Good TV for Couples: Part 2

In my last post I set out three of the top five best TV shows for couples. Just as a reminder, you don’t have to be a couple to like these shows–but you should probably think about finding someone to watch with for these top two, because the plot lines and character interactions can get really confusing and it’s nice to have someone to help untangle things. So, on to the second best:

2.  Heroes–Now back where I come from, if a large group of people have widely diverse genetically hard-wired “powers” they’re called mutants, and they belong in the Marvel universe, preferably as members of the X-Men. Stan Lee homages aside, Heroes is the latest marathon TV show Cori and I are watching. I got a copy of season one on DVD for Christmas and we’ve just recently had the time to watch it. I have to say, this is a really well put together story, with some potentially very cheesy concepts brought to life in a pretty believable manner. And by believable I mean requiring some high levels of suspension of disbelief… At any rate, I do really like this show, it’s not as addictive/good as the number one show, but it’s still solid. My only real complaints are some of the casting choices–but so far most of the really bad actors have been killed off (thank you Sylar and crack-head artist); I just wish they would do something with the “Micah” character’s hair–it’s literally dripping with oil, and I know there is no way a kid that young could possibly use that much hair product on his own.

So, bottom line, Masi Oka’s “Hiro Nakamura” is maybe the best TV character ever, and this is a big “must see” if you and your sig-oth are looking for a little stay-at-home entertainment.

1.  Lost–Well here it is ladies and gentlemen, the 800 pound gorilla of television. I came to this series pretty late in the game, which as it turns out was a blessing in disguise. Lost is one of the few shows that I can honestly say it is best to try to watch for eight hours straight. Seriously. There’s so much going on with this show that all of the plot lines and character developments are bound to get confused, and absent becoming a forum troll, blitzkrieg marathon sessions are the best way to keep it all clear. Cori and I watched seasons one through three over the good ol’ Xbox 360 (thank heaven for the internet and a massive hard drive) over the course of about one week. Yes, we didn’t get much exercise or do much of anything during this time, but it was totally worth it (bedsores aside).

Everything about Lost is done well, even the infamous season three meanderings are interesting (if not essential), and there’s just so much depth, so much philosophical implication (sometimes of the heavy handed variety), and the casting is terrific. I can’t really say much about anything in this show without somehow giving away important plot points, so I’ll settle for this: if you can watch the pilot episode and not want to watch more, then you just aren’t human. Bar none, this is THE best show to watch as a couple.

Good TV for Couples: Part 1

My wife and I have a few TV shows that we watch together, and after doing some “research” (mostly just random conversations with Phil Harris and his wife), it looks like there are a few really great TV shows to plunk down on the sofa and watch together as a couple. Now as a disclaimer, you don’t actually have to be a couple to watch these shows–but it doesn’t hurt. So without further ado, here are three of the top five best TV shows for couples.

Mmm...tastes like chicken.

5.  Man vs. Wild–Bear Grylls will eat anything! What I love about this show is that it’s just one man (plus a camera crew) in some of the most beautiful locations on the planet. From tropical islands to the woodlands of Siberia, watching this show is a great way to gain some insight into the many regions and climes humans have adapted to. People can survive some harsh conditions, and Bear Grylls shows us how. He’s a tough guy, but the way he narrates on the fly makes this more than just a nature show.  Everytime I watch Bear zipline/parachute/fall into his drop zone I am amazed at first how crazy he must be, but secondly by how much he must love the great outdoors–watching this show is a tiny taste of Walden Pond for me.

This is a good show for couples, but not a good one to watch while chowing down–trust me, nothing turns the stomach quite like seeing bug guts squirt out of Bear Grylls’ mouth (and that’s the tamer version of his gross-out eating habits).

The sound and the fury...

4.  Jon & Kate Plus Eight–”I love kids and can’t wait to have my own!” For anyone who has ever thought this, then I recommend you take a gander at Jon & Kate. This is show is the best form of birth control on the market, bar none. No really. When it’s gut-check time and you and your spouse are thinking of bringing a little life into this world, sit down and watch a few episodes of this show to see how the stress of having kids can change people.

Not that there aren’t sweet moments when you may think it’s totally worth it–but if you can’t sit through more than 15 minutes of Jon & Kate then you probably aren’t ready for baby-bliss. Cori and I watch this show about once a week, and we honestly love all the kids in this family (yes, even little Maddy), but every few episodes we turn to each other and say “what is up with Kate treating Jon like he’s her personal whipping boy!?”  If you’ve never seen this show it really is a great one to watch as a couple because it raises all sorts of family issues to talk about.  And, as with Bear Grylls, these kids will eat anything! Just kidding, but do try to look away when Kate shows off her mishapen pregnant belly during the opening sequence (this is arguably even grosser than the image of bug juice squiring from Bear’s mouth).

3.  The Office (NBC)–Before even saying anything about the caliber of this show, I have to first say that I was a BBC Office guy for quite a while; I  hated season one of NBC’s take on my quasi elitist Brit-com, and I was not about to let some reject from the Daily Show badly retell what was already a perfectly fine show. And then along came season two. From season two and on, NBC got it right with The Office, and I am happy to say this is maybe the perfect show for anyone, couple or not. (The only reason the next two shows place higher is because there is a need for someone to talk to about the plot lines of each, so in my mind couples have a distinct niche and built in advantage.)

Cori and I watch The Office regularly and <spoiler alert> now that Jim and Pam are together we’re eager to see how the writers continue to develop the world of Dunder Mifflen. Still, for those who can stomach the sometimes crude humor of the original, I highly recommend you check out the BBC’s version (with subtitles on, since, for Brits, they don’t speak English very clearly).