Help out with a Xmas tradition

[Mental Maden]

Every Christmas I try to snatch up seasons of a show I haven't watched before or never finished.  One year was the Wire, another the Shield and it all started because I watched a Doctor Who marathon (which got me into the show).  So I'm thinking this year maybe Justified or Sons of Anarchy (I've seen partial season of both but would like to catch up).  BUT it doesn't have to be one of those.

So I'd love to hear some suggestions or thoughts.  A few rules: no cartoons or anime.  Nothing against them, just don't fit in "thematically" with what I want.  More art than popcorn is preferred.  I like well written and well acted better than 'splosions.  I already watch most of the pay cable stuff (HBO, Showtime, etc.)  I'm not opposed to indie movie or documentary suggestions either.

So sell your suggestions!

[Kuriositys Kat]

 I didn't see "Torchwood" mentioned in your list of shows watched so you might want to grab that if you don't have it.
 Just finished watching a doco "She-Wolves: England's Early Queens" presenter is Helen Castor, same person who wrote the book the doco is based on.
 The rest of my shows are heavily weighted toward "Top Gear" and "Wheeler Dealers".  The only show I watch with any regularity when it is on is "Grimm".  *mutters stupid mid season hiatus"

[Tenzhi]

I recently watched the first season of Once Upon A Time and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

[FatherXmas]

Fringe.  The show keeps reinventing itself via alternate universes and timelines.

In my spy pile there's Burn Notice, Covert Affairs and Nikita.  I enjoy them all.

You could catch up on Arrow, not a bad Green Arrow Nolan-like adaptation.

[Profit]

Need to make sure the bases are covered here.

Firefly
Buffy
Angel

...

I agree, Once is pretty decent, my wife and kiddos love it. I also like Grimm and Walking Dead. Walking Dead is probably my favorite non comedy on TV right now.

[Omni-Nogard]

Be careful to who you say "X-Mas" too, some don't seem to like the word.



That happened last year when i was doing a B.A.F on my TW/Ele Skywave. Wish i could find the rest of it, i had saved the chat log somewhere and shared it on the "Rude Tells" last year but i cant seem to find my back up atm.

[Mental Maden]

Thanks for the recommendations.  Feel free to keep em coming.  Already a fan of many and tried some of the others.

Walking Dead- could I have my geek card and not watch this?  You betcha I do.
Grimm- Watch it.  Love it.  Go Monroe!
Once Upon a Time- DVR it every Sunday.  It's a little uneven at times, but it gets my respect for fantasy content on network TV.
Fringe- Big fan, I've been there since the beginning.
Firefly- Browncoat.....right here.  Thanks to Pepsiman for the recommendation and my cable being out for two weeks a few years ago.
Covert Affairs- tried it, sort of liked it.  The blind guy bugs me and pretty much got me to stop watching.
Buffy and Angel I watched on and off over the years.
Arrow and Nikita- Not feelin' these.  They seem a little too "CW" for me.  But thanks, Santa.


Kat-I watched the Starz Torchwood might have to give the BBC seasons a shot.  I'll look for that doc, sounds interesting. Thanks



And Omni- I typed X-mas because I'm lazy. 

[FatherXmas]

Snopes
Merriam-Webster

It was my understanding that the use of X- was because it was considered blasphemous to use say Chirst or God in vain, even if it was part of a celebration in his honor.

Just proves that ignorance of language is still going strong.  Niggardly anyone?

[JaguarX]

Snopes
Merriam-Webster

  Niggardly anyone?

Yeah I'm being that this Christmas, Xmas, Holiday. Only a few people kept in contact all year, but many started calling now. So now when it's one of them I just say Bah Humbug and hang up.

[Mandu]

The BBC seasons of Torchwood make the Starz season look like complete and utter garbage, which it pretty much was.  They took an entertaining humorous plot filled series and dragged the equivalent of one episode worth of plot for an entire season.  I would rather have the series never come back than to come back in that form again.  So yes, watch the BBC versions in order.

If you want a very entertaining comedy watch Better Off Ted.  I loved this show but unfortunately it was never advertised properly so that the people who would like it never watched it.

Defying Gravity.  Great series but be prepared to be upset when you finish watching it.  Not because it has a bad ending but because you will immediately want to start watching the next episode which of course doesn't exist.

[Adrenalin]

Snopes
Merriam-Webster

It was my understanding that the use of X- was because it was considered blasphemous to use say Chirst or God in vain, even if it was part of a celebration in his honor.

Just proves that ignorance of language is still going strong.  Niggardly anyone?

The origins of Xmas according to Snopes; http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmasabbr.asp

Basically it looks to be all Greek to me!

[tigerbaby]

The emphasis here has been on fictional shows, but a big part of our (sad & meagre) holiday treats for DH and I is always the 'Mythbusters' marathons - there always seems to be some eps we've missed and if they run in chronology it's always entertaining to watch the evolution of the show's production, though I do get tired of hearing 'who *are* the Mythbusters?' after a while and the more times 'don't try this at home' gets repeated the more I contemplate actually trying it   Another Discovery program I missed more of than i would like and I want to catch up with is Stephen Hawking's Grand Design.

It amazes me how many people do not know the origin of 'Xmas' - I've known this since Sunday School.  I do wonder if they think the 'XP' (chi-rho) used extensively in Christian iconography is an emoticon, or stands for 'Windows XP'.  Back in the day when everything had to be hand-lettered, I think 'Xmas' was more used and maybe understood - 'Christmas' is one of the hardest words to centre and is filled with difficult letterforms and kerning, 'Xmas' looks much more elegant in practice, especially combined with the standrad prefix 'Merry'.

[Profit]

Oh oh,

Sherlock - netflix
Elementary - also good
The Mentalist - love love love love this show

[Mental Maden]

Defying Gravity.  Great series but be prepared to be upset when you finish watching it.  Not because it has a bad ending but because you will immediately want to start watching the next episode which of course doesn't exist.

Agreed! Loved that show.  What a shame it didn't pan out.

[FatherXmas]

Totally forgot about Defy Gravity.  Another interesting show shot down in it's youth.

Sherlock is very good and relatively short in it's two UK seasons.

[eabrace]

Be careful to who you say "X-Mas" too, some don't seem to like the word.

Keep the "Crist" in "Cristmas"! 

[Mental Maden]

Sherlock is very good and relatively short in it's two UK seasons.

Ding Ding Ding.  We have our first winner.  Going to start on this right away.

[Victoria Victrix]

[beveri8469]

dont forget about supernatural if you havent seen that show.
very well written and the 5thseason finale was one of the best ever season finale's ive ever seen.

[Profit]

We really shouldn't leave Freaks and Geeks off the list. Wonderful show cut down in it's prime, think there are 18 episodes?