My complete and utter addiction to genre TV is one of the things that prompted me to start Fandomania. I love watching good serial dramas and the occasional comedy (Arrested Development and The Office, I’m looking at you), and I love discussing and writing about them even more. With all the watching and writing I already do, there have been a number of shows I’ve heard are great but that I just haven’t gotten around to watching. Here’s what I hope to catch up on someday and what I know ahead of time.
Feel free to reply in the comments with your own want-to-see TV series.
1) Six Feet Under
Why I want to watch it: I’m convinced that Michael C. Hall is one of the greatest actors on TV today, via his work on Dexter. I’m highly intrigued to see him in something else, especially in another highly acclaimed cable series.
What I know in advance: It’s about a funeral home and has that girl from Can’t Hardly Wait (Lauren Ambrose?) in it.
2) La Femme Nikita
Why I want to watch it: I’m a super huge fan of espionage fiction, particularly Alias, and I’ve been wanting to see what the guys behind 24 could do with the concept.
What I know in advance: I’ve actually seen the first season of La Femme Nikita on DVD but never made it past that. I’m told it becomes more serial later in the run, and I hear it becomes darker as it goes.
3) Friday Night Lights
Why I want to watch it: Skottie Young and Casey McCauley from The Devil & Me podcast had great things to say about this show, and they got me intrigued.
What I know in advance: It’s about football but not about football, and it’s created by the guy who played Sydney’s evil ex-boyfriend in season one of Alias.
4) Carnivale
Why I want to watch it: The show seems like a weird and fantastical series that I really could get into. Celeste loved the first season, and I’ve promised to catch up on that so that we can watch the second (and final) season together.
What I know in advance: Clancy Brown is in it, and it’s about a traveling circus. Or mystical stuff. Or Biblical stuff. Or all of that.
5) Rome
Why I want to watch it: I like historical dramas a lot and loved Deadwood. Rome seems like it’s in the same vein, and I know a lot of people who are crazy about the show.
What I know in advance: It’s set in ancient Rome. Oh, and (SPOILER ALERT!) Caesar dies.
6) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Why I want to watch it: This is another one Skottie Young mentioned liking. My TV tastes have matched his in the past, so I want to check this out. I usually don’t go for comedies, so it’s unusual that I’m looking at this one.
What I know in advance: Danny DeVito has something to do with it, and the DVD cover is yellow with a bunch of smiling people’s heads on it.
7) Oz
Why I want to watch it: A couple of years ago, I caught the first two or three episodes when they were reairing. I got really into it and then never saw any more.
What I know in advance: It’s about prison life and has J. Jonah Jameson and Michael from Lost in it.
8) The West Wing
Why I want to watch it: John raves about the show, and I’m always up for a good political story, even if it’s not based on an interstellar space station.
What I know in advance: Martin Sheen is the President, and Jimmy Smits shows up at some point.
9) Smallville
Why I want to watch it: I’m more of a Marvel guy than DC, but I still like watching superhero shows and movies. And with Heroes in the crapper, I need some decent heroing to get me by.
What I know in advance: I watched and liked most of the first season when it originally aired, and I’ve had friends spoil many of the big plot points for me over the years. Still, I’d like to watch through the whole thing at some point.
10) Supernatural
Why I want to watch it: I was missing my X-Filesy monster of the week shows for a long time. Fringe is filling the weird science part of the equation now, so I just need Supernatural to fill the, well, supernatural void.
What I know in advance: I saw the first half season when it originally aired and then missed everything else. So I know what happens through that point and nothing afterwards.
11) Entourage
Why I want to watch it: I’ve been told it’s really good. Lame and flat reason, I know, but what can I say?
What I know in advance: I keep hearing about it, but I keep hearing nothing about it. Along with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Entourage is the only show I keep being told is great, but I know nothing at all about it. I think there’s something about Aquaman. Maybe?
12) The Shield
Why I want to watch it: Everybody I know who’s watched it has told me how great it is. It sounds like a morally gray series with some great dilemmas and police drama.
What I know in advance: Michael Chiklis is in it, as is that woman who was the doctor on Millennium. And I think it’s ending this season.
There are a lot of shows on here that I have also been meaning to try. Oz and The Shield being the 2 main ones. I love me some Entourage, it’s stupid fun. The West Wing could be the best show ever put on television. Also try Sports Night if you haven’t. Aaron Sorkin also and much funnier than West Wing. Carnivale bored me to tears. Supernatural is a ton of fun to watch. I’ve always liked it.
My top 12 favorite shows are:
1) 24 – This show never gets old for me.
2) Supernatural – love the urban myths re-examined.
3) Smallville – This season is getting better and better each week it’s on.
4) Burn Notice – Great show! A must watch!
5) Angel – got addicted to the re-runs and bought the box set…
6) Lost – I have to see how this show ties everything together and ends…
7) Heroes – I skipped a lot of season 2 but am having a decent time playing catch-up.
8) How I Met Your Mother – One of the few sitcoms I watch regullarly.
9) House – Hugh Laurie is great!
10) Scrubs – Glad to see this show coming back – even if it had to jump networks to do it…
11) Bones – Love the banter between the characters
12) Family Guy – The show is so wrong on so many levels. What’s not to like…?
I hope you’ve seen Farscape cause it needs to be on this list if you haven’t. You have to watch the whole first season and you will be addicted!