All the Things That I Have Seen

1. Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series.

Very easily the best TV series made thus far about life in the late 1970s and early 1980s. For that matter, one of the better series made about high school life in any era. The final episode is not quite as emotionally satisfying as one would like, but the story arcs show promise, the characters are more complex than they seem to be and the writing is actually pretty funny. And it's nice to see a show about young love that makes the rather obvious point about being careful what you wish for without being way too obvious about it.

2. The Office: The Second Season (US).

This show is still pretty much in the shadow of the original UK series but it does show promise. The most interesting scene thus far: a brief scene in “The Client” that suggests that Steve Carell's Michael Scott character can actually be an effective salesman when he wants to be and that there is often a method to his frivolous madness. Unfortunately, the fact that Michael Scott has the skills to make a good sales rep doesn't necessarily mean he has the ability to be a good boss. Stay tuned for further details.