There's just no helping you really
you are raging against things that aren't there. Other than Mighty Boosh, and alright I'll give you Bowie too, actually Damien Hirst too now, but not when he started as an artist, none of those things are "trying to be cult" ER had eleven (or was it twelve) series and was really well written, Terry Pratchett has never had a "smug in-joke" his writing has been consistent since he started writing, in fact if anything he's got better.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 12:58, 3 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

CSI is entertaining too
not entirely sure why, but not for cult reasons

I totally agree with Al on Terry Pratchett, except that he has definitely got better. The first couple of books pale almost into insignificance against some of the more recent, although his 3rd one was absolutely excellent too.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 13:11, Reply)

the entire of 'Discworld' is a smug in-joke
about the fantasy genre, surely?

And as for those 'cult US shows' - invariably hour long episodes on at 9 or 10pm, 'challenging' subject matter, spasticated camera angles, ham-fisted plot twists....'24', The Wire, Lost.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

It's a list of things I hate that apparently I shouldn't.


But I fucking well do and that's an end to it.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 13:48, Reply)

it may have started off as such
in the first book

the subsequent ones have brought in some very good characters and some excellent plots wrapped up in very enjoyable writing.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 13:50, Reply)

Be that as it may
I maintain that Discworld as a very concept is itself a smug fantasy-genre in-joke - and therefore Al is what is commonly termed 'completely fucking wrong'.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 14:01, Reply)

I wouldn't say it's an in-joke
and even if it is, it doesn't alter the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed reading every single Discworld book, finding them intelligent and witty with all the hallmarks of a well written novel.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 14:09, Reply)

To say, as Al did, that
'Terry Pratchett has never had a "smug in-joke" his writing' is patently untrue though. The Colour of Magic was chock-full of Tolkein gags etc. He may have abandoned this later on but sure as shit he's made in-jokes and plenty of 'em. Just not for me, I'm afraid, much as my countless books on ancient mythology etc are similarly not for most other folks...
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 14:38, Reply)

I like a bit of ancient mythology
anything you particularly recommend?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 12 Jan 2010, 15:14, Reply)

Pratchett getting better?!
Have you read Unseen Academicals?! I threw it down less than thirty pages in to it. Poorly written bollocks. A real shame, he's finally lost it.
(The Boy Monders I have ginger bits in my beard., Tue 12 Jan 2010, 15:29, Reply)