Oh No! Viewers Are Tuning Out Hollywood's Newer TV Series In Favor of Just Rewatching Old Shows Over and Over Again

The new shows are so much more Diverse and do so much Work for Trans Visibility.

Are you telling me that the public does not consider hardcore propaganda and social engineering to be entertainment?

The most streamed show last year wasn't the latest Netflix reality TV show craze. Nor was it the highly anticipated final season of "Succession" or the debut of "The Last of Us."
According to Nielsen, the most minutes last year -- more than 57 billion -- were spent watching "Suits," a legal drama that premiered 12 years prior.
The show, which is available to stream on Netflix and Peacock, stars the former actress Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, and likely has her to thank for its second life. But "Suits" isn't the exception.
Old shows, which debuted over a decade ago, dominated the top streamed list of 2023. Several of the programs, including "Suits," "Gilmore Girls," and "Friends" have been off the air for years.
According to Nielsen, the most streamed acquired shows of 2023 were: [table omitted, but the shows are Suits, Bluey (Disney's only highly rated show, and they don't produce it, they merely license it), NCIS, Gray's Anatomy, Cocolmelon, The Big Bang Theory, The Gilmore Girls, Friends, Heartland, and Supernatural].
Many of these shows also have a persistent nostalgia factor. The New York Times recently described "Gilmore Girls" as "an endless buffet of TV comfort food."

Oh, as opposed to the "daring" "quality" shit that streamers produce themselves?

Maybe the incredible shift from favoring talent and experience in the writers room, to favoring simple quota-driven diversity, might have something to do with the rejection of newer shows:

Large demographic shift in American TV series staff.

According to Writers Guild of America West data, between 2011 and 2020, staff writers moved from 35% to 63% women, and 72% to 44% white. pic.twitter.com/FU2HuB00CW
— Inquisitive Bird (@Scientific_Bird) February 19, 2024

Oh, and of course, the endless race-bending:

Haakon Jarl was a Viking warrior who ruled Norway from 975-995.

The image on the right is how Google's A.I. (Gemini) depicts a photo of him.

Just kidding, it was Netflix who did that. pic.twitter.com/DqBRwCcU6V
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 22, 2024

Besides woke content and driving out experienced, proven writers in favor of diverse 23 year old transgenders without any skill or prior credits, former network executive Paul Chato notes some reasons for the rejection of current tv series.

You can watch that if you care. I'll just mention one point he makes, which I have been pointing out for years and years.

TV shows used to be episodic. That is, each show would be a self-contained story. You watch the show, you get a beginning, a middle, and an end. Hopefully the ending is satisfying, but even if it's not, the show is now over. You don't have to sit around for sixteen episodes waiting for plot threads to evolve.

Now, during the 2000s, it became fashionable to mix episodic episodes with season-arc type episodes. For example, Person of Interest (one of the last new shows I watched) would do, in a 22 episode season, about sixteen standalone, completely episodic episodes. But the first episode of the season would set up a season-long conflict and season-long enemy, and then around three episodes during the season would be peppered in showing this conflict evolving and escalating, and then the season would end with a two-parter finale in which that season-long conflict is confronted and resolved.

So this was a hybrid model, part episodic, part ongoing story. Most of the time, though, you had a full story contained in an episode, and you didn't have to wait until May for the payoff to it.

I heard someone note that the old model of TV shows would be a pilot, and then every episode following was just a remake of the pilot with different character and situations. If the first Friends episode is about six New Yorkers struggling to get their careers on track and falling in and out of love, well, every episode after that is just that same story, with different circumstances.

But the new model of "TV shows" is really just this: Rejected movie pitches, scripts for two hour movies, which are then reconfigured to be six, eight, ten, or twelve episode season of TV shows. The main story of the season -- the plot of the rejected movie script -- is just d-r-a-g-g-e-d out for 6, 8, 10, or 12 hours. The first episode sets up a unstable situation that must be resolved, like most movies do, but then makes you sit through hours and hours of nonsense to get to the third act.

And to pad it out, they just add in a lot of soap-opera-style subplots and false climaxes along the way.

That's not very rewatchable. First of all, if you got hooked on the initial premise and initial starting conflict, then really you just wanted to know how does it end?, well, you only have to watch the last episode or last couple of episodes for that.

The old model had endings every episode; the new model has one ending per season, or maybe one ending for multiple seasons.

People (mostly women, who seem to like the new kind of TV) keep telling me to watch this show or that show, and I keep saying: "I don't want to bother watching an hour of TV without any resolution, just to decide if I feel like committing to another 8 or 10 hours to get a resolution."

Or as I've learned: I like endings. Endings are where it's at for me. It's not enough to set up a premise and a hook; you have to actually pay that premise off with an ending.

And the new model of TV seems to be writing on Easy Mode because they don't bother with endings very often.

Beginnings are easy. Conflict is easy. Premises are dime-a-dozen. It's satisfying endings that matter. As Seinfeld said, sort of, regarding car reservations.

If you don't have an ending, you don't have a story. Period.

There was a recent show I liked, the one with Adam Scott called Severance. It was a pretty decent show, but when you get to the last episode, hoping for a resolution -- no, they just give you another cliffhanger. You get some new information, but no closure to the plot threads that have been set up all season. Just... more plot threads.

I don't know if I'll bother watching the second season, unless they tell me in advance "This is the last season." I don't want to get on an endless treadmill of never-ending soap-opera wheel-spinning.

Anyway, that, and the fact that now every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black, which are apparently the only two races) and that every show has to have a big storyline celebrating The Message and Trans Acceptance, and oh, also nothing is well written and these shows have so much slack you could use them to make sails for a cutter, would explain why no one wants to watch your crappy shows anymore, Hollywood.

Bonus: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit went full Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In this episode, looters loot a bunch of high-end luxury brand stores. One of the thieves says he's doing so to "put food on the table."

One of the store attendants is taken into a back room and r*ped.

But then she won't identify the assailant, because he's black and you know, black males just can't get justice from the justice system.

Note that there is no question this is the r*pist; they also have him on video.

And the whole Law & Order: SVU team frets about what a tough decision it is to identify a rapist, knowing that the justice system might fail and he therefore might... be found innocent.

Because he's actually guilty. The justice system failing here would be if he were let off.

I haven't been this enthralled since their GamerGate episode!

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 04:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Bout time

Posted by: Open Channel D at February 22, 2024 04:31 PM (lbUI4)

2 Now to read the content…

Posted by: Open Channel D at February 22, 2024 04:31 PM (lbUI4)

3 I've been saying for years that 'Sanford and Son' reruns are more popular than CNN.

I was right!

Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:31 PM (i7Q7S)

4 New shows suck.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at February 22, 2024 04:32 PM (ynpvh)

5 "And the whole Law & Order: SVU team frets about what a tough decision it is to identify a rapist"

=============

So funny how the Woke Mind Virus works. When this show started, they would have had detective Benson rough him up before cuffing him and the rapist being subsequently found guilty.

Sad.

Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:33 PM (i7Q7S)

6 More ESG, DIE, CRT STAT!

Our shows are for new viewers not our existing ones. FUCK OFF.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at February 22, 2024 04:33 PM (17s+e)

7 Old shows, which debuted over a decade ago, dominated the top streamed list of 2023. Several of the programs, including "Suits," "Gilmore Girls," and "Friends" have been off the air for years.
++++
LOL. And they aren't even very good. Some like "Friends" were insanely popular, but never very good.

When yesterday's dreck is so superior to today's dreck that it creates its own sustaining demand, today's dreck is *really* bad. These ain't classics we're talking about.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:33 PM (HnUIn)

8 Or as I've learned: I like endings. Endings are where it's at for me. It's not enough to set up a premise and a hook; you have to actually pay that premise off with an ending.

=======

Endings are the most important part of stories.

Fight me.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:34 PM (GBKbO)

9 My teen son told me his friends love The Office because it was the last hit sitcom before everything went super woke.

Yeah, imagine not wanting to be lectured and hated by your tv show?

Posted by: Lizzy at February 22, 2024 04:34 PM (Hkcdp)

10 I only watch old shit.
The new shit sucks

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (PQ4m2)

11 The Talking Dead was an actual critique, not a episode discussion.

They just never DID anything, just wander around and flap their jaws.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (cSaKW)

12 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

13 This is why I prefer movies, by the way.

Movies have beginnings middle and ends.

As one of the Coen brothers said last year (I think it was Joel), televisions shows now have a beginning and a middle and a middle and a middle and a middle until everything collapses from exhaustion.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (GBKbO)

14 Lots of reference to prayers on The Waltons.
No trannies on Gunsmoke .
But...
It is established in season 13, episode 19 that Festus has difficulty consummating romantic relationships because he has a very small penis.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle to maintain Moron standards at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (pT2wV)

15 Besides woke content and driving out experienced, proven writers in favor of diverse 23 year old transgenders without any skill or prior credits, former network executive Paul Chato notes some reasons for the rejection of current tv series.
++++
Another factor is experience. These 20-something bluehairs have little. Their experience is going to college.

You write what you know, and what they know is little - and the little is itself bunk.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (HnUIn)

16 I tend to watch the same half-dozen shows, mainly while I'm about ready to fall asleep at night.

I haven't watched any NEW shows in a long, long time, partly because of the reasons cited by ace above. I don't like a lot of "fluff" material in a television show, like long, drawn out dramatic pauses where people are just standing around looking at each other.

I don't mind series-long story arcs, but they do need to show consistent progress throughout the season towards a satisfying conclusion.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (7fElN)

17 Survivor has trannies now, too. And crybabies.
Lots of crybabies.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (v0R5T)

18 I've been watching old shows on Pluto TV for some time now.

Posted by: dantesed at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (88xKn)

19 Gilmore Girls was also leftist pabulum- but Lauren Graham was hot.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (di6C2)

20 > If you don't have an ending, you don't have a story. Period.

Pardon?

Posted by: Steven King at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (6OrcJ)

21 Related, if you go back and watch older Law & Order episodes from the early 90's, it is almost shocking they still air them unedited. There are ones where people make derogatory comments about gays, people smoke, men only chase women, and trannies are street freaks. They have no problem showing black people as violent gang bangers.

That was a different country than we have today.

Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (i7Q7S)

22 I watched The Bear. It was not bad. I had no idea it existed until it won..something.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (V13WU)

23 My children are loving Stargate SG-1.

Minimal liberal nonsense there and just fun story-telling.

Unlike anything available today.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (JMAcK)

24 Anyway, that, and the fact that now every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black, which are apparently the only two races)

wait but in Severance ... isn't Mark's wife Asian?

anyway Severance is awesome and not sure if it follows what you're talking about ... it's hard to say

they filmed it out of order to keep the ACTORS themselves confused

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (AcWfM)

25 And it's about time for me to re-watch the Sopranos for the 650th time or so

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (PQ4m2)

26 >>>16 I tend to watch the same half-dozen shows, mainly while I'm about ready to fall asleep at night.

ME TOO! Always Sunny is my go-to. (And sometimes Peep Show.)

I screwed up recently watching other things to fall asleep, but they were new to me so they kept me awake.

Then I went back to Always sunny. Seasons 3-5.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (KRtlO)

27 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

You don't like cars, do you?

Posted by: dantesed at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (88xKn)

28 Mrs D watches a lot of old BBC.

I watch it for the whiskey.

Posted by: Diogenes at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (W/lyH)

29 17 Survivor has trannies now, too. And crybabies.
Lots of crybabies.
Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (v0R5T)

I only watched one episode of survivor during it's first season (the gay dude won and got a Pontiac Aztek (and a million dollars.))

There was a lot of whining then.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (di6C2)

30 I think Lost was the first series in which you wondered how they could possibly tie up all the plot threads. As it turns out, you can't.

I have that feeling a lot lately.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (CsUN+)

31 15 Another factor is experience. These 20-something bluehairs have little. Their experience is going to college.

You write what you know, and what they know is little - and the little is itself bunk.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (HnUIn)

=========

Modern media is about older media. Heck, it's not even that old of media. It's about media from about 20 years ago, if not more recent.

But even that media was still riding heavily on what had come before, so it's media that's based on media that's mostly based on previous media.

There's no real world experience in the mix anymore.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (GBKbO)

32 >>>wait but in Severance ... isn't Mark's wife Asian?

oh yeah.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (KRtlO)

33 Related, if you go back and watch older Law & Order episodes from the early 90's, it is almost shocking they still air them unedited. There are ones where people make derogatory comments about gays, people smoke, men only chase women, and trannies are street freaks. They have no problem showing black people as violent gang bangers.

That was a different country than we have today.
Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (i7Q7S)

Ya mean they told the truth

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (PQ4m2)

34 And, I find SG-1 hilarious as it had the "DiVerSiTy!" of a female and a black man on the team...

But of course, it had WAYYYYY too many white guys in it for it to be made today.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (JMAcK)

35 Or as I've learned: I like endings. Endings are where it's at for me. It's not enough to set up a premise and a hook; you have to actually pay that premise off with an ending.

=======

Endings are the most important part of stories.

Fight me.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:34 PM (GBKbO)
---
Brandon Sanderson sums up storytelling in three words: Promise. Progress. Payoff.

If you can do those three things, you have a story.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (7fElN)

36 Endings are the most important part of stories.

Fight me.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:34 PM

Especially happy ones.

Posted by: Al Gore at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (EgeKq)

37 I would say Malcolm in the Middle was the last great over the air sit com. The only reason I watch broadcast channels is for football. Honestly, I have no idea what they are running these days.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (Hpgos)

38 I even saw a tranny on Naked and Afraid.
It made me askeered.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (v0R5T)

39 So this was a hybrid model, part episodic, part ongoing story. Most of the time, though, you had a full story contained in an episode, and you didn't have to wait until May for the payoff to it.
++++
This works well when it's well done. X-Files did this, too.

But you gotta be able to tell the story.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (HnUIn)

40 The Bear is great.

Evil is great (and Season 4 will be the final season).

I love The Chosen.

some really good new stuff. I guess it's the female part of me lol ... I liked the "arc plus individual eps" thing since X Files.

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (AcWfM)

41 23 My children are loving Stargate SG-1.

Minimal liberal nonsense there and just fun story-telling.

Unlike anything available today.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (JMAcK)

If they can handle a bit of... darkness, Farscape is superior.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:38 PM (di6C2)

42 26 (And sometimes Peep Show.)

I screwed up recently watching other things to fall asleep, but they were new to me so they kept me awake.

Then I went back to Always sunny. Seasons 3-5.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (KRtlO)

========

I'm into season three of Peep Show.

Mark overcompensated on trying to look tough to Sophie by pulling out a knife. I laughed.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:38 PM (GBKbO)

43 27 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

You don't like cars, do you?
Posted by: dantesed at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (88xKn)

Gay.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:38 PM (di6C2)

44 I still have to finish the last two seasons of The Expanse. I keep procrastinating.

Hey, a golf tournament in Kenya!! Got to watch that!

I'll watch The Expanse later.

(And that is why The Expanse keeps getting pushed later. I'm easily distracted by my other interests.)

TV, The True Opiate of the Masses!

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 22, 2024 04:38 PM (sAmhv)

45 The Middle itself was a great episodic sitcom! and right now you have What We Do in the Shadows and It's Always Sunny, both episodic ... well I like them anyway lol

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:38 PM (AcWfM)

46 Wife and I have given up a few shows once we noticed we were simply trudging through to get to the end.

And then realized we actually didn't care how it ended.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (KbCG3)

47 I tend to watch the same half-dozen shows, mainly while I'm about ready to fall asleep at night.

ME TOO! Always Sunny is my go-to. (And sometimes Peep Show.)

I screwed up recently watching other things to fall asleep, but they were new to me so they kept me awake.

Then I went back to Always sunny. Seasons 3-5.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (KRtlO)
-----
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Futurama
Archer
Arrested Development
The IT Crowd

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (7fElN)

48 Anyway, that, and the fact that now every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black, which are apparently the only two races)

And 95% of the time, it's a black man and a white woman, because, you know, f*** you, you racist.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (CsUN+)

49 47 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Futurama
Archer
Arrested Development
The IT Crowd
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (7fElN)

========

Taskmaster!!!!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (GBKbO)

50 That's not very rewatchable. First of all, if you got hooked on the initial premise and initial starting conflict, then really you just wanted to know how does it end?, well, you only have to watch the last episode or last couple of episodes for that.
++++
This is probably a huge factor, and I never considered it. Once you know the end, there's no point in a rewatch - plus rewatching is a huge commitment because it's going to be many hours of time, all over again.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (HnUIn)

51 There's no real world experience in the mix anymore.
-------------
C'mon, Oak Island and Ancient Aliens want to have a word with you.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (Hpgos)

52 >>>I'm into season three of Peep Show.

season 4 gets dark. Seasons 5 and 6 are among my favorites. Season 7 dips and then season 8 comes roaring back. Season 9 is pretty good.

It really pretty much maintained its quality through all 9 seasons. Except for 7, which I never rewatch.

My friend David Azzerad says season 4 is his favorite so you've got that upcoming.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (KRtlO)

53 Markle's talent agency probably paid somebody to re-run Suits. It wasn't all that the first time around, why would it be now ??

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (V13WU)

54 Seems almost every Netflix series I've chosen lately got turned off and deleted from my "continue watching list" when they got to the part, usually by episode two, of two guys banging.

Posted by: bed head at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (Y1sOo)

55 Even though it had woke elements, I just finished Netflix's Recruit...and I enjoyed it, for everything it said about the CIA and the bunch of f ups they are...and the elite in general.

You have the gay black roommate, but if you can ignore that "we have to have it for the US - we'll show nothing more than G rated for China", it's a bang up dark comedy/drama. It has semi-endings for most of the season's shows, but it does end up as one 8 episode arc, which they finished...and then cliff-hanged (and got a season 2)...

Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (exHjb)

56 In this episode, looters loot a bunch of high-end luxury brand stores. One of the thieves says he's doing so to "put food on the table."

One of the store attendants is taken into a back room and r*ped.
______________

He's putting a chick on the table, too. Man does not live by bread alone.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (f871o)

57 It's funny, my kids got into some shows from like the mid-2000's (so not that long ago) and it really is amazing the cultural change we've gone through in the last 10-15 years. My kids prefer the America from a decade ago. Newer shows, it's just how many foul things can we shove down your throat.

I really blame Obama on much of this, that's really when you saw things "fundamentally" change.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (wMRY8)

58 NASA IM-1 Lunar Lander28:43
February 22 at 3:55 PM CST
Intuitive Machines - NOVA-C (IM-1) -
Moon Landing Malapert A Crater Moon -
Space Affairs Livestream

https://www.youtube.com/live/2WY7v-d0FOI

Posted by: Ciampino - Relativity is relative?? at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (qfLjt)

59 Survivor has trannies now, too. And crybabies.
Lots of crybabies.
Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (v0R5T)

Horrible show.

And don't get me started on the Bachelor. 20 bimbos hanging around waiting in one guy to work his way thru them so one can discover her true love.

Posted by: Diogenes at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (W/lyH)

60 52 season 4 gets dark. Seasons 5 and 6 are among my favorites. Season 7 dips and then season 8 comes roaring back. Season 9 is pretty good.

It really pretty much maintained its quality through all 9 seasons. Except for 7, which I never rewatch.

My friend David Azzerad says season 4 is his favorite so you've got that upcoming.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:40 PM (KRtlO)

=========

Looking forward to it!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (GBKbO)

61 >>>3 27 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)
You don't like cars, do you?
Posted by: dantesed at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (88xKn)
Gay.

I try. I know they should appeal to me, but i'm just kinda "meh."

They're no Riptide.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (KRtlO)

62 48 Anyway, that, and the fact that now every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black, which are apparently the only two races)

And 95% of the time, it's a black man and a white woman, because, you know, f*** you, you racist.
Posted by: Archimedes

In Babylon DC, it's common to see a black guy with a white girl. A black girl with a white guy is like spotting a unicorn. It's rare. Most of the time, when I do, the black girl has an accent, so, not American.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (sAmhv)

63 Suits is so, so bad tho

I dunno I think TV is okay - it's in better shape than film

wtf happened to Wim Wenders btw?!?! maybe his latest is good but I'll never forgive him for A Million Years of Boring or whatever that thing was

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (AcWfM)

64 36 Endings are the most important part of stories.

Fight me.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:34 PM

Especially happy ones.
Posted by: Al Gore at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (EgeKq)

An aside: I HATE fucking modern storytelling for this: give me a happy ending. One that is not compromised. All of these shit assholes feel like they have to be edgy and it is so much better when there is a tragic, bittersweet bullshit.

That is what so very surprised me about Days Gone. I was flabbergasted when this story started off grimdark as hell and... it worked out. Happy ending. It was like light breaking through the clouds.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (di6C2)

65 Unexpectedly.

Posted by: ShainS -- Boycott New York & other Blue Shithole Cities #TruckersForTrump at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (ywZXi)

66 Anyway, that, and the fact that now every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black, which are apparently the only two races) and that every show has to have a big storyline celebrating The Message and Trans Acceptance, and oh, also nothing is well written and these shows have so much slack you could use them to make sails for a cutter, would explain why no one wants to watch your crappy shows anymore, Hollywood.
++++
:: waiting breathlessly in the wings ::

Posted by: Korean TV at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (HnUIn)

67 I never quite got into "Suits." It seemed like one of those shows where everyone was pretty much a horrible character without the black comedy where it can really work (see, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia").

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (7fElN)

68 Related, if you go back and watch older Law & Order episodes from the early 90's, it is almost shocking they still air them unedited. There are ones where people make derogatory comments about gays, people smoke, men only chase women, and trannies are street freaks. They have no problem showing black people as violent gang bangers.

I recently watched The Good Shepherd, with MATT DAMON! It's from 2006, and (spoiler!) one of the characters is an old gay man. Remarkably, he is shown to be a security risk and a would-be predator on young Matt Damon. I remember thinking that would never happen now.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (CsUN+)

69 Oh yes, I like ending, too.

Another thing I don’t like about season long arcs is how it goes so deep on characters. Like, if it’s a medical or cop show, instead of a fresh case each week they devoting all this time to a main character’s daddy issues or mental illness or whatever. I really don’t want that emotional deep dive. I don’t care about root causes or traumas, just have them cure or litigate and move on.

Posted by: Lizzy at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (Hkcdp)

70 And 95% of the time, it's a black man and a white woman, because, you know, f*** you, you racist.
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (CsUN+)
______________

New show: The Orenthal and Nicole Show.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (f871o)

71 Succession cast a self proclaimed Socialist to play Rupert Murdock's doppelgänger. Funny stuff.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (V13WU)

72 The Bear is great.
==

Season 1 was very good. Season 2 is woke + woke = DIEversity. didn't finish it.

Also TV comedy peaked with Seinfeld. Friends was worse, quite abit worse, Then the shitshow they called How I Met Your Mother. Sad really sad.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (17s+e)

73 This is probably a huge factor, and I never considered it. Once you know the end, there's no point in a rewatch - plus rewatching is a huge commitment because it's going to be many hours of time, all over again.
-----------
The following movies disagree with your hypothesis:
True Grit
No Country for Old Men
Braveheart
Kelly's Heroes
Joisey Wales
The Unforgiven
The Searchers...

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (Hpgos)

74 Peep Show is hilarious, a friend who's taste I respect recommended it. Absolultely never heard of it before that. Or known anyone since that's talked about it.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (wMRY8)

75 In this episode, looters loot a bunch of high-end luxury brand stores. One of the thieves says he's doing so to "put food on the table."

One of the store attendants is taken into a back room and r*ped.

But then she won't identify the assailant, because he's black and you know, black males just can't get justice from the justice system.
++++
Good grief.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (HnUIn)

76 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (xPl2J)

77 Had nasty flu this week and have binged on Big Bang Theory for comfort. Bought several seasons during the first year of the Covid machine, and rewatching. It's still very funny.

Posted by: skywch at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (uqhmb)

78 They're no Riptide.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:41 PM (KRtlO)

Magnum is pretty damn good. I could not get into Rockford Files, I'll admit.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (di6C2)

79 > If you don't have an ending, you don't have a story. Period.

I read a Steven King book called Gwendy's Button Box. A Mysterious Stranger TM gives a chubby little girl a mysterious box. The box dispenses special delicious and health-promoting chocolates and rare-ish silver dollars. It has eight buttons in total, and the buttons cause disasters to others and deleterious effects on the person who presses the button.

The book is a collaboration because King had no idea how to end the story and passed it off to another writer to finish it.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (6OrcJ)

80 If it isn't Columbo it's craaap!!!

Posted by: eleven at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (iziT8)

81 if you like Always Sunny, try Peep Show.

Always Sunny is dark comedy, *but* it's so outrageous that you're distanced from it. It doesn't feel real, so you just laugh.

Peep Show makes you feel the darkness and discomfort more. It doesn't offer the distancing lens of outrageous silliness that Always Sunny does. But it's still funny.

It's like Always Sunny crossed with the unflinching tone of the British "The Office."

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (KRtlO)

82 I lead part of the Suits watching. I’d never seen it before. It was OK, I watched a couple of seasons but then it became eh.

Gotta disagree on the ending Ace. I like the long, slow burn, with a payoff at the end of the season. If it’s done well that's the way to do TV.

Posted by: Montec at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (cQGLW)

83 73 This is probably a huge factor, and I never considered it. Once you know the end, there's no point in a rewatch - plus rewatching is a huge commitment because it's going to be many hours of time, all over again.
-----------
The following movies disagree with your hypothesis:
True Grit
No Country for Old Men
Braveheart
Kelly's Heroes
Joisey Wales
The Unforgiven
The Searchers...
Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 04:42 PM (Hpgos)

======

Eh, he's talking about television specifically. The investment of at least ten hours to get to an ending you already know when most of the time spent is dilly-dallying around a thin plot that probably should have taken no more than 2 hours (his earlier assertion that most modern TV are rejected movie ideas).

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (GBKbO)

84 23 My children are loving Stargate SG-1.

Minimal liberal nonsense there and just fun story-telling.

Unlike anything available today.
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at February 22, 2024 04:36 PM (JMAcK)

That was my Covid lockdown rewatch show...

Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (exHjb)

85 The only shows I watch are Sunny and what we do in the shadows. I can smell woke a mile away

I’ve taken to watching YouTube for old shows like One Step Beyond and the night stalker and even Dragnet. They’re satisfying.

Posted by: Blutarski at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (Cp1vk)

86 >>>The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

definitely. I think both by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (KRtlO)

87 the Flanagan things - not really series - are a mixed bag but I love love love them. I do realize they have problems.

anyway The Haunting of Bly Manor (based on Henry James!) was probably the best but having Garth Merengi as one of the main tragic characters kind of messed me up. I kept laughing when I saw the dude.

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (AcWfM)

88 Modern media is about older media. Heck, it's not even that old of media. It's about media from about 20 years ago, if not more recent.

But even that media was still riding heavily on what had come before, so it's media that's based on media that's mostly based on previous media.

There's no real world experience in the mix anymore.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (GBKbO)
++++
Nope, which is a problem they need to solve. But solving it means being less cloistered, and that's no good at all. Don't want that.

"I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer" should not be the driving force.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (HnUIn)

89 Even 90 Day Fiance had a tranny.

https://tinyurl.com/3nncfujw

It's a family show.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (v0R5T)

90 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Futurama
Archer
Arrested Development
The IT Crowd
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (7fElN)

We just became best friends.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (KbCG3)

91 81 It's like Always Sunny crossed with the unflinching tone of the British "The Office."

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (KRtlO)

=======

And David Mitchell is just kind of funny in general.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:45 PM (GBKbO)

92 Related, if you go back and watch older Law & Order episodes from the early 90's, it is almost shocking they still air them unedited. There are ones where people make derogatory comments about gays, people smoke, men only chase women, and trannies are street freaks. They have no problem showing black people as violent gang bangers.
_______________

Prompted by someone here who called Fani's squeeze "Kingfish," I watched a couple of old episodes of "Amos n' Andy," which amazingly were available on YouTube. (Btw, Fani's squeeze DOES look like The Kingfish.)

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at February 22, 2024 04:45 PM (f871o)

93 40 The Bear is great.

Evil is great (and Season 4 will be the final season).

I love The Chosen.

some really good new stuff. I guess it's the female part of me lol ... I liked the "arc plus individual eps" thing since X Files.

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (AcWfM)

Love The Bear - but I like food tv and dramas...so I'm predisposed to like it. I liked The Menu movie, too...

Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 04:45 PM (exHjb)

94 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.
Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (xPl2J)
***

Hawaii 5-0 has entered the conversation.

Posted by: Diogenes at February 22, 2024 04:45 PM (W/lyH)

95 Always Sunny is dark comedy, *but* it's so outrageous that you're distanced from it. It doesn't feel real, so you just laugh.

well that's because you don't live here!

lol that thing is a docu-drama

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:45 PM (AcWfM)

96 Law and Order SVU is stillon? Wow that’s gotta be 20 years at least. Maybe 30? I cut cable 5 years ago so I have no idea what on network TV or cable anymore.

Posted by: Montec at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (cQGLW)

97 88 Nope, which is a problem they need to solve. But solving it means being less cloistered, and that's no good at all. Don't want that.

"I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer" should not be the driving force.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (HnUIn)

=======

Heinlein had, like, 3 dozen jobs before he became a writer.

Gene Wolfe was a freaking industrial engineer (and developed the technology to make Pringles).

Machiavelli fought in wars.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (GBKbO)

98 Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso.

I keep telling everyone that I couldn't care less.

And it's not that I think the show will be bad or woke or something, I just do not care about TV shows anymore.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (KbCG3)

99 Maybe the incredible shift from favoring talent and experience in the writers room, to favoring simple quota-driven diversity, might have something to do with the rejection of newer shows:

Critical Drinker posted The Death Of The Girlboss? about this yesterday. He's of the opinion that the worm may be turning.

https://tinyurl.com/3bc9cyjx

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (CsUN+)

100 I almost feel stupid that we complained about the media and Hollywood 20 years ago. It was just so tame compared to what we have now. It was just the occasional eye poke. I'd do anything to go back to Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw at the evening news and Ellen or Roseanne being considered scandalous.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (wMRY8)

101 I’ve taken to watching YouTube for old shows like One Step Beyond and the night stalker and even Dragnet. They’re satisfying.
Posted by: Blutarski at February 22, 2024 04:44 PM (Cp1vk)
________________

Me too. Dragnet, The Untouchables, The Phil Silvers Show are favorites, along with old Western movies (Randolph Scott!).

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (f871o)

102 no no Ted Lasso is terrible

it starts out good! you're like, oh ok I see why people love this

then omg. so bad! so very very bad.

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (AcWfM)

103 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Futurama
Archer
Arrested Development
The IT Crowd
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:39 PM (7fElN)
++++
I liked Arrested Development a lot when it came out, but I was fairly unimpressed when I returned to it a few years back. I don't think it held up well.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (HnUIn)

104 I don't care what's on as long as I get to see Marie Osmond talking about menopause during commercial break.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (v0R5T)

105 FIRST!!!!!

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (Zz0t1)

106 The only current show I've been watching is the All Creatures Great And Small reboot. And they only do 6 or 7 episodes per season.

Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (xPl2J)

107 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)
++++
Ahem.

:: points furiously at own nick ::

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (HnUIn)

108 >>>98 Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso.

Adam Carolla just mentioned that, noting it was a piece of shit.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (KRtlO)

109 "I recently watched The Good Shepherd, with MATT DAMON! It's from 2006, and (spoiler!) one of the characters is an old gay man. Remarkably, he is shown to be a security risk and a would-be predator on young Matt Damon. I remember thinking that would never happen now."

===========

Yep, long, but I thought that was a pretty good movie.

Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (i7Q7S)

110 100 I almost feel stupid that we complained about the media and Hollywood 20 years ago. It was just so tame compared to what we have now. It was just the occasional eye poke. I'd do anything to go back to Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw at the evening news and Ellen or Roseanne being considered scandalous.
Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:46 PM (wMRY

Yeah, instead of an eyepoke, we now have them refusing to pay our eyes child support.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (di6C2)

111 I don’t watch TV at all, so I will take this opportunity to fold and put away laundry. Yay.

Posted by: Piper at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (ZdaMQ)

112 I can't wait for Shogun hopefully it doesn't suck

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (AcWfM)

113 Since I no longer watch TV, I only see TV shows or bits of them when I am out and about at the watering holes chasing whores.

The mind numbing crap I see really surprises me as I am no longer used to how stupid TV shows, especially the commercials are. Shocking.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (2ijlT)

114 108 >>>98 Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso.

Adam Carolla just mentioned that, noting it was a piece of shit.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (KRtlO)

========

There's an advantage to not being hooked into the zeitgeist.

You don't find out things shit the bed until after they shit the bed.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (GBKbO)

115 I watched every episode of Hawaii 5-0 last year. Not a great show but it is fairly masculine. THere are no chicks working for Steve McGarrett except coffee fetchers.

Watching Mannix now. Sometimes it has a plot twist.
Men started becoming pussies around the time of M*A*S*H*.

Posted by: Ted Torgerson DeSantis/Lake 2024 at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (wGerL)

116 One of the things I am genuinely surprised by, is how little I miss it. I am (or was) a big sci-fi and comics fan. I saw everything opening night and participated in endless online and in person conversations with my buddies. But seeing exactly how much the people who make this stuff hate me and my family and want to end my way of life has made me far more picky as to how I spend my free time. Ace has documented the internal rot of sci-fi/comics here brilliantly (thanks for that, BTW) but it still boggles the mind just how much the forces of popular culture—tv, movies, sports—absolutely resent and despise their audience. I still watch a few things here and there that aren’t bludgeoning their audience: Superman and Lois has been surprisingly well done with very little of The Message. Reacher plays like an 80s action movie. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has had zero of the gay and trans and has been liberal in the same vein as TOS. Terminal List was pretty good. As for movies, Godzilla Minus One was excellent. Slim pickings though for the most part.

Posted by: Open Channel D at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (lbUI4)

117 Husband & I basically just watch reruns of CSI and Everybody Loves Raymond. And I am watching Doc Martin in the mornings while I'm getting ready for work.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (DRSnL)

118 I liked Arrested Development a lot when it came out, but I was fairly unimpressed when I returned to it a few years back. I don't think it held up well.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (HnUIn)
---
Yeah, it's a pretty dated show...a product of its times.

But it's something I can flip to to help me fall asleep...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (7fElN)

119 The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

Peter Gunn and Mission Impossible would like a word.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (CsUN+)

120 Ted Lasso was funny for a couple of episodes. Fish out of water, OK. Then it just got retarded.

Posted by: Montec at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (cQGLW)

121 I stopped watching SVU when they turned her adopted son, who had access to a former major league pitcher teaching him how to pitch, into a tranny fag that was only happy dancing ballet.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (Zz0t1)

122 Top episodes from It's Always Sunny seasons 3-5:

Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire
Sweet Dee dating a retarded person
The gang gets whacked (Nobody parties like a jockey!)
Paddy's billboard model contest
Mac and Charlie die (all-time)
Paddy's Pub worst bar in Philly
The nightman cometh

All of season 5 is great but Frank's intervention is tops. DENNIS System and Mac and Dennis breakup are close second.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (KbCG3)

123 You know what could use an ending?

Posted by: Oak Island at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (KCCqb)

124 When yesterday's dreck is so superior to today's dreck that it creates its own sustaining demand, today's dreck is *really* bad. These ain't classics we're talking about.
---
Up until sometime in the 90s, there were still some writers in the writing room that had life experiences outside of the college track. Writing copies of what they actually lived.

Now? None of them have done anything in their lives but schooling then a writing career.
Rosanne complained that Norm MacDonald was the only non-Ivey grad in that writing room.

So now, the only "experience" they have is watching other television and movies.
Which, by now, are a good two generations removed from actual life experience.
Copies of copies of copies.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (cSaKW)

125 :: points furiously at own nick ::
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (HnUIn)

Step aside, son.

Posted by: Frank Cannon at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (88xKn)

126 *tosses gauntlet*

Arrested Development was a show people said they liked because they think it makes them deep and look smart.

It was a piece of shit, aside from a couple scenes/episodes. So in love with it's own 'it' humor it cannot be funny.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (di6C2)

127 > Men started becoming pussies around the time of M*A*S*H*.
_____________

I blame Alan Alda.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (Q4IgG)

128 108 >>>98 Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso.

Adam Carolla just mentioned that, noting it was a piece of shit.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (KRtlO)

This is another thing. I hear what other people like and it almost always sucks. I don't trust anyone.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (KbCG3)

129 I don't care what's on as long as I get to see Marie Osmond talking about menopause during commercial break.
Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (v0R5T)

=====

Isn't she in her 70's? That broad went through menopause a looong time ago.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (DRSnL)

130 I am watching ER now. ALL the episodes are on Hulu

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (PQ4m2)

131 I remember the first time encountering this with Heroes. It was good for the first part of the first season. Then "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Well, they saved the cheerleader and then.... nothing happened. I was out after that.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (qz1Fg)

132
Currently streaming 'Northern Exposure' which appears to be mid 90's. But if you lived your life right, there was little time to watch television during 95% of it. Climb into bed, hit the remote and fall asleep 10 minutes later.

Oh, wait. I still do that.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (nIvob)

133 76 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)
------------
Well, Magnum is gay. Stationed in HI while they were shooting that series. Ran into John Hillerman in a stationary store. What a fag.

You should try Harry O instead.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (Hpgos)

134 Wait...people aren't constantly rewatching Rings of Power?!

I think that's probably some kind of hate crime.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (GBKbO)

135 Yeah, it's a pretty dated show...a product of its times. ...
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (7fElN)
++++
And that's not always a bad thing. My favorite show ever is "The Twilight Zone" and it's very much a product of its time and extremely dated.

But Twilight Zone wasn't a comedy. Of all genres, comedy in particular seems to be susceptible to, "it was a product of its time and didn't age well" syndrome. It depends too much on its own milieu, I think.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (HnUIn)

136 The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

Peter Gunn and Mission Impossible would like a word.
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:48 PM (CsUN+)
.......

The Brady Bunch

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (v0R5T)

137 Yep, long, but I thought that was a pretty good movie.

Ditto. I was surprised, given that Robert De Niro directed, and he and Alec Baldwin were in the cast.

I thought Tammy Blanchard, the deaf girl, was absolutely enchanting.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (CsUN+)

138 These networks are in for a world of hurt. Millennials and even most Gen Xers don’t even watch tv very often. They don’t have cable and will only sign up for a streaming channel if they are super interested in a series. They typically sign up for service, watch a marathon of 1-2 shows, then drop the service. Our millennials prefer actual books, audiobooks, playing videogames, arts/crafts, in person activities with friends, and only watch a movie/ binge a series 1-2 times a year. Once us Boomers cut the cord or depart this earth, where will they find customers?

Posted by: Annie Rose at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (ptZuE)

139 Step aside, son.
Posted by: Frank Cannon at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (88xKn)
++++
Roll aside, tubby.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (HnUIn)

140 Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso.

Adam Carolla just mentioned that, noting it was a piece of shit.
Posted by: ace
___

It didn't click with me at all. I didn't hate it, I like it's relatively non-political and pretty clean, but just can't figure out what all the fuss is about.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (wMRY8)

141 126 *tosses gauntlet*

Arrested Development was a show people said they liked because they think it makes them deep and look smart.

It was a piece of shit, aside from a couple scenes/episodes. So in love with it's own 'it' humor it cannot be funny.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (di6C2)

Arrested Development was a show that people who aren't smart didn't get.

I kid. I love that show. I don't think I'm all that smart.

But man, they absolutely murdered it when they tried to revive it on Netflix.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (KbCG3)

142 Now, during the 2000s, it became fashionable to mix episodic episodes with season-arc type episodes. For example, Person of Interest (one of the last new shows I watched) would do, in a 22 episode season, about sixteen standalone, completely episodic episodes. But the first episode of the season would set up a season-long conflict and season-long enemy, and then around three episodes during the season would be peppered in showing this conflict evolving and escalating, and then the season would end with a two-parter finale in which that season-long conflict is confronted and resolved.

Will agree to a point. Justified did very well with this model. And there's been others that I've watched that have used it to good effect.

I think it depends mostly on good writing, acting, and plot lines. The Witcher was another that I like until it went totally woke. Gotham is another one.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (BdMk6)

143 131 I remember the first time encountering this with Heroes. It was good for the first part of the first season. Then "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Well, they saved the cheerleader and then.... nothing happened. I was out after that.
Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (qz1Fg)

Best 1st season of a show...worst follow on seasons ever.

It should have been a miniseries.

Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (exHjb)

144 *tosses gauntlet*

Arrested Development was a show people said they liked because they think it makes them deep and look smart.

It was a piece of shit, aside from a couple scenes/episodes. So in love with it's own 'it' humor it cannot be funny.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (di6C2)

=====

*picks up gauntlet, smacks you across the face with it*

Arrested Development was hilarious.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (DRSnL)

145 > The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

There's a kids show called Gravity Falls. I absolutely LOVE their theme song.

https://youtu.be/X2DUpDxFJyg

In fact, I love the show. It's really well written and fun.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (6OrcJ)

146 131 I remember the first time encountering this with Heroes. It was good for the first part of the first season. Then "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Well, they saved the cheerleader and then.... nothing happened. I was out after that.
Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (qz1Fg)

It was an interesting concept but was one of the worst examples of 'it is great to have mystery, but not to explain it' I have ever seen. Lost was the same.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (di6C2)

147 Jerry Seinfeld smiles

Posted by: Steve_in_SoCal at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (FxH7T)

148 The last series I really enjoyed was The Middle. It was hilarious. The girl who played Sue was really good.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (qz1Fg)

149 I made a mistake of watching a Korean series loosely based on The Three Musketeers (instead of the necklace they had a precious jade hair pin !). I will save you time , DON'T!

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (V13WU)

150 141 But man, they absolutely murdered it when they tried to revive it on Netflix.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (KbCG3)

=========

"How do we make an ensemble show when we can't get the ensemble together at any point during the production?"

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (GBKbO)

151 Isn't she in her 70's? That broad went through menopause a looong time ago.

64

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (CsUN+)

152 Happy endings are now Ace-approved. Get yours tonight.

Posted by: Earl Schlobodowicz at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (P7Iz+)

153 yeah bonhomme - Gravity Falls was good. ah memories. one of the few kid shows I could stand!

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (AcWfM)

154 Justified was a show that nailed the idea of season-long arcs told through fantastic episodes.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (KbCG3)

155 >Joisey Wales

oh you mean like Eddie the Humpback or Jimmy Two Orcas

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (geLO8)

156 I had Hulu for a month and watched Only Murders in the Building. I liked it mainly because of Steve Martin and Martin Short. Foul language, including from old ladies, I guess because it was set in New York. Some of it was pretty funny, but after the first episode I knew it was going to take several more to get to the killer.

Posted by: huerfano at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (Q4KYm)

157 *picks up gauntlet, smacks you across the face with it*

Arrested Development was hilarious.
Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (DRSnL)

No, it wasn't.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (di6C2)

158 119 The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

Peter Gunn and Mission Impossible would like a word.
--------------
Route 66 had a great theme song. Probably the best thing about Route 66.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (Hpgos)

159 149 I made a mistake of watching a Korean series loosely based on The Three Musketeers (instead of the necklace they had a precious jade hair pin !). I will save you time , DON'T!
Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (V13WU)

========

I've heard that the big-budget French adaptation in two-parts from last year was really fun. Eva Green as Milady.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (GBKbO)

160 151 Isn't she in her 70's? That broad went through menopause a looong time ago.

Evil sports the two best-looking really old people I have EVER SEEN

Christine Lahti is 72!!! 72!!!

Peter Scolari looks BETTER now than he used to. wow.

find their surgeons!

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (AcWfM)

161 Bang! Zoom!

Posted by: Ralph Kramden at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (63Dwl)

162 I am watching baseball. I watched Clarkson's Farm S1 but FF'd most of S2. No interest in S3.

Posted by: Jamaica at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (IG7T0)

163 To me, the other thing that is as jarring as the clumsy, ham-handed diversity is how almost every character is going to therapy.

It's so fricking weird.

But then, you realize: All the writers are going to therapy and they are trying to normalize that they are not normal.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (cSaKW)

164 No, it wasn't.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (di6C2)

=====

Was, too. The Netflix reboot sucked, though.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (DRSnL)

165 150 141 But man, they absolutely murdered it when they tried to revive it on Netflix.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (KbCG3)

=========

"How do we make an ensemble show when we can't get the ensemble together at any point during the production?"

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (GBKbO)

Also, let's not include one of the main actresses and instead, sub in someone who doesn't look a thing like the original.

Oh, wait. That's the original?!

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (KbCG3)

166 I had Hulu for a month and watched Only Murders in the Building.

____

I thought that series was incredibly overrated. And I like both Steve Martin and Martin Short.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (wMRY8)

167 154 Justified was a show that nailed the idea of season-long arcs told through fantastic episodes.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (KbCG3)

First two seasons were awesome, until they made Boyd a straight villain. Ok, you managed to screw up one of the most interesting characters/development you had.

But, Winona was hot.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (di6C2)

168 I'm just gonna take my socks off here. Pay no nevermind.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (9UlRk)

169 It was a piece of shit, aside from a couple scenes/episodes. So in love with it's own 'it' humor it cannot be funny.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 04:49 PM (di6C2)

=====

*picks up gauntlet, smacks you across the face with it*

Arrested Development was hilarious.
Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (DRSnL)

I'm with Aetius on this. I never could get into that series. Never found it funny.

I'll also add in The Office.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (qz1Fg)

170 I remember the first time encountering this with Heroes. It was good for the first part of the first season. Then "Save the cheerleader, save the world". Well, they saved the cheerleader and then.... nothing happened. I was out after that.
Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:50 PM (qz1Fg)
++++
I had forgotten that one. You nailed it. The first half of the first season was killer. Then it all fell apart.

It's also one of the times I noticed the language hoops people would jump through to be PC (it was, just barely, pre-woke). The mute black guy from Haiti was the subject of it. Whenever other people discussed him but one character wasn't familiar with him enough to know his name, they would ask, "the Haitian?" Or refer to him as "the Haitian."

This broke the scenes where it happens. People don't talk like that. They'd say, "the black guy." Most who called him "the Haitian" had never been set up by the show to even *know* that he was from Haiti.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (HnUIn)

171 Ace nailed it; new shows suck because new writers suck. They’re lazy and dumb, but they’re WOKE!!, so they crank out ridiculous woke stories that turn everyone off but coke addled producers. The very idea of a black female Viking chieftain should have caused at least one writer to be thrown out a window, but it made it because these people are all sub-morons.

"every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black, which are apparently the only two races)”

This hasn’t escaped my notice either. Hispanics and Asians count for shit for these people, apparently.

Posted by: UGAdawg at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (tRd71)

172 64
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (CsUN+)

=====

Really? Huh. Still, though. Menopause 10 years ago and that's being generous.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (DRSnL)

173 Two and a Half Men seems to be making a comeback, the original one, not the faggy woke one.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (thA9J)

174 I found a season of Game of Thrones on DVD and binge watched it over two weekends.

And that was it. I was done with it. It was great.

I just was done with it.

It was funny seeing all the heartache over the botched ending.

Posted by: eleven at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (iziT8)

175 152 Happy endings are now Ace-approved. Get yours tonight.

Posted by: Earl Schlobodowicz at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (P7Iz+)

Happy Endings was a great show.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (KbCG3)

176 Justified was a show that nailed the idea of season-long arcs told through fantastic episodes.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (KbCG3)
----
I think it helped that it was NOT a 22-episode long season. They had much tighter writing with a shorter episode schedule. No need for "filler" episodes.

The first couple of seasons of "The Last Ship" also used this model quite effectively.

The last three seasons were "meh" because they wanted to milk the storyline from the first two seasons, but didn't know how.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (7fElN)

177 Route 66 had a great theme song. Probably the best thing about Route 66.

Oh, for sure.

https://tinyurl.com/5hafuyce

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (CsUN+)

178 > The Brady Bunch

Talk about nostalgia colored lenses. That song is rotting garbage juice.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (6OrcJ)

179 Justified was a show that nailed the idea of season-long arcs told through fantastic episodes.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:52 PM (KbCG3)

Yes. That show had an excellent structure in the individual seasons and in how the overall story played out through all the seasons.

Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (xPl2J)

180 I'll also add in The Office.
Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (qz1Fg)

=====

I liked the British version, but not the US version.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (DRSnL)

181 yeah bonhomme - Gravity Falls was good. ah memories. one of the few kid shows I could stand!
Posted by: BlackOrchidZ

___

One of my kids favorites in that era and yes, I enjoyed it also. Very funny. Sort of shocked it hasn't been revived, but Disney is stupid.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (wMRY8)

182 It was a pretty decent show, but when you get to the last episode, hoping for a resolution -- no, they just give you another cliffhanger. You get some new information, but no closure to the plot threads that have been set up all season. Just... more plot threads.

----------

* The X-Files overarching TV and movie story arc has entered the post *

Posted by: ShainS -- Boycott New York & other Blue Shithole Cities #TruckersForTrump at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (q71KS)

183 Tubi is running a bunch of old Sonny Chiba stuff.
I learned something I maybe heard, but could not confirm at the time? Chiba's typically lurid, rape-ey, and chop-sockey violent Un De Film 'The Bodyguard' (1976), is in fact the source material for Samuel L. Jackson's legendary monologue in 'Pulp Fiction'.

It's a sort-of Bible quote in a scroll at the beginning: but where SLJ declares 'You will know I am the Lord', the line is 'You will know I am Sonny Chiba, the Bodyguard'!

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (9yXr+)

184 "And, to pad it out, they just add in a lot of soap-opera-style subplots and false climaxes along the way."
Yep. I call it soap-opera plodding -- from soap-opera plotting.

Posted by: Bud Norton at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (6cOMd)

185 Doomcock had a vid about this the other day that I mentioned. He interviewed an anonymous actor who said the scripts were woke crap and production s of movies were terrible to work on because of anti white man garbage. Probably the same for TV productions

Posted by: Smell the Glove at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (O8bOp)

186 "Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire
Sweet Dee dating a retarded person"

==========

I sometimes still watch the retarded guy rap and throw the mic down on Youtube and laugh like hell.

Here it is:
https://tinyurl.com/yyekrfat

Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (i7Q7S)

187 I've been rewatching "The Outer Limits" (the "new" one from the 90s) during my workouts. I'm enjoying it. Very few multi-episode stories. It's an anthology show. Each episode is a little movie with its own story.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (HnUIn)

188 No props for St. Elsewhere?

Posted by: Jamaica at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (IG7T0)

189 I've heard that the big-budget French adaptation in two-parts from last year was really fun. Eva Green as Milady.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:53 PM (GBKbO)

I saw part I. Overall it was good. Minor detail, Porthos is bisexual ! Reviews for part II are not so good.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (V13WU)

190 184 "And, to pad it out, they just add in a lot of soap-opera-style subplots and false climaxes along the way."
Yep. I call it soap-opera plodding -- from soap-opera plotting.
Posted by: Bud Norton at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (6cOMd)

========

I gave up on the first season of Daredevil by the opening of episode 3 because I could smell the stink of that.

That was about the time I watched the 7 hour Soviet adaptation of War and Peace.

"War and Peace needs 7 hours, but Daredevil needs 10?"

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (GBKbO)

191 This broke the scenes where it happens. People don't talk like that. They'd say, "the black guy." Most who called him "the Haitian" had never been set up by the show to even *know* that he was from Haiti.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (HnUIn)
---
He also spoke very rarely, so you'd never know that he had a "Haitian" accent. People who remembered him (what few there were as he could cloud minds or something) would just think of him as that "mute black guy."

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (7fElN)

192 My children are loving Stargate SG-1.
---
Don't let them watch Atlantis. Almost ruins the whole franchise.

Like that Star Trec with the female captain.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (cSaKW)

193 186 "Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire
Sweet Dee dating a retarded person"

==========

I sometimes still watch the retarded guy rap and throw the mic down on Youtube and laugh like hell.

Here it is:
https://tinyurl.com/yyekrfat
Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 04:56 PM (i7Q7S)

Every time I'm watching cartoons with my kids and I start cracking up I worry that I look like the rapper.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (KbCG3)

194 Gilmore Girls featured some of the best dialog of any TV show in recent memory. The shows the WB Network brought often had something special going for them, Buffy, Angel, Dawson's Creek, GG. Buffy did the same sort of thing Ace mentions, of setting up a season-long conflict, but not every single episode focused only on that. There were stand-along monster-of-the-week episodes too, not all of them great, but always entertaining.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (J2vNu)

195 Posted by: eleven at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (iziT

Now go watch House of the Dragon.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (V13WU)

196 189 I saw part I. Overall it was good. Minor detail, Porthos is bisexual ! Reviews for part II are not so good.
Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 04:57 PM (V13WU)

=======

The only review for Part II I've seen is Mark Kermode's (not that I consider him a barometer for my tastes), but he liked it. Swash swash, buckle buckle fun, he seemed to describe it as.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (GBKbO)

197 > The Brady Bunch

Talk about nostalgia colored lenses. That song is rotting garbage juice.
Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 04:55 PM (6OrcJ)
......

No, no no... it's like the Kars 4 Kids of theme songs!

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (v0R5T)

198 I enjoyed the TV show Topper

Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (xpBzi)

199 I also watch "Highway Patrol" on YouTube, to see California when it was still great, i.e., before the Great Liberal Infestation took place.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (f871o)

200 And to pad it out, they just add in a lot of soap-opera-style subplots and false climaxes along the way.
...
People (mostly women, who seem to like the new kind of TV)

So, rather than soap operas from 10 am to 2 pm we now have soap operas 24/7/365.

Posted by: Chuck C at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (xttsV)

201 Just finished rewatching the Sharpe's Rifles movies...

Just started rewatching Babylon 5...

Not sure what will be next.

Posted by: Romeo13 at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (xaFKb)

202 Now go watch House of the Dragon.

I really like this. Hope it continues to be solid but eh, it probably won't.

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (AcWfM)

203 I've tried some new shows. The minute they introduce the gay/trans character that has no purpose in the story OTHER than being gay/trans, I'm out. Also an immediate exit with the anachronistic character of color - you already pointed out the black Viking queen. What a way to kill a great show/concept.

Posted by: Syracuse1989 at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (exm8+)

204 The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.
Posted by: Mark1971

Hardcastle and Mccormick and Airwolf have entered the chat.

Posted by: Movie Moron at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (ycI94)

205 Haakoneshia Jarlquana... tee hee. The famous black Vikin' slay queen. Grandma watched the mixed-named one offs while she twerked her way around Norway.

Posted by: Nunya at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (hyU9A)

206 Arrested Development really did a lot of heavy lifting with the "only funny on the second watch through" joke. Punchlines that don't make sense until they're set up many episodes later. That sort of thing. Letterkenny did a bit of that too i think. Maybe. I don't know. I forget anything i see on television almost immediately.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (9UlRk)

207 The VERY episodic old TV show "The Fugitive" had a conclusion to the overall storyline that the network did not want to produce, but when produced and aired became for its time the most watched "episode" of TV ever.

Some episodic shows "jump the shark" when the same ol' same ol' just gets old. Fonzi on skies for the ur-example.

I'm generally in favor, then, of the story arc concept.

"Cheers" ruined itself when Sam and Diane didn't work out their issues.

"Family Affair" ruined the LIVES of the child actors who were -- literally, physically, medically -- not allowed to grown and develop as characters.

Posted by: pouncer at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (eL/jp)

208 Critical Drinker did a great video about why new Star Trek sucks that applies to pretty much most modern shows: writers can no longer write mature, competent characters with complex interactions. Instead it’s adults behaving like moody teens, all big, showy emotions, screaming, etc. Drinker compares a tense disagreement between Kirk and Spock where both characters are clearly, deeply committed to their opinions yet can calmly, rationally try to pursued the other. It isn’t resolved, but they come away understanding the other’s point of view/argument. No one does this now, it’s all anger, whining, screaming, good guys and really bad guys we must all hate, you guyz.

Posted by: Lizzy at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (Hkcdp)

209 I really enjoyed Monsieur Spade on Max, up until the last episode. It stared Clive Owen as an old and battered Sam Spade. I was wondering how they were going to wrap everything up, and they had the additional hurdle of having no black characters, because...postwar France. SPOILER ALERT!!!

Sure enough, the last episode has a supercompetent black girlboss dropped into it as a deus ex machina. All the threads are neatly tied up because everyone just kowtows to her for no apparent reason. I felt cheated.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (CsUN+)

210 Waiting on a new season of The Terminal List.

Posted by: Marcus T at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (VfcGp)

211 163 To me, the other thing that is as jarring as the clumsy, ham-handed diversity is how almost every character is going to therapy.

It's so fricking weird.

But then, you realize: All the writers are going to therapy and they are trying to normalize that they are not normal.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 04:54 PM (cSaKW)

And EVERYONE has had a horrible, hideous childhood.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (BdMk6)

212 202 Now go watch House of the Dragon.

I really like this. Hope it continues to be solid but eh, it probably won't.
Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (AcWfM)

========

I also gave up on this after episode 3 because the action scene with Doctor Who on the beach was so ridiculously stupid that I just disengaged.

Dolley kept watching and, months later, said, "It gets better after that."

"Ah, so you admit that it starts stupid, huh?"

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (GBKbO)

213 And it's about time for me to re-watch the Sopranos for the 650th time or so
---
The therapist who kept quiet about her rape cause she knew if she told Tony, he'd kill him.

And that she'd be beholden to him cause he'd exploit that "favor."

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (cSaKW)

214 I've been watching The Walking Dead the last few months and it changed from that hybrid episodic to cliff hanger every episode and it's annoying. So I end up fast forwarding a ton the last couple of seasons when they focus on random non-story stuff. They could at least tell a story the first 7-8 seasons.

Posted by: Memories at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (mwcEF)

215 I've been watching "Ozzie and Jack's World Detour." Ozzie Osborne and his son trekking about doing some odd stuff and mixing with normal people. Last night they went to a NASCAR race in Fl and had a ball talking with drivers and pit crew.

Another episode they got to drive a tank ina mud lot and over junk cars.

Another they were blowing stuff up in a mining town.

It makes me want to listen to his music.

Posted by: nurse ratched at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (3Fv3u)

216
If you have Hulu, cancel Hulu. They'll give you an entire year for like a single dollar to come back.

But, you know, it's ABC and Disney.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (nIvob)

217 201 Just finished rewatching the Sharpe's Rifles movies...

Just started rewatching Babylon 5...

Not sure what will be next.
Posted by: Romeo13 at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (xaFKb)

Babylon 5 was awesome... for seasons 1-3. 4 went off the rails.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (di6C2)

218 I basically won't watch any series until it ends and real people watchers actually give it a big thumbs up.

We tend to watch movies now. Often Korean movies on Netflix though Prime is starting to pick on the Korean movie vibe. Korean series tend to be better too.

The last series we watched was a Spanish series, "Money Heist" on Netflix which was pretty good though it dragged on way too long and it came to a proper conclusion. Weirdly, Netflix also has a Korean version of "Money Heist" which just fired up.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (nFnyb)

219 I think people are also looking backwards now. We are not an optimistic people anymore.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, anti-Marxist, buy ammo and keep your rifle by your side at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (xcxpd)

220 The should do an episode of the bachelor where it's 18 girls and two trans. Enjoy the fireworks.

Posted by: Cuthbert the Witless at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (OiAR7)

221 Gilmore Girls was also leftist pabulum- but Lauren Graham was hot.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 22, 2024

***
Indeed she was. And the show fired off pop culture references like a Sten gun fires bullets.

Lorelai (when someone has mentioned Saturday night for some event): "Saturday night? I hear it's all right for fighting."

Lorelai (to her daughter Rory): "I am a fully adult woman capable of making my own adult choices."
Rory: "Says the woman with a 'Hello Kitty' waffle iron."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (J2vNu)

222 140 Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso.

Adam Carolla just mentioned that, noting it was a piece of shit.
Posted by: ace
___

It didn't click with me at all. I didn't hate it, I like it's relatively non-political and pretty clean, but just can't figure out what all the fuss is about.
Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 04:51 PM (wMRY

Ted Lasso is like a photo negative of The Office. Ted is goofy but well-meaning and actually pretty sharp, and he wins the respect of (or scores a moral victory over) the mostly selfish, cruel, greedy characters who surround him for a feel-good outcome in nearly every episode.

Posted by: Impudent Warwick at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (f/6Wb)

223 I liked the British version, but not the US version.

How about the British children? Where do you stand on the British children?

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (CsUN+)

224 The only review for Part II I've seen is Mark Kermode's (not that I consider him a barometer for my tastes), but he liked it. Swash swash, buckle buckle fun, he seemed to describe it as.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:58 PM (GBKbO)

hmm. OK. maybe it's good.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (V13WU)

225 > Hardcastle and Mccormick and Airwolf have entered the chat.

Wow, I'd forgotten about Hardcastle and McCormick. I watched that show as a kid.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (6OrcJ)

226 178 > The Brady Bunch

Talk about nostalgia colored lenses. That song is rotting garbage juice.

I love the beautiful Jan Brady

Posted by: George Glass at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (og5mY)

227 203 I've tried some new shows. The minute they introduce the gay/trans character that has no purpose in the story OTHER than being gay/trans, I'm out. Also an immediate exit with the anachronistic character of color - you already pointed out the black Viking queen. What a way to kill a great show/concept.
Posted by: Syracuse1989

I normally feel that way, too...but Deadpool had the obvious gay female character, and it was still fun.

Posted by: Movie Moron at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (ycI94)

228 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.
Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

What made them so interesting was the difference from the dozens of standard detective shows. Rockford avoided trouble, didn't get along with cops, was an ex-con, actually got paid. The shows where Tom Selleck shows up as the perfect detective who does everything wrong but gets the girl and drives Rockford crazy are very funny.

Magnum had a similar different setting from most - freeloader but war hero, similar non hardboiled approach aside from a few times he got serious.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (eoQWY)

229 My 12 year old daughter is watching Gilmore Girls now, and I had no idea how bad it is. No one ever shuts up, but I guess it is a show about well to do white women.

Posted by: UGAdawg at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (tRd71)

230 I really want to re-watch the Sharpe series.... but sweet fuck is that cheeseball 90's wailing guitar during any battle scene one of the worst artistic decisions ever made.... it actually makes it unwatchable for me.

Thankfully i didn't notice it in the actual 90's.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (9UlRk)

231 I think Lost was the first series in which you wondered how they could possibly tie up all the plot threads. As it turns out, you can't.

I have that feeling a lot lately.
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024

***
Yeah, but that first episode is the TV gold standard of how you grab an audience by the throat and don't let 'em go.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (J2vNu)

232 Columbo is still pretty good. And if you need international flavor, Monty Python.

I couldn't name ANY current shows. My GiveAS*** meter broke a long, long time ago. Life's too short to dumb down my brain any further.

Posted by: AnonyBotymousDrivel Remembers Babbitt and Perna at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (aXxgO)

233 I just recently found out both Walton grandparents played for the other team in real life. So there's that.

Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (ggOdn)

234 Everything is gay and lame now. Seems like anything good has already been made.

Posted by: brak at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (v2Qwo)

235 What I want to watch: Masters of the Air
Terminal List
House of the Dragon( some time before season 2 arrives)

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (FQmDC)

236 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.

--

Baretta was excellent. Unfortunately, only 1 season was ever released on DVD. Vegas is superficial, but hey, you get showgirls with big hooters.

Posted by: Lady in Black at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (mupln)

237 >>>>I basically won't watch any series until it ends and real people watchers actually give it a big thumbs up.

Yep. I'm not going to watch House Of The Dragon until it's done.

Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (xPl2J)

238 199 I also watch "Highway Patrol" on YouTube, to see California when it was still great, i.e., before the Great Liberal Infestation took place.
-------------
I met Broderick Crawford in Raleigh while I was in HS. Shit that guy was old.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (Hpgos)

239 staff writers moved from 35% to 63% women, and 72% to 44% white.

There used to be three channels. We got the VERY best writers. Now we have hundreds (thousands?) of channels
to fill and we're making a point of not hiring the best.

Posted by: t-bird at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (12xSV)

240 How about the British children? Where do you stand on the British children?
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (CsUN+)

=====

I don't stand on British children, that would be mean. I weigh like 200 lbs.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (DRSnL)

241 I suspect part of it is also that the streaming services are trying to return to the "once-a-week" episode release model, vs dumping them all at once.

People want to binge-watch, and not wait a week for new episodes to appear.

Posted by: No One of Consequence at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (F4bAW)

242 I really like this. Hope it continues to be solid but eh, it probably won't.
Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 04:59 PM (AcWfM)

========

I also gave up on this after episode 3 because the action scene with Doctor Who on the beach was so ridiculously stupid that I just disengaged.

Dolley kept watching and, months later, said, "It gets better after that."

"Ah, so you admit that it starts stupid, huh?"
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (GBKbO)

oh yeah, the dark episode. Everybody panned it.

It will be good ! I have faith in the showrunner (Ryan Condal).

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (V13WU)

243 I love the monster of the week X-files.
I am not ashamed. Those were great. I tuned in every week and hated when the narrative episodes were on.
So many good ones:
Ghost in the Machine
Eve, man that one was creepy
Fire, with Amanda Pays, my crush from Max Headroom
Roland. That one hits me hard, lost a brother.
Sleepless, seriously underrated.
Soft Light, great episode.

I think my favorite is Pusher.

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (9yXr+)

244 Every time I try to go watch something current I end up not finishing it (which was unheard of years ago), or stick it out and then smash the review online.

I liked the old True Detective. I tried watching the new one in the last couple days. Lots of women basically "raping" (in a sense) weak men even those those weak men are alpha is size. One guy says "can we just watch tv on the couch?" This is what it has become. Jodi Foster sold her soul and looks ridiculous doing it. And whoever the other "alpha" woman is.

Nothing left of Hollywood.

I watch old shows. Have been for years now. Going through New Tricks on ACORN or BritBox, can't remember which. And other shows that actually have a story or make me laugh versus vomit.

And now that Prime is pushing commercials unless you pay a premium. Fawgettaboutit.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (CGHZA)

245 Bosch on Amazon Prime, Masters of the Air on Apple, and All Creatures Great and Small on PBS are really excellent. Bosch is based on the Michael Connelly detective books. Masters of the Air follows young American airmen during WW2 and has amazing character development and highly realistic bombing run scenes. It doesn’t sugar coat or glorify the horrors of war. All Creatures follows the books, but expands on other character’s storylines besides young James Harriet, the veterinarian in Yorkshire. I actually like it better than the book series, which is a rare thing for me to say. The Icelandic murder mystery series, Trapped, on Amazon Primewas very good. It’s refreshing to have normal looking people, great acting, good character development, and a riveting plot, something sadly missing from most of the slop we are served in American shows.

Posted by: Annie Rose at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (VoBcK)

246 I always wanted a cross between Columbo and Hannibal Lecter. That way at the end, the perp is not only uncovered, but eaten.

Posted by: Marcus T at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (VfcGp)

247 I normally feel that way, too...but Deadpool had the obvious gay female character, and it was still fun.

I don't mind occasional gay characters if they make sense to the plot, it's the overboard cramming of lots of them into a plot because the writers view you with contempt that I won't tolerate.

Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (CsUN+)

248 I tried to watch Downton Abbey
everybody going on about Downton Abbey

I'm kind of an Anglophile, I'll watch a show about English people doing English stuff

VERY FIRST EPISODE- 2 homos make out

(gong sound effect)

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (geLO8)

249 240 How about the British children? Where do you stand on the British children?
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024 05:01 PM (CsUN+)

Ow, not on me 'ead!

Posted by: A Cockney Lad, what doesn't like being stood on at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (PiwSw)

250 New shows push interracial and LGBQXYZ every show it seems to me. Maybe people are getting tired of the Propaganda

Posted by: Skip at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (fwDg9)

251 The book is a collaboration because King had no idea how to end the story and passed it off to another writer to finish it.

S.K. has never known how to end a story.

Posted by: Chuck C at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (xttsV)

252 Would have been cool if Jack Lord had guested on Magnum as McGarrett ( it was intended but Jack Lord retired)

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:05 PM (FQmDC)

253 I think Lost was the first series in which you wondered how they could possibly tie up all the plot threads. As it turns out, you can't.

I have that feeling a lot lately.
Posted by: Archimedes at February 22, 2024

***
Yeah, but that first episode is the TV gold standard of how you grab an audience by the throat and don't let 'em go.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius
____

I rewatched Lost with my kids a during the Covid era. They were hooked, but they also agreed they just bungled the ending.

Still worth it though, imo. Considering what network TV was like in the early aughts, pretty groundbreaking.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 05:05 PM (bZYul)

254 I don't stand on British children, that would be mean. I weigh like 200 lbs.

Not seeing the problem.

Posted by: Zombie George Washington at February 22, 2024 05:06 PM (CsUN+)

255 Watched every episode of Super Natural. Great show. Some lulls, but mostly good. I liked Suits.

People want to laugh. Get lost in a mystery or drama storyline. Not this garbage.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at February 22, 2024 05:06 PM (CGHZA)

256 Bosch on Amazon Prime

Posted by: Annie Rose at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (VoBcK)

=====

I really wanted to like that because I read some of the books, but Titus Welliver is just too annoying.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:06 PM (DRSnL)

257 Go, go Angel Studios.

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (CGHZA)

258 Yeah, but that first episode is the TV gold standard of how you grab an audience by the throat and don't let 'em go.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:02 PM (J2vNu)

A very graphic plane crash for the whole first episode?! No thanks. I was out 5 mins in.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (qz1Fg)

259 People want to binge-watch, and not wait a week for new episodes to appear.

Who the hell do they think they are? They'll take what we give them and like it!

Posted by: Soon-to-be unemployed show biz types at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (CsUN+)

260 How can such a monumental shift in males to females in hiring not have launched a million lawsuits? That is obvious and blatant discrimination on the basis of sex. Which is illegal. If the numbers went the other way, and men too over and entire industry from women? HR managers would be sent to prison.

Posted by: Elric Blade at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (wOBDH)

261 Ted Lasso took the most pronounced nosedive of a show that I can think of. It had a ton of great elements, characters and tensions, but then it just dropped like a hot, wet turd on the floor.

I'd like to recommend "The IT Crowd" to those who are looking for some good laughs. There is some seriously unwoke shit going on but that isn't the point. The point is that it's just funny.

Posted by: pawn at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (QB+5g)

262
Anyone know what the DeSantis press conference was at Del Boca Vista Phase II was about today? Low flow shower-heads or something? Morti moving out?

Posted by: Divide by Zero at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (nIvob)

263 I feel the same way about books. I re-read books I loved when I was just not up to reading about the gay characters, the whining, well, everything people hate about shows.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (JeYYB)

264 > S.K. has never known how to end a story.

Agreed. But this story was unique because King didn't just tack on a crap ending. He realized he had nothing and passed it off to someone else.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (6OrcJ)

265 I tried to watch Downton Abbey
everybody going on about Downton Abbey

I'm kind of an Anglophile, I'll watch a show about English people doing English stuff

VERY FIRST EPISODE- 2 homos make out

(gong sound effect)
Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:04 PM (geLO8 )

=====

Wait, really? Why don't I remember that?

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (DRSnL)

266 Ya know what a good series would be:

The live news feeds from way back and famous studd like all the Kennedy assassinations, MLK, The Space shots, Landing on the moon

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (PQ4m2)

267 The only things I watch are old shows and movies. Enjoying "My Three Sons" at the moment, mixed in with the Budd Boetticher westerns with Randolph Scott.

Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (UseAb)

268 My wife has me watching the Southern Charm series. I kind of like it. Basically, a Seinfeld show about a bunch of people that like cocktails, parties and fucking. Its really a stitch.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (Hpgos)

269 Newest Season of True Detective is garbage.

It's definitely very, very woke at every level. Every single angle is pushing a narrative. But even outside that, just sort of stupid.

I wanted to like it, I liked the others and it had an almost supernatural horror plot line that sort of reminds you of The Thing.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (bZYul)

270 > Jodi Foster sold her soul and looks ridiculous doing it.

Didn't she start her career playing a character who [searching for euphemism here] dropped the soap?

Posted by: BourbonChicken at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (cf/0E)

271 Peter Scolari looks BETTER now than he used to. wow.

---------------

Did you dig him up and check? He's been dead for 2 years.

Posted by: Bigsmith at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (+j+ar)

272 > I'd like to recommend "The IT Crowd" to those who are looking for some good laughs. There is some seriously unwoke shit going on but that isn't the point. The point is that it's just funny.

I second this recommendation.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (6OrcJ)

273 I've been enjoying masters of the air.

All I see when I see Bucky is Elvis.

Posted by: Taggart at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (og5mY)

274 "The only current show I've been watching is the All
Creatures Great And Small reboot."

Please! Tween the wars Britain where the HOUSEKEEPER sits at the dinner table with the doctors?

Posted by: pouncer at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (eL/jp)

275 > Ya know what a good series would be:

The live news feeds from way back and famous studd like all the Kennedy assassinations, MLK, The Space shots, Landing on the moon
_____________

It's called YouTube.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (Q4IgG)

276 OMG, yes - did not like Downton Abbey.
Lead female character has anal sex with visiting Turk royal or some such in one or the early episodes — no, thanks! Off it goes.

Posted by: Lizzy at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (Hkcdp)

277 Scrubs is a good show. Just in case you didn't know I thought so.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (DRSnL)

278 Rewatching "Rome"

Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (xpBzi)

279 The show, which is available to stream on Netflix and Peacock, stars the former actress Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, and likely has her to thank for its second life.

Yeah, no. No one is watching "Suits" because of Meghan Markle. And she is not the star. The show stars Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams. Markle was a love interest of Patrick J. Adams. The secondary stars were Sarah Rafferty, Gina Torres and Rick Hoffman. I would argue Rick Hoffman was the best character on the show and made the show.

People (myself included) really liked the show for its great acting, writing and storylines. And the great relationships among all the characters. That made the show more than anything, the relationships. And the character arcs. If anything, Meghan Markle being on the show was the one thing that made me like it just a little less on repeat viewings, since I now know she is a self-absorbed twat in real life.

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (UKWFA)

280 > Didn't she start her career playing a character who [searching for euphemism here] dropped the soap?

You talking bout her brutal rape on top of a pinball machine?

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (6OrcJ)

281 I really wanted to like that because I read some of the books, but Titus Welliver is just too annoying.
Posted by: Jordan61
___

Glad I'm not the only one, something about him is just grating.

Posted by: Blago at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (bZYul)

282 269 Newest Season of True Detective is garbage.

It's definitely very, very woke at every level. Every single angle is pushing a narrative. But even outside that, just sort of stupid.

I wanted to like it, I liked the others and it had an almost supernatural horror plot line that sort of reminds you of The Thing.

I tapped out after episode 1

Posted by: Taggart at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (og5mY)

283 Probably already mentioned upstream but this is exactly why they want you to stream and not watch physical media. They can’t stop you watching a dvd you own as many times as you want. They can take a show off their streaming platform.

Posted by: Joe, living dangerously at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (fKIdX)

284 I go back and watch Cheers.

Still funny.

And I'd trade living in that world of no cell phones than today's.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (cSaKW)

285 I'd like to recommend "The IT Crowd" to those who are looking for some good laughs. There is some seriously unwoke shit going on but that isn't the point. The point is that it's just funny.
Posted by: pawn at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (QB+5g)
-----------
"The Speech" episode is on the short list of funniest things ever on tv

Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (ggOdn)

286 Everything is gay and lame now. Seems like anything good has already been made.
Posted by: brak at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (v2Qwo)
......

Kinda like music.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (v0R5T)

287 Shows love to bring you in with interesting characters and decent dialog, and episode endings that make you feel something but they can't wait to hit you with woke shit once you've invested your time into the show.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (JeYYB)

288 The latest True Detective is so bad I really don't care how it ends. I may not watch the finale.

Ted Lasso was only popular because we were locked in our homes.

Posted by: Jay in PA at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (i7Q7S)

289 Like I said before there are thousands of hours of quality entertainment made decades ago that I’ve never seen. No time to waste on new crap.

Hell I recommend everyone watch the Basil Rathebone’s Sherlock Holmes movies. Some are great, some are good and a few stinkers but at least even those aren’t as woke.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (2fIO4)

290 I really wanted to like that because I read some of the books, but Titus Welliver is just too annoying.
Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:06 PM (DRSnL)

I like his pad... I want it ....

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (V13WU)

291 Reacher is plot armor on steroids. You know the bad guy who gets his comeuppance. You know the gal he'll drill. You know the side character with an actual story arc.

At least with the old James Bond there were those minor cliff hangers of how "I know he'll get out of this, but how?"

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (os8zY)

292 "The League' was a great Sunny style comedy. Big laughs.

You can find it streaming.

I rewatch it every couple of years.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (nFnyb)

293 And I'd trade living in that world of no cell phones than today's.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (cSaKW)

Same. For all that I make my living with computers, the world was better before laptops.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, anti-Marxist, buy ammo and keep your rifle by your side at February 22, 2024 05:12 PM (xcxpd)

294 252 Would have been cool if Jack Lord had guested on Magnum as McGarrett ( it was intended but Jack Lord retired)
------------
Hawaii Five-O was in constant reruns while I was stationed there. Its like Hawaii's Andy Griffith Show.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:12 PM (Hpgos)

295 I've been watching a lot of Gunsmoke. So far seasons 10-13. Great writing. Great characters. Each show is like a little movie. It's amazing how many young actors at the time got their start there.

Posted by: Biergood at February 22, 2024 05:12 PM (PwgSL)

296 >I've been enjoying masters of the air.
---

me too- it's loaded with cliches but the aerial sequences are good

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:12 PM (geLO8)

297 "The Speech" episode is on the short list of funniest things ever on tv
Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (ggOdn)
---
Yes. Yes it is.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 05:12 PM (7fElN)

298 >>>Peter Scolari looks BETTER now than he used to. wow.

didn't he die 8 years ago?

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (KRtlO)

299 Wow. I used to joke about black men not being capable of rape because rape is about power, which black men institutionally do not have.

I told that joke less than a year ago.

Good job, AWFLs.

Posted by: Malicious Compliance at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (OBuuS)

300 There's also a very good series, "Halt and Catch Fire" that I liked very much. It follows a group of people involved in the beginning of the tech era and the acting, writing, sets, plot, everything comes together so tight. It was just some kind of magic that happened. Amazing story.

Posted by: pawn at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (QB+5g)

301 I'm just lucky that I grew up at a time when Friday and Gannon, Reed and Malloy, Gage and Desoto, Ponch and Jon, could all be straight characters. Perry Mason and Ironside both stayed in the closet, at least.

Posted by: TV Guide at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (V5BDR)

302 290 I really wanted to like that because I read some of the books, but Titus Welliver is just too annoying.
Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:06 PM (DRSnL)

Agreed. And his daughter on the show is also annoying.

Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (UseAb)

303 Reacher...also watchable.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (V13WU)

304 MeTV straight from the air. $150.00 antena and I wired it right into the Ex cable box. No $140 per month cable bill for me. I never watched it much anyway and don't miss it one bit.

Posted by: Reforger at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (rPxEz)

305 Critical Drinker did a great video about why new Star Trek sucks that applies to pretty much most modern shows: writers can no longer write mature, competent characters with complex interactions.

The exception being Firefly. Some of the scenes between Mal and Jane were excellent.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (qz1Fg)

306 Hell I recommend everyone watch the Basil Rathebone’s Sherlock Holmes movies.
-----------
I vigorously second this recommendation. Best Holms is Rathebone.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (Hpgos)

307 The Speech" episode is on the short list of funniest things ever on tv
Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (ggOdn

Different episode, but....

Mossie yelling to the EOD guy having trouble with his laptop controlling the bomb defusing drone:

"What operating system are you using?"

"Uh... windows vista, i think."

"We're going to die. "

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (9UlRk)

308 My wife has me watching the Southern Charm series. I kind of like it. Basically, a Seinfeld show about a bunch of people that like cocktails, parties and fucking. Its really a stitch.
Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:08 PM (Hpgos)
......

Buncha alkies. I saw one episode where they sat on the couch and had IV fluids they were so hung over.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (v0R5T)

309 278 Rewatching "Rome"
Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:10 PM (xpBzi)

Good choice

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, anti-Marxist, buy ammo and keep your rifle by your side at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (xcxpd)

310 *Jayne*

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (qz1Fg)

311 Gunsmoke is great. I particularly like the earlier half hour episodes.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (FQmDC)

312 A friend knowing I like history tried to get me to watch Netflix's Cleopatra.

The second I saw the lead actress was black I turned it off.

Sorry, not going to go for this kind of bullshit.

Oddly they made a Alexander the Great series that was ok and they did a better job with the casting...and Cleopatra's great-great[more]-grandfather was in that movie and cast as a white guy.

Posted by: 18-1 at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (ibTVg)

313 There ain't shit on TV anymore and there hasn't been for decades.

Posted by: vic at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (A5THL)

314 What was the X-files with Carol Burnett's daughter, she was already dying of cancer.
Wetwired was a good one, very King-ish
haha
Small Potatoes, that was a good one
'Kill Switch'! Seriously unsung cyberpunk classic.

Season 6 had two of the best:

Drive, with Bryan Cranston. The final scene at the ocean is really tough.
and Monday. Monday still haunts me.

"That never happened before."

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (9yXr+)

315 Anyway, that, and the fact that now every single couple is biracial (and the races are always white and black,

-----------------

I have biracial couples in my extended family, I don't need to have it in my face in every show and absolutely every ad. How about showing the majority in an ad if you want to sell to the majority. I'm racisty like that.

Posted by: Decaf at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (3JfbU)

316 Both Spaced and Whites are on Tubi, old BBC shows that lasted one or two seasons and for free.

and both very rewatchable

Posted by: Blanco at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (guMc0)

317 Different episode, but....

Mossie yelling to the EOD guy having trouble with his laptop controlling the bomb defusing drone:

"What operating system are you using?"

"Uh... windows vista, i think."

"We're going to die. "
Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (9UlRk)

=====

I was *just* thinking that! That was great.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (DRSnL)

318 Kinda like music.

Still some good music bring made. Just have to look for it. Independent stuff is out there, unlike tv

Posted by: brak at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (r1X89)

319 Pawn @300, I second that, about Halt and Catch Fire.

Posted by: skywch at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (uqhmb)

320 I watch Frasier and that 70's show.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory, red heifer owner at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (R4t5M)

321 297 "The Speech" episode is on the short list of funniest things ever on tv
Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:11 PM (ggOdn)
---
Yes. Yes it is.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 05:12 PM (7fElN)
------

and - OF COURSE -

Channel 4 removed the episode from its streaming service on 5 October 2020 after complaints of transphobia regarding the reaction of Douglas to a trans character and Graham Linehan's controversial opinions of the trans community

Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (ggOdn)

322 I've been rewatching "The Outer Limits" (the "new" one from the 90s) during my workouts. I'm enjoying it. Very few multi-episode stories. It's an anthology show. Each episode is a little movie with its own story.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 22, 2024

***
One is a very solid adaptation of a Larry Niven short story, "Inconstant Moon."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (J2vNu)

323 We watch a shitload of Hells Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmare reruns.

I got my son to watch Stalag-17. We loved that movie, little action, just A level acting. Some slow boring parts but on the whole? Kick ass.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (5an/a)

324 I got elastic bands keepin' my shoes on
Got those swollen-hand blues
I got thirteen channels of shit on the T.V. to choose from

Posted by: Taggart at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (og5mY)

325 People's Hippo Voice: "...And I'd trade living in that world of no cell phones than today's."

All things considered, I'd do that, too. Give me my 'Member Berries and leave me alone.

Social Media (and all its invasions into every nook of culture) is in the Ying\Yang stage of Great\Awful and Awful has taken the lead.

Posted by: AnonyBotymousDrivel Remembers Babbitt and Perna at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (aXxgO)

326 Firefly was made over 20 years ago.

Posted by: irright at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (SchQD)

327 Both Spaced and Whites are on Tubi, old BBC shows that lasted one or two seasons and for free.

and both very rewatchable
Posted by: Blanco at February 22, 2024 05:14 PM (guMc0)

=====

Both good, although Whites ended too soon. I also liked Spy, with Darren Boyd from Whites.

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (DRSnL)

328
>>>Peter Scolari looks BETTER now than he used to. wow.

didn't he die 8 years ago?

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (KRtlO)

Good lord, what did he used to look like then?

Posted by: DaisyB at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (AbL8c)

329 I have biracial couples in my extended family, I don't need to have it in my face in every show and absolutely every ad. How about showing the majority in an ad if you want to sell to the majority. I'm racisty like that.
-------------
Exogamy should only be taken is small doses.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (Hpgos)

330 216
If you have Hulu, cancel Hulu. They'll give you an entire year for like a single dollar to come back.

But, you know, it's ABC and Disney.
Posted by: Divide by Zero at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (nIvob)

That's what I did...they didn't give me $1, but they gave me $4.99/month for commercial free D+ AND Hulu...so I took it. No commercials is awesome.

Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (exHjb)

331 TV has sucked ass since LOST was successful.

Showrunners figured out they could take something stupid that was supposed to be a handful of episodes and keep legions of morons on the edge of their seat with 10 seasons of cliffhanger episodes that never really made any sense. At some point sunk cost fallacy takes over and even though it's stupid you feel like you have to stick it out to see the ending.

Posted by: ballistic at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (oqH4h)

332 The other thing that annoys me about the depiction of biracial couples in ads is that the white person is usually the dim one, like they used to depict men/husbands/fathers in ads. I'll buy what they are selling when they get back to reality.

Posted by: Decaf at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (3JfbU)

333 Gosh, we have been re-watching... everything. Wings, Fraser, Deadwood, first 3-4 seasons of Young Sheldon, Monk, first 3-4 seasons of Doc Martin, Justified, Magnum, Rockford, LawnOrder (our daughter is in one episode), LOTS of Brit game shows. I couldn't tell you the name of any new show, from the past 5 (10?) years.

After primetime, wifey watches Brit detective shows while i watch film noir online.

It's all good.

Posted by: goatexchange at February 22, 2024 05:16 PM (hyS0X)

334 Channel 4 removed the episode from its streaming service on 5 October 2020 after complaints of transphobia regarding the reaction of Douglas to a trans character and Graham Linehan's controversial opinions of the trans community
Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (ggOdn)

=====

"I thought you said you were from Iran!"

Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (DRSnL)

335 Did you dig him up and check? He's been dead for 2 years.

well that sucks he's great in Evil! I'm just finishing Season 1

what did he die of? the clot shot I assume

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (AcWfM)

336 In the future, all TV characters will be black or non-binary

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (geLO8)

337 Saw a couple episodes of Rome, looked good but don't have prime cable

Posted by: Skip at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (fwDg9)

338 If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me "Do you watch --insert show here--" and I answered "No", I'd be very, very rich.

Posted by: hobbitopoly at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (XPM1I)

339 Sure it's all the woke bullshit cultural elements and purple hairs in the writers room too, but it boils down to simple economics. If you can make shit content and people will still sit down to watch it for YEARS, there's no reason to try harder.

Posted by: ballistic at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (oqH4h)

340 Recently I noticed even the bi racial couples in ads are excluding white men. White woman with a black dude and now Asian men with white women.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (FQmDC)

341 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.
Posted by: ace'

The last Rockford I tuned into, Jim rented a car and it was a sort of puke green Vega.

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (9yXr+)

342 Channel 4 removed the episode from its streaming service on 5 October 2020 after complaints of transphobia regarding the reaction of Douglas to a trans character and Graham Linehan's controversial opinions of the trans community
Posted by: jhawk90 at February 22, 2024 05:15 PM (ggOdn)

=====

"I thought you said you were from Iran!"
Posted by: Jordan61 at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (DRSnL)
---
It's an episode of television that would never, ever be made today.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (7fElN)

343 Watched Frasier reboot. I guess I expected it to fail , so I was pleasantly surprised.

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (V13WU)

344 didn't he die 8 years ago?

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 05:13 PM (KRtlO)

Good lord, what did he used to look like then?

lol I missed his death! Season 1 of Evil was what, 2019? 2020?

he was definitely alive, looked great - I had no idea he passed! again, gotta be Coincidence

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (AcWfM)

345 Modern media is about older media. Heck, it's not even that old of media. It's about media from about 20 years ago, if not more recent.

But even that media was still riding heavily on what had come before, so it's media that's based on media that's mostly based on previous media.

There's no real world experience in the mix anymore.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, finishing up the Best Pictures at February 22, 2024 04:37 PM (GBKbO)

One of the things on detective show Remington Steele was Pierce Brosnan was a movie buff who kept seeing similarities with the current situation in the show with an old movie. It never gave the whole answer, but helped actual detective Laura Holt the outlook that solved the case. So many plots were based on old movie ideas.

But Hollywood has been shrinking for generations now, there isn't a place for writers to learn to write in practice, or for directors to learn to film. This would make things grim even without the woke invasion producing even less experienced writers and directors in charge.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (eoQWY)

346 I caught a few episodes of Firefly recently on a broadcast station (Comet?). They censored out the word, "whore." The blood and gore caused by the Blue Hand Group was intact, though.

Posted by: antisocial justice beatnik at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM (DTX3h)

347 Skip, I have the DVD set.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (xpBzi)

348 336 In the future, all TV characters will be black or non-binary

well they'll be AI so, sure

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (AcWfM)

349 Ace, I’ll add one more point: in addition to a sea change in how TV shows are made, there has also been a sea change in how they find an audience. Today, it’s much less important that the show be good and capture viewer interest. It’s much more important that the show find the right critic or influencer, pay him or her off to rave about the show, and hope the sheeple followers follow. Some good shows get lost in this mix, so why bother really trying to make a good show?

Posted by: Elric Blade at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (wOBDH)

350 72 The Bear is great.
==
Season 1 was very good. Season 2 is woke + woke = DIEversity. didn't finish it.
++++++++++++++++++

I could not disagree more. The Bear season 2 was even better than 1.

The cast is diverse but it is not forced. It is as you would expect in a big city restaurant. If it were DEI, Carmy would have fallen for Sydney (Captain Jack Sparrow's DEI race swap replacement). But Carmy ignores Sydney and falls for pretty white Claire. The first few episodes of season 2 were kinda slowish, but they were setting up stuff. Carmy was building up the skills and confidence of his crew, and that does not pay off until the very last episode, but it ends up making all the difference. If you didn't make it to the all star dinner of seven fishes episode, shame on you. You missed some of the most compelling TV ever. And Forks can make even me cry at a Taylor Swift song.

The Bear is better than Sopranos and Breaking Bad! (Not really, but that is what I tell people to get them to watch it because it really is that good.) Give it another try. It is the only TV series from the last decade that I can whole heartedly recommend.

Posted by: tommylotto at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (6QQM8)

351 I think people are also looking backwards now. We are not an optimistic people anymore.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, anti-Marxist, buy ammo and keep your rifle by your side at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (xcxpd)

Very much this.

Posted by: hobbitopoly at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (XPM1I)

352 I’m mixed, if my name didn’t give it away, and I’m exasperated by the commercials and how they’re structured. Not seeing a mixed couple in a commercial never ever bother me or my parents.

Now it’s everywhere and I’m over it by a mile. Nobody really GAF if you intermix these days, nor did they in the 90s. 80s, going off my parents experience, maybe a LITTLE back then but it’s been a non-issue for a lpooooong time.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (5an/a)

353 Hill Street Blues was so episodic , but it was FUN. They might offer up a situation that waited for two years to clear up for the next mention. But there were too many half wits watching it. Fourth season or so, the producers promised they would complete a single story line in one episode. It wasn't as much fun then.

Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin -- I stand with Israel and all Jews everywhere at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (ET1Q8)

354 What about Just Shoot Me and News Radio? Funny amirite?

Posted by: China at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (rRZ6t)

355 Watching the sleazy and only occasionally woke New Girl. Pretty funny. Even though it only finished its run in 2017 or so, it wouldn't pass muster with today's woke scolds.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (mMlSs)

356 Borderlands trailer

https://youtu.be/lU_NKNZljoQ?si=nyEpoV6QmJioJMbc

People are saying that Blanchett and the old screamer resemble two characters 30 years hence. It has been a while since I played but it does seem to look like the game. But not a great cast overall.

Expect more trailers with ELO or Queen.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (cf/0E)

357 >Recently I noticed even the bi racial couples in ads are excluding white men. White woman with a black dude and now Asian men with white women.

Posted by: steevy
---

the best ones are where the mom, the dad, and both kids are all different races

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (geLO8)

358 But Hollywood has been shrinking for generations now, there isn't a place for writers to learn to write in practice, or for directors to learn to film. This would make things grim even without the woke invasion producing even less experienced writers and directors in charge.

hmm could the problem be they now go to college to learn to be writers and directors? they didn't used to.

Posted by: BlackOrchidZ at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (AcWfM)

359 Decaf: "The other thing that annoys me about the depiction of biracial couples in ads is that the white person is usually the dim one, like they used to depict men/husbands/fathers in ads..."

Amazing the world ever advanced considering the horribleness of the Western White Hetero Male. All the Things would be perfect but for Them.

Posted by: AnonyBotymousDrivel Remembers Babbitt and Perna at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (aXxgO)

360 Asians and Hispanics count as white. One of my coworkers got a very good shave and his skin looked Irish.

Posted by: Jamaica at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (IG7T0)

361 > At some point sunk cost fallacy takes over and even though it's stupid you feel like you have to stick it out to see the ending.

This is one reason I only watch shows after they've ended and people I trust say they loved. I'll never see Lost because everyone tells me the end sucked.

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (6OrcJ)

362 276 OMG, yes - did not like Downton Abbey.
Lead female character has anal sex with visiting Turk royal or some such in one or the early episodes — no, thanks! Off it goes.
Posted by: Lizzy at February 22, 2024 05:09 PM (Hkcdp)

——

I loved Downton Abbey, the last real quality TV.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (2fIO4)

363 The last Rockford I tuned into, Jim rented a car and it was a sort of puke green Vega
------------
I think Angel made Rockford Files.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (Hpgos)

364 S.K. has never known how to end a story.
Posted by: Chuck C at February 22, 2024

***
Salem's Lot, The Dead Zone, "The Body," and "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" have all entered the chat.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (J2vNu)

365 Posted by: hobbitopoly at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (XPM1I)

True. They’ve never made a movie better than the original TMNT movie.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (5an/a)

366 338 If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me "Do you watch --insert show here--" and I answered "No", I'd be very, very rich.
Posted by: hobbitopoly at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (XPM1I)

----

Dude I have friends that are constantly discussing an array of seemingly about 10-15 shows that they're all watching consistently at the same time. I have nothing to add to the conversation as I haven't seen thirty seconds of any of them.

They're all about my age with kids about the same age and the thing that puzzles me the most is where they find the TIME to sit and watch all of these shows?

Posted by: ballistic at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (oqH4h)

367 Although the dumb dad trope now even includes black men in some ads.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (FQmDC)

368 An aside: I HATE fucking modern storytelling for this: give me a happy ending. One that is not compromised. All of these shit assholes feel like they have to be edgy and it is so much better when there is a tragic, bittersweet bullshit.

That is what so very surprised me about Days Gone. I was flabbergasted when this story started off grimdark as hell and... it worked out. Happy ending. It was like light breaking through the clouds.
Posted by: Aetius451AD'

Godzilla: Minus One.
Go see it. It is essentially an old-fashioned Hollywood movie.

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (9yXr+)

369 The only current show I've been watching is the All Creatures Great And Small reboot. And they only do 6 or 7 episodes per season.
Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 04:47 PM (xPl2J)

-----------------

It's pretty good. Not cynical woke crap at least. But naturally they beefed up the female characters way beyond their roles in the source material. The original
BBC production is a lot closer to the spirit of the books which stressed male character relationships and the
eccentricities of the locals. The new show drops
much of that to fit in a lot of stronk woman saves the day stuff.

Posted by: Bigsmith at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (+j+ar)

370 Even Jeopardy is getting the ugly and trans treatment. I refused to watch the whole "Amy Schneider" run just so I didn't have to watch the slobbering over that fake woman.

Jeopardy now gets that treatment whenever they put on some outlandish contestant. I tune in and if they have some truly creepy contestant I click to some other program. Enough.

Posted by: Decaf at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (3JfbU)

371 The entirety of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett are on YouTube for free. Probably the best Sherlock ever done.

Posted by: Malicious Compliance at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (OBuuS)

372 Salems Lot ends like it is a part one. Still my favorite Stephen King novel.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (FQmDC)

373 Watching the sleazy and only occasionally woke New Girl. Pretty funny. Even though it only finished its run in 2017 or so, it wouldn't pass muster with today's woke scolds.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (mMlSs)

We watched New Girl when it was originally on. Pretty good, but season 1 is completely different than the other seasons.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (qz1Fg)

374 Sure it's all the woke bullshit cultural elements and purple hairs in the writers room too, but it boils down to simple economics. If you can make shit content and people will still sit down to watch it for YEARS, there's no reason to try harder.
Posted by: ballistic at February 22, 2024 05:17 PM (oqH4h)

Well they aren't. Most streaming is fueled by free offers and discounts and bleed money.

The smart way to do streaming is take all those old shows and use them for the bulk content hire some servers and have no cost and moderate profits. But the woke want to preserve and expand the 'studios' that fail to make movies. It won't work.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (eoQWY)

375 Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (2fIO4)

Come for the buttsex. Stay for the buttsex.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (5an/a)

376 Exogamy should only be taken is small doses.

Other world pussy like Captain Kirk got?

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle to maintain Moron standards at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (pT2wV)

377 Hill Street Blues was so episodic , but it was FUN. They might offer up a situation that waited for two years to clear up for the next mention. But there were too many half wits watching it. Fourth season or so, the producers promised they would complete a single story line in one episode. It wasn't as much fun then.
Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin -- I stand with Israel and all Jews everywhere at February 22, 2024

***
Heroes & Icons was running episodes overnight a few years ago. I vastly preferred the characters in HSB to NYPD Blue.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (J2vNu)

378 I liked Halt and Catch Fire, though the characters were so self-sabotaging it could get painful.

Posted by: Lizzy at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (Hkcdp)

379 I had a customer that had a biracial family. He called it his Model UN family.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (xpBzi)

380 The Bear is anything but woke!

Posted by: runner at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (V13WU)

381 Yes, Jeremy Brett is the perfect Sherlock Holmes.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (FQmDC)

382 PlutoTv is also super dope.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (5an/a)

383 I watched the first season of Le Revolucion, very interesting premise, some resolutions along the way, but left with a cliffhanger at the end of season 1 and probably 1/3rd of the way through the story.

Then Netflix cancelled the series.

Posted by: Candidus at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (Q7KYg)

384 Butsecks.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle to maintain Moron standards at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (pT2wV)

385 They're all about my age with kids about the same age and the thing that puzzles me the most is where they find the TIME to sit and watch all of these shows?
Posted by: ballistic at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (oqH4h

Well you get home from school or work and there's no point even starting anything if you've only got five or six hours until you go to bed so you know you might as well just watch something and chill.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (9UlRk)

386 351 I think people are also looking backwards now. We are not an optimistic people anymore.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, anti-Marxist, buy ammo and keep your rifle by your side at February 22, 2024 05:00 PM (xcxpd)

The Left has stabbed America with a Morgul knife.

Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (UseAb)

387 Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (xpBzi)

I’m sure his kids hate him.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (5an/a)

388 I watch mostly Youtube and Pluto now myself.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (FQmDC)

389 Salems Lot ends like it is a part one. Still my favorite Stephen King novel.
Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:22 PM (FQmDC)

Agree.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (BdMk6)

390 If you didn't make it to the all star dinner of seven fishes episode, shame on you. You missed some of the most compelling TV ever. And Forks can make even me cry at a Taylor Swift song.

The Bear is better than Sopranos and Breaking Bad! (Not really, but that is what I tell people to get them to watch it because it really is that good.) Give it another try. It is the only TV series from the last decade that I can whole heartedly recommend.
Posted by: tommylotto at February 22, 2024 05:19 PM (6QQM

It was the most authentic big family drama Italian 7 fishes dinner I've ever seen. I was at one of those, and it's like I relived my experience (I was the non-family member brought along character)...

Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (exHjb)

391 An aside: I HATE fucking modern storytelling for this: give me a happy ending. One that is not compromised. All of these shit assholes feel like they have to be edgy and it is so much better when there is a tragic, bittersweet bullshit.

Posted by: Aetius451AD'

It's funny because the complaint was that stories were too predictable because the hero always wins. Now it's the same just with the anti-hero. It's dumb, not edgy.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (qz1Fg)

392 Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle to maintain Moron standards at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (pT2wV)

Surprise butsecks.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (5an/a)

393 I liked both seasons of Reacher, the first better. If they do another, I might get Amazon Prime again, just for that.

Posted by: huerfano at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (Q4KYm)

394
Recently I noticed even the bi racial couples in ads are excluding white men. White woman with a black dude and now Asian men with white women.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:18 PM

Things you will not see: White dude with Black woman. Asian men with white woman.

Wait! You actually saw that Asian man with a White* woman?

///
* By Capitalizing 'White' the Associated (with terrorists) Press identifies me as a White Supremacist.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (nIvob)

395 >Watching the sleazy and only occasionally woke New Girl. Pretty funny. Even though it only finished its run in 2017 or so, it wouldn't pass muster with today's woke scolds.
Posted by: Chuck Martel
----

I watched that during its run. Zooey is nice to look at. But what struck me is that the main characters are all such oddballs, I wondered how they managed to function in society.

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (geLO8)

396 Everything is gay and lame now. Seems like anything good has already been made.
Posted by: brak at February 22, 2024 05:03 PM (v2Qwo)
......

Kinda like music.

Posted by: wth

There are entire YouTube channels dedicated to twentysomethings discovering fifty year old music and having their minds blown and wondering why they don't have anything this good now.

It's starting to become obvious. To everybody.

Posted by: Brother Tim sez Nick Saban for President! at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (OUMaO)

397 I'm not trying to be contrary but I think people watch too much TV.

So much of it is garbage.

I also shout at clouds.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (JeYYB)

398 Godzilla, Minus One.
I swear I have not been that yanked around emotionally in a movie since the one-and-only 1990 Jacob's Ladder, in the theater.
Man that movie is a roller coaster.

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (9yXr+)

399 Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (qz1Fg)

Everything old is new again.

It’s why Stone Cold Steve Austin will not be replicated in pro wrasslin

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (5an/a)

400 Borderlands trailer

https://youtu.be/lU_NKNZljoQ?si=nyEpoV6QmJioJMbc

People are saying that Blanchett and the old screamer resemble two characters 30 years hence. It has been a while since I played but it does seem to look like the game. But not a great cast overall.

Posted by: BourbonChicken

I love the Borderlands games. When I first heard they were making a movie, I groaned. Knew they would screw it up.

I gotta say, the trailer isn't as awful as I expected.

Posted by: Biergood at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (PwgSL)

401 Second season of Reacher felt a little over the top. They're turning him into a superhero.

Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (UseAb)

402 The last Rockford I tuned into, Jim rented a car and it was a sort of puke green Vega
------------
I think Angel made Rockford Files.
Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (Hpgos)

Isaac Hayes as Gabby Fitch had some intense shows

But Rocky and Rockford's relationships was big. They knew how to write character and not over use them.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (eoQWY)

403 PlutoTv is also super dope.
Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:23 PM (5an/a)

Is 'dope' making a comeback? I've heard it used several times in the last few days.

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (qz1Fg)

404 They want old, we'll give them old. We remake "Bosom Buddies." Except it can't be a comedy. And the two stars will always be referred to as women. And we'll have them make a BIG point of getting the pronouns right. And they'll be in the military. And...wait! I'm not done!

Posted by: Disney Exec at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (91QcO)

405 Asians and Hispanics count as white. One of my coworkers got a very good shave and his skin looked Irish.
Posted by: Jamaica at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (IG7T0)
********

But the Irish are too swarthy to be white!

Posted by: Zombie Ben Franklin at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (1UsZ7)

406 thathalhafrican, they didn't at the time I was helping him.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (xpBzi)

407 My main current watching habits are nonfiction stuff on YouTube: PBS SpaceTime, Anton Petrov, Astrum, Sabine Hassenwhatever, Esoterica, American Esoteric, and especially Thoughty2

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (2fIO4)

408 My wife and my mother watch NYPD Blue after I go to bed at night. They bond over Sipowicz.

Posted by: Candidus at February 22, 2024 05:27 PM (Q7KYg)

409 Recently, I have watched a lot of The Incredible Dr. Pol. I enjoy watching that old Dutchman sticking his arm into a Cow's cunt and pulling out a calf. Its a fun and varied watch. The only warning is Michigan farm chicks are kind of rough and typically have big bottoms.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:27 PM (Hpgos)

410 I also shout at clouds.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (JeYYB)

do they answer?

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:27 PM (eoQWY)

411 Posted by: huerfano at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (Q4KYm)

Wife binged season 2 and loved it. I saw two episodes and really enjoyed them.

Last show I watched with serious intent was The Unit and 24. Dennis Haysbert FTMFW. Also Keifer is super dope.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:27 PM (5an/a)

412 Borderlands was shot back in 2021 by Eli Roth. Apparently extensive re shoots in 2023 by someone else. Not sounding good besides the poor casting.

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:27 PM (FQmDC)

413 Another thing that ruins shows and books.

Hearing the lead actors/writers speak off-show/book about their political thoughts.

Shutup, dumbass.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:28 PM (JeYYB)

414 Vice announces massive layoffs. They will no longer publish on Vice.com. VMG is in talks to sell to Refinery29.

http://tiny.cc/62ezwz

Posted by: bonhomme at February 22, 2024 05:28 PM (6OrcJ)

415 But Rocky and Rockford's relationships was big. They knew how to write character and not over use them.
------------
Yep. James Garner put a lot into that series. He was a real pro and a nice guy.

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:28 PM (Hpgos)

416 You should try Harry O instead.
Posted by: Pudinhead'

I admit I have trouble watching Harry O because David Janssen is so obviously falling down drunk. I drink a lot, and have been around some serious alcoholics but it's obvious in that show he is drinking himself to death right on camera.

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (9yXr+)

417 S.K. has never known how to end a story.
Posted by: Chuck C at February 22, 2024

***
Salem's Lot, The Dead Zone, "The Body," and "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" have all entered the chat.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (J2vNu)

Don't forget The Stand!

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (qz1Fg)

418 Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (qz1Fg)

Some slang is timeless, dope is one of them.

For me at least.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (5an/a)

419 When's the Civil War coming? That movie I mean.

Posted by: Candidus at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (Q7KYg)

420 402 The last Rockford I tuned into, Jim rented a car and it was a sort of puke green Vega
------------
I think Angel made Rockford Files.
Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (Hpgos)

Isaac Hayes as Gabby Fitch had some intense shows

But Rocky and Rockford's relationships was big. They knew how to write character and not over use them.
Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM

———-

The entire series of Rockford Files can be had for $30 on eBay.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (2fIO4)

421 I also shout at clouds.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (JeYYB)

do they answer?
Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:27 PM (eoQWY)
.......

They just piss on him.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (v0R5T)

422 "Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch Ted Lasso."

Season one was good. Seasons 2 and 3 got progressively bad.

Posted by: Tuna at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (oaGWv)

423 The lead actor for Reacher, thinks we are book burning here in Florida, you know because of our nazi governor.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (JeYYB)

424 Judge rejects Trump's request to delay paying $355 million fraud penalty

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (geLO8)

425 Should have finished Justified ace. One of the best endings of any show ever.

Posted by: ... at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (lX8VI)

426 416 You should try Harry O instead.
Posted by: Pudinhead'

I admit I have trouble watching Harry O because David Janssen is so obviously falling down drunk. I drink a lot, and have been around some serious alcoholics but it's obvious in that show he is drinking himself to death right on camera.
-------------
Have you ever watched Peter O'Toole act?

Posted by: Pudinhead at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (Hpgos)

427 But the Irish are too swarthy to be white!
Posted by: Zombie Ben Franklin at February 22, 2024 05:26 PM (1UsZ7)

Why don't ye go an' fly a key-kite right up yer ain arse ye fookin hoormonger

Posted by: Warai-O'toko at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (9UlRk)

428 424 I'm shocked

Posted by: steevy at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (FQmDC)

429 Second season of Reacher felt a little over the top. They're turning him into a superhero.
Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (UseAb)

Eh, if you read the books, you figure out pretty quick that he's just Batman without the mask and he gets to bang chicks.

so...I guess Season 2 is true to the source.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (nFnyb)

430 2015 was essentially the end of television. It was all to coincide with the Rise of Hillary.

Posted by: ... at February 22, 2024 05:31 PM (lX8VI)

431 383 I watched the first season of Le Revolucion, very interesting premise, some resolutions along the way, but left with a cliffhanger at the end of season 1 and probably 1/3rd of the way through the story.

Then Netflix cancelled the series.
Posted by: Candidus

It was French, fun watching for keeping up with the language.

It was above average for Netflix, probably why they canceled it.

Above average for a Netflix show. Probably why it was cancelled. I

Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:31 PM (mMlSs)

432 Wait! You actually saw that Asian man with a White* woman?

Posted by: Divide by Zero'

Yes, in 'Hiroshima Mon Amour', 1959.

Posted by: LenNeal at February 22, 2024 05:31 PM (9yXr+)

433 I admit it, I didn't read the whole post. Why didn't Ace finish Justified??

Thanks for reminding me about one of my favorite shows. I'm going to watch the whole series again.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:31 PM (JeYYB)

434 The lead actor for Reacher, thinks we are book burning here in Florida, you know because of our nazi governor.
Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (JeYYB)

Apparently he also let his kids watch season 1 of Reacher. Something about it being a show the whole family can enjoy. I was thinking, what the F?!!!

Posted by: InZona at February 22, 2024 05:31 PM (qz1Fg)

435 424 Judge rejects Trump's request to delay paying $355 million fraud penalty
Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:30 PM (geLO

Of course he does. No positive rulings for Trump from here on in. Operation Vengeance according to plan.

Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (UseAb)

436 Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:29 PM (JeYYB)

Fucking seriously? No wonder the dipshit lied about being gear. He’s literally retarded. Makes a hell of a Reacher though.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (5an/a)

437 It was the most authentic big family drama Italian 7 fishes dinner I've ever seen. I was at one of those, and it's like I relived my experience (I was the non-family member brought along character)...
Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (exHjb)
________________
I was probably the guy throwing the fork! But the awkward "grace" told the the outsider Stevie was another moment that will bring a tear to your eye.

The Bear, streaming on Hulu.

Posted by: tommylotto at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (6QQM8)

438 431 yikes, blaming my phone for that

Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (mMlSs)

439 371 The entirety of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett are on YouTube for free. Probably the best Sherlock ever done.
Posted by: Malicious Compliance at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM (OBuuS)

——-

Yes, those are excellent.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (2fIO4)

440 How can you force some to pay a quarter billion before the appeal?

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (JeYYB)

441 I wonder if part of it is that Suits was unabashedly pro-talent, pro-achievement, and pro-merit. The whole premise is that Mike didn't need to go to Harvard to beat Harvard lawyers. There's an episode where Harvey savages a cab driver in court who's trying to shake him down with a phony accident lawsuit. Even the characters initially set up to be one-dimensional villains are eventually shown to be reasonable people who are damn good at what they do. There's a surprisingly wholesome undercurrent to the entire show.

Posted by: Daniel Ream at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (/0tPK)

442 I watched that during its run. Zooey is nice to look at. But what struck me is that the main characters are all such oddballs, I wondered how they managed to function in society.
Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:25 PM (geLO

You misspelled soy boys.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at February 22, 2024 05:33 PM (BdMk6)

443 Judge rejects Trump's request to delay paying $355 million fraud penalty
____

Justice is served only if NY gets that money right now.

Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:33 PM (mMlSs)

444 S.K. has never known how to end a story.
Posted by: Chuck C at February 22, 2024

***
Salem's Lot, The Dead Zone, "The Body," and "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" have all entered the chat.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 22, 2024 05:20 PM (J2vNu)

IIRC didn't "The Dead Zone" end with the bad guy President to be getting assassinated to death.

That seems like a pretty clear ending to me.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 22, 2024 05:34 PM (nFnyb)

445 Posted by: Daniel Ream at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (/0tPK)

Suits was super fun for awhile and then I just stopped watching.

Bring back Psych and Highlander.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at February 22, 2024 05:34 PM (5an/a)

446 As a regular matter, we watch youtube videos in the areas that interest us. Network shows can ESAD.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at February 22, 2024 05:34 PM (eYF7X)

447 I also shout at clouds.

Posted by: Seems Legit
.......

Me too. I call it the One Cloud Syndrome.
Sitting in my backyard in the sun and this one fucking cloud comes along and hangs out right on top of me.

Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 05:34 PM (v0R5T)

448 I've never been enamored with tv shows, old-school or streaming. A bit of an oddball that way.

I used to love documentaries though. Don't believe those are done anymore? Well-researched with good production?

Posted by: DaisyB at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (AbL8c)

449
Me too. I call it the One Cloud Syndrome.
Sitting in my backyard in the sun and this one fucking cloud comes along and hangs out right on top of me.
Posted by: wth at February 22, 2024 05:34 PM (v0R5T)

-------

Amen, brother.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (JeYYB)

450 Bring back Psych and Highlander.
Posted by: thathalfrican - The OnE

Seconded

Posted by: Kratwurst at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (fcDpY)

451 I understand the dislike for the term "pre-adaption" since it implies that the adaption is intentional, but I despise the modern term "exo-adaption" since it seems to imply that the adaptions made prior to a mutation leading to an evolutionary step are divorced from the situation the organism is surviving in and it is really a stupid made-up term.

I prefer the term "Pro-adaption"

There! I said it! Happy?

Posted by: Kindltot at February 22, 2024 05:36 PM (D7oie)

452 I'm crowdfunding a remake of "The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob". Anyone wanting to get in on the ground floor of this potential gold mine, speak up.

Posted by: Chaim Yankel at February 22, 2024 05:36 PM (V5BDR)

453 Saw a funny comment the other day on Twitter. Guy said it infuriated him when liberals go on and on about old TV shows.

As he put it (I'm paraphrasing), "they literally blew up the entire industry and rebuilt it specifically to cater to YOU. All of these new shows were specifically designed to make YOU, and ONLY you, a happy viewer. So why aren't you watching them?"

Posted by: Ex-liberal at February 22, 2024 05:36 PM (XdH1u)

454 Suits- Meghan Markle ? No thanks

Posted by: It's me donna at February 22, 2024 05:36 PM (Akjoo)

455 Jeopardy now gets that treatment whenever they put on some outlandish contestant. I tune in and if they have some truly creepy contestant I click to some other program. Enough.
Posted by: Decaf at February 22, 2024 05:21 PM

-------------------

It's unwatchable now. Alex Trebek (RIP) was fairly conservative and probably able to keep the lid on that stuff. Once he was gone all hell broke loose.

Posted by: Bigsmith at February 22, 2024 05:36 PM (+j+ar)

456 The blue haired whales in the writers room in the modern age keep pushing the oppression narrative in their "stories". It's full of self-inserts and "That never happened for $400, Alex"-type twitter stories to justify violent leftism.

Of course, their view of the world is so warped (and wrong), no one else can relate to it. So, no one buys it - or at least not enough to make any money.

If you aren't buying your old movie and TV favorites on physical media, you need to do so soon. Eventually these crazies will attempt to just ban old shows as they compete with their new CRAP.

Posted by: Jake Speed at February 22, 2024 05:37 PM (Vu1jV)

457 "Freaks and Geeks," good, original show. Lasted one year, perhaps by accident, but a perfect arc. Too many shows wear out their welcome.

Posted by: Ordinary American at February 22, 2024 05:37 PM (UseAb)

458 Just finished a years worth of Expedition Bible on youtube. Highly recommended.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at February 22, 2024 05:37 PM (eYF7X)

459 I've never been enamored with tv shows, old-school or streaming. A bit of an oddball that way.

I used to love documentaries though. Don't believe those are done anymore? Well-researched with good production?
Posted by: DaisyB at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (AbL8c)

You answered your own question. Well Researched? research now is a twitter search. Good Production? we do CGI now.

I do see some documentaries popping up on YouTube you might be able to see. There are whole websites to stream documentaries and educational stuff.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:38 PM (eoQWY)

460 Emergency! Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe! I loved that show when I was a kid.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Not Ready for the Cart at February 22, 2024 05:38 PM (T/Lqj)

461 Reacher season 2 was pretty solid.

Posted by: Max Power at February 22, 2024 05:38 PM (q177U)

462 I still think Trump goes to jail this year

okay Avalanche @ Redwings 5P MST 🏒

see yas

Posted by: Don Black at February 22, 2024 05:38 PM (geLO8)

463 452 I'm crowdfunding a remake of "The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob". Anyone wanting to get in on the ground floor of this potential gold mine, speak up.
Posted by: Chaim Yankel at February 22, 2024 05:36 PM (V5BDR)

-------
BWAHAHAHA

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:38 PM (JeYYB)

464 I used to love documentaries though. Don't believe those are done anymore? Well-researched with good production?
Posted by: DaisyB at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (AbL8c)
There are lots of good documentary channels on YouTube plus streaming channels such as Curiosity and Magellan.

Posted by: Beartooth at February 22, 2024 05:38 PM (iPilE)

465 Something I don't do is watch something and say that sucked.
Not wasting one second of my life, that I will never have again, watching shit. I want to be entertained

Posted by: Ben Had at February 22, 2024 05:39 PM (xpBzi)

466 Ex-Liberal,
Ha! That cracks me up! But let's be honest. Lefties just wanted to ruin everything that normal people liked. And now they have. Enjoy, dipshits!

Posted by: Wally at February 22, 2024 05:39 PM (91QcO)

467 The only series I've watched since "Better Call Saul" ended is "Reacher." Two days ago I started binge-watching the "X-Files," beginning at the first episode. I watched very few of the episodes first-run. I was too busy to watch anything on TV on a regular schedule in the 90s and 20-aughts. I like the shows so far, because they are set in a simpler time and have decent plots.

Posted by: Gref at February 22, 2024 05:39 PM (5fDan)

468 461 Reacher season 2 was pretty solid.
Posted by: Max Power

Embarrassingly bad gun scenes, but I did like bringing back terminator guy.

Posted by: Kratwurst at February 22, 2024 05:39 PM (fcDpY)

469 I used to love documentaries though. Don't believe those are done anymore? Well-researched with good production?
Posted by: DaisyB at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (AbL8c)

Try YouTube. You'll be surprised.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at February 22, 2024 05:41 PM (BdMk6)

470 I’ve mentioned before I’ve started taking Delta 8 THC. It makes everything I watch much better.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at February 22, 2024 05:41 PM (2fIO4)

471 Bring back Psych and Highlander.
Posted by: thathalfrican - The OnE

Seconded
Posted by: Kratwurst at February 22, 2024 05:35 PM (fcDpY)

I watched quite a bit of Highlander DVDs borrowed from my brother and it was pretty watchable but then one showed the Highlander at Waterloo and it was snowing. In June, in Belgium.

Immortals who live among us and fight with swords without us noticing is one thing. Snow at Waterloo, I can't accept.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:41 PM (eoQWY)

472 76 I wish I could get into Rockford and Magnum. For some reason, they just don't click with me.

Posted by: ace at February 22, 2024 04:35 PM (KRtlO)

The two greatest TV theme songs of all time.

Posted by: Mark1971 at February 22, 2024 04:43 PM (xPl2J)
----
Airwolf and Knightrider have entered the chat. Also Hawaii 5-0.

Posted by: Ciampino - Relativity is relative? at February 22, 2024 05:41 PM (qfLjt)

473 Reacher's female side-kick, Nealy, was a female character I liked.

Smart, not too chatty, can-do, doesn't get emotional and one of her best skills was as a sniper, something women can do well and it doesn't require brute strength.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:42 PM (JeYYB)

474 There's a documentary on Netflix that has some guy theorizing about an advanced civilization who lived on earth before roughly 10,000BC, and how the survivors tried to bring civilization back after a worldwide disaster, possibly a meteor strike that caused worldwide flooding. Kind of interesting, with some compelling finds. YMMV

Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:42 PM (mMlSs)

475 I liked Night Stalker.

Man, I'm old.

Posted by: Seems Legit at February 22, 2024 05:43 PM (JeYYB)

476 It was the most authentic big family drama Italian 7 fishes dinner I've ever seen. I was at one of those, and it's like I relived my experience (I was the non-family member brought along character)...
Posted by: Nova Local at February 22, 2024 05:24 PM (exHjb)
________________
I was probably the guy throwing the fork! But the awkward "grace" told the the outsider Stevie was another moment that will bring a tear to your eye.

The Bear, streaming on Hulu.
Posted by: tommylotto at February 22, 2024 05:32 PM (6QQM

The Bear lost me a couple of episodes into Season 2.

It became Drama for Retards with every single character spilling their guts and mewling about their emotions in every single scene. No matter how petty the issue we had to get some a-hole explaining in minute detail how they felt about it.

Nobody talks or acts this way. Especially guys.

No subtlety, no respect for audience intelligence, no acting even really. Just blah-blah-blah gut spill rewind replay.

Pass.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 22, 2024 05:44 PM (nFnyb)

477 Here the thing - they set up a long story arc, then the fucking show gets cancelled.

I think this all started with LOST. But what is the re watchability of lost? about zero. I mean, once I know the ending, what value is there to watching 100 episodes that don't have endings?

Another problem - they extend things. They set up a 5-year story arc, then extend that natural arc to 10 seasons.

Posted by: Fani Banani at February 22, 2024 05:44 PM (mvURQ)

478 What you say about endings being difficult but necessary reminds me of what a classical musician I knew once said about modern music: Did Beethoven use a fade?

Posted by: jocon307 at February 22, 2024 05:45 PM (EuROc)

479 NASA and a private company are landing an unmanned craft on the moon today.

https://www.youtube.com/live/
Dg2ffigGcYM?si=vJ-Iep3b1Tp4gtRV

Posted by: BourbonChicken at February 22, 2024 05:45 PM (cf/0E)

480 Nood Merrick Garland blowing a deadline

Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:46 PM (mMlSs)

481 There's a documentary on Netflix that has some guy theorizing about an advanced civilization who lived on earth before roughly 10,000BC, and how the survivors tried to bring civilization back after a worldwide disaster, possibly a meteor strike that caused worldwide flooding. Kind of interesting, with some compelling finds. YMMV
Posted by: Chuck Martel at February 22, 2024 05:42 PM (mMlSs)

I used to read up on those a lot back as a kid 50 years ago. I was not convinced then. There's an archeologist dude on Youtube that debunks a lot of these who's pretty funny. He's cruel like Ace.

Posted by: Oldcat at February 22, 2024 05:46 PM (eoQWY)

482 Someone mentioned Terry OQuinn. They completely ruined his character on Lost. They are completely unable to hand a few Ws to any character at any time.

Starship Troopers might satire heroism, but the humor works if you =want= to enjoy heroism. Even that commie Verhoven can do that, unlike the forever self-mourning millennial writer.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at February 22, 2024 05:49 PM (cf/0E)

483 I was surprised by a lot of shows ive been watching on Apple. I got the 3 month free trial and there were probably 7 or 8 series that were worth watching (another 4 or 5 i didn't get the time to watch before it expires) meanwhile there was only really 1 crapper (Extrapolations)

Most streamers and channels are now just putting out crap to appeal to 1 particular audience, because if you can get say 8 million black or gay subscribers, it's enough of a boost that it looks really good, as only Netflix needs to put up those 100 million subscribers.

Eventually with smaller writers rooms, as is the case, Showrunners ate going to decide they don't want to put up with 9 diversity hires, because that's 90% of their team who don't know how to do their job.

Posted by: Rbastid at February 22, 2024 05:51 PM (bevB2)

484 "If you don't have an ending, you don't have a story. Period."

What I hate are series where you invest hours and hours of your life and then in the end they just basically say, "make up your own ending" I'm looking at you, Battlestar Gallactica!

I mean, clearly the writers had a story to tell, right? So tell it! Why get to the end and just throw your hands up? Frustrates the hell out of me when I have to google "What did the ending mean?" It's not edgy or clever, it's just lazy.

Posted by: Bacon Jeff at February 22, 2024 05:52 PM (VGRuw)

485 I was just rewatching Monk this past couple weeks.

You would not be ALLOWED to make this show today - where Monk's issues are clearly negative, called out regularly on the nonsense he does, and the recurring plot point throughout the series is him overcoming them.

No, if Hollywoke made this nonsense today, they would spend every single minute praising how Stunning and Brave he is for being 'disabled', and making long Karen speeches against anybody that dared to question him.

Posted by: DudeAbiding at February 22, 2024 05:53 PM (AjL/0)

486 As I said yesterday, I probably watch 80% shows from before 1990 on Amazon and Hulu and Pluto. And a lot of those were reruns the first time I watched them - they're from the 60s. I dig out old movies, like Lawman, with Burt Lancaster.

And you're absolutely right about episodes. An entire story wrapped up in an hour or a half hour.

Posted by: GWB at February 22, 2024 05:54 PM (OzPNI)

487 I think you also hit it on the head with the "failed movie plots" as TV shows. I mentioned the same thing to someone last week, where a series ended and I thought it felt like 90 minute movie, stretched out in to a 6 episode series. So the series just ended up having a few good minutes here and there, surrounded by nothingness.

Writers also don't know how to create fully developed characters, because they build characters they see as themselves. So the 25 year old writer whose entire personality revolves around "i once made a tweet that got 20 likes" or "i pretend to have autism because i think it's trendy" writes characters exactly like that. They don't know how to actually use their imagination and create something. They also decide their inside joke should be the plot of a tv series, despite it being uninteresting and unfunny.

Everyone who should be writing these compelling series, will be relegated to self publishing novels, since that's the only place for talented white guys now.

Posted by: Rbastid at February 22, 2024 05:56 PM (bevB2)

488 We watch a lot of older shows. My favorite is Peter Gunn, from the 1950's. Half hour show, a complete story in that time.

Posted by: George V at February 22, 2024 05:59 PM (ugbqN)

489 Colleges for years have been putting out SJWs trained in taking over some enterprise or another. They learned no useful skills, only how to take over. As these college alumni hit the job market, they look for some enterprise to take over. Initially, they took over HR departments and 'Studies' programs and every social worker sort of gig. It was not very noticeable because how could you tell if those jobs are done poorly?

The problems become evident when these SJW's take over other positions or organizations. As they took over entertainment, it becomes evident that they have no clue how to write, direct or act, they only know diversity, CRT, DEI and rest of that nonsense. They don't entertain because they simply don't know how. And their nonsense is now costing their companies real money.

I am guessing there will be at least a decade of crap content after the bigshots even admit they have a problem. Sort of like other substance abuse problems, they will need to hit rock bottom and admit their problem before they can begin the recovery.

Posted by: JB1000 at February 22, 2024 06:00 PM (NptO6)

490 Don't expect series endings to be better than the season ones. So many showed now pull that crap where they end the series, and not only is nothing resolved, but it leaves it open for reboots, and often just ignores every plot and but of information they told you throughout the series.

There have been some pretty well written shows that reach the end, and you can clearly see they had no idea how they were going to end it. This probably comes from how a lot of original show runners abandon ship by the end because they have something new to work on.

Posted by: Rbastid at February 22, 2024 06:03 PM (bevB2)

491 230 I really want to re-watch the Sharpe series.... but sweet fuck is that cheeseball 90*s wailing guitar during any battle scene one of the worst artistic decisions ever made.... it actually makes it unwatchable for me.

Thankfully i didn't notice it in the actual 90*s.

I loved the novels. This was the reason I couldn*t make it past the first episode. Also couldn*t stand it when they kept running from the calvary only to be cut down from behind. Kept yelling at them to fix bayonets and form square.

Posted by: Clay at February 22, 2024 06:04 PM (n5y1k)

492 I’ve given up on all these series that everyone tells me to watch. I’ll love it, I’m assured. If I like that, then I’ll love this, I’m assured.

So, I give it a whirl. Initial impression usually favorable. Amazing cast. Excellent production quality. Obviously a lot of money thrown at this thing.

First episode, initially, will be promising. Here are the main characters, here is the intro into the plot, I can already sorta see where the alliances and frictions and conflicts may happen. Etc.

Then….nothing f*****g happens. Like, nothing. Halfway through the second episode, I’ll realize nothing has actually happened yet. Just featherweight banal dialogue and characters having lunch or something.

I can see that it’s mainly padding, that something may happen sometime but it’s gonna take a loooong time to get there, and based on what I’ve seen so far, when something does happen, it’ll be bland and unfulfilling.

I like watching The Office. Excellent show. The writing, the actors, top notch. Packed with humor and a healthy dose of surprisingly touching light drama.

Posted by: Tony at February 22, 2024 06:04 PM (r2suQ)

493 Colleges for years have been putting out SJWs trained in taking over some enterprise or another. They learned no useful skills, only how to take over. As these college alumni hit the job market, they look for some enterprise to take over. Initially, they took over HR departments and 'Studies' programs and every social worker sort of gig. It was not very noticeable because how could you tell if those jobs are done poorly?

Posted by: JB1000 at February 22, 2024 06:00 PM (NptO6)

What they learned is you don't need skills for a job, just a story. Why hire a writer who knows how to write, when you can hire a gay man who had to suffer through only having 79 sex partners before he was 21, the horror.

It's okay (well not okay, just not harmful) when this happens in TV, but now we're seeing it in fields where safety is a real issue. So instead of that architect knowing math, or science, she can just use her black girl power and get the job.

Posted by: Rbastid at February 22, 2024 06:07 PM (bevB2)

494 I saw that Law and order clip a week or so back, and still can't seem to make up my mind what they're going for.

It does seem almost likely they're going after these woke nutcases who think you should let black criminals of because of race.

I know Mariska Hagerty has her own foundation that tries to clean up the backlog of DNA testing to get rapist caught in NYC, so I can't see her being someone who thinks that letting someone free for race is okay. She has a lot of sway on the show (almost the defacto showrunner) and maybe this episode is more about her frustration with this shit, as the responses fron the detectives made it seem like they thought these people were nuts.

Posted by: Rbastid at February 22, 2024 06:13 PM (bevB2)

495 How can such a monumental shift in males to females in hiring not have launched a million lawsuits? That is obvious and blatant discrimination on the basis of sex. Which is illegal. If the numbers went the other way, and men too over and entire industry from women? HR managers would be sent to prison.

Posted by: Elric Blade at February 22, 2024 05:07 PM (wOBDH)

Because a lawsuit means nothing with a bias jury.

There is a comedian, he's on Guttfeld every so often, Tyler Fischer maybe?, that said he does have an on going lawsuit against an agent because she told him that she's not taking any white Male clients, and he recorded her saying it.

Conservative state DAs need to start assessing or fining businesses who do this. Follow ther liberal states leads, where even if you lose thr case you still bankrupt the defendant.

Posted by: Rbastid at February 22, 2024 06:18 PM (bevB2)

496 Ace: "Or as I've learned: I like endings. Endings are where it's at for me. It's not enough to set up a premise and a hook; you have to actually pay that premise off with an ending."
- - - - - - - - - - -
The Netflix Series model brought with it a critical problem - shows get axed in the back of the head, not completed. Season One may have a denouement, it leaves a plot hook for Season Two, but the latter ends mid-season without a proper finale. Word gets out - who would pay to binge-watch a show that stopped halfway through the story?

On a related note, anime and manga tend to have a problem where they go on and on and on, until suddenly they don't. Some genres are like sitcoms, and as explained earlier in Ace's post - they're episodic and self-contained. But others tend to be one after another, needing to see the previous episode or chapter to understand anything. Woe be it if you find out that last chapter was literally the last chapter.

Posted by: Another Anon at February 22, 2024 06:49 PM (QNMaY)

497 I finally watched a movie that had been talked about in the big praise category. "Saltburn." It's basically just a more "shocking" version of "The Talented Mr. Ripley." the performances were good, I guess, but the product is so derivative, but with the SHOCKING *spoilers, don't care* with the main character and villain having a big dick, being a liar, shoveling menstruation blood in the face of the sister of his "friend" and then accosting his friend, after. . . after the FIRST scene of his sexual manipulation and deviancy, where he watched his "friend" masturbate in the bath, and after the "friend" left, he went in, applied a stopper, to gather the liquids and then he drank it like a starving vampire.

It wasn't shocking, it was disgusting in every way, yet this is profound.

In the final scene you see the "loser" who now is in control of a country estate, dancing naked, with a giant schlong.

See? ART!

Meanwhile it's just "The Talented Mr. Ripley" only with everyone being deviants, and you .... What? hope for WHO to win, and at the end, you aren't at all surprised, because you saw it before in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." The Actors, I guess, did what they could,

Posted by: Wickedpinto at February 22, 2024 09:05 PM (e9nOI)

498 But the settings, and the story, and the characters have all been seen before, other than drinking semen from a bathtub drain, jerking off a socialite using spit as a lubricant and demanding that it be dirty, fucking a cemetary plot (yes) and smearing menstrual blood on another socialite, before killing all of them to take control of the estate.

It's not good.

Posted by: Wickedpinto at February 22, 2024 09:07 PM (e9nOI)

499 I enjoyed Jennifer Garner in "Alias", until the story unraveled in a ridiculous way. Don't watch that kind of show until it ends and only if fans are not raging about the stupidity of it all on Reddit.
Now, it's mostly BritBox. Line of Duty is a treasure, Yes, Minister is rewatchable, but many comedies fail to connect. Good shows with some bittersweet yearning along with fun cop shows.
Don't think I have been excited about a network American show since 24.
If AoSHQ had a show, I would watch.

Posted by: jimmymcnulty at February 22, 2024 09:21 PM (BJgzI)

500 Haven't watched new series in years. They contain "the message" but fail at storyline, characters, plot, etc. I also hate a Pee Wee Herman type in this I include all females) crushing the Green Bay Packers with their pinkie. One tires of the message. I am supposed to believe that a Pelosi type can kill an army of Green Bay Packers when confronted with a destination for dinner she needs an hour to reach a decision? C'mon.

It gets worse with blacks. For every Freeman there are ten thousand Fanni Wills, a bitch so aggressive and replusive I'd employ it as a terror weapon against our enemies.

This is why you can still see the Twilight Zone, the Honeymooners, the Lucy Show. Now all those losers should go watch the latest Star Wars disaster.

Posted by: Bill at February 23, 2024 02:42 PM (bXvrr)

501 Fantastic website. Plenty of usefuⅼ info here. I'm sending it to a fеw buddieѕ ans alsⲟ shаring in deliciⲟus.
And of course, thank you in yoսr sweat!

Posted by: gill at February 28, 2024 03:57 AM (+Mo57)

502 This is where it all happens, right here in sex crimes. An abrasion of some
sort on right thigh, you say he threw you in the back of his truck?
No not a truck, it was a van, he threw me in the back of his van. Well, I was on the ground, and
uh, the bald one, he grabbed my hair and he pulled my head
back, pulled it back hard. Possibly a rug burn from the back of the vehicle.
Cop stories going wild around here, Beck, guys are saying all kinds of things.
Beck Standard Manual of Police Procedure, Rule 18,
1 out of every 10 stories a cop tells, 1's bound to be true?
This just isn’t true. Even in the US, it isn’t uncommon for parents to pierce
their little girls’ earlobes. Increasing breast
size isn’t limited to getting breast augmentation surgery

Posted by: 3some at March 06, 2024 08:30 AM (WMM6O)

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