My game, so my rules. Most of which have already been articulated by others. One exception: there is no simple veto. If you’re going to flush a show, then please show your workings, in a matter hopefully more articulate than “it’s crap”.
I’m going to lead with: NYPD Blue
I can’t believe we’ve got this far down the thread without anyone mentioning Brideshead Revisited.
Never could stand Brideshead Revisited.
Noooooooooooo! Darn it! I was sure it would win. On account of it being the best programme ever and everything.
Come on, everyone knows Gary’s preparing a lengthy justification of Wish You Were Here.
Knowing full well it’ll be vetoed be someone for some utterly spurious reason, I submit Blackadder. Which one, you say? Okay, the second one. Blackadder II.
Blackadder The Third would be my (specific) choice, but that seems to be the most un-loved and probably vetoed immediately.
“Third” is the best – the Dictionary episode is a personal favourite
Series One is the least loved I think – the cast and writers don’t speak that highly of it either. The Witchsmeller and Archbishop episodes are gems though.
Third is wonderful – Prince George is a glorious character.
First series is great. I think it makes a difference if, like me, you watched it when it was first broadcast rather than after the others. I happened across it in ’83, thought “It’s that bloke with the funny face off Not the 9 O’Clock News” and stuck with it. Comparing it with the later series is a bit of an apples and oranges proposition, only the character names are really the same.
Truly great theme song:
Black – his gloves are finest vole
Black – his codpiece made of metal
His hat is blacker than a mole
His pot is blacker than his kettle
It is great, but I always get it mixed up with the Joan Hickson Miss Marple theme.
Series One does contain one of my favourite quotes from any of the 4 series (along with “the Three Twerps were one Twerp short – AGAIN!”)
“So what you are telling me Percy, is that something you have never seen is slightly less blue than something else you have ever seen”
Third most unloved? Hell no. It’s absolutely my favourite.
No love for the fourth? It’s the one I go back to most often.
Fourth here too.
The Avengers (the Emma Peel episodes in particular).
That’s my choice too.
In particular, the 1965 black and white series.
Emma Peel has certainly given me a few episodes.
✋️
“M appeal” i.e. “Man Appeal” this was explained on the radio the other day. I didn’t know that. I just thought she was called Emma Peel.
Veto. I think you need to be a certain age. I’m not that age.
What age? I was born in 1967 so speak for the middle aged, presumably it appealed to those who were old enough to watch it when it was first broadcast, and when I got together with my other half her daughter was 13, and a lot of our early bonding was through watching the Avengers. She’s 20 and at away at uni now, but the last time I saw her she was wearing the ‘Mrs Peel, we’re needed’ t-shirt I bought her one Christmas.
Ah, okay. Maybe it’s not an age thing and I just find it exceptionally dull for other reasons.
Era envy strikes again.
Oh god yes. I was only thinking today how awful it is to have central heating and not to have to go outside in the wind and rain every time I need to go to the toilet. And I’m 43 and haven’t died of lung cancer yet – this is hell on earth!
Fortunately a black man came past my house, so I was able to go out and tell him to go back to where he came from, just like we used to in that magical black and white decade!
well really, just because DD has a bigger era than you…
Not really, we just disagree. I was 7 when the 60’s ended so how on earth would I be envious of people living through it?
Speaking of exceptionally dull, here he is!
One for you, old bean…
The Sopranos, a superlative TV series. Great dialogue and characterization. A show I can re-watch many, many times and find something new.
Agree, I’ve watched the whole thing end to end at least 5 times and I’m feeling the itch again at the moment.
Have you tried Canestan?
Oh, I missed that. Is it on Netflix?
I think it’s been discharged.
Fungal discharge…TMFTL!
Peter Kay’s Car Share. Brilliant, return to form.
I really like Peter Kay and I’ve tried this, of course, but I do find the laughs a bit thin on the ground, and the girl in it really annoys me….but maybe that’s the point..? I’m probably in a minority here, but I much prefer Pheonix Nights.
Dad’s Army
Steptoe and Son
Fawlty Towers
Agree Blackadder excluding series 1
Death in Paradise
Borgen
Yes Minister
Possibly more controversially (I can hear “self satisfied”, “smug” etc)
Friends
Frasier
Cheers
Frasier is my favourite sitcom, but it lags in places. No finer sitcom character than Niles Crane.
Veto I’m afraid. Can’t stand Frasier.
Death in Paradise? Is it that good? I’ve only seen one episode and wasn’t really hooked.
It’s OK, but I wouldn’t rate it good, despite having watched all episodes so far. The old hackneyed whodunnit formula (including the clichéd gathering together of suspects to finally expose the killer) but set in a more exotic location than is usual.
I’ll nominate “Uncle”. This just keeps getting better and better.
It’s on its third lead actor , it seems to have found a way to replace them without ‘regeneraration’ or bringing in the brother or brother in law as a replacement ( midsummer murders fave method of replacing the main man )
The weekly guest stars like it – I assume it’s a lot warmer than where ever casualty is filmed .
And it got cat from red dwarf so it has it’s good points .
Borgen jumped the shark in the last series. All that moral wrangling and she ends up propping up Lassebo? Made the whole thing seem like a waste of time.
I agree the 3rd series was a disappointment but the first two were perfect. So i can forgive it.
Friends can go and do one!
Never found it entertaining, and has just become an annoyance being permanently repeated on E4
It was, but not for a few years now. It’s endless repeats of TBBT these days.
Could it BE any more annoyingly ubiquitous?
I love Frasier; wit, grace and style.
But, it did have some rough patches – mainly when Daphne’s family appeared. Episodes with Anthony LaPaglia playing her brother were just execrable.
For the Moon moments I’ll have to veto.
Love the latter series of Cheers (the Woody and Rebecca years). Can’t abide Diane or Coach. So will have to pass on that show, too.
You are meant to not abide Diane and Coach was brilliant!
Not Friends. Why? The characters became caricatures after about season 4.
Was going to most somethIng here about Cheers. Have been re-watching the early seasons for first time since the 80s. I think the best sitcom ever. Fantastic scripts, brilliant comic acting, has a depth that makes it moving at time and FUNNY!
Tell you what, I can catch a rerun of Friends and laugh within 1 minute. Properly funny, and never really had a low patch other than possibly when Helen Baxendale was Ross’s girlfriend.
Completely agree on Dads Army, Watery Owls and Yes Minister,
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister…both absolutely peerless, and what seemed a little far fetched (and yet believable) then are more or less reality now. Brilliantly scripted and acted, though sad to see Yes pm now and watch Paul Eddington in decline.
Veto Steptoe. It reminds me of the worst parts of the era.
Fawlty Towers – oh very much so.
13 episodes of brilliance.
Admittedly, over-exposure can lead to blase-ness about the whole thing, but give it a while before getting back on the horse and everything returns to perfect.
Watery Fowls
Flay Otters
Fatty Owls
Flowery Twats
Farty Towels
only “Flowery Twats” is a true anagram
Mad Men.
If anyone vetoes I will flounce (& then sheepishly come back in about 10 mins)
For my money it is the most perfect show there has ever been. I can understand people not really getting it or finding the pace of it a bit slow, but disliking it? Not on my watch AWers.
Failing that, how about Father Ted? Ah go on
Mad Men – tick. Never seen Father Ted.
I have discovered Father Ted fairly recently (due to a band doing a cover version of My Lovely Horse at Daylight Music at the Union Chapel last year).
Since then both Mrs KFD and I have been hooked. It’s all so wonderfully bonkers and Father Jack is one of the most wickedly amusing creations in recent sitcom history.
Very sorry, but veto Mad Men.
This rule about giving reasons is just asking for arguments, but… thought it was massively style over substance, didn’t care about any of the characters or anything that was happening. Lasted two seasons before finally dropping it out, so perhaps it got better, but I sort of doubt it.
That’s it I’m off
Ha. Didn’t read this before I posted. But absolutely absolutely agreed.
Hey – your tolerance was greater than mine!
Hate Mad Men. Veto. As an earlyish example of modern mature TV it’s ok, but it’s all gloss and no real substance.
I’m told it picks up a lot after season 2 but I don’t think it’s reasonable to ask me to watch over 2 seasons of a show before it gets good. I made it through one and a half, loathing it all the way.
Watched Mad Men all the way through and did enjoy it, though it did lag half way through and what I liked was the style and the generally horrible characters.
Band of Brothers
Tick.
Yes, definitely.
Veto. I watched two episodes when it was first broadcast and wasn’t sufficiently entranced to return for the rest.
Woah, woah, woah. Can you veto something based on 20% of it? I’d say BoB is a TV series that really grew over its course; the last 3 episodes, in particular, are vastly superior to the opener.
I’m sorry, Kid, but you’re going to have to watch the whole thing before you’re allowed to hold an opinion on this. I’m also going to insist on the same for anyone who disses Seinfeld.
Well yes, but my thinking was that if I liked the programme, I would have hung around for the rest of it. Maybe I’m being unfair.
Absurd!
Seriously though, you should watch the rest at some point. It’s really really good.
Ahem.
I am back from my flounce & would like to direct you to the above comment Mr Little my good sir.
‘Woah, woah, woah. Can you veto something based on 20% of it?’
And can I then show you the below comment, taken from your comment at 16:28 on the 23rd Feb 2017;
‘Lasted two seasons before finally dropping it out, so perhaps it got better, but I sort of doubt it.’
This is your comment is it not? Based on less than 20% of Mad Men I believe? 🙂
The veto is cancelled surely?
To borrow your own words, I would say that ‘Seriously though, you should watch the rest at some point. It’s really really good’ (It really is – the 3rd series in particular – especially the last episode – is phenomenal)
Ahem. That must have been some other Mr Little. It’s a fairly common surname, after all.
I will try to watch the rest of it one day. I’m just not sure it’s for me – I found it actively annoying. Please don’t flounce though; I know lots of people who loved it!
That was Bongo Little.
Band of brothers is wonderful.
NYPD Blue – it’s crap, isn’t it?
; )
I have my eye on your sirrah!
The Prisoner. I mean the original 1960s version with Patrick McGoohan. And who cares what it was all about?
Pretentious, unfollowable nonsense. Big fat veto from me.
Same. Look, folks, if you watch almost any TV drama from before 2000 I guarantee you it won’t have aged well. They simply hadn’t worked out how to do it properly.
I Clavdivs is pathetically hammy. The Prisoner is just nonsense, and also pathetically hammy. The originally House Of Cards is so camp and static and staged as to be basically unwatchable.
Blackadder still works but only just, to be honest. It feels hugely of its time.
… Medieval or Regency?
Loved it APART from the last two episodes. They were just weird!
Wasn’t that the point?
Dinnerladies – rather overlooked but up there with the sitcom greats in my book.
Great shout. Much like Father Ted you can watch episodes repeatedly and either find something new, or remember something you missed.
The Simpsons (if it had ended somewhere around Season 9)
I may be the only person in the world who doesn’t like The Simpsons.
I know the characters and the traits, the “catchphrases” and stuff, but just never found it properly funny
I’m with you, Mr. Digit. Family Guy is far superior.
Veto Family Guy. I don’t mind a bit of puerile bullshit humour but 5,299 episodes based on four jokes gets old quite fast.
I didn’t nominate FG. Just said I preferred it to The Simpsons. Funny at first, but quality dropped through the floor after season 5.
Ah, fair enough.
We’d have to agree to disagree though. For me FG was never better than quite funny, whereas I think 90s Simpsons has some claim to be the best and most complete TV of the 20th century.
The one thing that was affected by the Millennium Bug was the Simpsons. As the new century dawned it went from being brilliant to being shite almost overnight. Incredible.
The Clangers
The West Wing
New Clangers or old Clangers? For that matter new Danger Mouse or old Danger Mouse?
Stranger Things
Oh, veto. The criticism style over substance holds here. It was engaging enough, but the story went absolutely nowhere leaving it open as an obvious bait for a sequel at the end.
I was saving these for the inevitable sitcom thread, but I propose
Happiness & How do you want me.
(Both BBC2 early noughties IIRC)
Porridge.
Masterful stuff.
I veto ‘Masterful stuff’ on account of it being more of a comment expressing an opinion than an actual telly programme.
thats a shame, I really liked Magnus Magnusson…
Happy Valley
The Missing
Big thumbs up for Happy Valley.
The Office
Extras
Derek
VETOOOOOO!
“Undislikeable” and “Ricky Gervais”. Two mutually exclusive concepts.
Never fancied The Office so never watched it. Therefore no opinion. Same applies with Derek.
I did watch quite a bit of “Extras” on DVD and the Ronnie Corbett one was absolutely hilarious, but I was thoroughly put off by the cruelty of one later episode and never finished the set on that account.
Couldnt get on with Derek but loved the office & Extras.
The Office, brilliant. Anything else with Ricky Gervais, no chance.
Love the Office. Extras had the odd moment. Derek I couldn’t stick 5 minutes of.
The Detectorists
Agreed
100% agreement. The best show on TV in the last few years. Brilliantly crafted and incredibly well written*
*my above flounce lasted less than 2 minutes
Yay for Detectorists.
Brilliant show. Subtle, funny. And with a couple of surprisingly good swears, too.
Yes, I couldn’t agree more. Subtle, sublime stuff and rightly appreciated by the detectorist world I understand, when such an idea for a TV show could easily have turned into a mass piss take.
Does anyone know if anymore is planned.
I think we have a winner, unless there’s a curmudgeon lurking in the wings.
Ve…. no just kidding. Lovely stuff and set in God’s own Essex.
My veto… remains firmly holstered.
Wonderful series, both of them, and the Special too; really hope there’s more to come.
The Gomorrah TV series is amazing
And if anyone vetoes it, sod ’em.
If one of the villains didn’t look like a mohawked James Corden it would be perfect ….
@gary
I got it and thought it worthy of praise..excellent!
Thanks Freddy. I try my best.
Thought I would hate this, fed up with the constant dissing of Naples but this was brilliant t.v.
The original Cosmos
Cheers
The Wire
Veronica Mars
The Ascent of Man
I have to watch all of The Wire before I can veto it? Bummer. I’ve got the box set, watched the first one, boring – hated it, watched the second one – boring, hated it, started watching the third one, gave up, did something else instead.
I dunno. Seems harsh to make you watch the whole thing, but most of the real magic is in seasons 3 and 4. I could always live without the dockers.
Also – are we still doing reasons here? Does “boring, hated it” suffice? Or do I need to listen to you slag off at length something I rather enjoyed you utter utter bastard.
We established at the old place that series 2 was the best one. Noob.
Season 4 FTW.
I bet this discussion is getting the girls really hot.
Reminder: this is the Afterword. There are no girls.
Now you tell me!
The girls would be interested to hear that.
4 and 2 in joint first place. Fact.
I have watched all of The Wire and am happy to veto it one both our behalves. Sorry, but it’s really a bit of a bore, isn’t It? Including the entire Carcetti series. I don’t give a stuff if you’re mayor or not you boring little man, just go away.
Why did you watch it all? That’s, like, 60 hours of your life!
I had the complete box set, after being convinced by The Word that it would be a valuable use of my time and money. I start start to watch it on my own, but got bored, then my other half wanted to watch it with me. She’s much more dedicated when it comes to box set marathons, but even she found it a bit of an endurance test.
Take away my Afterword card if you like, but I’ve never watched a single episode of The Wire.
I watched the first two episodes, got bored and decided to watch the first seaon finale to see how it panned out, found I wasn’t that engaged or interested at all, and just gave up after that.
Wait. What?
Seek therapy. That’s just weird.
I managed half an episode before I reached the same conclusion as you
I dutifully trawled through the whole thing. Admired it…. but was really glad when it was finished. Ditto Breaking Bad. Hauling my way through these long-form dramas has often felt like community service.
One of the best things about being grown up is that you can watch anything you like on the telly. Or not.
I’m a girl, I’m here and I loved The Wire! Season 5 was my favourite. Most accurate TV representation of a newsroom in a long time.
Obvious I know but nothing better than Breaking Bad
Ah, now that I can veto. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t have me staying up ridiculously late cos I wanted to watch one more episode (like The Sopranos did when I watched it for the first time last summer). And also, the main characters weren’t consistent. They changed their attitudes depending on each episode’s plot. That annoyed me.
…everyone I know is inconsistent
Better Call Saul is turning out better. And I loved BB.
This one I got one and a half seasons into before deciding it was boring.
The DVD case was staring at me from beside the TV for months and I just could not find a reason to spend an hour watching the next episode. Vetoed.
Couldn’t cope with it – just made me anxious and neurotic.
The Killing
Hill Street Blues
NYPD Blue
Cheers
The West Wing
The Sopranos
Band Of Brothers
Detectorists
The Larry Sanders Show
Seinfeld
Porridge
Thirtysomething
Fawlty Towers
Line Of Duty
W1A
Life On Mars
ER
Just about anything Attenborough has touched
Never watched Band of Brothers, Detectorists, W1A or Life on mars, otherwise a seriously good list.
West Wing insufferably smug extended virtue signalling vomit inducing nauseating shite. God I hated that show. Biggest veto ever.
I enjoy the West Wing, but with each new viewing I find myself noticing more and more ways in which President Bartlett is the ultimate dick boss.
“insufferably smug extended virtue signalling vomit inducing nauseating shite”
In other words, an Aaron Sorkin show.
What an incredible shock that you didn’t like The West Wing, B 😉
I understand all the critiques of it but Sorkin’s style just works for me. I even love The Newsroom.
And I still don’t understand what’s so bad about virtue signalling. 😉
The Newsroom is absolutely bloody terrible. Full of hateful, hateful characters. I still enjoy it though. Ditto Studio 60.
HI F, I just found that huge amounts of the plot presumed a moral superiority on behalf of Democrat solutions. If the program was any good, an equivalent Republican West Wing would have been just as popular. Can’t see it myself. It flattered its right-on audience and delivered the neat happy endings that so rarely accompany real politics. And “Qumar”? What a cop-out.
I listen to the show podcast. There are some things where Sorkin just can’t write an opposing view, but equally there are quite a few episodes where the Republican view is represented, and very well so. Ainsley Hayes rant on the Equal Protection clause is a case in point.
He was also generally careful with some of the ambiguities involved in Government (cf The Women of Qumar)
The podcast is very good.
I find the politics of the show a bit eyeball rolling at times, but I think you have to be willing to look beyond that and appreciate the sheer quality of some of the writing and acting. Definitely one of the strongest ensembles I can think of.
HI B (and F)
Are we doing the initials thing now? Is that a thing? If so I’m onto a winner.
MC
Hi MCE,
Just hard to shorten and mate-ify Friar much further. F sprang to mind!
B
Exactly – Bartleby has been calling me F for a little while and I like the friendliness of it, not least because we disagree about quite a lot and it indicates an appreciation of the man and the conversations even if we’re on opposite sides of the ball. So I thought I’d reciprocate. 🙂
It’s my way of signalling virtue 😂
Haha!
Nothing bad about virtue signalling, except the willingness to chuck it around as a term of abuse. It actually just having an opinion that not everybody can get behind.
I think you’d like Band Of Brothers, @Jackthebiscuit. Detectorists is just lovely, gentle comedy. No laugh track.
Thirtysomething. Great call. The scene where he says to Hope “I’m not letting you do this on your own” had me in floods.
I would add Twenty Twelve to that list, thought it was better than WIA.
Even though they had Jessica Raine’s character thrown out of a window to her death in series 2, I’ll let “Line Of Duty” off with a caution on this occasion.
Any of that sort of thing in series 4 and I’ll throw the book at ’em.
Can’t have “W1A” in the list without “Twenty Twelve” as well.
When I first got sick, last Spring, I watched it on Netflix, all 3 series, in about 4 days. I think I hid under the duvet for a week afterwards.
I think I might veto Line of Duty. I kind of enjoyed it, but was a bit daft, and I find the lead guy really irritating.
You mean the short ugly douche who is simply irresistible to the ladies? Actually, I think all the central characters in LOD are annoying – fortunately the show is much more about the supporting characters who are mostly great
Yes – exactly that!
He also at one point says, seemingly without irony: “I’m a proper copper”. Foot through screen.
Keeley Hawes is now the undisputed queen of Wearing An Expression of Absolutely Bottomless Misery.
You’re thinking of Tipping the Velvet, aren’t you?
I usually am, to be fair.
hurrrr
I’ve just been reminded that – following an interview with Michael Sheen on Chris Hardwick’s podcast where he gleefully pointed out that Americans pronounce the word “duty” as “doodee”, which sounds exactly like another word Americans use as a euphemism for shit when talking to toddlers – I annoyed everyone last year by referring to the show as “Line Of Doodee” while having an image of “cable laying” in my mind which always caused me to crack up. I really annoyed everyone – funny how they don’t forget that…
That’s a VV. Not vetoed.
If you’re having Twenty Twelve as well as W1A, you might as well include People Like Us – more John Morton farcical wordplay and better than the others IMHO.
Sticking to undislikeable, I’d second another couple of favourites: Father Ted and Yes (Prime) Minister
My folks hate Father Ted but not being part of the AW contingent their veto is vetoed.
May I enquire if they have said why? Is it the surreal elements, the irreverence, or do they just not like the jokes?
I didn’t ask but I suspect it would be all of the above and in particular, the surreal. They never got on with Python for the same reason.
They do enjoy Cheers and Porridge but also Vicar of Dibley and ‘Allo Allo’ 😬
Veto W1A. Far too satisfied with itself, and far too many in-jokes.
The Thick Of It
Bears up very well under repeated viewing I think and is just fantastic. VEEP is just as good in my opinion but a bit too niche for this thread I reckon
Yes yes yes. Was going to suggest that. Probably the best tv show of all time.
Yes absolutely yes. Incredible stuff, soup to nuts.
Oh what the hell.
Hey Duggee!
It’s on CBeebies, but is brilliant. It looks fantastic, and is one of the warmest funniest things I think I’ve watched.
Hacker Time.
My god, yes! Stands up to repeat viewing very well. Like dozens of times for each episode. Which is more than can be said for, say, Peppa Pig.
Agreed!
I have watched a few episodes of this with my little un. Alexander Armstrong is the voice of Duggee I believe, so as long as he doesn’t burst in to song then you can’t go wrong with this.
It’s not as good as the Twirly Woos though!
Not watched that for a bit, but yes, very funny too. The live action bits particularly.
….how predictable that so many Big Manly Drama Series are being named. What about Trumpton? Seriously, if you actually object to that I think Captain Flack and the boys should waterboard the crap out of you.
Are You Being Served?
‘Allo ‘Allo
On The Buses
Bottle Boys
Come Back Mrs Noah
Up The Elephant And Round The Castle
As Time Goes By
Triangle
Eldorado
Slingers Day
The Brittas Empire
Have I got this right?
You missed It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum.
The Brittas Empire – had forgotten that. Dear Lord how did commissioning work back in the 1990s.
You’ve missed out Oh Dr Beeching..
Bread too
And ‘You Rang, M’lord?’
And Sorry.
You know what, I completely forgot to exercise the nuclear option.
Last Of The Summer Wine.
Boom!
Mind Your Language
Mixed Blessings
George and Mildred
Love Thy Neighbour
Duty Free
Home To Roost
Home James
Roll Over Beethoven
Me And My Girl
Full House
The Kit Curran Radio Show
Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt!
The Gaffer
ITV Sitcoms were really just “Sits”.
At least they are now righting past wrongs with the peerless Benidorm
When the Whistle Blows from Extras is better than all of them 😀
These are shitcoms, not sit-coms.
Agree with the rubbishness of all of those listed by the two RDs up there apart from George and Mildred and The Brittas Empire.
I think the Brittas Empire was very clever. Gordon Brittas was a character that meant well and cared deeply about his employees and family, but didn’t have the self awareness to know that he wasn’t competent. He did all the right things, by the book, and he followed all the right processes. As the catastrophic events (including regular preventable deaths) at the leisure centre unfold, he somehow remains in charge – safe in the knowledge that the system protects him as long as he folows the rule book.
He could not tell that everyone (apart from one or two simple-minded sycophants) were mocking him at all times and the fact that his permanently stressed wife was shagging around quite openly. Brilliantly surreal situations were generated and very silly running jokes throughout (the desperate receptionist hiding her children in her desk drawers, the alarming injuries carried by the diseased-looking but cheerful caretaker). An important role was his 2IC, Laura. She was a bit like The Office’s Tim Canterbury – the normal/reasonable one who we identify with – somehow carrying on and keeping relatively sane. In short, I really liked it. So ner.
I haven’t seen the Brittas Empire since it was broadcast but I remember thing it was very underrated at the time.
You mean overrated Shirley?
Slingers Day – the Bruce Forsyth sitcom second series to the Leonard Rossiter fronted Trippers Day – and that wasn’t much better.
Bottle Boys was good.
No, not “good” – absolute dogshit!
Has Robin Askwith ever been in anything decent?
He hasn’t yet been in a vat of whale guts, but the evening’s young.
Two In The Bush
In The Valley of Darkness
My Neighbour, My Nemesis
Hilario!
Gamesmaster
Masked Men Attack Your House: Live!
I Am Viktor Flabbergasti
Red Dwarf
Where The Gnomes Go To Die
Don’t You Think That Man’s Hat Is Far Too Large
Wobblecock and Son
The Shield
Comic Relief: 24 Hours of Angry Men Stamping On Piers Morgan’s Balls In Hobnail Boots: Live Special
The Vicar of Dibley 2: The New Breed
RED DWARF??
Just snuck that one in there to check if you were paying attention.
I can’t help calling it The Dicker of Vibley. But it’s a good choice.
Well, now you’ve put it in my head, I’m going to be doing that too…
the Chase
Ed Sheeran
If we’re having The Killing, then we also need Trapped and The Bridge.
And Hinterland.
Just watched Trapped this week after mellowing it for a year. It’s great.
The Bridge is the absolute best thing on TV bar nothing. I’m delighted they’re making one final season but I’m utterly crushed that it will be the last.
I’m one of those ‘I don’t have a TV’ wankers and it makes me very selective about what I choose to devote my time to. This is pretty much the only thing I would have been devastated to have missed.
That theme tune! Saga! Her car! Martin! Hans! The new bloke whose name I can’t remember and whose hair changed colour halfway through the season! The cinematography!
I desperately want to drive across that bridge while playing the theme tune loud.
And Trapped was excellent too.
I went over it on the train on my 50th birthday, but there was dense fog and I saw absolutely bugger all apart from the painted line as you cross from Denmark into Sweden.
Got to be:
This Week
Scrapheap Challenge
Beiderbecke Affair
Forsyth Saga
The Young Ones
Car SOS
Out of Town/Old Country with Jack Hargreaves
and one I’m sure we can all agree on, Top Gear (the old one)
Blue Peter (70s/80s)
The Irish RM
Blue Peter?! Veto. Always looked down on it as a child, all seemed a bit well behaved. Kids should be running around the woods, muddy faced and wild, not sat at home collecting bottle tops and being rewarded with badges by patronising adults.
What the hell is Car SOS?
Ha! It’s a blokeish car show where a small team of mechanics do up a neglected classic car owned by someone who’s health is usually f*cked. It’s rather good in a non-Afterword sort of way.
I wasn’t allowed to run around the woods, muddy faced and wild between tea time and homework. Blue Peter – especially with John Noakes, Leslie Judd and Sarah “Pool table” Greene made tea time tolerable.
Wait, the pool table story was an item on Blue Peter? I missed that one.
Beiderbecke Affair, great stuff, I’d almost forgotten that.
Bit good wasn’t it.
Tapes and Connection were just as good. Barbara Flynn, James Bolam, written by the mighty Alan Plater. Unvetoable.
I preferred Babs with the flowing locks of Affair personally. Sorry, what was the question?
If we’re talking of Barbara Flynn then we should include “A Very Peculiar Practice”, I think.
A few more comedy suggestions: “Black Books”, “Spaced” and “Green Wing”.
The Young Ones – sadly “of it’s time”. I think it still stands up on it’s own merits, but does look and feel a bit dated now.
No veto from me, but I bet there will be more
Top Gear – nothing disagreeable there. Towards the end it became a bit of an oafish entertainment show with cars secondary to the programme, but still watchable
VETOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Top Gear. Loathsome presenters, tedious subject.
The big problem with US shows is how much they flog them to death. House seasons 1-3 were brilliant TV, but after that it just lingered on. Frasier seasons 1-6 remain my favourite TV comedy, but the four seasons afterwards were thin gruel.
Oh, the Prisoner (original) is brilliant, but only about 7 episodes stay true to the original remit. It’s worth noting that they stretched it out for the US market.
I know this is going to get shot down, but I can’t let the thread go further without pointing out that the greatest television series of all time is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It has its problems, but even the duff series (Riley should never have been more than the most minor of characters) had episodes which rank among the best ever made.
Vetoed by association with Alien Resurrection.
I don’t even know what that means, but ‘boo’ anyway.
Both written by Joss Whedon, a man whose oeuvre I cannot stand.
Fair enough. I couldn’t get along with Firefly (basically the vacuum that was Riley’s character in Buffy put in charge of a collection of ‘types’ which makes Star Trek, which I happen to love, look Shakesperian in its subtlety. I didn’t last long with Dolls House either, but Buffy is a joy.
Three words:
House of Cards
Three more words: Veto – extremely irritating.
Two words. Which one?
Some letters – UK? US?
The original or the new one?
Two words. Fuck. Off.
😉
Ooooh oooh Scott and Bailey. I have a thing for Amanda Bullmore.
You like her so much you don’t even know her name? AMELIA Bullmore.
Fucking autocorrect. Errrr.
She is absolutely brilliant, from Godzilla to Sonja and everything in between.
Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads
(if nowt else, it wins the prize for the best theme toon)
Eeeee, by the cringe!
Nominations close 1200 Eastern tomorrow.
I shall then produce a list of nominations, vetos, and who vetoed.
Then we let slip the dogs of war.
What time is that in English?
5pm yours (assuming you’re in the UK)
Our Friends in the North.
I win.
Canny fettle.
“The Mafia of the Mediocre” oughta be an AW T-shirt.
Tempted to veto due to unreasonable number of Northerners present but will let it go.
In that caseI’m vetoing Blackadder due to the unreasonable lack of snakes of a very dark hue.
The Sweeney
Minder
Life On Mars
Red Dwarf (although, I know a lot of people who dislike it so may not get much distance on that one)
Rising Damp
The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin
Filthy, Rich and Catflap (only about 17 people ever watched it, so I’m expecting cries of “never heard of it. You just made that up”)
Bottom
Well, I am one of those 17 people who watched Filthy, Rich and Catflap.
I can still quote swathes of the script – which I know is sad. But I don’t care.
I miss Rik.
Much as I liked Minder, it was never the same when Terry left and Ray appeared with his red blazer.
I loved and love F R and C. “What in the name of Satan’s portion….”
Me too. That’s 4 already.
Red Dwarf was okay up to the point where they brought Kochanski back. That said, the recent reboot on Dave has been much better as it’s returned to the four people getting on each other’s nerves ethos.
Reginald Perrin was good too, though not the dreadful Martin Clunes remake.
Absolutely veto Red Dwarf. I loved it as a youngin but god, I went back to it some time ago and it was fist bitingly shit. The sort of jokes that only appeal to comic book guy from the Simpsons.
Oops sorry. No offence.
Reginald Perrin (original) went on too long after it ran out of ideas, in my opinion.
I avoided the remake like the plague. A shrewd guess that it would be shite with Clunes.
and your shrewd guess was absolutely spot on
Remakes are the simplest way of sullying a legacy
There was a good LOL in the remake:
(Reggie is summoned to CJ’s office – no context – Reggie enters and CJ is seated staring out of the window)
CJ – “Tell me…what do you think of children?”
RP – “er…(not knowing what to say)… they’re selfish bastards?”
CJ – (correcting him sternly) “they’re the *future* Reggie!”
RP – “Of course.”
Game of Thrones. Mr B got Series 6 for Christmas, and we watched the last couple of episodes the other week, which meant that I spent two hours shouting “Fucking HELL!” at the telly every ten minutes.
Veto. Load of old bollocks.
I’ve watched 4 seasons because it kept teasing me with the promise of a massive, massive ruck between knights and dragons and zombies. Shouldn’t be too much to ask. But it’s never going to bloody happen, is it? Or at least not within a time scale I’m happy to wait for.
I feel like I sat watching it, and about once every episode I’d think “fuck this, I’m turning it off” (usually after the soft porn bits. I’m a grown man, I don’t want to sit on my todd watching soft porn on a massive plasma screen). Then something amazing would happen like the dude beheading his own horse and I’d be like “Ok – bit more”. Then it would be another 5 hours of blokes sat round a camp fire talking about winter and the mighty battle about to be had. Then they wouldn’t show the battle at all.
That show is the biggest tease in all of TV. Veto! Veto! Veto!
Completely agree on the soft porn. In this day and age, why compromise?
But I still love Game of Thrones.
Never been tempted to watch GoT.
Fingerbobs.
Blockbusters with owd Bob. (surge of warm nostalgia)
Jackanory.
Pogel’s Wood
I was going to propose Pingu. Stoners to toddlers love it.
If I may crosspollinate with the film thread…
Have an Up, Kid. That is brilliantly witty. Even John Carpenter himself seems to have given it a thumbs up.
Claymation rules! What next? Wallace and Gromit in Assault on Potting Shed 13?
Edge of Darkness.
Hill Street Blues
Cracker.
Morse.
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.
Roobarb
The music! The shimmering colours! Richard Briers!
Hart to Hart.
Tried to watch that…. it was MOIDER!
But the bits with Morph in it were quite good.
Triangle.
The Adventure Game.
Knightmare.
Knightmare – you can close the thread now.
On a semi related note, I know some of the people who made this, and it’s fab…
Knightmare is still shown on Quest (I think, or one of the unwatched TV channels) at about 1:00 in the morning. There is much crap TV that I will watch at that time of the night (morning?), but Knightmare isn’t one of them
Northern Exposure
Our friends in the North
Aug wiedersehen pet!
State of Play
The Beiderbecke Affair
And Ben and Hollys little kingdom !
Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom is ace.
I’d also nominate Go Jetters, the theme tune to which always pleasingly reminds me of Death or Glory by the Clash.
Oh, and also Tilly & Her Friends. Fantastic stuff.
Haha, my two love this, it’s great. Someone tweeted the bad guy next to a pot of Nescafe Azera the other day which I thought was inspired.
Yes, the Wise Old Elf is an inspired character.
The first three and a half minutes of this are pure comedy gold.
It’s pure Python isn’t it! By the way did I ever tell you the story of….Big.. Bad…Barry?
Auf Wiedersehen Pet was an object lesson in diminishing returns.
All series were good in their own way, but they will never surpass the first outing.
Had ahway an shite Brenda man!
Oz returns from a German brothel: “Eeee, the things I’ve done the neet. Sexual intercourse is in its infancy in Gateshead”
Wayne teaching Barry the ways of pulling birds… Scuse me would you like to come back to our utt!
Was going to mention Auf Wied Pet, thought the first two were brilliant. Watched a bit of the third and nothing thereafter
Oh yes. Northern Exposure.
I’m gonna say The Crown. I’m also going to pre-veto any vetos based on not liking the monarchy or the royals, cos that’s not relevant to appreciation of a cracking bit of drama.
Spot on
Veto. Just a boring documentary, nothing more and in fact a lot less. Hated it…
I veto your veto. Is that allowed? I’ve lost track.
I don’t think you can realistically whack a bit of Total Wipeout, even with Richard Hammond taken into consideration.
The American one is miles better. The presenters and the characterisations they give to the contestants are very funny.
Has anyone here watched The OA on Netflix yet?
Cos I can imagine absolutely no dissent to that one.
My brother was raving about it last weekend. I expect I’ll put it on my Netflix list to not watch at some point in the future.
It’s an… um… acquired taste, but I quite enjoyed it. I’d love to have been in the elevator when they pitched it, because it must have sounded absolutely bloody preposterous.
How could I forget? Friday Night Lights.
Veto, purely on account of the Landry/Tyra/murder storyline. And because it was often melodramatic bobbins, despite starting well. Nice theme tune though.
Sherlock. Particularly the universally loved later episodes.
When was that on? Clearly there wasn’t enough publicity
Veto. Cucumber Patch is awful.
Eldorado.
Howard’s Way. Esp. Ken Masters and his v-neck over bare chest and medallion combo. HOT.
Not.
Brass Eye
The Day Today
Partridge
Family or Alan?
A-Ha! Total agreement on Partridge, the 2 series (travel tavern/static caravan) are flawless. I’ve not watched them back for a few years now (after having them on a loop for the 10 years prior), but it still gets quoted regularly at home.
Big Train.
Don’t even bother vetoing it. It’s impervious to veto.
I’ve rarely laughed as hard as the first time I saw this. Laughed pretty bloody hard just now too.
I could basically post Big Train clips all day. Someone will veto it in a minute, but it doesn’t matter – one of the funniest TV shows that ever was, or ever will be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z14eZN7ZjA
Big Train was wonderful. Can someone find the Prince vs Antelopes clip. It is surreal genius.
did you mean Prince hunting jockeys? If so…
other genius Big Train sketches would include ‘goodbye mr chips’ (“big fat hairy cocks!”) and the Evil Hypnotist
Jools Holland’s Hootenanny (this year’s is probably being filmed tonight)
Dawson’s Creek.
Oooh, I hope KT Tunstall is available…
For the Hootenanny, or just generally?
Asking for a friend (yes we are doing this to death)
Limmy’s Show
Kath & Kim
Big yes here for Kath & Kim, particularly Kel, purveyor of fine meats.
Also a big Yes here for Kath & Kim.
Ok, The Young Ones and Filthy Rich and Catflap so they’ll need to be vetoed twice now..
The Monkees
Horace, anyone else but me remember Horace?
Yes
Was thinking about it/vaguely remembering it last week – buggered if I could remember the name of it though.
(only ever saw it the once in the early 80s – don’t think it was ever repeated)
Cheers Dave, thats filled a gap in my database
@Rigid-Digit here’s a treat for you
The Young Ones only has fleeting moments of genuine humour, looking back.
Very much of it’s time and much the worse for that.
It was the start of humour = shouting. Not funny then or now. Veto.
I’m more of a Bottom man myself…
I saw this in Updates and thought someone had started a thread I could really get involved with…
The Gilmore Girls.
“GyugugciusouorerbowterdghiusdpUUYTYtvuuVvUYutVvrtyrqtty” ….. hope you enjoyed my impression of the daughter from the Gilmore Girls. Best accompanied by an absolutely ENORMOUS meal that nobody eats.
No-one has vetoed this. If it ends up in the final list alongside all the Big Manly Drama Series I for one will be amused.
I’m going to nominate Coronation Street too. It will be vetoed but I don’t care, I love it, so much humour and warmth among the over the top drama
I have the sixties box set – bloody marvelous.
Canonise Albert Tatlock!
Crap for at least a decade though….
Sadly true.
Grew up with Corrie and Hilda’s murials, but Ken Barlow has always been an irritating prick.
Tiswas.
Oo .. Sally James!
(and I was only 12 when Tiswas finished, but even then …)
The Fast Show
There must be at least one character that everyone likes from that lot, which will save it from ultimate veto
(or perhaps not)
Can I veto fans of the Fast Show without vetoing the show itself?
Not including your good self, natch.
While I’m here – Norbert Smith: A Life. H. Enfield has never done better.
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
“Spooks”
“Six Feet Under”
“Farscape”
Spooks is a good call – but it disappeared up it’s own back end after about 3 series and started killing all the main characters off on a weekly basis
G.B.H.
Calm…. Calm….
Hustle
Veto because it’s shit.
Geeks/ Cult corner: Has nobody said “The Twilight Zone”? The Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker “Dr Who”s? “Budgie”? “Callan”? “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”? Anything with Jason King?
Baker was my Who, but the old Whis are better as a memory than to be watched these days I’m afraid. There used to be loads of full episodes of Jason King on YouTube but they had been taken down last time I looked. Still some full episodes of Deprtment S on there last time I looked though. The Twilight Zone is a terrific shout.
Tom Hardy reading the bedtime story on CBeebies last week was, er, invigorating.
I’m just going to watch it again to make sure: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08fm3vl/cbeebies-bedtime-stories-580-tom-hardy-the-cloudspotter
In no particular order.
In a land of plenty
Our friends in the north
Episodes
Auf weidersen pet
Holding on
Queer as folk
Murder one
Happy Valley
Broadchurch
North square
Episodes is great. Love me a bit of Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan is always worth watching.
That’s gone on too long. And the crawling to Matt leBlanc is undignified. “OK, I can be stupid and ignorant… but can you write me in a big dick too? Theeeanks!”
Some facts:
The World At War
Simon Schama’s Power of Art
Scorsese’s The Blues
Planet Earth
The Blue Planet
anything with Richard Attenborough
“Ideal.”
Thunderbirds!, or are puppets not allowed?
Veto. Crap then, crap now. I had a soft spot for Joe 90 at the time, because I was a little blonde kid too, albeit without the glasses, but even then I knew the Anderson puppet stuff was rubbish.
Corner Gas, The Sopranos, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Early Doors, The Royle Family, Happy Valley
Yes, yes for Early Doors which I thought was so much better than The Royle Family – much warmer than the Royles which lost its way
LOVE Early Doors. It had one of my favourite lines of all time, when they were discussing whether Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen was gay or not: ‘Well, I bet he helps them out when they’re busy.’
Some more love for Early Doors. Brilliantly written & has the best opening scene of any sitcom ever (with Ken cleaning the toilets – ‘You caaaaan’t take awaaaay myyyyyy diiiiiiiggggggniiiity’)
The ‘Do you like the circus’ scene had me crying with laughter when it was first on too.
Kramer ruins Seinfeld for me. Totally unfunny and the pitchfork-standup incident sealed the deal.
i really loved VINYL….spotting the pop/ rock references was a treat.
the episode with a Jethro tull..ish band springs to mind. quote, “where did this lot come from..SHERWOOD FOREST”???
much nashing of teeth when season two was cancelled.
has anyone namechecked BOARDWALK EMPIRE.?
superb acting and believable characters with a nice story arc.
AND from my childhood…CHILDREN OF THE STONES….a properly creepy story…and superbly unsettling theme music…..get it cheap from amazon and marvel at “proper” kids tv.
FISH.
Vinyl was terrible. I made it through the Season, the fact it was cancelled after that was a saving grace.
Children of the Stones was properly good. And Jade Jagger nowhere to be seen.
….please yerselves
Not sure if it is shown in the UK, but Key & Peele is very, very funny.
I don’t think anyone has said Futurama yet. Well more fool y’all. I would also suggest 30 Rock is really rather good and I can’t think of a bad episode.
Oh, and Only Connect counts, right?
Meanwhile, the following are all what the TV was invented for-
Homes under the hammer
Bargain hunt
Murder she wrote
DIY SOS
Judge Rinder
Flog it
Basically, the stuff they play in care homes 24/7
I want the Funky Estate Agents Theme from HUTH played at my funeral.
Anybody remember The Brothers? Millions of young men tuned in every week to follow the travails of a bad-tempered trucking family – and to look down Hilary Tindall’s blouse.
Now out on DVD – essential 70s catch up telly. Crap premise – family road haulage company – excellent scripts, and yes, the wonderful Hilary Tindall, who sadly died very young of cancer.
See also The Long Chase – early 70s kids’ mystery thriller starring Jan Francis, from the same production / writing stable as The Brothers. Ace.
The Good Wife was brilliant though the very last ep was a bit of a dashed off thing I thought. But maintained a superb standard over so many series.
“The ooh-aah bird is so called because it lays square eggs”
er…have I got this right?
It was oohmegoolie bird where I come from. But that might not have been about eggs.
Cold Feet, though I suspect it will be vetoed.
Bilko – must have been mentioned.
Hogan’s Heroes – very silly, but great fun.
Private Schultz.
Ripping Yarns.
Didn’t watch CF first time round but loved the relaunch. Got the box set but didn’t like the early ones do much. All that faux passion shagging. Embarrassing. Not vetoed though.
Anybody remember Holding On?
Late 90s BBC – Tony Marchant, David Morrissey, Phil Daniels as a thinly disguised Tony Parsons.
Holding on is on my list upthread a bit.
Great series IMHO.
First time I’d seen DM in anything since One Summer way back in ’83. The effect was quite devastating.
Sam Kelly was brilliant too, as always. RIP.
The Hitman and Her.
It’s 1991, I’ve come home pissed, put the telly on in the hope of seeing some tits, and I do. Loads of them.
The Titman and Hurrr.
Arf!
*falls asleep face-first in takeaway pizza*
The World At War and Thunderbirds have already been mentioned, so I’ll add Sherlock Holmes (the Jeremy Brett version).
At last. Sherlock Holmes as played by JB invalidates all other versions, even the Basilmeister.
Freaks and Geeks
Fringe
Coupling (the first two nominations are still great, but I haven’t seen this one since it was made, so not sure if I would still find it funny)
Rapido
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Man Down
Dexter
Anyone remember Rivron?
It pains me to say it, because I really liked Dexter, but the last season was like a ridiculous practical joke on the loyal fans who stuck with it.
So, it’s a veto.
To be fair, it had been getting a bit silly for a while. Still loved it personally.
Veto on Curb. I know it’s meant to make you cringe, but for me that just makes it too uncomfortable to be enjoyable.
Has anyone mentioned Pointless yet? When it was first on, I couldn’t believe that something so perfect had been created. It rewards obscure knowledge but you can also wing it, if you’re lucky.
But it’s not just the format – the likeability of the presenters and how they treat the contestants seals the deal. It’s obvious that they love doing it. Also, I love the way that the banter doesn’t always work, and can lead to redundant and awkward silences.
” I love the way that the banter doesn’t always work, and can lead to redundant and awkward silences”
This made me misty-eyed with old-fashioned patriotism.
There’ll always be an England…
Parks and Recreation is ‘undislikeable’ personified.
A Very Peculiar Practice
Yes!!!
And while we’re at it, The Riffraff Element.
Bloody hell 350 comments and not one mention of the correct answer, which is GET SMART. Timeless comedy, always funny. And Barbara Feldon.
The first couple of series of 24 were ace and paved the way for all the quality ‘box set’ shows to follow from the US.
No one has mentioned Roseanne, which was pretty groundbreaking for an American sitcom in its time, and in its early series very tightly scripted and funny.
And let’s hear it for dear old Jim Bergerac. Jersey might have been a hotbed of crime committed by young men in rolled up jacket sleeves and BBC cockernee accents, and Charlie Hungerford might have been the dodgiest Roller-owning millionaire father-in-law to be suspiciously involved in every one of those crimes – but Bergerac was top notch 80s telly. And it had that French bird in series one.
Wired into “The Good Wife” at the moment on Netflix.
Only got about 75 episodes to go………then I’ll be up to date (pins eyelids up with clothes pegs).
Just thought of one surely no one dislikes “Dukes Of Hazard” just perfect
We got the box set recently. Twang Jr, age 12, was somewhat distracted without being prepared to admit it my Daisy. And of course smashing the General Lee in flight. What more does a 12 year old boy need?
‘Mansize’ tissues?
A late bid for Ripping Yarns, much preferred it than the hotel one.
Thirtysomething. Or it’s little brother, This Is Us.
The Groovy Fellers…. inaugurating the greatest onscreen partnership in the history of TV
Phil Silvers Show aka Bilko
Definitely YES !!!
And another Definitely Yes!!! from me.
Amazing cast of TV grotesques, the like of which you’d never see nowadays.
And still funny as f^^^ after at least 50 years too!
Magnificent!
Indeed. All remastered and available at tantalising prices (occasionally) over at the tax dodgers, if anyone’s interested…
Veto Bilko, I veto your face.
The Crystal Maze
The Krypton Factor
Anyone done Auf Wedersehen Pet yet? Even the last one in Cuba.
The last one in Cuba was rubbish.
CRACKERJACK!
160 shows have been nominated
28 have been vetoed.
I’ll start a new thread for voting, which shall be by the mechanism of STV – Si Transferable Vote
Veering away from comedies and sitcoms for a moment, I’d like to nominate James Burke’s “Connections” series.