teevee sucks

[Timbuk2]

[Illusions]

I think they were trying a little bit too hard. None of the characters seem particularly likable. I'll watch a few more episodes before deciding whether the show's any good.

I'm not sure we're supposed to find the characters likable, more-so interesting. What I'm worried about is that the production value will steadily drop as the season wears on after the first few episodes, or they'll run the route of replacing interesting with weird or outlandish for the sake of being weird/outlandish.

Besides that, saw the first two episodes of Orphan Black, mildly interesting, so we'll see how this goes. Not too fond of the New York City they threw together. Would've been completely happy with a nameless city, rather than a NYC that has Huxley as a subway stop, NYPD driving around Jaguars with Ontario plates, and Canadian money being the defacto currency. This should be fine for people who don't live in or know the area, but its distracting otherwise.

[GGT]

CNN premiered their new show starring Anthony Bourdain; an American chef on international epicurian escapades. Myanmar was his first stop....but he did a shitty job of explaining their local cuisine (even though it sounded tasty). While it's nice to learn the history and politics of any region, I thought it was going to be mostly an Ethnic Food show. He didn't explain where those chicken necks or fish heads came from, or how they were turned into tasty cuisine.

[Aimless]

If it's "No Reservations" it's always been like that and I kinda like Bourdain's sociopathic high-functioning-alcoholic style for food, we can watch old eps of Good Eats

[GGT]

No, it's not "No Reservations", but a totally new series.

I'll give the show a few more chances. Next week is Koreatown in LA. Sounds interesting. 9pm on Sunday nights is a tough time slot for American parents whose kids are probably watching Game of Thrones.

[Aimless]

I've sorta been able to replace Lie to Me with

1. Elementary, a remake of Sherlock Holmes with some prettyboy Brit in the role of Holmes as a recovering drug-addict police homicide consultant in NY and Lucy Liu as Watson. I was initially extremely skeptical but the show's grown on me. This version of Holmes is kinda like a combination of Sheldon Cooper, House and Benedict Cumberbatch's Holmes. The lead role is consistent yet full of surprises. The secondary characters start off meh but improve rapidly.

2. Leverage, about a group of master criminals led by a former... insurance claims investigator... who steal money from other criminals to help innocent victims. I'm not too keen on the two main characters--esp. Sophie--but they're growing on me. The secondary characters are deceptively simple and def. well-executed even though there's something about most of their faces that annoys me. We're both kinda heavily crushing on the waifish slightly androgynous and quite crazy Parker, played by Beth Riesgraf <3 the show's writing so far (early season 1) can def. use some tuning up.

3. White Collar, a show about a former master con-artist and fraudster who's released on probation into the custody of the FBI agent who busted him so that they can bust other con-artists together. This show could be sweet if they tightened up the writing and acting a little. The plots are good, the dialogue is natural and fairly good, but there're just a few too many lukewarm minutes. I thought one of the main characters was too pretty but he won me over quickly. It's kinda weird seeing Tiffany Amber Thiessen as a warm, sophisticated and wise middle aged party planner.

4. The Mentalist and Psych. The Mentalist was surprisingly good but I worry that it'll be too much murder-mystery and too little variety. I was pleasantly surprised by the lead role in this one. I thought they'd made a fatal mistake in casting him but he's proven to be just the right blend of winsome, obnoxious, tragic, playful. Psych... I really want Psych to rock, but the production values, writing and acting aren't up to par yet. I presume they'll all have improved by the end of the first season.

[Wraith]

I'm working through The Mentalist now on the side. It is better than I expected, not great, but it works in the background while I'm doing other things. Cho is best character.

Psych's writing does get better, and when it's good, it can be very funny. There's not any continuity that matters much, so you could probably just skip to higher rated episodes.

[Ominous Gamer]

The best parts of Psych are how his relationship with his dad and that cop evolve. There isn't any continuity with individual cases beyond season cliffhangers, but the subtle ways the episodes do build off of each other are what make it a fun show to watch.

I finished the first season of Top Gear US. I enjoyed it. Its scripted worse than a reality TV show, but its still funny and fun to watch. I don't watch much of the UK version beyond youtube highlights that go viral, but I thought the US attempt was pretty good. Wife and mom enjoy it too, which is... strange.

[Veldan Rath]

Still enjoying Doctor Who...after all these years.

[Flixy]

Arrested Development is back, apparently.

[Loki]

Watching Dexter in preparation for the final season. Best character drama I've ever seen.

Still watching Hannibal, but most of the characters remain not very likable. Hopefully once the show switches to a different network, they'll improve the character development.

[Lewkowski]

Watching Dexter in preparation for the final season. Best character drama I've ever seen.

Still watching Hannibal, but most of the characters remain not very likable. Hopefully once the show switches to a different network, they'll improve the character development.

Yeah Dexter is amazing.

[Loki]

Shame it's going to end this season. I don't get people who whine about the show lasting more than it should. I don't see the problem with "filler" seasons as long as they're good. I thought season 6 was good, even if it didn't bring the show any closer to its conclusion.

[Flixy]

Filler episodes tend to get boring. Even without fillers, shows get more predictable and boring after a while, or get farfetched or preposterous. I prefer a show ending when it's still good, and stop once you run out of ideas to keep it fresh and exciting. Better to end well and leave a good legacy than to keep going and become mediocre.

[Veldan Rath]

Enterprise.

I loved the series, and thought is sucked big donkey balls that it was handled in such a ham handed way.

Were there some continuity errors? Yes, but I was able to over look them by the 2nd and 3rd season. the year long story arc was a great idea and the 2-4 episode mini arcs we a great idea as well.

I liked seeing Archer grow into his big boy pants when Earth was attacked and tucked away some of his naivete.

Too bad the series got cut before the Roumulan-Earth war.

[Loki]

Filler episodes tend to get boring. Even without fillers, shows get more predictable and boring after a while, or get farfetched or preposterous. I prefer a show ending when it's still good, and stop once you run out of ideas to keep it fresh and exciting. Better to end well and leave a good legacy than to keep going and become mediocre.

I think they still had good ideas and weren't farfetched (unlike the plot of most of the Dexter books!); they just didn't move the overall story forward.

[Flixy]

I can't read their minds, but it's certainly been good so far. Obviously the writers/producers felt they can't go on after this while preserving quality, otherwise they wouldn't cancel a good, popular, and money making production.

[Loki]

I think the guy playing Dexter wanted out.

[Veldan Rath]

Would you want to work with your ex-wife?

[Flixy]

Plus tv shows are quite time consuming for an actor and rather limit other jobs you can do.

[Loki]

Would you want to work with your ex-wife?

I wouldn't mind if it was Jennifer Carpenter.

Plus tv shows are quite time consuming for an actor and rather limit other jobs you can do.

The guy's entire career spans 2 TV shows.

[Flixy]

Which sounds like a good reason to try and get something else now, I would think. Taking advantage of how known he is now.

[Loki]

A third show where he talks to dead/about to die people?

[Flixy]

Possibly I read he will also be directing an episode, so maybe that's his new direction

[Loki]

Everyone in Hollywood wants to direct.

[Flixy]

Everyone in Hollywood wants to direct.

I'd rather direct than act, too Though I like working in the production department even more!

[Loki]

I prefer watching.

[Hazir]

I have been watching episodes of VEEP next to the pool here and it turns out to be real funny.

[LittleFuzzy]

I wouldn't mind if it was Jennifer Carpenter.



The guy's entire career spans 2 TV shows.

I thought he'd done a decent amount of work Off and On Broadway?

[Loki]

According to his wiki pages, it wasn't that much work. Regardless, I doubt anyone outside of New York and some California snobs saw him in those.