I'm watching the first season of Six Feet Under on DVD, and this has got to be one of the best shows ever made! I love the way a show about something as serious as death is woven in with just the right amount of humor. The characters all have their own unique personalities that mesh well with each other. David's neurotic gayness is complimented well by Nate's laid back attitude, and that black cop guy is pretty sexy in a Village People-ish kind of way. It's not just Six Feet Under, though. The Sopranos was excellent, though I've only seen four episodes of it. Band of Brothers was awesome, as is Chris Rock and Dennis Miller's talk shows. It's not just the language and ocassional nudity, though. The writing is very fluid and fast paced, the characters on the shows I've seen are very appealing. I feel like I want to be in the show, interacting with the characters. I laugh because it's funny, not because some studio audience with a big flashing "applause" sign in front of them tells me to. There are still some great shows on Network TV like Everwood, American Dreams, and ER, but for the most part, HBO blows network TV away. Looks like I might have to fork over a few bucks for HBO...
I agree... Band of Brothers, Sex in the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm... didn't the Gary Shandling Show start on HBO?
Gary Shandling started on FOX. The HBO show where he is a talk show host is called "The Larry Sanders Show". That show is funnier than Seinfeld, and I'm addicted to Seinfeld, but Larry Sanders is the funniest situation comedy I've ever seen. I watch mostly all of HBO shows, its the only reason I pay for Digital Cable, so if I miss the first show I can watch some other time during the week. Six Feet Under is so unique, and The Wire seems so real to me. Of course everyone likes the Sopranos, but I think it maybe losing some of its luster.
Last season (Sopranos) wasnt as well written as the previous seasons, but they were interesting. It isnt going to matter anymore....this will be their last season....at least that is what I heard
Are you saying that the Republican party endorses giving it up the butt to your girlfriend? HBO is excellent. BOB, Sopranos, Curb, From Earth to the Moon, Arli$$, Oz, Da Ali G Show, The Chris Rock Show, Dennis Miller, Bill Maher Show. Plus all of the hit movies and does anyone else have HBO on Demand? I can watch anything that has played on HBO in the last 30 days. Any episode of Ali G or whatever, whenever I want through IControl on my digital cable. It is so sweet.
I watched this show for the first time and it just wasnt that funny......maybe I caught a bad episode. It was the one where he was going through the Philly Police Dept as a British talking Rapper. I plan on watching it again, hopefully it gets better
"It's Garry Shandling's Show" actually started on Showtime, and was "repurposed" (minus the cursing) to FOX. To answer the question posed in the subject line, HBO "works" because they give their people creative freedom, and because they have shorter seasons. Within limits, the creators are free to get the finished product as close to their vision as possible, and they don't have to commision episodes to "fill out the season."
Six Feet Under is the best show on TV, period... Sopranos is awesome, and every Sunday they're showing the entire series from the beginning...I think there on episode 5 or 6...The early years are much better than the later ones... You can't forget the Mind of a Married Man...Awesome... 24 is awesome...I didn't use to like KSutherland, but he is the perfect actor for this role... I don't really like Bob Costas, too annoying, but he has a pretty good show that's coming up...
Actually Showtime has some good ones as well...... Family business is very funny. Queer as folk is pretty much a hard nosed drama. Please no gay jokes either if you look past all the gay stuff happening they always have very good storylines. How I miss Oz. Then again America undercover series on Hbo is very good to
What? No love for G-String Divas or Taxicab Confessions?? I thought for sure there'd be some fans here of HBO's naughtier fare.
Showtime was superior in that arena; Emmanuelle the Series, Red Shoe Diaries, Full Frontal Comedy, Sherman Oaks, etc. Or at least that's what I've heard...
