Recommend Me a Show

[ElectricPaladin]

So, here's the problem. I am in a nerd-heterogynous relationship, by which I mean that my wife and I are both nerds. This causes a lot of problems; specifically, what am I supposed to watch on TV while I'm home sick or grading papers on a day I get off and she doesn't? So, I turn to you, the Internet-having, nerd-being, TV-watching members of my community, to help me figure it out.

I'm not going to type out every TV show I've ever liked. We'll explore this together. It's more fun that way.

Except Game of Thrones. Do. Not. Even. Bother. I think the books are total ****. If your fantasy gives your readers compassion fatigue, you are not a hard-as-nails badass writer - you're a jerk and you suck at pacing.

Everything else, I'll take and discuss recommendations.

[wayne williams]

get the boxed set of firefly there's just the one but its a classic nerd tv. then play the drinking game where you watch castle and drink every time you catch a firefly reference youl be surprised how drunk you can get if you want ( you can replace alcohol with chocolate if you want or just for points i suppose )
or alternativly listen to bbc radio6 works for me .then you can nerd out together and nothing will be spoiled.

[Deadlift]

The Walking Dead, the tv series is great fun, lots of zombie action and it's great watching the characters evolve as the world descends further and further into the zombie apocolypse. Then you can also start reading the comics too, whilst both are written by the same person and contain some similarities in storyline, they are different enough to enjoy both. The comics over 10 years old now and still going strong.

Tonight (here in the UK) was the finale of season 4, and oh what a cliff hanger it was too. Brilliant :D

[Denzark]

EP - GoT what? Check your Nerd Privilege old horse, GoT right on all levels.

But back to shows, I would say Farscape. Or Red Dwarf. Or maybe new BSG.

[Wolfshade]

Jericho - rebuilding a community after nuclear fallout
X-files, Buffy etc.

[Darren Richardson]

come on, is nobody nerdy enough to say Doctor Who?

as for other recommendations, Red Dwarf was good in it's early days, just like the X-files was until it got to bogged down in it's on mythology..

Jericho, the fact it got cancelled after one season was NUTS (bonus points if you get it:) )

Buffy The Vampire Slayer of course is cult nerd.

Stargate SG1 is well worth watching (again early stuff, forget it after O'Neill left)

Agents of Shield (I must be like one of the few fans it has LOL)

I keep hearing Arrow is supposed to be quite good, haven't bothered though cause apart from Batman the rest of DC stuff is :Ploop: IMHO

Rebbot Battlestar is amazing, well worth the watch.

Farscape, sorry Muppets in space it screamed to me, never could get into as a result, I'll proberly try oneday though.

Now how about some Anime, you can't get molre nerdy then Anime

Ghost in the Shell (both films and Stand Alone Complex TV series are worth watching, tottally different beast though)

Patlabour (the films, never watched the series)

Hellsing (Alucard is one of the most far out vamps I have ever seen man)

Robotech (EPIC Space Opera, enough said)

Most of the Mobile Suit Gundam series are also worth a watch as well.

[Wolfshade]

Elementary and Hannibal (the TV show) are worth a look-see though they are not scifi

[Darren Richardson]

oh and did I forget the most nerdy american series of them all.....

Star Trek ;)

can't stand it myself, to shiney and happy, give me Firefly anyday.....

[Wolfshade]

I'm always conflicted with Star Trek, while TNG is the best. I do very much enjoy DS9 (once it gets into its stride), VOY (from Scorpion pt 1 is good, though if I had my way Neelix would have been jettisoned out the nearest airlock), ENT I did enjoy though it didn't feel like ST, TOS is fine, but the early portrayl of Spock is jarring his contastant aggression towards McCoy, TAS is TOS but without less cardboardy acting.

[Psychosplodge]

The Walking Dead, the tv series is great fun, lots of zombie action and it's great watching the characters evolve as the world descends further and further into the zombie apocolypse. Then you can also start reading the comics too, whilst both are written by the same person and contain some similarities in storyline, they are different enough to enjoy both. The comics over 10 years old now and still going strong.

Tonight (here in the UK) was the finale of season 4, and oh what a cliff hanger it was too. Brilliant :D

oh did it finish on sky? good.
channel five should be showing it soon then XD


EP - GoT what? Check your Nerd Privilege old horse, GoT right on all levels.

But back to shows, I would say Farscape. Or Red Dwarf. Or maybe new BSG.

I'd definitely second farscape and red dwarf. not really seen the BSG reboot.
only read the GoT books.


come on, is nobody nerdy enough to say Doctor Who?

where everything is solved by waving a magic wand? sorry "sonic screwdriver"?

as for other recommendations, Red Dwarf was good in it's early days, just like the X-files was until it got to bogged down in it's on mythology..

just avoid the three part back to earth series

Jericho, the fact it got cancelled after one season was NUTS (bonus points if you get it:) )

never heard of it

Buffy The Vampire Slayer of course is cult nerd.

think it was series six where it got too silly

Stargate SG1 is well worth watching (again early stuff, forget it after O'Neill left)

this^

Agents of Shield (I must be like one of the few fans it has LOL)

still never really watched it properly

Farscape, sorry Muppets in space it screamed to me, never could get into as a result, I'll proberly try oneday though.

I can see that, watch the 200th sg1 episode :D

Now how about some Anime, you can't get molre nerdy then Anime

Ghost in the Shell (both films and Stand Alone Complex TV series are worth watching, tottally different beast though)

Patlabour (the films, never watched the series)

Hellsing (Alucard is one of the most far out vamps I have ever seen man)

Robotech (EPIC Space Opera, enough said)

Most of the Mobile Suit Gundam series are also worth a watch as well.

add on gungrave and trigun as must watch animes as well



I'm always conflicted with Star Trek, while TNG is the best. I do very much enjoy DS9 (once it gets into its stride), VOY (from Scorpion pt 1 is good, though if I had my way Neelix would have been jettisoned out the nearest airlock), ENT I did enjoy though it didn't feel like ST, TOS is fine, but the early portrayl of Spock is jarring his contastant aggression towards McCoy, TAS is TOS but without less cardboardy acting.

I think ENT got too bogged down in ****ty timetravel storylines.
I second throwing Neelix out an airlock.

[Mr Mystery]

Dr Who. It's awesome.

And more than just waving around the Sonic Screw Driver. Well, at least once RTD departed.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and Ripper Street. I appreciate it's not Sci Fi, but it is a Victorian crime thriller by the BBC, and now being continued by Amazon.

It's really good, and for once, despite being set in Victorian London.....not sodding steampunk!

[DarkLink]

If your fantasy gives your readers compassion fatigue, you are not a hard-as-nails badass writer - you're a jerk and you suck at pacing.That is a criticism of GoT that I have literally never heard before. In fact, quite the opposite. Most people are like "dammit, I used to hate Jamie Lannister, but now I care". Just as importantly, I'm pretty sure that even if you don't necessarily like the books, the show is different enough specifically to solve most of the things I've heard people complain about in the books. It's a phenomenal adaption. Unless, of course, the thing you don't like is the graphic violence and nudity.Otherwise, Burn Notice is a pretty cool show?

[Wildeybeast]

So, here's the problem. I am in a nerd-heterogynous relationship, by which I mean that my wife and I are both nerds. This causes a lot of problems; specifically, what am I supposed to watch on TV while I'm home sick or grading papers on a day I get off and she doesn't? So, I turn to you, the Internet-having, nerd-being, TV-watching members of my community, to help me figure it out.

I'm not going to type out every TV show I've ever liked. We'll explore this together. It's more fun that way.

Except Game of Thrones. Do. Not. Even. Bother. I think the books are total ****. If your fantasy gives your readers compassion fatigue, you are not a hard-as-nails badass writer - you're a jerk and you suck at pacing.

Everything else, I'll take and discuss recommendations.

You get days off to do marking America? :eek:


get the boxed set of firefly there's just the one but its a classic nerd tv. then play the drinking game where you watch castle and drink every time you catch a firefly reference youl be surprised how drunk you can get if you want ( you can replace alcohol with chocolate if you want or just for points i suppose )
or alternativly listen to bbc radio6 works for me .then you can nerd out together and nothing will be spoiled.

Glad I'm not the only one who picked up on the references in castle. I wonder if Fillion insists on them or the writers are putting them in. I particularly like this one:

*Castle speaks Chinese*
Beckett: Gap year?
Castle: No, an old show I loved.

[ElectricPaladin]

You get days off to do marking America? :eek:

Nah. More like "I get a day off and I spend it doing my marking.

[energongoodie]

Battlestar Galactica
Revolution
Arrow
Smallville

May I also suggest a British show called Misfits.

I've been doing Big Bang Theory marathons when I'm painting recently :)

[Rissan4ever]

Archer. If your wife is anything like mine, EP, that show is waaaay too offensive for her enjoyment, but you'll love it.

[DarkLink]

This is Archer, less swearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfQkIuMQBkc

[YorkNecromancer]

Animated:
Archer - hilarious
Metalocalypse - also hilarious
Frisky Dingo - precursor to Archer. Episodes are only ten minutes, but brilliant.
The Boondocks - can be very funny, can also be tedious. Very much a YMMV show.
Hellsing - only the Ultimate version; the original was not too great.
Monster - has the trouble of all anime, that of being massive melodramatic. That said, it's a great idea.

Live Action:
Hannibal: best version of Hannibal ever, hands down. Watch this fight to see (don't worry, though it looks like a spoiler, it's not: it spoils nothing, it's just awesome)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0lOYxAEUHk
Battlestar Galactica reboot: a show that uses robots to explore the idea of the war on terror. It even manages to get you to empathise with suicide bombers. The prequel, Caprica, is also superb.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Weird, slow pacing, but it's the best Terminator thing since T2. Garbage's Shirley Manson as a T1000 is utterly ****ing terrifying... especially when the character is talking to her adopted daughter, who says things like 'I liked my old mummy better. My new mummy is cold.' Brrrr....
Agents of SHIELD: Fun. Anyone who complains seems to forget that season one of everything sci-fi except 'Heroes' was usually terrible. You're never going to get the A list superheroes, and if you thought you were, you don't get how TV budgets work. I like this show.
Oz: One of my favourite shows of all time. TERRIFYING.
Boardwalk Empire: Magnificent. Incredibly slow moving, but by Zeus the season finales are better than anything else. Richard Harrow is The King.
Orange Is The New Black: The flip side of 'Oz'. Witty and engaging, with great characters.
Being Human (UK Version only): Brilliant.

and my favourite show on TV:

Person of Interest: Neuromancer, if the main character was Batman the retired CIA assassin and his best friend Bruce Wayne, fighting a genuine rogues' gallery of superior baddies. Season 4 is literally the best TV series on now, BAR NONE.

[Wildeybeast]

Nah. More like "I get a day off and I spend it doing my marking.

Ah, just like the British system then.

[Psychosplodge]

Did you take advantage of your recent day off to mark then wildey?

[Deadlift]

Falling Skies is another show I've been enjoying immensely. Alien invasion post apocolyptic show following human resistance groups and their struggle to survive and fight back, I watched a full 2 seasons in a week. Great show and I'm waiting for a repeat of season 3 as the resistance gets some unforeseen allies. Absolutely worth a watch, produced by Spielberg I believe.


http://youtu.be/SjroVVhe8G0

[Chris Copeland]

Paladin, listen to me! I am a fellow teacher and I won't steer you wrong! Run, don't walk, to see Life on Mars from the BBC. It's nerdtastic! Life on Mars tells the fictional story of Sam Tyler (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Tyler) (John Simm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Simm)), a policeman in service with the Greater Manchester Police. After being hit by a car in 2006, Tyler awakens in 1973 to find himself working for the predecessor of the GMP, the Manchester and Salford Police (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_and_Salford_Police), at the same station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_station) and location as in 2006. "My name is Sam Tyler, I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home..." Early on in the series, it becomes apparent to Tyler that he awakes as a Detective Inspector (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector#United_Kingdom), one rank lower than his 2006 rank of Detective Chief Inspector (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Inspector#United_Kingdom). As part of the Criminal Investigation Department (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Investigation_Department), Tyler finds himself working under the command of Gene Hunt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hunt) (Philip Glenister (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Glenister)).

There was also a one season American version of the show which was almost as good. You can see a bit here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5LsCC1zNLY). Trust me, buddy! Cope

[YorkNecromancer]

I'm back. There's a bunch of other stuff that's just occurred to me.

The West Wing: pure fantasy, but very well written. Observe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6GxYVJcuo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3VHK1NXIBw

Misfits: what would superheroes from the UK be like? Horrible people. Horrible, horrible people. Laugh out loud funny, if you think the idea of revenge pooping in someone's bed is funny.
My Big Fat Diary: fantastic, fantastic series. Based on real-life autobiography, and just funny and humane. Beautiful series.
Fringe: The X-Files with the aliens replaced by MAD SCIENCE! Walter Bishop is sci-fi TV's greatest modern anithero.
Elementary: IMO a more faithful modern version of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is enjoyable, but a bit to knowing. Elementary has amuch more authentic vibe, as well as a far superior Moriarty. Far, far superior.
Luther: UK detective series, which might as well be summarised by the question: "What would it be like if the Riddler was a woman and in love with a more amoral version of Batman?"
The Killing: "What if we took a standard police TV show murder, one that normally gets wrapped up in a single 50 minute episode, and looked at how it would dealth with in real life? What if the victim's family were given the same character 'weight' as the cop heroes?" Great show.
Avatar - The Last Airbender: the only Saturday morning children's cartoon which has reduced me to Manly Tears. Amazing feat of artistry, with incredible levels of coherence and continuity. The sequel (Legend of Korra) was even more remarkable for utterly averting Mediaeval Stasis, and having the technology advance at the speed it would in real life. Also, the best animated fight scenes you will ever see.

[Chris Copeland]

After watching Life on Mars you get to watch Ashes to Ashes (the follow up series) so the winning will continue!

[Kaptain Badrukk]

I'm going to chuck a vote in here for Grimm.
It's going for a kind of "Buffy for adults" feel, and it's pretty watchable but not so great that the mrs will regret missing out.
I understand your pain all too well, thankfully my better half is picky about her sci-fi, so while I can't watch the really good stuff solo I can watch the middle tier stuff like this without issue.

[Darren Richardson]

Hellsing - only the Ultimate version; the original was not too great.

I agree on that one....



Battlestar Galactica reboot: a show that uses robots to explore the idea of the war on terror. It even manages to get you to empathise with suicide bombers. The prequel, Caprica, is also superb.

Never watched Caprica so can't comment, but Battlestar, one of the best Sci-Fi's of this century so far...


Agents of SHIELD: Fun. Anyone who complains seems to forget that season one of everything sci-fi except 'Heroes' was usually terrible. You're never going to get the A list superheroes, and if you thought you were, you don't get how TV budgets work. I like this show.

And that is why I'm enjoying this show, plus the nerdy Marvel refrences they keep dropping....


Boardwalk Empire: Magnificent. Incredibly slow moving, but by Zeus the season finales are better than anything else. Richard Harrow is The King.

I agree one of the best crime thrillers since The Sopranos, though O still haven't watched S4 yet....


Being Human (UK Version only): Brilliant.

Yeah not bad considering I've only watched the first series, never got round to watching the rest...

- - - Updated - - -


Falling Skies is another show I've been enjoying immensely. Alien invasion post apocolyptic show following human resistance groups and their struggle to survive and fight back, I watched a full 2 seasons in a week. Great show and I'm waiting for a repeat of season 3 as the resistance gets some unforeseen allies. Absolutely worth a watch, produced by Spielberg I believe.

I forgot about this one, yeah watched the first season quite enjoyed it, but I had thought it was cancelled, so never got round to watching S2, then I found out there was a S3!

I'll get to watch it all one day....

[eldargal]

Buffy
Firefly
Once Upon a Time
SLEEPY HOLLOW!
Agents of Shield
Elementary
Castle
Lost Girl
The Guild
Warehouse 13

[Wolfshade]

Buffy
Firefly
Once Upon a Time
SLEEPY HOLLOW!
Agents of Shield
Elementary
Castle
Lost Girl
The Guild
Warehouse 13

Are you sure you haven't jsut logged on to my netflix?

[eldargal]

Fairly sure.:p

I'd really recommend starting with Sleepy Hollow actually, it's just finished it's first season at the end of January and it is just great.:)

[Psychosplodge]

Life on Mars is good. Never got round to ashes to ashes.

What I've seen of the Westwing was good. Should probably watch it.

The guild is really funny.