I've been watching a lot of television shows over the last couple of years, and either some of them are getting better, or my tolerance for grap is, I'm not sure which. You have to admit, they're coming up with some original and neat ideas at least.
These are some of my favorites. If you haven't seen them I suggest you go you
hulu.com and check them out at your leisure.
Life - Right now this is probably my favorite show on the air. A police detective who served twelve years of a life sentence for a triple homicide is released after DNA evidence exonerates him. He sues the city/police department after his release for an "undisclosed but at least seven figure sum", with the added stipulation that he be allowed to return to the force and resume his career as a detective (so he can also find out who in the police force framed him). His style is odd, and he's fond of making strange observations and quoting Zen platitudes from a Zen philosophy book that he read while inside that kept him from going crazy. Also, he has a strange affectation for fruit. Sounds a little disjointed but it's actually really smooth, entertaining, and very well-written.
Life on Mars - An American knockoff of a british TV series about a NYC cop in 2008 who is hit by a car, falls into a coma, and wakes up in 1973 (the year I was born!) apparently a member of a police department in NYC there. He sees strange things, hallucinations, visions, and whatnot, as well as meets his mother and himself as a boy in 1973, as well as other people from his past, and he's not sure if he's dead, in a coma dreaming all of this, or actually in 1973. Neat show, that gets a little surreal at times, and has an AWESOME soundtrack. One scene early on involving a police chase on-foot through the streets of 70's NYC while "Little Willy" by The Sweet played was just perfect.
Chuck - OK, this show is silly and unrealistic, but it's still a fun show and if you haven't given it a chance you're just a grump. An underachieving geek and employee of the "Nerd Herd" at a "Buy More" store gets an E-mail from an old friend from the college he dropped out of that contains some special high-tech images called the "Intersect" that burn an entire CIA database into his brain, and since he is now the only copy of this information, he is forced to work with a hot CIA agent and a grumpy NSA agent (played by Jayne from Firefly) as they ridiculously encounter enemy spies and operatives while trying to hide Chuck's true identity as a helpless nerd. I love the show, campy and silly as it is.
Pushing Daisies - God damnit, on looking up some info I find out Pushing Daisies has been cancelled. Goddamnit ABC you fucks, you don't know something good when you've got it.
Well now I'm pissed off and don't want to do any more. Any of you have any good shows to recommend?