Everyone has a show that they watch, even though they know they shouldn’t. Whether it’s because it’s terrible, but you still love it, or whether it’s just that little bit geeky, we all have our guilty pleasures. Culture writer Alex Davies looks at just a few of the best TV shows that are our little guilty pleasures.
Firefly
If you’re into Sci-Fi, this article is essentially redundant: You know ALL about this. Joss Whedon’s Space Western only ran for one series, thanks to FOX and Rupert Murdoch (is there no end to his evil?), but this show’s graphical budget and deadpan sense of humour means that it has a massive cult following. And yeah, it may be geeky: but come on, lasers and spaceships are awesome for anyone!
Red Dwarf
A new series has just premiered on Dave. Again, it’s set in space, in a distant future where Craig Charles is the last human alive. No, it’s not horror: It’s actually a very good comedy, starring Robert Llewelyn, Chris Barrie and Danny John-Jules floating through space in the eponymous mining ship, Red Dwarf. The interplay between Barrie as the sarcastic and dislikeable Arnold Rimmer, the pleasant but lazy Liverpudlian David Lister (Charles), and the Disco jiving Cat (Jules) makes up much of the early series, with Kryten the Robot (Llewellyn) joining midway through season two. The new series has received positive reviews, so give it a try.
Legend of Korra
This is the sequel to the incredibly popular American anime Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nothing to do with James Cameron: Avatar; TLA focuses on a boy named Aang who controls the elements, and his quest to defeat the evil leaders of the Fire Nation. Supposedly for kids: However, this is easily watchable as an adult, with plot twists, deep story arcs and a sense of humour that’s surprisingly mature at times. The sequel takes place 71 years later, but it’s probably best to watch the first series to understand the second. And yes, it’s animated. So is Batman: The Animated Series, and that’s pretty dark.
Smallville
Prequels are a risky business in entertainment: Sometimes they work, and sometimes they fail miserably (Star Trek: Enterprise, for example). When dealing with Superman’s back story, things could get sticky. However, this series is surprisingly capable of handling the tale of the Kansas farm boy who’s more concerned with fighting off intergalactic threats than homecoming dances, as the Americans say. A long series with many cameos from DC heroes (though not Batman: a good thing, if he’d appeared, he’d have upstaged Superman at every turn), this is worth checking out.
True Blood
It’s meant to be about vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings, co-existing with humans. However, it’s got a reputation as “Twilight: After dark”: A teenage drama with angst and relationship issues, but more blood. It’s also, unsurprisingly, far more watchable than the movies. Vampires are weakened by sunlight and allergic to garlic (although not fatally), though they still have super speed and are resistant to crucifixes (they never used to be, why make them MORE powerful?) The series is based on a set of books by Charlaine Harris, and follows some interesting premises. Give it a go.
What are your TV guilty pleasures? Comment below or find us on twitter @labelculture or @labelonline
