5-Star television series?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 06 Oct 2007, 12:11

bradavon wrote:
It has nothing to do with being closed minded (is anyone closed minded to film on this forum?) but more so the time it takes to watch an entire season. In order to watch as many TV shows as you guys appear to have I'd have to spend day in day out in front of the box, no thanks.

why?just watch them the way they are meant to be watched,one episode a week.easy.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Oct 2007, 12:42

EvaUnit02 wrote:
grim_tales wrote:Eva I would say Blackadder 2, 3 and 4 (not ao much 1). If they had stopped at 4 it would have been perfect.
They did stop at Series 4 though. The occasional special doesn't count. (I enjoyed Blackadder's Xmas Carol though.)

Agreed, Christmas Carol is brilliant (that was made before Series 4). In comparison Back and Forth is rubbish.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 13:37

saltysam wrote:Can't believe only Romero & myself love Deadwood.you guys are missing out

Oh yeah, I forgot about Deadwood. Al Swearingen is da man.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Oct 2007, 13:39

I dont get the too much to watch thing for TV shows. Do you not watch Lord of the Rings triology then? becuase its 12 hours long? exactly the same thing. You can watch them when you want, split then up etc.. same with any film series.

TV shows are far far easier to watch than a 2 hour film thats for sure.

Production values mean a bit, as hell the more cash you have the closer to a film they can be made and the more profesionally made the end product. The UK has always made cheap stuff, some of their attempts are fine (Red Dwarf feel fine low budget) but on the whole when they try anything Big budget looking, like Sci Fi, action, etc.. it ends up being a cheapo piece of crap, hence why they do not even bother most the time and stick with cop shows and comedy.

Eva
Carnivale and The Shield are rather good also, need to see all of them mind you.

and as far as Deadwood goes, its not appealing to people I think. A gruggy western with no big name stars, its not something the standard public will even bother with, I can see why it has been canned as compared to the latest flashy sci fi or the new crime scene show its not mainstream for people. Even if it is bloody wonderful. People would rather watch Trashy stuff like Stargate and its countless spin offs or the new piece of crap Friends spin off.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Oct 2007, 13:47

I tried Deadwood once but couldnt really get into it TBH, may give it another go.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Oct 2007, 14:16

If you could not get into it, its probiobly not for you as it does not change.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Oct 2007, 14:54

saltysam wrote:why?just watch them the way they are meant to be watched,one episode a week.easy.

Fair point. I have just never been the type to sit down to a TV show each week religiously. I watch an episode, if I miss the next no big deal. It's impossible to get "into" a show when you watch them that way.

I do watch Doctor Who and did watch Star Trek in it's hey day each week though, Dawson's Creek each week too. Those are very much the exceptions though.

romerojpg wrote:I dont get the too much to watch thing for TV shows. Do you not watch Lord of the Rings triology then? becuase its 12 hours long? exactly the same thing. You can watch them when you want, split then up etc.. same with any film series.

Again fair point. But as far as I know those are now finished and are rare in their length. The average TV show is 12 hours, the average film is not.

But no I'd never watch all those 3 in a row, way too long.

romerojpg wrote:Production values mean a bit, as hell the more cash you have the closer to a film they can be made and the more profesionally made the end product.

Tell that to Lucas. He throws oodles of cash at his films yet in comparison they're uber shit. You don't need millions of dollars to create good writing.

I think you're so amazed by the higher production values you cannot get over it when watching cheaper (but as well written, maybe more so) British shows.

it ends up being a cheapo piece of crap, hence why they do not even bother most the time and stick with cop shows and comedy.

The BBC churns out stacks of quality drama each year. Granted it's not flashy like an American TV show and is more about the characters than pretty faces and glossy pictures but the quality is definitely up there with the best.

It may not have an international appeal, more to the point may not be made available internationally but that doesn't make it cheap.

It does annoy me that "everyone" or certainly every main part in American TV shows look so pretty and perfect. I bet everyone in Deadwood has perfectly white teeth, if not everyone most. I hate it when American movies do that.

romerojpg wrote:I can see why it has been canned as compared to the latest flashy sci fi or the new crime scene show its not mainstream for people. Even if it is bloody wonderful. People would rather watch Trashy stuff like Stargate and its countless spin offs or the new piece of crap Friends spin off.

I agree with you there.

Stargate is woeful and has gone on for far too long. My god the Yanks love their sitcoms, most are dreadful.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Oct 2007, 15:30

bradavon wrote:
It does annoy me that "everyone" or certainly every main part in American TV shows look so pretty and perfect. I bet everyone in Deadwood has perfectly white teeth, if not everyone most. I hate it when American movies do that.

Well that really does show you you do not watch much American TV if you think that. All that comment tells me if you have barley watched anything from america, apart from the odd big shows over the last 10 years. Too many shows to name if you want gritty, realy, ugly people etc..

Deadwood has some of the ugliest looking people you can imagine, some well fugly sons of cocksucers in Deadwood and no they do not have white teeth, some have none, except black stumps.

You want to sit and watch an episode of Oz

(Ugly sons of bitches, full on hardcore man gang rape, sick awful disturbing violence, langague to make Tarentino cry like a girl) now that would tell you a little about the state of american TV.

Most american TV now is nothing like any of the shows you have mentioned on this thread, you only seem to have seen some of the ones that acctually get big time coverage, like crap comedy, bland sci fi and action.

But I cannot blame you, as not that many of the best shows get even on standard TV in UK

if they do put it on its on at ungodly times of the night with no advertising to say its even on!

Even Heroes which is not exacty that nasty and violent is on at silly times of the night already, and thats a big hit. Still its not exactly Smallville mind you, you dont get people ripped apart in Smallville (well not on screen anyway).

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 15:47

I mean come on, Dawson's Creek? That tosh was the first shitty WB teeny soap and created the mould from which every shitty teeny soap since has been cast. Smallville, The OC, One Tree Hill...

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Oct 2007, 15:54

I guess if you are into that sort of TV its ok, as there are plenty of shows like that for you. I never bothered with them, fact is there are far too many TV shows I want to watch, I just have to decide which to go for and which to ignore forever.

I ussually go for something with balls to excite me a bit, watching normal people go about normal lives, whats the point? you may as watch some crappy soap show.

I want to be taken away and excited and thrilled, not watch people doing what they do everyday around you.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Oct 2007, 16:34

EvaUnit02 wrote:I mean come on, Dawson's Creek? That tosh was the first shitty WB teeny soap and created the mould from which every shitty teeny soap since has been cast. Smallville, The OC, One Tree Hill...

Dawson's Creek is very different from those shows, did you ever actually watch it? It's a teen drama but that's about the only comparison.

Granted it is completely unrealistic though, but that's part of it's charm. It just worked for me.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Oct 2007, 16:37

@ Romero:
Re: Deadwood, I've only seen the 1st couple of episodes or something, when it first came out, so I'll give it another chance

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 17:20

bradavon wrote:Dawson's Creek is very different from those shows, did you ever actually watch it? It's a teen drama but that's about the only comparison.

Yes I have seen it, and you're absolutely wrong, it's the same formula. Aside from Smallville, have you even seen the shows that I've mentioned?

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 06 Oct 2007, 17:20

EvaUnit02 wrote:I mean come on, Dawson's Creek? That tosh was the first shitty WB teeny soap and created the mould from which every shitty teeny soap since has been cast. Smallville, The OC, One Tree Hill...

Did you forget about 90210!?

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Oct 2007, 17:44

Yi-Long wrote:Did you forget about 90210!?

90210 followed a different formula, Dawson's reinvented the genre.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Oct 2007, 17:51

No it didn't. 90210 is almost identical to the OC.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 07 Oct 2007, 00:44

The whole Spoilt little rich kids genre of TV makes me puke

how anyone can find that entertaining is beyond me.

The only one like that I think is very good is Veronica Mars, superb show that as its kind of taking the piss out of that genre and adding in murder and mystery etc..

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Oct 2007, 00:54

romerojpg wrote:The whole Spoilt little rich kids genre of TV makes me puke how anyone can find that entertaining is beyond me.

Agreed. I had a feeling you'd never actually seen more than an episde or two now I know. No one in Dawson's Creek is rich, Joey is poor and her father in jail.

The way they speak is completely unrealistic, no one that age is that articulate but that is part of it's charm. Season 1-4 were excellent, particularly season 3. It went down hill a bit for the final two seasons (when the setting moved to college) but it was still good.

It does remind me though I need to check out my Extended Finale DVD

.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Oct 2007, 01:12

How could I forget the classic series:

The Cosby Show
Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 07 Oct 2007, 09:59

bradavon wrote:How could I forget the classic series:

The Cosby Show
Fresh Prince of Bel Air

I wouldnt give those perfect ratings.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 07 Oct 2007, 13:56

bradavon wrote:
romerojpg wrote:The whole Spoilt little rich kids genre of TV makes me puke how anyone can find that entertaining is beyond me.
Agreed. I had a feeling you'd never actually seen more than an episde or two now I know. No one in Dawson's Creek is rich, Joey is poor and her father in jail.

I wasnt on about Dawsons Creek

I was on about the 90210's of the world, The OC etc.. one of them rich kids could buy all of Dawnsons Creek

But more good film stars came out of Dawsons Creeks mind you.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 07 Oct 2007, 16:36

EvaUnit02 wrote:What do I think are 5-star shows? Off the top of my head:- blah blah blah.

Many shows in that list I agree with: Sopranos, Carnivale, The Practice (although s7 was a little below par), Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, Dexter. The Shield.

I see you like them David E. Kelley shows, but no Ally Mcbeal or Boston Legal (imo his best show) in there, you rate those 2 at all?

saltysam wrote:Can't believe only Romero & myself love Deadwood.you guys are missing out

Deadwood was absolutely fantastic, s2 had one or two iffy eps but other than that, 5star every episode. If you haven't seen s3 yet, do so ASAP - it's the best season (It benefits from having a proper antagonist in George Hearst. I think my main problem with s2 is that in mellowing Swearengen out a little bit and starting to ally him with Bullock, the narrative lost that antagonistic edge.)

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Oct 2007, 16:57

Ally McBeal was okay but the annoying cartoon inserts really got on my nerves.

I ended up watching the Dawson's Creek Series Finale this morning, it works much better in it's uncut length.

My god the picture quality is atrocious though. The box sets aren't great but I don't think I've ever seen so much noise on a recent film/TV show ever before. One scene even took me right out of what I was watching, the blue cupboard behind the characters was so bad it looked like an invasion of bees (if you get my drift). What were Sony thinking with a TV show only created in 2003, a very popular show to boot.

Yi-Long wrote:I wouldnt give those perfect ratings.

I've gone beyond perfect ratings and am talking about classic shows

. All shows have their blips making them hard to give consistent ratings.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 07 Oct 2007, 17:03

bradavon wrote:Ally McBeal was okay but the annoying cartoon inserts really got on my nerves.

If you took Ally Mcbeal and dropped everything shite about that show, just keeping the good elements, then you'd come close to how good Boston Legal is.

Unfortunately no one outside of America seems to watch it besides me and a couple of my m8s, whereas Ally Mcbeal was a huge smash!

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 08 Oct 2007, 15:43

bradavon wrote:No it didn't. 90210 is almost identical to the OC.

Well okay, it's the same formula but Dawson's reinvented it. Dawson's were slightly more family friendly than 90210 for one. Maily it started what I'll describe here as the "dialogue trend". What is supposed to be high school aged kids talking like university English majors. The OC (the first season at least, it went totally down the toilet from S2 onwards) and especially One Tree Hill both inherited this trait.

Shingster wrote: I see you like them David E. Kelley shows, but no Ally Mcbeal or Boston Legal (imo his best show) in there, you rate those 2 at all?

Yes, I conciously left out Boston Legal and Ally McBeal. BL I do watch religiously, but I don't consider it a 5-star show (4/5 is what I'd give it). It's very entertaining and all, but the formula is far too repetitive. This is exactly why both my friend and father stopped watching it.

Ally on the hand, I just couldn't stand all the singing. Every episode they'd go to the bar/club at the bottom of their building (As to why there's an actual bar in a law building, I'm absolutely flabbergasted.) and listen to the recurring blonde jazz lady, or one+ members of the cast would man the microphone. Also there were stupid plot developments in the later seasons, like Ally having a fully grown daughter; the axing of Downey Jr.'s character (yeah, I know that he being punished for being arrested on possession again. Him and his character were still good though.).

To this day I still consider Picket Fences to be Kelley's best show (I never saw LA Law or Chicago Hope.). It balanced the comedy and perfectly covered that the social/civil/moral arguments that Kelley likes to explore. The presence of a family unit adds a different dimension to the latter, giving the commentaries far more depth than what you'd find in the usual dramatic Alan Shore or Shirley Schmidt closing argument. As the comedy, honestly the strange happenings of Rome, Wisconsin > Denny Crane. Eg The town would go through a new mayor every season, each one more eccentric than the last.