14 April 2012

Knitting and TV, pretend productivity.

I spend more time than I care to admit watching TV or movies while knitting or spinning.  I'd be willing to bet that most knitters and crocheters do this.  To me, this is one of the best ways of unwinding at the end of a tiring day because I am able to relax and escape into a story while still feeling productive because I'm working on one of my projects.

Now, I have many shows that I really enjoy (even more movies, but that is for another post entirely), so I decided to share just a few that I have been revisiting recently in no particular order:
1. Twin Peaks: A drama/murder mystery by David Lynch. I'm not sure how to describe this show adequately, it has such an amazing aesthetic and some of the best characters ever (a lady with a talking log and pure evil named Bob to name two).  It is definitely one of my favorite shows of all time.

2. Downton Abbey: This show is wildly popular right now, and for good reason.  If you want non-stop drama and according to this trailer, a lot of people falling down, then this is the show for you.  Beautifully shot and with a plot line with so much drama that it is hard to keep it all straight, I certainly cannot wait for the next installment.


3. Arrested Development: Another difficult one to describe, but probably one of the funniest shows ever, it was certainly too funny for Fox.  It is one of those shows that you can't just start watching in the middle because all of the jokes for the series sort of build up over time.  Tobias is definitely one of the best characters with some of the best lines.


4. The Mighty Boosh: Another hilarious show and completely unlike anything else I have ever seen (closest thing I can think of is Flight of the Conchords).  A couple of years ago the Old Gregg scene was fairly popular.


5. Veronica Mars: I really don't think that this show was as popular as it should have been.  Kristen Bell really shined and made this show what it was.  Definitely more than just a teen drama.


6. Spaced: If you have ever seen the movies Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead then you will love this one.  Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are hilarious together and this show is no exception.


7. Top Gear: Mr. Engineering loves cars, he's worked at BMW and of course loves Top Gear.  I also really enjoy it, there is a reason why this is one of the most popular shows in the world.  Even if you aren't into cars, you will likely enjoy some aspect of this show.

Anyways, this is a small selection of shows that I love to knit to. Which shows do you enjoy?

12 comments:

  1. I really like Once Upon a Time, but not the best for knitting to. For knitting, I like to explore netflix and I usually end up with old nickelodeon cartoons. I also like Home Improvement. I guess I need to find more than stupid humor, though!

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  2. ooh great post! At the moment I watch Community and Mad Men while knitting, but in the past I would have watched Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, Dexter and various UK panel shows.

    I've been starting to watch movies as well, which I know is even more time spent in front of the TV, but as long as I'm getting knitting done it feels productive!

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  3. TWIN PEAKS!! Oh my gosh, I love that show. Sometimes I get really sad that I'll never be able to watch it again for the first time: next to BSG, I don't think I've ever been so emotionally invested in a TV show. The writing and the acting were totally brilliant!

    Firefly is probably my number one show to knit to, followed very closely by Doctor Who. And you already know about my love of Downton Abbey and Sherlock. :) I also love real-life crime shows with good narration, so I can work on something a little more complicated without having to look at the screen all the time.

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  4. I LOVE Top Gear. I even have a "I Am The Stig" shirt.

    Currently I've been watching Dr. Who, but I'm always in the mood for a good miniseries. Pillars of the Earth and North and South (the BBC one) are quite good.

    I keep hearing about Twin Peaks and might finally have to watch it.

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  5. I LOVE Top Gear. I even have a "I Am The Stig" shirt.

    Currently I've been watching Dr. Who, but I'm always in the mood for a good miniseries. Pillars of the Earth and North and South (the BBC one) are quite good.

    I keep hearing about Twin Peaks and might finally have to watch it.

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  6. That is SO SO spooky. No one has talked about Twin Peaks for years and years but Mr P and I have just recently decided to buy the box set of TP as it is one of our fave TV series ever. Weird show, but totally great.

    And Downtown Abby is the best period drama since when dinosaurs ruled the world.

    The Mighty Boosh - I have to admit at having a wee crush on Noel Fielding, he is so funny!

    But what I watch currently on TV while knitting are: Once Upon A time, all the CSI's, NCIS and Law & Order

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  7. Excellent tv show recap. I LOVE Arrested Development. I watched the first season of Twin Peaks, and 1/2 of the second and it was good. I just couldn't get through the end of the second season. I've got the DVD's so maybe I'll try again. Top Gear is awesome, and I don't like cars, they just do some funny stuff. Plus, James May makes me laugh, he is such the underdog with them. If you like funny and British you should give The Vicar of Dibley a try, it is one of my favourites. Oh and Doc Martin is good too.

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  8. Great list! I love Downton Abbey, Arrested Development and now I'm intrigued to watch Spaced... I'll put that in my queue.

    I love Community, it's very quirky. I also regularly watch the Daily Show. 30 rock can be funny. That's about all I'm watching at the moment. I don't spend too much time in front of the TV!

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  9. I love Downtown Abby!
    Warehouse 13 is a great show and Murdoch mysteries.

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  10. You and I seem to have the same taste in shows. I just started watching Twin Peaks again on Netflix. I have to have something on the television while I knit, something that doesn't require too much attention. So I guess that means that I too have been watching too much television.

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  11. I love Downton Abbey! We recently got Netflix so I've been watching Bones from the start - I've managed to get up to series 3 in about a week, so that's quite a lot of knitting time!

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  12. I admit that I look forward to having a little downtime to knit and watch my favorite television programs at the end of my workday -- it's a true guilty pleasure! I was a huge Twin Peaks fan when it first aired and really must watch that series again!

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