I’m a TV snob. I’ll be the first to admit it. I’d sooner empty my veins than watch American Gladiators or Survivor or any of that other nonsense. I just loved scripted stories and cannot abide the nonsense that I see on the airwaves in an attempt to weather the strike.

So this strike, much like the last ugly one in 1988, is ugly and has given me the opportunity to really scrounge for new material. That one was five and a half months long, and the 2007-2008 strike is nowhere near a resolution. Even if AMPTP and the Guild come to the table today and resolve their issues, we as an audience are still looking at a good couple months of drek while the various companies rev back up.

Which brings me to “Surviving the Strike.” I’ve started going through Wikipedia, IMdb, Amazon and Netflix looking for stuff that is highly rated that I’ve never heard of… and my first selection is Slings & Arrows.

Now I know a good deal of Canadians read this site due to its origins, so you probably know all about this show. But in the States, at best you’ll get a vague… “I’ve heard about that…” Well, I’m here to say to you - put it in your queues.

There are a total of three seasons of Slings & Arrows available. The show follows a variety of characters involved with the fictional New Burbage Shakespeare Festival. The first season stages Hamlet, the second MacBeth, and the third is reserved for King Lear. There is a rumor of a 4th season, but I’ve seen nothing that is credible.

The acting and writing is top notch and equals anything produced in the States on either broadcast or cable. And I’m including the HBO’s shows Sopranos and The Wire. I know that’s a bold statement, but while it’s a different style of writing, it’s no less remarkable and moving. The characters are all amusing and believable, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Each of the three seasons is six one-hour episodes long - so that’s 18 hours of well-written, well-acted, funny and moving television for anyone who has never seen the show. Don’t let the high-brow concept prevent you from seeing it… while there is Shakespeare in the show (and very well done at that) there is an equal amount of sex and violence to provide balance.

I understand that Sundance Channel had broadcast the seasons in the past, but there are no plans right now to re-screen them. You can find several short clips from Seasons 2 & 3 on their website.

Any other shows you guys have discovered on DVD during the strike? Please post it below and I’ll take a look if at all possible.