***Official TV sitcoms and Series recommendation thread***

[bode]

a write up on brother mouzone (sp?) would be an incredible read.

[wufwugy]

i've watched the series 3 times now maybe, and season 2 is one of my favorites. maybe the most underrated season of any show all time.

indeed. it is the most disliked yet is actually the best. my personal favorite is 5 though

[rong]

Anybody watched person of interest? Any good?

[LCDaBoss]

Does anyone else watch Scandal? My girlfriend has me watching it the past couple of weeks, basically a story of a president and his staff with a big scandal going on, don't want to ruin it if you haven't seen it, but it catches my attention. Didn't go through everything to see if this show was brought up before so sorry ahead of time if it was.

[pocketfours]

so far The Following has been pretty cool

Def has potential after three episodes, thanks!

I just hate how everything has to be so over-the-top nowadays...

[JKDS]

TONIGHT IS WALKING DEAD NIGHT. /THREAD

[wufwugy]

Girls irritates the hell out of me, and I figured out exactly why.

All the main characters make decisions based on ego and selfishness. They're thoughtless, irrational, and myopic. However, the side characters do not succumb to such frivolity and thoughtlessness; instead, they are constructed as foils with moral compasses who make decisions based on how they affect those they call friends.

The creators of the show have convinced themselves that they're the voice of this generation, but they're really just glorifying the lowest quality of the generation and rationalizing away the basic responsibilities of the people in it. For example, Jessa is a complete fucking idiot. A loser who ruins the lives of everybody around her if the stars don't align perfectly in her favor, yet the show pays no attention to her idiocy and instead uses the side characters as foundations from which her lunacy can reign free. Her character gives humanity a bad name yet the show thinks she's a free bird struggling in existentialism, yet the truth is that she's just an entitled brat who doesn't think before she acts.

I'm not even saying that the show is dumb, but that it is propping up the main characters' delusions and shitty decisions while neglecting the rationality and pragmatism of the side characters.

[rong]

My gf watches that. Gives me time to read a book which is nice. Plus from the clips I've seen all they do is talk about sex, so her having sex on her mind can only be a good thing. I like this show.

[rong]

Took a second shot at the wire last night. 3 episodes in. It's awesome. I don't know why I wasn't feeling it last time but I'm pretty excited to have 5 series of a great show ahead of me.

[bode]

just dont give up on season 2 and you'll be fine. its standard to not like it as much on first watch, but trust me, its one of the best seasons.

[BooG690]

I loved season 2.

[bikes]

TONIGHT IS WALKING DEAD NIGHT. /THREAD

HELLOH I AM THE GOVERNER WATCH ME SHOOT WITH A SCOPED RIFLE USING MY BLIND EYE TO SCOPE.

ALSO HELLOH I AM THAT BLACK GUY FROM EARLY S2. WHY AM I NOT SUPER ZOMBIE IN JAIL? LOL AMIRITE?

/walkingdead

[aubreymcfate]

Girls irritates the hell out of me, and I figured out exactly why.

All the main characters make decisions based on ego and selfishness. They're thoughtless, irrational, and myopic. However, the side characters do not succumb to such frivolity and thoughtlessness; instead, they are constructed as foils with moral compasses who make decisions based on how they affect those they call friends.

The creators of the show have convinced themselves that they're the voice of this generation, but they're really just glorifying the lowest quality of the generation and rationalizing away the basic responsibilities of the people in it. For example, Jessa is a complete fucking idiot. A loser who ruins the lives of everybody around her if the stars don't align perfectly in her favor, yet the show pays no attention to her idiocy and instead uses the side characters as foundations from which her lunacy can reign free. Her character gives humanity a bad name yet the show thinks she's a free bird struggling in existentialism, yet the truth is that she's just an entitled brat who doesn't think before she acts.

I'm not even saying that the show is dumb, but that it is propping up the main characters' delusions and shitty decisions while neglecting the rationality and pragmatism of the side characters.

I agree with all of this and I still think this show is the shit. Lena Dunham is a really talented writer.

The Ray/Adam-centric episode from Season 2 was brilliant. I think it's a good response to your last statement. (well sort of - it shows them to be deeply flawed too, but it's interesting and maybe you'll appreciate it more as a guy [also you're sort of a Ray, but that's another discussion best left for late night weekend aim convos])

[rong]

Ah man, they didn't have to kill him.

[Pascal]

watched latest episode of bones last night, so disappointed. nearly turned it off, and for an avid fan that's obv an awful sign. Acting was poor, music was cheesy, the whole storyline was trying to make a point about child soldiers having a rough time but in a very non-subtle American way. The coincidence which broke the case was crazy too. Just generally an awful episode. It was so much better a few seasons back and there was still promise with the new electronic genuis bad guy story line at the end of last season/beginning of this, but they've just about forgotten him completely

[rong]

Season 2 of the wire was a bit dull. It was ok, but I never really cared about the sabutkas. I get the comparison of villains, the sabutkas doing the wrong thing for what they perceive as the right reasons, the decline of industry, the working man's lack of a voice without money and how they contrast different baddies and their willingness to fuck people over for personal gain. But I still didn't really care. Comparing say D or Wallace with frank sabutka, I cared about Wallace and D but didn't give a Shit about frank.

Was cool how we're seeing different stages of the same process and how different groups are involved and how say bubble getting 10 bucks to pay for a hit is supporting the gangs that are involved with human trafficing etc, but I found the whole thing unsatisfying in a way that season 1 wasn't.

Still looking forward to season 3 though. Is season 3 generally considered a good season? I'm too scared to Google it in case of spoilers.

[d0zer]

Season 3, 4, and 5 are all awesome, where season 2 is widely considered the weakest. You're in for a good time.

[kiwiMark]

Anyone got a mirror or googleable phrase for boost's writeups? The link is dead.

[boost]

Anyone got a mirror or googleable phrase for boost's writeups? The link is dead.

they were moved and folded into the main wire thread in OOTV on 2p2. Should be pretty easy to find.

[boost]

Season 3, 4, and 5 are all awesome, where season 2 is widely considered the weakest. You're in for a good time.

I've found that almost everyone that rewatches, likes season two much more on their rewatch. I always liked it, and after several full viewings I think it's become my favorite.

[jyms]

I can hardly catch up on things I haven't seen. I would love to rewatch this, when are you guys finding time to watch full series again? I should go back to commuting.

[boost]

I can hardly catch up on things I haven't seen. I would love to rewatch this, when are you guys finding time to watch full series again? I should go back to commuting.

Permo Vacay.

[bode]

I've found that almost everyone that rewatches, likes season two much more on their rewatch. I always liked it, and after several full viewings I think it's become my favorite.

same for me. although i still think season 1 is great. 1=2 > 3=4 >>>>>>> 5

[boost]

same for me. although i still think season 1 is great. 1=2 > 3=4 >>>>>>> 5

yeah, someone made a good point over on 2p2. When watching for the first time, s02 comes as a pretty big shock. You don't really have any idea of the scope the show is going for. You don't get the low rises, docks, politics, schools, newspaper structure-- instead it's just like "wtf, did they do with my show?"

On rewatch, you're on the same page as the writers, you get it.

[wufwugy]

Season 2 is tough to swallow because it changes so much from season 1. I think people dislike 5 for the same reason. 2 and 5 are probably my favorites, however. They're the ones that most capably hit the overarching philosophical theme of the entire series the best.

One of the strengths of the show is changing it up (notice how they foreshadowed that theme for the show by saying that phrase several times in season 1), but at first this strikes people as a weakness, myself included

[kiwiMark]

plus if you're watching after the fact then you prolly tank into s02 right on the end of s01 so you're still used to a different pace and whatnot, which makes it hard to be as entertained by the slowdown necessary to introduce new characters. at least in my case. now I rate the seasons the same as bode/boost

[bikes]

shameless spoilers

Spoiler: Show

go the fuck away karen=(

[a500lbgorilla]

I should like to rate my The Wire experience.

I bought season 1 on the back of how much twoplustwo was jizzblasting all over it a few years back and couldn't stand it. For one, I played in the back ground and so was not giving it the undivided attention it demands and so richly rewards.

It was when I d/led season 2 on the dl that The Wire finally clicked. All of the characters I had learned bits and pieces of were still themselves living in a world of consequences to and from every action. So long as you swam in the pond of Baltimore, your splashes were causing waves.

After that I ran through all 5 seasons and decided 2 and 5 were the worst.

In retrospect, I didn't like 2 because thinking of 2 means you're thinking of Stevedores not because 2 is a break from the phenomenally well compacted world of The Wire. Season 5 is the hardest to swallow because it requires two well established characters to veer wildly off as well as the introduction of the news beat guy willing to burnout of his profession very quickly.

I think it goes 1>2=3>4>>5

[Renton]

3 and 4 are by far the best seasons, imo

[Deanglow]

3 and 4 are by far the best seasons, imo

For sho. Hamsterdam and the schools 4 lyfe

[drmcboy]

134,2,5

[drmcboy]

shameless spoilers

Spoiler: Show

go the fuck away karen=(

i already hate

Spoiler: Show

steve

this year & now

Spoiler: Show

lipp

is drifting!

[wufwugy]

Having a hard time watching Mad Men. It's good, but so much misogyny. I know that shit happened (happens), but I imagine I live in a world where women are considered people too

Also having a hard time getting through Girls. No protagonists are worth rooting for

[drmcboy]

yeah I mean I'm going to watch girls because it is well made, but wtf


It's becoming like Louis where I have no idea what mood I should be in before I watch it.

[bikes]

SHAMELESS SPOILERS

Spoiler: Show

YES MANDY! BOOO KAREN!

[boost]

Black Mirror, from Charlie Brooker, the creator of Dead Set (must see zombie mini series) is pretty good so far. It's a sort of Tales from the Crypt/Twighlight Zone show where each episode is it's own self contained story, with an original cast and all that.

edit: Just watched s01e03. This show is must watch. I find it a bit hard to compare to traditional hour long dramas, since it's a new story and cast each week, but so far it's been pretty phenomenal.

[boost]

In The Flesh

Another british drama (man, they may not have the budgets, but they are putting out some serious competition to our broadcasts on this side of the water), this one set in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. I've seen better zombie cinema, sure, but this is by far the most refreshing and original entry to the genre that I can remember.

It's pretty much what TWD bills itself to be, a drama about people, with a backdrop of a zombie apocalypse-- only ITF actually pulls this off, and quite well at that.

[wufwugy]

there are only two eps of in the flesh?

[rong]

Wire 3 & 4 were both fantastic, 4 possibly better than 3, though they kind of play out like one long season. Looking forward to 5.

[a500lbgorilla]

Wire 3 & 4 were both fantastic, 4 possibly better than 3, though they kind of play out like one long season. Looking forward to 5.

5 is great because when you're done, it's time for another run through.

I recently rebought season 2 on the back of a scratched disk for my 4th-ish re-run-through.

[rong]

they were moved and folded into the main wire thread in OOTV on 2p2. Should be pretty easy to find.

Link? I can't find it anywhere.

[rong]

Oh, there it is. Helps if you're in the right sub forum.

[rong]

It's over. I miss it.

[wufwugy]

2>1>5>4>3

[rong]

4>3>5>1>2

[rong]

In The Flesh

Another british drama (man, they may not have the budgets, but they are putting out some serious competition to our broadcasts on this side of the water), this one set in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. I've seen better zombie cinema, sure, but this is by far the most refreshing and original entry to the genre that I can remember.

It's pretty much what TWD bills itself to be, a drama about people, with a backdrop of a zombie apocalypse-- only ITF actually pulls this off, and quite well at that.

Just watched ep 1. Bit slow but better than twd. Prob quite accurate in how this situation would play out in the UK and the characters are pretty accurate and are generally the type of folk you'd find around the UK.

[wufwugy]

lol zombies are the type ud find around the uk. makes sense http://imgur.com/35ddsaH

[rong]

Black Mirror, from Charlie Brooker, the creator of Dead Set (must see zombie mini series) is pretty good so far. It's a sort of Tales from the Crypt/Twighlight Zone show where each episode is it's own self contained story, with an original cast and all that.

edit: Just watched s01e03. This show is must watch. I find it a bit hard to compare to traditional hour long dramas, since it's a new story and cast each week, but so far it's been pretty phenomenal.

S01e01 was.... different. It was a little bit stupid, I wish they had used a slightly more realistic demand. Was interesting to watch regardless, its well put together.

[boost]

The absurdity of the demand is the precise point.

[rong]

I know. But they could have come up with an equally absurd demand where it was actually feasible that he might do it. The same point could have been illustrated whilst making the plot realistic.

[boost]

Well, that's just that. At first it doesn't seem feasible. But as the clock ticks away, it goes to not only being feasible, but being a necessity.

anyways, I guess we'll just agree to disagree. *shrug*

[rong]

Could you see Obama doing that in real life?

[boost]

Could you see Obama doing that in real life?

No, but I can see a political leader of a country which still has a revered royal family, one which has instructed them to do so.. well.. doing so...

[rong]

OK, I guess if you think that could happen then it would make you view it in a much different light. I don't think that would ever happen, princess or not. Hence why I'd have preferred it to be a little bit less out there. It was still good though, looking forward to the next few, it's nice to watch something a little bit different.

[wufwugy]

The world according to Lena Dunham

- Self-respect doesn't exist
- Shakespeare is the greatest storyteller of all time
- Humor only works when it's unironically ironic
- Consequences? There are no consequences.
- A good show is about the characters' best version of themselves; HBO's Girls is about the characters' worst version of themselves.

[boost]

Alpha House, starring John Goodman, the newspaper guy from The Wire, and Mexican Williem Dafoe. It's one of Amazon's original pilots. They seem to be going about things a bit differently than Netflix, in that they are launching a ton of pilots, whereas Netflix greenlit House of Cards for two seasons without testing the waters.

So far I've watched Alpha House and Zombieland The Series. Zombieland was mediocre at best... it felt very 80's... Successful movie spawns a TV spin off, but all the actors are too expensive for TV, so crappy actors are hired who try to mimic the silver screen actors instead of get into the part themselves. The campy humor was delivered terribly, and the emotional stuff was far worse. This is a huge let down for me, since I am a huge fan of the movie and Zombies in general and desperately wanted this to pan out after the disaster that is The Walking Dead.

Alpha House on the other hand is rock solid. Great casting, good writing, witty, etc. It doesn't try to be too real, and so it seems to almost exist in an alternate, slightly cartoonish universe. This reminds me a bit of Breaking Bad. Not that the styles or tones of these shows are at all similar, but in the sense that they take place in a world which has drifted from the moors of reality ever so slightly. So, yeah, highly recommended, and best of all, these pilots are free to watch, including Alpha House.

http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-HD/dp/B0...ds=alpha+house

[wufwugy]

LOL Alpha House is awesome. Thanks for the tip boost

[boost]

Yeah, confirmed, Those Who Can't is pretty much Always Sunny In Philadelphia, but the main characters are high school teachers. So, hilarious.

[boost]

Onion News Empire is stupendously comedic as well. Jeffrey Tambor (George Bluth Sr. from Arrested Development) is a main character, so obv there are at least some laughs to be had. The show pretty much just uses Onion humor to spoof the show Newsroom. Newsroom isn't a hard prerequisite, but it helps to be familiar with the show to pick up on some of the references.

[wufwugy]

Is there a link for these different pilots? I hadn't heard of them

[Tom1559]

Just sat and watched a few episodes of Miranda on UK Gold. Hilarious. If you have not seen them check them out.

[bikes]

I've heard mad men is pretty great this season. Should I pick it back up?

[boost]

Is there a link for these different pilots? I hadn't heard of them

IMDB had a thing about them with all the pilots. That's how I heard about Zombieland, and then went from there.

But yeah, since you're lazy or bad at the internets, or both: https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001155581

[rong]

Boost, since you've been watching Brit tv shows, thought you might like utopia.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2384811/

I've only watched ep1 if 6 but its pretty good so far.

[Tom1559]

Watching Nashville series one at present. I am into country music and the music is brilliant in this. It is also has some pretty meaty story lines. Great series worth watching.

[d0zer]

IMDB had a thing about them with all the pilots. That's how I heard about Zombieland, and then went from there.

But yeah, since you're lazy or bad at the internets, or both: https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001155581

I tried to watch zombieland and turned it off 5 minutes in. will give the onion one a go

[wufwugy]

IMDB had a thing about them with all the pilots. That's how I heard about Zombieland, and then went from there.

But yeah, since you're lazy or bad at the internets, or both: https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001155581

Thanks

Didn't like either of Those Who Can't and Onion News Empire

[boost]

Boost, since you've been watching Brit tv shows, thought you might like utopia.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2384811/

I've only watched ep1 if 6 but its pretty good so far.

Yeah, I've watched all of the Utopia episodes that are out. Fantastic show. Hopefully your rec encourages someone else to give it a go.

Thanks

Didn't like either of Those Who Can't and Onion News Empire

[wufwugy]

On s4 of Mad Men. It's a great show, but its lack of gripping plot hurts it. However, I've noticed that has gotten better with more recent seasons. Mad Men is at a disadvantage since serial TV format demands heavy plotting and going light on the romantic elements. Mad Men does the opposite of this, and it shows. Still, it's quite good

[drmcboy]

I've heard mad men is pretty great this season. Should I pick it back up?

yes

[Galapogos]

Anyone else check out the new Arrested Developments yet? So far I'm definitely not a fan, I'm only two episodes in though so I'm still hoping it finds its legging.

[wufwugy]

Anyone else check out the new Arrested Developments yet? So far I'm definitely not a fan, I'm only two episodes in though so I'm still hoping it finds its legging.

It starts rough, but definitely gets better. At least a good chunk of the Tobias episode is back to old form. I'm only down 5 eps

[a500lbgorilla]

WTF are you people on about? They were all brilliant.

[BennyLaRue]

Anyone else check out the new Arrested Developments yet? So far I'm definitely not a fan, I'm only two episodes in though so I'm still hoping it finds its legging.

They're establishing what happened in the gap of time. A necessary evil. Keep going.

What happened to Portia? Is Ellen that hard on a woman?

[supa]

Anyone watching Defiance on syfy? I dvr'd the eps but haven't pulled the trigger yet.