‘Tis the season to watch telly!  Christmas is a time for giving and receiving, and, if you’re anything like me, hibernating with a fleece blankie, a box of sweets and some of my favourite TV shows.  So!  Take a break from the parties and the general social interaction, and come get square-eyed with me!  Check out our recommended viewing and keep them in mind for gift ideas (To me, lots of love, from me!)

I’ve selected some of the best shows of the past few years, all of which are available to buy, or even better, to receive!  I don’t want to give it all away, so I’m breaking it down into bite size chunks for your perusal, the basic idea, and hopefully not too much spoiling!

First off, the one that everybody has been talking about for the past few years. The Wire premiered on television in the US back in 2002, and had modest viewing figures for most of its five seasons.  It was only after it became available on DVD that it went huge, described by many critics as the greatest television series of all time.

What’s the story then?  Drama set in Baltimore, Maryland.  Each season of The Wire focuses on a different facet of the city: the drug trade, the port, the city government and bureaucracy, the school system, and the print news media.

Is it funny? It can be, mostly dark humour.

Is it smart? The smartest thing you’ll see in a long time.

Dramatic? Very.  At first you’ll think it’s slow-paced, but once you get into the groove, everything else seems ridiculously contrived.

Addictive? Like chocolate-covered caffeinated crack cocaine.

Worth the monies? Definitely.  If you give as a gift, you’ll impress in a big way.

Gay content?  Gaytent, if you will? Two of the coolest characters are gay, one a Robin Hood-type gangster with a heart, the other a kick-ass dyke detective.  And they are far from token gays too, which is a nice change.  So the Wire gets four out of five Gay Tents.

Weeds is now in its’ fifth season on television, and you can get the first four seasons on DVD.  Part comedy, part drama, it has garnered a stash of awards since it premiered in 2005.

What’s the story then? Mary Louise Parker (we like her) plays a newly widowed housewife living in an affluent California suburb who becomes her neighborhood’s marijuana dealer to make ends meet.

Is it funny? It really is.  Think about it – pot-selling housewife with kids, stoned neighbours, romantic entanglements, right-on drug dealers and those wonderfully bitchy women that they seem to grow on trees in Southern California.  Throw in a screw-up brother-in-law that acts like a teenager and constantly gets into trouble, and how could hilarity not ensue?

Is it smart? Extremely.  The writing is some of the cleverest you’ll find.  Even the stoner lines are classic.

Dramatic? There are some very cool twists that you never see coming.  And that’s all I can say!

Addictive? Studies have shown, you can get hooked on Weeds.

Worth the monies? Yes.  You may have missed it on Sky One because the schedule hopped around a bit, so do yourself a solid and buy.

Gay content?  Gaytent, if you will? Isabelle, youngest daughter of the delightfully awful Celia, is an out and proud chubby little lesbian, proud mostly because it seems to infuriate her mother, who says it’s not an alternative to having to lose weight.  She gets three out of five Gay Tents all to herself because she gives back as good as she gets in the deadpan putdown stakes.

Another relative newbie on the scene is Damages, with two seasons in the bag so far, and a third coming soon to TV.  Very soon hopefully!

What’s the story then? It’s about a brilliant yet ruthless lawyer Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), a newly appointed rookie Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) and the law firm Hewes runs in New York. The first season finds Hewes attempting to win a class action lawsuit against the former CEO of a corporation.

Is it funny? Nope, no time for humour, too busy chewing the edge of my seat!  (and mixing metaphors with the stress of it all, apparently)

Is it smart? Very much so, extremely intelligent writing.

Dramatic? And how.  Storylines are a season long, there are plot twists all over the place, and the acting is brilliant.  Glenn Close is sublime and terrifying in equal parts, and totally believable throughout.  It’s technically impressive too, with flash forwards used really well as part of the narrative.

Addictive? Very.  The seasons are only about 13 episodes long, so use as a controlled substance if you want it to last!

Worth the monies? Yes, especially if you buy the combined seasons one and two box set.  No withdrawal symptoms from the first season either, you can just start the second one straight away!  Bonus!

Gay content?  Gaytent, if you will? Not so far, but who knows what might happen in season three?  Anything!  Seriously!

(Oh yeah, it gets one Gay Tent because it has Glenn Close in it)

The second season of the multi award-winning Mad Men was released on DVD earlier this year, and a third season has just concluded on television in the US.

What’s the story then? Set in the early 1960s, the show is set at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York, and depicts the changing social mores of the time.

Is it funny? Some very dry humour there.  Also a lot of blatant sexism that would have been all too real then, but seems outmoded and ridiculously offensive now.  Should I be laughing?!

Is it smart? Very.  The writing is sharp and clever, the plotlines are well-structured.

Dramatic? It might be set in an office, but the intrigue and corporate turmoil keeps things ticking over nicely.

Addictive? We watched an entire series over a bank holiday weekend.  Hello, my name is bear, and I’m a Mad Men addict.

Worth the monies? Definitely, you’ll watch it more than once.

Gay content?  Gaytent, if you will? One character so far Sal, the Art Director, is a closeted gay man.  Things aren’t great for Sal, it being homophobic corporate America of the 1960’s and all, but I hold out hope that he has the courage to strike a blow for the cause.  It’s not a staple of the storyline so far, so I’ll just give it two Gay Tents.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past five years, you’ll have heard about The L-Word.  That said, if you had a DVD player under your rock, you’re probably all up to speed on this one.

What’s the story then? Basically it’s all about the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in trendy West Hollywood, California.

Is it funny? There are some funny scenes.  Even funnier are the bits that are inadvertently hilarious, although I’m sure the producers didn’t intend them to be.

Is it smart? No, not really.  I’m still waiting for that lesbian show with good dialogue and a plot that doesn’t make me want to throw the television out the window and go live in a cave.  A cave without a DVD player.

Dramatic? It can be, if you count the improbable and bizarre as dramatic constructs.  Granted, they don’t skimp on the sex scenes, but many a happy orgasm does not a cohesive and watchable drama make.  But I don’t mean to be too hard on it, the L-Word will be remembered as the first lesbian TV show, and not for its wonky plotlines and lacklustre writing.  Let’s hope that things can only get better (hint:  more plausible stories, less manatee-obsessed loo-lahs).

Addictive? I weaned myself off it with relative ease, but if you’re watching for the first time, it can be a bit moreish.

Worth the monies? Hmm… depends.  The first three seasons were watchable enough, after that, too ridiculous.  However, if it’s a bit of fluff and a lot of eye candy you’re looking for, it can’t be beat.

Gay content?  Gaytent, if you will? Result inconclusive – my Lesbometer blew up after the opening credits.

Happy holiday viewing!

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