Some of my favourite series I've discovered...

Some of my favourite series that I can think of right now that I've discovered over the last five or so years. Sort of another list-making exercise. A couple of these I got into thanks to the modern British comedy thread. Most are British as I watch a lot of British TV, and some are from the Onion.

The last five series I finished were Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, then Nathan Barley, then Toast of London, then Psychoville (adored it), then Inside No. 9.

Don't know what I'll be watching next. Recommendations very welcome, especially of the dark dramedy, or dark whatever, ilk as that's my thing right now.

I watch a lot of documentaries, but left those off. Well, other than Horrifying Planet.



I expect a lot of votes for blank, but I know other names will come to me later. They always do, and I always regret.... I thought of it a long time ago, but resisted until now. I cannot believe that I somehow missed including Dead Set -- a zombie meets Big Brother show by Charlie Brooker.

Edited by Logan - August 09 2016 at 12:02

Well, some of us do have a life apparently.

The first of these I found surfing the internet while on a spiritual retreat living out of my van for a week or two (good thing it was in my parking lot and I had wifi).

It was Today Now!



Which then led to Porkin' Across America, Horrifying Planet, and Sex House (which I have not wanted to watch again, but was intrigued the first time).

And looking for Today Now! episodes led me to the Chris Morris, The Day Today, and then Brasseye (Brasseye features Phil Collins in one episode -- he wanted to sue them for being misled). One show leads to another...

Though I subscribe to cable, I prefer non-cable services (and box sets) because I have quirky tastes (at least for where I live) and I'm generally a one drama or comedy series at a time kind of guy who prefers binge watching. My wife also likes to watch several episodes of things a day, but she subscribes to a Korean drama website and gets her shows that way.

It is disappointing to me that most of this fare isn't more popular. And there's a common "curse" with shows I love that they aren't renewed past series (season) 2. Heck, Netflix Canada has Les Revenants series one but they don't even carry the second series (licensing can be tough and very expensive).

Think I'm going to cancel Netflix Canada this month -- hardly discovered anything I'm interested in there, and will go back to some other service. But I have been meaning to watch Dexter which they carry....

Or everyone just has pig faces.

Hopefully someone discovers something they like because of this topic (preferably me).

Logan wrote: Or everyone just has pig faces.

Edited by The Dark Elf - May 26 2016 at 19:39

I recommend a new show on AMC called 'The Preacher'.....based on the graphic novel.

Guy: I have watched several episodes of Black Books. I caught it when it was quite new and airing on some TV station I got (PBS, Showcase Canada, Bravo, or A&E probably). I never finished watching the series. I didn't really get into it at the time, but I think that's because I didn't regularly catch it. I did watch the first episode recently. I like Bill Bailey a lot.

JD: Looks good, I have particularly wanted to watch Penny Dreadful (been recommended to me before, but I forgot about it). Lots to see.

Doug: Preacher looks good.

-----------------------------------------------------

Love just about anything with surreal qualities. Fargo is one I've been meaning to get down to, and some others I have liked are Carnivale and The Riches.

Got some big projects to work on lined up, have to buckle down, so probably be too busy with work to do much viewing in the near future (certainly can't do marathoning for a while).

The Dark Elf wrote: Logan wrote: Or everyone just has pig faces. Oh, that was a great episode! Greg, I remember all the 60s/70s Canadian kid's shows I'd pick up in the burbs of Detroit across the river from Channel 9 in Windsor (back when I was young it was CKLW) and another in Chatham (CICO? CFTO?). My favorite was The Friendly Giant, but there was also Mr. Dressup and The Uncle Bobby Show (I think Uncle Bobby was drunk most of the time).

Thanks, Greg. I loved the Friendly Giant. I'd forgotten about the Uncle Bobby show -- watching a clip on youtube, it's quite bizarre. I liked Mr. Dressup very much, but at the same time it creeped me out a bit as a kid.   NBC's The Banana Splits was a fave show of mine as a child, and also the children's show Rainbow from the UK. This segment they made was not intended to be televised, as it would be very inappropriate for children:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgbcQIT7BMc

Edited by Logan - May 27 2016 at 08:34

The Thick of It is fantastic, but of course I love all four of those.

Incidentally, for those that caught Darkplace, but missed Man to Man With Dean Learner:



The Darkplace Horrificata Illuminata etc. are also entertaining.

And cause I feel like it, songs of Toast of London:



EDIT: by the way, has anyone here watched the Real Humans remake Humans? I started on it, but I'm not usually a fan of remakes.



Edited by Logan - June 17 2016 at 11:55

It only lasted two seasons, but Carnivale was also a quirky period piece.
We're watching Mr. Selfridge right now. It's a little slower pace and not as dark or intense as what I would prefer, I was hoping for a little more cut throat business action but it seems more of a lite family romance sort of thing. But gotta keep the Mrs. happy.

^Fargo, that's another I keep meaning to watch (it's a fave of my brother who recommended Carnivale). Outsiders sounds like something I'd like. Since you like Veep, I'm somewhat surprised you haven't heard of the Thick of It. It's by the same creator and supposed to be very similar (The Thick of It came first). I only heard about Veep because I like The Thick of It, but then I like to research shows I'm watching.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9868735/Chris-Addison-on-Veep-the-American-cousin-of-The-Thick-of-It.html

Blacksword wrote: Don't know all of those, but The Thick of it is probably my fave of those I do know. Black Mirror is superb and good to see Nathan Barley on the list. I don't know many people who have even heard of that show.

I watched Nathan Barley, and some others like Toast of London thanks to recommendations in this forum. And Black mirror before that. Nathan Barley was difficult to watch, but an excellent show. I knew of it because I was a fan of works by Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris, as well as the actor Julian Barratt..., but the recommendation got me down to watching it. It should be better known, I would have thought, considering who was involved with it, but I shouldnt expect that.

JD wrote: It only lasted two seasons, but Carnivale was also a quirky period piece. We're watching Mr. Selfridge right now. It's a little slower pace and not as dark or intense as what I would prefer, I was hoping for a little more cut throat business action but it seems more of a lite family romance sort of thing. But gotta keep the Mrs. happy.

Carnivale has been on my list for ages, but somehow I never got down to it..   My brother told me to watch it years ago one of his visits from Australia. I know it's something I'll like.

Mr. Selfridge looks like something good to watch with my wife (since we finished IT Crowd). I showed her an episode of Inside No. 9 the other day, which she really liked (a very sad one called The 12 Days of Christine). I think the It Crowd is the first British show other than Mr. Bean, Absolutely Fabulous, and science and nature documentaries that she enjoyed. Ah well, her thing is Korean drama.

For some cut-throat action, you could try Utopia, though probably it's too cut throat, dark and intense (I tried showing it a friend who could not stomach it and I've become more sensitized to violence too). Still, wish they had renewed it for a series 3:



Psychoville, and Misfits, both black comedies mix dark and intense with comedy, but not family viewing.



Edited by Logan - June 17 2016 at 13:31

I'd recommend Mighty Boosh. You'll recognize some of the cast (and some of the oddball humor, maybe) from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Same goes for Snuff Box, if you've not seen that show. Both are truly bizarre comedy from the UK. I'm assuming you've watched Black Books, otherwise it's a definite recommendation as well.

Also, forgot to note; I voted for IT Crowd.


Edited by SaltyJon - June 27 2016 at 01:38