It’s tough picking one.
But that’s why I’m asking. It’s easy to do a top 3, even easier to a top 5.
But when you have to choose a singular show? When you’re forced to pare it down? What sticks above the others for you?
Babylon 5 for me.
It’s got plenty of issues but it’s still my darling and despite all the behind-the-scenes BS it’s still the best long-form sci-fi story I’ve seen onscreen.
Edit: Screwed up the title. Bad Dalacos.
I’ll go with “The Good Place”.
To me the show has everything. Comedy, Surprise, deep emotions, and it even is educational. If also is full of positivity, which in today’s times seems harder to do right.
Where lesser shows might have drawn out the ideas over multiple seasons, they constantly moved on from one setting to the next.
And they nailed the finale.
The good place is such a feel good show. It’s never great laughs, but after each episode you just feel a little warmer inside
Feel good show is an apt description. And it is one that accomplishes it while having plants of educational philosophy at its core rather than being purely entertainment.
The greatest TV show of all time, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
I grew up on it so I feel like I’m pretty nostalgic about it but watching it helps me reinforce my value system. It taught me young that our differences are what make us strong and that we can triumph against great odds if we can learn to accept each other and work together. In a world where violence and hate seem so prevalent every day, that message hits a lot harder than it did when I was a kid. Throwing on an episode of TNG lights up that little spark of hope I have left for our species. Well, as long as it’s not episode 4, Code of Honor. Lmao.
Love me some TNG. The scene where Picard berates Riker and La Forge for not trying to get along with Barclay was informative and sadly beautiful.
Also, the episode where La Forge’s visor tech saves a planet where blindness would’ve been eliminated at birth is still a “go-to” of mine as an example of why we need IDIC.
I am currently watching seaQuest (yes it’s in camelCase). Somebody described it as “Star Trek under the sea” to me. Fair enough, I like it.
The plots are OK, but nothing compared to TNG’s psychological insight and complex morals.
SeaQuest unfortunately gets weird towards the end. But i loved it anyways. I thought Darwin was so damn cool lol.
Archer. Even if you include the 3 “coma seasons” it’s still some of the most consistently funny TV there’s ever been.
The Wire. It’s the best TV show ever made and will almost certainly always be that. Nothing else comes close.
Absolutely brilliant show. Quality wise is up there at the top in writing and acting. Although for me personally, a lot harder to watch and enjoy long term, like I loved it when I watched it and I have great memories of it but I’m not sure I’d rewatch it.
The scene where they say fuck and only fuck like a hundred times in 10 minutes still fascinates me to this day in what good acting can be. And the character that’s always whistling… (Sorry I can’t remember their names, it’s been so long) what an amazing role and actor.
The whistling guy was Omar, a stick up man. His scene while on the stand getting cross examined by the dirty lawyer was one of the most memorable scenes of the whole series. https://youtu.be/P3i36ybA8Ms
The actor unfortunately died a few years ago but was excellent in The Wire and also excellent in Boardwalk Empire.
Surprised it wasn’t mentioned before. It’s not the genre I like but I’ve heard it in the same breathe as B5 so many times I know I’m missing out on something great.
watched it this year for the first time. It’s in my top 3. It made Idris Elba famous and I loved the character.
Hands down, it’s first by a mile. It’s in a field of it’s own. I also doubt I’ll ever watch something as good again. Though I will say, the first season is the worst of all the seasons, and one might not understand what they are missing if they stop there.
Band of Brothers
I can watch this once per year and never get tired of it
Such a good show!
Better call Saul. Such a great character study. Fun high jinx. Every major character has an arch. Deals with corruption, justice and revenge. The choices they make, where it leads them, and how they reckon with it. It was the show breaking bad tried to be.
I watched it through all seasons for the first time this year and it’s so good. Agreed on the character archs and breaking bad. I had given up after season one with too much lawyer stuff and not enough illegal activity but very glad i picked it back up.
True Detective Season 1. I have never watched a better show than this although there are many good ones out there as well
Burn the land, boil the sea, you can’t take the sky from me….
The movie has a quote that breaks me.
“I am a monster.”
An antagonist who knows they don’t get redemption. It was a new thing for me. Shouldn’t, but was.
I’m a leaf on the wind 😭
The show I’d have to choose if only one is allowed. Not a single bad episode, amazing actors that loved their roles and became a family and it shows. And the best spaceship in all of SciFi.
I don’t know, Red Dwarf is as suprisngly resilient and comfortable ship.
Star Trek TNG
It’s almost impossible to say just one because the other 2-3 that I thought about just hit different depending on my mood. Comedy vs drama vs Sci fi etc.
I’m french so the answer is extremely easy. It’s kaamelott
Yeah it’s hard to choose. I’ll probably go with Chernobyl, because there’s no bad episode, and everything from the writing, acting, to the score and cinematography is amazing.
there’s a lot of clever, tightly written, whimsical comedies out there but the venture bros reigns supreme
there’s a lot of clever, tightly written, whimsical comedies out there
Frisky Dingo still hits it best for me, in that regard. But the humour is so abstract I have a hard time recommending it.
That’s a pretty Batman choice.
Jollyrancher82, never get henchmen.
Probably Farscape even though I am not too sure it aged well. Following would be Buffy and Stargate SG1.
Star Trek: TNG
Still stands, the Picard monologues are famous.
Stargate SG-1.
I’m not saying it’s always better than every other show, but it’s my personal warm feelings favourite ♥️
I’ve seen all of it like 4 times.
It hits a lot of great points. Consistent story. Great characters. Loads of content you can binge.
Also episodes I can just enjoy without needing several episodes of backstory. They do little flashbacks when you need relevant info from a previous episode.
Those are rookie numbers!
Yeah SG1 is just consistently awesome. Super fun show that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still tells really thought provoking stories.
And there’s a good amount of it, the story is internally consistent and the characters are likable.
