The Official Good Television Thread

It's dire times around here in tv land. Game of Thrones and The Killing are finished. I've been watching Rescue Me just because we don't have anything else to watch, and it's now at the point where I'd bludgeon Denis Leary to death with a knotted rope if I saw him in the street, such is the quality of writing in the last three seasons. I'm patiently waiting for more Breaking Bad and Larry. True Blood starts again tomorrow which is something.

I'm considering watching Deadwood or The Sopranos again from the beginning because I can't find anything good that I haven't seen.
 
Satanstoenail said:
It's dire times around here in tv land. Game of Thrones and The Killing are finished. I've been watching Rescue Me just because we don't have anything else to watch, and it's now at the point where I'd bludgeon Denis Leary to death with a knotted rope if I saw him in the street, such is the quality of writing in the last three seasons. I'm patiently waiting for more Breaking Bad and Larry. True Blood starts again tomorrow which is something.

I'm considering watching Deadwood or The Sopranos again from the beginning because I can't find anything good that I haven't seen.
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Did you ever watch Rome?

I'm currently rewatching The Sopranos. I didn't love it the first time I saw it, but I don't think I've ever wanted to rewatch a series so soon after finishing it the first time, which I suppose is a testament to how goddamn good it is. I'm definitely liking it more on rewatch, would probably rank it as my third favorite show after Breaking Bad and The Wire.
I still have problems with their approach towards storytelling though I guess there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I think I'm just too infatuated with the Breaking Bad-kind of storytelling where no problem ever goes away neatly and every single thing that happens has absurd consequences and no one has any control over anything. (Based on the interviews I've read, not even the showrunner does.)

I'm also halfway through the first season of Mad Men, and I don't really get it. I guess it's an interesting deconstruction of the 'good old days' but I just feel like there's something I'm missing, something possibly enormous. Feeling more left out in the cold on this one than I ever did with The Sopranos.
 
Vegard Pompey said:
Did you ever watch Rome?
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I haven't actually. I keep forgetting about it. Thanks for the reminder.

Vegard Pompey said:
I'm currently rewatching The Sopranos. I didn't love it the first time I saw it, but I don't think I've ever wanted to rewatch a series so soon after finishing it the first time, which I suppose is a testament to how goddamn good it is. I'm definitely liking it more on rewatch, would probably rank it as my third favorite show after Breaking Bad and The Wire.
I still have problems with their approach towards storytelling though I guess there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I think I'm just too infatuated with the Breaking Bad-kind of storytelling where no problem ever goes away neatly and every single thing that happens has absurd consequences and no one has any control over anything. (Based on the interviews I've read, not even the showrunner does.)
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you're enjoying it more second time around. I understand what you're saying re. storytelling differences, The Sopranos has a more conventional style I guess, although as it goes on they take a lot more risks and play around with it more. On the flip side I think Breaking Bad can sometimes go a little far in the absurd consequences department. The plane crash for example felt a tad far-fetched to me. It certainly makes for entertaining viewing though.

Vegard Pompey said:
I'm also halfway through the first season of Mad Men, and I don't really get it. I guess it's an interesting deconstruction of the 'good old days' but I just feel like there's something I'm missing, something possibly enormous. Feeling more left out in the cold on this one than I ever did with The Sopranos.
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It's a weird show. I found it hard to get into also. It's nowhere near as immediate as Breaking Bad etc. It's worth persisting with though, the writing & production is great.
 
Einherjar86 said:
Rome was great. The second season was a disappointment, but the first is one of my favorite seasons of a television series ever. It's near perfection.
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Agreed. It's rather sad to watch the series because it's such an enormous case of what-could-have-been. IIRC, there were supposed to be at least five seasons but due to the cancellation several of them were compressed into the second. Still, the scenes with Mark Antony in Egypt are amazing.
 
Vegard Pompey said:
Agreed. It's rather sad to watch the series because it's such an enormous case of what-could-have-been. IIRC, there were supposed to be at least five seasons but due to the cancellation several of them were compressed into the second.
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I fucking hate when this happens. Twin Peaks, Deadwood and Carnivale all suffered similar fates. They'd better not fuck up Game of Thrones in this way.

Edit: Watched new True Blood last night, was pretty meh.
 
New True Blood was very meh. Will keep watching it anyway, but I hope it improves.

Just checked out the first couple episodes of Fallings Skies. Far from mind blowing but definitely entertaining enough to download every week.
 
Aside from Curb and Breaking Bad, Louie has had me addicted for quite a while now. The fact that he gets away with making such a brilliantly unorthodox show on FX, pretty much by himself, nonetheless, is pretty amazing.
 
So I started watching Rome, it's great. The only thing that's bothering me so far is the British accents, but I'm sure I'll get over it. "Brutus, old cock!" just seems odd when watching a series set in ancient Rome. Latin with subtitles or even Italian accents would have been better imo.
 
The second season will annoy you even more in that regard, since they let loose F-bombs left and right. Just pretend Catullus wrote the dialogue.
 
It's better than having American accents. Rome is ok, but nowhere near the likes of Sopranos, Deadwood, Breaking Bad etc. I'm watching Sons of Anarchy now, addictive but utterly trashy viewing.
 
Addo_Of_Nex said:
Aside from Curb and Breaking Bad, Louie has had me addicted for quite a while now. The fact that he gets away with making such a brilliantly unorthodox show on FX, pretty much by himself, nonetheless, is pretty amazing.
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Louie was on Netflix instant for about a week, but then it got taken off. Great show.

Started on Twin Peaks recently, but the pacing and datedness are grating on me already. Planning on at least getting through 5-6 eps before giving up.

Also, The motherfucking Wire.
 
BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD

Arrested Development, most obviously.

Mr. Bean, 30 Rock, Sports Night, Sherlock, The League...

Parks and Recreation is okay.

Actually, just sort by TV shows. They give you about 80 suggestions.
 
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