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Post by DonnaJo on Feb 11, 2009 13:55:01 GMT -5
Of course I expected LOCI to be on this short list put out by TV Guide.com. When will I learn? Happily though, the mothership was included. Which says so very much about this 19 year old gem of a series, doesn't it? TV Guide's Smartest ShowsAny thoughts on the other nominees? |
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Post by tjara on Feb 11, 2009 14:37:56 GMT -5
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Post by ragincajun on Feb 11, 2009 14:59:21 GMT -5
I am not sure about "Smartest" shows, I consider "Smart" shows, shows that teach me something. I like "How I met your mother" but do I learn anything from it? No. But I find it entertaining. I don't find CSI even entertaining anymore.
I am guilty of getting my news from non news channels, I used to watch the Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. I now watch the View for the Daily topics for whats going on, I know sad, but its not as depressing as the real news.
Damages? I watched a few of the episodes the first season and wasn't impressed and didn't learn anything, but confusion, just like with Lost, don't like that show either.
Haven't watched Battlestar so don't know if that show or Mad Men are "Smart".
I do like "Big Love" and I know it wasn't picked but I like Dexter, those are the two Pay TV shows I like. I switch back and forth to showtime and HBO depending which show is on, since they are on at different times of the year.
Are they smart? I don't think I could go out and be a serial killer, or a polygamist. But maybe they do teach a little.
Oh and I don't see How Conan can be seen as a "Smart" show.
I learn things, from all the Law and Order shows, so I don't see how they all didn't get listed.
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Post by Jefferaldo on Feb 14, 2009 9:07:50 GMT -5
I think they meant smart as in constantly well plotted and written.
I find with Law & Order I have never walked away from an episode thinking "wow that was absolute garbage." Sure it has its ups and downs but it is consistantly great drama. As for CI there is a lot of great drama, but lately (seasons 6 and 7) the quality has taken a big dip.
I have to say the one I most agree with there is Damages. No other show can keep me guessing to the very very end. No other show kept throwing me twists in every single episode -- and twists that actually made sense. I have to say there is no other show that I would prefer to watch over Damages. Every line in the show is written with the express intention of telling the audience something about the character or the story. It doesn't waste my time. And all the actors on it are great.
rc, I implore you to finish off the first season of Damages. All will be revealed by the end and you will thoroughly enjoy it. (IMHO)
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Post by jeffan on Feb 14, 2009 9:22:45 GMT -5
I agree. Damages is top-notch viewing. Stellar cast, stellar acting and stellar plot twists and turns.
At the other end of the spectrum, after the first two series Lost totally lost me!
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Post by DonnaJo on Feb 14, 2009 10:38:32 GMT -5
I have to say the one I most agree with there is Damages. No other show can keep me guessing to the very very end. No other show kept throwing me twists in every single episode -- and twists that actually made sense. I have to say there is no other show that I would prefer to watch over Damages. Every line in the show is written with the express intention of telling the audience something about the character or the story. It doesn't waste my time. And all the actors on it are great. Really Jeff? I know Glenn Close is fantastic in anything she appears in, but the promos for the show here in the US make it look silly, IMO. The young protege walking in slo mo....then the evil face of Close, like she's the devil. That promo has affected my desire to watch the series.  But I'll give it a go, if you and Jeffan say it's great TV. |
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Post by Jefferaldo on Feb 14, 2009 10:53:05 GMT -5
Yes, DJ do give it a go. It is a serial so don't just tune in now - It will make no sense. Gotta start at s1 ep 1 =)
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Post by annabelleleigh on Feb 20, 2009 14:17:17 GMT -5
Very idiosyncratic, as all lists of this type are. "The Daily Show" is smart but "The Colbert Report" is not?
I also think the author has trouble distinguishing between "smart" and "smart-ass." In my mind the latter adjective is a better fit for some of the selections, including Conan O'Brien.
And here, IMO, is something far less than smart about "Battlestar Galactica" and "Lost:" These two series are so steeped in their own respective storylines and secrets -- histories, references, Easter eggs -- it's impossible to join in if you missed the first season (in fact any of the episodes). Not unless you obtain all seasons of each one and watch the shows in order from the beginning.
Past cult favorites -- notably "the X-Files" -- have had complicated character arcs but they've also alternated those episodes with standalone stories that any newcomer can understand. (I put CI in that category too.) Not that's smart.
AL
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