Favorite live action shows?

[Butterstar]

I apologize if there's already a thread like this, but I decided to post it because I was curious about this topic.

Favorite Live Action Shows: Pretty Little Liars, Friday Night Lights, Community, Parenthood, Traffic Light, Doctor Who, Skins (UK version!), 7th Heaven, Glee

[Bloody Marquis]

The Wire – This is the closest thing we’ll get to a novel on TV. Everything about is gripping and forces you to concentrate on all of the exact details. The interconnected arcs and the sheer grit portrayed within the drugs crews and the police force is just jaw-dropping. And all of its characters, especially Omar, are awesome to watch. It is the complete and utter crown jewel of HBO (sorry Sopranos), and you won’t be the same after going through all five seasons.

Doctor Who – Back in the summer before high school, when I thought life was pointless and I had no place in this world, seeing this show for the first time was like some sort of enlightenment. There’s just a unique sense of charm in watching the Doctor and his companion save the world every week, not with brute force, but with a screwdriver and a truckload of wit. What I also love is that with the use of regeneration, the ventures through completely different eras or planets, and the shifts in cast, this show can literally be anything. It can be funny, tearjerking, heartwarming, psychotic, brilliant, and all those things at once. Instead of sticking to the status quo like we got from most Sci-Fi here in America, it always changes its form while always retaining that spirit of wonder and adventure. All in all, it’s simply amazing.

Freaks And Geeks – Just recently found this show, and it has incorporated everything I wanted in a high school series. It manages to be realistic while not being full of itself with messages. And what truly defines this show is its characters and how true to life they feel. We all knew a Sam Weir, a Kim Kelly, a Nick Andopolis, or a Bill Haverchuck back then. We all had moments where we stood at a crossroads with friends like Lindsay Weir, or dealing with family issues like Neil Schweiber. This show is Judd Apatow at his finest, as well as one of the best dramedies I’ve ever seen, so it absolutely pains me how this show ended after one season. It’s the equivalent of discovering the Canterbury Tales, only to find out Chaucer died before he could tie things up.

[Mike Spartz]

In the Present:

Southland - One of the best cop shows on tv right now. It's from the producers of ER and NYPD Blue, and it follows the lives of several LAPD cops. The show delves not only into their working lives, but into their personal lives as well. With a talented ensemble cast, and some great scripts, this show is a real treat.

In the Past:

Oz - A haunting look at prison. This show was the first HBO original drama, and it was such a breakthrough program for the network in its early years. Oz pushed, and broke boundaries on what was acceptable for television. Later shows like "The Wire" and "The Sopranos" all benefitted from the foundation set by Oz.

[purplehairedwonder]

Currently:

Supernatural: "Saving people. Hunting things. The family business." This is my current addiction and quickly skyrocketed to the top of my favorites list. Two (very good looking) brothers driving across country in their '67 Impala, hunting monsters, ghosts, demons, and the like to a classic rock soundtrack. It's smart, funny, angsty, and constantly playing with mythology that makes it a lot of fun. It strikes me as very Joss Whedon without him being involved. The core of the story, though, is the relationship between brothers Sam and Dean--it takes a repeated lickin's and keeps on tickin' These two characters really come to life and make the show riveting for me. The second half of season 6 kicks off on Friday.

Criminal Minds: Procedural crime dramas are a dime a dozen, yeah, but what sets CM apart to me is the family dynamic between the BAU members. The best episodes are the ones that focus on the core characters and their relationships and reactions to the cases they are solving. Each member of the team is quirky in his or her own right and that makes watching them work together to solve some pretty grisly crimes entertaining. Tired topic? Maybe, but the excellent case makes up for it.

Past:

Buffy: What is there to say about this show that hasn't already been said? Vampires? Check. Girls kicking tail? Check. Witty dialogue? Check. Interesting plots? Check. Mixing drama and humor? Check. Basically, everything I want in a series meshes to near perfection here. I will always love this show.

Firefly: Admittedly I only got into the series in the fall when I found it on Netflix, but I went through the entire series and the movie in three days. Loved it. I was wary about a western space drama--I'm not a big western fan--but the quirky characters, smart writing, and amazing chemistry between the cast sold it. It's really a shame it only lasted the one season and film because it was a ton of fun.

Honorable mentions: The Pretender (which I loved as a kid and really need to rewatch), True Blood, Glee

[Michael24]

Current:

* The Big Bang Theory - Easily the funniest comedy I've seen in years. The cast has great rapport. While I don't get a lot of the scientific stuff, the various movie- and comic book-related gags always crack me up. Plus, it's a traditional multi-camera sitcom, which is my preferred style of comedy shows.

* Blue Bloods - One of the better crime dramas in recent years. It's nice to have a show with upstanding, honorable cops, as opposed to coruppt or annoying holier-than-thou cops like you get with a lot of other crime shows, like The Shield or CSI. I also enjoy the strong sense of family, which is missing from a lot of shows these days.

* Chase - I like this because it reminds me of the crime dramas I enjoyed as a kid, with car chases, shootouts, and cops busting down doors. It's always refreshing to see a cop show where an action scene isn't just somebody lifting a fingerprint off a brick.

* Justified - I haven't liked any of FX's original series, but something about this one still made me tune in. And I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed it. Timothy Olyphant is terrific. Again, an enjoyable crime drama about an honorable law enforcement officer for a change, and I like the down home Southern feeling.

Past: (this is basically my Top 5 all-time favorite shows)

* Seinfeld - My #1 favorite show of all time. Featured one of the best ensembles ever and sharp writing. Perfectly captured the little nuances of life. The show about nothing? It was actually the show about everything.

* Home Improvement - My favorite family-oriented sitcom that never fails to make me laugh and, unlike some other sitcoms, was still funny even in the later seasons after the kids grew up.

* Star Trek: The Next Generation - Although the first two seasons were shaky, this ultimately became, IMO, the best science-fiction television series ever. A perfect ensemble cast and plenty of great, well-written episodes that had a nice balance between action and drama.

* The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. - The show that was my introduction to Bruce Campbell, and I think still the best thing he's ever done. I find that most shows attempting to blend so many genres fail at it, but this one -- a sci-fi/western adventure series with a fun sense of humor -- somehow just made it work.

* Star Trek: Enterprise - After the disappointing DS9 and the awful Voyager, Enterprise was the show I felt got ST back on track by returning to the basics. The characters were likable again, the adventures were fun, and I enjoyed seeing the early pre-Federation days of humanity's exploration of space.

[JasonFox]

Curb your Enthusiasm - For current comedies on tv Curb your Enthusiasm takes the cake, it's neurotic, it's witty, it's distasteful. I like to call it a rated r Seinfeld (mainly due to Larry David)

Smallville - I've been a comic-collector since I was 7 and have been watching all superhero media since. Smallville is just a great pace of mixing indifferent characters.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - My 2nd favorite current comedy and the most underrated. Love seeing selfish, maniacal characters.

[defunctzombie]

I'm mostly into animated television and live action film, but I do have a few I like. I'm also the revolving door type of fan, which is why I sometimes have a hard time picking a single favorite. Here's some of my regulars:

Daily Show/Colbert Report: Just about the only show I catch daily anymore, I love comedy news shows.

Star Trek/TNG/Enterprise: These three I usually watch unconditionally, with Voyager/DS9 on a character basis. I grew up with a sci-fi background so it's natural I watch them.

Law and Order Criminal Intent: I watch this one for Goren. I like the quirky, Holmes-like detective much better than the original L+O cast or the sexual crime based SVU. Plus he's an emotive character, and guys that bring the beating while also being sensitive are always pluses in my book.

[savedbythebell]

Twin Peaks - It's my favorite tv show of all time. Nothing else comes anywhere close in my opinion. Its by my favorite movie director David Lynch. It has everything comedy, horror, drama, mystery and of course surrealism. I cant say enough about Twin Peaks and its quirky residents, its just a show that oozes style. And I think everyone should at least give it a chance.

Arrested Development - The smartest comedy series ever. Unlike most comedies you actually have to see every episode to get the jokes and understand whats going on. And its just surprising to find a comedy series with so much going on.

Both those shows are long gone though. The only series i watch that still comes on is The IT Crowd. Its a hilarious british comedy about IT nerds.

Honorable Mentions: Spaced, Dexter, Its Always Sunny, X-Files, Buffy, Seinfeld, Flight of the Conchords, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Carnivale, Freaks and Geeks, Party Down

[Spaceman]

Right now, the only live-action show I'm watching (aside from pro wrestling) is Community. Egads, that show is one of the best things created by humanity. There is so much nuance and skill behind every aspect of the characterizations and meta-humor, and unlike other comedies that receive similar amounts of critical acclaim and rabid followings, this one actually has a heart as well. The basic concept has been developed in such a manner that it can literally go anywhere and somehow remain true to it's core themes and characters, which gives it limitless potential. Just about everyone gives a stellar performance, but especially Danny Pudi, Alison Brie and Chevy Chase.

Otherwise, I'm sorta interested in Parks & Recreation and The Walking Dead.