Question of the Week: What's your favorite TV show, and why?

[MattSuda]

Hey Community,

It's time again for the "Question of the Week". 🙂

This week's question:

*** What's your favorite TV show / series, and why? ***

 📺 🍿 🍬 🛋 🎵

A TV show / series is anything you watch on cable or streaming services that has multiple episodes. If you are having trouble deciding on just 1 TV show, then what are your favorite top 3 TV show, and why? 

Post your answer below to be part of the conversation.

(Bonus internet points if you post your favorite song from the TV series soundtrack or playlist with songs from the TV series. You can also post a podcast about the TV series.)

You can let us know your "Favorite Movie" by going here

You can view the previous Question of the Week threads by going here

[MattSuda]

Mr. Robot (2015 - 2019) is my favorite TV show 💙

Mr. Robot: IMDb Link

It's basically about computer hacking and taking down a corrupt system (people, companies, and government) but it's also so much more than that: mental health, illusions, great cinematography, thrills, wild action, and much more. In 2015 when it came out I remember being surprised and it was and still is a breath of fresh air. I can relate with the show and wanting to hold corrupt individuals and companies accountable and trying to make the world a better place. The show came out at just the right time during the rise of Bernie Sanders and the unfortunate rise of some other guy. I was really getting into politics and Bernie Sanders at the time. Be warned that this show isn't for the faint of heart and is really dark, but I think those that are adventurous will enjoy it. It's a show for the rebels. Each season has its own style so it never gets old and season 2 is especially interesting with the longer episodes. If you enjoyed Rami Malek as the villain in the new James Bond movie "No Time to Die", then you will definitely enjoy him playing the role as a hacker in this TV show. I really don't think anything can top this show just yet, it's just sooooo good and my current all time favorite.

One of my favorite scenes: (NSFW)

Here is a playlist with the music from the TV show:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5veS4mOcZ7EypiudpO4o8w 

Something cool that happened is that I was part of a small group of fans who solved a scavenger hunt the marketing team was doing in 2017 and they sent me a cool mask that looks like the one they use in the show:

Check out my Letterboxd profile to see what movies I've been watching lately and my IMDb watched list for both movies and shows

Other all time favorite TV shows:

• Castle (2009–2016) IMDb link
• Touch (2012–2013) IMDb link
• Black Mirror (2011) IMDb link

Recent favorite TV shows:

• Panic (2021) IMDb link
• Outer Banks (2020) IMDb link
• Lupin (2021) IMDb link
• Home Before Dark (2020) IMDb link
• The Republic of Sarah (2021) IMDb link
• Resident Alien (2021) IMDb link

[Goodman]

So many choices. But I'll go with Battlestar Galactica from 2003.

And

https://open.spotify.com/track/49fMoo4BSpdpr00r2ESLRq 

[XPerryMental]

EDIT TO ADD A FEW MORE FAVORITES:

Fawlty Towers: Greatest thing John Cleese has ever done. Basil Fawlty is one of the most hilarious characters ever filmed.

Hot Ones: If you've never checked out this YouTube series, it's well worth a look. It's an interview show where the host & guest each eat a series of increasingly incendiary chicken wings while the interview progresses. The guests are incredibly varied, from famous chefs/restarauntuers, musicians/singers, actors/directors. The relative tolerance for spicy food from the guests results in very interesting conversations.

A recent favorite of mine is "The Goes Wrong Show." The situation is a small British amateur theatre company presents a different play each week, and each week something goes horribly wrong. For instance, in one episode the setbuilders inadvertently built the set at a 90 degree angle and the entire scene has to be enacted with the cast hanging in mid air. This description doesn't communicate at all how hilarious this show is each episode, as the cast try in vain to deal with mounting problems.

Here's a podcast on Spotify that reviews an episode:

 https://open.spotify.com/episode/108EXg7l3h8OIN9urIGzRR?si=tnpLyASeRc2n9NxtD3cK-A

[AdamDamon]

Great question! My favorite TV show is Planet Earth, a 2006 series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit that was filmed over four years across 64 different countries. With the exception of the first episode (“From Pole to Pole”), each of the series’ episodes focuses on a global overview of a particular biome or habitat, including footage of the wildlife that inhabits these places on Earth – all while David Attenborough narrates, telling the viewer interesting facts about the natural world that relate to the particular environment featured in the episode.

I can’t think of any other TV shows that I’ve liked more (or re-watched as often) as Planet Earth, which my family had on Blu-ray when I was a kid in high school. This was at the same time that I was learning about natural selection and evolution in my integrated science class, and reading E.O. Wilson’s The Diversity of Life for my environmental science class. I found Planet Earth to be just as engaging, as well as a nice complement to these classes; and though I’ve probably forgotten most of the information described in the episodes by now (as I haven’t watched it in several years), I have fond memories of the series. One of my friends during high school would sometimes come over to hang out, and on several occasions, we’d watch the “Fresh Water” episode (our favorite one); my friend would usually rewind the episode at the part where a nerpa seal swims by the camera in Lake Baikal, since we thought the seal looked like a blimp, and found that to be quite funny for some reason. Cheers!

[Xenia]

Seems like an impossible question to answer 😅 without overthinking it, I’d say my top 3 all time favorites are:

• Doctor Who (2005) - I just love how they made this a never ending story, although my favorite Doctor will always be #10 💙
• Poirot (1989) - A really great adaptation of the Agatha Christie novels. David Suchet plays the little Belgian detective so brilliantly that I now always picture him when reading the books.
• Cobra Kai (2018) - I was sceptical about this one at first and only watched it recently, but it’s already a favorite. Loved the original Karate Kid movie as a child and this series is a wonderful continuation of the story.

Also sneaking in my favorite Russian TV series Место встречи изменить нельзя (1979) 🇷🇺 It’s a post war noir(ish) crime drama.

In terms of soundtrack, I really like the Doctor Who theme - It’s super recognizable and I use it as my ringtone📱🎶

spotify:track:6KtGGYABmzDA2O0YfRb9I9

There’s also a really lovely classical track that’s used for the score in the Five Little Pigs episode of the Poirot series 🎹

spotify:track:4820SC1xnUaabzzYQTDkP2

I love the score of the Russian series as well, but sadly it’s not on Spotify.

[Soundofus]

If, Like I am, you are a fan of the movie director David Lynch, you certainly have a cult series to rise to the top of your TV series.

So, for me it will be TWIN PEAKS.

• What is so special with this series ?

The two first seasons were in 1990 / 1991 but it needed to wait 26 years to watch the third season in 2017 (if that is not special compared to other series, what it is ?)

Straight out of the 'crazy' imagination of David Lynch, it's impossible to describe it, as much as it is like a psychedelic aesthetic dream. All the characters have such a complicated mind that it really needs to see it to be able to have a real idea of why this series became cult.

If like me you like creative extravagance, fuzzy mystery, aesthetic filming all that surrounded by a bit of crazyness, this series is undeniably for you.

• What about the music ?

The oppressive soundtrack for the two first seasons is mostly composed by Angelo Badalamenti, American composer born in Brooklyn, New York in 1938.

https://open.spotify.com/track/7FO7BolIZsl1o8DDSjeOph?si=c44de270673848cd 

https://open.spotify.com/track/6UaxyaWcV9Os9BcZet6Dem?si=5302534305f14ed6 

For the third season, beside Badalamenti work, Lynch added original songs by new artists or bands. I have gathered them in the following playlist.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0oyucPzVnqlryQI0VLMr0c?si=9ee7daeadb354017 

• Just for fun

Inspired by TWIN PEAKS, I have recreated a playlist/soundtrack which could also match with the series.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51sL7u3UvVt2GrHffMf6Dk?si=4bdda7972e144f11 

twitter.com/soundofus

www.soundofus.com

[Katerina]

Great pick @MattSuda! I watched Mr.Robot when it first started but I somehow stopped watching it after season 2 or 3. Reminds me that I need to re-watch and finally finish it 😄 

[Katerina]

Honestly surprised Game of Thrones hasn't been mentioned yet 😁 Granted, the final (couple) season was not up to par with the rest, but it was still an incredible show.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3AOeatEAPjy1CKtdkaXaDq?si=r1iFGfHvRQq82qqNcbGXqQ 

And an honorable mention, because I can't just pick one show, His Dark Materials and Loki were really fascinating to watch.

spotify:track:1tqaNflJDc00EoYYDUNHyH 

spotify:track:6YnoM7vjNoilLxWRslJ1d4

[XPerryMental]

@Soundofus
I love Twin Peaks too, and Badalamenti's score, and Julie Cruise's wonderful vocals really add a lot to the atmosphere. The Twin Peaks soundtrack has a prominent place in one of my Halloween playlists.

[luciano_urubu]

Seinfeld, of course...
And you?

[user-removed]

Wow, great picks everyone! I think I'll share my top three favorite TV series.

#1 - Chicago Fire

This is my favorite series I have ever watched. Ever. Chicago Fire is an American drama series created by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt with executive producer Richard Wolf, and it is one of three installments of the Wolf Entertainment Chicago franchise. I've watched Chicago PD and I've just started to watch Chicago Med, but I think I can say already that neither compares to the greatness of Chicago Fire. The characters and their interactions are so well thought out, and though there are characters on every show that just aren't as likable as others, the characters of Chicago Fire are generally just so... lovable, especially for drama characters. The dynamic of the characters and the series in general is pretty much exactly suited to my tastes, and while I can't attach myself too much to any Med characters yet and really just didn't connect with any of the characters on Chicago PD, I have such an attachment to so many of the Chicago Fire characters. I love to see that they're truly a family. For example, when one of them is hurt and in the hospital, everyone shows up. I don't know if I'm too sentimental, but moments like that affect me deeply, and it's such a sweet thing to see. And of course, the plot lines are great too - but I won't spoil them in case anyone is interested in watching it now. 🙂

#2 - The Office US

The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom television series that depicts the everyday work lives of office employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. I think it's pretty much impossible not to love The Office once you've seen it. It's my second favorite television series and, in my opinion, one of the greatest series of all time.

#3 - Kim's Convenience

My third favorite series of all time, Kim's Convenience is a Canadian television sitcom that premiered on CBC Television in October 2016. It depicts the Korean-Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in the Moss Park neighbourhood of Toronto. I love this series so much and I'm sad that it had to end so abruptly. I think it definitely deserves more recognition.

I ought to watch something other than dramas and comedies...

Those are my three favorite shows of all time. 🙂

[MattSuda]

I wanted to mention another recent favorite TV show of mine that I've been enjoying this fall.

• Only Murders in the Building (2021)  IMDb link

Only Murders in the Building is coming back for season 2 so I can't wait! If you like podcasts and mysteries then you will for sure love this show. The plot is pretty much this: tenants of an apartment building create a podcast where they share their thoughts while solving a murder.

https://open.spotify.com/track/253tU7JUIy3P4zfas4BCdu:small 

While the podcast in the show isn't actually real, there is a behind the scenes podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/00KTQRq2ehaKgAaNkIedmg

Check out this post in the Community from the creator of the show:
https://community.spotify.com/t5/Chat/Only-Murders-in-the-Building-Podcasts-from-John-Hoffman-and/m-...

[Katerina]

Ohhh an Office fan @user-removed, how cool!

I've been wanting to watch this show but it was unavailable in my location for so long. The snippets on their YouTube channel were my only option and they are so funny! What's your favorite character? Jim's joke shenanigans to Dwight are just hilarious. 

I actually spotted it on Netflix last night, so hopefully I can get to watch it soon (gotta finish my to-watch list first haha)!

[user-removed]

Thanks @Katerina! The Office is pretty awesome 🙂

Agreed! Jim and Dwight's shenanigans throughout the show are hilarious and I love all the pranks they pull on each other. 

I can never decide who my true favorite is - I've watched the show all the way through twice now and my favorite changes a lot, but I have a general top five! I love Dwight, S tanley, Jim and Pam, and, of course, Michael Scott. 

Yay! Glad you were able to find it. I've been watching it on Peacock 🙂 Of course finish your to-watch list first but I hope you can watch it soon. I think you'll really enjoy it.

[V46И3R]

Breaking Bad was the best series I watched.
Say my Name!!!!!

[MafeG]

After checking this thread I see there are many TV shows I'm not even aware of 😅 I need to catch up with them!

Right now, I think my favorite shows are Peaky Blinders, The Crown and Better Call Saul (I think I like it even more than Breaking Bad oops).

And since I'm a huge anime fan, I need to mention Hunter x Hunter (2011) that has me completely hooked right now. And of course the trending Tokyo Revengers, who thought you could mix street gangs and time travel in one show? 😄 

[Decorum]

Do I have to pick just one? haha this is a very tough call. If I had to pick absolutely one tv show it would probably be.... The Office? Only because there are so many seasons so its easy to rewatch often. 

Runners up:

Boston Legal

Game of Thrones

The West Wing

I could honestly keep going but that's where I'll end it haha

[Katerina]

Another Office fan haha! US or UK one? 😁

That's very true @Decorum, it is a very difficult call! I also had to restrain myself from adding a few more like The Good Place, Young Sheldon and Locke & Key and even more 🙈 One thing with all the time cooped up at home is that I've gone through many a series. There's just too much free time 😄 

[user-removed]

@Decorum YES! YES! Thank you for mentioning it - I love The West Wing so so so much!

Unfortunately, the only streaming channel it's available on right now is HBO Max, which I don't have. 😞