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

[Raid]

Yup. It's not as subtle as it would have been in TNG I don't think, they'd have undoubtedly given it more science-fiction trappings, but frankly it's an issue that I have no objection to being presented so obviously. I think all of the Topa episodes have been very effective, but the first season one that the storyline originates in was heart-wrenching and it was nice to have it followed up so effectively.

[Wrathbone]

I’ve not seen the episode, but I’m sure it’s one that my dad mentioned to me recently. He’s very much a no-nonsense person, content for people to live however they want but with no interest in understanding lifestyles outside his own immediate experience. And yet he told me about this episode he’d watched that he thought was superb because it had explained a real world issue to him that he hadn’t previously understood or cared about, in ways that he could relate to through the sci-fi backdrop. I can’t think of any higher praise for a TV show.

[Sly Boots]

I’ve not seen the episode, but I’m sure it’s one that my dad mentioned to me recently. He’s very much a no-nonsense person, content for people to live however they want but with no interest in understanding lifestyles outside his own immediate experience. And yet he told me about this episode he’d watched that he thought was superb because it had explained a real world issue to him that he hadn’t previously understood or cared about, in ways that he could relate to through the sci-fi backdrop. I can’t think of any higher praise for a TV show.

High praise indeed

[Mantis]

1899

Someone already mentioned this show, but worth reiterating that it is very good. Not sure where I stand on it compared to Dark yet, but then Dark set a ludicrously high bar and is one of my favourite shows ever, I am still very much enjoying it though. Two episodes to go and so far it seems to be even more mind bending than Dark was; every single episode seems to end on some insane bomb shell reveal that just makes you more confused. It nails that utterly ominous constant sense of dread that Dark reveled in too.

The level of intrigue reminds me of Lost back in its heyday. Only I trust the writers of 1899 to actually be able to deliver and not be making it up as they go along like the revolving door of Lost writers did. Dark was meticulously plotted and perfectly executed so that it all linked up, there's no way they didn't plan all of it from the beginning. Hopefully this will be the same.

One thing I absolutely love about it is the variety of languages. I think I counted nine in total, and a huge chunk of the interactions between characters have them paired off with someone who they don't actually understand. I think it's really clever how they've framed the show like that, the characters are as confused as the audience and completely unable to even properly interact with one another. So much of their understanding of one another is based off body language and loosely understood shared words or broken English. There's some great acting in it.

Really highly recommend. Just don't expect any answers and enjoy the ride.

[Animalmother]

I finished it the other day, while I enjoyed it the steam started to run out for me towards the end as the plot kept twisting and turning. Then the last episode happened and I really want there to be a second season now. It's beautifully made and all the different characters speaking their own languages and not nothing what's going on is great. The music at the end of each episode is also a nice touch.

Can't agree more about Dark, up there as one of the best tv shows for me as well.

[Sly Boots]

Completely bounced off Dark personally, found it too confusing and didn't fancy having to take a PhD in a TV show to be able to enjoy it. I've seen discussions between people who got really into it and felt relieved I noped out

Was worried this would be similar so another one crossed off the list...

[Rusty]

Just started 1899 last night. Watched it first with dubbed English and it just felt weird. Watched it again with English original and subtitles for foreign speech.
Made much more sense.

[Animalmother]

The X Files
Decided to have a look at the first few episodes, don't think I've seen them since the 90's. First off it is very 1990's with the haircuts and fashion choices, suit trousers you could make a circus tent out of. Mulder and Scully look so young.

The first episode Scully seems mildly amused by Mulder's antics, by the second she's already sick of his bullshit After the third episode she's seen enough wild shit that she shouldn't be a skeptic anymore. I'm enjoying it and like that each episode is basically a stand alone story (so far), I'll keep at it for a while.

Tooms was due to reemerge from his bile cocoon next year (as estimated by Mulder) so the show is nearly 30 years old now

[Wrathbone]

I'm enjoying it and like that each episode is basically a stand alone story (so far)

I could be wrong, but I think it was X-Files where the term "monster of the week" arose, meaning single-episode TV plots (I think to distinguish those episodes from the sporadic episodes which focused on the wider, ongoing conspiracy). I miss that era of TV largely for that reason, because while you do get shows with self-contained stories, the majority of mainstream shows are so planned out and interconnected with other series and films that a lot of it feels sanitised. The writers on the X-Files were presumably allowed to write whatever the hell they wanted (within network timeslot restrictions), and that resulted in superb stuff like Tooms and hilariously awful stuff like the episode where an AI-controlled building goes mental and the lift starts killing people or something. It was a big, wonderful mess of trying out ideas and seeing what worked and what didn't, and that just doesn't happen these days.

[Raid]

It's funny how quickly that concept started to feel outdated. Star Trek TNG was entirely self-contained episodes (with the occasional two-parter), with events from previous episodes barely ever being referenced, even when the fallout from those events should have been enormous (in an early episode Picard and Riker explode the head of the head of Starfleet because they were infiltrated by vindictive parasites, and it's never once brought up again). It was just accepted, and nobody seemed to have an issue with it. Skip forward fewer than ten years and people were criticising Voyager doing exactly that. It was termed the "reset button"; an episode would finish with the ship half-destroyed and in the next it would be entirely factory-fresh with none of the characters mentioning it again, as if somewhere on the ship there's a big red button that fixes everything. The concept of the two shows made it more unlikely on Voyager, granted, but after three or four years of an arc plot in Deep Space Nine, it just felt antiquated.

I've also taken a trip back to the early 90s by starting to re-watch Frasier. I remember having zero interest in Friends back when it was enormously popular, and chose Frasier as my preferred US sitcom, and was wondering how well that choice has held up now that Friends is vilified for its horrible characters. Who's laughing now? Well it's me, because Fraiser is still one of the best sitcoms ever made. There's some dialogue that dates it, sure - there's an episode in season 2 where the entire premise is that someone thinks Frasier is gay, but it doesn't feel like it even approaches homophobia in the way that I believe Friends is now notorious for, it's just seen as a comical misunderstanding. The early seasons lay it on a little thick with "Martin is disappointed in Frasier and Niles" stuff, but I think that lessens as the show goes on.

And Niles Crane is probably the best sitcom character ever written. His dialogue is exceptional, Hyde Pierce's comic timing and physicality are second to none, and it's impressive that they managed to create someone even more foppish than Frasier, given that it's the role that I think Frasier played on Cheers (which I've never really watched). When the show produces a genuine belly-laugh, it's usually Niles causing it.

[Wrathbone]

Funnily enough I've almost finished a re-watch of Frasier. It's incredible that there are maybe 10 episodes in the whole run of 11 seasons that I'd consider poor, with the rest being good to exceptional.

And yes, Niles is one of my favourite characters of any show, ever.

[Sly Boots]

Agree with the above re Frasier and Niles in particular.

As for X-Files, if we ever try a rewatch, it's maybe telling that we only watch the one-offs and skip over the conspiracy arc stuff. I think with the hindsight of knowing it takes over half a dozen seasons to go basically nowhere fast those become quite tedious to work through.

[Rusty]

Babylon 5

Adding to the nostalgia factor: I've just started rewatching Babylon 5. Loved it first time round and still hold it in high regard (brilliant 5 year arc planned from the start).
I can see the strands of ideas that I know come into play later on.
Some of those early episodes are really over the top dramatic though.

Plus my sons laughs at the CGI but it was top notch back in the day (used an Amiga with the toaster(?) upgrade)

[Raid]

Wow, we are having a 90s revival aren't we.

I've never watched Babylon 5. I've seen the odd episode, but never enough to get a grasp of the story. I think I tried from the start once, but I didn't like Sinclair much (I'd already watched a few with Sheridan by that point) and never really got into it.

Given that I've ran out of the long-running sci-fi shows I've watched recently, I think it's about time I gave it another go.

[Rusty]

Sinclair (well, the actor) is pretty ropey hence why they axed him. However he does have a big part to play later on