My older son introduced me to TV on DVDs. I even watched series seen prior. They are so much more interesting on them because of added scenes not seen on TV. Seems to pull the story together better. And, as you said, moving through them faster. Plus better quality and sound..

I decided to dump HBO and Showtime because their shows can be rented and if one can wait long enough, you don't have to put up with the weeks between story lines. Also, I am getting really ticked at the reruns on TV after they start new seasons, this deal of a month between drives me nuts.

Although I watched 24, gave up on it this season as it seemed to be a constant repeat of the same. And they got rid of people I saw as an integral part of the show without a significant reason...probably just me.

Am all over the place for interest.....Bones, Prison Break, Grays Anatomy, Dexter, The Closer. Off beat shows...Six Feet Under. Some of the shows my son watches I can't get into, so am not sure if I can recommend well. Maybe just try a series and see if you have an interest.

I rent all of my DVDs through Netflix, just changed from BB. Really like not having to drive to the store and put up with return dates and certainly a lot less cost. Plus they are really fast for turnaround, if I don't like a movie or series....it goes right back and I have another one in a day. Sometimes movies will sit here for a week too, until I have downtime to watch. The TV series are up for grabs though, ordering these may not get you the series "in order". Regardless of your queue, they may only send what is available at the time.

We don't watch much TV, but over the past couple of seasons I've become a huge devotee of "House." There's much less violence than "24" (albeit always an obligatory graphic hospital scene), but I love the depth and value of the themes, the character develoopment, the writing, and Hugh Laurie's acting. It's also interesting that the main character is (loosely) based on Sherlock Holmes. DVD sets are available - I got season 2 last Christmas...

We never watch TV because we're always renting a mini-series from Netflix.

Most of what we've watched in the past have been British series, but we recently started adding a few American productions like Six Feet Under, Gray's Anatomy, and are now watching Sopranos.

Favourite British series that I would recommend highly: Monarch of the Glen, House of Elliott, Upstairs Downstairs, Wire in the Blood, MI5, Cracker, Touching Evil, House of Cards, Ballykissangel, All Creatures Great and Small, To Serve them All My Days just to name a few.

I love Desparate Housewives. It is an over the top soap opera. It always makes me laugh. Next I'mgoing to tackle Six Feet Under.

thanks for the suggestions, I'll look them over at the store.
I feel lost now that we've finished 24; 5 seasons was a lot of ground to cover and we got used to always having a few episodes to pop in. It helped pass the winter months when it was really cold.........

It's also difficult to find a series that dh and I will both enjoy, dh did not much like "six feet under" although I did; another example, I love the Gilmore Girls, he hates it.

mitchdesj-

Check out some HBO and Showtime shows like "The Wire", a modern day cops and drug dealers series set in Baltimore, MD (and the best TV show ever IMO), "Weeds" a suburban pot selling mama in So. Cal., "Rome" set not in Rome, NY, but in Rome, Italy during the time of the Ceasers, "Big Love" a polyamory family in modern day SLC, UT, "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word", very similar shows set respectively in Pittsburgh, PA and Los Angeles. They tell the stories of gay friends and are strikingly similar (maybe they are supposed to be) except Mr. Sandyponder and I think the acting in "The L Word" is better.

All of these are available on Netflix, which I cannot praise highly enough, they have an unbelievable selection and great service.

Happy viewing-

sandyponder

thanks Sandy; I've seen Queer as folk, great actors; I'm making a list of all these possibilities and hope to buy a few series tomorrow, I have the day off.

Northern Exposure!

I have been watching Frasier. I never saw the show as a first run because we couldn't pick up the local NBC affiliate on air during Frasier's first-time airing. It's an excellent show. I bought Six Feet Under on eBay. The DVDs turned out to be bootlegs, but they were excellent quality. However, I had to teach myself to read Chinese numbers, so I could identify which season and episode was which. HA! I also have Scrubs--and I agree that 24 is good. My DH records it to DVD on his computer each week, so we can watch it when we wish to. I won the DVD set of Northern Exposure in a contest, and I enjoy it as well.

--Anne

I second the MI5 recommendation--very good and suspenseful.

Other recs:

-- Little Britain (British comedy skits)

-- Entourage (takes a little time to actually care what happens to the characters, but once you do, it's a fun show)

I love Netflix!

We (DH and I) are watching the first and second seasons of "LOST". We stay up all night watching the next one and then the next. DH is all caught up with them, and is now watching the regular season. Our little boy got sick and I had to bow out for awhile. We think "Lost" is great!

I quickly picked up the 1st season of Alias (only had 15 minutes to spare) and we'll give it a go this weekend; with all the recommendations I've been getting, I wanted to get an armful !!
plus they are calling for 30 cm of snow in the next 24 hours ( not the series, lol)
so I definitely wanted something to do if we're going to be snowed in.

thanks again for all the recs, I noted them all.

My son is currently introducing me to the Teletubbies. We received the Pumpkin Pleasure DVD just yesterday.

Everything you'd want in a half hour flick; dancing, singing, laughter and joy, and four pear shaped colored things bouncing around in a field of bunnies. We watch it over, and over and OVER again until our eyes pop out of out heads....

I highly recommend it over the Barney series! That purple dinosaur just isn't much of a dancer....

I can't get into Alias, watched 4 episodes of the first series, and abandoned it ; going to try Wire and Rome next. I guess it's hard to compete with Jack Bauer, lol....

Seriously - take a look at House. There's a reason Hugh Laurie won a Golden Globe for his acting! :)

If you are interested in fashion, history, romance, and England in the 1920's, try House Of Eliot. My 13 year old daughter and I literally would watch 5 hours at a time. There are, as I recall, 36 episodes, each an hour long. It was written by Jean Marsh. It blends the early "modern" era, when air planes and automobiles and industrial standardization and workers rights were on the cutting edge, with women's fashion and the challenges of two upper crust young ladies left penniless by their philandering father, as they struggle to build a premiere London fashion house. My daughter and I were totally transfixed, and for her it was so educational too. We had lovely conversations about what was going on in that time frame and how fashion relates to social developments. If you loved Gosford Park and all that British stuff, you'll enjoy the breaktaking gowns and story lines about English aristocrats in their manor houses and motor cars.

Definitely will try House; judith, that's a new one for me, and I loved Gosford park so if I can find the series, I'll buy it.
I'm upping my dvd budget every day, thanks to all of you; it's ok, I'm trying to build a collection for those nights where we don't know what to watch.

I'm not disappointed I bought Alias, it will come in handy. It's just that I want to get a series that will make me want to be excited about popping the next episode in.
thanks again for all the suggestions, it's much appreciated.

I've never rented netflix--I should try that and drop the HBO bill.

I teach Latin, so love ROME! Of course, this is NOT a show to have your children watch. I wish it weren't full of sex and really strong violence because i would love to show parts in class. I don't want to risk showing a clean part of it and have a parent assume their child saw a particular scene.

I also love Big Love, Sopranoes, and The Wire.

I watched some of 24 when my dh was home. A friend where he has been living gave him several series. We had a nice time watching them, but he took them with him when he returned to base. Darn. I may be able to finish them when I drive out to stay with him in the summer :)

I loved Weeds, if you don't mind the subject matter. I'm looking forward to Season 2 coming out dvd. I have to go with halfdecaf about recommending House. We're watching it now (up to Season 2) and I'm thoroughly hooked. If you can find McLeod's Daughters on dvd, that's also a very good series, filmed in Australia. A cable channel used to carry it, but sadly no longer.