What TV series do you like?

[chaskavitch]

There are so many shows that I occasionally think "Huh, what the heck happened" and they are frequently from 2008/2009 and had writers strike issues. Off the top of my head: Heroes, Friday Night Lights, Sara Connor Chronicles, Doll House, Pushing Daisies, and totally the back half of Battlestar. It isn't even that all of them went bad, some just sort of went bonkers or disappeared.

I love both of these shows.  I was so sad that Pushing Daisies got cancelled.  And for already being a weird show, Dollhouse got EXTRA weird at the end, for sure.  Really though I just like Alan Tudyk a lot and will watch almost anything he's in, so I didn't care :)

[Metalcat]

I finally finished Devs.

It took me 7 attempts to get through the final episode, because it just knocks me out, seriously, best sedative ever. Between the music and the monotone speaking barely above a whisper, and me not caring about the plot very much, I've never fallen asleep so easily in my life.

The ending was kind of like "uh...okay...sure?"

In the end, I was far more invested in the Russian spy plot than the reality-sim-multiverse plot, and I really enjoyed Kenton as a character, so I liked the whole Russian spy surprise near the end. That's was a great detail.

Overall, I would say the show had really great details. I had less than zero interest in the main plot or the main characters, but I would watch the hell out of a show that was a Russian spy thriller featuring all of the secondary characters.

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

it's just that so few shows end really well in a way that's tonally and contextually consistent with the rest of the show

I get the feeling that most shows are really just a half-baked decent idea . . . and then it surprises everyone (including the writers) when the idea works.  So usually everything after the second season is the writers losing their minds trying to figure out how to resolve stuff while keeping viewers happy, and as ratings drop eventually they just throw in the towel.

I read Shonda Rhimes bio on vacation awhile back and it really helped me understand the process of show writing. She described show writing as a totally batshit insane process akin to laying track for an oncoming train.

So many pilots get made and so few picked up, so fleshing out an idea beyond just the basics is generally a HUGE waste of time. Plus, often the team of writers that are brought in to make a shoe are different from the writers who write the pilot, so there isn't always a chance to actually plan anything in advance.

Then once a show is picked up, production drives the pace, and that's when the writers have to scramble to lay the track for the steaming along engine of production.

That's how Game of Thrones ended up so jacked at the end, because production dictated a pace and timeline that the writers just couldn't manage.

None of what she said was revelatory, but she did help me have a more vivid image of how and why tv shows go off the rails so easily.

That sounds 100% consistent with what I remember from watching the rebooted Battlestar Galactica.  The first season was cool!  Fun ideas, reasonable plot, some intrigue.  Then the second season started to go off the rails . . . where it seemed like the writers were throwing darts at a wall of characters and making everyone the darts landed on a cylon, and there were a lot of weird unanswered questions.  Then the third season gave up even trying to be coherent and just barfed out an ending of sorts, plot holes and loose ends be damned.  It very much collapsed under it's own weight.

At least we got to hear a sitar version of Hendix's version of 'All Along the Watchtower' for some reason.

Same thing with 'Lost'.  They got to the end and just caved in to giving us exactly what internet chat rooms had expected all along.  I spent so much time dreaming up some great, unique  explanation - they were on a plane when a nuclear WW3 cataclysm happened or some unforeseen interaction of magnetic waves or solar flare ended up sending them to a parallel reality.  I would've loved it had they blown my mind at the end, even if it was as bonkers as the rest of it, even something along the lines of how Twin Peaks ended...  le sigh, still bitter...

Absolutely on Lost. Completely zany would have been so much better. My personal wish was for it to end however but the final would have been the good guys losing with the final scene as black smoke coming up from the island with it zooming out as it covered the island and eventually over the oceans and the entire world.

[iris lily]

I binged watched a great Swedish show, a comedy I guess, about a successful young woman in the publishing world. She starts a silly flirtation with the much-younger I.T. Guy in their office and it blossem into something serious. Meanwhile, she has problems with her father, quite serious ones.

The publishing house forms a great setting for themes of art vs commercial success, old style publishing vs new technologies, and loyalty vs superficial relationships. The main character is pretty and appealing, and the supporting cast is very appealing as well.

This is really well done. The .English title is “ Love & Anarchy” on Netflix.

[Metalcat]

Just finished Severance and enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the characters and acting. It's the kind of show that could have been absolutely awful with bad characterization, but no one is wasted in the show. There are no throw away characters, every one of them pulls their weight in every scene they're in.

I'm a little wary of how they're going to manage a second season. As we discussed upthread, the machine of production can really fuck a complex show in the second season, so we'll see if they can find a way to steer the plot without the first season benefit of world-building as a main plot driver.

A weird reality provides ample material for a first season where an entire episode can revolve around learning something new about the world and how it impacts the characters, especially the one who acts as a proxy for the viewers.

Once that weird world is built and explored though, it can end up acting more as a constraint on plot where writers are having to generate conflicts and dynamics under pressure within a world that is intuitively different from their own.

This is why so many weird shows so rapidly move away from the dynamics that made them compelling in the first season. I often notice that by season 3, a show will feel like the writers are shoe-horning more conventional conflicts into a strange reality, and often finding ways to just totally sidestep the rules and constraints the early seasons laid out in the world-building plot phase.

So yeah, we'll see what severance does in season 2. Hopefully it's one of those shows where the writers had a few season's plot arcs worked out in advance.

[mspym]

We just finished Mystery Road: Origin which was excellent. If you want a well-acted, thoughtfully written, small-town crime story with fraught family dynamics, shot in a beautifully sparse style, and featuring a plethora of excellent Indigenous actors, this is a good one to pick.

[evme]

We just finished Mystery Road: Origin which was excellent. If you want a well-acted, thoughtfully written, small-town crime story with fraught family dynamics, shot in a beautifully sparse style, and featuring a plethora of excellent Indigenous actors, this is a good one to pick.

I quite liked the original Mystery Road. Where did you watch the new Origin series? Is it on Acorn TV?

[mspym]

We just finished Mystery Road: Origin which was excellent. If you want a well-acted, thoughtfully written, small-town crime story with fraught family dynamics, shot in a beautifully sparse style, and featuring a plethora of excellent Indigenous actors, this is a good one to pick.

I quite liked the original Mystery Road. Where did you watch the new Origin series? Is it on Acorn TV?

I am in Australia so it was on SBS On Demand.

[evme]

We just finished Mystery Road: Origin which was excellent. If you want a well-acted, thoughtfully written, small-town crime story with fraught family dynamics, shot in a beautifully sparse style, and featuring a plethora of excellent Indigenous actors, this is a good one to pick.

I quite liked the original Mystery Road. Where did you watch the new Origin series? Is it on Acorn TV?

I am in Australia so it was on SBS On Demand.

Ah, probably not available here in the US yet.

[mspym]

We just finished Mystery Road: Origin which was excellent. If you want a well-acted, thoughtfully written, small-town crime story with fraught family dynamics, shot in a beautifully sparse style, and featuring a plethora of excellent Indigenous actors, this is a good one to pick.

I quite liked the original Mystery Road. Where did you watch the new Origin series? Is it on Acorn TV?

I am in Australia so it was on SBS On Demand.

Ah, probably not available here in the US yet.

It’s a pretty new show so probably not unless you VPN and pretend to be in Australia.

[dignam]

The Kenobi mini series was fantastic.  Specifically episodes 3 and 6 within the series, just wow.

[Luke Warm]

Watching 'Counterpart' on Prime. A parallel universe with spies going back and forth. It's an interesting concept but not a very good show.

[brandon1827]

My wife has gotten me pulled into the world of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix *sigh*

[Luke Warm]

My wife has gotten me pulled into the world of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix *sigh*

I though that was a very nice show.

[Metalcat]

Watching 'Counterpart' on Prime. A parallel universe with spies going back and forth. It's an interesting concept but not a very good show.

Yeah, we raved about this earlier in the thread. Fantastic show.

[Just Joe]

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

Loved it! On Netflix right now.

[brandon1827]

My wife has gotten me pulled into the world of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix *sigh*

I though that was a very nice show.

Yeah, we've gone through a few seasons now and it's cute. I have a fundamental gripe about how they determine who the best baker is by completely disregarding the entire body of work, and simply going by each week as completely separate competitions. In my mind, someone who was Star Baker multiple times having a bad week and being kicked off the show while someone who scrapes by being "not the worst" week after week doesn't determine the best baker...but outside of that it's enjoyable, lol

[Metalcat]

My wife has gotten me pulled into the world of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix *sigh*

I though that was a very nice show.

Yeah, we've gone through a few seasons now and it's cute. I have a fundamental gripe about how they determine who the best baker is by completely disregarding the entire body of work, and simply going by each week as completely separate competitions. In my mind, someone who was Star Baker multiple times having a bad week and being kicked off the show while someone who scrapes by being "not the worst" week after week doesn't determine the best baker...but outside of that it's enjoyable, lol

I take issue with the absurd time limitations. I know shows do this to add tension to the competition, but it's been so done to death that I find it annoying when there's no obvious reason for it.

I understand time limits for shows like Hell's Kitchen, where ostensibly the goal is to perform like a professional chef and time management is critical, but for the best hobby baker who is probably just going to produce a cook book at most? Who cares which one can manage to do it faster, I just want to see what they can do, and how they fix mistakes in a reasonable amount of time.

Like when someone's whole bake gets ruined because they ran out of time to let it cook before icing, but otherwise it would likely be perfect?? That's just silly and doesn't make the show more interesting to me. Plus as I said, the down-to-the-wire timelines for challenges thing has just been soooooooo done to death on competition shows. It's stale.

For a show that's beloved for being soothing, why bother trying to make it pointlessly tense?? Just let the best people be the best and win the damn show! I don't need manufactured suspense from a show about cake. Let the happy little bakers decorate their happy little pastries and then tell me how delicious or not they are. It's not frickin' complicated people.

[brandon1827]

Exactly! Lol

One other minor gripe is that at times the tent is too damn hot and everything that they're asked to do is inevitably going to melt. I understand that they set the challenges well in advance, but they know damn well the show is going to be filmed during the summer...so I wish they would do those challenges first while the weather isn't such a factor and save biscuit week or bread week or pastry week for when the weather isn't going to be a major determinant in who wins

[getsorted]

The last season of Better Call Saul came back this week. I can't get enough of it. The tension I feel between episodes is not unlike the the tension between a good first date and a second date.

[JGS1980]

The Bear on Hulu/FX is excellent. Top notch writing and acting. About an all star chef who has to come home to Chicago to work in a family sandwich shop after his brother dies.

[sui generis]

The last season of Better Call Saul came back this week. I can't get enough of it. The tension I feel between episodes is not unlike the the tension between a good first date and a second date.

I've been seeing lots of articles building this up, like it could be one of the best endings and overall series in a long time, if they "stick the landing". 

I'm only on Season 4, but looking forward to what people think.  Please use spoiler tags!

[getsorted]

The last season of Better Call Saul came back this week. I can't get enough of it. The tension I feel between episodes is not unlike the the tension between a good first date and a second date.

I've been seeing lots of articles building this up, like it could be one of the best endings and overall series in a long time, if they "stick the landing". 

I'm only on Season 4, but looking forward to what people think.  Please use spoiler tags!

Will do. I went a couple of years between seasons 3 and 4, then watched all of 4 before 5 started. Watching week by week has just added to the fun. This was the first episode after a six-week mid-season break and I was so excited about it returning that I put the date on my calendar.

I have a family member who is a filmmaker and we both agree that Better Call Saul is something we watch when we don't have anything else to do-- not a washing-the-dishes or folding-the-laundry or scrolling-social-media show. It's rare that I have a show that can hold my full attention, so it's special. I'll be sad when it ends.

[charis]

The last season of Better Call Saul came back this week. I can't get enough of it. The tension I feel between episodes is not unlike the the tension between a good first date and a second date.

I've been seeing lots of articles building this up, like it could be one of the best endings and overall series in a long time, if they "stick the landing". 

I'm only on Season 4, but looking forward to what people think.  Please use spoiler tags!

Will do. I went a couple of years between seasons 3 and 4, then watched all of 4 before 5 started. Watching week by week has just added to the fun. This was the first episode after a six-week mid-season break and I was so excited about it returning that I put the date on my calendar.

I have a family member who is a filmmaker and we both agree that Better Call Saul is something we watch when we don't have anything else to do-- not a washing-the-dishes or folding-the-laundry or scrolling-social-media show. It's rare that I have a show that can hold my full attention, so it's special. I'll be sad when it ends.

It's fantastic. I don't know if I'd be so bold as to say it's better or as good as Breaking Bad, but...

[mspym]

I really the TV adaption of The Pale Horse with Rufus Sewell. I am not normally an Agatha Christie fan (her people behave like mechanical puzzle pieces) but the adaption was excellent and both Sewell and the guy who played Zachary Osborne were GREAT. Also the 60s visual styling was delicious. A lot of fun.

[evme]

Started The Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+ and so far it's pretty good. Been a fan of Jeremy Renner ever since I saw him in "The Town" -- damn his character was crazy but so much fun to watch.

[LaineyAZ]

Finished "Dark Winds" on Netflix.  It's season one, based on the Tony Hillerman novels with Lt. Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo tribal police.  Set in the 1970s.

Wonderful acting and am learning a lot about Navajo tradition and beliefs.  Can't wait for season two.

[Warlord1986]

I watched 1883 on Paramount Plus. The characters were decent enough people that I could root for them, the scenery was great, and writing had enough tension to be compelling. Some of the characterization was a little inconsistent, but eh. It was a good western.

[iris lily]

I really the TV adaption of The Pale Horse with Rufus Sewell. I am not normally an Agatha Christie fan (her people behave like mechanical puzzle pieces) but the adaption was excellent and both Sewell and the guy who played Zachary Osborne were GREAT. Also the 60s visual styling was delicious. A lot of fun.

wait…Rufus Sewell?

I will have to check that out.

[wenchsenior]

I really the TV adaption of The Pale Horse with Rufus Sewell. I am not normally an Agatha Christie fan (her people behave like mechanical puzzle pieces) but the adaption was excellent and both Sewell and the guy who played Zachary Osborne were GREAT. Also the 60s visual styling was delicious. A lot of fun.

wait…Rufus Sewell?

I will have to check that out.

I got excited and raced to Netflix (streaming/dvd), but it's not available there.  Where did you see it, mspym?

[wenchsenior]

My husband and I are so hooked on the British mystery series, Shetland.  Although, the end of season 4 contained some gut punches that had my husband growling, "That's some Wes Anderson style BULLSHIT right there!" (He hates Wes Anderson's tendency to skewer the audience with a sad ending and uses the phrase "Fuck West Anderson!" anytime he encounters unexpected sadness).

But still, very addictive show. We particularly enjoy the tense attempts at co-parenting by the male lead and his dead wife's first husband. Also, I didn't automatically recognize the lead actor (Douglas Henshall); but when I looked him up, I realized he had been involved in a super memorable sex scene back in the 1990s (when erections were not usually shown on film except in porn). So I did remember him. In a way.

[Metalcat]

My husband and I are so hooked on the British mystery series, Shetland.  Although, the end of season 4 contained some gut punches that had my husband growling, "That's some Wes Anderson style BULLSHIT right there!" (He hates Wes Anderson's tendency to skewer the audience with a sad ending and uses the phrase "Fuck West Anderson!" anytime he encounters unexpected sadness).

But still, very addictive show. We particularly enjoy the tense attempts at co-parenting by the male lead and his dead wife's first husband. Also, I didn't automatically recognize the lead actor (Douglas Henshall); but when I looked him up, I realized he had been involved in a super memorable sex scene back in the 1990s (when erections were not usually shown on film except in porn). So I did remember him. In a way.

It's *such* a good show.

I mean, it's super unrealistic that so many brutal, investigatively intense crimes would happen so often in such an idyllic small town, but aside from them making tiny town of Lerwick, Scotland seem like the most probable place to get murdered, it's a great show, and the scenery is stunning.

[iris lily]

My husband and I are so hooked on the British mystery series, Shetland.  Although, the end of season 4 contained some gut punches that had my husband growling, "That's some Wes Anderson style BULLSHIT right there!" (He hates Wes Anderson's tendency to skewer the audience with a sad ending and uses the phrase "Fuck West Anderson!" anytime he encounters unexpected sadness).

But still, very addictive show. We particularly enjoy the tense attempts at co-parenting by the male lead and his dead wife's first husband. Also, I didn't automatically recognize the lead actor (Douglas Henshall); but when I looked him up, I realized he had been involved in a super memorable sex scene back in the 1990s (when erections were not usually shown on film except in porn). So I did remember him. In a way.

It's *such* a good show.

I mean, it's super unrealistic that so many brutal, investigatively intense crimes would happen so often in such an idyllic small town, but aside from them making tiny town of Lerwick, Scotland seem like the most probable place to get murdered, it's a great show, and the scenery is stunning.

That’s what my husband always said about the little town of Cabot Cove, The setting for Murder She .wrote. So much violence Mayhem and death in that little town, who would want to live there? Ha ha.

[FIRE Artist]

My husband and I are so hooked on the British mystery series, Shetland.  Although, the end of season 4 contained some gut punches that had my husband growling, "That's some Wes Anderson style BULLSHIT right there!" (He hates Wes Anderson's tendency to skewer the audience with a sad ending and uses the phrase "Fuck West Anderson!" anytime he encounters unexpected sadness).

But still, very addictive show. We particularly enjoy the tense attempts at co-parenting by the male lead and his dead wife's first husband. Also, I didn't automatically recognize the lead actor (Douglas Henshall); but when I looked him up, I realized he had been involved in a super memorable sex scene back in the 1990s (when erections were not usually shown on film except in porn). So I did remember him. In a way.

It's *such* a good show.

I mean, it's super unrealistic that so many brutal, investigatively intense crimes would happen so often in such an idyllic small town, but aside from them making tiny town of Lerwick, Scotland seem like the most probable place to get murdered, it's a great show, and the scenery is stunning.

That’s what my husband always said about the little town of Cabot Cove, The setting for Murder She .wrote. So much violence Mayhem and death in that little town, who would want to live there? Ha ha.

Haha, same, and the folks of Cabot Cove don’t seem to be traumatized by their track record at all.

[iris lily]

I saw an ad for new series. Well a new recycle old concept series.

Apparently Showtime is recycling American Gigolo. That film always fascinated me. The guy in the versions drives  a Jaguar XKE. The old American Gigolo, Richard
Gere, drove a Benz 350. Or maybe 450.

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

DW and I are enjoying Only Murders in the Building. Fun and humorous whodunit.

[EscapeVelocity2020]

DW and I are enjoying Only Murders in the Building. Fun and humorous whodunit.

Are you watching the new season?  First season was fun, so I'm wondering if the 2nd season holds up enough for me to renew our Hulu subscription...

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

DW and I are enjoying Only Murders in the Building. Fun and humorous whodunit.

Are you watching the new season?  First season was fun, so I'm wondering if the 2nd season holds up enough for me to renew our Hulu subscription...

Almost done with the first season, but we're blazing through it. We'll probably be on the second season in a few days. I'll give an update when we watch it.

[brandon1827]

Wife and I are on season two and so far it has the exact same feel as season one in terms of the comedy and mystery. I absolutely adore Martin Short and the chemistry between him, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez is still phenomenal. A few more celebrity guests this time around so far...but it's definitely worth watching in my opinion

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Thanks for the updates.  Totally agree that Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez are a great mix - very wholesome considering all the murdering going on!

[GuitarStv]

The drama has been pretty good in the Tour de France this year so far.

[evme]

The drama has been pretty good in the Tour de France this year so far.

What drama? Lots of crashes?

[Dancin'Dog]

I watched "Money Heist" last month and now I'm watching "Undercover".  Both on Netflix.


I just noticed Netflix has "How to Change Your Mind" & I watched the 1st episode.

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

Wife and I are on season two and so far it has the exact same feel as season one in terms of the comedy and mystery. I absolutely adore Martin Short and the chemistry between him, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez is still phenomenal. A few more celebrity guests this time around so far...but it's definitely worth watching in my opinion

We went even quicker than I thought, and we're into season 2. I'll echo this sentiment that it still has the same great vibe, and we're really enjoying it.

[Sandi_k]

I really the TV adaption of The Pale Horse with Rufus Sewell. I am not normally an Agatha Christie fan (her people behave like mechanical puzzle pieces) but the adaption was excellent and both Sewell and the guy who played Zachary Osborne were GREAT. Also the 60s visual styling was delicious. A lot of fun.

wait…Rufus Sewell?

I will have to check that out.

I got excited and raced to Netflix (streaming/dvd), but it's not available there.  Where did you see it, mspym?

Not mspym, but The Pale Horse is on Amazon Prime.

[FIRE Artist]

Anyone else watching The Anarchists on HBO?  While watching the first episode, I was thinking, this can’t be a straight forward documentary about an alternative lifestyle movement, there has to be some kind of issue, like it turns into a cult or pyramid scheme or some such shit.  I deliberately am holding off on googling anything about the show or people profiled to not spoil the fun.

Just watched episode 2 and it seems my first reaction was correct.  Looking forward to the next episode.

[wenchsenior]

I really the TV adaption of The Pale Horse with Rufus Sewell. I am not normally an Agatha Christie fan (her people behave like mechanical puzzle pieces) but the adaption was excellent and both Sewell and the guy who played Zachary Osborne were GREAT. Also the 60s visual styling was delicious. A lot of fun.

wait…Rufus Sewell?

I will have to check that out.

I got excited and raced to Netflix (streaming/dvd), but it's not available there.  Where did you see it, mspym?

Not mspym, but The Pale Horse is on Amazon Prime.

Thanks!

[mspym]

I really the TV adaption of The Pale Horse with Rufus Sewell. I am not normally an Agatha Christie fan (her people behave like mechanical puzzle pieces) but the adaption was excellent and both Sewell and the guy who played Zachary Osborne were GREAT. Also the 60s visual styling was delicious. A lot of fun.

wait…Rufus Sewell?

I will have to check that out.

I got excited and raced to Netflix (streaming/dvd), but it's not available there.  Where did you see it, mspym?

Not mspym, but The Pale Horse is on Amazon Prime.

Thanks!

Thanks @Sandi_k - I had missed the question so thanks for answering. For the Aussies in the thread, it’s on Stan or ABC iview

[Sugaree]

I've been watching Glitch on Netflix.  It's...okay.  I'm about to lose the Netflix that I've been shamelessly pirating for years now, and I haven't decided if/when I'm going to bite the bullet and get an account of my own.  Maybe when the last season of Stranger Things comes out.

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

Don't know if anyone is a Star Trek fan at all, but I'm really enjoying Strange New Worlds. I wasn't a big fan at all of Enterprise. Picard is fine in a nostalgic way, and Discovery isn't bad but is a whole different kind of show. Strange New Worlds is the first one since Voyager to capture the real feel of Star Trek's bread and butter of exploration and handling the challenges that go along with it while still giving it a modern feel.