The TV Series discussion thread

I've watched the first two episodes of the Strike series, that is based on the Cuckoo's Calling novel, written by Robert Gailbraith, aka Joanne Rowling. Fine casting and exceptional stories, if you enjoy detective dramas this could be right up your alley.

Why why why. No, not Delilah.
I'm not sure what's worse this year. Cancellations of superb shows or changing the format so it stinks.

The 4th season of How to Get Away with Murder is a total letdown.
From fast paced show with twists, turns and deliberate pulling viewers' nose while intelligently poking the law system, someone somehow ordered the show's recent season needs to slap all fans and drive them away.
Every season has a murder involved directly or indirectly with the cast, till the recent one. I'm not saying noone dies, I'm saying noone related to characters does. Whoever is dead, it'll spawn an "epic" battle against the prison system in USA or whatever.
Instead of continuation of the brilliant court crime thriller, the fourth season was turned into a disgusting political pamphlet that does absolutely everything wrong. They should have renamed it into "how to get away with bullshit".
If you've watched first three outstanding seasons, prepare for disappointment with the fourth one.

I'm not saying I cannot stand shows that are about confrontation with racism, historical atrocities and other stuff, in fact I love those things. I've even suggested one such gem: Longmire.
Maybe you don't know. Longmire was cancelled after it's third season on A&E, I guess because it was too provocative. Netflix saved it and it got two more seasons with a proper ending.
What do you mean you still didn't watch it?! Go, now! See? Hollywood can still make good shows, it's not all plain junk.

But there is another provocative show out there, not widely known. It dares to slap different prejudices in an original way - the protagonists are common loosers who are trying to do something good, but as with real life, they just can't beat destiny.
Please, do me a favor. Please watch Hap and Leonard before you die and tell me if I'm right saying it's one of the most interesting shows in this decade.
This show got cancelled after three seasons. Reason? It was too provocative, I bet. Shame on you Sundance TV.

From a reliable source, I'm hearing that the Deadwood movie for HBO may finally be locked down quite soon. That would be, like, the best television news I've personally heard in years!!

Corwin said:

Anyone here caught Impulse set in the Jumper universe?

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ahhhh, No

and the book series is one of my favs and I even liked the movie.

Wiki shows this season with 10 episodes but the four book series is multi generation so it looks like they are sticking close to book 1.

Had no idea they were doing a series. But Oh oh, the show is on YouTube premium.
If I can deny CBS all access with Star Trek, I can deny YouTube with Impulse

I started Babylon 5 myself a little over a year ago, and am now nearing the end of season 4. First 3 seasons are ace, got a little burnt about halfway season 4 so it's been on hiatus, but I'm trying to pick it up again.

As an avid fan of DS9 myself (best Trek show IMHO) I have to say I would rate B5 slightly higher. Even though I feel like DS9 aged slightly better and has slightly better characters, I really dig B5's grand, overarching storyline so far.

It's been a little less than year since I watched DS9 and 16 months since I watched B5. Both excellent TV series from the 1990s. In fact I would say that they are "one" of the few TV series from that era that I still watch fairly regularly (say every 3 years).

I did try to read the continuation of DS9 but gave up after the first book. The ending of the TV series DS9 felt right. Everything, no matter how good, finally ends and for those of us that worked in good teams you will know what I mean.
Agree that B5 had the better storyline.

regards

Well, I just watched the pilot of Star Trek (Original) and it was certainly much better than TNG, for me. Although all of the things they saw must have looked completely ridiculous to the actors, they actually seemed immersed. I felt like the first few episodes of TNG, the actors looked like they would be bursting out in laughter after saying what they had said. (probably isn't the case, but it was cringe-worthy to me )

Joxer, I think you might enjoy the show In Contempt. It's a 10 part legal show which addresses some major controversial issues quite well. Give it a try if you can find it, took me awhile.

Currently seems not possible. If I'm right Bet* doesn't have it's own streaming site and the only other service airing it legally currently is directv which doesn't operate in my area (again, stupid geoblocking).
I'll add it on "to watch" list though, it's still new show and as such usually when finishes airing on it's source network, "normal" channels license the show and put it on.

Wait, but… It's not australian show!! Arrrrgh!!
I need more stuff like Old School!! Desperately.

[EDIT]
Wait again… I see on Old School link imdb hinting on Jack Irish tv show. Saw it as a movie somewhere, but skipped it. Any good?

Saw the last episode of the Strike series, and they did a really good job with it. Instead of filler and stretching it out to five or six episodes( or even more), they kept it to three and the story remained tight the entire time. The television format I never find nearly as satisfying as the novel base, but this one comes pretty darn close. I'm hoping they give the following books the same treatment, and keep the series going for a bit.

Finished S2 of both Westworld and Luke Cage.

Both are what I would consider worth watching.

Not quite sure what to think of Westworld. I was a big fan of the first season, but this one seems deliberately opaque to the point of being "we're so clever for no good reason" complicated. I still love the aesthetics and the depth with which some interesting subjects are touched upon - but I'm not sure it really amounts to that much in the end.

Luke Cage is what I would call pleasant mediocrity - much like all the Marvel Netflix shows. However, the latter part of the season entered quite good territory and had a very surprising approach to certain characters. The final change in Luke was a little abrupt, though.

I particularly liked how they made Mariah so uncompromisingly cruel and yet still relatable. Still trying to decide if Woodard's performance is fantastic or really bad.

The "stilted neck" move gets old - but it fits the state of permanent indignity the character seems to suffer from.

Also, it's extremely rare that a character I initially dislike quite a bit turns out to be my favorite (Bushmaster). Last time was Saga in "Broen" - I think,

Darth Tagnan said:

Also, it's extremely rare that a character I initially dislike quite a bit turns out to be my favorite (Bushmaster). Last time was Saga in "Broen" - I think,

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Hollywood forgot how to play with your wits and make such characters, all we see are clones of clones in every show. Start exploring indies and exotics already, there are numerous examples out there and I've posted already about a few while you were on phone addiction treatments.

I've been watching Cobra Kai and am loving it so far. I wonder what other movies of the 80s can be brought back like this and work so well.

Last night my brother bugged me about that one and I told him no mister Miyagi, no me.
But he says the original cast is there, only in different roles (aka they grew up and now they have a different life). Is it true? If yes, I'm going for it!

Other movies brought back as "sequel" series and worked - Ash vs Evil Dead.




And of course, Fargo.
Can't be sure about Westworld as I still didn't watch second season, but the first one was brilliant. The original movie is from 70s though.

I started watching Orphan Black and I think it has some really good elements.

Some elements are a bit stupid but all in all an interesting concept and mostly OK to good acting.

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joxer said:

Last night my brother bugged me about that one and I told him no mister Miyagi, no me.
But he says the original cast is there, only in different roles (aka they grew up and now they have a different life). Is it true? If yes, I'm going for it!

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Well Larusso and the blond Cobra Kai guy are the protagonists, 30 years later. Larusso is a successful businessman and the blond dude is a loser, and old hatreds resurface when they meet again…

I've watched the first two episodes of Luke Cage, series two. I'm liking what I've seen so far, it seems like we might get a version of Power Man sometime down the road. To date there hasn't been much filler in the two episodes that I've watched, I'm hoping it stays light and tight.

wolfing said:

Well Larusso and the blond Cobra Kai guy are the protagonists, 30 years later.

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Okay then I'm in! Will definetly post some impressions.

Carnifex said:

I've watched the first two episodes of Luke Cage, series two.

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Loved the first one. Lemme deal with Cobra Kai and some still ongoing asian soaps I'm into, then I'll be all over it!

Don't mean to rain on any parades, but I think Cobra Kai fell apart during the last third of the first season.

Definitely worth watching for the nostalgia trip, though!

Meh, if I trusted you on TV series I'd probably never watch anything. Not even Forbrydelsen was good enough for you and it's practically flawless. The original, not the silly remake.

IIRC the only show you didn't slap with anything was Hollywood's Memories of Murder ripoff under another name with that guy from Cheers I'm alergic at. Maybe I'm wrong though, maybe that was JDR.