What TV are you watching and how would you rate it? [Revive from FRDB]

[Narapoia]

Startgate - SG1 Maybe 4/10, potentially higher if I give it more time.

Just to be clear I love SF, books, film and TV. I never watched a lot of Stargate when it was aired, just because it struck me as a relatively low budget cash is to a surprise hit film. I caught the first couple episodes and the odd one here and there over the years. Recently I have had a bit of time and thought I'd revisit the series. Wow - just watching the first few episodes (up to Ep4) has been really difficult. Can someone who is a bigger fan of this show please tell me if it gets better, because seriously I cannot understand how this it ran for 10 years based on what I have seen so far. Poor acting, poor writing and mostly unbelievable. For example: without a serious Mcguffin translating device how are we supposed to believe that all these pre-western civilisations just happen to speak perfect American English? Bah humbug.

I compare it to the new instalment of Battlestar Galactica that only ran for 4 seasons and am a bit shocked that it managed to last as long as it did - but maybe I need to be more patient.

Other series on the go:

Archer - Vice 9/10 - This season has seriously revived the show. I've always loved it and they took a big risk re-jigging things for season 5 in a big way but I think apart from a couple episodes it has been fantastic. Just the last one to go now and I will be sad when it is finished.

The Walking Dead 8/10
Finally something is actually happening in the second half of the 4th season - not that I completely disliked all of the episodes prior to the last two but they certainly could have got their shit together sooner.

Cosmos 8/10
I had issues with the way sections of some of the episodes were presented. The banal whoosh bang special effects without adequate narration or context in the first 10 minutes of ep1 and the blatant wishful thinking/speculation of ep4 annoyed me the most. Stating that "For all we know all this could be the inside of a black hole" while standing in a parking lot just rubbed me the wrong way. That said I think the show is a fabulous counter to vast amount of horse shit out there in the public domain regarding our current understanding of reality. The direct confrontation with various creationist/ID and anti-science claims on a stage such as this is long overdue.

 

[James Brown]

As the originator of this thread on FRDB, allow me to commiserate with you about the poor choice of thread title. About once a month, someone will saunter along and describe their television (Sony 45 inch, blah) and how they would rate it. They'll do this with the "I both take things hyper-literally AND am completely ignorant of context" style of "humor" that serves as a back-handed criticism of your inattention to proper thread title verbiage.

IT NEVER GETS OLD!

 

[TV and credit cards]

Doc Martin, when us local liberals can afford it. I love Pauline. I can't make out what she's muttering under her breath half the time but she is the perfect addition to the show. I was saddened to see Elaine go but, I'm over her now.
Vikings, though I don't know why. Vikings are cool and this show is pretty much first out of the gate for the Viking genre so, Vikings it is. I think they're way cooler than Zombies.

Everything else is filler.

 

[Narapoia]

As the originator of this thread on FRDB, allow me to commiserate with you about the poor choice of thread title. About once a month, someone will saunter along and describe their television (Sony 45 inch, blah) and how they would rate it. They'll do this with the "I both take things hyper-literally AND am completely ignorant of context" style of "humor" that serves as a back-handed criticism of your inattention to proper thread title verbiage.

IT NEVER GETS OLD!

Hah, okay. I might flick a message to an admin to see if I can get that sorted. Probably an example of why you should not start threads while slightly drunk.

 

[Daioh]

Dennou Coil 8/10
So this is an anime show about a world where a virtual world has been overlayed over the real world and is accessable through the use of glasses
This means that people now own virtual pets and generally interact with a reality that others can't see
It also allows for some pretty cool visuals and ideas (Like the giant pinky-purple anti-virus software)
Then of course things start to take a turn for the worse and bad things begin to happen within this world invovling some sort of old code that messes with people when they are using their glasses
And it is pretty good
The characters are all interesting and the technology is used well to create some rather interesting situations for the characters
the animation is also really well done and I like the more muted color scheme that they have

Hellsing Ultimate 8/10
Still anime
And this is how vampires should be done
This is over the top awesome and the later episodes crank the action to 11 and just go crazy
Some pacing issues but still fun

How I met your mother 5/10
I'm not really sure if I can say I like this show or not
It does have some fun moments
but then it seems to have equal amounts of boredom
So I don't hate it
but I'm not sure how much longer I will keep going with it

And on the coming up to watch list I have an anime called X'amd and trying out Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad and Elementary

 

[Narapoia]

Game of Thrones Season 4 9.5/10

Very happy to have this back on TV. I think this show is amazing - the acting, writing and production kick ass and they do a very good job with the large number of concurrent storylines. I know that fantasy is not everyone's cup of tea but the wholesale popularity of the show I think is a testament to how well it is made. Take a bow HBO.

On a side note - I seem to remember in the early 2000's there were only a few decent drama series on TV - The Soprano's and The Wire (Still the greatest show ever IMO) Is it just me or has there been a bit of an upswing in the quality of TV shows being made? In the last 5-7 years we have had GOT, Breaking Bad, House of Cards, True Detective, Generation Kill, Sherlock, The Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom .... I'm sure there are a few more depending on your preferences. Admittedly I was partying a lot more back then but I just don't remember there being as much good content.

 

[C_Mucius_Scaevola]

Veep

I was ignoring this show until I discovered it was created by Armando Ianucci. I've watched the first four episodes, and quite enjoyed them. It's funny, but not quite in the class of its forerunner, The Thick Of It, which I found much more abrasive in its style. Somehow the verité in that one is just that bit more vrai.

7.5/10

 

[KeepTalking]

Startgate - SG1 Maybe 4/10, potentially higher if I give it more time.

Just to be clear I love SF, books, film and TV. I never watched a lot of Stargate when it was aired, just because it struck me as a relatively low budget cash is to a surprise hit film. I caught the first couple episodes and the odd one here and there over the years. Recently I have had a bit of time and thought I'd revisit the series. Wow - just watching the first few episodes (up to Ep4) has been really difficult. Can someone who is a bigger fan of this show please tell me if it gets better, because seriously I cannot understand how this it ran for 10 years based on what I have seen so far. Poor acting, poor writing and mostly unbelievable. For example: without a serious Mcguffin translating device how are we supposed to believe that all these pre-western civilisations just happen to speak perfect American English? Bah humbug.

Stargate SG-1 is more about the characters, their interactions, and their growth than anything else. The special effects get better as the series goes on, and they eventually start weaving in long story lines in addition to stand alone episodes. Unfortunately, if the lack of a universal translator is what keeps you from getting into the series, that issue will never be resolved. Pretty much any alien species encountered by SG-1 is able to communicate with them verbally, and it is never explained, you just have to chalk that up to suspension of disbelief. On the other hand, any extinct civilization leaving behind only written communication is not given the same treatment. At that point it is up to Daniel Jackson, often in a race against time, to decipher the language.

The spin-off series Stargate Universe was far superior as far as story line, f/x, and just about any other way you look at it. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after only two seasons, and was never wrapped up properly. The producers had intended to do a movie to wrap things up after they found out that they had been cancelled, but that fell through as well.

I compare it to the new instalment of Battlestar Galactica that only ran for 4 seasons and am a bit shocked that it managed to last as long as it did - but maybe I need to be more patient.

I was a huge fan of the reboot of BSG right up until the very end. I won't spoil if for you if you haven't seen it, but I felt betrayed by the way they finished the series up. It seems that I am in the minority in that regard, as compared to other BSG fans I have talked to over the years, but I would just as soon have had the producers leave me hanging on that one. At this point I just have to pretend that the series finale never happened.

 

[Underseer]

[...]

Hellsing Ultimate 8/10
Still anime
And this is how vampires should be done
This is over the top awesome and the later episodes crank the action to 11 and just go crazy
Some pacing issues but still fun

[...]

Hellsing Ultimate is silly and over the top, but that's what makes it into a fun parody of action shows and vampire shows. It even has its own completely different and unnecessarily complicated vampire myth.

 

[Narapoia]

Stargate SG-1 is more about the characters, their interactions, and their growth than anything else. The special effects get better as the series goes on, and they eventually start weaving in long story lines in addition to stand alone episodes. Unfortunately, if the lack of a universal translator is what keeps you from getting into the series, that issue will never be resolved. Pretty much any alien species encountered by SG-1 is able to communicate with them verbally, and it is never explained, you just have to chalk that up to suspension of disbelief. On the other hand, any extinct civilization leaving behind only written communication is not given the same treatment. At that point it is up to Daniel Jackson, often in a race against time, to decipher the language.

Haha - I have noticed the use of that plot device already. I have got about 3/4 through the first season and have run out of willpower - don't suppose you could give me a rough indication of the season in which it starts to get a bit more interesting storyline wise?

The spin-off series Stargate Universe was far superior as far as story line, f/x, and just about any other way you look at it. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after only two seasons, and was never wrapped up properly. The producers had intended to do a movie to wrap things up after they found out that they had been cancelled, but that fell through as well.

I never watched any of the spin-offs - I was aware of this one but remember it being cancelled relatively early. Not that SG universe fits the mould but I think that as I have aged I have lost the ability to suspend belief with the more formulaic stand-alone style SF shows. I used to watch a bit of the various Star Trek incarnations - DS9, voyager etc and loved the nex gen when I was a kid. When I catch episodes on TV now I find them almost unwatcheable.

I was a huge fan of the reboot of BSG right up until the very end. I won't spoil if for you if you haven't seen it, but I felt betrayed by the way they finished the series up. It seems that I am in the minority in that regard, as compared to other BSG fans I have talked to over the years, but I would just as soon have had the producers leave me hanging on that one. At this point I just have to pretend that the series finale never happened.

Mate, finale - what finale? I too have selective retrograde amnesia regarding that appalling deus ex machina wrap up of what was such an excellent series. It's interesting that you have spoken to fans that were happy, I have had the opposite experience with pretty much universal dislike for the conclusion.

BTW - have you seen Continuum? A friend recommended it to me and I am trying to decide if it is worth the time.

 

[Zeluvia]

I watch Continuum. Watched Helix too, and Revolution. I am a binge watcher though, and I think they make more sense watched that way.

Continuum has an interesting plot device. The protagonist is on the "wrong" side, the "terrorists" are on the "right" side. But the protagonist is good, the terrorists are bad. I have heard it said the show is only for Canadian intellectuals, which explains it's small audience = P

 

[KeepTalking]

Haha - I have noticed the use of that plot device already. I have got about 3/4 through the first season and have run out of willpower - don't suppose you could give me a rough indication of the season in which it starts to get a bit more interesting storyline wise?

Honestly, if you're not hooked by the end of season 2, give it up, SG-1 is just not for you.

I never watched any of the spin-offs - I was aware of this one but remember it being cancelled relatively early. Not that SG universe fits the mould but I think that as I have aged I have lost the ability to suspend belief with the more formulaic stand-alone style SF shows. I used to watch a bit of the various Star Trek incarnations - DS9, voyager etc and loved the nex gen when I was a kid. When I catch episodes on TV now I find them almost unwatcheable.

Stargate Universe broke out of the mold to which I think you are referring. It was a linear story line, if you missed an episode, you might be quite lost by skipping on to the next one. They also tended to directly confront some of the issues that other SF shows tend to ignore, issues like just where the food and water comes from when you are trapped on an automated alien star ship that does not expect you to be on board. The differences between SGU, and what one typically expects of a SF series may have contributed to its cancellation. It had very good ratings during the first season, but they took a nose dive in the first half of the second season. This could have been because of the bleak setting, combined with the fact that you could not just jump into the series on any given episode without being totally lost with regard to the plot.

Mate, finale - what finale? I too have selective retrograde amnesia regarding that appalling deus ex machina wrap up of what was such an excellent series. It's interesting that you have spoken to fans that were happy, I have had the opposite experience with pretty much universal dislike for the conclusion.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who felt that way. I did not really have any real-life friends who were fans of the BSG reboot, so I was discussing it mostly with fans on the internet. I suppose I can finally chalk that up to the fanboi mindset.

BTW - have you seen Continuum? A friend recommended it to me and I am trying to decide if it is worth the time.

No, I have not watched Continuum, but have been intrigued by it as well.

 

[ryan]

The Blacklist is the best T.V. series that I have ever seen. I give it a 9.5/10. It loses 0.5 ONLY because the supporting actor is a little cheesy. It baffles me that this show does not have more popularity.

 

[ryan]

I just read that The Blacklist is on at a bad time but totally dominates its hour in every way,

"'The Blacklist' (2.8/8 in adults 18-49, 11.4 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) matched the show’s highest 18-49 rating since Feb. 24 and delivered the show’s biggest overall audience since Dec. 2. “The Blacklist” is a dominant #1 in the hour among ABC, CBS and NBC in every key ratings measure, and, with ABC’s “Castle” in rebroadcast, “Blacklist” topped the ABC-CBS drama competition combined in every key demographic. Versus NBC’s averages in the time period last season, “The Blacklist” was up 40% in 18-49 (2.8 vs. 2.0, L+SD, non-sports) and up 98% in total viewers (11.4 million vs. 5.7 million)"

from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...0-18-49-ratings-on-the-big-4-networks/252362/

 

[Zeluvia]

I checked out Vikings. Totally hooked on it now = ) Damn good show. Another show with no "good" or "bad" guys.

Way better than "Game of I have no Idea What the Fuck I am doing with All these Characters or Where the Hell these books are Going Which Is why I have to Kill them Off and Take Years to Write the Next part of the Story Thank HBO for trying to Clean Up this Huge Stupid Mess I have made"

BTW, I did like Stargate, and gave Stargate Universe a shot, but no Richard Dean Anderson, no win.

 

[bradw]

House of Cards (season 2)

Still top notch. I was expecting a little more tension and mayhem in the season finale, but it's still good.

8.5/10

 

[Underseer]

House of Cards (season 2)

Still top notch. I was expecting a little more tension and mayhem in the season finale, but it's still good.

8.5/10

I tried to get into it and barely finished the first episode because they kept breaking the "show, don't tell" rule.

 

[PopeInTheWoods]

I just (as in less than 20 minutes ago) finished Season 3 of The Mentalist, having started Season 1 about six weeks ago. I rate it overall about 7/10, with individual episodes varying from 5/10 to 9/10. I have the disadvantage of having gotten into Elementary first, and see an awful lot of formulaic overlap between these two shows.

One rather annoying [SPOILER WARNING] silliness:

Show

Agent van Pelt has now managed to date two men who were only using her to get inside the CBI. You'd think after the first one they'd start vetting her boyfriends.

 

[Daioh]

Tried out Breaking Bad
Normally I wouldn't go for a show like this, but EVERYONE just kept going on and on and on about how great it was and so after a while I checked it out
And I didn't like it
I can see why other people do like it, but it just isn't something I can really get into

On a side note, the one thing that really annoyed me was the shaky cam for EVERYTHING, is this something that happens all the way through this series?

 

[bilby]

In the spirit of preventing James Brown from being disappointed, I would just like to say that I am watching a Panasonic Viera TH-P46S10A TV, and that it has excellent picture and sound quality, despite being several years old. 9/10.

(He is right. It NEVER gets old). See you all next month!