Dramas for Seinfeld fans

We've all had fun realizing that virtually all Seinfeld fans are Simpsons fans and vice-versa, and we've explored the other comedy shows that this market segment seems to like. What I'd like to know is what DRAMAS are popular with Seinfeld fans.

For me, the roster is slim. I was into Hill Street, St. Elsewhere, thirtysomething, Homefront, Civil Wars, and (before it got stupid) LA Law. Now there isn't a single hour-long drama that I watch regularly. I've heard good things about Picket Fences and Law and Order, but the time slots don't seem to work out for me. I'm looking forward to the new Bochco series--NYPD Blue??--the one that's gotten all the nudity controversy.

What else are you all watching?

The first three and the last one you mentioned are on my "short" list along with China Beach, Nothern Exposure, and Picket Fences (though it took me awhile to get into that one). There was also Twin Peaks, but I don't know if that can be considered a "normal" drama. :-)

There is one other I can think of, and based on your list and desire to check out NYPD Blue you will probably like it, is Homocide, Life On The Streets. This show (only 6 trial episodes so far, it is being pegged as a mid-season replacement) IMO was perhaps one of the best dramas ever to grace the tv screen.

How could I forget Northern Exposure? I LOVED the first two seasons or so, then lost interest as they seemed to run out of good ideas. Never cared for China Beach that much, but I did like that other Vietnam series. Can't recall the name, but it starred Terence Knox of St. Elsewhere fame and its opening theme music was the Stones' "Paint it Black."

I did like some of the first Homicide episode, but the timing was terrible. I think Richard Belzer pointed that out during some awards show, which aired opposite his own show. Perhaps if it comes back in the fall I'll give it another try.

(stuff deleted)

The show in question is called "Tour of Duty" - and I really liked it as well, though I never did care for "China Beach"

In article [email] (David Schrag) writes:

I believe it was called "Tour of Duty". Shot in Maui, I might add.(I think..)

I enjoy Picket Fences very much. I also watch Law and Order, which likely doesn't conform to what you might expect of a Seinfeldian. Let's see, what else ... Northern Exposure, Star Trek (all varieties), and of course, one of the greatest dramas played out nightly during the warmer months, Major League Baseball. Catch the fever, as they say.

-Mitch

Northern Exposure, Picket Fences and Homicide: Life on the Streets are my favorites. Used to like L.A. Law, but no more.

Kay Jones

In article [email] (David Schrag) writes:

Dave, you really should catch Picket Fences, it's great! As for other dramas I liked Homefront also. I also watch Sisters (I'm the only girl in my family) and... Can't think of any more. Jeez, I thought there were more than just those three :-(

JONS ([email]) wrote:

Sisters????!!!! I can't stand that dreck! It's clearly a 30-something wannabe (they even took a few cast members) but the directing style is SO heavy-handed with all those childhood memory things and other devices. Maybe it is just a gender thing. My wife tells me she thinks its terrible yet she always has it on if we're home at the time.

Same situation with my wife. But, the worst part about Sisters is the Chicago references without really doing the research. I get annoyed at least twice a show about something concerning location. The worst was when they were going to go to a Bulls game, and they showed some stock footage of the stadium, but it was some goofy glass "palace" style stadium. I almost called NBC right then. It can't be that expensive to buy some correct stock footage of locations in Chicago.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled news...

...Mulva?

Why "Northern Exposure," of course. NE and "Picket Fences" are, without a doubt, the two finest hour-long programs on television today (I suppose I should add a IMHO here for those who don't realize it's implicit in the statement anyway...) My list pretty much conincides with yours, BTW (except for "Civil Wars." I never had time to get around to that one.) What do they all have in common? Well, yes they were all "officially" dramas, but each of these shows had or has a strong dose of wry, quirky unexpected humor. This was definitely true of "St. Elsewhere" and "thirtysomething." "LA Law" had more than its share of humorous moments, as did "Homefront." "Hill Street Blues," perhaps less so than the others, but remember, this program was the forerunner of "The New Drama" (as someone once called it) so the other's had a chance to build on what it pioneered.

I definitely see a connection between these programs and Jerry's. "Seinfeld" has not only taken the wry, quirky and unexpected route, but turned it on its ear, as well.

Derek

Derek Toten saw commonality between Seinfeld and the dramas mentioned in this thread in terms of wryness, quirkyness, and surprise. I would agree with that.

I know in my gut that there's a correlation between liking for these TV shows and years of education, but I'm not exactly sure why these shows appeal to the learned. It's not as if the characters go around quoting Kant and Einstein. Perhaps it's because to understand these shows one must have a keen appreciation for what is going on in politics, culture, and other societal trends, and because the well-educated are more likely to be in tune with recent developments.

I'm sure there are network executives and ad agency directors who could explain this all to me.

[email] (Derek W. Toten) writes:

This is scary. Those are the only two I watch also (well, ST:TNG also). Several other posters have concurred. It seems there may really be a common thread here. (By the way, I often watch 20/20 and the other "news" shows as well.)

------------------------------
A new series from Bochco?  Hmm..... Could be interesting, could be.....COP
ROCK!!!  AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

AUGGHHH!!! Nobody else has mentioned Star Trek: {TNG | DS9} yet!

Am I the only one who is a fan of both these shows?

In article [email] (Mary Ellen Foster) writes:

Oops! I forgot about ST:TNG and DS9.

Kay Jones

Mary Ellen Foster ([email]) wrote:

Like TNG, haven't really gotten into DS9. Speaking of ST, an independent here is running the original (Shatner) episodes this summer. Now that we've gotten hooked on TNG, it's amazing how campy, sexist, and cliched those episodes are.

[No replies to this one, please. It really doesn't belong in the Seinfeld group.]

In article [email] (Mary Ellen Foster) writes:

Well, I've been a Trek fan since conception... (my parents (particularly my dad) watched ST:TOS when it originally aired. Plus, my dad was watching TOS when my brother was born...) So you MIGHT say I'm a fan. (Although I can't really get into DS9...)

In article [email] (Mary Ellen Foster) writes:

I love the original Star Trek, but hate both the shitty generation and out in the middle of nowhere. :-) IMO the original ST was so low-budget and so campy that it wasn't designed to be high-class. Now when they try to make it high-class it fails -- it's just another drama.

In a prev.article, [email] writes:

So you subscribe to the opinion that
 "I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep everyone's expectations"
                        -Calvin & Hobbes
I would like to respond to this in-depth, but since this isn't the StarTrek
news group, I will post my relevent comment instead.
.
  I judge a show by whether or not it can divert me from an intense
computing session.  So far in my life there have been very few:
  ST ("Classic")                    --Indy
  ST:TNG                            --Indy
  Deep Space Nine                   --Indy
  Parker Lewis Can't Lose           --Fox
  The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd --Lifetime
  Seinfeld                          --Some Big Network
  Ren and Stimpy                    --Nickelodean
  Note that the networks have all but lost me.  I am not saying that there
aren't other shows I've enjoyed, (network and Non) but that the others
(that I remember) aren't usually able to pull me away from more worthwhile
pursuits.
  Special attention is due to Molly Dodd (produced by Bernie
Brillstein), which IMHO has mucho in common with Seinfeld in tone, locale,
appeal to the quasi-intelligensia, etc., although the subject matter was a
bit different.
[email]
/* 'twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe :::L.A.,
    all mimsy were the borogroves and the mome-wraths outgrabe. --CLD :::Calif

I loved the old Parker Lewis before they de-quirkized it. It is still a very good show but in a standard way. Fox has had some really off-the-wall shows beside this: GET A LIFE, FLYING BLIND, SIMPSONS, BEN STILLER, GOOD GRIEF. I also like the NBC show EERIE.

I am also a HUGE Ben Stiller fan. Does anyone know if they'll be bringing that series back?

	No, it won't be back. The ratings were absolutely ghastly. I was
a fan of the show, as well, and ran into Mr. Stiller himself some months
ago in a bar here in Houston. I asked him about the show and told him
I was a fan, and he said, "So, YOU'RE the one!".
	Apparently, he was visiting Houston to scout locations for
the movie he is now directing here which stars Winona Ryder.

Jon Bondurant ([email]) wrote:

That's a real shame. That show had some of the best TV parodies I've ever seen. The 90210 take-off was a killer.

Get a Life was a wonderful show. FOX went and pulled the standard routine on shows that they don't know whether to cancel or not. They just keep pushing it later and later until eventually no one watches and then they don't feel quite so bad about cancelling it. Idiots.

Hello. My name is Jesus Christ. My dad can beat up your dad.

I completely agree. Get a Life was a great show. And, as you say, FOX did its best to kill it. What a shame.

I am!!! Actually, I only like Star Trek: TNG. The only other shows I actually TRY to watch (as opposed to the thousands that I passively view late into the morning) are The Simpsons and Dave Letterman.

	I used to watch Northern Exposure (I think the final episode a year or
two ago on the origins of the town was one of the best things I've seen on
TV), but I agree with those who feel that it has fallen off considerably.
While the townspeople were once unique, they have become merely caricatures
having stereotyped men vs. women squabbles that litter every other poorly
written dramedy. Just MHO.
                                                            P. Tierney

In article [email] (David Schrag) writes:

This may sound silly, but my favorite dramas have both been off the air for years: Perry Mason and Quincy. Call me strange, but I actually like both of them.

I don't like the dramas that have been mentioned in this thread -- I find most of them incredibly annoying.

OK. You're strange. (as if I'm one to talk)

Re: Quincy: I used to work in pathology at a large teaching hospital, during the time that Quincy was on. I considered it a comedy.

                  Ta-ta-DAA!!    Here comes Queasy, the
                     * Crime-Fighting Pathologist *
to the rescue!  Look out, bad guys!  Our hero wields a mighty bone saw!
(And -- he always gets the girl.  ;-)  )

A riot.

Ken.

The dramas I watch are slim too. The only ones worth watching are Star Trek:TNG and Quantum Leap. Since NBC jockeyed QL all over the primetime schedule, it never found its audience, unfortunately it's no longer on the schedule. It was a quality show (not many exist today)..Seinfeld and ST:NG are exceptions ..

BTW, getting back to the Deloris thing...wouldn't Elizabeth rhyme better? just a demented thought.... [email]

/*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*/
/*  Don't be to proud of this technological terror you've constructed. */
/*	- Darth Vader						       */
/*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*/

[email] (David Schrag) writes:

I rarely watch dramas per se (I do watch Star Trek: The Next Generation, if that counts). I watch Northern Exposure, but that's probably counted as a comedy, right? I discovered Picket Fences late this season, and I can tell you: it's terrific! This coming from a comedy-loving drama-hating viewer.

Roy Eassa

In article , [email] (Roy Eassa) writes...

	I used to love to watch Twin Peaks, LA Law (before it got lame),
	Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere.

	Nowadays, I guess I only watch Law & Order regularly.
	On a rare ocassion I am forced to watch The Commish
	with my mother, she likes it. Go figure. Other than
	that I can't say I watch many dramas. But comedies,
	you name em. The one I am looking most forward to is
	the new Harry Anderson comedy, Dave's World, which from
	what I understand is loosely based on Dave Barry's syndicated
	humor columns. Anyone how reads Dave Barry would know of
	this shows potential.

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   David C. Valenzuela           | "I'm not wearing    | You can simply call
   University at Buffalo         |     any pants!!"    | me Dave... Your
   [email] |                     | TV Friend.
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Yeah, I know that you asked about dramas, but I hope you won't mind if I jump back for a moment to a previous conversation...

Do we have any "Get a Life" fans out there? Was anyone else grumpy for a month when it was cancelled?

Dramas... hmm.. I don't know. I do, however, watch M-L News Hour every night. Go figure.

• John H.

JOHN HLINKO ([email]) wrote:

Ah, we may have hit on something here. I'm also an M-L fan. I especially liked Gergen and Shields. Could it be that Seinfeld fans have particular nonfiction TV tastes as well? For me it's M-L, 48 Hours, Frontline, and (don't laugh) Cops, but NOT Dateline NBC, 20/20, Prime Time Live, Rescue 911, Unsolved Mysteries, America's Most Wanted, or any of that Current Affair and related genre crap.

In article [email] (David Schrag) writes:

I personally like the McLaughin Group. We have a radio show like that here on Dartmouth College Radio, but I don't get to be a panelist, since I'm the engineer. But everybody knows I've got loads of opinions.... :-)

[email] (JOHN HLINKO) writes:

Yes. Yes! Join the Chris Elliott newsgroup. Some people even have every epidose on tape!

It seems I'm the odd ball. I don't watch Simpsons, Northern Exposure, or any Star Treks. I do watch Home Improvement. I used to watch Hill Street Blues, early LA Law, early Quantum Leap before they shuffled it around. One of my favorites is an oldie - Rockford Files (Love the Rock!). Currently, I don't regularly watch any dramas but I am watching lots of Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore on Nick at Night.

Kerry

In article [email] (Kerry Kemp Rowley) writes:

Yes!!! I love Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore!

BTW -- One more non-fiction show I forgot to mention: Charlie Rose. What a great interviewer!

********

Charlie Rose! I must agree, he is one hell of an interviewer. I like the minimalist set he uses too.

You know, it just occured to me that no one (including me) has yet mentioned one of my favorite shows of all time --- The Twilight Zone (original, of course!). What do you Seinfeldians think of TZ?

JOHN HLINKO ([email]) wrote:

Love the TZ. "My name is Talking Tina .... and I HATE you!" My favorite episode involved an instant camera that took pictures of the future, five minutes hence.

[email] (JOHN HLINKO) writes:

Good stuff. I have a book that describes every episode in great detail, and I use it to look up episodes. In Boston, channel 68 shows the 1/2-hour episodes (from seasons 1,2,3, and 5) every evening at 11:30 plus weekends at 6:30, and shows the one-hour episodes (season 4) weekends at 11pm. I've managed to see all of season 4 and most of the others in just 2 months. What a series it was!

Lessee, dramas...

Well, this past year I watched:

	The Next Generation
	Young Indiana Jones Chronicles  	(now defunct)
	Deep Space Nine
	Key West				(now defunct)
	Mystery on PBS
	Forever Knight				(now defunct)
	Highlander

The only drama I made time to watch was Quantum Leap, now that it's off the air, I only make time to watch Seinfeld and bits and pieces of MST3K, (for some reason I can't sit through 2 hours without feeling guilty and getting back to studying/writing my thesis/sending out resumes). Thank goodness for VCRs! I can fastforward though all those wonderful commercials shown on Comedy Central. Sally Struthers, ("Sure we ALL do!"), That Integra Commercial, and the Billion Megabyte Brain really gets annoying the fiftieth time around. But I digress.

Does anyone know when the new season will start?

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