2014 RANDOM TV THOUGHTS

[Curt McGirt]

Taking those two worlds and mashing them together really does underline how different the characters and shows are. It's like the cast of Seinfeld showing up on The Waltons. 

[Brian Fowler]

There were some quality jokes, but a lot of misses as well.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Taking those two worlds and mashing them together really does underline how different the characters and shows are. It's like the cast of Seinfeld showing up on The Waltons.

And now I'm stealing that as a bit for casual conversation and my podcast.

[JLowe]

Also, struggling through s2 of Friday Night Lights, its a bit of a chore but Santiago, Saracen and Riggins have been highlights.

If you really are struggling, just go ahead and skip to Season 3. Seriously. You'll see why, if you haven't already been told.

[Dewar]

Re: Brooklyn 99. It got a lot better as season 1 went on, keep watching. The more they flesh out the characters, and stop focusing as much on Samburg being Samburg, the better the show gets.

[Just Dave]

Chelsea Peretti is cracking me the hell up on Brooklyn 99. She's doing the Lord's work on that show. 

[peterien]

Also, struggling through s2 of Friday Night Lights, its a bit of a chore but Santiago, Saracen and Riggins have been highlights.

If you really are struggling, just go ahead and skip to Season 3. Seriously. You'll see why, if you haven't already been told.

Got through it- it was tough,a complete mess of a season. Starting season 3 now.

[JLowe]

 

 

Also, struggling through s2 of Friday Night Lights, its a bit of a chore but Santiago, Saracen and Riggins have been highlights.

If you really are struggling, just go ahead and skip to Season 3. Seriously. You'll see why, if you haven't already been told.

Got through it- it was tough,a complete mess of a season. Starting season 3 now.

 

Writers strike combined with network pressure. It gets sooooooooo much better from this point on.

[Greggulator]

Life has gotten in the way so I haven't binged on Gilmore Girls as much as I want/should/need. But I'm through the first few episodes of Season 1. THOUGHTS:

1) There is just such awesome chemistry on this show from the beginning. Alexis Biedel and Lauren Graham are such an amazing pairing. They really click as a mother/daughter pairing and make complete. They're a joy to watch.

2) One trait Rory and Lorelai share in common that hasn't been touched on yet in the series is that they are TERRIBLE friends. They're so self-centered! Snookie and Lane are essentially their sounding boards. It's so dumb.

3) Emily Gilmore is on the short list of best characters in television history. Any good soap opera needs tension. The whimsical world of Stars Hollow and it's strange characters is fine but there's no real dramatic hook there (yet). Rory adjusting to Chilton and this new world has some more stakes to it, but it's pretty similar material. But the tension between Emily and Lorelai brings the show up another few levels. Kelly Bishop is wonderful in the role, too.

4) One of the things that makes the tension so great is that Emily is so right in a lot of aspects. In the episode where Rory goes to the country club, Emily is really right in wanting her granddaughter to spend time with Richard. The number one thing she's wanted in life was to have her daughter and especially Rory back in their lives. Lorelai should let that relationship develop but can't because she's leery/worried/jealous, etc. But Emily's just so manipulative and does these fantastic gloating looks when she gets her way that it comes off as the work of the devil.

 

5) But Emily and Richard and their blue-blood quirks are also really hilarious at times and provide for some great comic relief.

 

6) I love the really early bond Rory develops with Richard. He's so awkward and has no idea how to handle a golf outing with his granddaughter and worried the relationship will unravel. But then he talks with Rory beyond golf and sees she's so intellectually curious, just as he is (and Lorelai isn't). It becomes such a sweet pairing.

It's such a wonderful show. It's funny, well-written, and incredibly acted.

[Tabe]

 

It's such a wonderful show. It's funny, well-written, and incredibly acted.

Interesting.  I may have to give it a shot after I finish binge watching Parenthood, if only because I can't really stand Lauren Graham's performance on the show but you say she's good on Gilmore Girls.  

[Craig H]

I watched the first season of American Horror Story and man, it was fucking awful.

[Reed]

I watched the first season of American Horror Story and man, it was fucking awful.

 

Hannibal, True Detective and the upcoming return of Twin Peaks have really shown up AHS for the cartoonish nonsense it is, IMO.

[PetrolCB]

Watching Letterman, Tom Selleck looks like he's about to start filming the Don Frye biopic.

[Kuetsar]

http://www.vulture.com/2014/10/american-it-crowd-remake-nbc.html?mid=facebook_vulture

 

 

I guess this would go here. . . NO, NO TEN THOUSAND FUCKING TIMES NO!

[Travis Sheldon]

http://www.vulture.com/2014/10/american-it-crowd-remake-nbc.html?mid=facebook_vulture

 

 

I guess this would go here. . . NO, NO TEN THOUSAND FUCKING TIMES NO!

 

The original pilot that got canned was perfectly acceptable in a Gracepoint sort of way. 

Basically, you get one of the original cast and add some other good players who are totally miscast and not in sync with the humor.

I didn't read the entire article, but was Graham Linehan mentioned anywhere?

[Kuetsar]

 

http://www.vulture.com/2014/10/american-it-crowd-remake-nbc.html?mid=facebook_vulture

 

 

I guess this would go here. . . NO, NO TEN THOUSAND FUCKING TIMES NO!

 

The original pilot that got canned was perfectly acceptable in a Gracepoint sort of way. 

Basically, you get one of the original cast and add some other good players who are totally miscast and not in sync with the humor.

I didn't read the entire article, but was Graham Linehan mentioned anywhere?

 

From what the article says, it is being developed from the scrubs team. .  ugh. I'll probably give it a watch if it gets on the air, but this falls under the just buy the rights and air the original show rule.

[RandomAct]

Yeah, I'd give it a shot since it's Lawrence is at the helm and I love all of his work, but this seems sketchy.

[Craig H]

So my next TV show dive is Fringe. I fucking love this show. It really taps into that part of my brain that is completely fascinated by sci-fi that involves doomsday devices, time travel, weird science, etc. The barrier to entry is rather low because it's not a very "hard" sci-fi show and there is some technobabble, but on the whole, it's been great.

 

I'm on season three now and I'm completely hooked. I also see why this show failed. Fringe was a product of the now hopefully old system of needing to have 22 to 23 episodes of TV in a season. In fact, I think part of the reason I'm loving Fringe is that I found a couple websites that tell you the 11 to 13 episodes in a season that you need to watch, and that includes some non-mythology one-off episodes. Had I watched Fringe when it was being broadcast, I would get burned out. 

[Kuetsar]

So my next TV show dive is Fringe. I fucking love this show. It really taps into that part of my brain that is completely fascinated by sci-fi that involves doomsday devices, time travel, weird science, etc. The barrier to entry is rather low because it's not a very "hard" sci-fi show and there is some technobabble, but on the whole, it's been great.

 

I'm on season three now and I'm completely hooked. I also see why this show failed. Fringe was a product of the now hopefully old system of needing to have 22 to 23 episodes of TV in a season. In fact, I think part of the reason I'm loving Fringe is that I found a couple websites that tell you the 11 to 13 episodes in a season that you need to watch, and that includes some non-mythology one-off episodes. Had I watched Fringe when it was being broadcast, I would get burned out. 

Do yourself a favor and skip the piece of shit last season. . . 

[Bustronaut]

Such anger over a serviceable show!

[Tabe]

Have started season five of Parenthood.  Much like my earlier comment, I find myself constantly frustrated by the show.  There's glimpses of great moments but you get 99 crappy moments for each good one.  And, of course, every character is just so dang unlikeable.  Or stupid.  Or unrealistic.  I mean, yeah, I can totally see Adam turning down a $1.25m payday for their business that's been open a couple months just because he enjoys working with his brother so much.  Sure thing.  [/eyeroll].  And there's squinty, twitchy, never speaks a full sentence or thought, Sarah.  I mean, why, yes, it's perfectly intelligent to go away on a weekend job with your boss instead of a weekend wedding with your fiance.  Good choice.  Hey, while you're at it, make sure to ask your daughter questions about her engagement whose only purpose seem to be to make her question the fiance.  Good choice.  

 

And, ironically for a show called Parenthood, there's literally not a single good parent on the show.  Not one.  If they have young kids, they let 'em do whatever the heck they want without consequences.  If the kids are older, they either do absolutely no parenting or...let them do whatever the heck they want.  Adam and Christina have apparently made the decision that parenting a kid with Asperger's means setting absolutely no boundaries or rules or consequences for anything.  The result is a monster of a kid I can't believe anybody can stand to be around for more than 15 seconds.  

 

And yet I keep watching.  I do find myself longing for the much better parenting and much better relationships found on Friday Night Lights, though.

[Reed]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/hannibal-buress-bill-cosby-rape-allegations?utm_term=ya4bjx#1w9x6q6

 

Credit to Hannibal Buress for finally calling out Bill Cosby on his role model schtick when he's been accused of rape by too many women to count.

[Johnny Sorrow]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/hannibal-buress-bill-cosby-rape-allegations?utm_term=ya4bjx#1w9x6q6

Credit to Hannibal Buress for finally calling out Bill Cosby on his role model schtick when he's been accused of rape by too many women to count.

That's fucking hilarious.

[Spritenaut 32]

And, ironically for a show called Parenthood, there's literally not a single good parent on the show.  Not one.  If they have young kids, they let 'em do whatever the heck they want without consequences.  If the kids are older, they either do absolutely no parenting or...let them do whatever the heck they want.  Adam and Christina have apparently made the decision that parenting a kid with Asperger's means setting absolutely no boundaries or rules or consequences for anything.  The result is a monster of a kid I can't believe anybody can stand to be around for more than 15 seconds.  

 

I'm kinda glad the Bravermans are fictional characters.  If they were real, I'd have to worry that my wife might seek Adam and Christina out and confront them over their dubious parenting decisions.  Or set them on fire.  Whichever.  She apparently has low standards for the rest of the clan, but Adam and Christina drive her insane because they're basically stable, caring people who should be solid parents.  Yet, they make dumb, short-sighted decisions that affect their kids at least once or twice every few episodes, then seem surprised when things go sideways with the kids.

 

I don't watch the show regularly, but I more or less agree.  Crosby is written to be a flake, and Sarah is too damaged by decades of shitty choices about men/needing a boyfriend to validate herself.  Not sure about Julia.  But, yeah, there's nothing obviously defective about Adam and Christina, yet they seem clueless about raising kids. 

 

The show as a whole seems ok to me, if not inspired drama, but, man, if anyone in that family had the ability to reflect and learn from the mistakes of those around them, the show would have run out of plot after 13 episodes.

[odessasteps]

Yeah. The highs are high but many lows.