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  • reborn
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2008
    • 833

    #16
    Originally posted by Magician View Post
    That was the state of television until recently but now it's really maturing as an art form. The serialized, long-form nature allows for subtle characterization and epic-ness in scope largely absent from contemporary film. Some of the best television even plays directly on television's campy, pulpy past (Battlestar Galactica)

    I defy you to watch shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Battlestar Galactica, Six Feet Under, Mad Men or mini series like Band of Brothers and still make that statement. Even the lighter fare is outpacing cinema, I can't think of any recent film comedies that measure up to the perverse absurdism of It's always Sunny in Philadelphia or the good-natured suburban angst of The Office. Even Soutpark hides some truly biting social commentary underneath it's crude hilarity.

    In an economic climate such as this television becomes a much more relevant entertainment option; free, legal, high-quality episodes on my laptop are going to be winning out against a ten dollar trip to my local theater. Also: hands down, I have not come across any drama (theater/film etc) more powerful then The Wire produced in the last ten years.

    Television may not have an Orson Welles or a Hitchcock or a Bergman - but neither does film, at least nowdays. Meanwhile David Simon is tip-tapping at his keyboard while Polanski languishes in a California jail cell.
    5 words keep television in general from being good: Keeping up with the Kardashians.

    for every good bit of content intended for television, there are at least a few dozen crappy fill in the void shows. I am not sure you can say the same for cinema...the main reason, economy of production.

    Even if a movie sucks, it'll still be made because there's an audience and the possibility of recouping production costs. in the case of television, it's crap but let's try airing it before "are you smarter than a fifth grader."

    Comment

    • Fade to Black
      Senior Member
      • Sep 2008
      • 5340

      #17
      Originally posted by galia View Post
      Sons of anarchy is awful, you people ARE on crack

      I mean, I like some series, but I can't take them too seriously. Breaking Bad might be an exception, but then I thought Oz also was and upon re-watching it I found it enjoyable but full of weaknesses and too obvious, so time will tell

      I can't for the life of me understand the appeal of Lost or 24 though. Too much ridiculous taking itself seriously
      Yeah OZ didn't age very well. That was my favorite show in high school. Is it just me, or does something about the chiaroscuro of late 90s-early 00s visual stuff date really badly? I enjoy watching things from the 80s up to even the early 90s, but somewhere around 98 to 2002 doesn't sit so well.

      I've only watched through season 1 of Breaking Bad, I thought it was excellent so far, but it didn't strike me as a premise that could last for many seasons. Then again I haven't checked out Season 2, so I have no idea where the writers took that show.
      www.matthewhk.net

      let me show you a few thangs

      Comment

      • DRRRK
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2009
        • 1195

        #18
        Originally posted by wire.artist
        I wacht around 700 films per year and I still find some tv shows extremely good.
        When do you sleep?

        Comment

        • lowrey
          ventiundici
          • Dec 2006
          • 8383

          #19
          I admit to watching quite a bit of television but certainly not because it would be any sort of an art form to me, I think its just good, no-brainer entertainment.

          from comedies, the only one I can think of watching regularly is 30 Rock. I like The Office but not always. I tend to watch pretty random episodes of inane crime shows like CSI, Criminal Minds etc. The Wire is good, but they used to show it here at like 2am so I only watched it very occasionally. Lost and some of the other mega popular shows haven't really caight me.
          "AVANT GUARDE HIGHEST FASHION. NOW NOW this is it people, these are the brands no one fucking knows and people are like WTF. they do everything by hand in their freaking secret basement and shit."

          STYLEZEITGEIST MAGAZINE | BLOG

          Comment

          • dolochov
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2009
            • 112

            #20
            Originally posted by DRRRK View Post
            When do you sleep?
            just wanted to ask the same question. that'd be 2 films per day, what i'd love to do as well but won't fit in my time schedule because of other hobbys.

            the only tv series i watch regulary is lost since i quite like the storyline with its depiction of hidden secrets and chimerical mystery, things that i loved to fathom as a child, which allows me overlook the sometimes uninspired characters and the seemingly forced story turns.

            oh, am i sometimes watch family guy. stewie and brian are the most hilarious comedy duo in tv history.

            Comment

            • reborn
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2008
              • 833

              #21
              Originally posted by Fade to Black View Post
              ...

              I've only watched through season 1 of Breaking Bad, I thought it was excellent so far, but it didn't strike me as a premise that could last for many seasons. Then again I haven't checked out Season 2, so I have no idea where the writers took that show.
              Season 2 of Breaking Bad was awesome. It's very well written and I am totally looking forward to Season 3 in March.

              Comment

              • Fade to Black
                Senior Member
                • Sep 2008
                • 5340

                #22
                Originally posted by wire.artist
                I wacht around 700 films per year
                Nice, this is a feat I admire in a human being.
                www.matthewhk.net

                let me show you a few thangs

                Comment

                • theetruscan
                  Senior Member
                  • Jan 2008
                  • 2270

                  #23
                  Dollhouse is brilliant as well. I kind of prefer my TV to be really mindless though. I pretty much only watch after work on the trainer, last thing I need is to keep thinking.

                  For that, I've been watching the new Doctor Who. Completely simpleminded entertainment, but usually quite fun.
                  Hobo: We all dress up. We all put on our armour before we walk out the door, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re trying to be someone else.

                  Comment

                  • delirium
                    Senior Member
                    • Sep 2008
                    • 164

                    #24
                    ^^ i thought dollhouse was pretty bad. the acting put me off quite a bit, and the plot and premise were kind of weak.

                    do you watch fringe? it might be worth a shot. it's an X-files / Twilight Zone on crack. way less gimmicky than Lost, and i actually enjoy the scifi / paranormal details.

                    Comment

                    • delirium
                      Senior Member
                      • Sep 2008
                      • 164

                      #25
                      okay maybe i didn't give it a fair chance, wire. will give recontinuing it some thought if i'm ever bored.

                      Comment

                      • Acid, Bitter and Sad
                        Senior Member
                        • Mar 2007
                        • 1063

                        #26
                        Fringe is kinda interesting...except that Joshua Jackson completely and utterly destroys the series for me. Talk about bad casting and even worse acting.

                        The Office UK is classic! Extras was another great one. Gervais is quite the genius imo.
                        The Office US started out pretty good, but in the last couple of seasons, Steve Carrell's character just got so insanely annoying and asinine that i can't bear to sit through another episode.

                        Breaking Bad's just awesome....can't wait for season 3 to begin.

                        Bored to Death was a HUGE disappointment!

                        I kinda enjoyed season 1 of The United States of Tara.

                        Comment

                        • ronin
                          Banned
                          • Dec 2009
                          • 200

                          #27
                          I have to agree about OZ, it was my 'favourite TV show ever' and I would describe it as 'really great' (not even 'really great for a TV show'), but I decided to watch it for the third time recently and even though I still found it enjoyable, it has aged. The photo has aged, the plots have become predictable. Maybe it is because it was revolutionary for television at its time and now we got used to this kind of topic and to the way it is filmed. Characters and storylines have become cliché. I don't feel like The Sopranos has aged this much.
                          I really enjoy Mad Men, if only for the set and costumes. I also was disappointed in Bored to death, which came out just at the time I felt like viewing noir pastiche. I was expecting something more.

                          Comment

                          • endersgame
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2009
                            • 1623

                            #28
                            hank moody for the win..

                            Comment

                            • DRRRK
                              Senior Member
                              • Aug 2009
                              • 1195

                              #29
                              Originally posted by endersgame View Post
                              hank moody for the win..
                              I'm with you on this one. Hank rules.
                              I like the Office, too, but it is rarely shown on german TV. It has a very good german equivalent that I like. Overall I'm not into TV programs at all. I occasionally watch some series, but up to now no episode could convince me to watch the next. All the CSI stuff or similar crime series are foreseeable and boring. Last year a danish crime series of ten connected 90 minute movies called "Kommissarin Lund" fascinated me so much that I planned my sunday evenings around it. Apart from that TV is rarely interesting enough to make me turn off the computer or put away the book.

                              Comment

                              • swami
                                Senior Member
                                • Jul 2008
                                • 809

                                #30
                                Co-sign on Californication , have been a fan since the start.

                                A friend just turned me on to NIP TUCK which just by subject matter alone I stayed far away from but having watched a few episodes now I must say its pretty insightful, eye opening, honest entertaining ,inspirational and not to mention DARK!

                                The characters might not be likeable but it give serious insight into peoples motivations...

                                Comment

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