Let's face it, we all have that one TV show that makes us feel good and warm inside when we're down. We can just watch it and, straight away, whatever's troubling us starts to go away. Awesomeness.
But we also have some shows that, although don't have that effect on us, still make us feel really great about ourselves.
Well, today, after being inspired by TomSka, I've decided to impart my top 10 favourite TV shows of all time. And why I love them.
10. LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
If you don't know of this show, it's a popular American Late Night show hosted once a week by the British comedian, John Oliver. It deals with mostly American-centric topics but he does also give a good send up to world topics too and has, along the way, pissed off a few world leaders, including the Prime Minister of New Zealand. What I love about this show as opposed to other US Late Night shows like Jimmys Kimmel and Fallon, The Daily Show or the Colbert Report for example, is the fact that Oliver and his team spend a week researching one key topic and then breaking that down to cut through the bullshit that accompanies. And these topics may sound dull at the start, but thanks to Oliver's wit and explanation style, you actually start to become concerned or worried about the topic he's talking about. It's ever so slightly hypnotic. The only criticism I have of Oliver is that, sometimes, I feel that the humour is a little bit forced. But he's generally consistently funny, even making jokes at his own expense.
9. DAVE ALLEN AT LARGE
This will not be known by many my age. But perhaps my Mum's age group might remember this. Dave Allen, weird as it sounds, is my favourite comedian. He was an Irish comedian who was popular in the 1970s and enjoyed a successful career doing both stand up comedy and sketch comedy for various networks. In the 1960s, he managed to indirectly save a child's life after Allen himself performed a dangerous stunt live on a programme and it was the child's memory of seeing this stunt that saved his life. Talking mostly about relationships and religion, Allen became well known for his sitting on a chair talking to the camera with a glass of a spirit by his side that, much to the confusion of viewers, seemed to increase the more he drank it. I love Dave Allen because he's my favourite kind of comedian, someone who can tell a long winded story to entice you in, and then send it up with a funny punchline. And his show, Dave Allen At Large, does this very well.
8. THUNDERBIRDS
5...4...3...2...1...THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! I was obsessed with this show as a kid, this was during its late 90s comeback. I loved the idea of International Rescue and became encapsulated with the flying machines that formed the Thunderbird fleet. As I was also heavily into space and astronomy at the time, I became more interested in Thunderbirds 3 & 5, which were part of their space fleet. The Tracy brothers' exploits made my Tuesday nights worth watching along with the Simpsons and Robot Wars on BBC Two. (Yup, it was THAT long ago...) I was quite disappointed by the 2004 film version and I'm undecided on the new CGI Thunderbirds but, as far as I'm concerned, nothing can compare to the original 1960s supermarionation version. And, yes, I had a Tracy Island playset...and an International Rescue outfit...
7. THE LAST LEG
How can I not love this show? It's a send up of the week. And, to be honest, if you want a good opinion on things, just look at the three on the sofa. They do a roundup of the week with guests and merciless mock politicians while remaining sensitive on terrible events such as terror attacks. What makes it more brilliant is that the three presenters, Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdecombe are genuinely 3 good mates who will rip the shit out of each other if at all necessary. Which, to be fair, it usually is!
6. RICK AND MORTY
I clearly have a high intelligence. Jokes and shitty fandom aside, Rick and Morty, for me, is one of the best television shows ever created for the fact it completely screws over conventional science fiction. It doesn't involve time travel, which is odd for a show of its nature, but it focuses more on parallel universes, especially with the introduction of the Council of Ricks in Season 1. The show follows Rick Sanchez, the cleverest man in the multiverse, and his long-suffering grandson Morty Smith who travels with him on his adventures and, for some reason, puts up with more shit than he perhaps can given he's 13 years old. If Doctor Who and Back to the Future had a child and then raised it solely on LSD, you're getting pretty close to how Rick and Morty operates. But what I love about it, apart from it's dark humour, is the show's suspected self-awareness. Rick and Morty is part of a rare breed of shows that actually know they're a TV show. Which gives it a weird high stakes reality. Also, just to point it, I hated this show when I first saw it so, if it won me over, it can win anyone over.
5. SUPERNATURAL
Two hunky brothers and an angel go hunting demons and other scary things together. It's like Scooby-Doo but with alcohol and sexual tension. The show started in 2005, it stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins as its main cast but there are more recurring characters that you can shake a stick at. It also has one of the calmest fandoms I've ever seen. Basing most of its lore on biblical happenings, it's an interesting way to look at theology and how that could affect the modern world if it were to show itself to humanity once again. But, above everything else, it's just a brilliantly written series. It can have moments which are deeply, deeply serious, including each character's every death (it happens a lot) and then it can completely 180 and have really outlandish episodes. (The Mystery Hole and Changing Channels are particular examples that come to mind). If you like really hot guys, religion and a hell of a lot of kick ass, Supernatural is the show for you...
4. SUPERGIRL
No secret that I have a big crush on Melissa Benoist, who plays Kara Danvers, an alien refugee from the planet Krypton who came to Earth to protect her cousin, Superman. However, her pod was a little bit behind her cousins and he was already the big blue boy scout by the time she arrived. A child of two worlds, she tried to balance her human life as Kara Danvers, reporter for CatCo Magazine, and her alien superhero life as Supergirl. Part of the CW's DCTV Universe, or 'Flarrowverse' as it's come to be known, Supergirl is the only female DC superhero with her own TV series and, well, she's amazing. I love this show because it actually teaches about humanity through the eyes of an alien which, for superhero fiction, is tricky. I feel that not all superhero fiction can do this well but Supergirl does nail it on the head. The inclusion of other popular DC alumni such as Martian Manhunter also mean that the show has a high standing in fan circles. But, for me, it's always nice to see how Kara Danvers gets through her very human struggles. Even if that does mean going more alien every now and again. Also, have I mentioned how wonderful Melissa Benoist is?
3. THE FLASH
My favourite superhero. I love the Flash. And I love what the TV show has done with the character, even if I do wish Iris would get her act together. Barry Allen is a forensic scientist who gets struck by lightning after a particle accelerator explodes in Central City. Once he awakes, he finds out he has the power of the Speedforce and is the fastest man alive. When he discovers he has these powers, he puts them towards trying to find the man who killed his mother as a child and got his father wrongly imprisoned for her murder. Since the show started in 2014, Barry has faced 3 different evil speedsters to give him the supremacy of being the fastest man alive, the Reverse Flash, Zoom and Savitar, but he currently has to think faster as well to beat the intelligent DeVoe. I love the series because I can relate to Barry Allen in the fact that, above all else, he just wants to do what's best for the people he cares about, even if that means bending the rules from time to time. But, it's also wonderful to see my favourite superhero doing well on television given that the past few attempts at putting him on screen weren't so successful, (sorry John Wesley Shipp).
Shout-out to Ezra Miller who also played the part well in Justice League. In my opinion, he was the best part of that film. Thanks, Ezra.
2. STRANGER THINGS
This show was on my watch-list for a long time. I finally got around to watching it and, WOW. I was completely blown away. I LOVE this show. It's set in the 1980s in Hawkins, Indiana and it centres around 3 kids and the search for their missing friend, Will Byers. However, in their search, they find a strange young girl called Eleven, who appears to have supernatural abilities. Tie that in with impressive acting from Winona Ryder and David Harbour, this show really belongs to the teenagers who are the main focus. However, what I love most about this show is the idea of the Upside Down, a parallel-ish universe that is occupied by a race christened as the Demogorgons. It's intense, it's scary and it's brilliantly written and acted. I cannot preach about this show enough and it kills me I have to wait another bloody year for series 3.
1. DOCTOR WHO
To anyone who knows me, this is no huge surprise. Doctor Who has been a constant throughout my life and I owe a lot to it. But it is where I get a lot of my personality from and it's where I usually turn to for TV if I'm really down. Having been introduced to the show upon its return in 2005, I'm a child of Christopher Eccleston and, to a higher degree, David Tennant. But there hasn't been a modern Doctor I don't like. I just prefer Tennant seeing as he's the one I grew up with. I'm also convinced that my childhood officially ended on January 1st 2010 when Tennant regenerated into Matt Smith. For me, it's pure escapism. It's a madman in a box travelling the universe and being just generally amazing. What I also love about the show is its history. It started in November 1963 and has been on TV for the majority of that time. And, although I'm critical of recent decisions made in relation to Steven Moffat's choices, it generally remains true to the mythology. And I cannot wait to see what the new Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, can do. Maybe we can have K9 back though? I have so much to thank Doctor Who for. Which is why I will ask David Tennant if I can hug him when I meet him. And it is when. I'll meet him one day. Proper aspiration if anyone's wondering.
To prove the effect these shows have had on my past, to name just two...
Embarrassment over, see ya!
But we also have some shows that, although don't have that effect on us, still make us feel really great about ourselves.
Well, today, after being inspired by TomSka, I've decided to impart my top 10 favourite TV shows of all time. And why I love them.
10. LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
If you don't know of this show, it's a popular American Late Night show hosted once a week by the British comedian, John Oliver. It deals with mostly American-centric topics but he does also give a good send up to world topics too and has, along the way, pissed off a few world leaders, including the Prime Minister of New Zealand. What I love about this show as opposed to other US Late Night shows like Jimmys Kimmel and Fallon, The Daily Show or the Colbert Report for example, is the fact that Oliver and his team spend a week researching one key topic and then breaking that down to cut through the bullshit that accompanies. And these topics may sound dull at the start, but thanks to Oliver's wit and explanation style, you actually start to become concerned or worried about the topic he's talking about. It's ever so slightly hypnotic. The only criticism I have of Oliver is that, sometimes, I feel that the humour is a little bit forced. But he's generally consistently funny, even making jokes at his own expense.
9. DAVE ALLEN AT LARGE
This will not be known by many my age. But perhaps my Mum's age group might remember this. Dave Allen, weird as it sounds, is my favourite comedian. He was an Irish comedian who was popular in the 1970s and enjoyed a successful career doing both stand up comedy and sketch comedy for various networks. In the 1960s, he managed to indirectly save a child's life after Allen himself performed a dangerous stunt live on a programme and it was the child's memory of seeing this stunt that saved his life. Talking mostly about relationships and religion, Allen became well known for his sitting on a chair talking to the camera with a glass of a spirit by his side that, much to the confusion of viewers, seemed to increase the more he drank it. I love Dave Allen because he's my favourite kind of comedian, someone who can tell a long winded story to entice you in, and then send it up with a funny punchline. And his show, Dave Allen At Large, does this very well.
8. THUNDERBIRDS
5...4...3...2...1...THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! I was obsessed with this show as a kid, this was during its late 90s comeback. I loved the idea of International Rescue and became encapsulated with the flying machines that formed the Thunderbird fleet. As I was also heavily into space and astronomy at the time, I became more interested in Thunderbirds 3 & 5, which were part of their space fleet. The Tracy brothers' exploits made my Tuesday nights worth watching along with the Simpsons and Robot Wars on BBC Two. (Yup, it was THAT long ago...) I was quite disappointed by the 2004 film version and I'm undecided on the new CGI Thunderbirds but, as far as I'm concerned, nothing can compare to the original 1960s supermarionation version. And, yes, I had a Tracy Island playset...and an International Rescue outfit...
7. THE LAST LEG
How can I not love this show? It's a send up of the week. And, to be honest, if you want a good opinion on things, just look at the three on the sofa. They do a roundup of the week with guests and merciless mock politicians while remaining sensitive on terrible events such as terror attacks. What makes it more brilliant is that the three presenters, Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdecombe are genuinely 3 good mates who will rip the shit out of each other if at all necessary. Which, to be fair, it usually is!
6. RICK AND MORTY
I clearly have a high intelligence. Jokes and shitty fandom aside, Rick and Morty, for me, is one of the best television shows ever created for the fact it completely screws over conventional science fiction. It doesn't involve time travel, which is odd for a show of its nature, but it focuses more on parallel universes, especially with the introduction of the Council of Ricks in Season 1. The show follows Rick Sanchez, the cleverest man in the multiverse, and his long-suffering grandson Morty Smith who travels with him on his adventures and, for some reason, puts up with more shit than he perhaps can given he's 13 years old. If Doctor Who and Back to the Future had a child and then raised it solely on LSD, you're getting pretty close to how Rick and Morty operates. But what I love about it, apart from it's dark humour, is the show's suspected self-awareness. Rick and Morty is part of a rare breed of shows that actually know they're a TV show. Which gives it a weird high stakes reality. Also, just to point it, I hated this show when I first saw it so, if it won me over, it can win anyone over.
5. SUPERNATURAL
Two hunky brothers and an angel go hunting demons and other scary things together. It's like Scooby-Doo but with alcohol and sexual tension. The show started in 2005, it stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins as its main cast but there are more recurring characters that you can shake a stick at. It also has one of the calmest fandoms I've ever seen. Basing most of its lore on biblical happenings, it's an interesting way to look at theology and how that could affect the modern world if it were to show itself to humanity once again. But, above everything else, it's just a brilliantly written series. It can have moments which are deeply, deeply serious, including each character's every death (it happens a lot) and then it can completely 180 and have really outlandish episodes. (The Mystery Hole and Changing Channels are particular examples that come to mind). If you like really hot guys, religion and a hell of a lot of kick ass, Supernatural is the show for you...
4. SUPERGIRL
No secret that I have a big crush on Melissa Benoist, who plays Kara Danvers, an alien refugee from the planet Krypton who came to Earth to protect her cousin, Superman. However, her pod was a little bit behind her cousins and he was already the big blue boy scout by the time she arrived. A child of two worlds, she tried to balance her human life as Kara Danvers, reporter for CatCo Magazine, and her alien superhero life as Supergirl. Part of the CW's DCTV Universe, or 'Flarrowverse' as it's come to be known, Supergirl is the only female DC superhero with her own TV series and, well, she's amazing. I love this show because it actually teaches about humanity through the eyes of an alien which, for superhero fiction, is tricky. I feel that not all superhero fiction can do this well but Supergirl does nail it on the head. The inclusion of other popular DC alumni such as Martian Manhunter also mean that the show has a high standing in fan circles. But, for me, it's always nice to see how Kara Danvers gets through her very human struggles. Even if that does mean going more alien every now and again. Also, have I mentioned how wonderful Melissa Benoist is?
3. THE FLASH
My favourite superhero. I love the Flash. And I love what the TV show has done with the character, even if I do wish Iris would get her act together. Barry Allen is a forensic scientist who gets struck by lightning after a particle accelerator explodes in Central City. Once he awakes, he finds out he has the power of the Speedforce and is the fastest man alive. When he discovers he has these powers, he puts them towards trying to find the man who killed his mother as a child and got his father wrongly imprisoned for her murder. Since the show started in 2014, Barry has faced 3 different evil speedsters to give him the supremacy of being the fastest man alive, the Reverse Flash, Zoom and Savitar, but he currently has to think faster as well to beat the intelligent DeVoe. I love the series because I can relate to Barry Allen in the fact that, above all else, he just wants to do what's best for the people he cares about, even if that means bending the rules from time to time. But, it's also wonderful to see my favourite superhero doing well on television given that the past few attempts at putting him on screen weren't so successful, (sorry John Wesley Shipp).
Shout-out to Ezra Miller who also played the part well in Justice League. In my opinion, he was the best part of that film. Thanks, Ezra.
2. STRANGER THINGS
This show was on my watch-list for a long time. I finally got around to watching it and, WOW. I was completely blown away. I LOVE this show. It's set in the 1980s in Hawkins, Indiana and it centres around 3 kids and the search for their missing friend, Will Byers. However, in their search, they find a strange young girl called Eleven, who appears to have supernatural abilities. Tie that in with impressive acting from Winona Ryder and David Harbour, this show really belongs to the teenagers who are the main focus. However, what I love most about this show is the idea of the Upside Down, a parallel-ish universe that is occupied by a race christened as the Demogorgons. It's intense, it's scary and it's brilliantly written and acted. I cannot preach about this show enough and it kills me I have to wait another bloody year for series 3.
1. DOCTOR WHO
To anyone who knows me, this is no huge surprise. Doctor Who has been a constant throughout my life and I owe a lot to it. But it is where I get a lot of my personality from and it's where I usually turn to for TV if I'm really down. Having been introduced to the show upon its return in 2005, I'm a child of Christopher Eccleston and, to a higher degree, David Tennant. But there hasn't been a modern Doctor I don't like. I just prefer Tennant seeing as he's the one I grew up with. I'm also convinced that my childhood officially ended on January 1st 2010 when Tennant regenerated into Matt Smith. For me, it's pure escapism. It's a madman in a box travelling the universe and being just generally amazing. What I also love about the show is its history. It started in November 1963 and has been on TV for the majority of that time. And, although I'm critical of recent decisions made in relation to Steven Moffat's choices, it generally remains true to the mythology. And I cannot wait to see what the new Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, can do. Maybe we can have K9 back though? I have so much to thank Doctor Who for. Which is why I will ask David Tennant if I can hug him when I meet him. And it is when. I'll meet him one day. Proper aspiration if anyone's wondering.
To prove the effect these shows have had on my past, to name just two...
Embarrassment over, see ya!
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