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Last post Author Topic: TV shows thread  (Read 13430 times)

Renegade

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TV shows thread
« on: March 28, 2015, 08:34 AM »
TV shows don't fit into short films or movies. So, might as well give them their own space so that they don't encroach on the other topics. :)



For sci-fi enthusiasts, "12 Monkeys" is pretty darn good.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3148266/

http://en.wikipedia....keys_%28TV_series%29

The time plot is well done, which is no mean feat.
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Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

nosh

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2015, 10:38 AM »
The 12 Monkeys movie was so damn good, I decided against watching the show.  :P

There's nothing on TV I'm crazy about at the moment - but Game of Thrones resumes soon!  :-*

HBO's The Jinx (multi-part documentary) is an absolute must-watch.

Better Call Saul is quite watchable and is bound to get more interesting, I'm glad they started off at a leisurely pace and didn't get pressured to come out all guns blazing because of the show's ancestry.

Black Sails (Starz drama about pirates) is also good viewing - I've loved every Starz show I've watched so far. Their casting is always brilliant and they're never prudish in any sense and tend to be less than politically correct, a welcome change from all the PC bullshit that's churned out by so many others. poo.gif
Black Sails season 1 which aired some months back was especially good and I'd definitely recommend it.

I'm about to start watching Outlander soon (another Starz show) - I haven't read the book(s?) or watched the movie(s?) so know very little about the premise but I've got a good feeling about it.

Lastly, Letterman's retiring soon. I haven't missed a single episode in years, the guy's simply the best at what he does and I'm going to miss him. I can't believe Colbert (with his massive following of trained seals ;D /troll ) is taking over the show.  :-\
J/K- Colbert is talented indeed, I just hope he gets out of his 'Nation' mode for his new assignment.


 

wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2015, 01:09 PM »
It's not just a good time at the movies for super heroes:

Agents of SHIELD is really hitting its stride, Arrow is doing well, and The Flash started out with a running start.

Gotham has so much potential, and so many good points, that it's hard to see it struggle.

I'm really waiting for the Netflix Marvel explosion to begin with Daredevil.  I especially love the way that they aren't going string you along week-by-week waiting to see what's going to happen.  Interesting experiment for a variety of reasons.

Stoic Joker

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2015, 02:29 PM »
For some light campy mindless fun check out the new iZombie It's a knockoff of the 'Dead Like Me' formula, but very well done IMO.

Shades

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2015, 06:25 PM »
Continuing where Stoic Joker left off, 'The Walking Dead' and 'Z Nation' are very enjoyable zombie TV-shows as well. Both are very different. TWD is already around for 5 seasons and none of these are bad. Z finished its 1st season and is much(!) more tongue-in-cheek.

'Helix' is also a very enjoyable. A lot of series from SyFy are. From them also comes a sci-fi mini-series, called 'Ascencion', which is very well done. Know as little as possible about this mini-series as possible for full enjoyment, though. 

wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2015, 08:18 AM »
Continuing where Stoic Joker left off, 'The Walking Dead' and 'Z Nation' are very enjoyable zombie TV-shows as well. Both are very different. TWD is already around for 5 seasons and none of these are bad. Z finished its 1st season and is much(!) more tongue-in-cheek.

'Helix' is also a very enjoyable. A lot of series from SyFy are. From them also comes a sci-fi mini-series, called 'Ascencion', which is very well done. Know as little as possible about this mini-series as possible for full enjoyment, though. 

I only watch WD with my family to have some family TV time... but it's becoming less and less enjoyable, and not for the reasons one would say.  There's a certain amount of 'liberty' that Darabont has taken from the comics, and in some cases it changes the story in very ... charged ways.  Really not looking forward to it like I formerly was.

Renegade

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2015, 10:20 AM »
For some light campy mindless fun check out the new iZombie It's a knockoff of the 'Dead Like Me' formula, but very well done IMO.

I'd not thought of that angle. I'd figured it was similar to "Forever" with a bit of the zombie spice thrown in. Many TV shows come out in pairs from competing networks.

Continuing where Stoic Joker left off, 'The Walking Dead' and 'Z Nation' are very enjoyable zombie TV-shows as well.

Exactly like those 2 shows. :D

Or "Helix" and "The Last Ship".

The same happens in movies often, and in particular, in disaster movies.

It's like some kind of A/B testing.

I only watch WD with my family to have some family TV time... but it's becoming less and less enjoyable, and not for the reasons one would say.  There's a certain amount of 'liberty' that Darabont has taken from the comics, and in some cases it changes the story in very ... charged ways.  Really not looking forward to it like I formerly was.

I'm not familiar with the comic, so it's all new to me. Seems fine though. It's one of the better shows out there.
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Innuendo

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2015, 11:15 AM »
There's a certain amount of 'liberty' that Darabont has taken from the comics, and in some cases it changes the story in very ... charged ways.  Really not looking forward to it like I formerly was.

It's important that these liberties you speak of are taken with the blessing of Robert Kirkman, the creator of the comic book. In a lot of cases, these liberties are solely Kirkman's ideas to change things that he was decidedly not happy with the way they turned out in the comic. Other changes are made to give Kirkman and crew opportunities to explore paths not taken.

Does every alteration strike gold? No, but every path explored in the comic didn't, either. If the  TV show were a 100% accurate adaptation of the comic book I would still watch. However, my enjoyment would be lessened because there'd be no suspense in what came next. I'd always know what was around the next corner.

At least this way I have two different, excellent stories with the same strong cast of characters (more or less) and I can enjoy one freely without worry of encountering spoilers for the other. Just think of the TV show as being an alternate universe. :)


Innuendo

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2015, 11:34 AM »
The 12 Monkeys movie was so damn good, I decided against watching the show.  :P

Big mistake...they have taken a "How the heck is this going to work?" concept and turned it into something that is definitely worth watching. I was very surprised.

Black Sails (Starz drama about pirates) is also good viewing - I've loved every Starz show I've watched so far.

For those that don't know, Black Sails takes the crazy position of taking the characters from the classic novel Treasure Island (Yes! Long John Silver), setting the clock back 20 years before the events in the novel take place and chronicles how Captain Flint first encounters Long John Silver. Oh, and they throw in a very liberal dose of real, historical pirates into the mix. Anyone who likes pirates and/or swashbuckling should give it a go.

I'm about to start watching Outlander soon (another Starz show) - I haven't read the book(s?) or watched the movie(s?) so know very little about the premise but I've got a good feeling about it.

Don't know if my reply will reach you in time to save you. Most of the promo material for the show leaves out the "Harlequin Romance Novel" parts of the plot-line. Then again...maybe you like romance novels? :)

wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2015, 12:51 PM »
There's a certain amount of 'liberty' that Darabont has taken from the comics, and in some cases it changes the story in very ... charged ways.  Really not looking forward to it like I formerly was.

It's important that these liberties you speak of are taken with the blessing of Robert Kirkman, the creator of the comic book. In a lot of cases, these liberties are solely Kirkman's ideas to change things that he was decidedly not happy with the way they turned out in the comic. Other changes are made to give Kirkman and crew opportunities to explore paths not taken.

Does every alteration strike gold? No, but every path explored in the comic didn't, either. If the  TV show were a 100% accurate adaptation of the comic book I would still watch. However, my enjoyment would be lessened because there'd be no suspense in what came next. I'd always know what was around the next corner.

At least this way I have two different, excellent stories with the same strong cast of characters (more or less) and I can enjoy one freely without worry of encountering spoilers for the other. Just think of the TV show as being an alternate universe. :)



It really doesn't matter about the blessing of the liberties.  It's the nature of the liberties in and of themselves.  I was going to avoid bringing them up, but others have said the same things that have struck me over time in a much better way than I, so I'll just leave this here:

https://stevenbarnes...-dead-is-dead-to-me/

I'm not expecting understanding- one needs to be in the situation to understand it to an extent.  It's just pervasive and I feel it, so it is affecting my enjoyment of it.  And this isn't the only person that has noticed it- and from a very different perspective because they didn't really 'get' it, other than the fact that it exists.

nosh

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2015, 03:01 PM »
Thanks for the input Innuendo!

Big mistake...they have taken a "How the heck is this going to work?" concept and turned it into something that is definitely worth watching. I was very surprised.

I have way too much on my plate right now (not just TV shows) but I won't discount the show as you've suggested, I'll watch the pilot and decide.

Don't know if my reply will reach you in time to save you. Most of the promo material for the show leaves out the "Harlequin Romance Novel" parts of the plot-line. Then again...maybe you like romance novels? :)

You got here on time. I haven't ever read a romance novel *raises hand solemnly* but I'll confess, I don't mind watching the genre (preferably something that doesn't have Tom Hanks in it. ;D)

TaoPhoenix

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2015, 02:36 AM »
Speaking of Forever, there's some weird stuff going on (lately?) with IMDB. It's (beginning?) to have colossal gaps in who plays what role. But besides the X Files that I surveyed last week, I'm suddenly discovering blatant holes in new shows too, like Forever.

I hadn't looked at this show in a while, until reminded by it in this thread. I'd forgotten about it for no real reason, just life marching on and such.

But I'd vaguely remembered that Adrian Pasdar of Heroes was the "anonymous caller" aka "Adam" (and some con-cover character roles etc.)

But watch this!

Adrian Pasdar's IMDB (as it stands now)
http://www.imdb.com/...499/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
No mention of Forever

Forever Pilot on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/...76146/?ref_=ttep_ep1
No mention of the caller, A. P. or otherwise.

But look! It's on Wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia....g/wiki/Adrian_Pasdar

"Forever" Wiki
http://forever.wikia.com/wiki/Forever

Misc io9 Article about this, with him on it:
http://io9.com/for-i...ever-mana-1649247743

So what's with this? Are some actors able to contact IMDB and get themselves taken off of listings there?!

It's *possible* this was a mistake that traveled along the web, but you'd think a famous actor's agency would go after this all and fix it.

I thought IMDB used to be pretty good, but I'm starting to have serious doubts about it now! : (



Renegade

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2015, 03:41 AM »
It really doesn't matter about the blessing of the liberties.  It's the nature of the liberties in and of themselves.  I was going to avoid bringing them up, but others have said the same things that have struck me over time in a much better way than I, so I'll just leave this here:

https://stevenbarnes...-dead-is-dead-to-me/

I'm not expecting understanding- one needs to be in the situation to understand it to an extent.  It's just pervasive and I feel it, so it is affecting my enjoyment of it.  And this isn't the only person that has noticed it- and from a very different perspective because they didn't really 'get' it, other than the fact that it exists.

I was curious why you weren't enjoying TWD, so I read the article.

I noticed that a long time ago. It's one of the ways I "predict" what's going to happen in a series/film. There aren't many shows that have real surprises -- they're often formulaic in one way or another.

There are a lot of common themes in movies and TV shows, and they "cue you in" on one level or another as to what is going to happen. I doubt most people ever notice any of them, and I'm sure there are more that I'm unaware of.

There are things that used to bother me. I just try to ignore them now. Or, if it's too much, I just don't watch, e.g. I just can't watch CSI or NCIS.

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Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

TaoPhoenix

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2015, 05:26 AM »

"Character role of race in media" is one of those awful "super entrenched meta issues" that for ex could take another 100 years to begin fixing!

To me it's a bit like how Microsoft used a bunch of dirty tricks to become the eternal "metagame" in the desktop OS world.


wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2015, 08:08 AM »
There are things that used to bother me. I just try to ignore them now. Or, if it's too much, I just don't watch, e.g. I just can't watch CSI or NCIS.

I *love* science fiction and fantasy, and want to be a published writer.  Which is one of the reasons that when I can't stop ignoring it, it hurts even more.

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2015, 06:54 PM »
Personally I love the Walking Dead comic, and think the tv show is absolute unwatchable crap.  Just terrible acting, directing, writing, the whole 9 yards, terrible.
It's hard for me to put my finger on the core of why it falls so flat for me, but i think the inability to resist trying to come up with grosser and grosser scenes of gore and faces getting smashed reveals what the producers/writers/directors think makes a good show. All of the emotions just feel unearned and fake to me..

wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #16 on: April 15, 2015, 08:28 AM »
Been watching Daredevil on Netflix.  Best superhero tv show I've seen.  If you have Netflix, try it.  All of the episodes are up at the same time.  I'm through 8 out of 13, and wish there were more.

Renegade

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2015, 09:56 AM »
Personally I love the Walking Dead comic, and think the tv show is absolute unwatchable crap.  Just terrible acting, directing, writing, the whole 9 yards, terrible.
It's hard for me to put my finger on the core of why it falls so flat for me, but i think the inability to resist trying to come up with grosser and grosser scenes of gore and faces getting smashed reveals what the producers/writers/directors think makes a good show. All of the emotions just feel unearned and fake to me..

Being fair... a lot of the zombies are older and more decayed, and thus... messier.

Regarding the emotions... sigh... few TV shows manage to live up there. I try not to let it get in the way of enjoying the show -- it's not like there's a lot of choice for the genre out there.

Most characters are cardboard. Even great actors can't salvage some characters. To some degree, the character needs to already be a part of the actor. And that's the job of casting to get that right.

Acting is also a product of the time. Just look at 1940s, 50s, 60s... etc... movies or TV shows. "Casablanca" is a bit corny now. Audience expectations matter a lot. "The man with no name" -- fantastic character, but does he live up to it now in 2015? Or to the same degree?

Good depth of character is rare. But I don't think the broader audience really wants that depth -- they want something simple and easy to "peg" and understand.


Been watching Daredevil on Netflix.  Best superhero tv show I've seen.  If you have Netflix, try it.  All of the episodes are up at the same time.  I'm through 8 out of 13, and wish there were more.

Really?

I skipped watching it as I've found too many of the comic book shows/movies are just... not for me. I used to love comics, but the shows & movies have turned me off entirely.

But you and I share quite a few similar tastes... I'll give it a shot when I have a chance. Another friend introduced me to a few shows that I'd dismissed as "probably really stupid" and they turned out to be darn good.
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wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2015, 10:22 AM »
Been watching Daredevil on Netflix.  Best superhero tv show I've seen.  If you have Netflix, try it.  All of the episodes are up at the same time.  I'm through 8 out of 13, and wish there were more.

Really?

I skipped watching it as I've found too many of the comic book shows/movies are just... not for me. I used to love comics, but the shows & movies have turned me off entirely.

But you and I share quite a few similar tastes... I'll give it a shot when I have a chance. Another friend introduced me to a few shows that I'd dismissed as "probably really stupid" and they turned out to be darn good.

Daredevil is a lot about the effects of the larger world-shattering decisions on the little guy.  And there are no good/bad right/wrong dichotomies enforced by the writing.  At least, so far.  And the characterizations of most characters are really good, as is the actual cinematography.  In the second episode there is almost an honest to goodness one-shot that is utterly incredible.  Some people say they cheated in a couple of places... I don't know that from Adam.  But I do know that you don't see that level of quality on TV often.

Renegade

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2015, 09:49 AM »
Daredevil is a lot about the effects of the larger world-shattering decisions on the little guy.  And there are no good/bad right/wrong dichotomies enforced by the writing.  At least, so far.  And the characterizations of most characters are really good, as is the actual cinematography.  In the second episode there is almost an honest to goodness one-shot that is utterly incredible.  Some people say they cheated in a couple of places... I don't know that from Adam.  But I do know that you don't see that level of quality on TV often.

Well, I've checked out a few episodes, and I will certainly agree that the script is good, but not the cinematography. It's too dark. It's hard to see everything when 90% of shots are at night with no lights. Even the daytime shots are dark. It's a bit much. In places the audio is muddled with background noise. But, that's just me complaining. The stories are good. The actors are good.
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MilesAhead

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2015, 09:52 AM »
It's too dark. It's hard to see everything when 90% of shots are at night with no lights

I hate it when that happens.  TV becomes a radio show.  All sound effects and dialog.  They should have started a tradition a long time ago of having a prompt dialog near the bottom of the screen like "the warehouse is dark but we added light so you can watch what happens" or whatever.  I don't know how many X-Files episodes went audio only on me.  :(

Renegade

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2015, 10:42 AM »
Oh, ep 4 of Daredevil - the "date night" one - great late show to ending. :)

Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

wraith808

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2015, 06:36 PM »
Oh, ep 4 of Daredevil - the "date night" one - great late show to ending. :)



This show has had some jaw dropping moments... but the end of that one...

Renegade

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2015, 08:13 AM »
Any "The Prisoner" fans here?

I tripped across a commentary on the show that you might find interesting:

http://jaysanalysis....f-the-prisoner-1967/

Numbered Man – An Analysis of The Prisoner (1967)

Oppositional and defiant. No. 6 “fights the system.”


1960s spy fiction is some of my favorite fiction.  Developing its own unique aesthetic, from Bond to The Saint to Harry Palmer, the vivid, flamboyant style of both the spies and their cinema incarnations created an iconic pop phenomena that survives still (as 007 is still going strong).  Everyone knows 007, but few are aware of the more philosophical, science fiction based British cult show, The Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan.  McGoohan not only starred in the show, but is also the series’ co-creator, following his successful Danger Man series, and reportedly passed over the role of Bond in Dr. No and The Saint due to moral qualms with 007’s ethics (McGoohan was a professing Roman Catholic).  Regardless, The Prisoner remains one of the most fascinating presentations of the dark side of international espionage, combining the esoteric, philosophical, geopolitical and the fantastical, as well as functioning as a critique of the most foundational assumptions of modern, “progressive” man.  For this, it most certainly warrants an analysis.

More at the link.
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Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

MilesAhead

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Re: TV shows thread
« Reply #24 on: July 08, 2015, 08:40 AM »
Any "The Prisoner" fans here?


I watched various episodes of Prisoner over the years without seeing the final episode.  Until they put the series on in order on SyFy Channel I think it was.  I taped them.  Finally I got to see the last episode and discovered the identity of #1!!

I would watch a few episodes and give up.  I don't do well following a series week to week.  I seem to get into them much better when they go into syndication and I can watch multiple episodes a week in order.  That's how I got into X-Files.  I totally ignored it during the first run.

Anyway, once I saw the last episode it all made sense.

Also I bought several seasons of Danger Man, or Secret Agent as we called it in the USA.  Patrick McGoohan was quite true to life as the guy who got things done by any means necessary.  Especially compared to the American shoot em up spy shows such as Man From UNCLE et al.  I appreciated Danger Man when I watched them again as an adult.

But speaking of Prisoner, it seemed like every time I would make a move to ask the boss for a raise, that bouncing ball thing would smother my efforts.  ;)