Wherein we discuss television shows that don't necessarily require their own thread. Kind of a Movie Corner for television.
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Wherein we discuss television shows that don't necessarily require their own thread. Kind of a Movie Corner for television.
I always thought it was weird that we didn't have one of these, but it never dawned on me to start one. Anyway. Hooray for television.
My TV diet largely consists of a wildly contrasting salad of thinky science/ history documentaries, and incredibly stupid light drama bullshit.
My favourite tv show of the last few months was probably Brian Cox's Wonders of the Solar System. It was the only show in aaaaaaaaaaaages that I made a date with every single week, but other than that, the only show that I make a reasonably regular effort to see is probably Chuck, because I enjoy the living hell out of it.
I think I've kinda lost my appetite for good quality drama like The Wire or whatever and that troubles me. I just don't think I can commit to an ongoing series of that flavour anymore, and taking on something like that from scratch feels like a really daunting prospect. I far prefer shows that I can dip in and out of as required. I'm a sucker for stuff like Bones and Criminal Minds in that regard, which is something that kind of bothers me because both shows are crazy stupid and I'd like to think I'm better than that, dammit.
I do not watch television on any sort of regular basis, but I enjoy dvds of the shows. The last thing I liked a lot that doesn't have its own active thread is Sons Of Anarchy and I am extremely excited about season 2 coming to dvd.
People have been up in a roar about both Glee and Modern Family to me, and it makes me wonder why people critically acclaim shows that are just clear and blatant rip offs of other, better shows. Now Glee I can't think of a clear analogy, but Modern Family was just the Office in a few people's houses, from what I saw. There were funny lines, but nothing that would ever make me come back to it.
Glee isn't exactly a ripoff of Popular, since the same folk are involved, but it is a watered down version of it with more songs. Glee has yet to produce a single character that even comes close to approaching the brilliance of April motherfucking Tuna.
I just find it more frustrating than it should be - the characterisation isn't just thin, it's incredibly inconsistent from week to week. I have a theory that they really needed to cast a far dumber actress for Quinn, for instance, because it was way too hard to hate her right from the get go. All the best lines are throwaway asides, and as time goes by it feels more and more obvious when they're really straining to include music or dance styles. The "funk" thing, for instance, was reeeeeeeeally weak.
That said, it still has got it's moments. Some of the cheerleader lines are hilarious and they still pull out some properly inventive bits of dancin'. The Safety Dance, for instance, was amaaaaaaaaazing. Should that come with a spoiler warning? I can't decide.
I upgraded my cable today because they were running a really good coupon that made it minimally different from what I was already paying for the basic service that I only even bought to keep my goddamn internet bill down in the first place. I have already watched something like five hours of space and/or nature documentaries and a couple of Seinfelds. This was a terrible idea. I'm never going to get anything done again.
At least I learned about Christmas tree worms:
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I'm revisiting Buffy for the first time since 7th grade, when it was THE BEST THING EVER, half to see if it still held any resonance now that I've (mostly) outgrown teenage angst and to see why Joss Whedon is Grand Wizard of the dorks or whatever. I finally finished the first season and uh, it's got some rough patches. I hear it doesn't really hit its stride until season 2. Still there were some really good episodes and it's pretty good mindless entertainment with better than average writing. I just don't know if I'll ever be a devotee again.
Also, I was rewatching some Pete & Pete over the last couple of weeks whenever I got bored and I'm still kind of stunned something that brilliant and off-kilter ever got aired on a major children's cable network. Definitely one of my top ten favorite series of all time. Also watched the entirety of The Critic one again just so I can keep up with my ex's constant quoting. Whenever I don't catch one of his references, it feels like a duketastrophy.
S2 & S3 Buffy FTW.
Fucking shit. An octopus is figuring out how to open a screwtop jar right now. Science Channel, man.
When they can drive and use firearms, I'll start worrying, but until then they can open jars to their weird little heart's content.
My history nerd-ness keeps my viewing restricted to the History Channel, Discovery, Science Channel, and NatGeo during non-Office/30 Rock months. I'll be checking here regularly to see what more interesting people are watching. And The Simpsons/Adult Swim for obvious reasons.
Great thread.
Pete & Pete was brilliant. It was so silly, but there was always melancholy overtones.
I'm ready to have this back:
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YES! Holy shit, do I love this show. The rattlesnake biting a water baloon still amazes me
ESPN's 30 for 30 series is A+
Last night was the premiere of "June 17th, 1994" directed by Brett Morgen. If you didn't catch it, I highly suggest adding the upcoming episodes to your DVR.
During the episode, they had a preview for the next 30 for 30 "The Two Escobars". Looks awesome.Quote:
Do you remember where you were on June 17, 1994? Thanks to a wide array of unrelated, coast-to-coast occurrences, this Friday has come to be known for its firsts, lasts, triumphs and tragedy. Arnold Palmer played his last round at a U.S. Open, in Oakmont, Pa., the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Chicago, the Rangers celebrated on Broadway, Patrick Ewing desperately pursued a long evasive championship in the Garden and Donald Fehr stared down the baseball owners. And yet, all of that was a prelude to O.J. Simpson leading America on a slow speed chase in a white Ford Bronco around Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated and Peabody Award-winning director Brett Morgen will artistically weave these moments and others to create a unique and reflective look at a day that no sports fan could forget.
Quote:
While rival drug cartels warred in the streets and the country’s murder rate climbed to highest in the world, the Colombian national soccer team set out to blaze a new image for their country. What followed was a mysteriously rapid rise to glory, as the team catapulted out of decades of obscurity to become one of the best teams in the world. Central to this success were two men named Escobar: Andrés, the captain and poster child of the National Team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as “Narco-soccer.” But just when Colombia was expected to win the 1994 World Cup and transform its international image, the shocking murder of Andres Escobar dashed the hopes of a nation.
Through the glory and the tragedy, The Two Escobars daringly investigates the secret marriage of crime and sport, and uncovers the surprising connections between the murders of Andres and Pablo.
I generally watch an hour of Fox News, then an hour of MSNBC news, then a half hour of local news a day.
Timely, this just in:
Maybe it's a bid for popularity with the jocks or a classic case of peer pressure, but Brit-rockers Coldplay have granted high school musical-comedy sensation Glee access to their entire hit-laden catalog, after initially refusing the Fox TV show's request.
The one about the U of Miami was one of the most fun things I've seen on television all year. It was right before the Super Bowl with all my drunk friends, which couldn't have been better timingQuote:
Originally Posted by PlayaDelWes
which would be all of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by SoulDischarge
Fun is the right word. The U was great.Quote:
Originally Posted by biggfoot17
"Straight out of LA", which as directed by Ice Cube was pretty sweet and so was "The Legend of Jimmy The Greek"
God Pete and Pete was so good. Plus the fact that Stephen Merritt wrote much of the incidental music for it. Plus the fact that Iggy Pop was a recurring character for two seasons. Plus the fact that Michael Stipe played a disturbed boardwalk ice cream dealer. Plus the fact that Polaris did the theme song and also wrote lots of great music.
God Pete and Pete was so good.
I like the two shows Lie to Me and Leverage. I like it when the "little guy" screws over the "big guy" as it were .....
i'm also surprised that we didn't have this thread sooner :)
while laid up in bed, i've been re-watching all of the larry sanders show. it is so much funnier on a re-watch. the show is packed with jokes and they seem to be layered well. there are the jokes everyone will get "wash your mouth out with HANK" and then subtle things like artie pocketing larry's new tie and larry asking about it later or someone yelling off-screen for a level right as paula tells someon to fuck off and the guy says "thank you". i fucking love this show.
This current (2nd) season of Party Down is just as funny as the first. This is easily my most favorite show right now.
this shows always been one of my favorites. the jokes were sharp, along with the writing, and acting by the cast was great all around (jeffrey tambor as hank, and rip torn as artie were especially good). i think my favorite episode is when artie has had enough of larry and the show, and gets drunk with the janitor. funny, endearing, and just an all around great performance by rip torn.Quote:
Originally Posted by chairmenmeow47
for some reason my dad loved that show during it's original run, so much so that we bought him the dvd's a few years ago when they were released.Quote:
Originally Posted by M Sparks
Party Down & Fringe are the only shows I watch outside of History/Discovery area. But seriously, Party Down is hysterical.
I also enjoy Archer.