You Gotta Watch

[Cinjin]

A thread devoted to making TV and Movie recommendations to those who would be interested.

Please keep your recommendations limited to TV Series or Movies and only one recommendation per post.
Also, give people a reason why it's great without giving away spoilers.  I need a reason to watch your show.
Lastly, tastes are subjective.  Don't insult people simply because they like a movie you didn't.  Hate the movie, don't hate the poster.


I'll go first, as I recently wrapped up a series that I was surprised to find was highly entertaining.

TV Series:  Salem
Found On:  Netflix
Why:
The show takes place in 17th Century Salem during the witch trials.  The twist is, that the witches are real.  
Yes, the show has very little historical accuracy, but it's fun as all hell and very well-written as storylines go. 
It shows the Puritans for the religious twits they were while offering good special effects, a fast-paced story, and a healthy dose of creepiness.

5 Stars

[Ravenshire]

TV Series: "Orange is the New Black"
Found On: Netflix Original
Why:
Non traditional take on prison TV shows based in a women's correctional facility. The acting, especially by  Uzo Aduba/Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren is very good and the writing is fresh and original. 4-1/2 stars.

New season starts, er.. gets put out on 6/12/2015 so get busy with the first two!

[Aroura]

TV Series:  Black Mirror

Found On:  Netflix

Why: Billed as a sort of British Twilight Zone, with only 3 episodes per season, and 2 seasons (I wish there were more!), each episode is a thoughtful and artful look at modern life and our twisted realities.

5 Stars

[Cyberman]

TV Series: The Ghosts Of Motley Hall
Found on: DVD; YouTube
Why:
Intelligently-written UK childrens' TV comedy series from a time when networks didn't talk down to children, by Richard Carpenter of Catweazle fame. It ran for three series (plus a xmas special) between 1976 and 1978. Starring Peter "Wallace and Gromit" Sallis, Freddie "Dune" Jones, Sheila Steafel, Arthur English, Nicholas Le Provost, and Sean Flanagan, the series follows the escapades of five mismatched ghosts drawn from different periods of the history of stately and very haunted Motley Hall and now trapped within its walls. English is Bodkin, a professional Elizabethan fool; Jones is the former Victorian head of the house, Sir George Uproar to whom it's always ten past four (his watch stopped when he did); Le Provost is his younger great grandfather Sir Francis "Fanny" Uproar, the dashing yet scatterbrained 17th century rake ("You know what a rake is?" "A long wooden thing?" "Yeah, that's Fanny..."); Flanagan plays Matt, the young stableboy and the only one able to move around the grounds, to the envy of the others; finally Steafel is the obligatory and mysterious White Lady, habitually wailing and tolling the bell ("I'm not a ghost... I'm a description!"). Rounding off the characters is Sallis as Gudgin, the very-much-alive estate agent tasked with looking after the Hall. He knows the place is haunted and the fact terrifies him.

Much of the humour comes from the fact that people generally are unable to see or hear the ghosts, though they can see objects moved by them. Occasionally, someone is able to see one or more of them, though the person may not realise they are ghosts. The acting is top notch, the cast are clearly having fun in their roles. The characters are delightfully written and the dialogue superb. I really can't rate this series high enough.

5 Stars

[Cinjin]

TV Series:  Californication
Found On:  Netflix
Why:
Admittedly, the show is a bit of a guilty pleasure.  It doesn't seem very realistic to me and if it is, than Hollywood is far more depraved than I imagined. 
Very funny with the occasional touch of heart.  The writing sort of goes stagnant towards the last season (thus the four stars), but up until then it's pretty decent.  The guest stars are fantastic. Both Tim Minchin and Rob Lowe are fucking fantastic and you won't be able to get enough of Minchin.  There's tons of sex and lots of vulgar conversations.  The whole show is based around the womanizing antics of the manchild character of David Duchovny.  Watch it.  Oh, and if you like Entourage, this will be right up your alley.  

4 Stars

[Saxmoof]

TV Series:  Black Mirror

Found On:  Netflix

Why: Billed as a sort of British Twilight Zone, with only 3 episodes per season, and 2 seasons (I wish there were more!), each episode is a thoughtful and artful look at modern life and our twisted realities.

5 Stars

Yes, love this

Did you see the recent Christmas special?