Show Recommendations Topic: Ask Or Give

[Kromm]

Here's what I envision here.  A catchall show recommendation topic, just with a few basic rules so there's some structure.

 

1.) Unasked, you can give an "open" recommendation to everyone all at once.  The assumption here though is that you feel it's a vastly under-appreciated or even better simply an unexpectedly interesting/superior unknown show that the masses are missing out on. So don't bother with "Oh, Game of Thrones is a great show!" We know!  But if you come in to say "hey, I just saw this show called 'The Human Experiment' on National Geographic Channel, and I bet very few people have seen it because you know... nobody watches National Geographic", then that would fit.

 

2.) Give a show, ask for recommendations of other shows that are similar/should be liked by fans of the show.  So doing that, I might post "Hey, I'm a fan of The Big Bang Theory, can someone recommend similar shows that are good".  And if someone else sees that and has an opinion, then they should quote the post and give their answer.

 

3.) Or finally, do a combination of those two--rather than asking for a recommendation based on show similarities, simply give one (as in #1), but in the process compare it to other shows it's like, so people have a guideline.  So if, for example, I want to highlight the Chris O'Dowd show, "Moone Boy" (showing on Hulu for US viewers), I'd also point out (to help narrow down who'd actually like it) that I feel fans of "The Wonder Years" or "The Goldbergs" might like it, if they can struggle through the Irish accents. 

Edited June 24, 2014 by Kromm

[galax-arena]

I like to pimp the New Zealand show This Is Not My Life whenever I have a chance. This is the Wiki blurb: "Set in the 2020s, the show centres on Alec Ross (Charles Mesure) who awakes one morning to find that he doesn't know who or where he is and doesn't recognise his wife or children."

 

I'd recommend the show for people who like anti-utopia conspiracy tropes. I've never seen either The Prisoner or Persons Unknown, but I've heard the show draw comparisons to both.

 

Unfortunately, for anyone not in New Zealand, the show is almost impossible to get unless you're not opposed to piracy. I'm in the US and got it via torrents. And hey, I totally tried to purchase the legal DVD set - which is out of print now, I think - because I like supporting my favorite shows, but I never received it. The perils of international shipping. /whine

[The Crazed Spruce]

Being Canadian, I'm naturally inclined to promote shows from my home country.  So, yeah, here are a few Canadian shows I'd love to recommend.

 

If you like classic detective shows like The Rockford Files, or are a fan of absolutely gorgeous scenery, I recommend Republic of Doyle.  It's a show about a private eye who works with his father in St. John's, Newfoundland.  If you can get past the thick accents, it's a fun little show.

 

If you like your detective shows a little more dramatic, and enjoy a good period piece, there's Murdoch Mysteries.  The show is based around William Murdoch, a Detective in the Toronto Constabulary around the year 1900, who uses advanced forensic techniques (such as "finger marks" and ballistic analysis) to solve murders in Victorian-era Toronto.

 

If you like The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, and SNL's Weekend Update, and have at least a passing familiarity with Canadian politics, I recommend This Hour Has 22 Minutes.  Sure, the show's best days are behind it, but it's still pretty funny, and Mark Critch does a hilarious Rob Ford impression.

[walnutqueen]

Thanks, The Crazed Spruce.  I'm a Canadian living in Southern California, and am always on the lookout for a fix from home.  I am obsessed with the Pacific Northwest, and Motive is my favorite Canadian show right now.  I actually found an obscure local channel that occasionally airs Republic of Doyle repeats, so I'm a happy camper, eh. 

[ElleryAnne]

If you like your detective shows a little more dramatic, and enjoy a good period piece, there's Murdoch Mysteries.  The show is based around William Murdoch, a Detective in the Toronto Constabulary around the year 1900, who uses advanced forensic techniques (such as "finger marks" and ballistic analysis) to solve murders in Victorian-era Toronto.

 

 

I've seen several episodes of this show on Netflix and agree it's well worth catching.

[rubaco]

OK, maybe there's some hidden gem out there that I've never heard of. Might as well ask. I'd love to find a show like The X-Files, not so much the sci-fi aspect, but rather the spooky/weird aspect. Something that gives you chills. No need to pitch the following shows because I've already seen them: Fringe, Haven (on Syfy), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood. And I am old enough to have seen Kolchak when it originally aired. 

 

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

[BellaLugosi]

Rubaco you'd probably like the earlier seasons of Supernatural. If you can find Freakylinks, you'd probably like that one too. 

[The Crazed Spruce]

OK, maybe there's some hidden gem out there that I've never heard of. Might as well ask. I'd love to find a show like The X-Files, not so much the sci-fi aspect, but rather the spooky/weird aspect. Something that gives you chills. No need to pitch the following shows because I've already seen them: Fringe, Haven (on Syfy), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood. And I am old enough to have seen Kolchak when it originally aired. 

 

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

 

Have you tried Orphan Black?  it has the same spooky/weird feeling as The X-Files, only it's about a secretive cloning experiment instead of an alien conspiracy.  (Not to mention it has at least five stellar performances by Tatiana Maslaney.  I swear, half the time you completely forget that the same woman is playing most of the lead roles.)

[Kromm]

I can "third" the recommendation for The Murdoch Mysteries, and say that although the settings and personalities are totally different, it has a similar energy to Australia's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, so I'd cross-recommend fans of each show to the OTHER show.  Conveniently they're both on Netflix.  I'd also tie into that the Nero Wolfe A&E show from around 2000, if people can get their hands on that (although I think those may only be available on DVD now).  Anyway, all three shows have in common a vintage feel, but done with a light touch (they don't have that heavy ponder-some feel a lot of "period' stuff has, even though... you know.. people die).

OK, maybe there's some hidden gem out there that I've never heard of. Might as well ask. I'd love to find a show like The X-Files, not so much the sci-fi aspect, but rather the spooky/weird aspect. Something that gives you chills. No need to pitch the following shows because I've already seen them: Fringe, Haven (on Syfy), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood. And I am old enough to have seen Kolchak when it originally aired. 

 

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

I personally don't like the genre (because I inherently believe it's all fake), but I suppose if you can "ride" without skepticism there might be one or more of those "Ghost hunting" shows that might work for you.  SyFy's Paranormal Witness is the one I've heard is at least well produced.  

[blueray]

I love science fiction, particularly space shows. I am a huge Star Trek fan  and I have seen stargate (all) and farscape. I know there is firefly or battle Garlatia but I'm not sure I'm interested in those. Anyone have any ideas? thanks.

[DittyDotDot]

I recommend both Firefly and/or Battlestar Galactica.  Firefly--cowboys in space--didn't get a full run though, about half a season before it got cancelled, but I still love it. Battlestar Galactica is no Trek or Stargate, but still has some great storylines. It pittles out for me by the end, but the first two seasons are real gems, IMO. You might like Defiance. Not in space, but deals with aliens. I found the first season lacking, but think it shows some promise so I haven't given up on it yet. Gosh, it seems like I should have a treasure trove for you, but I'm suddenly drawing a blank, sorry.

[RapBert]

I love science fiction, particularly space shows. I am a huge Star Trek fan  and I have seen stargate (all) and farscape. I know there is firefly or battle Garlatia but I'm not sure I'm interested in those. Anyone have any ideas? thanks.

 

I do co-sign Firefly and Battlestar Galactica, and would add Babylon 5. One of the best sci-fi shows ever made. It may start out slow, but once it gets going, it's amazing. Well written and well acted, just all around great.

 

 

Gosh, it seems like I should have a treasure trove for you, but I'm suddenly drawing a blank, sorry.

 

I have the same problem. Classic Sci-fi, and especially space opera, is dead nowadays. I just wish for a show in the vein of Star Trek: The Next Generation, just an optimistic view of the future without all the grimdark atmosphere and morally ambigous heroes that most shows today seem to have.

[Kromm]

 I just wish for a show in the vein of Star Trek: The Next Generation, just an optimistic view of the future without all the grimdark atmosphere and morally ambigous heroes that most shows today seem to have.

Oddly enough, in its day, one of the main early criticisms of Next Gen was that it deviated too much from the "black and white" moral certainty of the original show into a lot of "everything is shades of gray" plots.

Anyway, while it's far from "morally certain", getting back to responding to the original question, I suppose we could mention Doctor Who.  Which takes a terribly unrealistic approach to Sci-Fi. sure, but CAN be lots of fun if you aren't weighed down by expectations of it making any real sense in the end.  Parts of the show can be very "spacey", while other parts (long stretches in fact) aren't in the least spacey, and very little of even the parts that ARE spacey are anything like how Star Trek does that. So it depends on if @blueray is into Star Trek because of the aspect of a formal crew on a ship, or if it's more about the general kinds of stories you get paralleling alien planets to humanity (something Who does a lot of, in it's own way).

Edited June 30, 2014 by Kromm

[DittyDotDot]

Oh yes, the first couple seasons of the reboot of Doctor Who are really good. Even later ones are good, but I prefer the Christopher Eccelston year, so... It's less sciency and more fictiony. And I actually really like that they don't try to over-explain the science and just go with it. It's definitely good fun!

 

Something that's not space related, but good light-hearted science fiction is Eureka and its sister show Warehouse 13. They follow the formula of Stargate SG-1 more with a case of the week thing and there's some real whacky science in Eureka. A little on the darker side and more supernatural as apposed to science driven would be Haven. All three are on SyFy, but I think you can find the old seasons on Netflix or Hulu.

[blueray]

I tried to get into Doctor who and honestly didn't really care for it. I think it was because there weren't enough characters.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, I've heard that Babylon 5 was good but never saw it. I might check it out. And I saw the first few episodes of Defiance, and I liked it mostly. The only reason I stopped watching was because I missed a few episodes because of irl stuff, and couldn't find a way to catch up (I think it's on Netflix now though :).

[rubaco]

Thanks to everyone for the recs! 

 

Have you tried Orphan Black?

 

 

Yeah, I watch and love Orphan Black, and give a big thumbs-up to that recommendation. Probably my favorite current show. 

[ganesh]

If you like Babylon 5 you have to watch it twice because it's a *totally* different show the 2nd time around. 

[Shannon L.]

I actually have a request, but for information about a show (if anyone remembers it well) instead of for a show itself.  My family and I enjoy watching tv shows together.  We have an almost 13 year old and an almost 16 year old. We've watched and enjoyed Bones, Chuck and Firefly so far.  My husband wants to start watching Prison Break and I'm wondering about the content.  Here's the way it is in our family:  We are not shy about sex--we discuss a lot of things as they come up. In fact, we've paused certain shows (comedies and dramas) so many times to discuss what we thought about a certain scene that our kids sometimes ask if we can, for once, get through a show without pausing it  :)  Anyway, we're more open than some people about sex and violence, but there are some things that I feel are too much--especially for the younger one.  I still have a hard time with kinky sex practices and sexual violence.  They know about it, but I don't think they need to see it just yet (well, the younger one, really, since TV-14 won't get too bad my our older child).  In fact, we've skipped certain episodes of Bones because of those very things.

 

Anyway, before we get too interested in Prison Break to want to stop it because it's crossing the boundaries we've set, can anyone remember it well enough to tell me if we have anything to really worry about? I guess an episode here and there isn't a big deal--we'll talk about it (heh), but too many and I might not be too thrilled with continuing.

Sorry about the quotes:  I wrote this just as the forum went down, so I was able to copy and paste into a word document until the came back up.  For some reason, it won't let me paste something unless I've hit the quote button.  If anyone can explain how to go around this, I'd appreciate it (I've tried full editor, but it still won't work).

 

Thanks!

Edited July 3, 2014 by Shannon L.

[DittyDotDot]

@Shannon L., it might be a browser issue. I'm no techy, but I had a similar issue a couple months back and it turned out that if I used the plain text mode (>_ symbol in upper left corner) I could paste. I don't know if that's the same problem you got going on, but it happened after I got an update for Internet Explorer. Hope that helps.

[Jeebus Cripes]

OK, maybe there's some hidden gem out there that I've never heard of. Might as well ask. I'd love to find a show like The X-Files, not so much the sci-fi aspect, but rather the spooky/weird aspect. Something that gives you chills. No need to pitch the following shows because I've already seen them: Fringe, Haven (on Syfy), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood. And I am old enough to have seen Kolchak when it originally aired. 

 

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

 

I agree with the poster who mentioned early Supernatural, though it will only start to frustrate you down the road. Penny Dreadful has been creeping me out good.

 

@Shannon L., I watched all of Prison Break, and I don't remember anything too graphic, although I have to confess to not remembering much about the first season. There is a character named T-Bag who is a pedophile, but I don't recall them showing anything too risque. It was on Fox, so there's no nudity. 

[Shannon L.]

Thanks for the suggestion, DittyDotDot.  I'll try it next time.  Thank you, too, Jeebus Cripes.  That's good to know.  Sometimes, what passes for TV-14 makes me raise an eyebrow. 

[ganesh]

Penny Dreadful went from wtf is this show to this show is fucking awesome in like 2 episodes. 

[Jeebus Cripes]

OK, maybe there's some hidden gem out there that I've never heard of. Might as well ask. I'd love to find a show like The X-Files, not so much the sci-fi aspect, but rather the spooky/weird aspect. Something that gives you chills. No need to pitch the following shows because I've already seen them: Fringe, Haven (on Syfy), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood. And I am old enough to have seen Kolchak when it originally aired. 

 

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

 

I also highly recommend Hannibal.

[Kromm]

Okay, here's an ask, rather than a give.

 

Japanese TV Animation recommendations, but with a few caveats.  I don't want the silly ones.  I was a big fan of the Robotech shows, the ones that made their way to the US, back when I was a kid.  What I'd like recommendations of are what other shows have in the years since struck the most similar tone and execution to those shows. In other words, no objection to giant robots.  No objection to some necessary romance plots.  But there's got to be a nice dramatic backing to it all, a big story, generally a lack of dumb "cute" mascot characters, and a serious Sci-Fi bent.  Quality over quantity too.  

[ganesh]

Yamato 2199. 

[Kromm]

Yamato 2199. 

That's kind of/sort of descended from Star Blazers isn't it? (which I recall seeing some of originally, but it's mostly faded)

[ganesh]

It's the reboot and it kicks ass. I don't want to spoil much more. 

[Athena]

Okay, here's an ask, rather than a give.

 

Japanese TV Animation recommendations, but with a few caveats.  I don't want the silly ones.  I was a big fan of the Robotech shows, the ones that made their way to the US, back when I was a kid.  What I'd like recommendations of are what other shows have in the years since struck the most similar tone and execution to those shows. In other words, no objection to giant robots.  No objection to some necessary romance plots.  But there's got to be a nice dramatic backing to it all, a big story, generally a lack of dumb "cute" mascot characters, and a serious Sci-Fi bent.  Quality over quantity too.  

 

I don't watch a lot of anime anymore nor Mecca when I did, but I really liked The Vision of Escaflowne. It's from the 90s and it is geared towards a younger crowd, and it was dubbed so you may be aware of it already. There is a minor romance, but I liked it for being an interesting mix of fantasy, sci-fi, mecca, and there is some cute, but it's not too egregious.

[SVNBob]

For quality anime, I cannot recommend Cowboy Bebop enough.  The story isn't as big as Robotech and there's no giant robots.  But it has soul.

[tennisgurl]

Yeah, I am not really a huge Anime person, but Cowboy Bebop is awesome. Its a fun sci- fi story, but also has lots of really in depth character work and dialogue. Plus the soundtrack!  

[GreekGeek]

A few years ago, I came across "Slings and Arrows," about a Canadian repertory theater (I assume modeled on the Stratford, Ontario Shakespeare festival.) Does anyone know of other shows with a similar "show people" theme? I tried one episode of "Nashville" and couldn't get into it, but otherwise I welcome suggestions, from America or elsewhere.

[Kromm]

A few years ago, I came across "Slings and Arrows," about a Canadian repertory theater (I assume modeled on the Stratford, Ontario Shakespeare festival.) Does anyone know of other shows with a similar "show people" theme? I tried one episode of "Nashville" and couldn't get into it, but otherwise I welcome suggestions, from America or elsewhere.

You could watch Season 1 of Glee... and then pretend NONE of the rest of the show exists!!! (because of how shitty it gets after that)

 

Some people swear by Smash, but I personally kinda couldn't get past the first episode.  It may have just been me though.  At least it's "on theme" pretty tightly for what you're asking.

[selkie]

For anime, it's more steampunk fantasy than scifi, but I really liked Fullmetal Alchemist. It starts out with two young brothers trying to fix a huge mistake they made, and then spins outward to a far larger story of action, politics, ethics, and magical alchemy, all the while the brothers remaining the heart of the story.

 

If you can find it, I also really enjoyed 'Read or Die', which is the story of three sisters who have the ability to magically manipulate paper and who become the bodyguards for a famous Japanese author.

[Ghost]

For quality mecha-based anime, I can't recommend Neon Genesis Evangelion enough. That and the aforementioned Escaflowne were the series that made me love anime. Avoid the dub like the plague and watch the subtitled version, though, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a subs purist. I saw the dubbed version first because it was the only thing available on VHS around here (yes, it's going back a while), and had the opportunity to compare the two once dual-language anime DVDs became available, and I was shocked by the difference. The dub is very poorly translated. I think a lot of the confusion about the series (which is really no more confusing than, say, Paranoia Agent) probably stems from that.

 

The film remakes are also terrible.

[JayKay]

On the subject of anime, while it wasn't the most perfect thing that ever perfected, I enjoyed Code Geass for what it was. I'm not super into Mecha but the Mech fights are awesome and there's quite a lot of them throughout the series, each given weight and tactical consideration instead of a big loud game of Rock'em Sock'em. There's also plenty of political intrigue and a large cast of interesting characters with the backdrop of rebellion against an unjust monarchy. People die. Some superpowers, not an overabundance of romance. Lots of moral ambiguity and psychological chess matches. Often melodramatic, but gets unexpectedly emotional at times. If any of that interests you, it's worth a shot.

[ganesh]

Watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood though, not the prior series. FMA:B is based directly on the comic. And, holy shit btw. *snaps fingers*

[Tabbyclaw]

Gonna poke my head in and offer another thumbs-up for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for a good plotty, non-goofy anime. (It definitely has moments of goofy, but they're mostly of the "here, have a burst of comedy to break the tension" variety.) The first series... there's some good character/philosophy stuff there, especially with the homunculi, but the plot spends the entire series hanging by a thread and then that thread abruptly snaps in the last episode. And I say this as someone for whom the first series was my first exposure to the franchise, so it's not "manga purist" bias.

 

Where it might not meet your criteria, though, depends on what you mean by "serious sci-fi bent." If it's the futuristic aesthetic you're looking for, a series set in alternate-universe 1910s Europe is probably not gonna do it for you. But if you're looking for "the impossible stuff that happens is treated as a science, with rules and strict limits and explanations," then this is definitely the show for you.

[ganesh]

FMA:B had a string of about 17 ridiculous "oh fuck" episodes in a row. You can shoot through maybe 4-5 at a clip.

[FurryFury]

To get the most out of Code Geass, you probably should be familiar with other mecha anime shows, especially Gundam series (and especially, Gundam SEED). Geass is basically deconstruction of its common character archetypes, and it's hilarious to watch. Still, Geass is plenty awesome on its own, too. One of my favorites.

 

Anime is sadly becoming more and more fan-pandering and derivative these last years (even the really popular stuff like Shingeki no Kyoujin is far cry from the highlights of years past), but there is still some things worth mentioning, like Psycho Pass (dystopian cyberpunk with a Minority Report style type premise, bleak and creepy and psychological, definitely worth checking out if you want more serious sci-fi). 

 

And just as a general anime rec, there's also Chihayafuru, a story about a girl playing karuta (a weird Japanese card game involving classical poetry) that just blew me out of the water with its character dynamics and suspenseful battles (of the card game variety, but they are really cool). It also feature the only love triangle ever I actually liked (it's also very low-key, like all romance on the show). It's really, really fun and a great thing to watch if you're feeling down (god knows there aren't enough of shows like that that are actually good).

[Sandman87]

An open recommendation for science fiction anime: Legend of the Galactic Heroes gets my absolute strongest recommendation. It's an epic space opera/military drama (and I do mean epic, with 110 episodes in the first series) of an interstellar war between a corrupt, inefficient republic and a totalitarian empire, with a small opportunistic oligarchy trying to play both sides against the middle. The good guys in this scenario? Individual characters on all sides of the conflict, that's who. The bad guys? Again, individual characters on all sides. This isn't a simple story for children, but more of a Game of Thrones-esque story of the conflict from every imaginable angle: Ordinary civilians, common soldiers, generals, and politicians all take part, and they all have different views of what's going on and what ought to be done.

 

Incidentally, the soundtrack consists almost entirely of classical music, chosen appropriately for the individual scenes. I found it somewhat amusing that the producers chose mostly German composers for scenes with the Empire characters, which is appropriate given the Empire's history as revealed in the show.

 

The only two caveats about the show are that a handful of the episodes focus on the horrors of war (complete with gore), and it's not available in an English dub, meaning that you'll have to watch it with subtitles.

 

-----

 

Editing post to second the recommendation for Chihayafuru. The show only slightly dramatizes the  game of Karuta. The game is, at the competition level, an incredibly badass card game that requires speed, endurance, memorization skills, and intense concentration (players lose measurable amounts of weight during a game, and fainting is not uncommon). At its base, the show is basically a sports anime/high school comedy/drama, with a card game instead of a regular sport.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Sandman87

[walnutqueen]

If you like quirky cop shows an if you can find it "Death in Paradise".  About an English detective sent to the island of Ste Marie.

 

I absolutely LOVE this little gem of a show.  It airs on PBS on Thursday nights in my area (repeats early Sunday mornings). 

 

PBS also has 2 new nature shows on Wednesdays I'm enjoying - My Wild Affair and Sex in the Wild.

[Kromm]

I'm recommending Sensitive Skin, with Kim Cattrall.  There doesn't seem to be a forum for it, so I don't know if anyone watches it at all.  It's a Canadian show, sometimes funny, and one of the cardinals from The Borgias, Colm Feore,  is in it, as well as Joanna Gleason.

Any comparisons to be made between it and any other shows we might be more familiar with?

 

A quick bit of Google Fu says it's based on a Brit show of the same name. 

[ganesh]

Utopia. It's not for everyone.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Utopia. It's not for everyone.

Assume you mean the awesomely f***ed-up British series, and not the American reality show debuting on Fox this fall, correct?

(Sorry, felt the need for clarity. Those are two eeeeeeeeeeeeeeepically different shows.)

[ganesh]

Yes. Jessica Hyde & Friends. 

[Kromm]

Assume you mean the awesomely f***ed-up British series, and not the American reality show debuting on Fox this fall, correct?

(Sorry, felt the need for clarity. Those are two eeeeeeeeeeeeeeepically different shows.)

I don't even GET how anyone expects the FOX show to do well.  It makes no sense to me.  52 weeks of people living in the woods?  With no prize?  Viewers will be bored to tears pretty quickly.  I'm sure they aren't airing 52 weeks of the show no matter what, so what do they do?  Leave them on their own and come back to them later in the same year?

 

To make things even MORE confusing, HBO is doing a David Fincher produced US adaptation of the UK series, Australia also has a completely unrelated 2014 show called Utopia, and (at least in Dutch) the original Dutch version of the reality show also is out there as well.

[ribboninthesky1]

If one is looking for interesting TV shows with non-stereotypical, prominently featured black characters, I highly recommend The Divide and Extant.  The Divide is a political drama on WeTV, produced and (I think) co-created by Scandal's Tony Goldwyn.  The plot isn't particularly original (political corruption), but the cast is generally solid and engaging.  There is one character I'd like to die in a fire, but overall, I enjoy it for the character drama that it is.  

 

Another show is Extant, a CBS science fiction drama from Steven Spielberg.  I'm usually not a Halle Berry fan, but she works in this show.  I like the way she portrays Molly, a vulnerable yet intelligent woman. The plot is moving right along, and it keeps me engaged during each episode, wondering what will happen next. 

 

The two are my favorites from the summer. For those who enjoy political drama or science fiction, you may like these as well.

[MaryMitch]

I'm not a cook, but I like these 2 shows on The Cooking Channel:

 

Bitchin' Kitchen - the hostess, Nadia G, is really funny and a bit demented. She has 3 regulars who give advice on spices, meats and fish, and health. I'm not sure they're making new episodes, but they're still showing 1 or 2 episodes a week. Nadia G has a 2nd show called "Bite This" which is a lot like "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives".

 

"My Grandmother's Ravioli" - Host Mo Rocco visits grandmas - and occasionally grandpas - who show how they make their signature dishes. Mo is funny and sweet, and the grannies have a ball.

[walnutqueen]

The Incredible Dr. Pol returns to NatGeoWild next Saturday, Aug 23.  If you haven't discovered this little old country vet who works at warp speed with great cheer and dedication, give him a chance to win your heart.

 

Same goes for Dr. Neil Fitzpatrick, SuperVet on Animal Planet.  He does amazing things with animal prosthetics and is intensely dedicated to his surgery practice.

[Kromm]

Bitchin' Kitchen - the hostess, Nadia G, is really funny and a bit demented. She has 3 regulars who give advice on spices, meats and fish, and health. I'm not sure they're making new episodes, but they're still showing 1 or 2 episodes a week. Nadia G has a 2nd show called "Bite This" which is a lot like "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives".

Oddly enough, what Bitchin' Kitchen has always reminded me of is a kind of cooking version of the 90's science show, Beakman's World.  It's got the same kind of characters and comic beats (and Beakman's World in turn was a kind of riff on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, so you can compare Bitchin' Kitchen to that as well).