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TV, or not TV, that is the question

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Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

Handyman said:
I like plenty on network tv...and I am hardly a Hank Williams type guy. I like when my shows resolve in an hour sometimes...long storyarchs make single episodes boring to me. (hence why I never liked 24) I can binge watch that stuff later. I dont need every episode of a show to have someone die with a then shoehorned in cliffhanger.
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The best shows out there can successfully take a season long story arc and still make complete and meaningful stories within each episode. They don't just have an A and B story within the episode, there's a C story to carry the season further along its path in order to create that hook and bring the audience back next week. Very few shows do it successfully. Of those that do execute it, far too often they end up cancelled due to lack of audience.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

I watch a bunch on Network TV.

The Good Wife - Probably my fave.
Quantico - New. Not bad. Kind of a terrorism, How To Get Away With Murder.
How To Get Away With Murder - Quantico has surpassed it. May be a just a one year deal for me.
Gotham - Great concept. Great show. Great everything.
Blindspot - New. Poor man's Blacklist.
Blacklist - Loved it all along. Still love it.
Elementary - Great concept. Good show. Not sure Lucy Liu is the right actress.
Criminal Minds - Been good for a long time.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

Blindspot is just The Blacklist with tattoos providing the link to the villain of the week, rather than Reddington's list.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

rufus said:
Blindspot is just The Blacklist with tattoos providing the link to the villain of the week, rather than Reddington's list.
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Yeah, however, the mid-season finale shook the apple cart pretty hard.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

ScoobyDoo said:
I watch a bunch on Network TV.

The Good Wife - Probably my fave.
Quantico - New. Not bad. Kind of a terrorism, How To Get Away With Murder.
How To Get Away With Murder - Quantico has surpassed it. May be a just a one year deal for me.
Gotham - Great concept. Great show. Great everything.
Blindspot - New. Poor man's Blacklist.
Blacklist - Loved it all along. Still love it.
Elementary - Great concept. Good show. Not sure Lucy Liu is the right actress.
Criminal Minds - Been good for a long time.
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I like Blacklist, have been very lazy on getting caught up on Gotham, and have enjoyed How to Get Away With Murder when my wife watches. The rest, I haven't really given a shot, although the random "The Good Wife" episodes I've got are good and I'll probably give that a try from the start at some point.

I enjoy watching Scorpion when there is nothing else to do but its really nothing special, just fun popcorn action/techie macgyver thing. Otherwise, we watch some comedies but that's about it for network. Life In Pieces has been great so far.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

I haven't watched a TV comedy probably since Seinfeld. I just don't find them funny, for the most part, and the canned laugh tracks are just annoying, and detract from whatever humor there might be there.

Or maybe I'm just a miserable old *****.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

rufus said:
I haven't watched a TV comedy probably since Seinfeld.
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Well that's your problem right there. Seinfeld sucked.

There are no network comedies that are any good, because there almost never were. Comedy is about wit, and the LCD audience for network TV is witless.

In general, comedy series are terrible. All TV series merely re-enact the ur-series from 50 years ago: central characters have wacky stock character friends and get into wacky situations which sometime expose... sniff... tender feelings. It's all the same sh-t since I Love Lucy, and I Love Lucy sucked.

If you like comedy, stick to stand up and movies. The only comedy series that have really maintained are either British or animated. Live action American TV personalities are not funny.

(Except Mary Tyler Moore, are I've got a broken bottle for anybody who says otherwise.)
 
Kepler said:
Well that's your problem right there. Seinfeld sucked.

There are no network comedies that are any good, because there almost never were. Comedy is about wit, and the LCD audience for network TV is witless.

In general, comedy series are terrible. All TV series merely re-enact the ur-series from 50 years ago: central characters have wacky stock character friends and get into wacky situations which sometime expose... sniff... tender feelings. It's all the same sh-t since I Love Lucy, and I Love Lucy sucked.

If you like comedy, stick to stand up and movies. The only comedy series that have really maintained are either British or animated. Live action American TV personalities are not funny.

(Except Mary Tyler Moore, are I've got a broken bottle for anybody who says otherwise.)
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I'll agree Seinfeld sucked, but I'll take you to task when you say situation comedy does too. Cheers, Mork & Mindy, WKRP, Happy Days and MASH immediately come to mind. Well, except the last seasons of Happy Days and MASH. ;)
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

FadeToBlack&Gold said:
Oh, Kepler. Is there any popular TV show you won't rip on to satisfy your inner hipster? :p
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Are you kidding? If I were channeling hipster I'd LOVE I Love Lucy. There are probably all-night ILL viewing parties in Williamsburg.

But I will test your theory:

G -- Good
B -- Bad
N -- Never saw / No interest

1. Sopranos: N
2. Seinfeld : B
3. I Love Lucy: B
4. All in the Family: G
5. The Twilight Zone: G
6. The Wire: N
7. MTM: G
8. MASH: G
9. Breaking Bad: N
10. Simpsons: G
11. Cheers: G
12. Star Trek: G
13. Honeymooners: G
14. Law & Order: N
15. Andy Griffith: B
16. Masterpiece Theatre: this shouldn't be an entry, too diverse
17. Carol Burnette: G
18. SNL: this also shouldn't be an entry, too diverse, but on Lorne's tombstone put: G
19. Oprah: N
20. DVD: G

So those 2 just happened to hit the sweet spot.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

Gotham is fantastic and this season blows last season out of the water.
The Last Man on Earth is also pretty good.

I like the Chicago Fire/PD/Med shows as well. I won't pretend like they are Emmy-worthy, but I enjoy them.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

Regarding Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence still has great comedic timing. Saw her perform her "two woman" stage show a few weeks back, (she did a 45 minute set, and "Mama" does a 45 minute set) and it was fantastic. She brushed on some of her Carol Burnett Show experiences; I could have listened to her talk about it for hours.


As for TV shows: Jessica Jones. :cool: Absolute grand slam of a show. I was very disappointed it was only 13 episodes, but wow did it really utilize each episode well.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

Speaking of great old comedians, yesterday would have been 75 years for Pryor. The XM Comedy Central channel did some great programming involving his influence on other comics. One of the most interesting parts was them talking about watching him bomb, and watching what he did, how he took it in and reacted and used the experience live as it was happening. Pryor was so open that when he bombed it was soul-scorching, and the experience of watching somebody "die out there" and allow himself to feel it and not run away was inspiring.

Evidently among comics the opinion is there is Pryor and Carlin, then a gap, and then everyone else. Rich Vos told a great story about some sort of award show late in Pryor's career where comics were bending knee and saying "I'm not worthy," and then Carlin, who I guess was sick, called in live and just gave him sh-t. It was a great image of all the students sitting breahtlessly in a circle watching the two old sensei abuse each other as equals.
 
Re: TV, or not TV, that is the question

Kepler said:
In general, comedy series are terrible. All TV series merely re-enact the ur-series from 50 years ago: central characters have wacky stock character friends and get into wacky situations which sometime expose... sniff... tender feelings. It's all the same sh-t since I Love Lucy, and I Love Lucy sucked.
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If you really believe that, then you have to at least respect Seinfeld for being ground-breaking in terms of plot structure with the ability to weave and tie stories together, and for ignoring those tender feelings moments. I'd even argue the ridiculous number of sets they were using towards the end of their run helped usher in the era of the single cam comedy.
 
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