I was talking to a friend the other day, and we discussed good TV-shows (among other things). One thing I found strange were that he only mentioned “normal” shows – shows that’s currently running here in Norway, like CSI, House, Friends, Scrubs etc.
Whenever I mentioned a great show, he hadn’t heard about it, since they weren’t aired on any of the channels he’s got access to.
I guess this is a normal “problem” for us Norwegians – we only get to watch the mainstream shows from abroad, which sucks, since there’s so many great ones out there.
So… I thought I’d list some excellent shows here, in case someone need some suggestions when they’re tired of the sixteenth re-run of Friends or something.
Trailer Park Boys (Canada)
This is a great show. It’s a “mockumentary” – which means it’s set up to look like a reality show, but of course – it’s all bullshit.
The show is (mainly) about Ricky (Rob Wells) and Julian (Joh Paul Tramblay). Ricky and Julian hangs with their weirdo friend Bubbles (Mike Smith), and follows them around as they try to find new ways to get rich. Their main hobbies includes getting high, growing dope and staying out of jail.
It’s a great show, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into relaxing shows that don’t have to be packed with action or vampires. It’s got kindof a “Seinfeldic feel” as there’s not really alot going on…
Also, pay attention to all the nice “Rickyisms” – mispronunciations and brilliant phrases that not really make sense.
The show’s got seven seasons, and originally aired from 2001 to 2007, and also include a full lenght movie (2006) that’s nice if you like the show. If you’ve never seen the show, the movie probably suck ass ;)
The Peep Show (UK)
A great show from Great Britan. I just love that black, british humor.
This show is about the room-mates Mark (David Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb). Mark is a “musician” – I put that in ” because it actually means that he’s an unemployed slacker that makes jungle techno or something all day long. Jeremy, on the other hand, is a loan manager, an office rat. He’s socially retarded, and a die-hard pessimist.
What makes this show special, is that it’s shot from the eyes of these two guys, and you can hear what they’re thinking. It’s packed with absurd situations and funny conversations. Check it out!
Ideal (UK)
Ideal is a British sitcom with “Moz” (Johnny Vegas) as the lead actor. Moz is a cannabis dealer, and rarely leaves his flat. He gets his weed from his friend “PC” (Tom Goodman-Hill). PC is a cop, spending most of his time getting high or seizing weed for Moz.
This show is packed with funny characters and fucked up situations. It’s not really about anything, except what’s going on in Moz’s smokey world. People come and go – shop and leave, or shop and smoke.
A funny detail is that the creator and writer of the show, Graham Duff also acts as “Brian” – one of Moz’s oldes friend, and a flamboyant homosexual. He brings over a new boyfriend every episode, increasingly feminine as the seasons pass, and has become famous for his line “Inn’t he scrummy?”
I usually describe this series as “a filthy version of Weeds” since it’s essentially the same, except not in an American “gated community” but rather from downtown filthy Manchester…
Flight of the Conchords (USA)
This is absolutely one of the best shows out there!
The show is about a two man novelty band from New Zealand, and their quest to fame and glory in New York City, and portrays the real-life duo, Jemaine (Clement) and Bret (McKenzie), who play fictionalized versions of themselves.
The band’s got one – 1 – die hard fan, and a useless manager who also works as a Deputy Cultural Attaché at the New Zealand consulate.
The show also acts as a musical, with a song or two in each episode. They just stop the situation at some point, performs a song, and carries on like nothing happened. The songs are, of course, not the best tunes you’ve ever heard, but they are bad in a good way, with hillarious lyrics and cool sounds.
The funny thing is that – at least if you’re more than average interressted in music, like me – you’ll find references to “real music” in the Conchords music. Since they tend to change genre throughout the show, you can clearly pick up on what they’re looking to sound like.
OK…
That’s four great tips for those of you who missed out on them. When I take a look at my post now, I realize I’ve only mentioned comedy shows here, but that’s probably because that’s what I watch the most.
I planned to write a couple more recommendations, but I don’t have the time right now, so I’ll have to get back on it later. But the least I can do is mention a couple more favorites of mine, so here we go:
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, The Wire, The Sopranos, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, The League of Gentlemen, Spaced, The Smoking Room, Weeds, Monk, Black Books and Level 9.
