What TV series do you like?

[Metalcat]

Letterkenny.

Jesus Christ, I can't even begin to explain how brilliant Letterkenny is. You might need to be Canadian to get it, but if you do, it's bloody genius, otherwise it might seem like the dumbest shit you've ever seen.

To be fair...

It may only be brilliant to a just a certain region of Canada.

[CowboyAndIndian]

One thing that drives me insane, though, is Alex's awful Texas (or whatever it's supposed to be) drawl.  It's so bad, y'all.

It is supposed to be a bad imitation of a Texas drawl.

In the books, they did give an explanation. The first settlers to Mariner Valley consisted of large waves of Indian and Chinese settlers and a smaller contingent of Texans. Apparently the accent was infectious because everyone from Mariner Valley now has that cowboy drawl.

Okay, that's better.  It helps, anyway.  Still annoys the crap out of me.

What annoys me is the Gunny character. I know the book mentioned a Pacific Islander woman,  but they could have got someone else in that role. She just does not fit Gunny as I expected it. I expected a gruff, tough maybe-older woman. Maybe a female Clint Eastwood in Hearbreak Ridge.

[OtherJen]

Letterkenny.

Jesus Christ, I can't even begin to explain how brilliant Letterkenny is. You might need to be Canadian to get it, but if you do, it's bloody genius, otherwise it might seem like the dumbest shit you've ever seen.

To be fair...

It may only be brilliant to a just a certain region of Canada.

It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. (Disclaimer: I grew up close enough to the US-Canada border that the Windsor CBC affiliate is standard local TV, and I grew up with bilingual Canadian Sesame Street.)

[Metalcat]

Letterkenny.

Jesus Christ, I can't even begin to explain how brilliant Letterkenny is. You might need to be Canadian to get it, but if you do, it's bloody genius, otherwise it might seem like the dumbest shit you've ever seen.

To be fair...

It may only be brilliant to a just a certain region of Canada.

It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. (Disclaimer: I grew up close enough to the US-Canada border that the Windsor CBC affiliate is standard local TV, and I grew up with bilingual Canadian Sesame Street.)

It's really just absolute genius deeply embedded in profound idiocy.

[OtherJen]

Letterkenny.

Jesus Christ, I can't even begin to explain how brilliant Letterkenny is. You might need to be Canadian to get it, but if you do, it's bloody genius, otherwise it might seem like the dumbest shit you've ever seen.

To be fair...

It may only be brilliant to a just a certain region of Canada.

It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. (Disclaimer: I grew up close enough to the US-Canada border that the Windsor CBC affiliate is standard local TV, and I grew up with bilingual Canadian Sesame Street.)

It's really just absolute genius deeply embedded in profound idiocy.

This is an accurate description.

[Metalcat]

Letterkenny.

Jesus Christ, I can't even begin to explain how brilliant Letterkenny is. You might need to be Canadian to get it, but if you do, it's bloody genius, otherwise it might seem like the dumbest shit you've ever seen.

To be fair...

It may only be brilliant to a just a certain region of Canada.

It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. (Disclaimer: I grew up close enough to the US-Canada border that the Windsor CBC affiliate is standard local TV, and I grew up with bilingual Canadian Sesame Street.)

It's really just absolute genius deeply embedded in profound idiocy.

This is an accurate description.

Yep, it's a pretty clear tell that someone is a moron if they think Letterkenny is stupid.

[Davnasty]

Letterkenny.

Jesus Christ, I can't even begin to explain how brilliant Letterkenny is. You might need to be Canadian to get it, but if you do, it's bloody genius, otherwise it might seem like the dumbest shit you've ever seen.

To be fair...

It may only be brilliant to a just a certain region of Canada.

It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. (Disclaimer: I grew up close enough to the US-Canada border that the Windsor CBC affiliate is standard local TV, and I grew up with bilingual Canadian Sesame Street.)

It's really just absolute genius deeply embedded in profound idiocy.

I think if you're familiar with any rural area (or even if you're not) you can get most of it. The hard part is keeping up with the dialogue.

I'm not familiar with much of the lingo but I have caught on a bit; with the hockey players it's almost a different language.

I think they got popular in the US through best of compilations, but you really do get more out of it if you watch the episodes.

[OtherJen]

We just finished season 2 of Dark (Netflix). Wow, that is a really well done and mind-bending show.

Now we can put our Netflix account on hiatus and pick up Amazon Prime Video for a few months. Any recommendations for that service? Our watch list already includes Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, The Expanse, and Man in the High Castle (we’ve seen all but the last season).

[soccerluvof4]

We just finished season 2 of Dark (Netflix). Wow, that is a really well done and mind-bending show.

Now we can put our Netflix account on hiatus and pick up Amazon Prime Video for a few months. Any recommendations for that service? Our watch list already includes Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, The Expanse, and Man in the High Castle (we’ve seen all but the last season).

Bosch , Goliath are two I really enjoyed. Goliath a bit weird at times but still entertaining.

[SaucyAussie]

We just finished season 2 of Dark (Netflix). Wow, that is a really well done and mind-bending show.

Now we can put our Netflix account on hiatus and pick up Amazon Prime Video for a few months. Any recommendations for that service? Our watch list already includes Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, The Expanse, and Man in the High Castle (we’ve seen all but the last season).

Bosch , Goliath are two I really enjoyed. Goliath a bit weird at times but still entertaining.

Yeah I thought season 1 of Goliath was outstanding, but then dropped off a bit in season 2.

Another one with that Bosch/Goliath "L.A. feel" is Ray Donovan - season 1 is free on Prime.  You can do a Showtime free trial to watch subsequent seasons.

[Nick_Miller]

I had just watched a couple of the Season 1 episodes of the Crown, and then my wife got ahead of me and I never caught up and I just gave up. I missed Season 2 as well.

Then she invited me to watch Season 3 last week, and we watched all 10 episodes and both liked it. I thought the casting was strong: Phillip may have been my favorite, as he is so delightfully snobbish. Even his little actions like waving away the servers  are funny to me. And Dickey is like the coolest dude in the world. That actor (Tywin from GoT) just has so much gravitas; I'm not sure how he does it. I also love Anne, Margaret (who had two great episodes) and Elizabeth, who admittedly doesn't get as much development imo because of her need to keep a stiff upper lip. I was meh on Charles; he was so whiny.

I'm glad they're keeping the cast around for Season 4. Helena Bonham Carter (age 53) will better age into her roll. It was a stretch viewing her as a 35-year-old at the beginning.

In the meantime, I'll go back and watch the first two seasons.

[OtherJen]

I had just watched a couple of the Season 1 episodes of the Crown, and then my wife got ahead of me and I never caught up and I just gave up. I missed Season 2 as well.

Then she invited me to watch Season 3 last week, and we watched all 10 episodes and both liked it. I thought the casting was strong: Phillip may have been my favorite, as he is so delightfully snobbish. Even his little actions like waving away the servers  are funny to me. And Dickey is like the coolest dude in the world. That actor (Tywin from GoT) just has so much gravitas; I'm not sure how he does it. I also love Anne, Margaret (who had two great episodes) and Elizabeth, who admittedly doesn't get as much development imo because of her need to keep a stiff upper lip. I was meh on Charles; he was so whiny.

I'm glad they're keeping the cast around for Season 4. Helena Bonham Carter (age 53) will better age into her roll. It was a stretch viewing her as a 35-year-old at the beginning.

In the meantime, I'll go back and watch the first two seasons.

That show is so well done. Tobias Menzies really knocked it out of the park as Philip in S3. Gillian Anderson is cast as Margaret Thatcher in S4, and I am so excited to see her play against Olivia Colman as Elizabeth (two of my favorite actors).

[Sanitary Stache]

I am watching SEE and The Mandolorian, both are working well to not binge watch and I wouldn't subscribe to Apple TV or Disney+ for either of these shows. 
I think The Mandolorian might translate fine to binge watching, but SEE seems to have more repetitive scenes with less interesting characters. I don't imagine I would still be watching if I wasn't waiting 7 days+ between episodes.  But with the wait, I am still entertained. 
The Madolorian is great.  I hope Disney makes this quality and better Star Wars universe shows at least until I die.
These shows make me think these streaming services could have a gimick where your account isn't allowed to watch another episode until a certain number of days have passed from watching the previous episode, or certain episodes are only available on certain days. Something to make the viewing more significant, like this show is only for people that really want to put some work into being able to watch it, rather than "this show is for whoever can stand it".   Maybe that is stupid.

I want to see the LetterKenney show to find out if I am a moron.

[TVRodriguez]

I want to see the LetterKenney show to find out if I am a moron.

Ha!  I had the same thought.

[Tyson]

I am watching SEE and The Mandolorian, both are working well to not binge watch and I wouldn't subscribe to Apple TV or Disney+ for either of these shows. 
I think The Mandolorian might translate fine to binge watching, but SEE seems to have more repetitive scenes with less interesting characters. I don't imagine I would still be watching if I wasn't waiting 7 days+ between episodes.  But with the wait, I am still entertained. 
The Madolorian is great.  I hope Disney makes this quality and better Star Wars universe shows at least until I die.
These shows make me think these streaming services could have a gimick where your account isn't allowed to watch another episode until a certain number of days have passed from watching the previous episode, or certain episodes are only available on certain days. Something to make the viewing more significant, like this show is only for people that really want to put some work into being able to watch it, rather than "this show is for whoever can stand it".   Maybe that is stupid.

I want to see the LetterKenney show to find out if I am a moron.

I dislike intensely having to wait for new episodes.  For me it really destroys the cumulative power of long form storytelling.  In fact there are shows right now that I'm very interested in watching that I've waited till their season is completed before I even start episode one (Watchmen, the Mandalorian and His Dark Materials). 

However, for other shows that aren't long form, like pretty much all the sitcoms or weekly detective shows - they can be a week apart and it's fine. 

[sui generis]

I am watching SEE and The Mandolorian, both are working well to not binge watch and I wouldn't subscribe to Apple TV or Disney+ for either of these shows. 
I think The Mandolorian might translate fine to binge watching, but SEE seems to have more repetitive scenes with less interesting characters. I don't imagine I would still be watching if I wasn't waiting 7 days+ between episodes.  But with the wait, I am still entertained. 
The Madolorian is great.  I hope Disney makes this quality and better Star Wars universe shows at least until I die.
These shows make me think these streaming services could have a gimick where your account isn't allowed to watch another episode until a certain number of days have passed from watching the previous episode, or certain episodes are only available on certain days. Something to make the viewing more significant, like this show is only for people that really want to put some work into being able to watch it, rather than "this show is for whoever can stand it".   Maybe that is stupid.

I want to see the LetterKenney show to find out if I am a moron.

I dislike intensely having to wait for new episodes.  For me it really destroys the cumulative power of long form storytelling.  In fact there are shows right now that I'm very interested in watching that I've waited till their season is completed before I even start episode one (Watchmen, the Mandalorian and His Dark Materials). 

However, for other shows that aren't long form, like pretty much all the sitcoms or weekly detective shows - they can be a week apart and it's fine.

I dislike the long time interruptions in those types of shows, too.  But I actually hate more waiting 8-16 months between seasons than a week or two between episodes.  The Americans was a perfect example of this for me, because the storyline was always pretty intricate.  I could follow it when I binge-watched a season over the course of 3 days.  But, I couldn't even find a good 10-minute recap or article that would refresh me enough, a year later, to prepare for the next season.  I've mostly given up and avoid the intense storyline shows now, even though I'm disappointed to miss out.  In theory, I'm waiting until their series finale then I can watch everything all together, but by the time it comes around, usually the show has jumped the shark and I get complicated feedback about which seasons are worth it and which are not, then don't end up watching any of it.  I'm having a hard time working out a good TV watching strategy...but I guess on the plus side I have a lot of time on my hands for other fun stuff?

[Metalcat]

I want to see the LetterKenney show to find out if I am a moron.

Report back, we'll be waiting ;)

I just finished Letterkenny, they're coming to my city this spring, so I'm planning to see them live.

Letterkenny and Fleabag are two shows that I think would really be an experience to see live. The brilliance of their humour is actually not dissimilar in a certain strange way.

[iris lily]

I had just watched a couple of the Season 1 episodes of the Crown, and then my wife got ahead of me and I never caught up and I just gave up. I missed Season 2 as well.

Then she invited me to watch Season 3 last week, and we watched all 10 episodes and both liked it. I thought the casting was strong: Phillip may have been my favorite, as he is so delightfully snobbish. Even his little actions like waving away the servers  are funny to me. And Dickey is like the coolest dude in the world. That actor (Tywin from GoT) just has so much gravitas; I'm not sure how he does it. I also love Anne, Margaret (who had two great episodes) and Elizabeth, who admittedly doesn't get as much development imo because of her need to keep a stiff upper lip. I was meh on Charles; he was so whiny.

I'm glad they're keeping the cast around for Season 4. Helena Bonham Carter (age 53) will better age into her roll. It was a stretch viewing her as a 35-year-old at the beginning.

In the meantime, I'll go back and watch the first two seasons.

I thought season 3 The Crown was not nearly as good as the first two seasons. The writing just isn’t as interesting and there is no one episode that drew me in except for that Welsh mining disaster episode. And of course the luminous beauty of Claire Foy and the actress who played Margaret are missing.

Some of the major details in the Charles and Camilla storyline are not true so that bugs me, and I am just not interested in seeing princess Diana in future episodes. We have been princess Diana’d to death

I’m glad the actor who plays Philip is making an impact on you guys. He did not for me, and when I heard he was nominated for a Golden Globe award I didn’t even know which character that was on The Crown.

[iris lily]

I am watching SEE and The Mandolorian, both are working well to not binge watch and I wouldn't subscribe to Apple TV or Disney+ for either of these shows. 
I think The Mandolorian might translate fine to binge watching, but SEE seems to have more repetitive scenes with less interesting characters. I don't imagine I would still be watching if I wasn't waiting 7 days+ between episodes.  But with the wait, I am still entertained. 
The Madolorian is great.  I hope Disney makes this quality and better Star Wars universe shows at least until I die.
These shows make me think these streaming services could have a gimick where your account isn't allowed to watch another episode until a certain number of days have passed from watching the previous episode, or certain episodes are only available on certain days. Something to make the viewing more significant, like this show is only for people that really want to put some work into being able to watch it, rather than "this show is for whoever can stand it".   Maybe that is stupid.

I want to see the LetterKenney show to find out if I am a moron.

I dislike intensely having to wait for new episodes.  For me it really destroys the cumulative power of long form storytelling.  In fact there are shows right now that I'm very interested in watching that I've waited till their season is completed before I even start episode one (Watchmen, the Mandalorian and His Dark Materials). 

However, for other shows that aren't long form, like pretty much all the sitcoms or weekly detective shows - they can be a week apart and it's fine.

I dislike the long time interruptions in those types of shows, too.  But I actually hate more waiting 8-16 months between seasons than a week or two between episodes.  The Americans was a perfect example of this for me, because the storyline was always pretty intricate.  I could follow it when I binge-watched a season over the course of 3 days.  But, I couldn't even find a good 10-minute recap or article that would refresh me enough, a year later, to prepare for the next season.  I've mostly given up and avoid the intense storyline shows now, even though I'm disappointed to miss out.  In theory, I'm waiting until their series finale then I can watch everything all together, but by the time it comes around, usually the show has jumped the shark and I get complicated feedback about which seasons are worth it and which are not, then don't end up watching any of it.  I'm having a hard time working out a good TV watching strategy...but I guess on the plus side I have a lot of time on my hands for other fun stuff?

LI had exactly this reaction to Game of Thrones. I respected it so much that after watching season one. I put it down and told myself I would not watch the production until it ended. So – I still have not seen Game of Thrones. I will binge watch it over a few months this year or maybe next year.

[Tyson]

There's nothing stopping people from watching one episode a week when a show drops a full season at once.  Or once a month.  You have control to space it out however you want.

[EscapeVelocity2020]

There's nothing stopping people from watching one episode a week when a show drops a full season at once.  Or once a month.  You have control to space it out however you want.

It's hard to imagine those days when you had to 'tune in' at a prescribed day and time and have to rush around during commercials so as not to miss stuff!  'Lost' was the last show that I 'suffered through' recording the show once a week, but needing to watch it that night because people would be talking about it the next day. 

I love the fact that I can watch some of 'my show' whenever I want, then watch an episode of 'our show' with family when they are available, and not have to finish off an episode if I'm tired or need to do something else...  I'm with the folks that wait for full seasons to be at least mostly done before I start watching.

[GuitarStv]

There's nothing stopping people from watching one episode a week when a show drops a full season at once.  Or once a month.  You have control to space it out however you want.

It's hard to imagine those days when you had to 'tune in' at a prescribed day and time and have to rush around during commercials so as not to miss stuff!  'Lost' was the last show that I 'suffered through' recording the show once a week, but needing to watch it that night because people would be talking about it the next day. 

I love the fact that I can watch some of 'my show' whenever I want, then watch an episode of 'our show' with family when they are available, and not have to finish off an episode if I'm tired or need to do something else...  I'm with the folks that wait for full seasons to be at least mostly done before I start watching.

I was thinking about this the other day.  Back in the 90s, Sunday night on Fox would drop a new Simpsons (before they were total shit) and X-File episode . . . and both were fantastic must watch TV.  Lots of people scheduled their lives around broadcast times.

It's awesome that we can all watch whatever we want whenever we want it now . . . but I feel like a tiny bit of magic has been lost in the process.

[Nick_Miller]

There's nothing stopping people from watching one episode a week when a show drops a full season at once.  Or once a month.  You have control to space it out however you want.

It's hard to imagine those days when you had to 'tune in' at a prescribed day and time and have to rush around during commercials so as not to miss stuff!  'Lost' was the last show that I 'suffered through' recording the show once a week, but needing to watch it that night because people would be talking about it the next day. 

I love the fact that I can watch some of 'my show' whenever I want, then watch an episode of 'our show' with family when they are available, and not have to finish off an episode if I'm tired or need to do something else...  I'm with the folks that wait for full seasons to be at least mostly done before I start watching.

I was thinking about this the other day.  Back in the 90s, Sunday night on Fox would drop a new Simpsons (before they were total shit) and X-File episode . . . and both were fantastic must watch TV.  Lots of people scheduled their lives around broadcast times.

It's awesome that we can all watch whatever we want whenever we want it now . . . but I feel like a tiny bit of magic has been lost in the process.

Yeah, I think the "magic" is the lost shared experience.

Watching a show together as a family can be still be quality time, especially if there are post-episode discussions. My kiddos have learned lessons about economics and business by watching episodes of things like Great Food Truck Race and Shark Tank with me. It wouldn't have been nearly as effective watching the episodes on at different times on different devices.

And then, an entire society "watching a show together" can create moments for people to analyze stories, you know, like English professors might have you discuss a book back in school. Discussing foreshadowing and speculating what might happen next. Interpreting characters' motivations. Discussing themes of a show. Those are still valuable skills, but they're mostly lost when people binge content and then almost immediately move on to the next thing. It's like participating in one of those hot dog eating contest where it's all NOM NOM NOM without any show of self restraint (or enjoyment!)

Why not enjoy a leisurely meal (with conversation) instead?

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Yeah, I think the "magic" is the lost shared experience.

Watching a show together as a family can be still be quality time, especially if there are post-episode discussions. My kiddos have learned lessons about economics and business by watching episodes of things like Great Food Truck Race and Shark Tank with me. It wouldn't have been nearly as effective watching the episodes on at different times on different devices.

And then, an entire society "watching a show together" can create moments for people to analyze stories, you know, like English professors might have you discuss a book back in school. Discussing foreshadowing and speculating what might happen next. Interpreting characters' motivations. Discussing themes of a show. Those are still valuable skills, but they're mostly lost when people binge content and then almost immediately move on to the next thing. It's like participating in one of those hot dog eating contest where it's all NOM NOM NOM without any short of self restraint (or enjoyment!)

Why not enjoy a leisurely meal (with conversation) instead?

Interesting thoughts!  It's funny for those that remember, that things like MJ's 'Thriller' on MTV or talking about a show you were following with your friends was a regular part of life.  I even remember calling friends and talking about what they were watching, just in case I was missing something interesting, and to talk about it the next day.

Although some of the magic will never come back, you have to admit that the quality of shows has dramatically improved.  The Achilles heel of network TV was that it had to satisfy everyone and couldn't be too 'racy'.  Most of the stuff I saw back then - Who's the Boss, Saved by the Bell, the Dukes of Hazard, the Wonder Years, Magnum PI, CHiPs, Miami Vice - was completely forgettable.  On the other hand, stuff like Stranger Things, the OA, Black Mirror, Love Death + Robots, Carnival Row, Westworld....  great stuff!

[Metalcat]

There's nothing stopping people from watching one episode a week when a show drops a full season at once.  Or once a month.  You have control to space it out however you want.

It's hard to imagine those days when you had to 'tune in' at a prescribed day and time and have to rush around during commercials so as not to miss stuff!  'Lost' was the last show that I 'suffered through' recording the show once a week, but needing to watch it that night because people would be talking about it the next day. 

I love the fact that I can watch some of 'my show' whenever I want, then watch an episode of 'our show' with family when they are available, and not have to finish off an episode if I'm tired or need to do something else...  I'm with the folks that wait for full seasons to be at least mostly done before I start watching.

I was thinking about this the other day.  Back in the 90s, Sunday night on Fox would drop a new Simpsons (before they were total shit) and X-File episode . . . and both were fantastic must watch TV.  Lots of people scheduled their lives around broadcast times.

It's awesome that we can all watch whatever we want whenever we want it now . . . but I feel like a tiny bit of magic has been lost in the process.

Yeah, I think the "magic" is the lost shared experience.

Watching a show together as a family can be still be quality time, especially if there are post-episode discussions. My kiddos have learned lessons about economics and business by watching episodes of things like Great Food Truck Race and Shark Tank with me. It wouldn't have been nearly as effective watching the episodes on at different times on different devices.

And then, an entire society "watching a show together" can create moments for people to analyze stories, you know, like English professors might have you discuss a book back in school. Discussing foreshadowing and speculating what might happen next. Interpreting characters' motivations. Discussing themes of a show. Those are still valuable skills, but they're mostly lost when people binge content and then almost immediately move on to the next thing. It's like participating in one of those hot dog eating contest where it's all NOM NOM NOM without any show of self restraint (or enjoyment!)

Why not enjoy a leisurely meal (with conversation) instead?

IDK, my staff coordinate their watching and analyze it and talk it over the way people used to with broadcast television.

They have a group WhatsApp to stay on track with each other.

[CowboyAndIndian]

For those who like sci-fi shows, The Expanse Season 4 has started on Amazon Prime.

After seeing 5 episodes, I am really enjoying it. The fourth book was the one I least liked of the 7. But season 4 is quite good.

[TVRodriguez]

For those who like sci-fi shows, The Expanse Season 4 has started on Amazon Prime.

After seeing 5 episodes, I am really enjoying it. The fourth book was the one I least liked of the 7. But season 4 is quite good.

We started watching Season 4, too, and we're enjoying it. Haven't read any of the books.

[lizzzi]

For those who like sci-fi shows, The Expanse Season 4 has started on Amazon Prime.

After seeing 5 episodes, I am really enjoying it. The fourth book was the one I least liked of the 7. But season 4 is quite good.

We started watching Season 4, too, and we're enjoying it. Haven't read any of the books.

Yes, it is well worth watching. Complex, top quality science fiction. I've read all the books so far--liked some better than others--believe the next one comes out sometime in 2020.

[DavidAnnArbor]

I've really enjoyed Season 4 of The Expanse. Great hardcore sci fi.

[Noodle]

I had just watched a couple of the Season 1 episodes of the Crown, and then my wife got ahead of me and I never caught up and I just gave up. I missed Season 2 as well.

Then she invited me to watch Season 3 last week, and we watched all 10 episodes and both liked it. I thought the casting was strong: Phillip may have been my favorite, as he is so delightfully snobbish. Even his little actions like waving away the servers  are funny to me. And Dickey is like the coolest dude in the world. That actor (Tywin from GoT) just has so much gravitas; I'm not sure how he does it. I also love Anne, Margaret (who had two great episodes) and Elizabeth, who admittedly doesn't get as much development imo because of her need to keep a stiff upper lip. I was meh on Charles; he was so whiny.

I'm glad they're keeping the cast around for Season 4. Helena Bonham Carter (age 53) will better age into her roll. It was a stretch viewing her as a 35-year-old at the beginning.

In the meantime, I'll go back and watch the first two seasons.

I thought season 3 The Crown was not nearly as good as the first two seasons. The writing just isn’t as interesting and there is no one episode that drew me in except for that Welsh mining disaster episode. And of course the luminous beauty of Claire Foy and the actress who played Margaret are missing.

Some of the major details in the Charles and Camilla storyline are not true so that bugs me, and I am just not interested in seeing princess Diana in future episodes. We have been princess Diana’d to death

I’m glad the actor who plays Philip is making an impact on you guys. He did not for me, and when I heard he was nominated for a Golden Globe award I didn’t even know which character that was on The Crown.

One of the commentators I read made the point that the period being covered this time was not very interesting in terms of the monarchy--it was sort of a quiet period after the early challenges of a young queen and before the Diana/Charles notoriety of the 1980s, so a lot of what they were doing was set-up for next season. Olivia Colman is one of my favorite actresses and I was disappointed they didn't give her more to do, although I did like seeing her and Philip operating as more of a team after all the clashes in the first two season (which I got sort of tired of). I was surprised that they skipped over the attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne but perhaps they're holding that for later as a flashback or something. Next season ought to be a lot more meaty, since outside of the introduction of Diana there will also be the relationship with Margaret Thatcher, the assassination of Lord Mountbatten, and Margaret's divorce (and maybe the Troubles in Northern Ireland?). I'm also wondering if they're going to do more with the Queen Mother--I remember her being a huge and beloved public figure, and that's not really how she's been portrayed thus far.

[Noodle]

Watched the new Netflix series "The Witcher" over the holidays. Was glad I had not seen the reviews, which were terrible, because I liked the show quite a bit. It definitely had some overlap with Game of Thrones (fantasy world, lots of sex and violence) but fixed some of the things that had bothered me--women play much stronger roles than the early seasons of GOT and although there is certainly discussion of their more limited choices in a fantasy-type world they have much more agency than GOT. There are three main plotlines and women have the leads in two of them. I also liked the fact that there was more humor in the plotline about the monster-hunter. There's also more time spent with non-elites than in Game of Thrones. The plotting is sort of complicated and they just throw you into it (I guess they think a lot of the audience will be familiar with the video games/books the series is based on) but although I had to pay attention I enjoyed the process of sorting out what was going on. The series isn't perfect--the premiere is only so-so, and I didn't like that they basically sidelined two of the main characters for the finale-- but if it's your kind of thing I think it's worth a look!

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Wow, the Mandalorian has really kicked in to high gear in episode 7 and now 8.  I love the writing, the characters, and 'Boba Fett' was a childhood favorite.  This is one of my favorite Star Wars story lines in a long time, since the last high when 'the Force Awakened' (and then fizzled out)...

[TVRodriguez]

Watched the new Netflix series "The Witcher" over the holidays. Was glad I had not seen the reviews, which were terrible, because I liked the show quite a bit. It definitely had some overlap with Game of Thrones (fantasy world, lots of sex and violence) but fixed some of the things that had bothered me--women play much stronger roles than the early seasons of GOT and although there is certainly discussion of their more limited choices in a fantasy-type world they have much more agency than GOT. There are three main plotlines and women have the leads in two of them. I also liked the fact that there was more humor in the plotline about the monster-hunter. There's also more time spent with non-elites than in Game of Thrones. The plotting is sort of complicated and they just throw you into it (I guess they think a lot of the audience will be familiar with the video games/books the series is based on) but although I had to pay attention I enjoyed the process of sorting out what was going on. The series isn't perfect--the premiere is only so-so, and I didn't like that they basically sidelined two of the main characters for the finale-- but if it's your kind of thing I think it's worth a look!

DH and I just finished watching The Witcher tonight, based in part on your review, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All of your descriptions are spot on, IMO. 

Lots of new streaming shows seem to dial up the TV-MA bits of (mostly female) nudity and LOTS of cursing, but I found it not to bother me so much on this show.  I mean, sure, the orgy was unnecessary, but it also made sense to me that that character had set it up and was bored with it. At least the sex on screen was not violent like in GOT. When sex happens in The Witcher, all participants appear to be enjoying it (even if they might not actually have consented).

The witcher character's use of the word "Fuck" in those moments when there's nothing better to say made me laugh. We can all relate to this feeling, even if we've never before been on the wrong end of the Law of Surprise. I never saw Henry Cavill in anything else that I remember, but I loved him in this.

I was pleased to see the character development in Yennefer. I had no familiarity with the books or video games, and I had expected her to go in another direction (i.e., the way of Fringilla). Ciri is still a bit of a blank that needs filling in, but I'll be there next season to see if it happens.

Overall, a thumbs up from me.

[Vashy]

Thirding on The Witcher. I *loved* the game, so I was sceptical, but I love fantasy and the visuals are great, so started it. It took me a couple episodes to get into it, but then we just binged the whole thing away. I do love that the female characters have a lot more agency - I quit GoT after literally every single female character got raped or threatened with rape to the point where it really became much more about the sadism than I want to expose my brain to (nothing like knowing an actual sexual sadist in real life to take the thrill out of that kind of stuff).

Meanwhile, the Netflix documentary "Hail Satan?" was really surprisingly good fun.

[Noodle]

My nieces and nephews insisted that I watch The Mandalorian over Christmas, and it turns out that Baby Yoda is just as adorable as the Internet had indicated. The production values are incredibly high--interestingly, I noticed it in the music, which is a full movie-type orchestral score--and I was very impressed that Disney managed to make a series with high enough stakes to keep adults engaged while still keeping it family-friendly enough to appear on Disney+

On a completely different note, put on the Netflix ice skating soap opera Spinning Out to watch while doing chores and got totally sucked in. The acting is excellent and the characters are complicated in a good way.  FYI, a major plot line involves two characters who are living with bipolar disorder and handling it more or less well at various points. I thought it was very well done, but it might not be exactly what one would expect based on the marketing.

[Warlord1986]

The Witcher was awesome. Throw a coin to your Witcher, oh valley of plenty.....

Also fun is the Umbrella Academy. I appreciate Diego.

[DadJokes]

The Witcher was awesome. Throw a coin to your Witcher, oh valley of plenty.....

Also fun is the Umbrella Academy. I appreciate Diego.

I liked #5, but maybe that's because I'm also an arrogant asshole at heart.

[Warlord1986]

The Witcher was awesome. Throw a coin to your Witcher, oh valley of plenty.....

Also fun is the Umbrella Academy. I appreciate Diego.

I liked #5, but maybe that's because I'm also an arrogant asshole at heart.

Every meme I see talks about how great he is despite the actor being a teenager. Honestly, I feel like only a teenager could properly exude that charming mix of disdain, arrogance, and attitude of 'done' required for the part.

[StarBright]

I'm still waiting for a show to fill my post Mad Men void. Come on now, someone has to be making something like it!

There are two shows that are completely different from Mad Men but are linked in the same category as Mad Men for me (in that I felt emotionally satisfied and artistically fulfilled and just flat out glad that I watched them and I still think of them sometimes): The Leftovers and Fleabag.  I would say that what both share with Mad Med is a dark humor that just comes with being human but both are tragic too (the Leftovers moreso).  Fleabag is funny w/tragedy and Leftovers is definitely a tragedy with flashes of humor and humanity.

The Americans sometimes leaves me feeling that way, but I haven't watched the last two seasons yet so don't know how I'll feel about the series as a whole.

Oh gosh, I am  still mourning the end of The Americans. The last season is so suspenseful and interesting and the last episode is just sublime. PS I just finished Fleabag and I liked it as well. Maybe I need to try Leftovers.

Just finished Americans last night.  The last episode was wonderful! It is in  that small group of shows that I think ended perfectly.

[Kris]

Been catching up on Doctor Who.  Man I love this show.  It seems so light and fluffy on the surface, but goes pretty deep and often quite dark.  Very, very British!

I'm on the 2nd season with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and it's much better than the first.  And the first wasn't bad!

I've been watching the first season--not sure what I think of it--it is so weird and different. Very hokey. But I'm just going to continue watching, and kind of go with the flow. I think I'm going to either love it or hate it, and I don't yet know which it will be.

I'm still chugging along in the second season. They just defeated the Dalek invasion of Earth, and Susan has just left the group to marry the nice Earth guy. William Hartnell is still Dr. Who. The show is getting much better--still hokey, but compelling hokey rather than stupid, cringe-worthy hokey. I think I'm in for the long haul.

I'm still jumping around on seasons and episodes--classic series and reboot--on Amazon Prime. I am currently watching the newer episodes with Matt Smith and David Tennant as the Doctor. They are sooooooo much better than the classic series, at least from what I've watched so far. David Tennant is incredibly good. I recommend the re-boot for exciting story-telling, great visuals, funny, dry quips at times. Can't really recommend the cheesy classic series except to get some background while yawning and rolling your eyes.

Agreed!  The original series was cheesy/bad and the reboot is cheesy/good (and a lot more clever).

Completely agree. I never got into the originals. But Tennant got me hooked.

DH and I just started watching season 11 with Jodie Whitaker. As much as I like Peter Capaldi as an actor, I never got into him as the Doctor. Whitaker is a gem — very much enjoying her!

[OtherJen]

Speaking of David Tennant (of whom I am a big fan), we just started Good Omens. Very solid and fun first episode.

[TVRodriguez]

DH & I watched The Kettering Incident on Amazon Prime.  Set in Tasmania, Australia, it covers the disappearances of two teenage girls 15 years apart, which appear to be connected by the same woman, who is our protagonist.  I'd give it 3.5/5.  It's got beautiful landscapes, gorgeous shots of the aurora australis, a sometimes riveting sometimes spooky story, and some interesting characters.  The landscapes reminded me of Broadchurch, not that they looked alike, but that they seemed to be another character in both stories.  The "solution" disappointed me, tbh, but I won't say more about that so as not to spoil it.

[BikeFanatic]

I recommend the ACT on Hulu, quite a show,  one season based on a true story a daughter held prisoner by her mother, dont want to spoil it further but well worth watching, great acting.

[jrhampt]

Add me to the list of people who enjoyed Witcher.  I’m sad that there’s at least another year before the next season comes out, but I’ll probably read the books in the meantime.  And I’m excited to try the Expanse next.

[TVRodriguez]

Okay, DH & I watched the first episode of the Netflix/BBC "Dracula," and I do NOT recommend it.  Barely made it through the first episode, partly b/c I thought it was a movie and I figured since I was already in it this long that I may as well see the end, and then "to be continued" showed on the screen and I realized with great disappointment it was a series.  Ugh.  Will not be watching the rest.  The dracula actor was kinda good, and it was a cool castle, but that's it.

(hesitated to post this b/c the thread is titled "What TV series do you LIKE?" but figured it might help save someone from wasting their time)

[BTDretire]

If you like old British Humor, 'Rumpold of the Bailey'
I think I first watched it in the 80s on HBO.
It's available on Youtube, this is episode two, I didn't find a full screen first episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eOOz39iA_Y&list=PLxP6anpy1icjjCGu7neYk6V5Rh48CyorP

This is a wiki about Rumpold of the Bailey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpole_of_the_Bailey

[OtherJen]

Okay, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is as good as I'd been told it was.

[SaucyAussie]

Okay, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is as good as I'd been told it was.

Yes.  Very rare for a show to live up to the hype!

[Luke Warm]

fargo season 3 is pretty good.

[Nick_Miller]

Shows my wife and I are looking forward to the next seasons...

The Boys Season 2
Ozark Season 3 (coming soon)
Yellowstone Season 3 (summer I think?)
Mandalorian Season 2 (fall?)
Witcher Season 2 (early 2021?)
Crown Season 4 (not sure?)
Lost in Space Season 3 (no idea)

We are pretty much all over the place with genres