Author Topic: What TV series do you like?  (Read 699792 times)

DadJokes

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1850 on: December 29, 2021, 08:04:00 AM »
Only Murders in the Building was really good. It was suspenseful enough that I felt compelled to binge all 10 episodes within a few days.

JLee

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1851 on: December 29, 2021, 08:37:57 AM »
Only Murders in the Building was really good. It was suspenseful enough that I felt compelled to binge all 10 episodes within a few days.

I love that show! We’re watching with our roommate and haven’t finished it yet.

Ted Lasso was amazing, and were a few episodes into Mythic Quest now which is also promising (figured we’d try to find a way to use the rest of the month’a Apple TV subscription). It’s definitely worth the $5 for a month to watch Ted Lasso.

StarBright

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1852 on: December 29, 2021, 11:11:10 AM »
Only Murders in the Building was really good. It was suspenseful enough that I felt compelled to binge all 10 episodes within a few days.

I love that show! We’re watching with our roommate and haven’t finished it yet.

Ted Lasso was amazing, and were a few episodes into Mythic Quest now which is also promising (figured we’d try to find a way to use the rest of the month’a Apple TV subscription). It’s definitely worth the $5 for a month to watch Ted Lasso.

Mythic Quest was one of my favorite things I watched this year. It is always funny (Carol the HR lady for life!), but it also has a lot of heart and grapples w/ commerce vs. art in a lovely, funny way.

Luke Warm

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1853 on: January 05, 2022, 06:37:05 AM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

GuitarStv

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1854 on: January 05, 2022, 07:21:41 AM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

Oddly, the part I liked the most about the Foundation series was the side story about Empire . . . which was completely made up and not in the Foundation books.


Apple TV has The Boys, which isn't a bad show.

Sandi_k

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1855 on: January 05, 2022, 10:53:21 AM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

For All Mankind.

Alternative history where the Russians got to the moon first. Really good production values, and a lot of Apollo 13 kind of stuff.

FIRE Artist

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1856 on: January 05, 2022, 05:13:34 PM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

Oddly, the part I liked the most about the Foundation series was the side story about Empire . . . which was completely made up and not in the Foundation books.


Apple TV has The Boys, which isn't a bad show.

Well that is disappointing to hear, that was my favourite part too.  Should I still bother with the books then?

GuitarStv

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1857 on: January 05, 2022, 06:01:21 PM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

Oddly, the part I liked the most about the Foundation series was the side story about Empire . . . which was completely made up and not in the Foundation books.


Apple TV has The Boys, which isn't a bad show.

Well that is disappointing to hear, that was my favourite part too.  Should I still bother with the books then?

I really enjoyed the books myself.  Other than the first episode they're radically different than the TV show though - the books follow societal, legal, and political intrigue with a constantly changing cast over centuries.  To give you an idea of how different things were . . . the real Salvor Hardin was a middle aged male bureaucrat who politically outmaneuvered the Foundation's enemies during the first two Seldon crisis' by more or less giving them everything they thought they wanted.  No fighting, no shooting, no individuals risking it all in action sequences - just good civic planning and satisfying intellectual smugness.  More 'West Wing' than the 'Space Rambo' direction that the TV series seemed to be courting.

I recommend the books, but admit they're probably not to everyone's taste.

FIRE Artist

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1858 on: January 05, 2022, 07:15:06 PM »
Thanks

mspym

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1859 on: January 05, 2022, 09:35:38 PM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

For All Mankind.

Alternative history where the Russians got to the moon first. Really good production values, and a lot of Apollo 13 kind of stuff.
I was initially skeptical but it's really good and improves as the series progress

OtherJen

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1860 on: January 06, 2022, 06:00:15 AM »
I am watching LulaRich on Prime, interview style documentary series on a Mormon based MLM business selling low quality fast fashion, primarily knits like leggings in hideous prints. 

What is with the Mormons and MLMs?  The only person I know who is deep into MLM is a Mormon as well. 

The overstepping of this scam into telling women how to be good wives, encouraging weight loss surgery is super bizarre.  Actually telling people to get a new husband if the husband wouldn’t agree to quit their career to also go all in on the MLM.  Encouraging all profits to be spent on a monthly basis on luxury goods, grooming etc.  Just crazy stuff.

MLMs are popular among Mormons and other groups that discourage women from being anything besides wives and mothers of many children.

In other news, the same production team is working on a docuseries about the Duggars and other far-right-wing fundamentalist christian families: Docuseries on the Duggars and Other Reality TV Families Coming From ‘LuLaRich’ Team at Amazon

Virtus3

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1861 on: January 07, 2022, 06:06:00 AM »
Watched two pilots lately,

The first is Maid on Netflix, which hits hard for those of us who hate the sense of financial insecurity. Young mother trying to make it on her own in the Pacific Northwest despite no job skills and no family support. Intense.

The second is Ordinary Joe (an NBC show on Hulu as well). Concept of three different versions of Joe based on what could happen if he made a different decision on the day of his college graduation. VERY heartfelt, nice music. Reminds me of early This Is Us.

I recommend them both.

JGS

I watched the first two episodes of Ordinary Joe last night. So far it's amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.

Nick_Miller

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1862 on: January 07, 2022, 08:46:49 AM »
"This is Us" started back up for its last season run. I am pretty sure they are going to rip their hearts out by May. The writers are so incredibly skilled on this show; I'd put them up with writers of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Ozark, Peaky Blinders, etc.

Dr Kidstache

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1863 on: January 07, 2022, 09:04:01 AM »
Landscapers on HBO is just very great in so many ways.  It is based on the true story of an unassuming, unremarkable, British couple who murder the wife’s parents and live off their savings and social security checks for 15 years.   

The director does this oddly wonderful thing of showing the sets being built and torn down around the characters.  It is kinda mesmerizing and well, oddly wonderful.  Theatrical comes to mind.   I really like it.  The final of the 4 part series airs next week. 

Oh, and Olivia Colman.  Enough said.

I finished Landscapers and, yes, I thought it was wonderful too. I watch gobs of British-people-murdering-each-other shows but this was really uniquely done. I loved the breaking of the 4th wall and the use of black & white and period film styles to illustrate Susan's fantasist thinking. As well as the very selective glimpses of characters interacting instead of a linear drama. Olivia Colman is great but I thought David Thewlis was brilliant in it.

OtherJen

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1864 on: January 07, 2022, 02:24:57 PM »
"This is Us" started back up for its last season run. I am pretty sure they are going to rip their hearts out by May. The writers are so incredibly skilled on this show; I'd put them up with writers of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Ozark, Peaky Blinders, etc.

Agreed. The character development has been done so skillfully.

HPstache

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1865 on: January 07, 2022, 02:33:26 PM »
For any sports geeks out there, I am watching the Joe Montana "cool under pressure" series on Peacock Premium (free with Comcast internet) and it's fantastic.  But I'm also a Niners fan... soooooo

iris lily

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1866 on: January 07, 2022, 04:30:52 PM »
Landscapers on HBO is just very great in so many ways.  It is based on the true story of an unassuming, unremarkable, British couple who murder the wife’s parents and live off their savings and social security checks for 15 years.   

The director does this oddly wonderful thing of showing the sets being built and torn down around the characters.  It is kinda mesmerizing and well, oddly wonderful.  Theatrical comes to mind.   I really like it.  The final of the 4 part series airs next week. 

Oh, and Olivia Colman.  Enough said.

I finished Landscapers and, yes, I thought it was wonderful too. I watch gobs of British-people-murdering-each-other shows but this was really uniquely done. I loved the breaking of the 4th wall and the use of black & white and period film styles to illustrate Susan's fantasist thinking. As well as the very selective glimpses of characters interacting instead of a linear drama. Olivia Colman is great but I thought David Thewlis was brilliant in it.

Yes, I am bored by all of the UK’s murder series a detective series, but this one was not that. It was a human interest story that happened to revolve around a murder.

FIRE Artist

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1867 on: January 09, 2022, 07:03:45 PM »
I just finished and enjoyed Wakefield, a Showtime production.  It is an 8 part Australian mini series based on an Indian heritage psych nurse who develops an ear worm of Come on Eileen that he can’t shake, and he starts seeing things.  It is a show that replays events from different character’s perspectives.

Lots of episodes of breaking out into song and dance so if that is not your thing, steer clear, but it is all meaningful in the end.

BikeFanatic

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1868 on: January 09, 2022, 08:38:00 PM »
On peacock which is a streaming service of xfinity I watched “ Vigil” a detective thriller set in a trident submarine. 6 episodes over 4 days, I really liked it.

DadJokes

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1869 on: January 10, 2022, 04:40:35 AM »
I'm about to sign up for a 30 day trial of Showtime to watch Dexter: New Blood, which just finished. I hope that it leaves a better taste in my mouth than the last season did.

Luke Warm

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1870 on: January 10, 2022, 06:42:03 AM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

For All Mankind.

Alternative history where the Russians got to the moon first. Really good production values, and a lot of Apollo 13 kind of stuff.

stared watching that last night. not too bad so far.

Virtus3

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1871 on: January 10, 2022, 07:59:06 AM »
Watched two pilots lately,

The first is Maid on Netflix, which hits hard for those of us who hate the sense of financial insecurity. Young mother trying to make it on her own in the Pacific Northwest despite no job skills and no family support. Intense.

The second is Ordinary Joe (an NBC show on Hulu as well). Concept of three different versions of Joe based on what could happen if he made a different decision on the day of his college graduation. VERY heartfelt, nice music. Reminds me of early This Is Us.

I recommend them both.

JGS

I watched the first two episodes of Ordinary Joe last night. So far it's amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.

I binged all of Ordinary Joe and then started Maid; I had to go snuggle my kids after the first episode of Maid.

Watchmaker

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1872 on: January 10, 2022, 10:40:08 AM »
We just watched the 2nd season of The Great. A bit silly for my tastes but some witty writing and fantastic performances from the leads made it worthwhile for me.

Warlord1986

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1873 on: January 10, 2022, 11:45:51 AM »
I got the sixth season of Grantchester on dvd from the library! So cozy. Made for watching while sipping tea.

EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1874 on: January 12, 2022, 08:33:33 AM »
Watching the latest season of 'Search Party' on HBO Max.  I really needed a laugh with 2022 being pretty blah so far, so I'm doling each episode out like medicine :)  I keep recognizing bits and pieces of spoofed ideas / familiar tropes.  So good!

sui generis

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1875 on: January 17, 2022, 09:41:07 AM »
I probably mentioned (far) upthread that we're watching Breaking Bad, DH for the first time, me as a rewatch. But the weirdest thing happened as we began the 5th season(s).  Well, the whole time things seemed surprisingly unfamiliar to me and I had clearly forgotten a lot of details, but it was mostly fun, like I was filling in spaces that had gotten vague or gray over time.  But into the 5th season, things started really surprising me.  I kept saying "I don't remember THAT!".  We are now in the last 4 episodes (watched 2 this weekend, have 2 left) and I have had to conclude that I never actually watched the last season a decade ago. 

So now the way I thought the series ends....maybe it doesn't?  I have a very clear picture in my head of what I thought was the final shot of the entire series, but now I'm assuming that must not be it, because I definitely haven't seen a lot that precedes it. The last couple episodes have been really shocking, as those of you that have seen the series probably remember.  It's a doubly shocking watch when you thought you'd seen it and didn't think some of the characters ended up where they are.  Not to mention wondering why I've been thinking for the last decade that I watched an entire series when apparently I never finished it.  Very disconcerting all around!

Watching the last two episodes is definitely going to be a lot more interesting than I expected.

GuitarStv

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1876 on: January 17, 2022, 09:46:45 AM »
almost done with 'foundation'. meh. what else is good on apple tv?

For All Mankind.

Alternative history where the Russians got to the moon first. Really good production values, and a lot of Apollo 13 kind of stuff.

stared watching that last night. not too bad so far.

Started watching this too.  Surprisingly fun show!

DadJokes

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1877 on: January 17, 2022, 04:44:34 PM »
I finished Dexter: New Blood. It gave more closure than the previous finale, though I'm still left wanting more. Overall, it was better than any season since season four of the original series.

I still have three weeks on my free trial of Showtime. Is there anything else I should watch while I still have it?

EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1878 on: January 17, 2022, 06:20:53 PM »
Season 1 of Euphoria was quite a ride.  Season 2 takes it up a notch, which I didn't think was possible.  If there were no other shows, I could probably just watch this and think about it for the full year and be fine.  Thankful that my life didn't go down this road, I had some mix-ups with drugs in small towns here and there.  Also watching Anthony Bourdain's biography, Roadrunner, which goes well together.

evme

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1879 on: January 17, 2022, 08:01:44 PM »
I still have three weeks on my free trial of Showtime. Is there anything else I should watch while I still have it?

Escape At Dannemora is excellent. Limited series, only 1 season - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b7CSQqf3Bc

Dr Kidstache

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1880 on: January 19, 2022, 05:47:01 PM »
Watched a bit of Station Eleven, but I agree that it's just not working for me.  As uniwelder points out, it suffers from probably being created prior to the pandemic, so the end of the world scenes are just jarringly unrealistic.  I'll forge ahead, but the jumping around has bucked me off for the time being.

Just watched the third episode and I think I'm done.  There's some character background, but overall very little happens.  And there's more virus nonsense.  Apparently the flu had been going around the world and wasn't particularly troublesome (I'm assuming because everyone is going about their business in the usual fashion), but now in the span of 24 hours it has mutated simultaneously across multiple continents into an incredibly deadly form that's killing everyone.  I haven't read the book, so I'm hoping that background knowledge could have cleared up some of my annoyance, though it shouldn't be necessary for the show to make sense.  I really wanted to like this series, but just don't get the appeal. 

edited to add-- @mspym is it necessary to read the book to appreciate the film series?  All the reviews I read online are from people that were fans of the book.  Should I just ignore the bad science and hope the story gets better in future episodes?  I think the plot and characters are good-- a bit slow perhaps.  Screen time could easily be cut in half and not miss anything, or is that exactly what I'm missing?

The book got a lot of great reviews/made a lot of best of lists back in the day. I found it...ok.  Not at all memorable.  However, if you are really into dystopian sci-fi, it might be worth a read.

I just finished Station Eleven and I thought it was absolutely gorgeous.

I had been really underwhelmed by the book. It felt flat, unmemorable, and was a frustrating reading experience because I felt like the author had a vision that I just wasn't getting. The screen adaptation was the exact opposite. The visuals, the sounds, and especially the looping non-linear cuts were so vivid and the storytelling felt coherent and resonant. I almost skipped the show because of my opinion of the book but I'm so glad that I watched it.

Is the depiction of a worldwide pandemic kinda ridiculous? Of course, and we all have the first-hand knowledge to know that. But I think it actually makes a lot of sense in the bigger story. It's not a documentary or hard sci-fi. It's a story about art, existential threat, and human relationships. Just to pick another example, was the science of The Leftovers realistic? It was *way* more absurd but that was also a phenomenal story about how humans construct relationships and live with existential dread. I think viewing Station Eleven from a lens of realism is definitely going to be frustrating and miss the point.

uniwelder

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1881 on: January 19, 2022, 07:52:19 PM »
Watched a bit of Station Eleven, but I agree that it's just not working for me.  As uniwelder points out, it suffers from probably being created prior to the pandemic, so the end of the world scenes are just jarringly unrealistic.  I'll forge ahead, but the jumping around has bucked me off for the time being.

Just watched the third episode and I think I'm done.  There's some character background, but overall very little happens.  And there's more virus nonsense.  Apparently the flu had been going around the world and wasn't particularly troublesome (I'm assuming because everyone is going about their business in the usual fashion), but now in the span of 24 hours it has mutated simultaneously across multiple continents into an incredibly deadly form that's killing everyone.  I haven't read the book, so I'm hoping that background knowledge could have cleared up some of my annoyance, though it shouldn't be necessary for the show to make sense.  I really wanted to like this series, but just don't get the appeal. 

edited to add-- @mspym is it necessary to read the book to appreciate the film series?  All the reviews I read online are from people that were fans of the book.  Should I just ignore the bad science and hope the story gets better in future episodes?  I think the plot and characters are good-- a bit slow perhaps.  Screen time could easily be cut in half and not miss anything, or is that exactly what I'm missing?

The book got a lot of great reviews/made a lot of best of lists back in the day. I found it...ok.  Not at all memorable.  However, if you are really into dystopian sci-fi, it might be worth a read.

I just finished Station Eleven and I thought it was absolutely gorgeous.

I had been really underwhelmed by the book. It felt flat, unmemorable, and was a frustrating reading experience because I felt like the author had a vision that I just wasn't getting. The screen adaptation was the exact opposite. The visuals, the sounds, and especially the looping non-linear cuts were so vivid and the storytelling felt coherent and resonant. I almost skipped the show because of my opinion of the book but I'm so glad that I watched it.

Is the depiction of a worldwide pandemic kinda ridiculous? Of course, and we all have the first-hand knowledge to know that. But I think it actually makes a lot of sense in the bigger story. It's not a documentary or hard sci-fi. It's a story about art, existential threat, and human relationships. Just to pick another example, was the science of The Leftovers realistic? It was *way* more absurd but that was also a phenomenal story about how humans construct relationships and live with existential dread. I think viewing Station Eleven from a lens of realism is definitely going to be frustrating and miss the point.

I did end up finishing Station Eleven and will now admit I enjoyed it.  Not the first three episodes, but 4-10 made it worthwhile.  Just needed to go with the flow and accept the ridiculousness of the first few shows.  I'm curious about The Leftovers-- never heard of it.

mspym

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1882 on: January 19, 2022, 11:37:34 PM »
I just finished Station Eleven last night and thought they stuck the landing. And visually it's *gorgeous*

For those interested, the showrunner and some of the other writers from Station Eleven previously worked on The Leftovers, which was one of my favourite shows of last year [didn't have access before].


evme

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1883 on: January 20, 2022, 12:28:41 AM »
For those interested, the showrunner and some of the other writers from Station Eleven previously worked on The Leftovers, which was one of my favourite shows of last year [didn't have access before].

I loved The Leftovers, particularly the first season which was based on the book by Tom Perrotta (the other two seasons had no direct source material to follow... and I think it showed). Anyway, fantastic show but extremely eerie and unsettling. The intro theme gives me chills.

JGS1980

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1884 on: January 20, 2022, 08:04:39 AM »
For those interested, the showrunner and some of the other writers from Station Eleven previously worked on The Leftovers, which was one of my favourite shows of last year [didn't have access before].

I loved The Leftovers, particularly the first season which was based on the book by Tom Perrotta (the other two seasons had no direct source material to follow... and I think it showed). Anyway, fantastic show but extremely eerie and unsettling. The intro theme gives me chills.

The Leftovers is a masterpiece. Sadness, Longing, Religious Fervor, Bereavement. Slow and measured. Intensely emotional.

StarBright

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1885 on: January 20, 2022, 08:10:30 AM »
I just finished Station Eleven last night and thought they stuck the landing. And visually it's *gorgeous*

For those interested, the showrunner and some of the other writers from Station Eleven previously worked on The Leftovers, which was one of my favourite shows of last year [didn't have access before].

That makes so much sense re: The Leftovers. Leftovers is a top 5 lifetime show for me, and Station 11 is giving me a lot of the same vibes and themes (though it doesn't have the perfect Max Richter Score like the other).

Roadrunner53

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1886 on: January 20, 2022, 08:49:26 AM »
1883 on Paramount plus.

Excellent show on the trials and tribulations of our pioneer ancestors and the hardships they endured to settle in the west.

mm1970

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1887 on: January 20, 2022, 10:27:56 AM »
Landscapers on HBO is just very great in so many ways.  It is based on the true story of an unassuming, unremarkable, British couple who murder the wife’s parents and live off their savings and social security checks for 15 years.   

The director does this oddly wonderful thing of showing the sets being built and torn down around the characters.  It is kinda mesmerizing and well, oddly wonderful.  Theatrical comes to mind.   I really like it.  The final of the 4 part series airs next week. 

Oh, and Olivia Colman.  Enough said.

I finished Landscapers and, yes, I thought it was wonderful too. I watch gobs of British-people-murdering-each-other shows but this was really uniquely done. I loved the breaking of the 4th wall and the use of black & white and period film styles to illustrate Susan's fantasist thinking. As well as the very selective glimpses of characters interacting instead of a linear drama. Olivia Colman is great but I thought David Thewlis was brilliant in it.
Oooh...now, we are watching Endeavor on Prime right now.  My husband has asked for something a bit more light hearted, and I'm sure this does not fit the bill.

BUT Olivia Colman ??  Sign me up.

Dr Kidstache

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1888 on: January 20, 2022, 02:44:09 PM »
For those interested, the showrunner and some of the other writers from Station Eleven previously worked on The Leftovers.

Shut the front door! No wonder I loved Station Eleven too

sonofsven

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1889 on: January 21, 2022, 07:59:22 AM »
I'm watching Trailer Park Boys, again. Season 7 where Jim Lahey (Trailer Park Supervisor!) pretends to be drunk to bust the boys, he deserved an emmy for that role!
I also love their preoccupation with bbqs. And especially Ricky throwing bbqs.

Sugaree

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1890 on: January 21, 2022, 08:22:44 AM »
I'm watching Trailer Park Boys, again. Season 7 where Jim Lahey (Trailer Park Supervisor!) pretends to be drunk to bust the boys, he deserved an emmy for that role!
I also love their preoccupation with bbqs. And especially Ricky throwing bbqs.

We started TPBs from the beginning, but got sidetracked by F is for Family and now Ozark is coming back.

iris lily

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1891 on: January 22, 2022, 07:53:47 AM »
For those interested, the showrunner and some of the other writers from Station Eleven previously worked on The Leftovers, which was one of my favourite shows of last year [didn't have access before].

I loved The Leftovers, particularly the first season which was based on the book by Tom Perrotta (the other two seasons had no direct source material to follow... and I think it showed). Anyway, fantastic show but extremely eerie and unsettling. The intro theme gives me chills.

The Leftovers is a masterpiece. Sadness, Longing, Religious Fervor, Bereavement. Slow and measured. Intensely emotional.

DH and I both watched The Leftovers. It’s not often that we can find something we both like. He likes sci-fi always. It reminded me a  bit of Lost.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2022, 09:47:06 AM by iris lily »

EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1892 on: January 23, 2022, 12:26:11 PM »
Watched a bit of Station Eleven, but I agree that it's just not working for me.  As uniwelder points out, it suffers from probably being created prior to the pandemic, so the end of the world scenes are just jarringly unrealistic.  I'll forge ahead, but the jumping around has bucked me off for the time being.

Just watched the third episode and I think I'm done.  There's some character background, but overall very little happens.  And there's more virus nonsense.  Apparently the flu had been going around the world and wasn't particularly troublesome (I'm assuming because everyone is going about their business in the usual fashion), but now in the span of 24 hours it has mutated simultaneously across multiple continents into an incredibly deadly form that's killing everyone.  I haven't read the book, so I'm hoping that background knowledge could have cleared up some of my annoyance, though it shouldn't be necessary for the show to make sense.  I really wanted to like this series, but just don't get the appeal. 

edited to add-- @mspym is it necessary to read the book to appreciate the film series?  All the reviews I read online are from people that were fans of the book.  Should I just ignore the bad science and hope the story gets better in future episodes?  I think the plot and characters are good-- a bit slow perhaps.  Screen time could easily be cut in half and not miss anything, or is that exactly what I'm missing?

The book got a lot of great reviews/made a lot of best of lists back in the day. I found it...ok.  Not at all memorable.  However, if you are really into dystopian sci-fi, it might be worth a read.

I just finished Station Eleven and I thought it was absolutely gorgeous.

I had been really underwhelmed by the book. It felt flat, unmemorable, and was a frustrating reading experience because I felt like the author had a vision that I just wasn't getting. The screen adaptation was the exact opposite. The visuals, the sounds, and especially the looping non-linear cuts were so vivid and the storytelling felt coherent and resonant. I almost skipped the show because of my opinion of the book but I'm so glad that I watched it.

Is the depiction of a worldwide pandemic kinda ridiculous? Of course, and we all have the first-hand knowledge to know that. But I think it actually makes a lot of sense in the bigger story. It's not a documentary or hard sci-fi. It's a story about art, existential threat, and human relationships. Just to pick another example, was the science of The Leftovers realistic? It was *way* more absurd but that was also a phenomenal story about how humans construct relationships and live with existential dread. I think viewing Station Eleven from a lens of realism is definitely going to be frustrating and miss the point.

I did end up finishing Station Eleven and will now admit I enjoyed it.  Not the first three episodes, but 4-10 made it worthwhile.  Just needed to go with the flow and accept the ridiculousness of the first few shows.  I'm curious about The Leftovers-- never heard of it.

I similarly stuck with it haltingly and thought that the final episode made it worthwhile.  There were plenty of times where it seemed to lose its way, get overly pretentious, or grate on my need for some sense of balance...  But it really got me when the pilot talked about the message he left his family and the author of the graphic novel explained what happened to her family...  As far as a piece of fiction goes, i.e. making sure the story works as opposed to realistically exploring post-apocalyptic life, definitely top shelf.

iris lily

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1893 on: January 25, 2022, 09:45:22 AM »
Watched two pilots lately,

The first is Maid on Netflix, which hits hard for those of us who hate the sense of financial insecurity. Young mother trying to make it on her own in the Pacific Northwest despite no job skills and no family support. Intense.

The second is Ordinary Joe (an NBC show on Hulu as well). Concept of three different versions of Joe based on what could happen if he made a different decision on the day of his college graduation. VERY heartfelt, nice music. Reminds me of early This Is Us.

I recommend them both.

JGS

I watched the first two episodes of Ordinary Joe last night. So far it's amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.


Shane Burcaw and Hannah Alward, a real life interabled couple, appear on Ordinary Joe in bit parts and Shane consults with the writing team. Shane and Hannah are adorable. They have a You Tube channel and other social media presence. They kind of personify “Minnesota
Nice.”
« Last Edit: January 25, 2022, 11:35:18 AM by iris lily »

Kris

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1894 on: January 25, 2022, 09:51:34 AM »
Watched two pilots lately,

The first is Maid on Netflix, which hits hard for those of us who hate the sense of financial insecurity. Young mother trying to make it on her own in the Pacific Northwest despite no job skills and no family support. Intense.

The second is Ordinary Joe (an NBC show on Hulu as well). Concept of three different versions of Joe based on what could happen if he made a different decision on the day of his college graduation. VERY heartfelt, nice music. Reminds me of early This Is Us.

I recommend them both.

JGS

I watched the first two episodes of Ordinary Joe last night. So far it's amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.

I binged all of Ordinary Joe and then started Maid; I had to go snuggle my kids after the first episode of Maid.
Shane Burcaw and Hannah Alward, a real life interabled couple, appear on Ordinary Joe in bit parts and Shane consults with the writing team. Shane and Hannah are adorable. They have a You Tube channel and other social media presence. They kind of personify “Minnesota
Nice.”

Aww, I love Shane and Hannah! As a Minnesotan, I'm happy to call them "mine."

iris lily

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1895 on: January 25, 2022, 03:52:10 PM »
Watched two pilots lately,

The first is Maid on Netflix, which hits hard for those of us who hate the sense of financial insecurity. Young mother trying to make it on her own in the Pacific Northwest despite no job skills and no family support. Intense.

The second is Ordinary Joe (an NBC show on Hulu as well). Concept of three different versions of Joe based on what could happen if he made a different decision on the day of his college graduation. VERY heartfelt, nice music. Reminds me of early This Is Us.

I recommend them both.

JGS

I watched the first two episodes of Ordinary Joe last night. So far it's amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.

I binged all of Ordinary Joe and then started Maid; I had to go snuggle my kids after the first episode of Maid.
Shane Burcaw and Hannah Alward, a real life interabled couple, appear on Ordinary Joe in bit parts and Shane consults with the writing team. Shane and Hannah are adorable. They have a You Tube channel and other social media presence. They kind of personify “Minnesota
Nice.”

Aww, I love Shane and Hannah! As a Minnesotan, I'm happy to call them "mine."
Ooh, Squirmy and Grubs! I'll have to watch Ordinary Joe just to see them.
I dont watch Ordinary Joe myself, but I think Shane and Hannah appear in later episodes, the ones that aired in the past month. In the first one they are both in background scenes only. I think they have speaking roles later.

Nick_Miller

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1896 on: January 25, 2022, 03:54:41 PM »
We watched the first three episodes of Ozark and will finish the half-season this weekend. God the writers somehow managed to insert even more conflict into the storyline. I love Marty and Ruth so much; IMO the father/daughter dynamic is stronger than it is with Marty and Charlotte. If the show sticks the landing, it will probably end up making my all-time top 10 list. But it can't pull a GOT in the last season, it just can't.


soccerluvof4

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1897 on: January 26, 2022, 08:54:21 AM »
1883 on Paramount plus.

Excellent show on the trials and tribulations of our pioneer ancestors and the hardships they endured to settle in the west.


I am with ya on this one. Great show. Also liking Mayor of Kingstown also on Paramount so far!

slackmax

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1898 on: January 26, 2022, 05:58:39 PM »
This is for Jeopardy fans.

Did anyone see Jeopardy tonight? Amy Schneider lost! After winning 40 times or so.

I only saw the Final Jeopardy part. What happened in the rest of the game? Did she get a double jeopardy wrong?  Did the winner get a double jeopardy right? Was he just really good?

Maybe I can find it on Youtube in the near future.   Or maybe they will rebroadcast it.

Thanks

Sandi_k

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Re: What TV series do you like?
« Reply #1899 on: January 26, 2022, 07:39:10 PM »
This is for Jeopardy fans.

Did anyone see XXXX?

Thanks

Grrrr. No thanks for the freakin' spoiler, here on the West Coast. Please edit.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!