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

Homeland

Very well done but extremely predictable. Imagine how you would write a script about an American ex-Iraq POW returned to USA seen from the eyes of an intelligence analyst. Imagine the twists and turns. Imagine what you could do with the Stockholm syndrome. How would ypu milk it for all its worth? Yes, that is exactly what is going to happen.

What's interesting about it is the main chatacters battle with bi-polar disorder. It's really well done. Great actors. Great well written dialogue. Believable characters. But not especially surprising.
 
Peaky Blinders 8/10

An excellent period piece about a criminal gang in Birmingham ca 1919. The interesting thing is that it's all based on actual historical events. That includes the really stupid name of the gang. The series is as much about the psychological damages WWI caused as the gang. Sam Harris plays an inspector tasked with breaking this gang. He does an excellent job of playing a lower class man who has risen in the ranks, but who lets his true class shine through now and again. Nicely played. The clothes and the scenery is top notch. I also love the Brommie dialect. If there's any complaint, it's that it's a tad dark and serious. There's very little light in their lives.
 
Tom Sawyer said:
Spartacus: Blood and Sand - 9/10

This is a frigging awesome show. It's all overstyalized violence and neo-Shakespearean dialogue, but exceptionally well done. Also, lots of boobies. I've finished season one and am starting on the prequel season. Apparently, the main guy died of cancer after the first season, so they had to replace him. That's sad because he was extremely good (also, generically sad in the "someone died of cancer" kind of way). Hopefully, his replacement keeps up the quality of the work.
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I was hooked on this show, it's really good. I was saddened to hear of Andy Whitfield's passing. Asher was my favorite character. Lucy lawless and Viva Bianca, stunning. I will watch again.
 
Last Tango in Halifax. A widow and widower who have not seen each other fro 60 years cross paths on Facebook and meet up, quickly get married british comedy drama at its best.

Looking forward to Peaky Blinders.
 
Have I mentioned recently that Princess Jellyfish is completely adorable? It's on Netflix right now.
 
Bates Motel (Season 2)

Always genuinely creepy and occasionally violent. The plot is always moving forward. The number of central characters is limited. The stories usually make sense.

It may not be cutting edge art, but it is very entertaining.

7.5/10
 
The Librarians (TNT Series) - Well, I saw a preview and was intrigued. Has Christian Kane (Angel, Leverage) and was being produced by Dean Devlin who did Leverage, an American reboot of the British show Hustle, both of which are very enjoyable. The show also has Bob Newhart and Rebecca Romajn. There was just one minor issue... John Larroquette is in it too. Well... maybe he will surprise me.

I've never seen the original movies, may not have even known they existed. They star Noah Wyle who is in the first episode of The Librarians. My problem with Wyle is he doesn't play the character he is playing very well. I don't know what it is about his style for the character, I just don't buy it.

So anyway, within 5 minutes of the show it is good, can be heading in the right direction, by 15 minutes, I'm really starting to lose it. The writing isn't clever. The acting is hammy. Enter in the main characters for the new series and I'm really losing the show. By 30 minutes, stuff just happens without much thought to it. Problems come up without thought, solutions have the same amount of thought... ie things are way too simple.

I turn it off before one hour. I let it simmer give it a second chance to see the second half of the premiere, but it is more of the same. It has the shine of Leverage, but the cohesivity of Charm.

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I was a fan of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I understand why he left. I'm okay with that...so let's see how this new host will do...right?

Nope. Apparently we're supposed to get by with fill in hosts for the next few months, the latest being Ferguson friend and former co-star Drew Carey.


Oh my non-existent god...it is horrible. I mean, I like Drew Carey, but it is so painfully obvious that he's just phoning it in for a paycheck. They didn't even change the studio set, and have stuck some cheesy announcer/comedian behind Geoff Petersen's podium. I could give them a break if it was for a week or two. Maybe three. But months?
 
Just finished all seasons (or is it "serials" or whatever you brits call them?) of Torchwood on Netflix. Kinda average to begin with, but seasons 3 and 4 are okay-ish miniseries. For those to whom the name says nothing, it's a Doctor Who spin-off where everyone is gay.
 
30 for 30 - Hillsbourgh Tragedy

A long documentary on the crush tragedy at Hillsborough in an FA Cup semi-final. The documentary is well put together and you really feel the full aspect of the tragedy, both the toll in lives and the ensuing attempt to whitewash/coverup the poor police response, that took the lives of ultimately 95 Liverpool fans.

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The Man in the High Castle 8/10
I watched a freebee episode on Amazon. This looks interesting. I know nothing of the story. I hope they pump out more of these soon.
It takes place in the early sixties I believe in a US where Germany and Japan won WWII. But there is something else going on. Some parallel universe stuff or something. There was a couple bits of conversation about an oracle. I didn't catch it all. I'll have to watch it again with the captions because these people won't stop mumbling.
 
TV and credit cards said:
The Man in the High Castle 8/10
I watched a freebee episode on Amazon. This looks interesting. I know nothing of the story. I hope they pump out more of these soon.
It takes place in the early sixties I believe in a US where Germany and Japan won WWII. But there is something else going on. Some parallel universe stuff or something. There was a couple bits of conversation about an oracle. I didn't catch it all. I'll have to watch it again with the captions because these people won't stop mumbling.
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It's based on a Philip K. Dick book of the same name, FWIW.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
30 for 30 - Hillsbourgh Tragedy

A long documentary on the crush tragedy at Hillsborough in an FA Cup semi-final. The documentary is well put together and you really feel the full aspect of the tragedy, both the toll in lives and the ensuing attempt to whitewash/coverup the poor police response, that took the lives of ultimately 95 Liverpool fans.

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If you are interested in pro cycling, I'd recommend the 30 for 30 episode "Slaying the Badger".
 
Veronica Mars - 6/10

The first season rocked. The second season dropped off a cliff (that's an inside joke for people who've seen the second season). I'm starting the third season and I'm hoping that they hired back the people who were writing for them in the beginning.
 
Tom Sawyer said:
Veronica Mars - 6/10

The first season rocked. The second season dropped off a cliff (that's an inside joke for people who've seen the second season). I'm starting the third season and I'm hoping that they hired back the people who were writing for them in the beginning.
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I didn't feel a difference between the seasons. Thought they were all good. Season Three is more like Season Three 16 or so episodes with an extension of several episodes at the end when they renewed a few more shows, if I remember correctly. I really liked Season Three, but I really liked the show.
 
All the Youtube videos from behind the scenes from the Hobbit. There's over 20 hours worth. Much better than the movies themselves.
 
Jayjay said:
Just finished all seasons (or is it "serials" or whatever you brits call them?) of Torchwood on Netflix. Kinda average to begin with, but seasons 3 and 4 are okay-ish miniseries. For those to whom the name says nothing, it's a Doctor Who spin-off where everyone is gay.
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Love me some Captain Jack Harkness!!
 
Legend of the Legendary Heroes

6/10

The dark stuff is really dark, which I enjoy. It also involves a lot of moral grey; although many of the characters mean well, they often fail to do well, and in some cases their ambition to acquire more power to do good corrupts them until they become the very thing they originally set out to oppose. No one is completely good nor completely evil, and I appreciate any TV show that offers a more realistic portrayal of people.

Unfortunately, the silly parts are very silly. Some of the stuff that was obviously supposed to be cute and help break the tension from all that darkness simply made me cringe.

By the time the story starts to delve deeply into its own mythology and we start to learn about resurrected demon souls, it gets even sillier. The series had potential, but it's probably just as well there will never be a second season.
 
Game of Thrones - Season Four

The show has been pretty good up to now, but Season Four felt almost jagged at points. I get the feeling they are trying to tell too much story in way too little time. I'm pretty good at keeping track of things and I'm finding myself getting lost with characters. The other problem was that some of the more notable moments in the season seemed almost anti-climatic for some reason. The show keeps you on your toes for so long, you don't expect anything good to happen I suppose.

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