In more random Star Trek talk: The animated series is QUITE good. Also, I went back and rewatched "The City on the Edge of Forever" from season 1. My goodness, that episode is a treasure. Oddly, I remember not liking it the first time I saw it, but what a pretty much perfect episode of television. All of the acting is good, the story is heartbreaking and my God watching season 1 after season 3, you really get the idea of how much the budget was killed for that final season.
Just to say, GirlsAloudFan: I am a Girls Aloud fan myself! Their music is great.
Anyhow, I will add more to this thread when I think of TV shows I like. Although, I do like the later series of "Star Trek". I also love "Sheena", "Tru Calling", "Alias" and "2 Broke Girls". I've got them all on DVD. Great programming.
I wasn’t as down on the TV movie from a few years back as other fans were so I’m not inherently opposed to Nü Mars. Will hopefully be starting it soon.
At the moment, I’m more excited for Damon Lindelof’s “remix”/alternate sequel to Watchmen than any theatrical film this year; looks multilayered and amazing:
Finished Killing Eve and I love it so much. Villanelle is one of the best characters ever. But I will say I thought season 1 was significantly stronger than season 2.
Anyway, now I'm burning through Mrs. Maisel. I watched the pilot over two years ago before anybody had heard of it and before it won every award imaginable but I never got around to diving back in. I'm almost done with season 1 and it *is* really fucking funny. The Palladinos still have it.
Not sure what I'll watch after Maisel, though. GLOW season 3 comes out pretty soon, so there's that. I've been wanting to watch Deadwood for at least a decade. Also, there's a part of me that wants to start watching Star Trek: The Next Generation? I don't know.
Finished Killing Eve and I love it so much. Villanelle is one of the best characters ever. But I will say I thought season 1 was significantly stronger than season 2.
Part of the reason for Killing Eve's drop-off is that Phoebe Waller-Bridge wanted to hand the show off to a new team to keep it fresh. So I'm pretty sure the writers and producers are all different. She's a hard talent to replace and live up to.
Good(?) news is I think that's meant to be the set practice so S3 should have a new fresh blood again, maybe they'll do better.
I watched the first series of Veronica Mars: it was pretty good. ATM I am watching "Dark Angel: Series 1". That show has to be one of my favourites, next to "Sheena".
I don't have EPIX either but I've watched 8 episodes so far on Showbox. Obviously, having watched Gotham, we knew Alfred was gonna be a badass. He's also a stud too.
Are the shows edited on free On Demand? Are they dropping F-Bombs and showing female nudity?
I don't have EPIX either but I've watched 8 episodes so far on Showbox. Obviously, having watched Gotham, we knew Alfred was gonna be a badass. He's also a stud too.
Are the shows edited on free On Demand? Are they dropping F-Bombs and showing female nudity?
Epix in the midst of a fee preview on Comcast (11/11-11/21) so binged through the balance of season 1 of Pennyworth.
Some weird stuff, especially Aleister Crowley (who obviously wouldn't have been alive during the 60's).
And that cake Alfred's father baked was the bomb.
Sooo, Watchmen. Wasn’t a top priority for me last year despite loving the comic (haven’t seen the movie), but after recently finishing it this week it’s in the running for my favourite show of 2019. This is what I’d imagined an adaptation of the comic should be, a limited series that plays with form and character perspective each episode / issue. Scenes and payoffs that make you want to revisit earlier instalments to grasp the full story (like how the mention of the Veidt statue in episode 4 turns out to be the punchline to a joke set up in episode 9). Shows within shows, both literal (American and Hero) and other (the wtf-ness of each weeks sojourn to Jeremy Irons each week) evoke the Black Freighter comic, something I liked more than most. The show is deeply indebted to the comic, but in form rather than story. It’s most definitely a sequel, with original characters with deep ties to the conclusion of the original, but the general plot structure and audacious format of key issues is replicated throughout. Not that this matters, it means the show can work as part adaptation and continuation.
Can’t really go any further without discussing the jaw dropping brilliance of episodes 6 and 8.
Angela’s journey through Will’s memories is as trippy and fluid as any live action, prestige show has any right to be. The fact that it’s held together so well is a miracle, with visual motifs and careful groundwork letting us uncover the major reveals for ourselves without screaming them out in exposition. Loved the practical way they had Angela and Will share a body by switching actors just out of frame, reminds me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And somehow it’s topped by episode 8, with Angela and Dr Manhattan’s relationship depicted in the same way that we read his life story during his first Mars exile. Poetry in motion. It all builds up to a cathartic moment where grandfather and granddaughter can communicate through time using their blue friend as a conduit, reminiscent of Desmond and Penny’s phone call in The Constant. I clapped my hands with glee at the realisation of that ability. And then they pull the rug out from underneath me by revealing that Angela is the one who set Will on Judd’s trail with a perfect paradox. Brilliant.
I’m going to have to revisit The Leftovers now, previously tapping out after the third episode back in the day. Might skip to season 2 though.
And while I’m here, a roughly ordered top ten TV of 2019: Watchmen – see above Primal – never watched Samuari Jack, but this blew me away. The violence was stronger than expected, but the visual storytelling is unparalleled Russian Doll – Groundhog Day for NY millennials, I’ll take it Fleabag – lives up to the hype, the rare follow up that recontextualises the original and ends gracefully Veep – didn’t see that ending coming, holy balls Ramy – fills Master of None’s void quite nicely Unbelievable – between this and Booksmart, Kaitlyn Dever is my 2019 MVP Better Things – dreamier following Louis’ departure, rising to its own auteur level with Pamela Adlon taking complete control Barry – like Fleabag, another follow up we didn’t know we needed. ‘Ronny/lily’ earns it a top 10 spot all by itself Undone – the most flawed entry on this list, but it swung for the fences and gave me those sweet Linklater vibes
Honourable Mentions Bojack Horseman – probably would have made the cut if the complete season aired in the same year The Good Place – so sad to see this go. Whilst the relentless plotting of the first two seasons gave way to a relaxed, overall mission statement in the final two seasons, it still ended perfectly last month The Deuce – another final season. David Simon seems incapable of producing anything less than immersive, appointment TV. Looking forward to The Plot Against American next month
I'm not subscribed to any of the streaming services at the moment, so I've yet to see any of the shows on there, though I would like to remedy that at some point. I do want to try and check out some of the cable shows that are really big right now-will have to see which ones are on demand or something.
The only new show I've had the chance to get into lately is "Evil". I really enjoyed the first season of that show, and I'm glad it's coming back for another season.
Sooo, Watchmen. Wasn’t a top priority for me last year despite loving the comic (haven’t seen the movie), but after recently finishing it this week it’s in the running for my favourite show of 2019. This is what I’d imagined an adaptation of the comic should be, a limited series that plays with form and character perspective each episode / issue. Scenes and payoffs that make you want to revisit earlier instalments to grasp the full story (like how the mention of the Veidt statue in episode 4 turns out to be the punchline to a joke set up in episode 9). Shows within shows, both literal (American and Hero) and other (the wtf-ness of each weeks sojourn to Jeremy Irons each week) evoke the Black Freighter comic, something I liked more than most. The show is deeply indebted to the comic, but in form rather than story. It’s most definitely a sequel, with original characters with deep ties to the conclusion of the original, but the general plot structure and audacious format of key issues is replicated throughout. Not that this matters, it means the show can work as part adaptation and continuation.
Can’t really go any further without discussing the jaw dropping brilliance of episodes 6 and 8.
Angela’s journey through Will’s memories is as trippy and fluid as any live action, prestige show has any right to be. The fact that it’s held together so well is a miracle, with visual motifs and careful groundwork letting us uncover the major reveals for ourselves without screaming them out in exposition. Loved the practical way they had Angela and Will share a body by switching actors just out of frame, reminds me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And somehow it’s topped by episode 8, with Angela and Dr Manhattan’s relationship depicted in the same way that we read his life story during his first Mars exile. Poetry in motion. It all builds up to a cathartic moment where grandfather and granddaughter can communicate through time using their blue friend as a conduit, reminiscent of Desmond and Penny’s phone call in The Constant. I clapped my hands with glee at the realisation of that ability. And then they pull the rug out from underneath me by revealing that Angela is the one who set Will on Judd’s trail with a perfect paradox. Brilliant.
I’m going to have to revisit The Leftovers now, previously tapping out after the third episode back in the day. Might skip to season 2 though.
And while I’m here, a roughly ordered top ten TV of 2019: Watchmen – see above Primal – never watched Samuari Jack, but this blew me away. The violence was stronger than expected, but the visual storytelling is unparalleled Russian Doll – Groundhog Day for NY millennials, I’ll take it Fleabag – lives up to the hype, the rare follow up that recontextualises the original and ends gracefully Veep – didn’t see that ending coming, holy balls Ramy – fills Master of None’s void quite nicely Unbelievable – between this and Booksmart, Kaitlyn Dever is my 2019 MVP Better Things – dreamier following Louis’ departure, rising to its own auteur level with Pamela Adlon taking complete control Barry – like Fleabag, another follow up we didn’t know we needed. ‘Ronny/lily’ earns it a top 10 spot all by itself Undone – the most flawed entry on this list, but it swung for the fences and gave me those sweet Linklater vibes
Honourable Mentions Bojack Horseman – probably would have made the cut if the complete season aired in the same year The Good Place – so sad to see this go. Whilst the relentless plotting of the first two seasons gave way to a relaxed, overall mission statement in the final two seasons, it still ended perfectly last month The Deuce – another final season. David Simon seems incapable of producing anything less than immersive, appointment TV. Looking forward to The Plot Against American next month
Great stuff on there, from what I've seen. I haven't made my own list, but the Top 2 are definitely Watchmen and The OA (Season 2), two of the most ambitious seasons of television I've ever seen.
This is a highly unpopular opinion, I know. But I have never seen a show limp to the finish line as painfully as The Good Place. Is there anyone else out there who didn't think this show was brilliant like every reviewer seems to?
