Tv Shows On Dvd

[BruceH]

Just watched the first episode of this one. Finally, one of my favorites that actually holds up to the memory! I love this show, and it's just as good as I remember!

Now the Rockford theme is going through my head!

[catesta]

Just watched the first episode of this one. Finally, one of my favorites that actually holds up to the memory! I love this show, and it's just as good as I remember!

Now the Rockford theme is going through my head!

[Free For All]

Now the Rockford theme is going through my head!

Damn that Mike Post and his infectious TV themes!

[Stereojack]

NYPD Blue - first two seasons

I rented these because my SO had never seen the first few seasons. I was pleasantly surprised at how much more I liked John Kelley (David Caruso) than I remembered. But then when Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) joins in season 2, the series really kicks into high gear. Season 3 is out next week, and I've already got them in my Netflix queue.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

The Sopranos

Six Feet Under

Band of Brothers

I don't get HBO, so I'm glad that they have made these available, although the most recent seasons of Curb & Six Feet aren't out yet.

Peter Gunn

Rented the first disc out of curiosity, having been very young when the show first aired. Nice music, and an occasional guest jazzman - I've already spotted Victor Feldman and Shorty Rogers. The show itself - OK, not great. Hilarious hipster lingo pops up here and there.

SCTV 90

Have already gone through two seasons, even though I watched the show religiously when it first aired. Some of the comedy holds up, some of it doesn't.

Have Gun Will Travel disc one

Again, a show that was on when I was a young child. Found it rather disappointing after all these years.

Once and Again

A chick show I avoided when it originally aired, but I kept hearing how wonderful it was, so I rented one disc to satisfy my curiosity. Got hooked, and hope they release the remaining episodes.

Deadwood

As a David Milch fan, I was curious about this, but gave up after two discs.

Saturday Night Live

Best of Phil Hartman and Best of Christopher Walken are priceless!

[kinuta]

Have -

Deadwood Season 1 & 2

House MD all

The Shield Season 1&2

The Wire Season 1 & 2

Seinfeld Season 1-4

Arrested Development all

Cracker Season 1 & 2 ( would also love to get #3)

Fawlty Towers all

24 all except season 1

Homicide Season 1 & 2

Criminal Minds all

[Peter Johnson]

Fun thread! I have only one:

Fucking hysterical!

[Jazzdog]

If you are Fawlty fan, you should check out The Office. I know everyone says that, but after watching the two seasons plus XMas special, I think its going to hold up in 30 years just as well as Faulty Towers did.

[Peter Johnson]

Loved the office--watched the entire thing, plus the Christmas special, over a two-week period on DVD!

I also loved Coupling (although the last season kind of sucked).

If you are Fawlty fan, you should check out The Office. I know everyone says that, but after watching the two seasons plus XMas special, I think its going to hold up in 30 years just as well as Faulty Towers did.

[robviti]

in addition to faulty towers and the blackadder series, i own the second season of the dick van dyke show.

not exactly sure what the appeal is, though.

Edited February 18, 2006 by jazzshrink

[BruceH]

Now the Rockford theme is going through my head!

Damn that Mike Post and his infectious TV themes!

Wasn't that his first?

[BruceH]

Peter Gunn

Rented the first disc out of curiosity, having been very young when the show first aired. Nice music, and an occasional guest jazzman - I've already spotted Victor Feldman and Shorty Rogers. The show itself - OK, not great. Hilarious hipster lingo pops up here and there.

I've rented the first two discs, and I know what you mean about the show itself...but I found myself sort of relaxing into it and just going with the flow after a while and really enjoying it for what it is. Dated, silly, and dumb, but very likeable.

[catesta]

I just finished watching season 1 of SOAP.

I'm thinking of picking up Hill Stree Blues.

Any fans?

[BERIGAN]

I just finished watching season 1 of SOAP.

..

Weren't Katherine Helmond's breasts wondrous??? Err, umm, I mean...Soap was a great, cutting edge comedy!

[kinuta]

I just finished watching season 1 of SOAP.

..

Weren't Katherine Helmond's breasts wondrous??? Err, umm, I mean...Soap was a great, cutting edge comedy!

Yes, it was indeed brilliant .

[kinuta]

Loved the office--watched the entire thing, plus the Christmas special, over a two-week period on DVD!

I also loved Coupling (although the last season kind of sucked).

If you are Fawlty fan, you should check out The Office. I know everyone says that, but after watching the two seasons plus XMas special, I think its going to hold up in 30 years just as well as Faulty Towers did.

Sorry guys but I don't understand how you can consider 'The Office' worthy of comparison to 'Fawlty Towers'.

I'm probably in a minority but 'The Office' left me cold. I'm a 60 year old Brit so have lived through some of the golden ages of British humour but 'The Office' is just not funny imo. To me it's a classic case of 'the emperor's new clothes'.

[Guest Chaney]

I consider the first series of Fawlty Towers to be brilliant but the second series less so as it began to rely too heavily upon slapstick and everyone running around in a manic mood; all well and good but the words spoken were most important. The second series, wonderful though it was, was thin. John Cleese was also thinner and more sickly looking in the first series -- and wore that bad black suit much of the time -- while in the second series, he physically filled out and varied his dress much more. Basil was at his best rail-thin, clad in that black suit, and sweating.

I consider all of The Office to be brilliant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not sure if this has been mentioned...

Coming May 9, 2006:

Edited February 19, 2006 by Chaney

[Jazzdog]

There were a bunch of British shows I liked.

Rising Damp has just come out on DVD, I recall that to be pretty funny. Never really got into Only Fools and Horses, though I understand it was close to legendary back int he U.K.

Kinuta...maybe you can tell me the name of a series taking place in an East End barber shop. I remember one of the characters was called Porkpie, but I can't for the life of me remember what that show was called. Anyone?

Anyways, I can see where one might not be so excited about The Office. They have defintely done a fine job with the show over here, unlike the hack job that resulted in Coupling.

I agree that the last season of the English Coupling was weak in comparison. No way that show could be as good without GEOFF. It's like taking Rimmer off the last season of Red Dwarf.

[ghost of miles]

I'm thinking of picking up Hill Stree Blues.

Any fans?

BIG fan... I posted about watching some of Season 1 on DVD either in this or the other DVD thread recently. Season 2 comes out in May. The characters and many of the storylines really hold up, though Michael Conrad's wolfish and sometimes bullying streak hasn't aged well. I watched about 4 episodes over two days while I had the flu and found myself sucked in all over again.

First season of DR. KATZ was great, I thought... but it seemed to drop off after that.

Re PETER GUNN: "Mr. Gunn... it's a profound gas."

[kinuta]

There were a bunch of British shows I liked.

Rising Damp has just come out on DVD, I recall that to be pretty funny. Never really got into Only Fools and Horses, though I understand it was close to legendary back int he U.K.

Kinuta...maybe you can tell me the name of a series taking place in an East End barber shop. I remember one of the characters was called Porkpie, but I can't for the life of me remember what that show was called. Anyone?

Anyways, I can see where one might not be so excited about The Office. They have defintely done a fine job with the show over here, unlike the hack job that resulted in Coupling.

I agree that the last season of the English Coupling was weak in comparison. No way that show could be as good without GEOFF. It's like taking Rimmer off the last season of Red Dwarf.

Perhaps you mean 'Desmonds'( see link)

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0133299/

Humour is purely subjective.I remember being round at my brothers and sitting, arms folded and stone faced as they chuckled and guffawed through ' Friends', which I had no opinion on at all, it didn't merit one.

I haven't seen the American version of 'The Office', but I might check it out after your comment.

[GregK]

I consider all of The Office to be brilliant.

The American version of The Office maybe, but not the British

[Guest Chaney]

Greg! Get OUT!

The American version, for my taste, is fun but too silly. Steve Carell? Not a great talent but used to good purpose in The 40 Year Old Virgin. His work on this show does not impress, probably as I have a hard time divorcing his performance from that of Ricky Gervase.

The American version: good enough.

The Brit original is biting and wicked, with the character of David Brent being a truly nasty, but ultimately pathetic creature. (Until his salvation, of course.)

Honestly, I'd have a hard time finding one category in which the USA version betters the UK version.

That being said, I'll continue to watch and enjoy the American version. (I've always been a sucker for the depiction of arms-length office romance. )

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Sorry guys but I don't understand how you can consider 'The Office' worthy of comparison to 'Fawlty Towers'.

I'm probably in a minority but 'The Office' left me cold. I'm a 60 year old Brit so have lived through some of the golden ages of British humour but 'The Office' is just not funny imo. To me it's a classic case of 'the emperor's new clothes'.

I agree. Watched the first 3 episodes this weekend and called it quits. The premise of the show is that you've got a manager who thinks he's one of the world's great comedians and no one else in the office does -- so what's funny about that? The other thing is that there really isn't a likeable character in the lot.......the manager's a goof and the underlings aren't much better.

Edited February 21, 2006 by Son-of-a-Weizen

[marcoliv]

by the way, anyone is familiar with this? Star Blazers - Series 3: The Bolar Wars

Oh yeah! When I was in the Navy I went to electronics school at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, north of Chicago, and every morning the barracks lounge was full of squids watching this show! Must admit, I got hooked as well...

Cool Moose

[Stereojack]

I just finished watching season 1 of SOAP.

I'm thinking of picking up Hill Stree Blues.

Any fans?

Big fan here!

I watched this show religiously when it first aired. This was around the time when I first had a VCR, still a novelty at the time, and found myself taping the show, and liking certain episodes so much I'd watch them a second time a few days later. Have considered renting the DVD's, but I suspect that even after all these years I still remember the episodes too well.

[Kalo]

Sorry guys but I don't understand how you can consider 'The Office' worthy of comparison to 'Fawlty Towers'.

I'm probably in a minority but 'The Office' left me cold. I'm a 60 year old Brit so have lived through some of the golden ages of British humour but 'The Office' is just not funny imo. To me it's a classic case of 'the emperor's new clothes'.

I agree. Watched the first 3 episodes this weekend and called it quits. The premise of the show is that you've got a manager who thinks he's one of the world's great comedians and no one else in the office does -- so what's funny about that? The other thing is that there really isn't a likeable character in the lot.......the manager's a goof and the underlings aren't much better.

I think that The Office is one of the best things on the tube in years.

And I'm a big fan of Fawlty Towers, which is perhaps the finest-ever realization of classic farce on television.

The Office is a different animal. It's more about "off-rhythms" and hesitations; In Jazz terms it's analogous to Monk's relationship to Teddy Wilson. In comedy terms, The Office's relationship to Fawlty Towers is that of the deliberate, head-scratching Harry Langdon or Laurel and Hardy to the more straight-ahead comedy of Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd.

And, Son-of-a-Weizen, it wasn't until the fourth episode of The Office that I really got it. It's one of the funniest single episodes I've ever seen, especially because it's so scarily, exactly like a particular place that I once worked.

Edited February 23, 2006 by Kalo