Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

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Wrathbone
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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Wrathbone » Mon Jun 27, 2022 4:22 pm

I imagine it's very much story-by-committee, even when a show has one or two front-facing writers or show runners like Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau (both of whom seem to be very good at what they do). I also think the problem is partly because Disney are unwilling to take big risks, or if they do they're meticulously calculated and focus group tested. You broadly know what to expect from them and surprises are rare, which is disappointing but understandable as their film and TV franchises are there to make mountains of money first and foremost. Artistic merit is a happy byproduct.

I don't really have a problem with that, so long as there are films and TV from other studios that produce original, high-quality stories. There's room for a little formulaic mediocrity now and then, and Disney+ excels at reasonably-made, by-the-numbers entertainment.

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Raid » Mon Jun 27, 2022 4:41 pm

The frustrating thing is that they've shown more bravery in their kids shows than their big budget ones. Massive Star Wars: Rebels spoiler:
Spoiler
They kill off Kanan Jarrus, a heroic main character that the audience, which let's not forget average on the younger side, have spent four years getting to know. Kanan would have been an immensely popular inclusion in the live action stuff (as Ahsoka Tano has been), to the point where from Disney's perspective I expect the decision now feels short-sighted. It cemented the show as a classic in my mind, and I'm still slightly shocked that they did it.

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Snowy » Mon Jun 27, 2022 5:20 pm

Top Boy on Netflix. Really brutal and uncompromising London-based crime drama. Harrowing but good.
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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Achtung Englander » Mon Jun 27, 2022 6:25 pm

Snowy wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 5:20 pm
Top Boy on Netflix. Really brutal and uncompromising London-based crime drama. Harrowing but good.
glad you are watching it. The child actor who plays Jason in season 2 - brilliant. The main actors are all superb.
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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Raid » Tue Jun 28, 2022 7:10 pm

Mantis wrote:
Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:20 pm
This season of The Boys has been fantastic.
I finally got around to catching up and partially disagree. The first and most recent episodes are amazing, and the rest is, well it's still pretty damned good, but I don't feel like it's up to the quality of the previous season. It feels like it's playing it a bit too straight, it's lost some of the irreverence, and I think they've leaned a bit too hard into the real world comparisons which pulls me out of it a bit. It's a very accurate feeling depiction of Trump-style media coverage, but I don't enjoy being reminded of Donald Trump. There's one particular character that uses the phrase "lame-stream media", which I think is a direct quote from the awful orange idiot, it's not like it's a cleverly written obfuscation.

I'm still very much enjoying it and I'll probably be watching the remaining couple of episodes as soon as they're available, it hasn't really dampened my enthusiasm for the show as a whole.

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Sly Boots » Tue Jun 28, 2022 10:16 pm

Been greatly enjoying Only Murders in the Building (Disney+) recently.

Premise is Steve Martin, Martin Short and a young female neighbour get caught up in a murder in their apartment building and start a true-crime podcast as they attempt to solve it. It's good fun, often funny and just seeing Martin and Short playing off each other again is great. It's also an interesting whodunnit, and just returned for a second season, which I'm looking forward to starting on.

The S1 finale also has some outstanding physical comedy from Steve Martin, which had me giggling throughout :D

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Can't think of one » Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:38 pm

I'm thinking of watching Top Boy but on Netflix, there is Top Boy and Top Boy: Summer House, which one do I watch first?

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by eny » Wed Jun 29, 2022 10:41 pm

Summerhouse is the original 2 series that were on C4, before Netflix picked it up and called it Top Boy.
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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Can't think of one » Thu Jun 30, 2022 8:43 am

Thanks

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Animalmother » Thu Jun 30, 2022 12:17 pm

On episode 5 of The Boys. It's some of the smartest commentary on what's going on in the US right now hidden within a somewhat ridiculous (but utterly excellent) tv show. Homelander is a fantastic villain, he's genuinely unsettling to watch.

Anthony Starr for Handsome Jack if we get another Borderlands film...

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Raid » Thu Jun 30, 2022 12:26 pm

Animalmother wrote:
Thu Jun 30, 2022 12:17 pm
Anthony Starr for Handsome Jack if we get another Borderlands film...
That's not a bad shout. As much as I like the entire cast of The Boys, Starr is the one that really stands out. Homelander is one of my favourite TV villains, largely because of his portrayal.

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Snowy » Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:09 am

Pistol, acquired from the seven seas.

Danny Boyle's telling of the story of the Sex Pistols, based on Steve Jones' memoir Lonely Boy. Surprisingly enjoyable - I love a bit of the Pistols and know their story - the cast play their roles impeccably and do a good version of the Pistols in the live music scenes (where they are playing and singing for real). Worth a watch.

Also Sherwood on the BBC. A decent crime drama set in an ex-mining town on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. The miners stike in the 80's is a key element in the town's history and the fractures from the time are still evident, which makes the show a lot more than it might otherwise have been. Well acted and also worth watching.

Going to start on Slow Horses next. By sheer chance I was recommended the book by Amazon a year or two ago and really enjoyed it, as well as the next few in the series.
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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Alan » Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:57 pm

Discovery S3
Oh my. Its amazing how it keeps getting worse! Kind of looking forward to S4 now to see what depths are plumbed. Some of the social commentary is really grating, not that it exists but the heavy handed amateurishnes in the way its included. I quite like the Paul and Hugh relationship but things like the new character and the "call me them" chat was just off. I guess maybe they need to write it that way for the general populace watching but it feels like in the enlightened future they live in it was over explaining. Hmm, maybe they handled it as best they could thinking about it now. I dunno. I would say it wont hold up looking back in the future but it probably holds up better than everything else in Discovery so there's that!

So anyway Michael has now almost single handedly; took down quadrant spanning alternate dimension space nazis, caused and then ended a war with the Klingons, saved the entire universe from AI, rebuilt the Federation and solved the burn that eluded everyone else for 20 years in a matter of days. While saving planets and space whales on her weekends. Smoke her a kipper, she'll be back for breakfast.
A man who could tell more truth and eat fewer pies.

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Raid » Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:21 pm

Alan wrote:
Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:57 pm
new character and the "call me them" chat was just off. I guess maybe they need to write it that way for the general populace watching but it feels like in the enlightened future they live in it was over explaining.
I think the conversation was actually written and acted fairly well (Blu del Barrio is non-binary themselves, they've probably got some experience with this subject), just in the context of it being between 23rd and 32nd century characters it feels a bit ham-fisted. I suppose you could imagine that Adira sees Stamets as only recently having joined them from what they perceive as the dark ages so thought they had to explain it? To be honest Adira being adopted by Stamets and Culber was about the only thing they did right in season 3, everything else was shockingly rubbish. I've no desire to watch season 4.

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Re: Good TV (aka, the TV series spamthread), the second series

Post by Alan » Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:52 pm

Raid wrote:
Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:21 pm
Alan wrote:
Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:57 pm
new character and the "call me them" chat was just off. I guess maybe they need to write it that way for the general populace watching but it feels like in the enlightened future they live in it was over explaining.
I think the conversation was actually written and acted fairly well (Blu del Barrio is non-binary themselves, they've probably got some experience with this subject), just in the context of it being between 23rd and 32nd century characters it feels a bit ham-fisted. I suppose you could imagine that Adira sees Stamets as only recently having joined them from what they perceive as the dark ages so thought they had to explain it? To be honest Adira being adopted by Stamets and Culber was about the only thing they did right in season 3, everything else was shockingly rubbish. I've no desire to watch season 4.
Maybe it would have worked better if Siru had brought it up as to why she was being called they and they could have approached it from the alien perspective. It just seemed extra awkward that it was Stamets of all people. But yeah, I think Stamets might have been the best character this season. They sure make Georgiou pretty lame. Oh and suddenly everyone knows the entire history of the Terran universe too? The exposition was quite painful.

I shall predict that S4 is about some merging of the timelines rubbish to bring Georgiou back. Georgiou kept Terran land so close to prime universe that they can merge now or something.
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