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Gravity Falls. One of the most unique cartoons ever. First time I watched it I had no idea how insane it would actually get. It’s hilarious, it’s weirdly relatable, the emotions always feel earned, and every single character. EVERY charcter serves their purpose and has their own arc. Some of the best writing in any TV show.
Interestingly enough, I prefer Better Call Saul over Breaking Bad, even though the latter is the catalyst for that world of characters and storytelling. It's just that Saul has more breathing room and while Breaking Bad was amazing, Saul is more deliberately paced and the characters are more deeply explored. I have minor issues peppered throughout both series, but I can watch Saul repeatedly whereas Breaking Bad... I don't know if I can feel the intensity of it the way I did the first or even second time I watched it. It's like a great album that I've heard so many times, I feel I can't imagine needing to hear it again or at least as much as others that have that repeat quality. Plus, I've always been a big fan of Bob Odenkirk and love watching him display what he can do. Not to mention the other performances which are so well written.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: easiest show to watch and rewatch. Perhaps the best ever at combining one-off episodes with multi-episode or season-long arcs. Imaginative, fun, emotionally perceptive, and sometimes bracing. Remarkable work.
When Breaking Bad started shooting its pilot season I was going into high school and they shot a lot of the show in my neighborhood. When I left for college they were wrapping up the show.
Yeah sadly. But that's all bc of internal struggle and David leaving the show. He returned for the last episodes to finally burry the show. But I'm glad he made the 3rd season.
Mr. Robot Breaking Bad Twin Peaks The Wire The Leftovers Sopranos Hannibal Serial Experiments Lain Westworld S1, GOT S1-4 and True Detective S1 get an honorable mention for how great they once were.
Amen to GoT S1-4 and True Detective S1. GoT S1 is still my favourite book to screen adaptation out there, still can't believe how far the show went off track after Season 4 (even though the ending of S4 was already somewhat dodgy).
@@keelanleavy311 GOT started to fall apart around season 5 and 6. Bad writing and questionable narrative choices started to severely cripple certain story arcs, most noticeably Dorne and Arya, both of which never were able to recover. Sure, we still got some pretty decent episodes, but that's about it. I'd say season 5 was still decent, season 6 had 2 great episodes that saved a mediocre season, and season 7 and 8 were both complete garbage.
THE WIRE!!!! A brilliant analysis of the many systemic problems in america on multiple levels wrapped up in a cop thriller/drama. Amazing and rich characters that all have so much to say. It's my favorite show followed closely by Sopranos and Breaking Bad.
I heard somebody say The Wire is the great American novel in TV form. It's a truly incredible piece of work. I remember being shocked and disappointed when they switched gears in the second season to focus on the docks with an almost totally different cast of characters. I thought this was going to be straight cops and robbers, which isn't normally my thing but was so, so good in the first season. Then it sunk in what they were doing, and it became clear this was something different. I'm just glad HBO never pulled the plug and let Simon finish.
@@dan32321 All the pieces matter. It's all part of the same system. I adore the series. I have watched through it multiple times. I own the blu-ray boxset and treasure it.
I don’t understand why a lot of people don’t like season 2 of the Wire. The storyline on the docks was really compelling and I loved what happened during the season, like for example D’Angelo’s death or season 2’s ending. I think because it’s not so overtly focused on the streets like the other seasons of The Wire, people are not into it that much, but I loved it. That said, season 4 has to be my favourite.
Twin Peaks The Return is one of the most beautiful, horrible, insane, infuriating, surreal and sublime pieces of art I’ve ever experienced. I still think about it all the time, it’s like a deck of tarot cards, it can be read a million different ways and none of them are wrong.
I love series like The Sopranos and Twin Peaks and Breaking Bad but Six Feet Under has always had the most profound effect on me and has taught me a lot about myself and is an amazing ensemble piece about death and mortality and relationships. Definitely not the most groundbreaking show or has stood the test of time but still when it hits you (or if it does depending on the viewer) it is so beautiful and devastating definitely underrated imo. Also The Leftovers deals with similar themes of mortality and grief but in a much different way.
In its totality (the original 2 seasons, Fire Walk with Me and The Return) Twin Peaks stands as one of Lynch's crowning achievements (warts and all). You should definitely give it a completed viewing. You owe Lynch that much. Lol
Has anyone seen "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge?" It was one of the episodes from The Twilight Zone TV series (1959-1964). It was originally a French-made short film. It looks very cinematic, even today. TV audience in the 60s must have had their minds blown.
Has to be Mindhunter for me. I have never watched a show which enthralled me more, glued my eyes to the screen permanently, and has no weak episodes. Fincher and Joe Penhall are geniuses, and give us season 3!
The Sopranos I’ve always said was masterful filmmaking because it wasn’t shot like any kind of television, it’s like 87 short films put together to tell one giant story. But there are so many episodes you can easily watch on their own; “College”, “Pine Barrens”, “Funhouse”, “University”, “Long Term Parking”, Whitecaps”, “Soprano Home Movies”, “Made in America”. Each episode tackled a new topic, or a certain characters strife while advancing the story as a whole In a much more in depth and visceral, real way instead of the generic “previously on...next time on” linear storyline most all television shows follow. It truly does stand alone, nothing views quite like it.
There was a comment here that said "Mortal Kombat Conquest". Came back to upvote that, but can't find it anymore. Loved that one. Still waiting for the second season after the biggest cliffhanger ending of all time.
Whaaat? You never finished Twin peaks?!? seriously, you'v got to 'deconstruct' your relashionship with TP. At the beggining of this video I was going to write a comment asking a Twin Peaks video analysis, hahah. It really surprises me that you never finished. I actually got to know you searching David Lynch video analysis, so you could imagine that I was already especting some TP. All the unknown depth that we know about Twin Peaks its much more literal and straightforward. In a few words, in my interpretation it is a clear representation of the impact of Television (and poor mass products and consumable tv violance) the banality of evil in our days. I would highly recommend giving another shot with a fresh new eyes. Althought it is know that when David Lynch leaft TP in season two, the intensity, the brightness, the imagination and some of the original surrealistic air had gone with him, the show remained solid. Twin Peaks: The Return is a Masterpiece. Couldn't know where to begin with it. You probably heard a million times what I just said and you might be sick of it, but, honestly, if one piece of art deserves a closer look it is Twin Peaks. Give it a shot! ps: I appreciated your videos ;) If I could ask anything would be putting serious thought in 'rewatching' TP` and make a video analysis about it. You would not regret it.
I've been quite a fan of mini-series for the past few years, they have enough space to tell a way more intricate story than a movie, but not so long that they start (with few exceptions) to fall apart after the first season. Really good examples would be: The People vs O.J. Simpson, Chernobyl, Band of Brothers and Over the Garden Wall.
I think anyone that likes The Sopranos would probably like Six Feet Under. Similarly post-modern and existential but even funnier (and dare I say it, even more moving).
Ingmar Bergman made several made-for-TV films, notably "Scenes From a Marriage" (1973) and "Fanny and Alexander" (1982). Another notable Swedish TV series is "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy," an extended version of the 2009 theatrical film.
"Dekalog" is the great 1988 Polish TV drama series that explores religion and morality in memorable ways. You gotta include this when discussing the greatest TV shows ever made.
It wasn't a tv show, it was a series of 10 movies. They were even released in regular cinema. Great to binge if you really want to get depressed. Glad Kieslowski stopped making movies shortly after that.
@@voiceover2191 It was originally aired on TV as a 10-part series. Its length was why TV was used to show it, as opposed to the Three Color Trilogy that was theatrically released. Dekalog's theatrical release came afterwards (similar to what happened to OJ: Made in America).
Bojack Horseman is possibly the best animated show I've ever seen. It has my highest recommendation. If you can get through a mediocre first half of season 1, you'll find some of the best, wittiest humor and subversive writing, as well as a truly stunning portrait of addiction and depression.
Finished the sopranos two weeks ago for the first time, I feel like I’m going through a brake up man!!! I’ve been feeling so empty, tried starting some other shows, and they just don’t cut it. MadMen and Six Feet Under are also my favourites for sure. Thanks for this video, will provide me with some new starting points hopefully :)
1. The Twilight Zone 2. The Sopranos 3. Mad Men 4. Fargo, Seasons 1 & 2 5. True Detective, Season 1 6. Breaking Bad 7. Northern Exposure 8. Homeland, Season 1 Rod Serling is the most gifted dramatic writer of the last 60 years. Having personally written most of the classic episodes himself, The Twilight Zone teleplays are majestic, compulsive reads in and of themselves -rich with language, ideas, and subversive wit. A Peabody Award winner and alumnus of Playhouse 90 (during the first golden age of television), his boldness flung open the doors for future artists such as David Lynch, Charlie Kaufman, David Chase, the Wachowskis, Charlie Brooker, and many more. As pervasive a pop cultural influence as any film, music, and media mogul of the 20th and 21st centuries, Serling primed our imaginations for everything that followed. He blew our collective minds and dared us to dream even bigger. And as a result, within a mere decade, we witnessed such marvels as the Apollo moon landing (www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/arts/television/twilight-zone-apollo-11.amp.html), the music of David Bowie and Pink Floyd, and the advent of a new, more progressive sociopolitical landscape.
1. The Twilight Zone 2. The Sopranos 3. Mad Men 4. Fargo, Seasons 1 & 2 5. True Detective, Season 1 6. Breaking Bad 7. Northern Exposure 8. Homeland, Season 1 Rod Serling is the most gifted dramatic writer of the last 60 years. Having personally written most of the classic episodes himself, The Twilight Zone teleplays are majestic, compulsive reads in and of themselves -rich with language, ideas, and subversive wit. A Peabody Award winner and alumnus of Playhouse 90 (during the first golden age of television), his boldness flung open the doors for future artists such as David Lynch, Charlie Kaufman, David Chase, the Wachowskis, Charlie Brooker, and many more. As pervasive a pop cultural influence as any film, music, and media mogul of the 20th and 21st centuries, Serling primed our imaginations for everything that followed. He blew our collective minds and dared us to dream even bigger. And as a result, within a mere decade, we witnessed such marvels as the Apollo moon landing (www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/arts/television/twilight-zone-apollo-11.amp.html), the music of David Bowie and Pink Floyd, and the advent of a new, more progressive sociopolitical landscape.
glad someone finally mentioned how funny it is when talking about the Sopranos, it's so underrated as (very very dark) comedy - Chris' drug intervention scene anyone? 'Even with computers'? 'His house looked like shit'?
My favorite series of all time would have to be Californication, I feel the way about that shows characters as you do about The Sapranos. I think that Hank Moody is actually a really well written character, that would be easy to write off as just as a misogynist or Nymphomaniac but he’s so much deeper than that.
I always interpreted the sopranos ending as tony getting shot in the head, he looks up and sees meadow and then bang, darkness. Also, Deadwood is the best show ever. The movie was awesome as well.
I'm a child of the '70s: The Six Million Dollar Man (bionics captures my engineering mind) Kolchak-The Night Stalker (superb writing and captures my love of photojournalism)
Twin Peaks was my favourite network 📺 show. It was must 👀. On cable I really liked the over the top Banshee. The characters were really well developed.
I love how this video covered most of my favorite shows. The Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Twin Peaks and Cowboy Bebop. The few that I would add would be Six Feet Under, The Wire and The Office. Always looking for shows on this level and having a hard time finding them
Breaking Bad. Neon Genesis Evangelion + End of Evangelion. Bojack Horseman. Edit:adding a few more Trailer Park Boys (original seasons, not the rebootedNetflix ones) Arrested Development (original seasons, not the rebooted Netflix ones) Black Mirror Fleabag. (Still have to watch classic stuff like Sopranos, The Wire, Cowboy Bebop, etc)
Haven’t seen Sopranos. The Wire is probably the best tv show I’ve ever seen based on the writing alone. Cowboy Bebop is great but seems really simple at first. I didn’t start to really love it until my second or third watch. I really like some of the other shows you mentioned as well.
Great list. One I would like to add that's a bit more obscure and isn't one of the modern series talked about a lot is 'Rectify'. A series about a wrongly imprisoned man on death row being released back into the real world after nearly 20 years. Deeply introspective and almost spiritual, but it takes time that audiences really don't grant even in the golden age of television. Another brilliant series that gets overlooked yet explores truths about American culture is 'The Americans,' on my favorite network FX (The Shield, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, etc.) 'The Americans" about KGB agents posing as an American family in the '80s was so good on so many levels, but never got the recognition it deserved.
The Wire. Series formats usually take on epic lengths. The Wire was epic with many different lead characters and overlapping stories. Nothing comes close in its length and breath .
A criminally underrated show everyone needs to watch is The Leftovers. If you like the 1st two seasons of Lost, i guarantee you 'll fall in love with this show. It does everything lost did but better. There are so many satisfying moments i cannot recommend it enough
@@VAVORiAL Agreed! Honestly Kevin, Matt, and Nora are some of my favorite characters in all of television. They're so well realized there are times i forget they're fictional
@@TheFourthWinchester sorry to hear that. I will say give it another chance though. The shows gets MUCH better on seasons 2 and 3. The first season, while i like, does not compare. With that said, by a couple, do you literally only mean two episodes? Episode 3 was the hook for me.
Never watched the Sopranos, but Twin Peaks is definitely my favourite TV show. I just love the mix of the different genres, and how everything holds up together. Season 1 never gets olds to me, and it never gets boring. It's just so well-made. The mystery is so nice and it's so compelling. Super bingy. Sometimes it's dramatic, sad, but at other times it's hilarious and unserious. You always want to know what's coming next. And the characters are amazing. Cooper is something else entirely, and I love his obsession with coffee. Otherwise I was super impressed with the German shows Babylon Berlin and Dark. BB is visually stunning, very immersive. I love the noir spirit of the series and the detective intrigue. The story is also very compelling I find. There were definitely some heart-breaking moments, especially with regards to the character Greta. As for Dark, some people compare it to Stranger Things but it's so unfair. Way different. Best series/movie about time travel in my opinion. Just brilliant. Also visually incredible and all actors are very good/compelling. The fact that the old/younger versions of the different actors look so alike and are good actors is mindblowing. I also love how the atmosphere and scope of the story changes as the series/seasons go on. I also really like that it is a trilogy and was always meant that way. Everything is self-contained. There's no retcon or stuff like that. Things that happen back in season 1 can have an important role in season 3, and vice-versa. I also have a soft spot for The X-Files. But I do have a love/hate relationship with the series. I like the relationship between Mulder and Scully, but I think that part of it definitely gets old at the end, that Scully never believes anything despite the crazy stuff that has happened. Heck, she even say an alien fetus at the end of season 1. That was one big retcon there... But still, making her a bit more credulous would have been better, it doesn't mean she would have had to believe everything either, just that she'd prefer the "physical" explanation. There is also a bunch of episodes I dislike, even up to season 5, after which things start to degenerate. My favourite season is probably season 1 though. The most iconic one, with some of the best episodes and few that I dislike. From season 2 on, it sometimes get a bit cringy, taking itself too seriously. At the same time, I prefer the episodes that are a bit more... "serious". I tend to dislike those that are a bit too corny and cheesy. Some episodes are ridiculous, but not because they were meant to be funny. I always liked the episodes developing the main story arc, but unfortunately it went off the rails at some point. That's the thing with these kind of tv shows, they just go on forever. Every good thing has an end. 3-4 seasons would have been plenty enough.
The Sopranos is my favorite Drama because the writing is so good. There is so much humor in every episode with great one-liners, but is able to tread that line where it’s still a serious drama. On the surface level, the show was about the mob, but it really was a family drama. Seinfeld is my favorite sitcom cause it was way ahead of its time. The 4 characters on the show are essentially unlikeable and bad people yet we love them and tune in every week. No sitcom ever did that as you always had the loveable Edith to play off of Archie Bunker. Seinfeld will always hold up because there was no sitcom that ever resembled it or could duplicate after.
I think you would really like Twin Peaks. The second season starts out great, gets bad, then gets good again toward the end. The third season (The Return) is pure Lynch. You will see things that you haven't seen on television before. You also need to watch Fire Walk With Me before watching The Return. Twin Peaks is like opening a treasure chest. You will discover many great things that will leave you enchanted.
Too Old To Die Young was really forward thinking in terms of it being pure auteur television, much like Mr. Robot. It’s interesting to see how TV is becoming the new, more experimental palette for filmmakers.
TOTDY was going strong, and I would've absolutely loved it if not for the ending being so... Scrambled. Mr Robot, however? God did it become my all-decade favourite. Glad I've gotten around to it. And nailed the finale, too.
miami vice is my favorite show of all time i was 6 years old when that show started in 84 fashion men dress like don johnson fast cars great music second favorite show of all time only last a year freeks&geeks walking dead that 70s show star trek king of queens prison break
There's not many comic book TV shows that I deem great or even good, but Daredevil and Batman The Animated Series are THE best superhero/comic book TV series ever made. Not only are both masterfully crafted from the first episode to the final one, but what separates them from all the other CBM shows is that there's real love and passion behind them and you can tell the teams behind them really wanted to deliver something special.
Would be interested to see a DFL take on Black Mirror. Not sure if there's enough artistic focus on the filmaking in the series to make it DFL-worthy - pretty standard stuff IMO - but would be interested to hear her read on either the series as a whole, or just on some of the better episodes.
Mad Men ! It's the only Tv show i have ever watched that left me feeling sad, as it naturally came to an end, that there was no more for me to consume. I'm still searching for a TV show to fill the void that it did; I will probably watch the sopranos next hopefully it does.
I'm so glad you noticed the humor in the Sopranos; it's one of the best and easily the most underrated parts of the show. It would have still been great without it, but it added such a great additional dimension. Probably my favorite scene in the whole show is Christopher's intervention. They gather out of love for one of their own, and within five minutes it's completely off the rails and they're beating the shit out of each other. My friends and I still hit each other with a "My muddah's wake..." every once in a while...
Spaced, Nirvanna the Band the Show, Flight of the Conchords, and The Mighty Boosh is my tv show Mt Rushmore. I also really love Mr Robot, Patriot, Perpetual Grace LTD, Nathan for You, Hannibal, Legion, Fargo, and Kenny vs Spenny
1. The Twilight Zone 2. The Sopranos 3. Mad Men 4. Fargo, Seasons 1 & 2 5. True Detective, Season 1 6. Breaking Bad 7. Northern Exposure 8. Homeland, Season 1 Rod Serling is the most gifted dramatic writer of the last 60 years. Having personally written most of the classic episodes himself, The Twilight Zone teleplays are majestic, compulsive reads in and of themselves - rich with language, ideas, and subversive wit. A Peabody Award winner and alumnus of Playhouse 90 (during the first golden age of television), his boldness flung open the doors for future artists such as David Lynch, Charlie Kaufman, David Chase, the Wachowskis, Charlie Brooker, and many more. As pervasive a pop cultural influence as any film, music, and media mogul of the 20th and 21st centuries, Serling primed our imaginations for everything that followed. He blew our collective minds and dared us to dream even bigger. And as a result, within a mere decade, we witnessed such marvels as the Apollo moon landing ( www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/arts/television/twilight-zone-apollo-11.amp.html ), the music of David Bowie and Pink Floyd, and the advent of a new, more progressive sociopolitical landscape. Taken too soon: He was only 50 years old. Rod Serling R.I.P. (1924-1975)
By TV shows, I think you mean only prime-time, serialized, scripted dramas or comedies. But there are many other types of shows on TV too. The great 8-hour ESPN documentary "O.J.: Made in America" was originally shown on TV, and is one of the best of its kind. Spielberg's 1971 diesel truck thriller "Duel" is an exciting 90-minute made-for-TV movie. "Siskel and Ebert," a movie review weekly program, was loved by film fans who grew up in the 80s and 90s. All those great PBS documentaries such as "Cosmos" (and its sequels) are great too. This is why the Emmy awards have a gazillion categories - because there are literally tons of different genres on TV (and also on streaming).
There was a long stretch from 1999 to 2014 that was essentially lightning in a bottle for TV. Niche shows were everywhere, barely ever lasting past five seasons (the safety net of Netflix wasn't around yet) but almost always tapping into deep ideas and emotions. NBC had "Freaks and Geeks", "Chuck" and "Community". CBS had "Jericho". ABC had "Pushing Daisies". FOX had "Malcolm in the Middle", "Firefly", "Arrested Development" and "Fringe". CW had "Veronica Mars". HBO had "The Wire", "Carnivale", "Deadwood", "Rome" and "Flight of the Conchords". There was also an anime called "Death Note". My personal favorite will always be "Malcolm in the Middle", which lasted 7 seasons and was the most rebellious piece of media to leak into my childhood. To this day it towers above other network sitcoms with its saturated personality, and Jane Kaczmarek's performance as Lois fascinates with her unhinged matriarchal mania.
fantastic - first You tube reviewer I've seen that doesn't concentrate on the modern Car race - boom, crash stuff. then lookin thru your listing, WIZARD OF OZ & GONE WITH WIND, talk old school.... I actually really like :It happened one night'. ' thin man' ha think they'd sell now ? Like your review of Prometheus. 3 rd best of the Alien flicks easy. I didn't see a mention, review Alien / Aliens You did mention them. One flew over Cookoos Nest ? 12 O'clock high' ? best of the war movies, to me.....
Too many good ones to choose just one. Hill Street Blues, Northern Exposure, China Beach, The Shield, Community, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joan of Arcadia.
Sopranos is easily my favorite TV series of all time. I’m very excited for The Many Saints of Newark coming out later this year! Will you be reviewing it when it comes out?
Twin Peaks is probably my first pick, then Deadwood, but not by much. What you said about Breaking Bad is how I feel about Deadwood. There isn't one weak episode, character, plot point or piece of dialogue. Every single scene is incredible from beginning to end. It has become cliche to say at this point, but some of the writing, especially the monologues, are truly Shakespearian (if Shakespeare swore like a Bostonian construction worker and delivered his lines while getting blown).
You would have fractured memories of Twin Peaks if you'd seen it all; the story line fractures, then the fractures fracture, and Lynch knows better than to fly too near the sun-, and is content to circle it.
Oh yeah, Twin Peaks is one of my favorite shows, along with American Gothic (1995-'96) and Nowhere Man (1995-'96). I love the Sopranos also. I loved Breaking Bad too, though I haven't watched it since I finished the show in late 2013/early 2014. I'll have to check out Cowboy Bebop and Mad Men.
Just subscribed... you know your stuff. But you need to watch twin peaks front to back, including the movie. There will be point in the second season where youll want to give up. But dont. Its truly the most unique serial show of all time.
5:10 only final scene that I think tops how sopranos ended is Cheers. One last chat with the gain before saying “I’m sorry we’re closed” to a customer and turning off the lights
So I love animation and drama movies but I never really dove into drama tv series. I love Bob’s Burgers, Gravity Falls, Full Metal Alchemist, My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter. Really dig kipo and age of wonderbeasts right now. As for dramas or mini series, I really loved The Night Of. Game of Thrones, Justified, The Wire! I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot but these came to mind first.
Just from curiosity, after many years, I watched just the Fly episode in the Breaking Bad, and I must say, that it is crucial to the whole show. Just the plot disapearing and two main characters talking in one room is telling you everything most important about them, especially Walter. How he is battling with himself, and how he is really vulnerable when he lets go of all that narrative that surrounds his life, even if it's just for a small moment. Then the goddamn "fly" appears again, more horrifying then before.
Lost got me hooked on series for the first time, with its mystery-driven and science & philosophy fueled plot. It was brilliant! Deadwood, Black Sails, Boardwalk Empire, Rome (I have a thing for these historical pieces/costume dramas, absolutely love them) Also love The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos (I remember an interview where Chase said he was very influenced by Goodfellas and the series probably never wouldn't have been made if it wasn't for that movie) And as last I have to mention True Blood (I am fan of gore and the dark humor is just right up my alley).
I've been watching Rome lately. Good show. I really love the acting of Ciaran Hinds (as Ceasar) and Tobias Menzies (as Brutus). The friendship between them is my favorite storyline too. Ciaran and Tobias were also together in the Terror, which is another good show. They were also together in Game of Thrones, although I've never watched that show.
I think if you watched all of Twin Peaks The Return and all of Season 2 etc you may re-evaluate The Sopranos lofty position. Yes season 2 went off-the-rails halfway through, but by the end, it had regained a whole new pace. 'The Return' is a masterpiece and is being talked about more in 2020 than ever before.
I don't know if she will. I agree with every point you said about Twin Peaks, and The Return is one of my all time favorite "things" ever--in whatever medium. Even then, having seen The Sopranos right after, I thought it absolutely curb stomped Twin Peaks.
If a show ends and I scream NOOOO at the tv screen for one full minute, that's very likely to become my favourite, so my nomination goes to Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles... although I must admit it doesn't really stands on its own: unless you're a huge fan of the first 2 movies you'll notice it's not particulary polished and that it was victim of desperate rewrites.
Great choices. The Sopranos is my favourite too. Spoilers for The Sopranos and Twin Peaks below. The force and depth of James Gandolfini's performance over the course of its run is my favourite in both film and TV. To maintain that level of intensity and consistency was a magnificent achievement on his part, and he was only one of many great performers on that show. The Kevin Finnerty storyline and how Tony is confronted on the threshold between life and death about his deeds and morality in the life the audience is all familiar with and has an affinity for was a bold decision by Chase and managed to be simultaneously mysterious, profound and funny. The opening montage and its sermon to the Seven Souls by William S Burroughs is my favourite of any TV series. In fact, that entire episode is brilliant and is probably my favourite of the entire series, followed by the episode in which Tony's nature and his role in life are mystically revealed to him thanks to the consciousness-expanding powers of peyote. Have you watched Fire Walk With Me? That is one of the best horror films that I've seen and somehow ends up being more terrifying and sleazy than anything that Lynch had created in seasons 1 and 2 of Twin Peaks. Q2's fan edit of FWWM is possibly worth finding. The original is fine too, though.
GO BACK AND WATCH IT, TRUST ME. There's a stretch of questionable episodes in Season 2, but outside of that, it's fucking brilliant. The Return is Lynch's best body of work
There are alot more anime, that go for a similar style as Cowboy Bebop (not neccessarily the aesthetic of space cowboys, but on the themes it tackles). You should check out shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion and its movie End of Evangelion (the show that was the reason for the anime boom of the 90s and 00s, besides the big 3 and DB), Serial Experiments Lain, Texchnolyze, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Trigun (for some space cowboy action ;D), Gunslinger Girl, Great Teacher Onizuka, Samurai Champloo (the successor to Cowboy Bebop, with a Soundtrack by Nujabes) or Black Lagoon.
For the ending of the sopranos I can't agree it has the best, I loved the sopranos, but the Six Feet Under finale is possibly the only series I've seen that literally moved me to tears. The show just in general is possibly my personal goat pick, bloody amazing, brilliant show
The only kind of TV shows (it seems) that are qualified for Oscars are the TV documentaries. PBS has had many Oscar nominations over the years from these films. Documentaries, if well-made, play well on both small and big screens. The Oscar category for "documentary short subject" has also nominated many films that were originally shown on TV. Maggie, please review some documentaries.
