Last one purged due to the both of us not having access over the weekend. We've only got a few more to go each, so onward towards victory!!!
MANIAC'S LIST
7.Deep Space Nine 8.Leverage 9.??? 10.Top Gear 11.Stargate SG-1 12.Doctor Who 13.Daily Show 14.Colbert Report 15.Sports Night 16.Battlebots 17.White Collar 18.Rurouni Kenshin 19.How I Met Your Mother 20.Pushing Daisies 21.Chuck 22.FMA:B 23.Veronica Mars 24.Las Vegas 25.Eureka 26.Mythbusters 27.The West Wing 28. Royal Pains 29. M*A*S*H 30. Dexter 31. X-files 32. Burn Notice 33. Angel 34. Merlin 35. Supernatural 36. Red Dwarf 37. Andromeda 38. Castle 39. NCIS 40.Yu Yu Hakusho 41.Psych 42. Sanctuary 43. Joan of Arcadia 44. Lois and Clark: TNAS 45. Fresh Prince of Bel-air 46. Home Improvement 47. PTI 48. ESPN First Take 49.MXC 50.Full metal Panic! 51.Dark Angel 52. Stargate Atlantis 53. Dollhouse 54. No Ordinary Family 55. American Gladiators 56.Hercules 57. Xena Warrior Princess 58.Reaper 59.House M.D. 60. Iron Chef America 61.X-men TAS 62.Stump the Schwab 63.Doug 64.Wheel of Fortune 65.Highlander 66.Greek 67.Win Ben Steins Money 68.Pros vs Joes 69.Alias 70.WWE Smackdown! 71.WWE Raw 72.WCW Nitro 73.The Lost World 74.The Pretender 75. Robin Hood (BBC) 76.The Amazing Race 77. Survivor 78.Make it or Break it 79.Warehouse 13 80.Star Trek TNG 81. Star Trek Voyager 82.Rizzoli & Isles 83.DragonBall 84.Transformers 85. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 86.The Mole 87.Batman TAS 88.Looney Toons 89.Mutant X 90.Dragons Den 91.The Early Edition 92.Spiderman TAS 93.Around the Horn 94.Slings and Arrows 95.Legend of the Seeker 96.Friends 97.The OC 98.Painkiller Jane 99.Legends of the Hidden Temple 100.Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
#4. Lost #5. Whose Line Is It Anyway? #6. Supernatural #7. Community #8. Firefly #9. Boy Meets World #10. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart #11. Scrubs #12. Band of Brothers #13. Friday Night Lights #14. Freaks & Geeks #15. Survivor #16. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson #17. Arrested Development #18. Justice League / Unlimited #19. Parks & Recreation #20. Saturday Night Live #21. Chuck #22. Dragonball / Z / GT #23. Boston Legal #24. 24 #25. ER #26. Digimon #27. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #28. Veronica Mars #29. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger #30. Cheers #31. Conan (& Late Night & Tonight) #32. Mythbusters #33. Oz #34. Leverage #35. Vampire Diaries (*NEW*) #36. Powerpuff Girls #37. Battlebots #38. Monty Python's Flying Circus #39. Batman: the Animated Series #40. Futurama #41. The Drew Carey Show #42. Castle #43. Recess #44. Super Samurai Shinkenger #45. All That #46. The West Wing #47. NCIS #48. Spectacular Spider-Man #49. How I Met Your Mother #50. Iron Chef #51. The Colbert Report #52. The Mentalist (*NEW*) #53. House #54. Psych #55. NewsRadio #56. Dollhouse #57. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air #58. The Office #59. Modern Family #60. Looney Tunes #61. Dexter's Laboratory #62. Wolverine & the X-Men #63. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (*NEW*) #64. The Mole #65. Double Dare #66. The Wonder Years #67. Monster #68. My So-Called Life #69. Home Improvement #70. Chappelle's Show #71. South Park #72. The Joy of Painting #73. Gilmore Girls #74. Jane of Arcadia #75. Death Note #76. Alias #77. Star Trek: The Next Generation (*NEW*) #78. Tiny Toon Adventures #79. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon #80. Beast Wars: Transformers #81. Prison Break #82. Doug #83. Supermarket Sweep #84. Cash Cab #85. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #86. So Weird #87. Solitary #88. Wheel of Fortune (*NEW*) #89. Flight of the Conchords #90. Match Game #91. X-Men #92. The Muppet Show #93. Pokemon #94. Degrassi: The Next Generation #95. The Adventures of Pete & Pete #96. The Magic School Bus #97. Jeopardy! #98. Legends of the Hidden Temple #99. Rugrats #100. Robot Chicken
DROPPED: - Friends - Dexter - Muppet Babies - Arthur - The Price is Right
ADDED: - Vampire Diaries - The Mentalist - Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated - Star Trek: The Next Generation - Wheel of Fortune
BIGGEST MOVES: - Parks & Recreation (58 -> 19) - The Colbert Report (81 -> 51) - Leverage (60 -> 34) - Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (45 -> 29) - All That (32 -> 45)
I'll kick things off with write-ups for my new shows.
#88. Wheel of Fortune (1975-____) Syndicated, Other Choice Songs: - I tuned into the show the other day and was blown away by the size of their audience. There were at least five thousand, if not over ten thousand, people in attendance for a New Orleans show. You couldn't even see the back rows when the cameras swept over the crowd. I was completely blown away. My mind melted. I've been so used to normal studio audience sizes or mirror tricks like Supermarket Sweep had that just... it was like a concert or a football game was going on. Pat Sajak & Vanna White, iconic personalities that they are, have two of the best jobs in the world. Not only is it a lot of fun, but they're like a travelling attraction that goes from city to city bringing joy and fun everywhere.
Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy! are one of the best combinations ever. Jeopardy! is definitely the better game show for content and culture, but Wheel of Fortune is just more fun. You can just put it on and play along. If you're like me, you solve it early and then yell at the contestants as they buy every last vowel when there's only ten more blank spaces on the board. It's not just nostalgia. It's quality entertainment and one of the best game shows ever.
#77. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) Syndication, Drama Choice Song: - No other song gonna do that~!
Star Trek TNG was slated to be on the original list, but was accidentally omitted and forgotten when moving things around. It wasn't until the mid-30s of my list or when Maniac had it on his list that I realized the mistake. I hope it is now rectified.
The Next Generation is the only Star Trek I've watched, and only sporadically at that. My parents were both fans and one of my best friends has tons of Star Trek memorabilia across all shows. I just never got as into it. Many of the times I would tune in, it was one either one of the mediocre or worse episodes or an episode I'd already seen at least five times. Picard, Data, Worf, Riker, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi, Geordi, Guinan, and others entertained and dazzled, but I've never gone out of my way to watch it. In fact, I usually only watched TNG because I was in with my parents and the amazing Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy! block just ended. It's an amazing show with a stellar cast, but there's enough I haven't seen and lots I wouldn't want to see again to keep this from getting too high.
#63. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010-____) CN, Animation Choice Song: - Best Scooby-Doo, hands down. Cases of the week are great, but the running plot threads, character growth, relationships, and arc are top-tier. It kind of reminds me of Spectacular Spider-Man where the characters grow and change every episode while still nicely episodic. It's low only because I haven't seen enough of it, but what I have makes it the best Scooby-Doo by far, and therefore it needs to rank above Where Are You. Fred, Daphne, and Velma have all gotten so much better, possibly at the expense of Shaggy and Scoob, but they've been top-tier for forty years. It's refreshing that someone else takes the spotlight (besides Scrappy of course).
Also, traps.
#46. The Mentalist (2008-____) CBS, Drama Choice Song:
"The Mentalist (C, CBS - Psych): I loved it at first, but now I'm over it. Psych wins the fake psychic detective battle by a mile."
With the latest update, The Mentalist beats out Psych by two spots. Blame it on hype. The Mentalist is my most anticipated returning show of the fall. Supernatural, Vampire Diairies, and Community are all at the top of my viewing charts, all three with killer season finales that whet my appetite for more, but the first thing I think about when I think of the fall season is what happens next for Patrick Jane. There's a presence of House Season 5's finale in the back of my mind that pushes my thinking in that direction. It's such a game-changer. And the Season 6 premiere, "Broken," is one of my favorite episodes in all of television. It's only failure is that the rest of the series doesn't come close to living up to it (which is why I give lots of credit to Grey's Anatomy for how they've handled last year's finale over the past season). I've just got so much hype right now that it's easily the biggest influence on the jump. The Mentalist is a fun and interesting show on its own, but it's probably going to be sooooo much more. ...And as Lost taught me, I'm also prepared for massive disappointment, =P.
A previous write-up from May on why it's a notable mention:
After the Season 3 finale, I've been more intrigued with The Mentalist than I had been since its inception. I knew of some movements during Season 3 through periphery while my mother was watching in the evenings and my dad was playing catch-up the next day because he fell asleep in the middle of it. Hightower had a shotgun on Jane, Jane discussed something privately with President Charles Logan, Walter Mashburn came back because he was so damn awesome the first time, there's a ton of Red John stuff that's extremely intriguing. Luckily, I have most of the season saved on DVR and I'm watching through a bunch of them then deleting them for space. I'm really glad I watched the finale first because I've watching everything with a bit of spin on things, and so far, nothing's contradicted.
But that's arc. That's mystery and intrigue. What about the show itself? Why would I start bumping it up all of a sudden? When I compare it to Psych, Psych is the better case-of-the-week-by-a-fake-psychic-detective show. When I compare it Castle, Castle's got a better case-of-the-week-by-two-really-beautiful-actors-with-fantastic-chemistry. What The Mentalist has over both of them is that thin red line. The subplots, mystery aspect, and slow burn trumps them both and makes it an awesome show. I had forgotten that.
The cases aren't that bad either. Jane's an *******. I'd hate to know him in real life, but you can say that for a lot of people. It's just easier to say with Jane because you never know if he or someone like him could really show up, and you wouldn't know it if he were there. He just asks simple questions, studies your family portraits, then leaves you alone while he torments your friends and bosses and then you again in a few days. It's played out excellently, too. A lot of shows, you can quickly peg who the killer is by the halfway point. The Mentalist always keeps you on your toes, especially since if there's one recognizable guest star, there's usually quite a few more so you can't just peg it early on that.
Amanda Righetti's beautiful, but she's soooo stiff it's unnatural. I've seen her fun and loose and different in other things, but in The Mentalist, she's just odd, but I guess she has to be? I can't get past Rigsby's bad American accent most of the time. Lisbon walks like she's got a duck stuffed up her butt. And Cho... I can't complain about Cho. Cho is hilarious. Cho is the best damn character on the show. I'm not joking. He is so straight-faced that it's comic. I love him.
I also laugh. A lot. Psych and Castle are generally funnier overall, but some of the outlandish and smarmy charmy things Jane does... it's like Boston Legal's humor in a sense. Ha. Patrick Jane is Alan Shore. Wow. It makes a lot more sense now. Anyway, yeah. I came on here to post this because I couldn't watch any more Mentalist because I was laughing too hard. The "there's something in the pocket" bit is an old joke, but the set-up and execution of it was flawless and hilarious, and it helps that the coroner sounded just like Vizzini when he said, "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" I just wish there was some epic laughter that followed. I rewound it five times because it was so damn good. And the hospital episode before it with Cho in charge and J. August Richards and the girl from Sister Act II/Beakman's World/Brady Bunch Movie? So hilarious.
And as seen in the finale and Red John episodes throughout the series, it does the drama especially well. There's a lot of humor on the show, but it's all coming from this guy who is so broken and shattered that it hurts to think about, that maybe humor's how he shields himself from everything else. And he's definitely broken. That finale... I'm looking very forward to next season. No Skip.
#35. The Vampire Diaries (2009-____) CW, Drama Choice Song: - I don't know how our group ended up watching The Vampire Diaries instead of Breaking Bad. Hell, I can't believe it's been a month since we gathered together for a new show. Though I was reluctant to it at first, it's actually quite good. It has some pacing problems, the characters keep making stupid mistakes over and over again, and plots come up and are resolved almost far too quickly for my liking. But between character development, use of in-show history, and excellent recurring characters, I can't help loving this show.
The show revolves around Elena Gilbert, a recently orphaned high schooler living with her depressed brother Jeremy and aunt Jenna, as she meets a cute boy who is mysterious and dark. There are some killings in her town of Mystic Falls and they've started since this new guy arrived. Could he be...
Yes, Stefon Salvatore is a vampire. But he's a "good guy" (a.k.a. super boring and vanilla, yaaaay). No, it's his dark, crazy, psychopathic, wild eyed brother Damon that's the big bad serial killer. Damon's equal parts awesome and awful. He's pretty much the main reason anything goes to ****. He just has no impulse control (except around Elena). But Ian Somerhalder works the hell out of everything given to him and is easily the best performer in the cast... at least int he first season.
Elena's got friends, family, and an extended secret history with Mystic Falls that... the show gets very weird, very intertwined, and very mythic very quickly. It's insane how many characters are connected to other characters. It absolutely takes you out of the show when revelations anvil like they do sometimes.
But it's all about the characters. It ranks sooooo high up not because of its terrible trio, but the wonderful secondary cast. Caroline Forbes has become one of my favorite characters in television in just two seasons. Jeremy Gilbert starts off extremely rough and annoying, but grows better with every episode. Alaric Saltzman's a badass. Bonnie's a glass cannon where she'll stay steady for a while not really adding anything to the show, but then get a big episode or scene where she just steals it. Tyler started off a completely unlikable character, but like Caroline, did a complete 180 and is awesome. Anna is incredible. John Gilbert kind of sucks, but he's David Anders! Julian Sark! He can do no wrong! Elijah was great. Lexie is memorable. The show has a great cast. They outshine the three stars so much.
Except Matt. Of course.
I recommend this show. It's a good show. Enjoy it.
Jeff Zero posted... Sorry I didn't save the topic guys. I got busy with some stuff of my own. :(
Glad to see TNG place. Hopefully one day you'll try DS9 on for size.
Hmm... should do a quick list of most want to start watching, but too lazy to start:
SHOWS I MOST WANT TO START WATCHING, BUT I'M TOO LAZY AND CHEAP TO BEGIN RIGHT NOW... OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD:
#1. Breaking Bad #2. Fringe #3. Homicide: Life on the Street #4. Babylon 5 #5. Doctor Who #6. Invader Zim #7. Louie #8. Wilfred #9. Treme #10. Deadwood #11. Samurai Jack #12. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood #13. The Practice #14. Flashpoint #15. Batman: Brave and the Bold #16. Haven #17. Hill Street Blues #18. Top Gear #19. QI #20. Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
I don't really want to see Farscape >_>. I actually don't even know what it is because even if I read your write-up again, I'd still see "Stargate" in my head and stay away.
#??. Game of Thrones (2011-____) HBO, Drama - Holy crap, I can't believe I forgot about this show. It's only been about a month! I'm not completely sure where I would rank it (definitely top 40), but it deserves a spot. It is so damn good.
Finally tiering Mana's list with categories of my own...
Love to death #5. Whose Line Is It Anyway? #8. Firefly #9. Boy Meets World #11. Scrubs #20. Saturday Night Live #21. Chuck #22. Dragonball / Z / GT #27. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #30. Cheers #31. Conan (& Late Night & Tonight) #37. Battlebots #38. Monty Python's Flying Circus #39. Batman: the Animated Series #40. Futurama #43. Recess #45. All That #47. NCIS #49. How I Met Your Mother #50. Iron Chef #53. House #57. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air #60. Looney Tunes #61. Dexter's Laboratory #65. Double Dare #66. The Wonder Years #69. Home Improvement #70. Chappelle's Show #71. South Park #72. The Joy of Painting #75. Death Note #80. Beast Wars: Transformers #82. Doug #91. X-Men #92. The Muppet Show #95. The Adventures of Pete & Pete #96. The Magic School Bus #97. Jeopardy! #98. Legends of the Hidden Temple #99. Rugrats #100. Robot Chicken
Good #10. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart #16. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson #32. Mythbusters #36. Powerpuff Girls #41. The Drew Carey Show #55. NewsRadio #56. Dollhouse #78. Tiny Toon Adventures #79. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon #81. Prison Break #85. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #90. Match Game
Would watch if I'm bored, but nothing more #13. Friday Night Lights #24. 24 #51. The Colbert Report #54. Psych #63. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated #76. Alias #77. Star Trek: The Next Generation #83. Supermarket Sweep #88. Wheel of Fortune #93. Pokemon
Never could get into it #4. Lost #15. Survivor #25. ER #26. Digimon #58. The Office #64. The Mole #73. Gilmore Girls #74. Jane of Arcadia
Haven't seen, but would like to #6. Supernatural #7. Community #12. Band of Brothers #14. Freaks & Geeks #18. Justice League / Unlimited #19. Parks & Recreation #23. Boston Legal #28. Veronica Mars #29. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger #33. Oz #34. Leverage #35. Vampire Diaries #42. Castle #44. Super Samurai Shinkenger #48. Spectacular Spider-Man #52. The Mentalist #59. Modern Family #62. Wolverine & the X-Men #68. My So-Called Life #89. Flight of the Conchords
Haven't seen, doesn't interest me #46. The West Wing #94. Degrassi: The Next Generation
Never heard of it #67. Monster #84. Cash Cab #86. So Weird #87. Solitary
-- http://www.facebook.com/zerosignal The photograph reflects, every streetlight a reminder; nightswimming deserves a quiet night
#9 Whose Line Is It Anyway (1988-2006) Comedy Mega Mana's Ranking: 5
I love improv. I love doing improv. and I love watching improv. I first round this show because there were reruns of the British version aired. Then I started watching the new American version. Both are amazing and it is hard to say which one is better. Drew has better interactions with the cast, and the American version has the best people from the British with some great new members like Chip and Wayne. But the American version also seems to be a bit more hit or miss than the British.
That said this show is hilarious and every episode will have me laughing my head off. It was higher on my list originally, but the fact that some of the sketches can be very hit or miss combined with the amazing quality of the other shows have led this awesome little improv. show to fall down a bit. This is as low as it goes however.
Mana already covered everything in his writeups so I will simply leave with a couple rankings.
Ryan > Colin > Wayne > Greg > Brad > Chip > Kathryn > Josie > Drew > Michael McShane > Stephen Frost
Top Tier games (there are a lot of them): Party Quirks Scenes from a hat Whose Line Quick Change Director / Hollywood Director Infomercial Props Tag Mission Impossible/Improbable Mission Weird Newscasters Questions Only World's Worst Two Line Vocabulary Foreign Film Dub Stand, Sit, Bend/Stand, Sit, Lie Down Superheroes Alphabet News Flash Film Dub
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"Hope is allowed to be stupid, unwise, and naive." ~Sir Chris