Salon just ran a short piece awarding this year’s “Buffy” — their annual award for the best and most underrated show on TV — to The Shield.
Not to shirk the serious work of blogging or pawn off my overthinking responsibilities on, um, you in the name of Web 2.0 user generated content or anything, but I know that among the OTI writer and readership there is a much higher level of pop-culture savvy than almost anywhere on the internet. (Do you hear that, AV Club? We will eat your lunch.)
So I thought I’d put the question to you. What is the best show currently on TV? Bonus points if it’s underrated…
I know this isn’t the pro-blog-punditry move, but Salon was right. It’s _The Shield_.
I love that show.
OTI trivia time!
Mlawski is the only regular female contributor to the site (and an excellent one at that), but she’s not the only one.
Dougnac — http://www.overthinkingit.com/author/dougnac/ —
who only wrote one article, but a good one, is also female.
My thoughts on douchebag — I think one of the common threads is an implied inability to please women sexually. Douchebags are masculine, but it’s a false, trumped-up masculinity that people, especially women, find repulsive rather than attractive.
And I think the aspect of “douche” we’re hitting on here is the new sense of the product — which is that it’s something that, from what the package says, really wants to go in your vagina, but which you really really don’t want to put in your vagina to the point of the thought of it actively making you wince. It isn’t even good for you!
After all, there are few things that can happen to a vagina that are as unsexy as douching. I’d imagine sex with Sean Hannity falls into that same category.
So, please excuse my frankness and obscene language, but I would categorize the term insult-of-men “douchebag” as farther away now from “bitch” and “cunt” and much closer to the contemporary term “cumdumpster.”
Although it is far less severe an insult and includes the embedded double standard that it is bad for a woman to have a lot of sex, but bad for a man to fail in having a lot of sex.
The Daily Show, of course.
But take my opinion with a grain of salt. I watch almost no TV, and, when I do, I watch it via Netflix so I can watch it all in one crazy sitting. Thus most of the great shows I’ve seen recently are already over.
As I believe I’ve mentioned once before, I also love Burn Notice, which I realize shouldn’t count because it is neither deadly serious and deep nor a laugh riot comedy. But it’s very clever and fun– exactly what I want when I watch television.
I agree. The Daily Show, or the Colbert Report. Not only for the quality of the writing and the talent involved, but the cultural impact that both shows have had on the political awareness of young people.
Also Dexter is a great show. But I haven’t seen the shield, so Id better get on it before I start judging.
I might agree with The Shield. I can’t claim to have seen every show on television – not nearly. But The Shield is currently the only drama I actually watch the night it airs. It’s great – good combination of fiendishly complex plotting, and good old shoot ’em up action.
Ha! Wrong thread!! WHoops!!
“The Suite Life of Drake and Josh”
Kidding.
I don’t watch it regularly, but what I have seen of “The Closer” has always been great, and I know a few people that watch it all the time because they think it is so good.
I’d hate to be obvious – but it’s obviously The Wire. Yes yes I know – all the critics agree and whatnot, but The Wire is, to lather it on a bit, the greatest feat of televised literature in the history of mankind.
Oh… and it’s also the only TV show I watch – so I guess that sorta moots and promotes my point at the same time.
You know those reruns of Newhart that air on Nick at Nite?
Yeah, those.
Since the untimely demise of Arrested Development, I’d have to say FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And this is by FAR the best. The writing is hilarious and quick-witted and the plotlines are incredibly smart. The pilot was titled, “The Gang Gets Racist”. There also “Dennis and Dee go on Welfare” and “Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life”. Need I say more?
Technically, it’s gone now, but the best underrated show on air has to be Pushing Daisies. I am so angry that it’s been axed I can’t begin to tell you. I think it’s close to being the perfect show. The only flaw being: No-one F***ing watched it!!!!!! The best non underated show is Doctor Who. Period.