TV Series - Your Favorites & Recommendations

[The new erato]

That's me! So my list would be:
Inspector Morse/Inspector Lewis: Morse (john thaw) was a classical music nut, so that theme runs through the whole series, as does his car! Lewis (the show) came years later, and has sidekick from Morse now the star and it is also good (though it goes its own way, while occassionally giving homage to Morse). If you get through all that, there is Endeavour (Morse at the beginning of his career, played by someone else). 

Young Endeavour (a Morse prequel) is really superb.

[Hollywood]

Some of my other favorites:

1. The Twilight Zone (I am currently watching the first season again. I grew up watching this series and still love it).
2. The Outer Limits
3. Deadwood (my brother worked on this series, as well as True Blood which is another fav.)
4. Blackadder
5. Dark Shadows
6. Night Gallery
7. Monty Python's Flying Circus

[Brian]

Comedy
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
- Farty Towels
- Arrested Development
- Parks and Recreation
- 30 Rock
- Cheers
- potentially Brooklyn Nine Nine; the first season was darn good fun
- Phineas and Ferb

Detectives
- Columbo
- The Rockford Files
- very, very distant third place: the new Sherlock
I don't think I will ever love a detective series as much as I love Columbo and Rockford Files.

Dramas
- Mad Men
- Breaking Bad

Nonfiction
- any travel show involving Anthony Bourdain
- Stephen Colbert
- John Oliver

Shows I Really Want to Watch Soon(ish)
Deadwood, Treme, The Americans, Blackadder (I've only seen the Queen Elizabeth season), Prime Suspect, Luther, Homicide, NewsRadio

Overall Personal Top Five!
5. Breaking Bad
4. Parks and Recreation
3. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations
2. Columbo
1. Phineas and Ferb

[Sergeant Rock]

So far, my favorites have been Bones, Justified, & The Closer

Those are favorites in the Rock residence too. You might sample Psych, another crime show we love. It's silly but lots of fun. As much comedy as drama.

Check out Mad Men if for no other reason than it's set in the period our youth: early to late 60s. Great period detail.

Sarge

[Drasko]

Ally McBeal: A bit girlie maybe, but it was fun for its time (though skip last season). I mention it mostly because you might like the music aspect (though it is not classical) that runs through it. Light and silly.

How could have I forgotten that!? Also Boston Legal, Homicide ...

[71 dB]

Above the rest for me:

The X-Files
Doctor Who (1963-1989)

[SonicMan46]

Those are favorites in the Rock residence too. You might sample Psych, another crime show we love. It's silly but lots of fun. As much comedy as drama.

Check out Mad Men if for no other reason than it's set in the period our youth: early to late 60s. Great period detail.

Thanks ALL for the listings and your favorites - plenty to 'digest' - the older ones I've seen in the far past but may certainly revisit some; many of the more recent shows mentioned I've heard about but have not watched - looks like Sarge & I share some favorites; Susan has watched and enjoyed Mad Men, so will put that on my list - just started viewing The Wire last night (free streaming on Amazon Prime) - Dave

[Ken B]

The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling's Night Gallery
Columbo
The Addams Family
The [original] Avengers
The Prisoner
Blackadder
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Jeeves & Wooster
Fawlty Towers

Old school!
I watched The Prisoner as a kid and liked it, but never saw the final episode. Finally, about 6 years ago I saw it. Blecccch. Really poisoned my memories of the whole thing. So I'd toss that off the list without blinking.
My top choice has to be Monty Python. Even allowing for the young Diana Rigg.

[Artem]

How about Twin Peaks? I was really fascinated by that show when it first appeared on TV.

[Moonfish]

"I, Claudius"

Stellar!

[asin] B006JY3OHW[/asin]

[The new erato]

How about Twin Peaks? I was really fascinated by that show when it first appeared on TV.

I fear it appears VERY dated now.

[Karl Henning]

Old school!
I watched The Prisoner as a kid and liked it, but never saw the final episode. Finally, about 6 years ago I saw it. Blecccch. Really poisoned my memories of the whole thing. So I'd toss that off the list without blinking.

I understand.  One of my eccentricities is, I don't think I much mind the final episode . . . though I agree it does not match the promise of the series as a whole, and there is a reason why Patrick M^cGoohan went into hiding when the final episode was aired . . . .

[Karl Henning]

I fear it appears VERY dated now.

Thank you!  I admit I was underwhelmed by the show even when it was first airing . . . probably prejudiced me a bit, that a close friend of mine was hyping it with a vengeance . . . .

[Cato]

I understand.  One of my eccentricities is, I don't think I much mind the final episode . . . though I agree it does not match the promise of the series as a whole, and there is a reason why Patrick M^cGoohan went into hiding when the final episode was aired . . . .

I believe he even wrote the script under the name "Paddy Fitz," but I could be wrong about that.  Yes, a little too obscure, too weird at the end.

How about Twin Peaks? I was really fascinated by that show when it first appeared on TV.

I fear it appears VERY dated now.

Interesting: it was a monster hit for the first season, and Lynch found himself on the cover of Time, an event which he says made him nervous about the future.

He was right!  Giving in to his worst impulses, he ran the series downhill quickly.  His collaborator (Mark Frost) was once interviewed with him on a morning news show.  When the interviewer asked how the series was planned out, Lynch said: "We don't have anything planned out at all."  Horrified, Mark Frost nervously interjected: "No, no, he's joking.  We have everything planned out."

As it turned out, Lynch was telling the truth.  He was throwing all kinds of things into the plot during the filming of later episodes.

[Ken B]

"I, Claudius"

Stellar!

[asin] B006JY3OHW[/asin]

Yes. Best mini series ever.

[Karl Henning]

I need to revisit that one.

[Brahmsian]

I believe he even wrote the script under the name "Paddy Fitz," but I could be wrong about that.  Yes, a little too obscure, too weird at the end.

Interesting: it was a monster hit for the first season, and Lynch found himself on the cover of Time, an event which he says made him nervous about the future.

He was right!  Giving in to his worst impulses, he ran the series downhill quickly.  His collaborator (Mark Frost) was once interviewed with him on a morning news show.  When the interviewer asked how the series was planned out, Lynch said: "We don't have anything planned out at all."  Horrified, Mark Frost nervously interjected: "No, no, he's joking.  We have everything planned out."

As it turned out, Lynch was telling the truth.  He was throwing all kinds of things into the plot during the filming of later episodes.

Cato, I loved the first season of Twin Peaks.  Just saw it about 3 years ago for the first time.  The second season was a disappointment (it did not make sense and the plot seemed to go nowhere). 

[Cato]

Cato, I loved the first season of Twin Peaks.  Just saw it about 3 years ago for the first time.  The second season was a disappointment (it did not make sense and the plot seemed to go nowhere). 

That was the national reaction: you cannot keep drawing the audience in and never pay them for their attention.  The story must go somewhere and "pay off" for the effort given by the viewers.  Lynch began improvising more and more on the set, and the series crashed and burned.

[Karl Henning]

Hah, hah, fooled you for paying attention the first season!

[milk]

That was the national reaction: you cannot keep drawing the audience in and never pay them for their attention.  The story must go somewhere and "pay off" for the effort given by the viewers.  Lynch began improvising more and more on the set, and the series crashed and burned.

Is that true? I always heard that Lynch was less involved in the second season.