My Favourite TV Shows and Bands

   Welcome to the final pair of lists in my Monday line-up: two more incomplete ones.
   Now, just like with books, I've seen comparatively few TV shows – especially compared to how many movies I've seen – and there are tonnes that I want to watch, so I could well fill a top ten before too long. Actually, I should probably mention that perhaps the two shows I'm most looking forward to diving into are Dexter and Breaking Bad – though, again, there are countless other reputedly great ones that I just haven't had time to watch from the beginning. So far, again exactly like with books, all my top favourites only add up to a top eight.
   So, for what it's worth, here's the current list of my favourite TV shows.

#8 = Dinosaur Secrets [AKA Jurassic Fight Club] (2008)

Originally titled Jurassic Fight Club in the US, but for some reason they changed the title to Dinosaur Secrets in the UK. It's a twelve-episode documentary miniseries that recreates prehistoric battle scenes based directly on the fossil evidence. Since I love dinosaurs so much, naturally this is right up my street. :) And in some ways, it exceeded my expectations, especially in that it has the best Albertosaurus design I've ever seen. I feel certain that if I had been a child when this show came out, I would have absolutely worshipped it. It reawakened the dinosaur fanatic in me, bursting with giddy childish joy.

#7 = Blackadder (1982–1989)

This is probably Rowan Atkinson's most famous role along with Mr Bean. The character of Blackadder is always the world's biggest asshole, and that's what makes him so funny: not just his sarcastic attitude, but the fact that he's always far smarter than his superiors. Each series takes place in a different time period, and the set design is always right on the mark. The whole franchise is simply one of the classiest, most dignified and, obviously, funniest comedies I've ever seen. If you were to ask me which is my favourite series, it's a toss-up between the second and the third.

#6 = Top Gear (2002–)

I never watched the show's original run, which began in the 70s; I'm going purely by the 2002 relaunch here. Now, I'm just going to say it straight out: I don't care about cars, at all! Any car specs that are brought up in this show always go right over my head. But the three hosts, for me, are what makes it worthwhile. The way Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May work off each other is utter comedic gold. So it only figures that the show itself has a very comedic spin, with all sorts of wacky challenges to put cars through their paces. :)

#5 = Walking with Dinosaurs (1999)

Another documentary miniseries about dinosaurs. :) But the goal of this one is to recreate the world that the dinosaurs lived in, to make you feel like you've been transported back in time. When I was a child, this is probably the series you'd find me watching most often. I always loved how distinct the six episodes were from each other, with an entirely different ecosystem being portrayed in each environment, be it the harsh Triassic world or the Jurassic fern prairies reminiscent of the African grasslands. The music is incredible, and I just love how you can identify each episode by the score alone.

#4 = The Big Bang Theory (2007–)

Maybe it's just because I'm a big nerd myself, but this show too is just right up my street! :) Not only is it funny, but even if I don't get the references to sci-fi movies or comic books, it still makes me jump for joy to hear them. The characters may simply be nerd stereotypes, but they're still likable enough to keep the show fresh. I especially love Sheldon and the humour that springs from how unemotional and socially awkward he is; maybe I see a lot of myself in him. :) In short, this is another show that just makes me giddy with childish joy.

#3 = Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995)

This show is just incredible! It's the perfect screen version of Batman because, as it's not limited to a movie's timeframe, it really encompasses everything that's so cool about the Batman universe, and it nails every aspect. In particular, the villains are handled just as well as the turmoil of Batman himself; they're equally three-dimensional characters. On top of that, it's just mind-blowing how perfectly it all balances the line between being mature enough for adults and still remaining child-friendly; it can be watched and loved by any age. Everything about this show rules. To me, it will always be the ultimate incarnation of Batman.

#2 = CSI: NY (2004–2013)

I'm a big fan of mystery stories, especially police dramas like the CSI franchise. Most people seem to prefer soaking up the sun in CSI: Miami, but I've always found New York infinitely more charming. The cases get so over-the-top that, even if it's not realistic, they still stick in your head. But by far my favourite aspect of CSI: NY is the characters: they all simply bring a smile to my face – including, of course, Gary Sinise in his role of a lifetime. It never ceases to amaze me how the CSI writers keep churning out inspired material like this nonstop. :)

And my #1 favourite TV show is… Star Trek (1966–2005)

Which one? Any of them! :) There are five different series (six if you count the animated one) – and, admittedly, so far I've only experienced the Original Series, The Next Generation and Voyager – but the same awesome concept remains intact throughout. It's simply about a research team exploring the universe, to boldly go where no one has gone before, and there's no telling what you might see. The show's main strength is not just the consistently clever ideas, but also the endearing characters. Every single cast is a joy to be around, making you wish you were part of the crew. The first episode I ever saw was Court Martial from the Original Series, and that episode really sums up the whole franchise: having to use wit and logic to overcome a seemingly insurmountable problem in every episode. Simply put, Star Trek is the pinnacle of science-fiction pop culture, and my all-time favourite franchise.

Runners-up: Game of Thrones and Tom and Jerry would probably fill out the list if I were to attempt a top ten now.

   And so we come to the final list: my favourite bands. Once again, it only totals out to a top eight so far.
   And… yeah, I'm not even going to attempt to explain myself with this one! :) Like I've mentioned before, music is probably the hardest topic for me to explain, since I prefer to just feel it and let it speak for itself. So sorry if this seems like a flimsy conclusion, but there won't be any descriptive captions for this one. What I'm going to do instead is to just list my top five personal favourite songs from each group.
   So, in brief, here are my top eight favourite bands.

#8 = Ramones
1. California Sun
2. Somebody Put Something in My Drink
3. It's Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)
4. I Don't Wanna Grow Up
5. Baby I Love You

#7 = T.Rex
1. Children of the Revolution
2. Jeepster
3. King of the Rumbling Spires
4. Truck On (Tyke)
5. Get It On

#6 = Metallica
1. One (how appropriate!)
2. Nothing Else Matters
3. Master of Puppets
4. 2 × 4
5. Eye of the Beholder

#5 = Linkin Park
1. Numb
2. What I've Done
3. Breaking the Habit
4. Somewhere I Belong
5. Points of Authority

#4 = AC/DC
1. You Shook Me All Night Long
2. Highway to Hell
3. Back in Black
4. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
5. Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

#3 = Guns N' Roses
1. Sweet Child o' Mine
2. November Rain
3. Don't Cry
4. Patience
5. Bad Obsession

#2 = The Beatles
Man, the Beatles have done so many amazing songs that to narrow it down to just five is nearly impossible! But, at the push…
1. Across the Universe
2. From Me to You
3. Something
4. Come Together
5. A Hard Day's Night

And my #1 favourite artist is… Keane
This is another really tough one! I love virtually everything Keane have ever done, so it's more a question of a top fifty than a mere top five! :) But again, I have to narrow it down, so…
1. Everybody's Changing (which is not only my favourite Keane song: it's my all-time favourite song, period)
2. Somewhere Only We Know
3. This Is the Last Time
4. Hamburg Song
5. We Might as Well Be Strangers

   Yeah, as you can see, I like a lot of rock music! :)
   And, before we end, let me just answer one final question. As I mentioned above, that was just a list of my favourite bands. I'm not really into enough soloists to compile them as a list, but I'd say my absolute favourite soloist is Michael Jackson. And, out of his songs, my top five favourites would be…
1. Smooth Criminal
2. Beat It
3. Thriller
4. The Way You Make Me Feel
5. Billie Jean

   And that concludes my set of lists. Thank you so much for reading whichever ones you did. Maybe I'll compile some more in the future, but for now I'm burned out. In the meantime, if you've compiled any lists yourself, I'd love to hear them. :)
   So, again, thanks for reading. Take care.