Topic: The TV Show Thread

@Frigate Yea, I'm always interested to learn someone's age. Even though it doesn't matter at all how old someone is, it can be enlightening to learn what someone grew up on.

The fact that I grew up with 16-bit games, has undoubtedly shaped my gaming tastes quite a bit.

What to watch?

@KratosMD Sad news Luke Perry passed away today. Not only did I really like him as Fred Andrews in Riverdale but grew up watching him on 90210. My thoughts and prayers go to his family of course but I wonder what this means for Riverdale.

Amongst other things, my partner and I are still watching through all of 24 and this past weekend, we finished Day Six. It's widely regarded as the weakest of all eight-and-a-half seasons but, as usual, I find myself in strong disagreement with popular opinion. Three days after watching it, I'm still haunted by the final episode, and can't stop thinking about it in every quiet moment I have (when I'm not thinking about Anders from Dragon Age II, of course).

Most of the season is pre-occupied with being a fast-paced fever dream of "greatest hits", betrayals and plot twists overlapping with explosive action set-pieces and surprise returning characters, and it reaches the absurd in a few places, which is why folks don't seem to like it. Peppered throughout, however, are some genuinely powerful moments which are oft-overlooked amidst all the running and screaming. As the day draws to a close, the twenty-third and twenty-fourth hours are focused around a coastal area and the score (Sean Callery is a genius) introduces a very effective high-pitched choral refrain which is, and I hate to use the word again but it's the best one I've got, beautifully haunting. It immediately evokes a sense of finality and gives everything a weight it perhaps hasn't earned... yet.

And then, after a thundering cinema-scale action sequence (because Jack Bauer), everything shifts. Characters start getting their resolutions. Things are being wrapped up, pretty quickly but pretty darn well, but there's half an hour left to go. In previous seasons, this would be where they're rolling the credits; it feels over, but there's a big chunk of time left on the clock.

The final scene has stuck with me for two reasons. One, it's a surprisingly emotional and tender character-driven moment, a simple shot-reaction-shot exchange of words wrapping up a season of television which has built its reputation on firefights, shock deaths and cliffhanger endings, and it's acted to perfection by Kiefer Sutherland and his counterpart (who I won't identify, even inside spoiler tags, because it'd give too much away). Secondly, it was almost entirely improvised on the day of shooting. They had a handful of story beats on the page, knew how much time the episode left had to run, so just turned the cameras on and pointed them at the actors. That's not just brave for a blockbuster show to do; it's also telling that, when Kiefer Sutherland made it up as he went along, he delivered possibly my favourite moment of the entire show. I've seen it half a dozen times before, and I was still crying.

Television doesn't do this to me any more. Sure, there are good shows that grab me every now and again, briefly, and keep me entertained but none of them seem to stick. Maybe it's my age, or maybe they simply "don't make 'em like they used to"... heck, it's probably a little of both.

Anyway, long story short? 24 is awesome.

@RogerRoger I loved the first day - they very much lost me with the second and the 'sexy inprobable adventures of Kim Bauer'. I never really went back to it other than to watch a few bits when Peter Weller showed up.

@KALofKRYPTON As much as I've got nothing against Elisha Cuthbert (at her age, with the expectations of the role, I think she did the best with the material she was given) the show becomes far stronger when she stops being a regular and just occasionally pops in every other season. Her arc comes to a natural conclusion in Day Three and from there, she's just emotional context for Jack, which is fine (although from what I remember, some of her final scenes in a later season are really strong).

Peter Weller was great (always is) in Day Five. That's also the day that's considered by many to be the show's best, and I can't really argue with that. Rather than have three or four outstanding moments strung together by an otherwise-fine action / spy show, it's just one long crescendo of awesome.

they certainly don't make them like they used to, instead of making a show for the purpose of making a good and entertaining show they now make them for the lowest common denominator or to esensually "tick a box" as in "do we have this kind of show? no, then make one" or "do we have this kind of character? no, then lets get one"

either that or it's another cheap reality TV show

@RogerRoger You got a crush on Anders? 😁

Maybe it's my age, or maybe they simply "don't make 'em like they used to"... heck, it's probably a little of both.

Anyway, long story short? 24 is awesome.

and @FullbringIchigo

Contemporary TV to me is what, I assume, open world games are to others. Yes, the settings change, but aside from that many feel way too same-ish.

There's still a lot of good stuff though, you just have to search a bit harder.

@Kidfried No, I'm hopelessly and tragically in love with Anders. There's a difference!

But back on-topic, I think you and @Fullbringlchigo are both right. So much of it ends up feeling like the TV equivalent of flatpack furniture; a bunch of mass-produced component parts that are hastily assembled using a one-size-fits-all tool. Sure, it'll keep you and your things up off the floor, but you don't ever step back to admire it, or give it a second thought when you're using it.

When I'm at home during the week, I tend to just put things on whilst I'm eating to stop me from getting bored. That's why I'm currently watching Sonic Boom, because it's just as effective and has just as much (maybe more) artistic merit than 90% of everything else trending on Netflix.

Although that specific word is probably the problem: "trending".

@RogerRoger yep instead of trying to create new and exciting content they just copy what is "trendy", you know like how every drama has to be "Game of Thrones", dark and brooding, it even infected Star Trek with Discovery, Star Trek was usually a light and hopeful series is now full of angst and darkness (which is the kind of series Gene DIDN'T want and i know DS9 had some dark episodes but it also have fun too)

Just watched a recap of seasons 1 - 7 of Game of Thrones, in preparation for next week. Such an outstanding show with so many stand out moments, I'll miss it when it is finished. Oh well, hopefully the prequel show will fill that void.

@JohnnyShoulder So many fantastic moments.

Hope season 8 can finish the show in a good manner. Whatever happens, it's bound to be divisive with all the different finale expectations going around. Season 7 wasn't all that great, and season 4 remains it's best. Let's hope the final season can come close. I just pray they don't kill off Cersei immediately. My favourite character of the show, and I'm surprised she has even survived this far.

For years, I've avoided Star Wars: Rebels because I was furious with Disney for cancelling The Clone Wars and replacing it with blatant, childish Original Trilogy pandering. Recently, however, I've been in a big Star Wars mood and was looking for more, and decided to give it a chance.

I'm real glad I did. Finished the first season last night and sure, whilst there have been moments and elements that reinforced some of my fears, broadly speaking it's just real good Star Wars with some surprising plot and character choices, and a genuine respect for what came before (both in-universe and in real world terms). I loved how the entire season kinda low-key built multiple story threads and slowly transformed itself from episodic cartoon adventures to a serialised drama. The cliffhanger was also a kicker, so I'll be carrying on with Season Two later today.

Everyone should give Fleabag a go. The writing is incredibly sharp!

I started up The Santa Clarita Diet again after seeing that there was a third series out. It'll never set the world on fire, but it is a satisfying watch. Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore spend pretty much every episode engaging in very well written exchanges.

@KALofKRYPTON Have you watched Killing Eve? It's also created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and shares the sharp, often hilarious writing of Fleabag. Definitely recommended if you haven't. You might also enjoy Catastrophe if you haven't already seen it and are longing for more British comedy close to Fleabag's humor.

@Tjuz I have seen Killing Eve, it's a good watch.

Tried Catastrophe when is first aired, really can't stand Sharon Horgan though.

@KALofKRYPTON @Tjuz The voice of L3-37 is doing well for herself!

@JohnnyShoulder Not just the voice, I think she did full on mo-cap.

Since there seem to be quite a few DC fans around here, I was wondering what all of your thoughts are regarding the upcoming Pennyworth show. (Trailer for reference)

I've heard quite a few mixed opinions on it. It's from the Gotham team, which I believe I've seen mentioned in this thread before. I'm mostly interested because it comes from Epix, a network which provides the excellent TV show Get Shorty, so I want to see what they do next (between this, Godfather of Harlem and Perpetual Grace, LTD). I'm interested to hear how DC fans here feel about it, though, considering you approach this project from a different perspective.

@Tjuz I'll give anything DC a watch but I think they've taken things so far back, Batman fans will be disappointed because it won't be very Batman-esque. Which is the entire point, but that doesn't guarantee people will "get" it. At least Gotham could show a bunch of different characters we all know and love (Bruce, Alfred, Jim, Oswald, Ed, Ivy, Selina, Victor, etc.) even if half of them were / are kids, but this looks like a WW2 spy thriller. I love WW2 spy thrillers, but I don't exactly rush to them when I'm in a comic book mood.