Most Impactful TV Show of All Time?

[shadowkat]

Saw this on FB:

Most impactful TV shows of all time? Not just ones you liked, but ones that got you through stuff, made your heart ache, made you feel like the characters were your friends. Ones you couldn't wait to see the next episode of because you were so invested in what happens next. Ones you'd record on your VCR if you're old like me because you couldn't bear to miss them and waiting for a rerun or video release just wasn't an option.

My answer?

Gee, I don't know, guess?



Buffy the Vampire Slayer - no contest.

It's the only television series that I got obsessed enough over to write about.
And join a fandom. And a spoiler board to speculate on what would happen next.
And I kept the VCRs until the died, then shifted to DVDs, and read the comics.

Also Buffy in some ways saved me. I was in a horrible work situation, the less said about the better -- and the Buffy fan community helped me stay sane.


What are yours?

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

Not just ones you liked, but ones that got you through stuff, made your heart ache, made you feel like the characters were your friends. Ones you couldn't wait to see the next episode of because you were so invested in what happens next. Ones you'd record on your VCR if you're old like me because you couldn't bear to miss them and waiting for a rerun or video release just wasn't an option.

I find that these are all very different things to me. I don't think any show got me through anything. And I'd record them because having an official copy wasn't possible for some time, especially for TV shows. Even so, I kept few shows recorded. By the time VCRs came along I'd seen Star Trek enough times that I didn't need to, but at the time I did audio tape episodes!

However characters I loved and shows I couldn't wait to see the next episode of have been numerous. I think the real question is which ones I still feel that way about many years later, that I'm always up for rewatching. And for that I'd have to say the original Star Trek & Buffy & Angel.

[shadowkat]

I interpreted it as a show or series that I became "insanely" obsessed over -- to the point that I'd seek out a fandom, hunt down spoilers, want to discuss, want to write about, pick up magazines on, write fanfic about, etc.
(I didn't write it - grabbed it from someone else.)

Even so, I kept few shows recorded. By the time VCRs came along I'd seen Star Trek enough times that I didn't need to, but at the time I did audio tape episodes!

Audio tape?? Do you mean just the audio?

I taped shows I couldn't see -- or would miss with VHS. Then I got obsessed with Buffy and taped all the episodes and rewatched them about a gazillion times. I do remember video taping reruns of MASH -- so I could write a paper on it in college. I'd set up a VHS machine that I had access to and tape the episodes. Also checked out tapes from the library.
Watching and taping a television series for class was an interesting experience.

However characters I loved and shows I couldn't wait to see the next episode of have been numerous. I think the real question is which ones I still feel that way about many years later, that I'm always up for rewatching. And for that I'd have to say the original Star Trek & Buffy & Angel.

The dividing line between a show I love and can't wait to see the next episode and a show that I find myself watching over and over and one that, well, I'm obsessed about is well "Fanfic" and "Fan Boards". If I don't hunt down fanfic about it or meta, I'm not that obsessed.

Because the shows I loved and couldn't wait to see the next episode for are well numerous...but the shows that I re-watched to death, less so, and the shows I hunted fanfic on or wrote it in my head -- I can count on hand.

[yourlibrarian]

Audio tape?? Do you mean just the audio?

Yup! This was pre-VCRs. Mike used to as well, and we were not alone in doing so.

If I don't hunt down fanfic about it or meta, I'm not that obsessed.

Same.

[shadowkat]

I never heard of audio-taping the show. How do you...television is so visual. I can't imagine it being enjoyable. Sort of like listening to a radio broadcast, I guess? Or a podcast?