Favorite TV Show(s)

[jsgolfer]

Now that most of my shows are in hiatus (although Gotham and Sleepy Hollow just started again), I just watched all of the Marco Polo episodes on Netflix and have caught up on Forever on ABC.

Marco Polo, is pretty good, lots of nudity, large battles and cool martial arts scenes.  Lots of complaints about it not being historical enough (it's fiction) or the Asian Game of Thrones, whatever, I'm not looking for Citizen Kane in my shows and I don't think it is really like GoT, besides I don't think GoT invented the family fueds, politics, scandal, war, nudity and graphic scenes. It's a decent period piece of Ancient Asia.  The plots in the court of Kublai Khan and the Song Synasty, along with the brutal Mongol people are done very well. Really like Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan and Tom Wu as Hundred Eyes.

Forever I really like.  Kind of Highlander without the swords, as main character Ioan Gruffudd (who I loved in Horatio Hornblower) is a Medical Examiner and assists the police in their crimes (Alana de la Garza of Law and order fame is the detective), using a lot of his knowledge from the past as he is 200 years old (really liked the flashback to the Jack the Ripper murders that he was at).  He's immortal, his best friend is Judd Hirsch and he's trying to find out why he can't die and at times really wants to die.  Always funny when he dies and waked up in the East River naked.  Too funny.

[dsc123]

Just finished the first series of Broadchurch. They did a great job of keeping me guessing until the last episode. Very well done.

My only quibble with the show was that there was not much development towards the guy that was actually the killer.  It seemed kinda random and anticlimatic when he just threw up his hands and said he was tired of hiding.  Its not even like they were on to him for a long time.

What I liked the most about the show was how they portrayed the community getting torn apart.

---

And here's another recommendation: An Honorable Woman.  Its a miniseries starring the father from Broadchurch and Maggie Gyllenhall (sp?) as brother/sister/owners of an NGO/charity sort of org trying to improve Israeli/Palestine relations.  Its full of spies and excitement.

[Gunther]

My only quibble with the show was that there was not much development towards the guy that was actually the killer.  It seemed kinda random and anticlimatic when he just threw up his hands and said he was tired of hiding.  Its not even like they were on to him for a long time.   What I liked the most about the show was how they portrayed the community getting torn apart.   [rule] And here's another recommendation: An Honorable Woman.  Its a miniseries starring the father from Broadchurch and Maggie Gyllenhall (sp?) as brother/sister/owners of an NGO/charity sort of org trying to improve Israeli/Palestine relations.  Its full of spies and excitement.

That's true although truthfully, I had pegged Joe Miller by ep 2. Only because he seemed the least likely to me so I figured that's the tact they would take. Didn't get the reason right, however. I assumed it would have something to do with the relationship between Tom and Danny, since young Tom was deleting texts and such. Actual motive threw me for a loop. Thanks for the tip on Honorable Woman. I've run by it a few times but haven't been compelled to try it; I will now.

[nevets88]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren Zevon

Just finished the first series of Broadchurch. They did a great job of keeping me guessing until the last episode. Very well done.

My only quibble with the show was that there was not much development towards the guy that was actually the killer.  It seemed kinda random and anticlimatic when he just threw up his hands and said he was tired of hiding.  Its not even like they were on to him for a long time.

What I liked the most about the show was how they portrayed the community getting torn apart.

And here's another recommendation: An Honorable Woman.  Its a miniseries starring the father from Broadchurch and Maggie Gyllenhall (sp?) as brother/sister/owners of an NGO/charity sort of org trying to improve Israeli/Palestine relations.  Its full of spies and excitement.

The UK coverage of Broadchurch series 1 was like sports, newspapers gave the eventual killer, I think it was 2:1 or 3:1 odds. I'm guessing there was a bit of gambling on the outcome.

The Honorable Woman was excellent although the American actress's accent sounded overdone. Stephen Rea made a great spook. Another good series about the Palestine/Israel conflict is The Promise, but it's a lot more serious and somber.

In the Honorable Woman, they actually carried out the task Saul wanted in Homeland. Send that drone missile to kill me now. Boom.

[phan52]

Started binge watching "The Wire" this week. Dated, but fascinating. Real good cop show.

[dsc123]

Started binge watching "The Wire" this week. Dated, but fascinating. Real good cop show.

Not dated at all.  Its the best work of art ever created.

Don't get discouraged by season 2.  I liked it a lot more the second time around, but the first time through it might seem like a diversion from an otherwise excellent story.

[boston blackie]

I too loved Peaky Blinders, and enjoyed Broadchurch.

Now looking forward to the final season of one of my all time favorites - Justified - starts Jan. 20th, I believe.

[nevets88]

Started binge watching "The Wire" this week. Dated, but fascinating. Real good cop show.

Dated? I respectfully disagree. The problems delineated in The Wire - drugs, education, unions, corruption, politics - are just as bad as they were when The Wire was being broadcasted. Some even worse.

[jamo]

Dated? I respectfully disagree. The problems delineated in The Wire - drugs, education, unions, corruption, politics - are just as bad as they were when The Wire was being broadcasted. Some even worse.

I'd argue that a TV show can feel visually dated without being thematically dated.

[Warren Zevon]

I'm halfway through the final episode of season one of Fargo.  But my kids are watching Kickin' It, which I always find distracting.  Fargo has been subtly awesome.

Also, http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/01/a-writer-from-lost-came-forward-and-admitted-to-what-we-knew-all-along/

[nevets88]

[quote name="nevets88" url="/t/32874/favorite-tv-show-s/1140_30#post_1095597"] Dated? I respectfully disagree. The problems delineated in The Wire - drugs, education, unions, corruption, politics - are just as bad as they were when The Wire was being broadcasted. Some even worse.

I'd argue that a TV show can feel visually dated without being thematically dated.[/quote] I agree it's visually dated in the sense of 4:3 and SD, visual style it was going for gritty. It's similar to Treme, stylewise, which was shot in HD originally I think and a more recent series.

[golfbarefoot]

Honestly don't watch a lot of television, other than sports, news or History/National Geographic.. But back in the day, I loved 'Northern Exposure'

[nevets88]

Amazon's pilot test, The Man in the High Castle is chilling. Alternate history - what if the Axis won WWII? Only the pilot available so far, but this will probably get picked up. [VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6v1WxzP3Ek[/VIDEO] Nazi occupied Times Square. Zoom in on the American flag with the Swastika. Burrrrr.....:~(

[dsc123]

Amazon's pilot test, The Man in the High Castle is chilling. Alternate history - what if the Axis won WWII? Only the pilot available so far, but this will probably get picked up.

Nazi occupied Times Square. Zoom in on the American flag with the Swastika. Burrrrr.....

I watched a few minutes, but alternative history isn't my cup of tea and the expository dialogue turned me off.

[nevets88]

Transparent, the Amazon Prime tv show, is free this Saturday. Prime is discounted @ $72 as well. 72 is for 72nd GG awards. If you enjoyed watching Six Feet Under, you'll probably like this show. OK, now that I see the video still, it's Safe For Work. Repeat, SFW. [VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-3Q2W0I2Xc[/VIDEO]

[dsc123]

Transparent, the Amazon Prime tv show, is free this Saturday. Prime is discounted @ $72 as well. 72 is for 72nd GG awards.

My wife really liked this and I'm going to watch it.  Someone in my family is going through the same thing, so my wife told my whole family we should watch it.  Unexpectedly, the family member who is going through it hates the show and says its a completely inaccurate portrayal of the issue.  I'll still watch it as I would any other good tv show, but its something I'll keep in mind.

[nevets88]

[QUOTE name="dsc123"] [QUOTE name="nevets88" url="/t/32874/favorite-tv-show-s/1152#post_1097440"] Transparent, the Amazon Prime tv show, is free this Saturday. Prime is discounted @ $72 as well. 72 is for 72nd GG awards.  [/QUOTE] My wife really liked this and I'm going to watch it.  Someone in my family is going through the same thing, so my wife told my whole family we should watch it.  Unexpectedly, the family member who is going through it hates the show and says its a completely inaccurate portrayal of the issue.  I'll still watch it as I would any other good tv show, but its something I'll keep in mind.   [/quote] Curious - can you mention any of the specifics about the inaccuracies? I'd expand on this question, but I don't want to spoil the show.

[dsc123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevets88


Curious - can you mention any of the specifics about the inaccuracies? I'd expand on this question, but I don't want to spoil the show.

I actually have no idea.  My wife recommended it to my parents, as a way for them to maybe understand better and get used to the idea, and my mother mentioned it to my cousin.  All I know is that my mom told me he was not thrilled and said it wasn't an accurate portrait.

Just reading about it online, a common criticism seems to be that straight men play the roles, which perpetuates the perception of transgender being "a man in a dress"

Quote:

As a trans woman, I must admit that it continues to be disheartening to see certain portrayals of my community's experiences in the hands of cisgender people. When I see yet another cis man in a trans woman role, à la Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club , it continues to elucidate how society understands us. Or how -- in short -- they don't. The acceptance of the "man in a dress" trope continues to persist despite more awareness and representation than ever before.

It's unfortunate that Orange is the New Black didn't win in that category. In addition to being a multi-narrative TV show obliquely based on a real story, it more adequately represents the transgender experience by featuring trans actress and activist Laverne Cox. With this in mind, it exists as one of the best and most authentic portrayals of the trans woman experience to ever grace either the silver screen or the small screen. That authenticity matters. It should also be noted that Cox is the first black trans woman to ever star in a headlining show and the first trans person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting role.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raquel-willis/hollywood-youre-halfway-t_b_6463288.html

Another thing I read said that one of the characters self-identifies as a "man with a vag" which is the same idea but based on the actual plot not casting.  I dont know if this was my cousin's complaint, but its one that's out there.

See, even writing this I say "he" and I'm not sure if that's what I'm supposed to say.  I shouldn't be this ignorant about it.  I haven't educated myself on the issue yet.