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As an avid dvd buyer, I am always keen on finding similar (and yet different) films and television programmes to buy and then obviously watch. I especially like reading magazine where they write at the bottom, if you like such and such, you will like this and so I thought I'd bring my own personal touch to this little aside in reviews. I'm not claiming that the idea is original, nor are the suggestions I have written below so for those, like me, who avidly buy dvds, this guide won't be useful. However for those starting a collection or looking for something different and are unsure what to turn to then this is for you.
Right first up:
If you liked Buffy The Vampire Slayer, you will like....Firefly & Dead Like Me. It is a shame that some of the shows I watch on TV now are so applingly bad, it makes you wonder why little gems like Firefly and Dead Like Me are cancelled. I decided to include DLM as well as the obvious choice to an alternative to Buffy is Firefly but that said, Firefly is essential viewing.
Firefly as it was pitched was a "space western". Initially, the studios thought this was so different it might work and was given the green light but down to poor ratings, the show eventually got cancelled. Joss Whedon's trademark dialogue is very recognisable if vastly different to that of Buffy. He even uses certain asian words to stand in for profanities and swear words. It is the uniqueness of the show: the what is done with the premise, not the actual premise itself that makes you want to watch the next episode. It does take a bit of getting use to but stay with it and you will be surely rewarded. I picked this series up for 4.99. It has been in a few sales in hmv and zavvi and could be easily picked up for 10 pounds, which is a fair price for four discs. Bare this in mind if you take my advice and look at my other guides to help you find what is a reasonable asking price.
Dead Like Me is another quirky show that was cancelled before its time. The show centres around a girl who is killed by a toilet seat from the satellite station Mir. She is then turned into a Grim Reaper and its then that she starts to learn about life. A very touching pilot episode made me want to watch more and I wasn't let down. I have yet to buy the second season on dvd but that is because the dvds themselves are quite rare so people's asking prices are £29.99 last time I checked. This will obviously go down and I would probably say 15 pounds (inclusive of p+p) is a fair asking price for each boxset. The extras on Season one are somewhat thin but understandable if the show was cancelled.
Secondly:
If you liked 24 then you will like Alias. JJ Abrams first TV project was this show and launched Jennifer Garner's career also. It waned a little by season three, which was when Abrams was working on Lost but enough mythology had been placed in the show to make me watch it to the end. Not everything is answered but you are left satisfied, and somewhat saddened that the end had to come. Garner earns every award she was given for the show. Try not to buy these out of sequence as the show practically runs from one season to the next. When I brought the first season on dvd, I was literally hooked and come the second season (the best out of the five in my opinion) I was sold. I had to get every season there was. I admit, I took some getting use to the science fiction of the show but fortunately very little of that crops up. The Garner/Abrams commentary on the pilot episode is worth listening to, especially when talking about a certain bathroom scene which I won't spoil. Each set is worth no more then 15 pounds in my opinion (I sound cheap but some of the sales I have seen the boxsets in have led me to believe this is what it should be) and only buy these if you have a spare week or two to finish them as I can almost guarantee when the episode draws to a close, you will want to see the next one immeaditely. Very addictive.
This concludes the first part of "If you like, you may like..." but rest assured more parts are to come. I hope I've helped some people find alternatives to mainstream TV.
Right first up:
If you liked Buffy The Vampire Slayer, you will like....Firefly & Dead Like Me. It is a shame that some of the shows I watch on TV now are so applingly bad, it makes you wonder why little gems like Firefly and Dead Like Me are cancelled. I decided to include DLM as well as the obvious choice to an alternative to Buffy is Firefly but that said, Firefly is essential viewing.
Firefly as it was pitched was a "space western". Initially, the studios thought this was so different it might work and was given the green light but down to poor ratings, the show eventually got cancelled. Joss Whedon's trademark dialogue is very recognisable if vastly different to that of Buffy. He even uses certain asian words to stand in for profanities and swear words. It is the uniqueness of the show: the what is done with the premise, not the actual premise itself that makes you want to watch the next episode. It does take a bit of getting use to but stay with it and you will be surely rewarded. I picked this series up for 4.99. It has been in a few sales in hmv and zavvi and could be easily picked up for 10 pounds, which is a fair price for four discs. Bare this in mind if you take my advice and look at my other guides to help you find what is a reasonable asking price.
Dead Like Me is another quirky show that was cancelled before its time. The show centres around a girl who is killed by a toilet seat from the satellite station Mir. She is then turned into a Grim Reaper and its then that she starts to learn about life. A very touching pilot episode made me want to watch more and I wasn't let down. I have yet to buy the second season on dvd but that is because the dvds themselves are quite rare so people's asking prices are £29.99 last time I checked. This will obviously go down and I would probably say 15 pounds (inclusive of p+p) is a fair asking price for each boxset. The extras on Season one are somewhat thin but understandable if the show was cancelled.
Secondly:
If you liked 24 then you will like Alias. JJ Abrams first TV project was this show and launched Jennifer Garner's career also. It waned a little by season three, which was when Abrams was working on Lost but enough mythology had been placed in the show to make me watch it to the end. Not everything is answered but you are left satisfied, and somewhat saddened that the end had to come. Garner earns every award she was given for the show. Try not to buy these out of sequence as the show practically runs from one season to the next. When I brought the first season on dvd, I was literally hooked and come the second season (the best out of the five in my opinion) I was sold. I had to get every season there was. I admit, I took some getting use to the science fiction of the show but fortunately very little of that crops up. The Garner/Abrams commentary on the pilot episode is worth listening to, especially when talking about a certain bathroom scene which I won't spoil. Each set is worth no more then 15 pounds in my opinion (I sound cheap but some of the sales I have seen the boxsets in have led me to believe this is what it should be) and only buy these if you have a spare week or two to finish them as I can almost guarantee when the episode draws to a close, you will want to see the next one immeaditely. Very addictive.
This concludes the first part of "If you like, you may like..." but rest assured more parts are to come. I hope I've helped some people find alternatives to mainstream TV.
Guide created: 18/06/08 (updated 15/07/08)
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