UKFF'S TOP 50 FAVORITE TV DRAMAS

[KingOfMetal]

There's a new version which I am assuming is shite.

 

yet has been renewed for a third season

[HarmonicGenerator]

I was an avid Neighbours watcher for ages, but I haven't gone near it in a couple of years now. It went from being shit in an entertaining way to just shit, and Home and Away started being a thousand times better than it, so I switched to that. Home and Away's been great/shit in an entertaining way for the past five years or so, but now that's also on the way out - most of the best characters have left or gone to shit after having misery upon misery piled on them. So I am now without an Australian soap to stick on for half an hour at tea time.

 

I'd also give Home and Away the star-making nod. Neighbours had Guy Pearce, Kylie and Chase from House, but H&A's had Isla Fisher and Chris Hemsworth...

[Chest Rockwell]

I remember when I was a kid all the adults used to watch Dallas, but all the kids were sent out of the room. I really liked the theme music and was allowed to stay for that, but beyond that I've never seen an episode.

 

I bet good money pat voted for Dallas.

[Loki]

Always assumed Dallas was terrible until I watched a series. It's like crack cocaine. J.R is such a hugely attractive character, the ultimate cool heel. They'll spend half a series showing how evil he is, and fucking over his brother, and then something will happen that endangers the family and they suddenly all pull together and he spend a couple of episodes as a face, and then straight back to being heel again.

 

For a primetime show in the 70s, it dealt with a lot of heavy issues - underage sex, alcoholism, homosexuality, race, and often in a more stark way than you would nowadays. Sue Ellen's descent into alcoholism is really sad to watch.

 

I confess to watching the reboot as I love Larry Hagman. It was still really the Bobby and JR show, and although the writing had changed to a point of ridiculous sensationalism, it was kind of like an extended reunion show, with appearances from old cast and characters, and that kept you going. I watched it up until JR's death, and haven't touched it since. The chap playing JR's son probably has a decent career ahead of him, though, he's very handsome and brooding.

[patiirc]

I bet good money pat voted for Dallas.

 

You'd have a losing bet sir. My experiences of Dallas is pretty much the same as your own. Watched the opening credits, and that's about it to be fair.

[Teedy Kay]

This list is looking a wee bit ropey at the mo, started well, but Neighbours and Dallas? Blimey.

 

And I was a massive Neighbours fan, Lou Carpenter on pain killers, the whole Life Mechanics cult thing with poor old Stuart and Toadie trying drag him out of the all great stuff, but high end quality drama worthy of a top ten spot on a list? It puzzles me somewhat.

[Devon Malcolm]

In fairness, it's taken longer than usual for people to moan about why people would choose certain programmes as their favourites.

[LaGoosh]

=39

 

"Don't open. Dead inside."

 

 

The Walking Dead

 

Voted number 1? No.

 

What's it about?

 

Policeman Rick Grimes wakes up in a hospital bed to find that the world has pretty much ended, nearly everyone is dead and zombies have infested the Earth. This hit show follows the who's left and their battle to survive.

 

What do I think?

 

This is the first of 3 shows in this list that is incredibly popular despite being pretty shit and awfully written about 75% of the time. However what keeps people tuning in is it has a great gimmick (who doesn't love zombies?), lots of gore, a few cool likeable characters (that the writers don't really know what to do with most the time) and on the occassions when it is good...it's really fucking good. The first few episodes of season 3 and the episode 'Clear' are great examples of the show at it's best. 'Clear' in particular was one of the best episodes of TV this year.

 

What do you say?

 

"Running a close second in my personal list. Again, to set apart from the rest I want to know or care what happens to each person and this show carries it off in style. Whilst sometimes predictable, it takes the zombie genre and adds a twist to keep it fresh."

 

Clips!

 

Clear - TV promo

Edited August 16, 2013 by LaGoosh

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

In fairness, it's taken longer than usual for people to moan about why people would choose certain programmes as their favourites.

 

That is because the earlier entries were not bad. You could see why people would pick them.

 

Dallas was essential 80s TV viewing. As has been said J.R was the man. Every episode seemed to consist of him calling Cliff Barnes "A no good loser" and banging a woman with massive 80s hair behind his wife's back. Or possibly drinking at the Oil Baron's Club. When Tom in Father Ted was seen wearing a "I Shot J.R" T-Shirt no-one watching thought "Who?" As Loki said it is like crack cocaine, but at the time it was quality tv.

[Devon Malcolm]

Yes, but I can quite easily see why people would pick Neighbours. Different people look for different things in what they watch.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Devon Malcolm

[Teedy Kay]

Yes, but I can quite easily see why people would pick Neighbours. Different people look for different things in what they watch.

True, but I don't think in my wildest dreams I would ever place Neighbours No #1 on a Fave TV Dramas list ... number ONE ... If easy going drama is your thing (I'm on the bandwagon of Soap being an aside to drama it has to be said) then that is fine, but then you're going down the path that Neighbours is your favourite soap, when let's be honest (and be mindful I loved Neighbours before it went to Channel 5 and I missed a load of shows) it's not even the best Soap on telly.

 

Corrie at the back end of a top 50, in the UK especially I can see it's an institution, but throw away television such as Neighbours which has less substance than a thinly spread jam sandwich sort of goes against the grain of Drama. I'd compare it to TOWIE being on this list.

[Devon Malcolm]

True, but I don't think in my wildest dreams I would ever place Neighbours No #1 on a Fave TV Dramas list ... number ONE ... If easy going drama is your thing (I'm on the bandwagon of Soap being an aside to drama it has to be said) then that is fine,

 

The people that have placed it on this list are probably not going to argue that it's as taut or well acted as The Wire and therefore they have probably voted for it because of its easy-going nature.

 

but then you're going down the path that Neighbours is your favourite soap, when let's be honest (and be mindful I loved Neighbours before it went to Channel 5 and I missed a load of shows) it's not even the best Soap on telly.

 

Opinions! Everyone's are different!

 

Corrie at the back end of a top 50, in the UK especially I can see it's an institution, but throw away television such as Neighbours which has less substance than a thinly spread jam sandwich sort of goes against the grain of Drama. I'd compare it to TOWIE being on this list.

 

Rubbish, the two are not even slightly alike.

 

If you have an issue with Neighbours being on this list because it's a soap, fair enough. It's a grey area. But disputing it because it's "shit" is falling into the same trap that is always established with these lists of people taking it too seriously and forgetting different people like different things!

 

I loved Neighbours at its peak. I used to watch it every day and it was great fun, not in an ironic way or anything like that, I really enjoyed it. It's not even a slight surprise to me to see it on this list.

[Teedy Kay]

disputing it because it's "shit" is falling into the same trap that is always established with these lists of people taking it too seriously and forgetting different people like different things!

 

(and be mindful I loved Neighbours before it went to Channel 5 and I missed a load of shows)

 

I've never said that, I'm highlighting the fact it's fair and away anything from drama.

[Chest Rockwell]

Corrie at the back end of a top 50, in the UK especially I can see it's an institution, but throw away television such as Neighbours which has less substance than a thinly spread jam sandwich sort of goes against the grain of Drama. I'd compare it to TOWIE being on this list.

 

 

 

Nah, fuck that. Reality and scripted reality shows will always be the worst of the worst.

[PunkStep]

I loved Neighbours at its peak. I used to watch it every day and it was great fun, not in an ironic way or anything like that, I really enjoyed it. It's not even a slight surprise to me to see it on this list.

When you say peak, when do you mean? I'm guessing late 80s/early 90s? That stands out as the golden age for me. Scott & Charlene, The Robinsons, Madge & Harold Bishop, Bouncer, Joe Mangle and his nosy mum, Melanie's sporadic appearance with her laugh. That was the peak period for me.

 

But they definitely had a renaissance period at the turn of the century that some could consider the peak, younger generation perhaps. Karl, Lou & Harold forming the most entertaining tag team in soap history, Toadfish, The Scullys (Flick!). Neighbours had charm, wit and campness like no other. It made for great viewing. And the poor actors comment is tosh- just look at the talent the soap has produced. That Russell Crowe isn't too terrible, is he?

 

As for The Walking Dead, I think I need to watch the second series. I watched the first, was really excited about it. The first episode was really good I thought, but it just went a bit wishy-washy for me. The writing was a bit pants, some of the characters downright rotten (Andrew Lincoln's wife is shit, she was shit in Prison Break too). The boat scene between the two sisters in particular summed up how bad it could be. BUT everyone tells me just how good it gets in the second series, so I'll give it a shot. Eventually. I think it's quite similar to Lost (which I was majorly disappointed with), certainly rather than a HBO show.