It’s been awhile since I’ve updated the recommended page on my site, and I figured now is as good a time as any.

Some of these may be so incredibly obvious that you’ll want to take one hand, slap it against your chest, and shout a defiant “no duh!” at your monitor, but hopefully there will be a few recommendations among the lot that you haven’t heard of. So, in no particular order:

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace: This is my new favorite TV show. It’s brilliant on so many different levels and I’ve been telling everyone I know about it. Here’s what Michael Cera had to say about it, “That show is so good I can’t stand it. Thank you for it, in a major way.” Check out my previous posts for more information. And because this video is great, I’m going to post it again.

The Ricky Gervais Show: The Ricky Gervais Show should really be called The Karl Pilkington Show, as the whole thing is pretty much Ricky and Stephen, who co-wrote and co-directed “The Office” and “Extras,” talking to Karl and getting Karl’s incredibly weird take on things. Karl is amazing. Never has one man been so stupid and so brilliant at the same time. Or so entertaining. You can download the whole first season for free right here.

fourfour: fourfour is my new favorite blog (and the banner had me at hello). It’s the wittiest and best written blog I’ve come across in a long time. If you watch Project Runway and haven’t read fourfour’s recaps, you’re missing out on one of life’s great pleasures. But you don’t have to be a fan of Project Runway to appreciate fourfour, check out his fat camp post, Basic Instinct 2 review, Beyonce/The Beyond, or any of his film reviews. Really, the whole site is genius.

David Grann’s New Yorker pieces: David Grann is currently my favorite writer because of The Squid Hunter and Mysterious Circumstances (part 1, part 2). If you have some free time, sit back and read these amazing works of literary journalism.

ASSSSCAT: If you live in or near Los Angeles or New York, you really owe it to yourself to check out this show. According to the website, Asssscat “starts with a group of improv comedians taking the stage accompanied by a special guest monologist. Some guest monologists are talented celebrities, others are screwed up weirdos. Either way, they usually have great stories to tell. We take a suggestion from the audience, then the show begins. The special guest shares off-the-cuff thoughts, feelings, and personal remembrances inspired by the suggestion. The improvisers in turn use this impromptu monologue as fodder for a series of high octane, balls-to-the-wall improvised sketches that have made this show one of the longest running improv shows in the history of the world.” It’s also the most consistently entertaining live comedy show I’ve been to, and I try to attend every Sunday. It’s also free.

Charlie Kafuman’s Human Nature interview: This is actually a note for note parody of a Paul Thomas Anderson interview about Magnolia, and it’s fucking brilliant. It’s got all of the swearing, all of the enthusiasm, and in place of Fiona Apple, Mercedes Reuhl.

The Office (US): Like I wrote previously, I saw the pilot way back when and hated it, and as a result didn’t give the show much of a chance. I decided to give it another shot and boy am I glad I did. I could watch Jenna Fischer smile all day long. They’ve used a lot of the best elements of the bbc version, but have also branched out in entirely new directions, which makes for a very entertaining show.

Achewood: I consider this to be the best comic ever. And I own every Calvin and Hobbes book. Start at the beginning and be amazed at the hilarity and brilliance of the story lines and characters. This is one of the things I look forward to reading every day and it never disappoints. The Great Outdoor Fight storyline will go down as one of my favorite things in any medium, ever.

Smoky Tempeh Strips: This product has completely changed my eating habits. I now make at least 3 BLT sandwiches a week. Highly recommended for vegans and those who like food that tastes good.

Battlestar Galactica: I’m not the biggest sci-fi fan, but this show is so much more than that. It deals with politics, religion, unrequited love, and human-robot love, just to name a few themes. If you like Philip K. Dick at all, or quality dramas, I recommend this show.

The Wire: Speaking of quality dramas, this show is at the top of the heap. I can’t think of another show on television that respects the intelligence of the viewer more than this program. It’s an angry show that rewards the viewer. Payoffs don’t come at the end of every episode, but at the end of the season. And as the seasons progress, the show just keeps getting richer and deeper.

Take the Money and Run: Woody Allen’s first film is a mockumentary about an incompetent criminal, with Woody in the starring role. I was shocked at how hilarious this film is and how well it ages. This started me up on a serious Woody Allen kick.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 22nd, 2006 at 2:25 pm and is filed under general. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.