What to Watch While the Writer’s Strike

I'd also strongly advise The 4400, which is far more dramatically realistic than Heroes, and which becomes very politically insightful at the turn into the 3rd season with important commentary on the causes of terrorism, identity politics among feared minorities, the tension between security and freedom. This political trend continues in Season 4 with added commentary on the complex nature of faith as always complimented by pragmatism, causes of fundamentalism among lost youth, competing visions of the good society between egalitarian socialism and hierarchical unfettered capitalist power concentration reflective of those in the Bush administration. Great show! Give it a shot. Seasons 1 to 3 are already on DVD.

Also, the new Battlestar Galactica, which is just as politically insightful and dramatically realistic. Best shows on TV!

And, if you've never watched this dark drama from the creator of The X-Files or only seen Seasons 2 and 3, I highly recommend Millennium Season 1. Amazing writing that's as good as any of the best X-Files seasons. Believable and realistically sympathetic serial killers. Gorgeous stuff, but not for the faint of heart. The main character is such an amazingly quiet, sensitive, yet strong character excellently acted by Lance Henriksen.

Oh, and Stephen, Angel Seasons 1 and 2 are a bit weak compared to Buffy, except some consistently hilarious moments, but the writing really improves in Season 3's main storylines. Amazing finale, which kicks the crap out of that of Buffy.

I would recommend:

Firefly

Alias (seasons 1 and 2)

Dexter

Hey Stephen excellent advice, let's brush up on some TV while the writers get their due!

My List:
Jericho Season One

All Three Seasons of Arrested Development

Farscape!
(for anyone who has never watched it)

Young Indy Chronicles

Stephen I agree with your assesment of shows to watch during the strike. You will like Angel, but the third and fourth seasons drag a little, but the fifth is awesome. I also recommend Sports Night, Studio 60 I know these are not genre shows, but they were both awesome shows that went before their time. Firefly is also excellent and if you are really bored I recommend Buck Rogers, the set is like $20 and is great for a laugh, plus it has some of the worst writing ever, but gosh I loved when I was seven. I can't wait to get Indy for Christmas. I remember the show, but never got to see a whole lot of it on T.V., but I remember it was very well done. I might also recommend 24, which is just awesome.

I, Definitely, second the recommendation on Farscape. It starts slow but somewhere between the the middle and end of the first season, I think you'll be hooked. While the characters seem to represent recognizable archtypes, you won't find characters quite like D'Argo, Zhaan, Chiana, Pilot, Aeryn and Crichton anywhere outside the Uncharted Territories. Or for that matter Moya or Talyn, thier living ship and her son. It's really hard to come up with a comparison because this show is really like I'd seen before or have seen since. The charcterization rivals Whedon at his best, Crichton and Aeryn could teach Angel and Buffy lessons on angast ridden love. And D'Argo goes from evolves form brutish warrior to wondefully ironic and deep brilliantly. And Scorpius may be the best scren villain ever. The setting and conflicts are both epic and deeply personal. Definitely a unique experience, and one well worth having.

And yes, Angel is excellent, the first season starts bit monster-of-the-week but maintains Whedons usual humor, drama and style. The second season begins both a season and series wide arc. Four has issues but it also has the return of evil Angel and Faith, and those ae some of the best episodes of the series. Five has what I think i some of Whedon's best work, the humor, the mythology, the tragedies all in top form all blending seemlessly in as the season progresses to the final episode.

And if we're going off genre, may I suggest Veronica Mars, seasons 1-3. Some people didn't like season three. i thought it was excellent and a much better college transiton than Buffy S4 did. I if you getb season 3 check out the seasom 4 promo and pitch in the extras disc, and experience the outrage that CW did not back what would have been a true must see series this Fall.

In any case season 1-3 has given us some of the best written charcters, dramas and dialogue on televison. Written and produced by Rob Thomas, the mysteries are clever and the humor is often brilliant but what really makes this series is that really care about all the characters and what happens to them. Pay particular attention to Enrico Colantoni and Kristen Bell both individually and as a father and daughter team Keith and Veronica. There are very few relationships on any sized screen that comes off so heartfelt, often painfully so.

Definitly Firefly, and Dexter's good too.

I would like to submit two shows for your consideration: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Nowhere Man.

It's Always Sunny has to be the single funniest show on television. It's finishing its third season now and the first two seasons are available together on DVD. Probably the funniest episode in the set is where Dee, Mac, Dennis, and Charlie all quit the bar. Mac and Charlie decide to hire illegal immigrants to do their work while Dee and Dennis try going on welfare as crack addicts. Absolutely hysterical.

Nowhere Man was one of those shows that define "cult status." It was born from the ashes of The X-Files conspiracy fads in the mid-90s and still developed its own identity. Bruce Greenwood was awesome as the lead character, and while there were three or four episodes in the middle of the season that were bores, the show really got interesting starting with an episode where Tom Veil found an informant within The Organization who was after. Only lasted a single season (and that was mainly because UPN decided not to renew the show but still gave the writers time to conclude the story arc), but it's well worth it.

Does anyone else find it ironic that the writers went on strike partly because they weren't getting residuals from DVD sales, but now that they're involved in a strike that could drag on, DVD sales will probably shoot up as people turn to other sources of TV shows?

I was just thinking about posting that very sentiment. Kind of funny really.

and sad for the writers :(

Do you suppose writers considered the irony of many viewers watching the very DVDs and losing even more residuals as a result of striking? It is kinda funny, but I have to imagine some of these writers are smart enough to have thought of that.