TV: What Are You Watching?

[lefton4ya]

Been rewatching Parker Lewis Can't Lose - one of the most influential and underrated TV shows of the 90s. If you've never seen it, think of it as Ferris Bueller the TV show (although there was a Ferris Bueller tv show, this show was closer to the style/tone/characters) but with some of the most original cinematography and directing, not only of its time but even now - its influence over shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Scrubs, The Office and Parks and Rec is great. Sadly, I do not know of any shows on now with its feel - Parks and Rec and Community were the closest, but somehow didn't gel with me. If anyone knows a show on today with these characteristics, let me know:

• Comedy + Drama, but no laugh track
• At times unrealistically silly and can break the 4th wall, but also serious and realistic
• NOT vulgur - no (or at least sparingly) sex jokes, swearing, and violence
• You feel satisfied after watching 1 episode. No "To be continued" on every episode, although continuity is there between episodes, and characters can change/grow

That is such a rare combination as everything is moving to a binge watching format with a lot more vulgarity, even dramedies. And 4th wall breaking seems reserved only for cartoons and The Muppets (which I also love).

YouTube (Short URL)

[vegietarian18]

Those four criteria are things basically all of my favorite shows have. I think there is more out there than you'd assume:

Video Game High School best meets all four imo. It is much "cornier" than the other shows that you mentioned but it's a very sincere kind of corny. I've heard it compared to Community but I haven't seen that. I don't know if it appeals to a born-before-1995 audience though. And I guess it's not a current show but it didn't end that long ago.

You're the Worst is currently on air and meets three of the criteria really well. But fail for vulgarity.

Nathan For You is technically a reality show but I think it fits all the characteristics you want.

[keglo]

Originally Posted by Hahma

Almost done with season 2 of Shameless on Netflix. What a great but disturbing show.

The wife was just complaining about how she ran out of shows to watch. I might look at this one with her.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by keglo

The wife was just complaining about how she ran out of shows to watch. I might look at this one with her.

Be prepared for a lot of sex, nudity, every cuss word you can think of, drugs, alcohol, scamming the system. Lots of crazy stuff with a dysfunctional family and the people around them.

[Agent Minivann]

Originally Posted by vegietarian18

Those four criteria are things basically all of my favorite shows have. I think there is more out there than you'd assume:

Video Game High School best meets all four imo. It is much "cornier" than the other shows that you mentioned but it's a very sincere kind of corny. I've heard it compared to Community but I haven't seen that. I don't know if it appeals to a born-before-1995 audience though. And I guess it's not a current show but it didn't end that long ago.

You're the Worst is currently on air and meets three of the criteria really well. But fail for vulgarity.

Nathan For You is technically a reality show but I think it fits all the characteristics you want.

I enjoyed Video Game High School quite a bit, and I was born in the 70's. I think being a geek is about all that is required to appreciate the ridiculousness. Being a geek and familiar with the sports culture is even better. Community might be a reasonable comparison, but I'd have to think about that.

[keglo]

Originally Posted by Hahma

Be prepared for a lot of sex, nudity, every cuss word you can think of, drugs, alcohol, scamming the system. Lots of crazy stuff with a dysfunctional family and the people around them.

Thanks for that warning Hahma. The wife already shot it down for those very reasons. We already watch Game of Thrones and Sense8. She doesnt want to add another show with all of that adult content.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by keglo

Thanks for that warning Hahma. The wife already shot it down for those very reasons. We already watch Game of Thrones and Sense8. She doesnt want to add another show with all of that adult content.

Well you can watch it on your own My wife isn't into that kind of stuff, so I watch it in our finished basement where I hang out most of the time anyway

[keglo]

Originally Posted by Hahma

Well you can watch it on your own My wife isn't into that kind of stuff, so I watch it in our finished basement where I hang out most of the time anyway

But I don't have a man cave.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by keglo

But I don't have a man cave.

Well ...there's that

[Mr Migraine]

Originally Posted by keglo

But I don't have a man cave.

You could dig your own basement! Might take a few years, but it'll be an inexpensive hobby and source of exercise.

Every message board I've seen says "it's a bad idea," and you could prove 'em wrong!

[lefton4ya]

@keglo You could make a "tunnel to nowhere" in Springfield somewhere, just like two guys did in Toronto and created a huge mystery for months until they confessed of just making a "man-cave". Have a bunch of heroscape there and someone might suspect you are planning a war!

@vegietarian18 & @Agent Minivann - I'll have to check out Video Game High School - if you watch Parker Lewis, you will see that I enjoy corny. Also, Nathan for You looks good, as I like satire thrown in too.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by Mr Migraine

You could dig your own basement! Might take a few years, but it'll be an inexpensive hobby and source of exercise.

Every message board I've seen says "it's a bad idea," and you could prove 'em wrong!

Sounds like a dare to me

We had our house built in 2000. It's a modest 1,500 sqft ranch, but I had them rough in a full basement. It cost an extra 10k, but I knew that it would be worth it in time so that eventually we would have double the square footage. I also had them use trusses instead of the typical post and beam, as I wanted everythingto be able to be able to be run through the trusses and not have soffits and posts breaking up the layout. The only soffit is for the heating and air main that runs along the south wall, but it only passes through my office and partially into the guest bedroom.

I spent 10 years working on finishing the basement. Got the office, guest bedroom and storage done first. Then did the exercise room. Then the half bath. Then finally the family room, gaming area and bar areas. I did 90% of it by myself. Paid a plumber to set the toilet and sink in the bathroom after I tiled the floor and finished the rest of it. I did all the electric, but had an electrician hook up all the home runs I pulled, to the breaker panel, as well as hook up the 6 baseboard heaters and 3 thermostats I wired. We had some live stuff down there already for those temporary lights, so I had tied into those for certain things as wel.

I did all the drywall and taping except for the family room, game area and bar area. It's like 14 feet by 35 feet, and it would take too long for me and I didn't want to only use 8 foot sheets of drywall that I can handle and did for the other rooms. I wanted 10 foot sheets, especially on the ceiling so there would be fewer seams. So we hired a crew to hand and tape it and it was done in 2 weeks. Then I did everything else except lay the carpet in the game and family areas, though I did the tiling in the bar and bath. Did tile in the office and carpet in the bedroom and exercise room, but those were easy glue down stuff.

So yeah, except for the digging part of it, it's totally doable