Stanislaus

My favourite series ever, where my fascination grows with the number of seasons filmed, something really unusual for me in a series. I can't even remember the first time I saw the most amazing bunch of suburban desperate wives, but if I knew the date, it would be one of the most important dates in my life as a series viewer. I just fell in love with that gang of unhappy ladies right away. The perpetual underdog Susan, who often acts first and thinks later. The always poised and elegant grace of Bree, who has really come into her own in recent episodes. Lynette, the baby factory, who lives in a whirlwind of family problems. The beautiful and often selfish Gabrielle. And the sultry, always sensual bitch Eddie, whose heart is not as corrupt as it might seem. I'd like to give a big shout out to the costume designers who dress the "desperate" women, because they are always a joy to behold. I really like the kind of episodic framework that always has Mary Alice talking about a problem at the beginning and then coming back to it at the end, all accompanied by an incredible musical score whose beauty I cannot express in mere words. Of all the eight seasons, my favourite episodes were: Bang (03x07), Something's Coming (04x09), The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (05x13), Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know (05x19), Boom Crunch (06x10), If... (06x11), I Guess This Is Goodbye (06x23), Remember Paul? (07x01), Down the Block There's a Riot (07x10), Searching (07x16), Come on Over for Dinner (07x23), and Finishing the Hat (08x23). Eight years went by like water, but I'm glad the creators decided to call it quits, because I started to find some of the characters incredibly annoying in the last season. In short, an absolute icon of all series for me, which will be true forever(!) and as Susan said about Eddie, I say the same about Desperate Housewives: "ONE OF THE KIND". P.S. The ending with the ghosts of Wisteria Lane was fabulous!

For me, Downton Abbey is definitely a gem and the icing on the cake in the field of historical series. It takes place in the 1910s in the beautiful setting of England and together with Julian Fellowes' engaging script, the beautiful music and the quality performances, it is my cup of tea. I really like the sets, the costumes and the overall period feel that is extremely authentic. Of the cast, Maggie Smith is of course my favourite, but I also like the other members of the ensemble. In short, a sort of expanded and improved version of Gosford Park in serial format, where many of my favourite aspects of the film collide, resulting in an unforgettable spectacle.

When Matt Groening created The Simpsons, he had only a yellow crayon. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the color yellow, but in this case I don't care because I've grown to love this crazy family over the many years of watching. The Simpsons has been running for nearly three decades now and the quality of the episodes and seasons has fluctuated, but it's something to be reckoned with. Each of the five completely different main characters has their own personal charm, but I still like Homer and his drunkenly clumsy escapades the best. What I particularly appreciate about The Simpsons is the script, which is often well thought out and, in addition to a large number of jokes, also have plenty of allusions to (not only) the period. The addition of the Halloween specials, guest stars and parodies of various films and TV shows are just icing on an already very tasty cake full of (black) humour, irony and satire. In short, high quality humour delivered in easily digestible twenty minute segments that I like to return to quite often -  and who wouldn't love Homer desperately trying to put together a barbecue!

Ever since I was a kid, I've enjoyed watching TV more for the thrills than the laughs, and I often get that in droves when watching this English gem. For me, English films and TV series are some of the best and this series has confirmed my belief. I really like the bleak and often rainy setting of the English countryside where murdering anyone, anything and everything is the order of the day – sometimes I wonder if they must have murdered at least one whole village at some point. But that's just a detail! The plots of the episodes are always brand new and unique and I have never been able to pinpoint the perpetrators, which has only reinforced my belief in the high quality of this series. And even though the running time is more than double compared to a lot of series, the creators don't waste a single minute and the plot layout is great. In short, a crime series with everything, where among other things I really like the opening and closing depressing melody played on theremin (btw the craziest instrument I've ever seen and heard), which is the last part of an already pretty perfect whole.

To begin with, I have to say that next to "Murder on the Orient Express", this is undoubtedly the best mystery from Agatha Christie's pen, and it won me over completely. For three hours, we have the opportunity to watch an absolutely breathtaking spectacle that benefits mainly from a wonderfully selected cast and a very well-written story. One lonely island, one large mansion and ten people who have committed crimes in the past for which they have not been punished + one quite frightening rhyme predict the individual deaths of everyone present. I liked the incorporation of flashbacks into the plot, so we get the opportunity to learn more about each character and their crimes as the story progressed, and could form an opinion about each. Alongside this, I also have to praise the camera work, which offered both symbolic details and eerily beautiful shots of the estate on the island, alongside an equally impressive and unmistakable soundtrack that perfectly complemented the stuffy atmosphere and the impossibility of escaping the island. In short, a very well made television project that combines several of my favourite elements and aspects that I look for in films or TV shows, and which was definitely my cup of tea. And that it was damn good and quality tea!

I've heard about this series before, and since I love vampires, I finally jumped on the merry-go-round of watching this somewhat "controversial" show that is an amazing blend of several genres and gives a whole new insight into the vampire world. Almost every single character annoyed me at some point, only to adore them a few moments later, the endearingly annoying Sookie, Tara with the vocabulary of a sailor, and the eternally horny Jason. Since season 1 has quite a bit of a crime-fiction feel to it, I liked it all the more, especially since I didn't figure out the killer until the reveal. Extra point! I loved the opening depressing theme tune, as well as the always open ending, cut off at the best, so I just had to keep watching on and on. Those bastards (in a good way), the writers knew how to do it! So in short, a really special and original series that may not appeal to everyone, which I understand, and which like every other series didn't impress in the first few episodes, but then it went at light speed. Cheers to seasons 2 and 3!!! ... The second season was really convoluted with lots of supernatural creatures and the third was really suspenseful, leaving with a rather open ending. Now it will be a long wait for the 4th season, which was worth it in the end as I was extremely pleased with the new characters and the fates of the main characters.

The normal gay Will vs. the goofy gay Jack, the perpetually high and drunk Karen and the "flat-chested" and needy Grace. That's a foursome I really looked forward to every weekday for months. True, the last few episodes were lacking in some ways, but the finale was handled excellently. I was really rolling with laughter at times, especially during Jack and Karen's conversation on their often nonsensical topics, or Grace's depression solved by a chicken. I give that star down for the last weak episodes and for the slimeball Leo (I really didn't like him).

I have a real soft spot for Teen Wolf, and even though there are a few things about the show that I personally don't like or don't seek out, I still always look forward to new episodes, monsters, and plots. I like that it's a genre mash-up, each episode doesn't lack action, there are a few romance lines included, and most importantly for me is the fantasy-mystery-horror component that got me started watching the series in the first place. I've always liked werewolves - in fact, they're my favorite movie monster. Teen Wolf doesn't have a traditional furry wolf form (in most cases), but it's a teen series, so so be it, it can be forgiven. I've even gotten used to the amount of slow-motion, the overly-obvious stares (which thankfully aren't as moronic as in Twilight), and last but not least, the occasional fluctuations in the characters' behavior, which were sometimes infuriating. The biggest portion of entertainment is provided by Stiles, whose character works to a tee, especially in the first few episodes in conjunction with Derek, but the other characters steal a joke for themselves from time to time. Of all the storylines and monsters, besides the werewolves, I was probably most intrigued by the Banshee, the Dread Doctors, Kanima, and the Beast of Gevaudan (which I first encountered with Brotherhood of the Wolf). In short, a series that is my cup of tea in many ways, even though it may not be to everyone's taste, but you have that thing with some kinds of tea, not everyone likes it or drinks it often.

Dinosaurs are my cup of tea. Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated by these amazing creatures, their diversity, size and beauty. I first watched this series about eight years ago and always looked forward to the next episode. Each episode wasn't long, the commentary was good, and the narrator didn't try to overwhelm the audience with a lot of information at once, but gave it in bite-sized chunks. For me, it was definitely the best BBC production.

Conversations with an immortal and unsuspecting mother. Constant verbal fights, bickering and innuendo of the sharpest calibre. Reassurance about the condition of an ancient pet. Repeated introductions to an old girlfriend. I could certainly go on like this for a while, listing elements that appear in virtually every episode of this incredibly funny British sitcom. The cast is absolutely perfect – Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi are very convincing, Frances de la Tour is every inch the boozy and flirtatious comedian, and the hitherto unknown to me Iwan Rheon also pleasantly surprised me. This immensely likeable quartet is complemented by other funny supporting characters who entertain as much as the protagonists. For some it may be a repetition of the same thing, over and over again, but for me it works because I am royally entertained and laughing almost continuously. In short, an excellent, endlessly entertaining and very well cast sitcom that really sat well with me.