tv shows
I do like TV shows, at least some of them but I'm not a fan of binge-watching. In fact I think it's part of the instant gratification phenomenon which sucks the joy out of things. Anticipation is half the pleasure, is it not?
Maybe it has to do with me growing up without streaming services - and actually not that many TV shows available. So, if there was an interesting show on TV at all, there would be usually only one episoder per week.
I still remember that Emergency Room was aired on Tuesdays, The X-Files on Thursdays and Xena: Warrior Princess on Sundays. And once a season was over I had to wait at least a year for the next one to come out. Can you believe that it took me almost 11 years to watch all of The X-Files? 😵💫
Maybe this sounds horrible to you but actually it was really nice. That way everyone would've seen the latest episode at the same time as you and you could talk about it the next day at school. Also, it was - and still is - understood that you don't phone or otherwise disturb each other when Tatort is on. Sundays, 8.15pm, folks.
Maybe most importantly, that 356-ish days long intermission gave you plenty of time to properly engage in a fandom. I mean, what better way than to write fanfiction about your favourite dysfunctional couple to bridge the time until - hopefully - your local TV station purchases the cable televison rights to season two of your favourite show?
Since back in the old days brand new TV shows weren't churned out every other month, I largely grew up on watching reruns of shows my parents had already seen in their youth or - less dramatic - a decade ago. That may well be the culprit for my penchant for everything 60s with a dash of 70s and 80s.
Among my childhood favourites were bangers like Hart to Hart, Knight Rider and The Bold and Beautiful, which I used to watch with my grandma. True oldies like The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek and アタックNo.1. And of course the very first soap opera that was catered just to my teenage self: Beverly Hills, 90210. In fact I had a bit of a crush on Luke Perry. Yeah...🫣
So yes, I've watched many a TV show in my life but I don't feel particularly strongly about most of them. They're entertaining at best - I usually watch TV shows on the weekend whilst having breakfast. 🥐
And yet there are a few that I either found worth purchasing as a physical copy because I wanted to preserve them for all eternity or that I have simply watched more than once.
Meadowlands » 2007
This show has been completely erased from the internet
, bemoans one commenter on YouTube. It's also been erased from the general public's mind I'd argue, with the exception of Jack (Of All Trades) Donnelly and his sexy British mumbling whilst being a perverted creep - he lives on. On Tumblr. As a GIF set. Now, I don't get the attraction of a baby-faced Tom Hardy; I watched the show solely because of David Morrissey 🥵. So, what's the show about? A family in a witness protection program, I assume? The show was cancelled after one season. Really peculiar and a typical case of not cherishing what one had. I found the story and setting quite Lynchean and intriguing. In hindsight, the show was filled with stars who'd become beloved blorbos and the aesthetic was very Tumblr-esque. Speaking of aesthetics: The main reason I mention that show is because it had such an impact on my interior design choices. When the show came out I was just moving into my very first own flat and the Brogan family's new home in Cape Wrath inspired me to paint my living room teal and the bedroom lavender. I even got a similar lamp to the ones shown on the show and to this day, I love orange coloured accessories.
The Creep Tapes » 2024
Whoa! Hold on! Go watch Creep the film first before you watch this TV show - you won't appreciate this series otherwise. When I saw the cover, I immediately thought, Oh noes, now they're ruining a brilliant film. 😔
Then I saw that it's done by Mark Duplass; I was relieved and immediately hooked. The episodes are quite short and - if fancy BluRay box sets were still a thing - they would fit perfectly as extras to both Creep films. What can I say? I love Mark Duplass, he has me wrapped around his little finger with his strange ideas and absolutely brilliantly terrifying acting skills. If you have seen the Creep movies - which you have, since you took my initial advice - you'll know how those episodes will go and yet I found myself in suspense, laughing and just overall thinking, Gee, I wonder what Mark comes up with next?
Someone on IMDb called it a vanity project. So what? It's an entertaining one for sure.
Schimanski » 1997
What can I say? I have a weak spot for the hard shell, soft core type of characters. Brownie points if it's a very cool cop. Schimanski is a spin-off of the tremendously popular German crime tv show Tatort and it stars one of my favourite German actors Götz George. The aesthetic of this show is fantastic and a stark contrast to Miami Vice' cool neon-money-drug dealer-palm trees-swealty weather look. Everything in Schimanski is dirty and depressing and I can almost taste the cigarettes and coal dust on my tongue. Excellent! It's also the only German TV show I can think of that I like. The rest is - to quote Horst Schimanski himself - Scheiße!
Dallas » 1978
What I like most about Dallas is that it deals quite empathetically with lots of issues - alcoholism, grief, death, illness, divorce - given that it's just a soap opera. That being said, of course it's over the top drama and fun as well. Lots of people get shot at, almost as much bourbons and branch are being served as gallons of oil being pumped. Millions of dollars are earned and everybody spends more time at the Cattlemen's Club than at the office. Or at The Oil Barron's Ball, the Ewing Bar-B-Que etc. Not to mention that there's even a ha-ha, everything was just a dream
season! Isn't it fascinating that you still love J.R although he almost caused WWIII? And yet: Pam & Bobby 4-ever! 💘
Miami Vice » 1984
The ending scene in the very first episode is the embodiment of the 80s and just an overall masterpiece. It just doesn't get any better than Miami at night, neon lights, Phil Collins, a sense of dread and two gorgeous cops. Lots of people talk about the aesthetic of this show and while I agree - men should definitely go back to wearing linen and pastels and never button up their shirts - I do wonder if those people have actually watched the show because it's quite depressing and devastating. Everyone on this show suffers and almost nobody can be saved. Thankfully, there's also a pinch of humour and sex otherwise I'd be crying into my bottle of Black Jack Jack Daniel's nonstop.
I Dream of Jeannie » 1965
You either dig The Rolling Stones or The Beatles, you either loved I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched. Well, for a long time I dreamt of living in Cocoa Beach and marrying Tony Nelson. This show is simply funny - in a cheeky but mostly innocent and feel-good way. The show is also a good example why it doesn't need elaborate CGI and special effects to create something great. All the miniature Jeannie (and Tony) scenes aged charmingly well. Does it look goofy when Jeannie hides in a desk drawer and battles pencils? Did the suspense almost killed me when Tony tried to escape a cat by climbing telephone cords? Yes and yes because overall it looks real because it is real and not made with a computer. Look at films which were once hailed to have top-notch special effects in them - it might have looked good at the time but nowadays it elicits a chuckle rather than a sigh of admiration.
Mad Men » 2007
That's not a surprise, is it? A show that is not only set in the 60s but centres around an advertising company? It's a dream come true. For me it is the best show ever made therefore I never really understood why seemingly only a few people have seen it. A while ago I read about someone's musings as to why there's so little fanfiction about Mad Men and others suggested it is because there's simply nothing to add. Every character is a true, well elaborated character. The story line is complex and touches upon very universal and important themes. Basically, there are no loose ends or inconsistencies to be either tied up or untangled on AO3. I have to agree. Also, truly a mark of excellence is whenever The Beatles are mentioned in a show. Now whenever I watch the Fab Four at Shea Stadium, I imagine Don and Sally Draper in the audience. And of course I appreciate it immensely that allegedly $250.000 dollars were spent just so that Don could listen to The Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows. That's true dedication.