Thursday, September 19, 2013

My Favorite Television Shows

Recently, I came to the realization that I rarely ever talk about TV shows on this blog. I must admit, I don't watch that much television, but it's impossible not to watch any shows at all. Sometimes, one can find a really good show and become hooked 'till the end. The main problem I end up having is the inability to stay committed and keep up with each and every episode; I rarely ever succeed. Still, I've discovered some seriously amazing shows over the years, and it's time I share them.

Gilmore Girls
Out of all the shows I've ever watched in my whole life, Gilmore Girls is the only series I've watched several times through in its entirety. I love this show. Everything about it makes it stand out, from the wonderfully-crafted characters, to the comedy they bring, to the plot (which is always bound to have some drama). It was, and still is, so different than anything else on TV. It was kind of... perfect. There will never be another Gilmore Girls.

The Twilight Zone
When I say that I love The Twilight Zone, I mean the original black-and-white classic with Rod Serling, not that awful remake of the show that made me want to vomit. This oldie has a lot of elements that I think are missing in today's thrillers, which aim to entertain by making audience jump in their seats. The original Twilight Zone was so subtle on the scare-scale in that sense, but it could be horrifying nonetheless. More than anything, though, it never fails to make me think. It explored so much more than science fiction; it explored real-world philosophy concerning subjects such as what beauty and difference really are.

Teen Wolf
*You can read my appreciation post here.
Oh, Teen Wolf. People don't always understand my continual fangirling over it, but how can I not love it? It's so fun!  The characters are so well-developed, and its been so cool to watch them grow over the past few years as the plot becomes crazier and more dramatic. It's so addictive! And the commercials for this season have been so tormenting, asking viewers "who will die?" or telling us "more will die" and "an alpha will die"; whoever they hired to market this did a little too well. Those commercials make me crazier than I already am with the plot's growing complexity.

The X Files
I'll admit, I haven't watched this show nearly as much as I always want to, but I've seen enough to call it one of my favorites. (Plus, it has the best theme song ever. FYI.) It's so creepy, full of mystery and intensity. And there's something quite meaningful about how it's all presented, particularly with how Mulder is presented. His personal backstory makes this science-fiction show into something more meaningful as he investigates odd cases that often involve extraterrestrials ... "I want to believe" is such a powerful phrase.

Kyle XY
When it first began, I was sort of opposed to Kyle XY; I thought it looked a little stupid. I don't remember exactly when I became so fascinated with it, it just sort of happened at some point. It was an intriguing series filled with mystery and drama, making it relatively easy to get addicted to. However, I must complain... The series finale was not even a series finale. It was hardly a season finale! It was so abrupt, right in the middle of a scene. Even now, I wonder if the writers were initially planning on having another season and were faced with the show's cancellation at the last minute.

The Middle
The Middle is such a cute family sitcom; it always makes me laugh. I love how quirky and weird the characters are. In fact, I don't think there's a single one I don't like. But seriously, what's not to love? Brick's a bookworm that whispers to himself, Sue is a very colorful and loud peppy teenager that is somehow invisible to everyone at school; Axl is a lazy, moody teenage boy that is somehow invisible to no one at school despite his laziness; and their parents, Mike and Frankie, are a happily-married couple that deal with an assortment of their own issues, from weird neighbors, to financial hiccups, to miscommunication hiccups, and everything in between. It all contributes to a life of real-world adventure.
 
Suburgatory
Sure, sometimes this show can probably be a little far out, but in some ways, it's incredibly realistic in the most hilarious way possible. Anyone who has lived in real-life suburbia will likely understand the humor of Tessa's neighborhood, and I imagine that there are a lot of teenage girls that can relate to Tessa's general personality, trapped in a 'suburban purgatory' of preppy Dalias.

Modern Family
I don't think I know a single person who dislikes this show; it's so hilarious! It paints such a comical picture of the reality of families today with Phil and Claire and their three children (the more stereotypical family), Jay and his much younger wife and their children, and Mitch and Cameron (a homosexual couple with a very outspoken adopted daughter).

Mob Wives
I don't usually watch reality television, but when I do, I watch Mob Wives. This show is pretty intense. When people think of the mob, they don't always think of the women that have to watch their men go in and out of prison and wait with one another. They don't think of people like Drita, whose husband had to do his time while she raised two children, and how emotionally draining and conflicting it can be. They also probably don't think of all the drama that goes on with these women. These aren't your typical cat fights, because these women are tough.

Heroes (the first season)
I kind of forgot about this series until compiling this list. I was unable to keep up with it after the second season, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but the first season seemed to really stick with me. It was so epic! The first season's finale blew me away! Hiro, Peter, and Isaac were my favorite characters.

Sailor Moon
*You can read my appreciation post here.
Granted, I still haven't seen all two hundred episodes, and I mostly watched this as I was growing up, but I still have a place in my heart for Sailor Moon. I always will. Ever since the manga has been reissued, I've been purchasing the books and watching the anime again, regenerating my inner fangirl. As a little kid, I was too young to understand all that it enforced, but now I realize how empowering this series is, how it is the perfect series for girls. Anyone could watch this anime (or read the manga) and pick out characters that they can relate to. Making connections with characters is great with any story, but this one is particularly special because it makes us feel like we can overcome anything, that the Sailor Scouts really aren't that different from us after all.

Another show I liked for a while was Wildfire, which was on ABC Family for a while. The first season really held my attention, but after some time, the love triangle became so crazy that I couldn't take anybody seriously. But while I'm at it... What happened to Happy Town!? Seriously? ABC pulled it off the air two episodes away from the season finale! I get it, not that many people watched it, but I highly doubt it would've been that strenuous to keep it going for two more episodes.

But anyway, these are my definitive favorite TV shows. The supernatural, the hilarious, even the dramalicious have ignited so much hype in me. I hope your favorite shows have done the same.

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