Your Favorite TV Shows of All Time?

[NJ Joe]

Seinfeld
The Honeymooners
Breaking Bad
The Sopranos
The Twilight Zone
Twin Peaks
Mission Impossible
The Office (US)
The Simpsons
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Get Smart
Taxi

[lisa needs braces]

There's many TV shows I have enjoyed, but two shows seems to be above the rest:


THE X-FILES (1993-2002)

It took me years to get into this show. I had watched the show here and there. I found it too dark and repulsive for my taste. I was totally confused about the mythology. But then I saw episode "Dreamland II" from season 6 and something clicked hard. I was blown away by this episode and suddenly I understood all the quality of this show. It was a moment of revelation. Needless to say, I followed the series to the end. I think there where re-runs of the early seasons too. At this point I started to buy the seasons on DVD (and paid fortunes for them).

During the last 15 years this show has made a strong impact on me. It made me like the dark atmosphere. Mark Snow's music works so brilliantly in this show. The show is so varied. After serious mythology episodes you may get something light, funny and even silly. Yes, this show can even laught at itself. I love the they use camera in this show. We are spared from the plague of 21st century, neurotic wiggly camera with long lenses (e.g. "24"). Instead, The X-Files uses camera movements and lenses very skilfully. This show seems to have a lasting appeal to my. I just started watching the show again on DVD.

Spot on!

The program was wonderful for its atmosphere and brooding tone. Note that the first four (or was it five) seasons were filmed in British Columbia, hence the constantly overcast skies (or the occasional mistake where, for example, a Florida resident sounds Canadian  ) I'm not sure if the weather is always like that in BC but the grayness and overcast skies was something that accentuated the style/feel of the show which they lost when they switched production to LA (though for the most part the series kept its atmosphere.)

[71 dB]

Note that the first four (or was it five) seasons were filmed in British Columbia, hence the constantly overcast skies (or the occasional mistake where, for example, a Florida resident sounds Canadian  ) I'm not sure if the weather is always like that in BC but the grayness and overcast skies was something that accentuated the style/feel of the show which they lost when they switched production to LA (though for the most part the series kept its atmosphere.)

Season's 1-5 were filmed in BC. It's easy to remember the name of the last episode filmed there: "The End". Then comes the first movie and then the first Los Angeles episode "The Beginning", the opener of season 6.

The show evolved, so I don't mind the change from Vancouver to Los Angeles. I enjoy some of the most hated episodes like "Rain King". I think it's refreshing to have silly comedy between dark mythology episodes. However, I think seasons 3-5 are the best. They had perfected their craft after first two seasons and the atmosphere and mythology were strong as hell.

The show went widescreen after season 4, but it was filmed in widescreen from the start! A German TV channel is currently showing the show's first season in HD (they went back to the original negatives for that). The X-Files Blu-ray should be coming. Exciting times for X-Files fans.

Here's link to the German forum where Screenshots of HD X-Files can be found:

http://forum.cinefacts.de/208508-akte-x-die-serie-bald-auf-blu-ray-10.html#post7966465

[lisa needs braces]

That would be worth owning.

What I especially liked about the series was how it kept a balance between its "alien conspiracy" arc and stand-alone episodes. Even most of the mythology episodes can caught and appreciated out of sequence. Pretty iconic series. I caught a significant chunk in its original run when I was younger (maybe 30%), among them brilliant episodes like "Home" and the ambitious Emmy seeking "Triangle" (with the great steadicam sequence where Scully runs around the FBI building).

[71 dB]

That would be worth owning.

What I especially liked about the series was how it kept a balance between its "alien conspiracy" arc and stand-alone episodes.

Chris Carter is a smart man and knew that kind of alteration between mythology and MOTW is needed. Works brilliantly.

I caught a significant chunk in its original run when I was younger (maybe 30%), among them brilliant episodes like "Home" and the ambitious Emmy seeking "Triangle" (with the great steadicam sequence where Scully runs around the FBI building).

Yes, 'Home' is a TV masterpiece, brilliantly directed by Kim Manners. 'Triangle' is phenomemal too. Chris Carter's commentary of it on DVD is most interesting. He says the episode was way too ambitious for the time and money they had, but they were able to pull it off.

Now I go to watch 'Excelsis Dei' from season 2.  0:)

[milk]

I'm going to add Saxondale to my list of TV favorites. And, this show has quite a lot to say about popular music.