MetteThursday Movie Picks (TMP) is a weekly blogging event hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Each week, participants chose three to five of their favorite movies that fit the current theme. Find the schedule here. This week’s topic is a TV Special: Time Travel.
Although I am more of a movie/mini-series person and someone who is extremely bad at binging, I do usually watch some TV on the side. It’s just a lot more digestible for someone who has little free time. Luckily, I was able to find exactly three shows I’ve seen and liked, which revolve around time travel. One of them was a bit of a stretch, since I haven’t seen much of it, but I hope you can live with that. In general, I am a big fan of any art or discussion revolving around time travel and I hope more good shows will touch on the topic in the future!
Futurama (1999 – 2013)
I had to search for a long time to find my third pick, but then I remembered this fun show that I occasionally catch on TV. I haven’t really been caught by the wave of animated comedy shows for adults so far, but I do enjoy watching most of them when I do. Futurama is definitely one of the best of these that I have seen, usually addressing universal topics that everyone can relate to. I don’t have much more to say about it, except that it is pleasant and fun to watch.
Doctor Who [New] (2005 – ?)
Doctor Who is one of the oldest TV shows that are still running, however it was on hiatus for a long time before returning in 2005. I have only seen very little of the old show, and to my knowledge it is rather different to what we are used to in the new seasons. I have been in love with this show since season 2, which is when David Tennant started portraying the Doctor. That’s one of the great things as well as one of the sad things about Doctor Who – the main character can change form, and the supporting characters are usually substituted with new ones when he does. It makes for a lot of discussions about who is the best Doctor and which were the best pairings, but the essence of the show is smart, slightly campy, family-friendly sci-fi entertainment. It seems that it has lost some of that spirit recently, although I did enjoy Peter Capaldi’s first season. Let’s hope the many changes in the staff will get the show back to its whimsical roots.
Torchwood (2006 – 2011)
This is the only Doctor Who spin-off series that has seemed appealing to me so far – and it’s so good! While Doctor Who usually succeeds in hitting the right notes for the often-overlooked family audience, Torchwood is not for kids. It has everything from sex and cheating to drugs and heavy violence. Yet what really makes it stand out is the same as what makes Doctor Who stand out – it’s well-written storylines and characters. In fact, Torchwood almost makes it possible for the audience to connect to its characters more than to those in Doctor Who – if they survive all of its four seasons, that is.
What are your favorite time travel TV shows?
