What Shows Have You Successfully Shared? (1 Viewer)

[Professor Echo]

Simple question and an attempt to have a positive thread in a forum that is too often contentious and bitter. So keep it light and have some fun with this.

A born teacher, I love to share media that intrigues my senses, but also to try and spread the joy that I feel when I see something that really affects my imagination. How about you? What shows, past or present, have you shared with friends and loved ones who may have never seen them before and then wound up loving them as much as you?

 

[Walter Kittel]

I turned a good friend of mine on to:

Game of Thrones - We watched season 1 in a few weekend marathon sessions and he was hooked.

The Walking Dead - We both enjoy survival stories and his sons recommended it to him as well and he has become a regular viewer.

Battlestar Galactica - 2004 - I had been wanting to revisit this series via the Complete set and I convinced him to try the show and we have just recently completed watching all four seasons on Blu-Ray over about a six month period.


He recommended Falling Skies to me, due to the survival and SF aspects of the show.

- Walter.

 

[Gary OS]

Great topic, Glen. I've been able to share the following with friends who seem to have enjoyed them:

The Fugitive
Donna Reed Show
Smallville
Little House on the Prairie
Matlock
Star Trek: Enterprise

I've also been able to share the 1st season Dr. Kildare Christmas episode, "Season to be Jolly", with many friends and I've yet to have any of those friends not come away having really enjoyed it. It's been a big hit with all my family and friends.


Gary "good topic" O.

 

[TravisR]

Cool topic. Obviously, the shows did a lot of the work but I've helped get a number of people into Breaking Bad, Deadwood, Freaks And Geeks, Lost, Millennium, Parks And Recreation, The Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, Undeclared and The Wire.

I watch a lot of TV so there isn't much for friends to recommend to me but the best show that was recommended to me was the new Battlestar Galactica.

 

[Richard V]

24 - Recommended to many of my friends, who loved it immediately

The X Files - Recommended to a good friend of mine about 20 yrs ago, she became an X Files fanatic.

Battlestar Galactica (New version)

Firefly

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

Justified

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I've turned friends on to Breaking Bad, The Wire and Deadwood. But most proud of recently turning my son (who is sixteen and hardly ever wants to watch the same stuff) into a full tilt browncoat Firefly fan.

 

[Regulus]

I've turned a friends children on to many of the show I grew up with including all the Gerry Anderson Series from Supercar to Space 1999.

 

[Steve...O]

Great thread....I've been able to introduce some youngsters to some of my childhood favorites: "Wonder Woman", "Batman" and "Superman". All age appropriate. My DVD set of Hong Kong Phooey is also popular with them.

If you can get 'em hooked early, they're hooked for life

 

[Gary OS]

Great thread....I've been able to introduce some youngsters to some of my childhood favorites: "Wonder Woman", "Batman" and "Superman". All age appropriate. My DVD set of Hong Kong Phooey is also popular with them.

If you can get 'em hooked early, they're hooked for life

I completely agree, Steve. I've been able to share so many wonderful series from the 50's and 60's with young people (my own daughters, nieces, nephews, and friends of my daughters). Whether it be an animated series like Jonny Quest, a western like Wild, Wild West, a drama like The Fugitive, or a comedy like The Munsters, it's been a pleasure watching young folks enjoying these shows.


Gary "my entire family is loving Dr. Kildare right now - another successful share" O.

 

[TravisR]

^ Yeah, I have to imagine that I'm not 'allergic' to black and white TV shows and movies because I saw and enjoyed them when I was young.

 

[Bryan^H]

A friend of mine is so happy I turned him on to FIREFLY.
It's a funny story, we both watched it first run on FOX Friday nights, and he quit it after the second episode. I stuck with it(All the time telling him how great of a show it had become). He yeah, yeah'd me until the dvd set was released. I put it in his hands and said "watch it.....trust me". HE returned it one week later. Smiling he thanked me profusely, and said it is now one of his all time favorite sci-fi shows(he is a sci-fi fanatic).

Another friend of mine got me into Buffy The Vampire Slayer. One of the best shows I have ever witnessed. Thanks Eric!

 

[Suzanne.S]

I was introduced to Forever Knight by a friend and in turn I introduced a few others to that. Through the FK fandom, I was introduced to Due South and Red Green, which I got my mom hooked on. And I introduced a co-worker to The Good Guys. (I'm still upset about that cancellation!)

I'm usually the friend that gets shared with, rather than the other way around. That's how I discovered the original Doctor Who and Flashpoint. And another friend bugged me for months to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I'm glad I finally did.

I've been more successful at sharing movies, because they don't carry the commitment that a series seems to. My watching time is limited and I am often reluctant to pick up a new series in fear that I will get hooked.

As they say, "Sharing is caring!"

 

[GMBurns]

I have successfully "shared" some shows like Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith and The Dick Van Dyke Show with my son and daughter, now 13 and 15. These were shows I watched and enjoyed in syndication as a kid. They are still fun to watch, but it's even more fun to laugh with my own children as they find delight in the denizens of Mayfield, Mayberry and New Rochelle.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Glen

I have a lot of them, mainly due to my weekly viewing's with Mom and my nephew. As you & Gary know, I've introduced a lot of the older shows during the weekly dvd viewings with them.

Here's the shows that Mom really likes. In almost every case, these are 1st-time views for Mom. In some cases, I've seen some of the shows before viewing them at Mom's. Her top favorites are in blue.

12 O'CLOCK HIGH Mom likes this one, partly because Dad was in WWII and also she seems to like the aviation part of tv shows. This one's on 'hold' for now due to time limitations and prioritizing other shows.

I had seen a few epsiodes of this show back when it originally aired but had almost no memory of them so this one was a virtual 1st time view for me as well as Mom.

BAND OF BROTHERS MINISERIES Mom liked this, mainly due to the historical interest. It was intense in some parts for her but, her words, "well-done". I had seen it aired on HBO and bought the set mainly for Mom's viewing.

BARNEY MILLER This one really hit a chord with Mom. I've seen it during the original airings. Her favorite character is "Fish".

BIG VALLEY Mom loved watching this one with me. Since it's one of my holy grail's, I'd seen these several times since the original airing's.

BIONIC WOMAN Another grail for me, very familiar with the show. Mom & I have seen S1-2, haven't started S3 yet.

BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON 1 (V1/2) Mom really liked the show. I did as well, since I got a 'bonus' with Robert Conrad ("Wild Wild West" fanatic fan).

CENTENNIAL MINISERIES Another favorite for Mom. I liked this one too. She got a kick out of seeing David Janssen after a big favorite (Fugitive).

DOCTOR QUINN This one's a hit for both of us. I knew about the show in the 90's but hadn't seen any of it before the DVD release.

EARTH 2 This one's a favorite of mine but I was really surprised that it was a big hit with Mom and my nephew. They both loved this show. It cancelled after 1 season which affected them more than me since I had watched it airing back in '93. I recommend this one to SciFi fans.

FATHER DOWLING MYSTERIES 1st time view for all of us. We're watching this one weekly with my nephew.

FIREFLY This one's a "reverse" category since my nephew shared this one with me. I'll never forget my "skeptic" speech when he said "Try this one, Uncle. I guarantee it." He borrowed his friend's dvd set and I took it home, expecting one of those "modern" things that would tank for me. "Out of the mouths of babes".... was I wrong To this day, the nephew reminds me of that.

FUGITIVE Well, most here have said it best about what may be the best series aired on U.S. tv. Mom flipped over this one. I was watching it a few weeks ahead of Mom, being a 1st-time view for me as well as her. I know... "Where was I all these years? Living on Mars?" Thanks again to my good friend Gary, I tried this one before watching with Mom.

One of the interesting things that I noticed with Mom, was that she didn't see a slight dropoff in S4, the color season, like a lot of us did. I'm one that prefers the B/W seasons, with S1 being my favorite.

HAPPY DAYS Another hit for Mom. I filled her in on the "jumping the shark" stuff and we'll stop after S4 in the viewings since I'm ok with stopping there for this show.

HOGAN'S HEROES Big hit with Mom, especially "Sgt Shultz" . This is another show where I'd seen them all several times over the years.

HOLOCAUST MINISERIES ('78) We both liked this miniseries. I've always like "Fritz Weaver" in his roles so I knew that I'd like the series. I had to wait a while before it was released on dvd. This one's packed with some great performers... James Woods, Joseph Bottoms, Meryl Streep, David Warner...

HOW THE WEST WAS WON MINISERIES It's finally (officially) coming in July

. Mom & I watched an "unofficial" set a few years ago but it'll look like a new-view with the studio version. I'll re-watch it with Mom & my nephew this summer.

It ranks in my top all-time list of grail tv shows. If you like a lot of outdoor filming with James Arness in (imo) his best role, even though I'm a "Gunsmoke" fan, then you'll like this miniseries. It was also one of Bruce Boxleitner's early roles ("Scarecrow & Mrs King").

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Megahit with Mom. Much 'thanks' to my friend Gary for getting me off the "collector' fence and buying the complete set. Mom hadn't seen any of the series before now, but was aware of it since she's familiar with the series-based books and my Dad watched a lot of the series with my nephew
when he was young.

MERLIN (-08 - '12) This one was recommended by another friend (thanks, Brad ). 1st-time view for all of us. I'm watching with Mom & my nephew. It's one of the few TV/DVD shows where I don't fast-fwd thru the intro. I usually do that to save time with TV/DVD viewings.

PACIFIC, THE MINISERIES Mom & I liked this one but we preferred "Band Of Brothers" to this one. I'd seen "Pacific" when it aired and got it for Mom's viewing. It's graphic in places but does a good job of depicting the fierce battles on the islands in the Pacific. Dad served in the Pacific (WWII) in the Navy.

POLICE SQUAD Both Mom & my nephew cracked up over this one I'd seen it when it aired long ago and was watching for the release over the years.

PRIDE OF JESSE HALLAM (TV-Movie '81) I only have an "alpha" quality copy of this one since it's only available in that format. It's one of the best tv-movies that I've seen, with Johnny Cash in a drama role. Mom & my nephew loved this movie.

RICH MAN POOR MAN BOOK COMPLETE MINISERIES 1 & 2 This is another grail for me. I rewatched it with Mom & my nephew. They both loved this miniseries.

ROOTS MINISERIES I finally saw this one for the 1st time with Mom with the dvd release. She liked it a lot better than me. I don't have a reason for it, but I don't rate this one as high as most others that have seen it over the years.

SHOGUN MINISERIES Megahit for all of us. I'd seen it back during the '80 airing. It's probably in my top 5 all-time tv airings.

SINATRA MINISERIES Mom really liked this one, for obvious reasons, having been brought up in the big-band era. The soundtrack is superb in this series. My favorite "Frankie" year recordings are the "Tommy Dorsey" recordings.

SMALLVILLE S1-5 I'd seen this for the 1st time on DVD before Mom's viewings. I had a feeling that she'd like it. She did but we stopped it early into S6 since I knew it was becoming more "dark" and intense around that time in the show.

SUE THOMAS F.B.EYE Megahit for all of us, off the chart. This is one of the best shows that I've seen on tv in my lifetime of viewing. Big

to Gary for this one.

TWILIGHT ZONE (ORIGINAL) COMPLETE SERIES I spot-view this series, picking certain episodes that I know Mom & my nephew will like but we've not watched the series completely.

WELCOME BACK KOTTER S1 I'd seen it back in the day and wasn't sure what Mom would think about this one. It was a hit.

WINDS OF WAR & WAR AND REMEMBERANCE MINISERIES' I'd seen both when they aired and knew Mom would like both. I was right. Her words "These are amazing in the historical accuracy of WWII's portrayal". That's coming from someone that was around during it all.

Some shows that are on the runway:

DARK SKIES
GRIZZLY ADAMS
HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

 

[Frank Soyke]

I had a buddy who had never seen 2 shows I watched religiously (Lost and Prison Break). I told him about them and he really ended up loving them, especially Lost. We ended up getting into some pretty heavy debates about the meanings of some of it's signature symbolism.

 

[Vic Pardo]

I have a hard time getting adults or teens to watch my two favorite shows, "Pokemon" and "Power Rangers." And the kids I've known over the years who were fans were fans without my help.

However, I did turn my nephews on the "Street Fighter II-V" (1995) anime series when they were young. Of course, I only had the series on fan-subbed VHS tapes. It eventually came out on DVD in the U.S.

 

[Ron1973]

I turned a former coworker on to Gomer Pyle. We worked in a rent-to-own store and I was always trying something "different" to grab people's attention. It was a kick to see someone come in and say "oh, wow, I haven't seen that show in years! Where did you get that?" and then tell them where to find the show either on TV or on DVD.

One day I had in Gomer Pyle and my 20-something coworker is going nuts over it. She's telling me she never thought she could like a show in black and white and how hilarious it was. How many more seasons did I own? When was I going to buy them?

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Off the top of my head, the easiest answers are ARE YOU BEING SERVED/GRACE AND FAVOUR, DOC MARTIN (long before it became a mainstay on public TV) and CORNER GAS. Almost anyone I've shared these with loves 'em.

I've had success with other shows, of course, but these seem to be almost universally liked.

 

[Professor Echo]

I have a German friend who lives in Germany and I was able to get her into both THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and GOMER PYLE, which just proves how universal those shows are. As soon as she moved to this country she asked to see more episodes of each and even though I thought I was burnt out on TAGS after knowing every episode by heart, I can't get enough of sharing it with her and watching it through her imagination.

Three of the biggest hits I've ever had for sharing shows with my gf were THE FUGITIVE, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES and HERE COME THE BRIDES, which we watched nightly and she would tell me how much she looked forward to seeing them while she was working all day. She had no idea how THE FUGITIVE ended as we watched it chronologically from the very first episode in the late 80's and it was such a thrill to experience it fresh with someone new.

With my friend's daughters who were then 8 and 12, GILLIGAN'S ISLAND and FLIPPER were very popular and the youngest has maintained a ritual of watching them every summer vacation even though she's now 16! And just about anything with Don Knotts went over big with them. If you introduce a kid to a Don Knotts movie I guarantee they will love him for a lifetime.

 

[Walter Kittel]

The friend of mine with whom I watched BSG with over the last six months may be ready for a new series. I think I'm going to try to sell him on Prison Break. We'll see how that works out.

- Walter.