Favorite Shows That Pushed The Envelope

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by all the same

Sigh... My So-Called Life. I think that is my all time favorite show. The writing in that show, the characters are so complex and unique. Each character is different in their thinking and approach to life. I have it on DVD. Perhaps it's time to drag it off the shelf for the 20th time! Swoon.

Yeah, and Roseanne is a great show too. I think it's coming out on DVD soon.

I'm surprised to hear that Roseanne isn't out on DVD yet. It was such a big show, & so many lesser ones have been out awhile. I would guess the delay has something to do with syndication, but Seinfeld is a newer show & is out.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by all the same

Golden Girls tackled some issues on their show. Remember Dorothy's lesbian friend who came to stay with them. She fell in love with Rose. For the time, that was really ground breaking material. It's tame by today's standards, but that was some risky stuff for a popular sitcom to address.

Rose was Betty White, right?
I just remember all the publicity that the show got for implying that single old ladies on TV could have sex & not be slutty (other than the Rue character).

- Jake

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

Don't think I've heard of The Prisoner.

The Prisoner...info

[Mari]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I had never heard of the show the L-Word. I honestly thought you meant Liberal.

I didn't watch Grace Under Fire; how did it push the envelope?

- Jake

lol! The L-word is a lesbian Sex In The City, or so they call it (I hardly ever watched SITC so I couldn't say).
It's very addictive, like a soap opera

Grace Under Fire: about a divorced from abusive man ex-alcoholic mum with two kids, and that in comedy form. Pretty black humor, I think, that's why I loved it.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by wondergirl9847

Chilid mentioned mine...Twin Peaks. The character that the series was based on, Laura Palmer, was murdered by her father who was possessed by the demon(?), BOB. Well, there are a trazillion interpretations of BOB and her father, Leland. Also, she was pretty whore-y because of it, and worked as a prostitute in Canada. Her father molested her, it's just crazy. There is more craziness, but yeah, TP pushed the envelope.

That show was a big deal & then just fell off suddenly when they revealed the mystery.
I remember Lara Flynn Boyle being on the show, and at the time her skull was under her skin.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by ReFleetwoodMac

Family Guy?

There is actually a Family Guy Club at my school.
I just learned that Alex Boorstein (Miss Swan) is the wife.

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

Okay, Peg.
(Another reason I hated the early '90s.)

Still haven't seen The Sopranos.

- Jake

Okay, Buck

The Sopranos was much better its first few seasons. I haven't seen the last two seasons that have been on. The acting is superb though.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by chiliD

BTW...anyone catch the series on the Trio channel called Brilliant, But Cancelled? They show TV series that were way ahead of their time and were canceled after just a few episodes or in some cases one season.

I would love this.
What did they have that we haven't included yet?

- Jake

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

Never saw these three.
(What, no Little House? Are you forgetting that one where Mrs. Olsen was turning tricks for opium? )

- Jake

and *shudder* at the thought of Mrs. Olsen turning tricks for anything.

Now Little House did tackle issues such as blindness, alcoholism, death, bear-maulings, marriage issues and drug addiction!!!

-----

L-Word is billed as a lesbian Sex and the City - but it's not. It's quite different if you ask me.

I like both - the L Word, as Mari pointed out, is more soap-opera-esque. And the L-Word is great because the "L-word" isn't neccessarily "lesbian" The old intro (Season one) had all these "L-words": laugh, love, longing, liberal etc...

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

Rose was Betty White, right?
I just remember all the publicity that the show got for implying that single old ladies on TV could have sex & not be slutty (other than the Rue character).

- Jake

Yeah - and there's a hilarious scene in one of the shows where the three women buy condoms...it's HILARIOUS!!!!

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by chiliD

The Prisoner...info

Interesting. Thanks.

Something about the description made me think of Star Trek - didn't it have TV's first interracial kiss - Kirk & Ohura (sp.)?

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by all the same

Sigh... My So-Called Life. I think that is my all time favorite show. The writing in that show, the characters are so complex and unique. Each character is different in their thinking and approach to life. I have it on DVD. Perhaps it's time to drag it off the shelf for the 20th time! Swoon.

Yeah, and Roseanne is a great show too. I think it's coming out on DVD soon.

I really wish they'd reair My So-Called Life -- the cast was out of this world, the acting amazing and the storylines well written.

I still watch Roseanne late at night on Nick.

[hayley]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I would love this.
What did they have that we haven't included yet?

- Jake

I remember seeing them show Profit and Action, which both totally fit into this category.

I'll chime in in agreement for Arrested Development. Absolutely radically different than any comedy on now or before it. It's also the only show I can think of which such a consistent humorous fixation on incest!

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by Mari

lol! The L-word is a lesbian Sex In The City, or so they call it (I hardly ever watched SITC so I couldn't say).
It's very addictive, like a soap opera

Grace Under Fire: about a divorced from abusive man ex-alcoholic mum with two kids, and that in comedy form. Pretty black humor, I think, that's why I loved it.

That's right, I do remember reading about the abuse premise on GUF.

I'm assuming The L-Word is a cable show. And that Mr. Big takes batteries. )

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

Okay, Buck

The Sopranos was much better its first few seasons. I haven't seen the last two seasons that have been on. The acting is superb though.

I would imagine it is, with all the awards it has garnered.

- Jake