Just started watching the first ep of this.. Looks pretty cool! Surprising non-cheesy.
Recommended to watch? How long did it run; it was cancelled right?

edited to add why i started the thread

Also - just saw the first 4 eps back to back.. its pretty awesome! 3 seasons were made?

damn, i was kind of hoping this was the "is coming back afterall" thread. Yeah it did get cancelled. There is a trailer of what the 4th season would be like that will supposingly be on the 3rd season dvd.

Anyways, excellent show, glad you like it. Well, Kristen Bell is going to be on Heros this season, so i have somewhat of an excuse to check that show out now.

3rd season is kind of odd. Mini-mystery arcs with no real genuine over-reaching arc. not nearly as great as S1 or S2. Still the show goes out on a high note.

Bell is also narrating Gossip Girl this fall on the CW.

Kristen Bell will also be on Heroes this season. And Jason Dohring on Moonlight. And that jag-off that played Piz on Private Practice.

Anyhow, supposedly the series is gonna continue in comic book form starting next year ala Buffy Season 8 & Angel Season 6.

Still holding hope for a movie, Serenity stytle

The first season is one of the best TV shows ever. Period.

Season 1 -- Excellent
Season 2 -- Good
Season 3 -- Pretty Good

All in all, just watching these on DVD, back to back, will be better than watching them week-to-week. The writers like to throw a lot of subplots, characters and red herrings at you, so watchnig each season all at once will be much more fun that watching it week-to-week like many of us did.

That said, season 1 is a "must." And chances are, you'll stick to the next two seasons just for Kristen Bell.

To watch, sure. To buy? I bought the first season without a second thought and would have paid more. Second season I looked for a sale. Third season... pass. They screwed up the formula and I really didn't like the new characters.

The first season is one of the best seasons of television you will find. It had a distinctive beginning, middle, and an end - and there was the perfect amount of 'arc' episodes and 'filler' episodes (but every single episode added to the overall narrative).

The second season suffers mostly because while it is still a great television season, it comes directly after season one and nothing could match that quality. The writers had over a year to outline and concieve season one before they even began filming, for season two they had a little over two months - so of course its a little choppier. But the acting/chemistry is noticibly stronger, as is the one-liners. I personally think the second-season finale is the best episode in the series...

The third series is a nice change of pace from the past two seasons. Instead of one 22-episode arc we are given two arcs (like 8 episodes and 6 episodes), and then 6 "stand-alone" episodes (although they are linked in different ways). The only complaint about season 3 I can give is that while the series finale answers many questions - they still leave some major ones, and it doesn't feel like an ending...

I'd say:

Season 1 -- Excellent
Season 2 -- Good
Season 3 -- Poor

But I'll buy season 3 anyway. Because I'm a completest and because my wife will want it anyway. Plus we never did see the final episodes (the entire third story arc), so at least we'll have something to look forward to.

The problem I had with season 2 might be that we watched season 1 on DVD then moved straight on to season 2 on DVD. We didn't watch it on TV until season 3. So perhaps I might have thought more of season 2 if I had taken a little break after season 1.

I'll highly second that.

Amazon is currently selling Season 1 and Season 2 for $23.99 each. It's not the absolute lowest price they've been (I've seen Season 1 for $20 and Season 2 for $22 in past years), but it's close, and it seems to be the lowest price among online stores right now. If anyone is looking to get into the show right now and doesn't want to wait for a drop to $19.99, it may be a good time to buy.

I only have Season 1, and I might get Season 2 with this sale.

All three seasons are better than most television you'll find anywhere, but I agree that Season 3 isn't quite what the first 2 were.

My actual preference is for Season 2, with the finale being in my Top 5 Favorite Single TV Episodes of All Time.

Season 1 is (by far) the best season of VM, but - wow! - I'm surprised that so many people prefer Season 2 over Season 3. For me, it's the exact opposite because Season 3 had no Jackie (huge improvement losing that annoying character) and didn't have a terrible finale full of some pretty ridiculous resolutions to storylines, as I personally think Season 2 did. Yeah, the Season 3 mini-arcs would've been better as one combined mega-arc, but I liked how both mini-arcs played out, including their resolutions. Sorry, but give me Season 3 over Season 2 any day.

i'm watching 1x06 now.. I love the show so far, so i'll end up watching all 3 i'm sure. Thanks for the recommendations.

The first season is no doubt sensational, but it didn't grab me until the episode you are watching right now. The first few were very mediocre to me, culminating with the Paris Hilton episode. At a certain point though, the show takes off and doesn't look back.

The Paris Hilton episode is the worst episode of the series. The first disc (sans the pilot) basically demonstrates the producers trying to figure out what kind of series they want to be - while pleases the PTB at UPN. Its around episode 7/8 were the show takes off and never really looks back. I honestly dont' remember what episode it was, but the episode where Veronica goes to an 80s dance at her school is the episode were the series became appointment television for me.

I agree with you there. Who did Paris blow to get that guest spot?

For me, it was the summer after the 1st season when my CBS affiliate ran the pilot episode. I taped it and watched it after I got home from work. It became appointment television with the first shot of Kristen Bell. From that moment on, I was a lost cause. I Netflixed the 1st season when it came out on DVD, watched it in 6 days and put it on my "Season Pass" on my DVR when I got that and I haven't missed an episode since.

Definitely! TelevisionWithoutPity's review rightly dubbed that episode "Skank Side Story" (but, unfortunately, it's not a skippable episode due to some important "arc" stuff in it.)

I agree. Don't get me wrong... I loved season 3 - still better than most everything on TV last season. It was just painful to watch it week to week not knowing if it would get the hook from the CW before Thomas could give it a proper "final bow". Perhaps on a repeat viewing I will like it more, but the looming doom of cancellation always made me sad when each episode ended in S3. Plus the budget constraints which eliminated most of the characters (Mac, Weevil, Wallace, etc.) to seemingly one or two per episode instead of full tilt ALL of them every episode was equally disheartening. Though it sorta made sense that it would change as the high school to college transition often changes how often you see even your very closest friends.

I'm not sure if the movie is even a possibility anymore, but Kristen Bell mentioned in an interview that she knows the storylines that were planned for the 4th season and didn't give any hints at all because she thought they might use them in the "supposed" movie. She sounded pretty enthused.

Hopefully we'll see them in some form.

The thing I liked most about the series was how nothing felt forced or contrived. Heroes, 24, Lost, (shows which I like) can't say the same.

My biggest gripe with season 3 was how they handled Logan's character. He lost that loose cannon persona (for the most part).