The best TV series to watch in a marathon setting. (1 Viewer)

[Mark Leiter]

I never got past the first season of Lost when it was being broadcast as I could never keep up with all the storylines. A few days ago I saw that it was on Netflix and started watching it back-to-back. I have discovered that really is the best way to see a series like this. No commercials and seeing the episode in rapid form like this mean all the plot twists are still fresh as I watch them unfold. It got me thinking about other series I could do the same thing with.


I think the best ones are the series that had a overall story arc that was followed and also a series that had finished its production run so getting the entire thing on DVD or Netflix would be easy. I remember Babylon 5 being great for this as it was conceived from the beginning with a 5 season story arc. Battlestar Galactica was also great in this regard.


So what others are there? What would be the top 4 or 5 suggestions on the best series to watch in marathon setting?

 

[TravisR]

I guess each season of 24 would fall into that category. In the day and age of box sets, I guess it sounds weird but I love watching shows as they air. TV shows are written with the act (commercial) breaks in mind so they put in a moment to keep the viewer interested when it goes to commercial. Seeing a show week to week gives you a great experience that you can never have on DVD and that's interacting with other fans of the show. I had a ton of fun discussing shows like Lost, BSG, 24, etc as they aired week to week. You got to toss around theories, talk to people about your favorite moments and I'd much rather have the time to 'soak up' the show over years than see everything in a few weeks.

 

[Richard V]

Two come to mind, The X Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 

[derosa]

I've watched Smallville only on DVD, and mostly in multiple marathon sessions. Lot's of drama shows with a lot of plot arcs and action work well this way, my list would include: Dark Angel, Alias, The Wire, The West Wing, and maybe even SportsNight. Comedies, not so much. I can only take so much Seinfeld, Three's Company, or other half hour shows. I'd much rather watch those with a complimentary show, rotating a few shows from the same era. For those, i'd do: 1970's - Happy Days, Laverne&Shirley, Three's Company, Taxi Mork&Mindy, Barney Miller, Soap Good Times, Jeffersons, What's Happening, Welcome Back Kotter Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Carol Burnett Show 1980's - Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of life, Silver Spoons Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court 1990's- Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier

 

[Charles Smith]

I never watched The Wire "live"; didn't see it until I was buying the DVDs. When I finally got into it, it was pure bliss to catch up on it marathon-style. However, as wonderful and fascinating as it is, this challenging show had to be taken in smaller doses than many others. At least that's how it worked for me, because I wanted to know I was digesting and retaining as much as possible. I typically watched two episodes per day, and if I did more than that it had to be much later, after a good break doing something else. But talk about rewarding ... that had to be one of supreme TV experiences, for me, of all time.


(Having said that, I know there are still other great ones waiting for me. Deadwood, for one.)