Wing at some point. Once I've done all these, I will write another mega-post on the greatest TV shows I've ever watched. This will include all the TV shows I used to watch as well which have ended as opposed to currently running TV shows which are the focal points of this post. These include Cheers, Angel, TMNT (2003), S_______.

Till then, happy watching! I hope I don't have to slit your throats!