Which shows available at Netflix have you seen that you'd recommend?

[the Captain]

OK--since I asked the Question--I will start off with a few titles!

50's
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"CHECKMATE"--A special "Private Investigations" outfit that specialized in stopping crimes BEFORE they are committed! Starred Sebastian Cabot--Doug McClure and another actor that faded into oblivion soon after Checkmate was no more. A fairly entertaining drama/mystery--one of its interesting features (at least in the episoides I've seen so far) was the use of famous stars from the previous decade--like Joseph Cotton.
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60's

"DANIEL BOONE"--a somewhat faithful rendering of that famous explorer and frontiersman--with good plots and interesting support characters--especially MINGO--a Cherokee Warrior educated by the English -- possessed of great skills --either with a bullwhip or a well placed quip. (the 1st season is in black and white.) Starring Fess Parker as Boone and Ed Ames as Mingo.

"THE OUTER LIMITS"--an excellent (B&W) science fiction Anthology series that featured many actors that went on to become household names--Ed Asner--William Shatner--Donald Pleasance--Robert Culp--Donald O'Connor and many others. Practically every variation on the theme of sci--fi was explored usually in a very gripping fashion.

"I SPY" -- starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby--Unlike most "Secret Agent" series of the decade (with the other parallel being Patrick McGoohan's English import "Secret Agent") this show was much more realistic and dependent on serious well crafted plotlines--with a minimum of dabbling in playboy pursuits and very limited employment of advanced gadgetry.Two very original innovations used in this series--1. It was the first Drama in the history of Network Television to feature a black lead character--2. Each season, the whole production unit would be based in a different sector of the globe--to give authenticity to the show (i.e. Japan, Greece, North Africa and Mexico) This is a series that withstands the test of time and will ALWAYS be entertaining!

[Cat]

I haven't kept track of the decades (too much like the games - LOL) but I left you a note on Combat! today, since Dale is renting it and watches it alone. I believe he's doing the Untouchables next. Ooops, he also did Crime Story.

I also have some alone series, like STNG and The Practice. More recently, I've been watching The Invisible Man. Not the 50's version, but the one with Vincent Ventresca, from 2000.

We have enjoyed Third Watch, NYPD Blue and Murder One together. If you haven't seen Murder One, it's a 90's legal drama with a great cast and story lines. Benzali got his start on NYPD.

I may very well investigate Checkmate, as I loved Sebastian Cabot. I Spy, I'm not certain. Was it dated?

Outer Limits - I moved on to the Showtime versions. Far superior to the original series, because of the money they invested in the filming.

I wouldn't chose Daniel Boone, as Westerns are not really my genre, with the exception of Kung Fu. I know you're safe with period pieces, since they're dated to begin with. I've been told, however, that watching them back-to-back on DVD is repetitive, since a lot of the lessons that Grasshopper was taught, were the same theme.

[the Captain]

Dear TV Friends-- I will throw in my recommendation for Today--but I decided to throw in a few ideas from the "Show Name Game" and a reply to cat's last remarks first:
1. "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" was a moderately funny sitcom that aired on NBC and was based on the movie of the same name (circa 1958--or thereabouts) starring David Niven and Doris Day--although in the movie--unlike the show the father (niven) was a theater critic who HATED TV and had a bad history of bashing in the screen when he was incensed by what he considered awful programming! The Movie is much funnier than the show--probably a good flick for couples to watch together if they like that style of comedy!

2. To put a fine point on the matter (my wife says I'd make an olympic hairsplitting team if such existed) "Daniel Boone" was an EASTERN not a Western (LOL)--it actually did have a fair amount of difference from a western series, almost nobody rode horses--especially not the Indians--in all but the earliest part of the series (pre-revolutionary war) the ENGLISH are the BAD GUYS! That's something you won't see in ANY Western! Also--the guns were much more primitive--so although there was SOME gunplay--it wasn'y NEARLY the important facet of the stories that it was in Westerns!
3. The Defenders was an EXCELLENT series--it didn't focus on just murder cases--but on a myriad group of cases that dealt with all parts of the human condition (often VERY heady issues like ex-nazi's and civil rights--etc.EG Marshall portrayed a wise,glib and thoughtful man and Robert Reed (this was his REAL Contribution to TV Lore) was every bit his equal--both as a series character and as an actor. "THE DEFENDERS set an example that has yet to be equalled in TV Law series--though perhaps ABC's Judd for the Defense (1967-68) came close.

I HEREBY RECOMMEND-- MONTY PYTHON -- This series (started in the late '60's) produced by the BBC (British Broadcasting Co.)--was the classic example of skit comedy excellence that all other efforts have been compared to! There is NO subject that was not grist for their mill--no idea too outrageous ( a pet shop owner who tries to convince a dissatisfied customer that a prematurely dead parrot is only sleeping--a game show where the host blackmails selected audience members--an Australian College where all the professors are named Bruce....)--as a testament to the success of the series--every one of the members of the show went on to individual careers that are of note--John Cleese (Fawlty Towers--A Fish Called Wanda--etc,etc.) Terry Gilliam (the sole American) produced many successful movies like Time Bandits--Michael Palin (Ripping Yarns, his PBS Travel series and a multitude of movies) and Eric Idle and Terry Jones(i woul add info on them--they did great stuff too--but its late--and my memory is sleepy--google them--you will find good stuff). Monty Python has the ability to make you laugh and stimulates your own iner comedian at the same time--its an omnibus of comedy!

[Cat]

While I love Cleese, I'm not certain I would love Monty Python. I have the series in the 60's list somewhere but it appeared too slapstick for my tastes.

This was a question:
I may very well investigate Checkmate, as I loved Sebastian Cabot. I Spy, I'm not certain. Was it dated?

[Karen]

I loved I Spy at the time...would like to watch it again and see

[Cat]

We have it in our instant watch queue. When I have a spare 40 minutes or so before bed I watch it. Still a great show!

[the Captain]

Since I'm not sure if you asked about Checkmate or I Spy being dated--I will assess both: CHECKMATE (In the first DVD at least--I'm waiting on the second) isn't dated insofar as its approach to crime solving--somewhat in the same way you'd say that Sherlock Holmes's deductive abilities weren't dated. "I SPY" has one "DATED" element that ANY Spy show that was produced before 1989 (the fall of the Berlin wall--I've been to the wall by the way--and subsequent downfall of the U.S.S.R. and the Warsaw Pact)--but as to its approach to intelligence work and its attitude toward same--NO--in fact--its biggest appeal was that much like Secret Agent--it took a very realistic view of spying--as opposed to James Bond and other imitators--see my review in my discussion I started! (PS--although there are a number of slapstick gags in M. Python--its also rather cerreberal at ties--i.e.--Karl Marx on a game show--an Army private court martialed for "Not taking the War Seriously"-- a murder mystery produced by the British Rail system (its hard to explain--but uproariously funny--etc.!)

[the Captain]

PS (here's a tribute to overthinking a question) As to the Actual DATES of the Debut of CHECKMATE--1958 and I Spy--1964 (I think--I've seen much of this show in reruns).

[Cat]

What I could find for the series was The Best of - Season 1 Of course they also have The Best of Checkmate - Season 2 but not having see it yet, I'll wait to add that one.

[the Captain]

Farscape was INDEED a good SCI--Fi show--with some VERY interesting plotlines--even one where the earthman was in a coma and dreamt of himself and all the others as a "WARNER Bros." style cartoon! (THe idea of the SHIP being a sentient being was interesting as well)If you haven't seen Stargate--SG-1 or the new BBC Series (just recently available on Netflix) TORCHWOOD--I Recommend them HEARTILY! BOTH are VERY well plotted--and Stargate SG-1
may well prove to be regarded with the same respect as Star Trek in the annals of Sci-Fi History!

[MerrickM]

50's -
Tales From Tomorrow - The premise was simple, and it never gave Twilight Zone much of a run for it's money, but it was a fun series with a different story every week with a host doing the intro's. All Sci-Fi, and some really quite good, though low budget.

One Step Beyond - Excellent and often somewhat frightening tales that were reported to be true, and it was left up to the viewer to decide. Started off rather ruff and picked up steam and ability as the show matured.

The Veil - Neat and Spooky stories, and hosted by none other than My Karloff Himself !

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - A wonderful collection of stories hosted by Mr Hitchcock himself, that are riddled with mystery, frights, and/or dark and twisting humor.

The Naked City - Like good cop shows ? This one was great, older detective, young setective, and great writing.


60’s-
The Outer Limits - In some ways, a few of the Outer Limits episodes were far more scary than anything the Twilight Zone ever dished out. Most of the stories are Sci-Fi based, and the production quality was sound.

UltraMan(1966) - If you dug Godzilla, Mothra and the bunch, you’ll probably flip over this show, as every episode has the Giant UltraMan fighting a different giant bugaboo. It was made for kids, so the side stories and characters can get to be quite silly and comical, or sappy and sweet. (I think Netflix has some of these.)

70’s-
Kolchak: The Night Stalker - A Reporter for the AP encounters monsters and villains right out of horror films, and most of the time, nobody believes him. The cops hate him, his boss has ulcers from yelling at him, and he offends his co-workers. A little off the path at times, but always a fun watch.

Night Gallery - Another Rod Serling Hosted HIT ! This show has Rod introducing us to a new work of art in the Gallery of the damned each episode, with an often frightening story to go along with it. Definitely the scariest series on TV at the time, if not the decade.

[MerrickM]

Aside from those,.....I liked....

The League of Gentlemen -Very Gritty, dark and bizarre humor about a little English town called Royston Vasey. Probably my Fave show.

Are You Being Served- 1970's Brit-Com about the employees of a department store and it's ancient skirt-chasing owners.

Urban Gothic - Hammer-esque stories of demons, witches and such, all in the modern urban city. Some hate this series, some loved it....I liked it a lot.

Hammer House of Horror - Yup, the folks from Hammer films actually produced a series for the BBC years back. If you like the Hammer horror style, you'll like it.

My Family - Excellent Brit-com about a dysfunctional family.

[the Captain]

Today's SOLE Recommendation is---TORCHWOOD-- A BBC PRODUCTION. It debuted last yr.--and is now in its 2nd season (season 1 is available from Netflix on DVD). A mysterious American from far in the future who cannot be killed runs an Agency that is "Beyond the CIA and MI-6--Above the United Nations" (his words) that investigates Alien Incursions from other dimensions that seem too occur in the vicinity of Cardiff (Wales) England! I won't ruin it by touting it too much--but I will say only this--this series is some of the Best SCI-FI ever to come out of England if the few episodes I have seen are any indication. I recommend that you order the 1st DVD of the 1st season and see for yourself!!