It’s another list. This time we’re counting down the top ten TV shows according to SF Daddy!
As always, I’m gearing this list with the kiddos in mind. No it’s not going to be a teletubbie list, they were way out there even for this freaky SF dad.
Torchwood – I’m not going to pretend that I’ve seen this whole series yet, but after the first few episodes and the praise I’ve been reading, as a spin off of Dr. Who which also has some smart kick-butt female action stars, this one makes it to my list.
Star Wars The Clone Wars – Star Wars is known for its leading ladies with attitude. The storyline in this animated venture is not short on them either. Joining Padme is Ahsoka, a Jedi sidekick for Anakin who is almost more hotheaded than he is. Season two introduced Arra Sing an awesome bounty hunter with a taste for collecting Jedi. We fanboys have been talking about Ms. Sing since her 2-second cameo in Episode I. Next season we’re treated with more from her and another Jedi favorite who was spared at the last minute from death in Episode III in the edit room floor. Shak Ti joins the show this fall. Great thing about this series is that it’s available online. http://starwars.com/theclonewars/guide/episode001.html
Pushing Daisies –
We’re starting a theme here… much like Moonlighting and Cheers, where the two leads are cursed in some way from ever being together. In most cases the show’s demise is the only thing that ever comes out of the leads finally getting together. Pushing Daisies was a great confection. Literally. The Pie Man made magical pies from rotten fruit he brought back to life with his magically touch. He can do that trick on animals and people too, but a second touch sends them back to their death. Too bad he brought his secret love back to life one day. Now if he ever touches her again she’s dead for good. So instead they bake pies and solve murder mysteries together in a beautiful technicolor dream like comic book land created by Bryan Fuller and EP’d by Barry Sonnenfield– another personal hero.
Legend of the Seeker – The ladies in this house love this show mostly because of Kahlan Amnell – the Mother Confessor.
As a Confessor, she has the power to magnify the love a person has within them for her, allowing her to control the person. This power allows her to serve the people of the Midlands, who respect and fear her. In Kahlan’s quest to defeat Rahl, her role is to protect the Seeker with her life. She develops a deep love for Richard, which is torment for them both since her Confessor’s powers would be inadvertently unleashed in a moment of intimacy, making it impossible for Richard and Kahlan to act on their feelings for each other. Executive producer Robert Tapert describes Kahlan as “a female action hero for 2009.
Firefly – That’s right! Yee Ha! This is one of those shows you’re going to hear a lot about until you actually sit down and rent it. You just have to give it a try. We attempted to watch during it’s run but the networks messed us all up. So we eventually discovered this gem on DVD. Go ahead and put it in your Netflix cue now…
Georgia Outdoors – Our Georgia PBS station presents topics about our state from gardening to paleontology. Take that Pokemon! Check out your PBS station to see what you can learn about your own backyard.
Let’s continue to bend the parameters of this TV list. As TV is evolving, let’s add some space to for a couple of internet shows and series.
The Guild – Sweet little nuggets of pure fun. Just geeky enough to try out a few online games and even more dairing to actually go out and meet some of the guild in real life when invited to a Pirate meet, I know this series a little too well. The DVDs are available from Netflix and they stream as one long ‘movie’ but if the short nuggets are more you speed, check them out on their native site: http://www.watchtheguild.com/
Sad, but here’s a Flash video of the first episode. Sad because it won’t show up on your iPad (yet?).
TED Talks. If you haven’t discovered TED yet, go now. It’s more Science and Fantasy than fiction. Real people with fantasies of how we can change the world one person at a time. Here’s one on the Happiness Index. Love these things… they even show up in your Tivo if you let them! We’ve blogged about several of these in the past.
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world
When the girls are older….
Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel – The monsters in these shows are a bit much for our smaller audience, but the kick-butt girls are certainly a good frolic when we’re older. Our most-est favorite episode “Hush” just made it onto the SyFy / Blastr list of best episodes ever. What qualifies as a best episode? You know the episode by name is a good indication! Buffy is so well written and smart. We were just married and growing up a few years ahead of Buffy, but Ms. SF Daddy used the show as a topic of conversation with her high school kids. She often found common ground with the kids through the shows they both enjoyed. She liked using this show in particular to talk about teen issues and the portrayal of women in media. Good Stuff.
And okay, this one’s for the very little ones: Have you seen Dinosaur Train? Really? Another PBS offering. We don’t graze through the channels like a lot of kids do, but one morning we had a flat tire and found ourselves at the local Firestone. While waiting for the tire to get fixed, we sat through an episode of Dinosaur Train. My 6 year old (Red2) fell in love. Sure it didn’t hurt that there’s a little Henson magic behind the scenes. Figures. They aren’t just cute dinos, but they actually get the real names out in a catchy way.
Very much a different list for you. Can’t wait so see your list!