My twin sister Lucy is a doctor smack in the middle of her residency. As a little treat, she'll rent TV series, so she can take brain-breaks during her crazy schedule.Lucy has already watched the DVDs of Scrubs, Arrested Development, The Office (American), and Weeds. She loves series that she can really get into. She says: It has to be plot driven and not too intense. (West Wing didn't work.) Let's help Lucy! Which TV shows do you love? Which would you recommend? Thank you, my lovelies!
MAD MEN!
ReplyDeletePushing Daisies, for sure. It's my weekly happy. After every episode I'm always more cheerful than when I started.
ReplyDeleteThe Tudors is a guilty pleasure.
Is Man Men too intense?
Good for her!!!
Um, make that MaD Men. Whoops!
ReplyDeleteOn my roster this season:
ReplyDeleteSupernatural, Heroes, Bones, House M.D., Mad Men, True Blood, Dexter, Ugly Betty...
In the past:
Gilmore Girls, Six Feet Under, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The West Wing...
It may be that some of these could be too intense and too plot driven. If that's the case, Gilmore Girls is lots of fun, the characters are great and SO engaging, and it's really lighthearted. So is Ugly Betty.
I loved The Wire.
ReplyDeleteMAD MAN would be great, but also Californiacation. It is dramatic in a LA sort of way, so you can giggle along to all the crazies.
ReplyDeleteHow I Met Your Mother
ReplyDeleteGavin and Stacey (BBC America, soooo funny!)
Dexter is great.
ReplyDeleteBut for lighthearted fun? Go for Gilmore Girls! My favorite. Or old school Saved By The Bell! :)
Mad Men! Mad Men! Mad Men! . . . I love The Wire too, but that may be a bit intense.
ReplyDeleteAnne
I have to concur with everyone else and say.... Mad Men! Mad Men!
ReplyDeleteLove it. And Don Draper is delish.
Also love love Entourage.
And Psych is a really fun, fast-paced show.
Rend the Lost series, although maybe too intense? And try Dirty Sexy Money! Great show!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy all of the shows she's already watched so maybe she'll like some of my favorites:
ReplyDeleteMy So-called Life
Roswell (Season one is pretty excellent, expect it to go downhill in the next two seasons.)
Lost (Again, season one is unbeatable.)
Buffy (of course)
Firefly (You can actually watch this show for free on hulu.com! It took me a couple of episodes to fall for this show and then I fell hard! Unfortunately, this show was cancelled after one season.)
and finally
I haven't watched this one yet, but a friend recommended I watch Twin Peaks. I never watch actual television I just rent or buy dvd's every so often and then I will have a sort of tv show marathon. It's so great without the commercials.
Everyone in the UK is really into The Wire..
ReplyDeletei'd recommend heroes, firefly, or big love. six feet under is AMAZING but is probably too intense. maybe she can add it to her list for when her residency is over.
ReplyDeleteMad Men is a great choice, I would also suggest House but she may want to steer clear of the medical dramas. Not quite an escape from reality. Is she wasn't a SATC watcher, she could delve into that one as well.
ReplyDeletethe best tv show i have ever ever seen and watched each episode over and over until i wore it plum out: 30 ROCK!!
ReplyDeleteMad Men!!
ReplyDeleteWould a show like LOST be too intense for her?
My current favourites are House and Grey's Anatomy but as she's a doctor I can't imagine either of those would be very relaxing for her! My recommendation would be The Gilmore Girls - my all time favourite series. Even though its finished now there are seven wonderful seasons to work through - I think it would be perfect for her, those Gilmore Girls would always cheer you up and you totally get sucked in to their world and forget everything else.
ReplyDeletemad men, the wire, and for something completely retro: that girl. also, there's carnivale (although at the end of season 2 it just quit - with no resolution!!). 6 F Under is great. there are many!! Good luck to your sister in her residencey
ReplyDelete'30 Rock', for sure. Hilarious. What about old re-runs of 'Thirtysomething'?
ReplyDeleteOH! And Veronica Mars!!!!
ReplyDeletewait, i don't think my last comment got saved, it was
ReplyDeletepushing daisies
veronica mars.
gilmore girls.
friends.
ugly betty
Mad Men is a must !
ReplyDeleteAlso: IT Crowd, 30 Rock, Little Britain, and a little Simpsons never hurt anyone.
I would definitely recommend 30 Rock. It's absolutely brilliant, and who doesn't love Tina Fey? You'll certainly develop a lady crush on her character Liz Lemon. If she likes Scrubs and Arrested Development, she'd like 30 Rock.
ReplyDeleteAnother brilliant television show is the British series Extras done by Ricky Gervais. It's a really short series (only two seasons), but it's wonderfully witty and hilarious. It's the perfect combination of drama and comedy!
Cheers!
pushing daisies and deadwood are at the top of my list. while they may be completely different, i find them both fascinating (even though hbo was ridiculous and didn't bring deadwood back, there are 3 seasons and they are all fantastic).
ReplyDeleteMad Men or 30 Rock. Hands down the best shows on TV!!!! And maybe Gossip Girl if she is up for it! :)
ReplyDeleteMy first thought, since I have all the same tv dvds she has (besides weeds), is Extras... as JuliewithnoA said. It's by the same guy who made the original british office and funny.
ReplyDeleteFlight of the Conchords is also good. I also like Entourage.
Sadly, none of these options is as good as Arrested Development... wish that show never ended.
old fav: freaks and geeks
ReplyDelete&
new fave: pushing daisies
My recommendations are:
ReplyDeleteEntourage (HBO)
The New Adventure of Old Christine
30 Rock
Heroes (season 1 and current season)
Now I will have to check out Mad Men as it seems to be THE show to watch.
Rescue Me -- as long as you find Denis Leary insanely hot AND like profanity. Like me.
ReplyDeleteFriday Night Lights -- Yes this is a high school football drama, but don't be fooled -- absolutely fantastic, absolutely real. Fantastic acting, dialogue, cinematography.
Obvs. madmen.
ReplyDeleteMy DVD collection for good but fluffy plot-driven fare (and stuff she may not have already seen):
Veronica Mars: smarter buffy as a girl detective. GREAT SHOW.
Freaks & Geeks: I know you love Seth Rogan as much as I do.
Northern Exposure: you may be too young to remember. The original Misplaced Jew show. Here, Jew NY doctor pays for med school by working in obscure Alaskan town with lots of characters.
The Family Guy: as smart/funny as early Simpsons, but you haven't likely already seen them.
Sports Night: unlikely pre-West Wing Adam Sorkin fluff with Felicity Huffman. Every bit as good as that would imply. Don't worry, very little sports involved.
Friday Night Lights: porn for girls + good script and direction. I can't believe I just recommended two shows involving sports. shoot me.
The Wire is great but much too serious for what you describe.
Big Love, for sure.
ReplyDeleteIf she liked Arrested Development she would probably love "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." It's a bit edgier and ridiculous....but it is laugh out loud hilarious! The first 3 seasons are available on DVD and the 4th season is on FX right now. You really should watch this show - I am obsessed!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Lucy!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're such cute twin sisters :) I'm a twin, so this is cute you are doing this for her.
Since she's going to be a doctor, I don't know if she'll be into "Grey's Anatomy" but I lalaLOVE it. McDreamy... yum. I know you agree with that Joanna! ;)
I also love "Brother's and Sisters." It's a little over-the-top dramatic but I can't get enough. Guilty Pleasure.
Those are the two shows me and the boy watch regularly :)
The Wire
ReplyDeleteMad Men
Deadwood
I highly recommend Gilmore Girls and also suggest she watch Sports Night. It's a great sitcom by Aaron Sorkin. It's witty and smart and not nearly as intense as the West Wing but just as clever.
ReplyDeletebased on everyone's comments, clearly I should be watching Mad Men! I recommend LOST...though I do agree with Leanne that it is a little intense...but the doctor on it is so hot!!! And his storyline might make her feel good about becoming a doctor. did I mention he is hot?!?!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome is she? I am afraid my picks are too intense for her purposes....but, looks like you got some great suggestions here!
ReplyDeletexo
Melis
Freaks and Geeks, without a doubt.
ReplyDeleteI love Gilmore Girls for it's witty dialogue and Pushing Daisies for it's subtle humor.
ReplyDeletemad men is a great idea!! oh my goodness, i can't believe how helpful and awesome you guys are!!! lucy, i love gray's anatomy (LOVED watching the dvds) but maybe you will get annoyed if its insanely medically incorrect? 30 rock is HILARIOUS. like, laugh out loud funny.
ReplyDeleteoh! and entourage is also so funny and great!
ReplyDeleteps. thirtysomething reruns--what an awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteDEXTER! Seriously... it's very addicting. You can rent seasons one and two, they are currently showing season three.
ReplyDeleteAlso, 30 Rock is HILARIOUS, and they have two seasons out on DVD right now.
Desperate Housewives is a good guilty pleasure, too. Engaging but not too intense, and there are four seasons out on DVD right now.
My Name is Earl is good, too, but not for everyone... might be worth checking out.
The Tudors! LOVED that show, but I'm dying for the second season. Six Feet Under is good, Rome, Deadwood. Big Love is super funny, and disturbing.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Mad men, but I agree on Gilmore Girls, Dexter and Grey's Anatomy (my mom loves the last one and she's a nurse). Plus Gossip Girl.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment I'm into Carnivale, but it's sometimes too intense and freaks me out. But good though.
The british version of The Office is a must as well.
My recommendations would be:
ReplyDeleteHouse - Completely absorbing, Hugh Laurie is a dream, some of the best deadpan sarcasm found on the box. all the doctors I know ADORE it.
The Wire - Takes a little while to get into, but once there it is seriously addictive.
Curb your enthusiasm - No justification needed. Utterly brilliant comedy, although not necessarily plot driven.
I think everyone has already said any I could suggest. But I will agree on the original Office, it's amazing, Extras, and Freaks and Geeks.
ReplyDeleteHow about Monty Python's Flying Circus? A little crazy but easy just to watch a little bit at a time.
One more vote for PUSHING DAISIES!!!! It's light. It's charming. It's addictive.
ReplyDeletei second what everyone else is saying... madmen!!! interesting and beautiful to watch :)
ReplyDeleteHow funny - I have a twin sister called Lucy too ... and I think I am the only loser who is going to mention the Hills - you can't help but switch off your brain while watching those ditzy girls xx
ReplyDeleteGrey's Anatomy of course!
ReplyDeleteHeroes, 24(!!), Ugly Betty, Cashmere Mafia or Lipstick Jungle
ReplyDeleteI certainly have to agree with Mad Men. It is really a fantastic show.
ReplyDeleteI would also suggest Dexter, Six Feet Under (also with Michael C. Hall from Dexter)or Nip/Tuck (trash tv but great!).
Big Love is on DVD and really interesting.
ReplyDelete30 Rock is on DVD too but its just fun.
Otherwise I love the ABC online shows, Pushing Daisies and Brothers & Sisters.
It has to be Gilmore Girls, light hearted fun and rather witty.
ReplyDeletesex in the city, duhhh ugly betty, heroes, supernatural, WILL AND GRACE!!!! yes they are hilarious!!!
ReplyDeletetell her to get WIIL AND GRACE!
Man, I think I have to start watching Mad Men! I only hear great things about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm in med school too and I totally sympathize! There's nothing better than watching silly tv shows when I need to zone out for a while. I would definitely recommend 30 Rock--hilarious and intelligent! Grey's Anatomy of course, but med students either love it or hate it, and if she's not obsessed with it by now, I'm guessing she's the latter! I'm also a fan of Private Practice, the Grey's spin off.
Heroes, Pushing Daisies, and The L Word are great bets too. Good luck!
freaks and geeks!
ReplyDeleteflight of the conchords!!
kath and kim!
pride and prejudice!
Dexter
ReplyDeleteFlight of the Concords
Always Sunny In Philadelphia
In Treatment
flight of the conchords...its sooo funny!
ReplyDeletedead like me
ReplyDeletefreaks and geeks
eck. I think I'm the only person on this planet that cringes at the acting on both Mad Men, Dexter and Californification. painful. mad men has great set design though. I think I've been around the industry too much.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely HBO's "six feet under" I was addicted to the show.
ReplyDeleteI loved "Will and Grace", but not sure if your sister is a fan. I like "rescue me" on FX.
Btw, I love all the shows Lucy had watched...
Flight of the Conchords!!! Also, Heroes and Friends and Six Feet Under..all of those can completely suck you out of your own reality. Gilmore Girls can be good, but I find that if I'm stressed, I can't handle the irritating speed at which they speak.
ReplyDeletemad men, six feet under, ugly betty, 30 rock...
ReplyDeleteBig Love, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office UK (soooo much funnier than the US version), Extras (by the creators and star of The Office UK).
ReplyDeletemad men mad men mad men!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI also must reccomend Big Love, Six Feet Under, and if she wants to get sci-fi nerdy, Battlestar Galactica is my guilty pleasure.
carnivale!
ReplyDeletei was obsessed with that series.
I found Six Feet Under, Dexter and Ugly Betty all addicting!
ReplyDeletegilmore girls!!!
ReplyDeleteand i would highly recommend a french series called clara sheller!!
Six feet under is a must, and so is the Sopranos. I'm also very fond of a british series called 'Cold Feet', it's available on dvd too...
ReplyDeletePushing daisies is a must!
ReplyDeleteFriends, Seinfeld, King of Queens, grounded for life, still standing, Ugly Betty,
I haven't watched tv literally in about a decade...but did love Northern Exposure when it played.
ReplyDeleteWhat specialty is your sister in?
gossip girl is relaxation. :)
ReplyDeleteSIX FEET UNDER!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteShe (and Paul) should watch "The Prisoner," the cult British TV show about a secret agent who knows too much and gets imprisoned in an eerily charming seaside resort. The place is creepy and beautiful--sort of like the evil twin of Polruan.
ReplyDeletePushing Daisies!
ReplyDeleteSo...
ReplyDelete1. Freaks & Geeks - this show is amazing and so reminiscent of our high school days...gotta watch it.
2. Clone High - MTV cartoon show circa DARIA time...pure gold. Amazing. You HAVE to find it and watch it. Makes me laugh over, and over, and OVER again. The hard part is that it's only available in Canada...
3. My old standby is Sex and the City...I have the whole series and really, I don't think I could ever get sick of it.
4. Full House always makes me smile. Yes, we've all seen practically ALL the episodes, but wholesome family fun is always a good time!
Alias.
ReplyDeleteMy So Called Life. (not reallyyyyyyy plot driven but oh so good)
Dark Angel.
Mad Men, My So Called Life, Felicity, Flight of the Conchords.
ReplyDeletegreys anatomy! isn't that obvious??
ReplyDeleteit'll be the story of her life- minus the sex overload, i'm sure.
MAD. MEN. Also: Breaking Bad.
ReplyDeleteGilmore Girls! It's my favorite daily escape! The characters are all so wonderful. I'm very sad it's gone!
ReplyDeleteyou guys are adorable! seriously, these coments AMAZING!!! lucy is going to be so psyched.
ReplyDeleteand lecia, she is in general internal medicine. xo
If you havent already watched it, you HAVE to do Six Feet Under. Such an amazing series with great characters & storylines. I was so sad when we finished it!
ReplyDeleteAlso really like The Wire... a good, interesting DVD show too!
I love love love Pushing Daisies, it is completely adorable!
ReplyDelete1. Pushing Daisies!
ReplyDelete2. GIlmore Girls
ENTOURAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHas anybody said Boston Legal?? it's funny, smart, and sometimes sexy. Did I mention FUNNY? Arrested Development is one of my all time favorites, so maybe we have a similar sense of humor?
ReplyDeleteAlso, 2 1/2 Men is pure brain junk food.
As everyone else has said, MAD MEN.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm a huge Freaks and Geeks fan. It was Judd Apatow's (of Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin fame)first big thing. Unfortunately, it only ran for a season, even with one of the most natural and funniest casts I've ever seen, including a very young James Franco and Seth Rogen. Anyway, it's about a bunch of high schoolers (you guessed it, the freaks and geeks) in the early 1980's. To me, it's the only show that actually got the feeling of high school right.
Oh, and of course, Sex and the City.
Curb your enthusiasm
ReplyDeletesex and the city
how i met your mother
I love Entourage! It is a fun show to watch, nothing too heavy and makes me and my hubby laugh every episode.
ReplyDeleteEveryone's already suggested so many great series! I'd also recommend Jeeves & Wooster (especially the first two seasons--Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie are brilliant), Futurama, and Monk.
ReplyDeleteLess easy to find, the Britcom As Time Goes By (with Judi Dench) really appeals to my inner old lady. Cozy, well-acted, and just v. sweet.
I second Curb Your Enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteI also loved when I was hooked on Lost.
I think I am going to join the Mad Men frenzy soon.
If she likes "the office" and "arrested development", she must watch "it's always sunny in philadelphia", it is the only show that is able to make me laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteDexter. She can totally get into that show and it isn't too intense as there are comical aspects to it. It's about a serial killer that you actually root for!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenniejen about "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." It's so wrong, but amazingly hilarious like Arrested.
ReplyDeleteI am also addicted to Dexter and Mad Men and in the past have loved most HBO shows like Six Feet Under and Deadwood. I never thought I could get into a Western but I still do my Calamity Jane imitation when egged on :-)
Kind of silly, but remember Nick @ Nite?
ReplyDeleteBewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and I Love Lucy! :)
SLINGS and ARROWS baby! I was nuts over it last few weeks! It is a three season set and it is fabulous! Canadian and Paul Gross and need I say more?
ReplyDeleteMad Men, Firefly (by the same guy that did Buffy The Vampire Slayer but it's only one season), Sex and the City, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, Dexter, L Word... there's so many!
ReplyDeleteSix Feet Under- the best series EVER! Funny and dark and extrememly well written.
ReplyDeleteBig Love- twisted mormons- well written and well acted and funny if you can get over the EEEUUUUW factor of Mormonism.
BOSTON LEGAL!!!!!
ReplyDelete30 Rock!
3rd Rock from the Sun!
My new tv obsession..
ReplyDeleteDOC MARTIN
freaks and geeks!
ReplyDeletei have no idea if she would like this, but if she liked arrested development, then i'd say...
ReplyDeletecurb your enthusiasm
&
flight of the conchords
These are my DVR favorites... (Lucy might like them b/c I love the shows she's already watched)...
ReplyDeleteThe New Adventures of the Old Christine.
Samantha Who?
Pushing Daisies
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Testee's (...soooo irreverant)
(I also love Mad Men, but not sure if that fits into the lighter, humorous mode of the other shows she's watched the DVD's of...) :) And yes,good for her and the very best wishes as she gets through her residency!!
ReplyDeleteI know you'll think I'm crazy for saying this, but "Nip/Tuck" is seriously GREAT. Even a little addicting, we Netflix it so we can watch a bunch at a time.
ReplyDeleteFlight of the Conchords!!!
ReplyDeleteVeronica Mars!!
Carnivale!
THANK YOU! wahoo!!!!!!
ReplyDeletebased on what people said, now my new list is: 30 rock, friday night lights, gilmore girls, flight of the conchords, pushing daisies, freaks and geeks, mad men, and always sunny in philadelphia (the prisoner sounds pretty rad, too). get ready netflix, here i come!
thanks again!!! you guys have great taste. now i know how joanna feels when she says she loves her readers :)
p.s. Scotty McSnotterson, i saw a few episodes of breaking bad and it was incredible... our dad is obsessed with it!
oh, and joanna's best friend brooke (who's an OB/gyn resident) looooves the show Dexter!
ReplyDeletePushing Daisies is like a wonderful children's book made for adults. And my other fav is 30 Rock! She's going to have so much great TV to catch up on :)
ReplyDeleteSince your sister likes Scrubs, The Office and Arrested Development, I think she'd really enjoy 30 Rock. It has the same kind of dry humor and sometimes bizarre situations. I think it's one of the best shows out there right now.
ReplyDeleteflight of the conchords and the mighty boosh are HILARIOUS
ReplyDelete"Two and a half Men" cracks. me. up. and I watch it everyday after work.
ReplyDeleteAnd YES 30 Rock is the best.
The Wire is way too intense, but I really enjoyed Lost. Enough to keep you going but still escapist fun.
ReplyDeleteI do the same simply because I have no cable. And intensity in other peoples' lives is always helpful for me (i.e., life's not THAT bad), so:
ReplyDelete1.
Dead Like Me (Mandy Patinkin's in it; and it's a light-hearted but stunningly brilliant days-in-the-life of everyday reapers, including the surly 18-year-old girl protaganist, who's death involved a toilet-seat from space)
2.
The Wire. (No matter how bad your life is, you likely aren't a cog in the harrowing system that is the city of Baltimore).
3. Big Love.
(Very interesting and entertaining and even a little bit racy).
4.
Deadwood
(WOW! Never knew the goldrush period of the American west could be so thoroughly engrossing, and the characters take the "f-bomb" to new comedic hights).
5.
The Brit Office
6.
Extras.
Happy TV-time!
Best,
Ama
The Closer with Kyra Sedgwick
ReplyDeleteIf you can get hold of The Secret Life of Us or Love My Way (both Australian) they are both worth it.
ReplyDeleteI once spent an entire weekend watching DVD's of Freaks and Geeks.It's an oldie but it's my all time favorite series!
ReplyDeletemost definitely mad men &
ReplyDeleteentourage (a male version of sex & the city)!!!
MAD MEN.
ReplyDeleteI love Pushing Daisies... it's my new favorite. Once some friend lent my husband and meseason two of The Cosby Show. It made us really happy!
ReplyDeleteCarnivale (awesomely entertaining), Six Feet Under, or Big Love!
ReplyDeletegilmore girls, gossip girl
ReplyDeletelost is much more fun to watch on dvd than on regular tv. so addictive!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if anyone said it - but Always Sunny in Philadelphia is so FUNNY!! If you like AD - you will enjoy this too!
ReplyDeletei have to agree with so many people here...mad men is my current obsession. freaks and geeks is classic. and flight of the conchords is ridiculously funny. i'm about to start twin peaks myself, but that's probably too intense! mmm...i love brain breaks.
ReplyDeleteI think she should watch (rewatch) Felicity. It is so good.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Freaks & Geeks and 30 Rock
ReplyDeleteLost! Plot driven and addictive.
ReplyDeleteSince she likes Weeds... try Mad Men, Big Love and The Riches.
ReplyDeleteFelicity. (Season 1 & 2 especially)
ReplyDeleteShe can thank me later.
(PS. This is so good and nostalgic, I like to revisit it every year....oh college.)
The Riches (Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver are genius)
ReplyDeleteSex & the City
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Californication (I've not seen much of it, I just love David Duchovny)
Gilmore Girls(uplifting and fun)
Lipstick Jungle (love the friendships and outfits and Kim Raver is very hot)
Brothers and Sisters
The L Word
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletei watch the office & weeds on occasion - great stuff.
ReplyDeletenot sure if lucy would like dexter.
i'm sure you've seen the ads ALL OVER MANHATTAN. quite frankly, i am sick of seeing Michael C. Hall's face - but it's a good show.
otherwise i would recommend sex and the city or friends. *swoon ... i've loved friends forever.
oops! i wanted to provide a link.
ReplyDeleteone that's most likely not been suggested yet . . . fawlty towers! a little older, but known as the pinnacle of british sitcoms. top it off with star john cleese and who could refuse!
1) Friday Night Lights--not really about football, so much more than that!
ReplyDelete2) Felicity
3) Gilmore Girls
big love is AMAZING. chloe sevigney is great in it. i also love dexter and lost. careful...they are addicting!
ReplyDeleteHouse....I dunno if anyone else recommended it but Im not going through 140 comments to check! but House is AMAZING and perfect for a doctor (all my friends studying medicine love it!) might be a bit intense though...
ReplyDeleteI love Dexter, Pushing Daisies, Ugly Betty and Mad Men. All really great shows, though Dexter is a little intense...
ReplyDeletei know it's been mentioned - but Veronica Mars is fantastic! it's hilarious and heartbreaking. you fall in love with the characters - but at times you want to hate them. warning: you won't be able to stop watching.
ReplyDeleteBrothers & Sisters. (amaaazing!)
ReplyDeleteLost.
Desperate Housewives.
Prison Break.
Grey's Anatomy.
30 Rock.
Dexter and The Shield are my favorite after Weeds (which she's already seen-darn!) The Closer, Life on Mars are a good break from reality, and don't laugh, but I like to TiVo Take Home Chef and watch it while I'm making dinner--it cheers me up. Just a thought.
ReplyDelete-- freaks and geeks (so so funny)
ReplyDelete-- pushing dasies (very sweet and happy)
-- californication (not sweet or happy)
-- big love (great characters)
-- my so-called life (nostalgia and jared leto as jordan catalano)
-- felicity (i lurve felicity)
Definitely Pushing Daisies! It is a great break from reality.
ReplyDeleteLOST!
ReplyDeleteDVD TV is the only way to go.
ReplyDelete-Flight of the Conchords. (hysterical, not THAT plot driven)
-Californication (new to me, but loving it)
-ALIAS. i know, i am old school, but i totally enjoyed watching this on DVD.
and since we are being old school....
-Friends. watching on dvd is somehow a totally new experience.
once her need to not watch "intense" is over, then she MUST see Six Feet Under, which life-changing. also, The Sopranos, hello?
mad men like everyone else said
ReplyDeletei am watching it as i type!
I actually finished watching the dvds for several of those same shows (which I love!), so I found myself dealing with the same dilemma a few weeks ago. That's when my sister got me the series, How I Met Your Mother. I thought it would be lame, but I loved it! I've already watched seasons 1-3 and am caught up to the current season. Sigh . . . time to find a new show.
ReplyDeleteMy older sister also suggested that I check out Pushing Daisies. I haven't seen it, but she has pretty good taste :)
damn! you guys are good!
ReplyDeleteHow about the old "Ally McBeal" series? Love it - when it was on!
ReplyDelete30 Rock, don't even think about it. Just get it and watch it. You won't regret it.
ReplyDeleteAnd you said not too intense, but Six Feet Under is by far, the best program that has ever graced TV. And it'll make you bawl your eyes out after every episode. But it's SO worth it.
Mad Men! It's more subtle than other action packed tv, but it's brilliant.
ReplyDeletealso, I just got hooked on 30 Rock. BEST comedy, especially if shes an arrested development fan
Friday Night Lights
ReplyDeleteMad Men
Gossip Girl
!
Oh man, there are so many. All the ones that have been suggested are grand - my picks would be House and Six Feet Under from the list.
ReplyDeleteA couple of off-kilter ones that I like (for diversity's sake)
Battlestar Galactica - if Lucy likes Science Fiction, and really good plot based series, she'll get madly hooked. One of my housemates laughed at us for watching it, but eventually became more of an addict than the rest of us, so I highly recommend it even if she's not a sci-fi lady.
Outrageous Fortune - it's a show from New Zealand, currently in it's fourth or fifth season and it's really awesome. About a family of Westies (kind of white trash?) who have criminal ties, and the Mother of the family is trying to get them to go straight. Really cool.
Monk. It is awesome and funny and there are already like 6 seasons on DVD.
ReplyDeleteI am obsessed with crime dramas so I love Monk, Psych, Bones, Veronica Mars, and the new series The Mentalist.
Friday Night Lights.
ReplyDelete30 Rock is hilarious, and the Tudors and Mad Men are total drama in a good way. And I know this is going to sound totally dorky, but she should also try Battlestar Galactica - my husband got me completely hooked. It might be a little on the intense side, but it's completely plot driven and so so good (and not sci-fi dorky at all). The first three seasons are available on DVD.
ReplyDeleteUgly Betty. mhm
ReplyDeleteI don't have any current favorites, but as far as really old favorites, I would try to find the original Designing Women and my all time fav: Northern Exposure!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the residency!
carol
1. Californication (with David Duchovny, really funny, kind of raunchy, quick witted, no intense thinking necessary)
ReplyDelete2. Mad Men
3. The original 90210 - reruns are the best, particularly the HS/college years before they got too soap opera...
4. House (first 3 seasons)
Gilmore Girls is a must.
ReplyDeleteand Project Runway is endlessly awesome.
Boston Legal, Life on Mars, NCIS
ReplyDeleteWonderfalls! But she has to promise to watch it the ENTIRE way through. No getting heartsick and quitting. It's worth it!
ReplyDeleteDead like me, NCIS and Big Love are also pretty cool.
Gilmore Girls would be perfect and it was on for 6 or 7 seasons so lots of shows. It's my all time fave.
ReplyDeletethis may be a little teeny bopper-ish but i must say.. gossip girl =)
ReplyDeleteThe Sopranos. Just do it. Intense, schmintense.
ReplyDeleteoooh..definitely dexter/friends/tudors. I work in a video store and they are totally awesome!
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching the first season of "Third Watch", and remember why I loved the show so much. The characters are so easy to get into, and the action is always intense and interesting. Can't wait for the second season to come out on DVD.
ReplyDeleteEven though its already been pitched, How I Met Your Mother sounds perfect for your sister!
ReplyDeleteHm I'd say Freaks and Geeks or Gilmore Girls for non-intense shows.
ReplyDeleteBrothers & Sisters! Such a huge fan of this show.
ReplyDelete30 ROCK
ReplyDeleteENTOURAGE
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Big Love
ReplyDeleteHey, try 'green wing'.. its a hilarious loveable english hospital comedy, very very addictive. enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteFreak and Geeks
ReplyDeleteThe BRITISH Office
Black Books
Boston Legal
ReplyDeleteGilmore Girls
Ed Sullivan Show
Sex and the City
oh my gosh, she's going to drop out of her residency.
ReplyDeleteMad Men
Friday Night Lights
Laverne & Shirley
The Cosby Show
Mary Tyler Moore
Hi Joanna,
ReplyDeleteMy roommates and I are DVD show addicts--
These are a few of series' that we are in love with:
- Felicity
- Big Love
- Sex and the City
- Dexter
- LOST
xoxo
A.
Looks like you've got enough recs, but I'll cast my vote for Freaks and Geeks and Dexter.
ReplyDeleteOh, and if you liked the American Office, you have to get the British one. I watched that one first, so I think that's why I like it better.
ReplyDeleteDexter!!
ReplyDeletealso try big love! totally addictive and funny and not that intense. i am also a huge gilmore girls fan in times of stress. or anytime, really.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't mind something a bit old school try The Secret Army. It's about Belgian resistance fighters during WW2 and is v. good. Also Brideshead Revisited from the 1980's is an absolute classic (don't talk to me about the recent film!)
ReplyDelete... oooh and for something bang up to date try the last series of Spooks with the truly gorgeous Rupert Penry Jones!
ReplyDeleteabsolutely love, love, love the PBS mystery series ROSEMARY & THYME! may only be available in boxed sets now . . . nothing like it in the U.S. Two fun friends who solve mysteries in and around the English countryside. Gorgeous scenery!
ReplyDeletebig love is addicting!
ReplyDeleteI also am a big gilmore girls fan, mad men is pretty awesome, too.
Nip/Tuck is absolutely amazing!
ReplyDeleteUgh. I hope I'm not too late! My vote would be Freaks & Geeks, Firefly, Gilmore Girls and Sportsnight.
ReplyDeleteBuy her season 1 of "Friday Night Lights." I swear it's a joy to behold!
ReplyDeleteThanks again, folks!!! If I make it through residency sane, it is thanks in part to you (and Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, Gavin and Stacey, and Always Sunny in Philadelphia). xoxoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteLucy (Joanna's sister)
p.s. Thanks, Jo!
30 Rock, Heroes, Dead Like Me, Flight of the Conchords, Friends, Dexter, Friday Night Lights(!),
ReplyDeleteLOST, LOST, LOST!!!
ReplyDeleteor ROME!
but LOST will truly take her far, far from the braineological world of the hospital.
if she wants a bit of funny in her life, she can't go wrong with 30 rock.
ReplyDeletep.s. i weep with joy at the thought of 30something reruns.
maybe i have a '30' thing.
mad men is fab!
ReplyDeletei'm addicted to desperate housewives and grey's anatomy (too close to home? haha) and six feet under was a genius series. my all time pick would be the wonderyears, but alas...it's not on dvd...
ReplyDeleteoh i also just remembered coupling, which is a british sitcom. sooo good!
ReplyDeleteJoanna, I love reading your blog and then I read you had a twin sister... I just lost my identical twin sister on June 1, 2008 suddenly (40 years old) after being diagnosed 10 days prior with Acute Leukemia. TREASURE her!! I blog at http://www.tracystwinsister.com/ as my therapy! Thank you for your inspiration and amazing photos! Give your twin a hug for me!
ReplyDeleteDorothy