What TV Show Should I Rent Next?

[Pidgeon]

Yeah, Home Movies is great. So is it's music.

[orator]

Oh, I forgot:

 Anyone who hasn't yet should watch Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. So. Damn. Funny.

[hugman]

I second Summer Heights High.  What an amazing performance.

Dunno if IT Crowd is out on dvd yet or not in the states, but that's really funny.

I didn't used to like Weeds, but I thought last season (and the season premier of the new season for that matter) was hilarious.

The State comes out of DVD next month so get ready for that.

I'm about to launch into Six Feet Under finally, having only seen one or two episodes.

[ben]

I second Newsradio.  TOP TOP drawer.

[Chris L]

The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, Mad Men Season 1

If you enjoy these, The Singing Detective is a must.

State of Play was highly acclaimed too, but I haven't gotten to that yet (disc 1 is waiting... and waiting...).

Also, BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ can be watched as the equivalent of an HBO season-length series.

[nec13]

If you like The Wire, I would rent Homicide: Life On The Street (preferably seasons 1-5). It's got top notch writing and has a superb ensemble cast.

Agree with Scot, that you should also check out any of the seasons of SCTV that are out on DVD.

[orator]

If you like The Wire, I would rent Homicide: Life On The Street (preferably seasons 1-5). It's got top notch writing and has a superb ensemble cast.

 Similarly, if he likes Deadwood he may like one of Milch's previous series, NYPD Blue. It's kind of formulatic like Law & Order, but less so and more character-driven, but the writing is generally good and the lead actor (Franz, not Caruso) is superb.

 If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with Homicide. But both Sipowicz and Pembleton are awesome characters and worth being watched.

[buffcoat]

I second Summer Heights High.  What an amazing performance.

Dunno if IT Crowd is out on dvd yet or not in the states, but that's really funny.

I didn't used to like Weeds, but I thought last season (and the season premier of the new season for that matter) was hilarious.

The State comes out of DVD next month so get ready for that.

I'm about to launch into Six Feet Under finally, having only seen one or two episodes.

I have 6 eps to go of Six Feet Under.  I must warn you, it's a tough, tough slog there in the middle.  Tougher by far than Oz, the previous record holder for me in that dept.

I third Homicide.  Do not watch after the Big Departure.  You'll know what I mean when you get to it.  And especially do not watch the movie.  The first seasons are truly exemplary.

[Scot]

maybe we should start a "homicide" thread. i think my favorite episode ever was the one with bruno kirby + sonic youth's original drummer, where they had it out for pemberton.

i couldn't watch the last season of the show - sort of totally drove me up the wall.

[masterofsparks]

I second Summer Heights High.  What an amazing performance.

Dunno if IT Crowd is out on dvd yet or not in the states, but that's really funny.

I didn't used to like Weeds, but I thought last season (and the season premier of the new season for that matter) was hilarious.

The State comes out of DVD next month so get ready for that.

I'm about to launch into Six Feet Under finally, having only seen one or two episodes.

I have 6 eps to go of Six Feet Under.  I must warn you, it's a tough, tough slog there in the middle.  Tougher by far than Oz, the previous record holder for me in that dept.

We enjoyed Seasons 1 & 2 of SFU but Season 3 pretty much killed the series dead for me. So agonizingly drawn-out and bad. I have no plans to watch any further but I might reconsider if I hear that it gets better.

[Sarah]

This thread leads me to conclude that I have watched, watch, and no doubt will continue to watch a great deal of television.

It might be too cheesy now, but I will always have a place in my heart for I, Claudius.  Hey, you should watch that before or after Rome.

[crumbum]

 And Newsradio. A very good sitcom.

When it was on NBC I was a ceaseless proselytizer, but a couple of years ago I bought season 1 and found it didn't quite hold up as well as I'd imagined. Good but not great. I think it improved further in the second and third seasons though -- at least up until the end of the Phil Hartman era when I couldn't bear to watch anymore. I should definitely go back and get the middle seasons.

I still laugh to myself thinking of the episode with Jon Lovitz and Phil Hartman in the mental facility: 'I was talking to the cigarette.'

[crumbum]

My favorite British show is Only Fools And Horses. Have you ever seen it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtboTwW-Jao&feature=related

good golly.

[jbissell]

There are a few rough patches but overall I think Friday Night Lights is pretty great.

[Chris L]

I third Homicide.  Do not watch after the Big Departure.  You'll know what I mean when you get to it.

To be fair, very few shows could survive after losing Max Perlich.