Buffy -v- The Prez
Apr 24th, 2006 by B.
Since arriving in Dresden we’ve been going through tv-series dvd’s like Charlie Sheen goes through hookers. We’ve viewed our way through seasons 1 & 2 of Scrubs (loved it… although I find the one mentor doctor really annoying), seasons 1 & 2 of Without A Trace (loved it more… who’d ever have thought Anthony LaPaglia could be so sexy?), season 1 of CSI: New York (not bad… but I like Las Vegas better) and so far seasons 3 & 4.1 of CSI: Las Vegas.
Tonight we’ll start season 3 of scrubs and piggy back it with 4.2 of CSI:LV, but I’m thinking we’ll burn through those pretty quickly as we both tend to “just one more episode” Scrubs. Sooooo… long post, short… we’re looking for a lots-of-seasons series to take us through the next month or so.
And after much deliberation it’s been narrowed down to either Buffy/Vampire Slayer or West Wing. Both of which we’ve never seen, not even in passing as we’ve flipped channels. Anyone have a preference between the two? I find myself worrying that West Wing won’t live up to the hype… but then again, I have a hard time believing I’ll in any way identify with a show about a vampire slayer named ‘buffy’.
decisions… decisions…
On this day..
- Spamalot. - 2008
- German root beer? - 2007
- Out with the old, in with the new. - 2006
MT has watched both of these series, so her opinion will be better informed.
I vote for Buffy the Vampire Slayer–one of my colleagues here is a fan and has loaned them to me, and I am really enjoying the show. It’s highly addictive and I’m calling my friend a “drug pusher.”
I am assuming you are watching in English . . . I would go with Buffy. I actually started watching it when I moved to Germany in 2002. I started watching it in German, and now when I am in the U.S. I cannot watch it in English. I like the West Wing, but only up to season 4, when in my opinion, it jumped the shark.
I love them both, and am midway through re-watching both series on DVD. Both have clever dialogue and lots of action, interesting characters and a good balance of humor and drama.
I agree that the West Wing jumped the shark when the show’s creator was fired. But those first four seasons are magic, and some of the dialogue is nothing short of musical. I am no political junkie but I felt like I learned something about the workings of a possible (admittedly very liberal and idealized) White House from this show.
Buffy got stale in her later years too, and I find myself fast-forwarding through the fight scenes, but the writers’ ability to create a lasting metaphor is unmatched. Let’s face it, high school really was filled with freaks and monsters, if only we could have just staked the meanies and had it over with. Plus, I think Spike is hot.
So, take your pick. Might I also suggest Sports Night? It was a one-season wonder, but boy was it a gem.
Wow… I’d never heard of Sports Night (which in & of itself isn’t all that surprising, I’m way behind on tv viewing) but with Peter Krause & Felicity Huffman starring, I don’t see how it could go wrong. Plus I love the tag line… “It’s about sports. The same way Charlie’s Angels was about law enforcement.” lol
And hey… in ‘jumping the shark’ I now have a new phrase to add to my repertoire.
Now I’m off to amazon.de to see if they have it!
i would definitely second the sports night suggestion… one of those tv mysteries how a show like that gets cancelled and yet… hope and faith continues on.
as to the other two… i netflixed the first disc of buffy #1 and although i wasn’t instantly sucked in (so to speak) i wouldn’t dare judge it by only 2 episodes… and i just haven’t gotten around to netflixing more of it…. and as for the west wing… you know i’ve never seen it due to my lack of enjoying watching political figures… even the prettied up tv versions…. so it has never been a priority… but i take peoples’ word for it that it is great…. so, yeah… well… i’m no help on those fronts.
Neither! lol, I say Sex in the City!
I caught a few episodes of WW when I lived in Poland and highly recommend it (although, that was four years ago).
Why not get outdoors and enjoy the unusually nice less than crappy weather instead? Might I suggest cycling (perhaps I’ve lived in Europe too long).
I”ve never seen WW. Buffy is OK, better in the earlier years then the later. But I LOVED Sports Night! BRILLIANT show. The fact it never caught on and was cancelled proves that average American viewers are idiots and that television studios can’t recognize a good show if it jumps up and bites them on the nose.
Go outside and ride a bike? ROFL!!! Good one J!
Ummm…apparently typing triple exclamation marks triggers some kind of smilie. Every time I do it I get a red X where it is supposed to go. I hope I’m not posting something insulting. I don’t know if I can remember not to type them though. They are to me what an elipsis is to jeanni–a part of me.
I walked 3.5 miles today due to a tragic car / car mat mishap (don’t ask)… I figure that covers my communing with nature for the next week or so. Bring on the dvd’s!
Oh, and Trish… I have no idea about the trip exclamation thing. Must be a wordpress issue.
!!!
lol… yeah, i had to try it for myself. !!!
Buffy and West Wing are both all-time favourites of mine. The first season of Buffy is fine, but it really improves in the second season. I think with either one, the secret is to look past any reservations about the premise (”vampires are silly”/”politics is boring”) and give them a chance.
The spinoff from Buffy (”Angel”) was also good, and improved over time to a fantastic final season. We haven’t had the second series of “Veronica Mars” in New Zealand yet, but the first season was good, and had the same style of snappy dialog as Buffy.
Geez, it’s hard to pick between the two. On one hand, the WW seems more highbrow than Buffy. But if you’re going for kick-ass, get the aggression out entertainment, it’s Buffy hands-down. Plus, all of the seasons of Buffy are on DVD, so you can watch it from beginning to end. (My other favorites to try: Gillmore Girls, X-Files, and Roswell).
et, i have to direct in the direction of buffy. i am an obsessive fan and nothing beats a good sit-down-and-watch-16-eps-straight-night/day marathon. then you crash big time and have bizarre dreams. but in a good way. character development is spot on, dialogue is hilarious and pertinent, and issues addressed are very real, whether you’re in high school or have been out of it for years. and there’s the whole good vs evil thing, which is not as black and white as it sounds. and i won’t start on angel, or i’ll just sound more tragic than i already do. but it’s good. ahem.
have you tried CSI: Miami yet? it’s hysterical, albeit unintentionally. david caruso is way over the top, as is the whole show, so highly entertaining.
hope you let us know which way you go.
gg.
ps. cheers for the link.
Looks like Buffy stomped the competition. Season one is due to arrive tomorrow, and we do have a a three-day weekend coming up, so i guess I’ll check it out first. And west wing will be waiting in the, er, wings.
I also (much to Jim’s dismay…) plunked down $70 for Sports Night via amazon.com… due to arrive mid-may. lol
And GG, no problem with the link… your blog is a good read! Plus, how cool is it to say I have an australian blogging pal currently living in Tokyo??
As for CSI, it was my yoga instructor (mr. yummy) who inspired me to pick it up… he looks just like the CSI las vegas dude, Warrick Brown. sigh…