2016 TV Thread

[Thomkal]

Well guess its time to start a new thread here.

MTV, yes MTV, has a new show starting tomorrow based on Terry Brooks, Shannara series. expect lots of teenage sex I guess:

The Shannara Chronicles | Season 1 Episodes (TV Series) | MTV (http://www.mtv.com/shows/shannara)

[panerd]

Really looking forward to Billions and Westworld.

Not sure whether or not to get Hulu but loved 11-22-63 and really would like to check it out.

Taboo also sounds promising.

[Peregrine]

I loved the book 11-22-63 but not sure how a TV show based on it would turn out. Might be worth a watch.

[panerd]

I loved the book 11-22-63 but not sure how a TV show based on it would turn out. Might be worth a watch.

James Franco plays the lead. (Not sure if that makes it better or worse :) )

I've already been considering Hulu for The Man in the High Castle but haven't cared much for the adaptations of Dick's books outside of Blade Runner.

[Peregrine]

Think you mean Amazon Prime for Man in the High Castle - totally great show though.

[panerd]

Think you mean Amazon Prime for Man in the High Castle - totally great show though.

Yeah you are right. Guess that rules that one out, heh.

[panerd]

So about Amazon prime... Is there no other way to watch their exclusives then subscribe? My wife is a secondary prime member where we get the free shipping from her mom but not the video. $100 or whatever a year isn't worth it for just the show but it seems odd that they would offer no other way to watch it either. (At least with Netflix or Hulu you could subscribe for a few months at $10-20) I guess it will be out on DVD maybe at some point?

[Peregrine]

Pretty sure you can straight buy it but not sure how expensive it is.

[panerd]

Pretty sure you can straight buy it but not sure how expensive it is.

Yeah I looked this morning to see if that was possible and the only option seemed to be Amazon prime. Have about 4-5 other shows going right now anyways but the thought passed in my head to see how much it would cost to add it to my "queue".

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, it seems like you can buy each episode or (maybe) as a full season as you'd purchase any other show on Amazon Instant Video.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah I looked this morning to see if that was possible and the only option seemed to be Amazon prime. Have about 4-5 other shows going right now anyways but the thought passed in my head to see how much it would cost to add it to my "queue".

My Amazon has a "More Purchase Options" click on you can do on the page for a Prime show. Try that.

[ISiddiqui]

Oh wait.. that was just for Season 1 of Mozart in the Jungle... maybe you have to wait until a show gets to "selling" date... it's like its DVD date or something.

[panerd]

Oh wait.. that was just for Season 1 of Mozart in the Jungle... maybe you have to wait until a show gets to "selling" date... it's like its DVD date or something.

Yeah I guess it is a selling point of prime for now and then a way to make money a different way later on.

[stevew]

Just do a 1 month free trial and watch

[whomario]

Man in the High Castle is awesome. As for other options: There aren´t any and likely won´t be for a while as Amazon is using their shows as a selling point to their prime service. Overall, i think the 100 bucks are not all that much, but get why there´s little incentive if you have another streaming service already (well, hence the need to try and expand exclusive content ;) ).

Well guess its time to start a new thread here.

MTV, yes MTV, has a new show starting tomorrow based on Terry Brooks, Shannara series. expect lots of teenage sex I guess:

The Shannara Chronicles | Season 1 Episodes (TV Series) | MTV (http://www.mtv.com/shows/shannara)

I actually watched the first 2 episodes the other day and while it was far from great, it was also not horrible. Admittedly i read the books a while back and never actually was that invested in them, so maybe i´m less harsh than others. (i do think that choosing the 2nd book is a good decision)

It is totally obvious from the get-go that this is an MTV series, if i had to describe the optics in one word i´d go with "pretty". The young actors are not horrible, but you know that´s not why they got the job. Manu Bennett (from Arrow) has a good presence (and sounds eerily like Sean Connery, which is always a plus).
They are also trying very hard to jump on the Dystopia train, although i actually think the "easter eggs" in the shape of famous landmarks and/or technological advancement now in ruins was kinda charming. It does not bother at all with tiny stuff like logic (in terms of space/time especially with apparently a single horse ride leading you from desert to the ocean via lush forrests) and felt rushed as heck. Just way too much going on in the first couple episodes, especially the 2nd, with a lot of it serving very little narrative purpose. And the dialogue is at times legitimately cringe-worthy (my favourite: "You know it to be true" ).

But both in terms of sounds and visually its worthwhile (shooting in Hobbitland, ähm New Zealand doesn´t hurt) and feels very "earnest" in that no one is trying to hide the fact that its a fantasy show doing fantasy things in a fantasy world. And if you suspend disbelieve a little (and maybe the need to compare with the books) i think it could turn out to be a fun show to watch as a change of pace at least.

[RainMaker]

I just finished The Leftovers and that show is absolutely incredible.

[Peregrine]

I watched a few of the Leftovers when it first started then sort of left it- think I will pick it up again soon,

[Thomkal]

Colony starts tonight on USA (which is why I couldn't find anything about it on SyFY's site :) ) It looks very intriguing. An alien force (which we know next to nothing about at the beginning) invades and builds massive walls around LA and the surrounding areas (a la Donald Trump I guess :) ) Communication is cut off with the rest of the world, so we won't know if they control Earth now. Resisters are captured and disappear. Some humans become sympathesizers. others will become resistors. Unfortunately Lori from The Walking Dead co-stars but Josh Holloway from Lost seems to be the main character.

[sovereignstar v2]

I just finished The Leftovers and that show is absolutely incredible.

"Will you make a wish? I think I may be a fraud."

[stevew]

Watching season 2 of the Affair. Show is great.

[Thomkal]

Colony starts tonight on USA (which is why I couldn't find anything about it on SyFY's site :) ) It looks very intriguing. An alien force (which we know next to nothing about at the beginning) invades and builds massive walls around LA and the surrounding areas (a la Donald Trump I guess :) ) Communication is cut off with the rest of the world, so we won't know if they control Earth now. Resisters are captured and disappear. Some humans become sympathesizers. others will become resistors. Unfortunately Lori from The Walking Dead co-stars but Josh Holloway from Lost seems to be the main character.

Not a bad start I think. My one concern is that they will concentrate too much on this one family, and not enough on who the aliens are, and what kind of control they have on the rest of Earth. Why did they choose the LA area to wall off? Great job on the wall. like how they have drones to fly over it, and where do they go, and to whom? Also curious as to the fate of the missing son.

[stevew]

Lori from the Walking Dead is a show killer to me.

[cubboyroy1826]

Really like the Shannara Chronicles so far. I read the books as a kid and will admit it is still one of my favorite series. This was really the first fantasy series I read which is probably why it holds a special place.

[Julio Riddols]

Lori from the Walking Dead is a show killer to me.

I have barely watched the show at all, but they still haven't killed her dumb ass off?

[stevew]

Watched the pilot to Billions during the free Showtime weekend. It stars Paul Giamatti, Damien Lewis, Tara from Sons of Anarchy and others. Really good.

[Draft Dodger]

Lori from the Walking Dead is a show killer to me.

honestly, I thought Josh Holloway was the bigger issue.

[panerd]

Watched the pilot to Billions during the free Showtime weekend. It stars Paul Giamatti, Damien Lewis, Tara from Sons of Anarchy and others. Really good.

Yes I enjoyed the pilot a lot. Glad they made the characters more nuanced so that Lewis isn't just an evil rich guy though he is likely headed that way. I don't know about you but it's hard to take Tara as anything other than a biker chick for me.

[Thomkal]

So anybody see Legends of Tomorrow yet? Just watched it and it was okay. Already has one strike against it being a time travel story for me. Kind of lame they all fell for Rip Hunter's lies, but they don't exactly have a way of checking out his background story do they? Have to think there is a little more to Rip's reasons than just 7 characters that won't have much impact on the timeline-have to think there may be some other reasons they were chosen. Rip was kind of boring too.

Rest of the cast were okay, but clearly will need time to develop chemistry with each other. Seemed a bit forced on us at times-would like to see more conflict/differences between them. Funniest bit was when Prof Stein says he doesn't remember Atom as one of his students. Poor Ray. :)

anyone else's thoughts?

[thealmighty]

Black Sails starts a new season tomorrow on Starz if anyone watches it besides me.

[Thomkal]

X-Files is back Sunday night for a 6 week run on Fox.

The X-Files review – reboot gets off to a stuttering start then gains momentum | Television & radio | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jan/22/the-x-files-review-revivial-new-episodes?CMP=fb_gu)

spoilers in that article-I've not read it yet

[RainMaker]

Just saw the trailer for this and looked interesting. Little wary of network TV but this is definitely something I'll check out as I'm a big Zach Gilford fan.

THE FAMILY Season 1 TRAILER (2015) New ABC Series - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfyV4u1ckjI)

[Thomkal]

freaky

[Scarecrow]

Enjoying the Lucifer soundtrack; the show's not that bad either.

[cartman]

Just found out this is coming to TV in March. I've read several of the Hap and Leonard books, so I'm really anticipating seeing this brought to life.

http://www.sundance.tv/series/hap-and-leonard

[RainMaker]

Fortitude is apparently on Amazon Prime now. Anyone seen it? Got some great reviews despite being on an unknown network.

Also still blown away by how good The Leftovers is. How is that show not bigger?

[Peregrine]

Black Sails starts a new season tomorrow on Starz if anyone watches it besides me.

I had actually never heard of this show (Starz and all) but started watching the first season online and it's pretty damned good.

[thesloppy]

I had actually never heard of this show (Starz and all) but started watching the first season online and it's pretty damned good.

I feel like Black Sails improves significantly with a little time, so if you like it now it only gets better.

...I would hate to admit how long it took me to figure out that it's based around Long John Silver (and Captain Flint & Billy Bones, etc.) from Treasure Island.

[Peregrine]

I feel like Black Sails improves significantly with a little time, so if you like it now it only gets better.

...I would hate to admit how long it took me to figure out that it's based around Long John Silver (and Captain Flint & Billy Bones, etc.) from Treasure Island.

Well it's a weird mix of real life historical pirates (Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Hornigold etc) and the fictional ones.

[Butter]

Two thumbs up on FX's BASKETS. Worth it just for Louie Anderson alone, really.

[stevew]

I just finished The Leftovers and that show is absolutely incredible.

hey-

So I watched all of these in about a day and a half so maybe I didn't really get a chance to think about it much. Why did Meg rape Tom? Just cause she could? Also we're to believe that Meg visited Miracle before she entered the GR. Then she fostered a relationship with that girl that disappeared and it lead to her leaving? I think this season was great, but maybe didn't have the highs of season 1(specifically the stand alone Nora episode and Matt episode from season 1)

[PilotMan]

Two episodes in and I'm hooked on 11/22/63 on Hulu.

I read the book and the telling of it so far is solid. Very entertaining.

[BYU 14]

I am enjoying The Outsiders on WGN, kind of a 'Sons of Anarchy' meets 'Justified'.

They are doing a fairly good job building the characters at the moment, though some are pretty cliché. Definitely not a groundbreaking show, but it is different and entertaining. Weird watching Ryan Hurst (Opie) as somewhat wimpy after he was such a badass on SOA.

[whomario]

Anybody seen The Night Manager yet ? Have never read the novel, just watched the first 2 episodes with the rest sure to follow fast. Pretty impressive cast of course with Hiddleston and Laurie heading it up but also the usual incredible supporting british cast. Really liked the contrast in setting between the first episode (Arab spring in Egypt) and the second (lonely mountain resort in the Swiss Alpes), nice pacing as well and i generally enjoy these shorter series with a finished plot anyway.

[Professor58]

Anybody seen The Night Manager yet ? Have never read the novel, just watched the first 2 episodes with the rest sure to follow fast. Pretty impressive cast of course with Hiddleston and Laurie heading it up but also the usual incredible supporting british cast. Really liked the contrast in setting between the first episode (Arab spring in Egypt) and the second (lonely mountain resort in the Swiss Alpes), nice pacing as well and i generally enjoy these shorter series with a finished plot anyway.


Wont air in the States until April 19th on AMC. Looking forward to see it.

[whomario]

Ah, ill be careful not to spoil anything then (or tag it). Watched it on amazon, so for the people with Prime i can definitely recommend it. Ep 3 was a bit contrived, but nothing too bad.

[whomario]

Really liked it throughout, although the last episode is pushing it in terms of the required "suspension of disbelieve" and veers into "Camp" in a way. The talk of Hiddleston doing "his Bond audition" is pure bullshit. Aside from the title sequence and the flashy optics, this is decidedly not a TV-Bond. Hiddleston is absolutely brilliant though, especially whenever he is allowed to really dig into his "shakespearian" tendencies (hey, he played a kickass King Henry in The Hollow Crown series and a much applauded Coriolanus on stage), f.e. the Restaurant scene or the opening episode in Kairo. Terrific actor, hope he avoids stinkers like the Hank Williams biopic in the future.

Hugh Laurie gets his shining moment in the Turkey/Syria episode, but gets done a disservice in the final episode.

Anyway, series has his flaws but overall its 6 hours of character drived, yet fast-paced TV with absolutely stunning visuals. Highly recommended.



I also just saw the 2nd season of Bosch on Amazon. First season was prerry good but felt a bit empty at times, the second corrects that by upping the pace just a bit and having way fewer exposition scenes. Cast is awesome. Not just Welling as Bosch (smartly updated from the novel) but basically all roles are great. Fans of the Wire will find Lance Reddicks character pretty funny (he´s basically playing the same character, only after making rank) while Jamie Hector plays a convincing younger Partner to Bosch (also, Ziggy is in).

The plot is pretty good, i was especially impressed how it held my interest even after the initial reveal and showdown. Cinematography is impressive as well like it was in season 1, but makes even better use of the contrast between the "lightness" of California and the night scenes.

[GrantDawg]

Love on Netflix was a funny, quirky show. It is about a relationship developing between two people whose lives are train-wrecks in different ways. Really enjoyed it.

Flaked got one episode and a pass. It wasn't funny at all. Maybe it would have gotten better, but there was just nothing likable about the episode to make me want to continue watching.

The Ranch was just weird. Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson and Sam Elliot all makes you want to watch. The show has a "Two and Half Men" feeling to it, which is very strange for a Netflix show. It has a freekin' laugh track. I mean, come on! Still, I watched the whole season and probably will watch it again just because of the cast. It isn't a great show by any stretch, though.

[cartman]

Just found out this is coming to TV in March. I've read several of the Hap and Leonard books, so I'm really anticipating seeing this brought to life.

http://www.sundance.tv/series/hap-and-leonard

The season finale ran last night. It was a short 6 episode season. I enjoyed the series, it did a good job of telling the story that was in the first Hap and Leonard book, 'Savage Season'. Hopefully it does get picked up for a second season.

[stevew]

SMG to reprise her role from Cruel Intentions in a new NBC pilot. I am so totally game, even if it will perhaps be sanitized for network TV.

[TroyF]

I just finished racing through The Man in the High Castle. Man, I loved that show. I know they are filming season 2. I'm all in. I need to read the book it is based on now.

[panerd]

I just finished racing through The Man in the High Castle. Man, I loved that show. I know they are filming season 2. I'm all in. I need to read the book it is based on now.

The book is fantastic. I'm sure they took some liberties on the show to make it last more than one season but the book definitely had a conclusion. I think I mentioned on the first page of this thread I really want to see this one based on the reviews. Usually Phillip Dick's books' tv and movie adaptations are not very good (with the exception of Blade Runner) but this one is supposed to be really good.

[stevew]

Looks like you can get prime(10.99) or prime video(8.99) by the month now. Might be worth getting prime for a few months at a time if it was hard to justify dropping 99 in a chunk for it

[Radii]

After listening to Louis CK on the Bill Simmons Podcast I went and picked up Horace and Pete. I'm on his mailing list and I wish I had gotten in on this while he was releasing it on a weekly basis. Its going to take me a little bit to get through it, it feels way too heavy for me to binge watch. I finished the 3rd episode tonight and will probably wait a day or two for the next one.

I love the way Louis went about ths just as much as the actual show itself.

Has anyone else gotten in on this? No spoilers please.

[Solecismic]

Back in 2011, The Good Wife was the last drama with a season longer than 13 episodes nominated for Best Drama (24 was the last to win, all the way back in 2006). Last night, it aired its final episode. Mixed reviews, but it was a decent show in an era where everything's a formula procedural or a soap opera on the networks. Will higher quality television ever return to the networks in the 22-24-week format?

[Radii]

After listening to Louis CK on the Bill Simmons Podcast I went and picked up Horace and Pete. I'm on his mailing list and I wish I had gotten in on this while he was releasing it on a weekly basis. Its going to take me a little bit to get through it, it feels way too heavy for me to binge watch. I finished the 3rd episode tonight and will probably wait a day or two for the next one.

Just finished the finale to Horace and Pete. I loved it, its a totally unique experience with a wonderful cast, outstanding writing and acting. This show is going to be on a lot of top 10 lists at the end of the year for TV. It wasn't perfect, and like many things Louis CK has done it tests my ability to watch extremely uncomfortable/embarrassing/cringe-worthy moments at time, but damn it was good.

[Honolulu_Blue]

The Preacher pilot was fantastic.

The intro scenes for both Cassidy and Tulip were fucking outstanding.

I am very much looking forward to more of this.

[bob]

Just finished the finale to Horace and Pete. I loved it, its a totally unique experience with a wonderful cast, outstanding writing and acting. This show is going to be on a lot of top 10 lists at the end of the year for TV. It wasn't perfect, and like many things Louis CK has done it tests my ability to watch extremely uncomfortable/embarrassing/cringe-worthy moments at time, but damn it was good.

This has a weird pricing model that has kept me from jumping in. $5 for the first episode, $2 for the second, then $3 for episodes 3 - 10.

[Radii]

This has a weird pricing model that has kept me from jumping in. $5 for the first episode, $2 for the second, then $3 for episodes 3 - 10.

$31 for the season I think yeah. I won't lie, I downloaded it and made sure I liked it before paying.

It will eventually be on Netflix or some other streaming service.

[digamma]

Back in 2011, The Good Wife was the last drama with a season longer than 13 episodes nominated for Best Drama (24 was the last to win, all the way back in 2006). Last night, it aired its final episode. Mixed reviews, but it was a decent show in an era where everything's a formula procedural or a soap opera on the networks. Will higher quality television ever return to the networks in the 22-24-week format?

While we've certainly seen networks err more towards reality and cheaper plug and play programming, there's a strong argument that the overall content of television is much, much higher than we've ever seen. And with Netflix Originals, Amazon, Hulu, etc., the access and volume of programming is certainly greater than it has ever been. What a time to be alive!

[ISiddiqui]

Back in 2011, The Good Wife was the last drama with a season longer than 13 episodes nominated for Best Drama (24 was the last to win, all the way back in 2006). Last night, it aired its final episode. Mixed reviews, but it was a decent show in an era where everything's a formula procedural or a soap opera on the networks. Will higher quality television ever return to the networks in the 22-24-week format?

To be honest, I doubt it. The pacing is just much better in a 10-13 ep season. The 22-24 ep seasons just have a lot of dragging moments and is far less focused.

[Solecismic]

vim over emacs? Loved it. At IBM, the emacs people went nuts if you said you used vi. I still do. Can't remember half the commands, but it's pretty much ingrained in my finger memory.

Silicon Valley was good its first two seasons, but it's absolutely Dilberting the computer programming industry this season.

[Groundhog]

I need to watch Preacher again. Decided the best time to watch it was right after I got home from the bar last Saturday, and I don't know if I remember a single thing.

[EagleFan]

That new version of Top Gear is pure rubbish. I'll try to give it a chance to grow but I don't see Leblanc getting any better, he just seems like a brain dead robot reading lines. It almost seemed like they tried to give him as many Jeremy-like lines as possible but he just can't deliver them.

[spleen1015]

I also just saw the 2nd season of Bosch on Amazon. First season was prerry good but felt a bit empty at times, the second corrects that by upping the pace just a bit and having way fewer exposition scenes. Cast is awesome. Not just Welling as Bosch (smartly updated from the novel) but basically all roles are great. Fans of the Wire will find Lance Reddicks character pretty funny (he´s basically playing the same character, only after making rank) while Jamie Hector plays a convincing younger Partner to Bosch (also, Ziggy is in).

The plot is pretty good, i was especially impressed how it held my interest even after the initial reveal and showdown. Cinematography is impressive as well like it was in season 1, but makes even better use of the contrast between the "lightness" of California and the night scenes.

Have 2 episodes left in Season 1. I am a sucker to good cop shows. While not at the same level as The Wire, this is a decent show.

[Logan]

Good lookback on covering TV over the past 20 years from Sepinwall:

From Must-See TV to Peak TV: 20 Years of covering television (http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/from-must-see-tv-to-peak-tv-20-years-of-covering-television)

[RainMaker]

That new version of Top Gear is pure rubbish. I'll try to give it a chance to grow but I don't see Leblanc getting any better, he just seems like a brain dead robot reading lines. It almost seemed like they tried to give him as many Jeremy-like lines as possible but he just can't deliver them.

Yup. I tried the second episode and it was much worse. Weirdly I didn't mind LeBlanc. It was everyone else that was garbage.

[EagleFan]

Yup. I tried the second episode and it was much worse. Weirdly I didn't mind LeBlanc. It was everyone else that was garbage.

Watching episode two now. I agree, Leblanc isn't as bad as in episode one but can someone please make Evans shut up.

[spleen1015]

Has anyone else watched Mr. Robot? I saw the preview for season 2 while at the movies last week and decided to see what it was all about. Seems like a decent show. I liked the first episode of season 1.

[Logan]

Has anyone else watched Mr. Robot? I saw the preview for season 2 while at the movies last week and decided to see what it was all about. Seems like a decent show. I liked the first episode of season 1.

Loved it. Thought the finale had some weak elements not worth mentioning now of course, but they did a great job overall. Performances and writing both great.

Believe we talked about it a decent amount in the 2015 TV thread.

[Radii]

Has anyone else watched Mr. Robot? I saw the preview for season 2 while at the movies last week and decided to see what it was all about. Seems like a decent show. I liked the first episode of season 1.

There was a good bit of chatter about it here, nearly all positive. Critical praise and just a fun show to watch both.

[Butter]

Mr. Robot was right up my alley. Maybe the best first season of a show I've ever seen.

[spleen1015]

I'm into episode 4. Rami Malek is awesome.

[cartman]

VH1 is being rebranded as MTV Classic. Going back to the early '90s to show old episodes of Unplugged, Beavis & Butthead, Daria, etc.

‘Beavis & Butt-Head,’ ‘Daria,’ More ‘90s Favorites Returning on New MTV Classic (https://www.yahoo.com/tv/beavis-butt-head-daria-more-90s-favorites-returning-130405679.html)

[thesloppy]

Whar my Undressed?

[Jas_lov]

Anyone watching the HBO series, The Night Of? The first three episodes have been really good. The first episode I thought was the most suspenseful. I read that Turturro's part was originally written for Gandolfini but I can't really picture him in that role.

[sabotai]

Anyone watching the HBO series, The Night Of?

I have. I really like it so far.

[cartman]

Evidently there will be a show on Fox Saturday night where a guy jumps out of a plane at 25,000 feet with no parachute or wing suit and will attempt to land on a net.

edit: and it is live (well, a slight delay in case the worst happens)

[thesloppy]

Dear world, you lied to me. Stranger Things was dull & miserable.

[larrymcg421]

Dear world, you lied to me. Stranger Things was dull & miserable.

Incorrect.

[Butter]

Dear world, you lied to me. Stranger Things was dull & miserable.

I'm sorry you have bad taste.

[ISiddiqui]

I haven't yet seen it, but what I have read seems to indicate that "Stranger Things" would appeal to people who are into 80s nostalgia. If you don't like that stuff, you aren't going to like "Stranger Things".

[whomario]

I haven't yet seen it, but what I have read seems to indicate that "Stranger Things" would appeal to people who are into 80s nostalgia. If you don't like that stuff, you aren't going to like "Stranger Things".

Yes, but why wouldn´t you enjoy 80s nostalgia ? :p

[ISiddiqui]

Overkill? ;)

I mean there have been so many 80s movies reboots and 80s nostalgia trips that it can start to get a bit much, no?

I mean I've heard the "Stranger Things" hype and I was like... oh, 80s nostalgia, well it'll go behind a few other things I have on Netflix (currently its finishing "Lady Dynamite" and moving on to "BoJack Horseman"'s new season before I even think of watching it).

[Young Drachma]

Old but whatever, but I binge watched The Good Wife over the past few weeks and enjoyed it.

Also watched all of BoJack Horseman Season 3 and was gobsmacked by how good it was, but can totally see it as an acquired taste.

Umm...Suits new season is back and it's good, but that show is going to wear thin soon. Watched the final season of House of Lies and thought it went out fast but okay.

Enjoyed more than I thought the two SyFy Canadian shows Killjoys and Dark Matter. I think I liked Dark Matter more at first, but I might be back on the Killjoys side of the house.

[thesloppy]

I haven't yet seen it, but what I have read seems to indicate that "Stranger Things" would appeal to people who are into 80s nostalgia. If you don't like that stuff, you aren't going to like "Stranger Things".

Kind of. ET & Goonies are the completely obvious comparisons...but with every sliver of humor or joy removed, and set in a universe filled entirely with unhappy & unlikable people.

[Thomkal]

Old but whatever, but I binge watched The Good Wife over the past few weeks and enjoyed it.

Also watched all of BoJack Horseman Season 3 and was gobsmacked by how good it was, but can totally see it as an acquired taste.

Umm...Suits new season is back and it's good, but that show is going to wear thin soon. Watched the final season of House of Lies and thought it went out fast but okay.

Enjoyed more than I thought the two SyFy Canadian shows Killjoys and Dark Matter. I think I liked Dark Matter more at first, but I might be back on the Killjoys side of the house.

For me, The Good Wife had some of the best writing for a TV show ever. Cast must have been a pleasure to write for too. I think Killjoys and Dark Matter are some of the best shows SYFY has put put over the last five years. Sadly that's not high praise given what they have put out over the last five years :) Killjoys has been better than expected, and has one of my favorite actors (Luke MacFarlane-D'avin) on it. The main cast is pretty good together, and there's enough mystery behind them to sustain a somewhat uninteresting plot of being intergalactic bounty hunters.

Dark Matter took a pretty generic theme (throw six people on a space ship with no memory of who they are and see what happens), and created an intriguing world around them. Cast has good chemistry between them, but I'm saddened by what happened to one of them this season. (even if he deserved it :) )

[Radii]

I haven't yet seen it, but what I have read seems to indicate that "Stranger Things" would appeal to people who are into 80s nostalgia. If you don't like that stuff, you aren't going to like "Stranger Things".


I don't care much about 80s nostalgia, though I'm not turned off by it either, and I absolutely loved Stranger Things. It does do a lot of 80s stereotype stuff but there is a legit good story being told within.

[Radii]

Also watched all of BoJack Horseman Season 3 and was gobsmacked by how good it was, but can totally see it as an acquired taste.

I'm starting season 1 of Bojack tonight. I've heard too many people whose opinions I trust on TV tell me that I need to watch it.

[Logan]

I don't care much about 80s nostalgia, though I'm not turned off by it either, and I absolutely loved Stranger Things. It does do a lot of 80s stereotype stuff but there is a legit good story being told within.

Finished this yesterday and definitely agree.

[Marc Vaughan]

Stranger Things is awesome - just one more episode to watch and I'll have consumed everything possible in two days flat ;)

A wonderful mix of ET, The Goonies and X-Files ..

[RainMaker]

So my new TV plan gives me HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. Any good shows on Starz or Cinemax? I've already seen Banshee.

[thesloppy]

Strike Back is Cinemax's other quality offering. If you've never seen Spartacus you should watch all of that immediately.

[RainMaker]

I saw the first season of Spartacus years ago but didn't follow up because the main guy died in real life.

I need to check out Strike Back. Is The Knick any good?

[thesloppy]

I held off on the Knick for a while, but really enjoyed it when I ended up checking it out. Stuff like Strike Back and Spartacus is easier to recommend, because of explosions and swords and boobs (Spartacus recovers amazingly well from replacing several lead actors along the way FWIW), but The Knick is pretty unique. The quality or tone never really waivers, so you could probably just watch 10-20 minutes of the first episode and trust your judgment whether you'd enjoy the rest.

[spleen1015]

So my new TV plan gives me HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. Any good shows on Starz or Cinemax? I've already seen Banshee.

Showtime

Ray Donovan
Shameless
Homeland

[Butter]

Anyone watch ATLANTA on FX? I thought the first 2 episodes were really good... got through about 10 minutes of #3 last night before I was too tired to continue. Really liked it.

BETTER THINGS on the other hand, really did not like the pilot at all, despite my general enjoyment of most things Pamela Adlon.

[Easy Mac]

I read the synopses for the network Fall TV lineup to my wife the other night. The only one she seemed even remotely interested in was "This Is Us," mainly because I think she has a Parenthood sized hole in her TV watching heart.

Is it just me, or do network TV premises seem to be getting dumber and dumber. Everything seems to need a hook because no one wants to write/watch a normal TV show.

[Butter]

This Is Us looked so terrible during the Olympics. If it had a face, I'd want to punch it.

[RainMaker]

Season 2 of Narcos was a little slow. Still enjoyed it but they seemed to have used up too much material in Season 1.

I sort of wish the show would just end. A 20-episode series about catching Pablo Escobar is perfect. Maybe there are some other great stories to tell but I just don't know how that show moves forward without such a compelling figure like Escobar.

[RainMaker]

Is Bloodline worth watching? Love Kyle Chandler and it seemed to be up for some awards. But I've heard it's not that good from people with similar tastes.

Also are any of the Amazon shows worth the time. I like Man in the High Castle but haven't seen much else. Transparent wins awards but wondering if that's more because of the content it covers. The other shows didn't seem all that appealing although they have some new stuff up.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Is Bloodline worth watching? Love Kyle Chandler and it seemed to be up for some awards. But I've heard it's not that good from people with similar tastes.

Also are any of the Amazon shows worth the time. I like Man in the High Castle but haven't seen much else. Transparent wins awards but wondering if that's more because of the content it covers. The other shows didn't seem all that appealing although they have some new stuff up.

I've heard Catastrophe is fantastic, but haven't watched it myself.

[GrantDawg]

Is Bloodline worth watching? Love Kyle Chandler and it seemed to be up for some awards. But I've heard it's not that good from people with similar tastes.

Also are any of the Amazon shows worth the time. I like Man in the High Castle but haven't seen much else. Transparent wins awards but wondering if that's more because of the content it covers. The other shows didn't seem all that appealing although they have some new stuff up.


The first season of Bloodlines was very good. I still haven't watched the second season.

[CrescentMoonie]

The Good Place is predictably terrible, but Kristen Bell so I'll still check in on it.

This is Us was actually well done and I liked the twist. Will probably be the only new thing that stays on my DVR.

Designated Survivor really surprised me. Good opening episode, but that's mostly for the concept and I doubt it keeps it up.

[ISiddiqui]

Interesting... I though The Good Place was fantastic. The best new show of the season. I thought This is Us was pablum and I won't be watching anymore of it.

[GrantDawg]

Interesting... I though The Good Place was fantastic. The best new show of the season. I thought This is Us was pablum and I won't be watching anymore of it.


Didn't even try "This is Us", just too sappy. The Good Place was funnier than I expected. I will watch because of Kristen Bell, but it might not be as tortured a time as I expected. I doubt the show lasts, though (really dumb concept).

[ISiddiqui]

The concept is the only reason I'm watching. Kristen Bell and Ted Danson are fine, but I'm not watching a show just for them.

[ISiddiqui]

Well, Westworld was absolutely amazing! I'm sold. One of the best pilots for a show I've seen.

[Groundhog]

Well, Westworld was absolutely amazing! I'm sold. One of the best pilots for a show I've seen.

Yep, that was real solid. I'm a huge fan of the film, and I loved how they turned things on their heads re: the main couple of characters.

[larrymcg421]

So far I have really enjoyed...

This is Us - Fills the Parenthood hole in my heart. Definitely sappy, but well executed and (like Parenthood) builds much of it's drama on smaller moments.

The Good Place - Hilarious. Great concept and great cast. If anything, the show will get better as Mike Schur shows have the tendency to improve after the first few episodes.

Speechless - This show was a risky concept, but they found the right tone to make it work. Minnie Driver is hilarious.

Pitch - They handled this better than I expected in that they credibly created the scenario for a female pitcher to make it to the big leagues (she has a slow comparative fastball and has to rely on other pitches). I like the mixture of baseball stuff and her ability to handle the expectations.

Designated Survivor - Just figured this would be a fun and diverting suspense show, but I loved how the 2nd episode dealt with how many people would react to Muslims in that scenario. (Though I guess that means I'm "white knighting" them.)

Haven't seen Westworld yet, but really excited to check it out.

[RainMaker]

I wish more people would watch Halt and Catch Fire. It's perhaps the best show on TV at the moment.

[thealmighty]

I wish more people would watch Halt and Catch Fire. It's perhaps the best show on TV at the moment.


I do.

[ISiddiqui]

So do I. It's a fantastic show!

[Jas_lov]

I wish more people would watch Halt and Catch Fire. It's perhaps the best show on TV at the moment.

I am. The boardroom scene where they out voted Cameron was the best moment of the series. Hope it gets picked up again.

[CrescentMoonie]

The Good Place is predictably terrible, but Kristen Bell so I'll still check in on it.

This is Us was actually well done and I liked the twist. Will probably be the only new thing that stays on my DVR.

Designated Survivor really surprised me. Good opening episode, but that's mostly for the concept and I doubt it keeps it up.

Glad I stuck with The Good Place. It feels like they're finding the right tone for it now.

Designated Survivor took 3 episodes to become tedious.

Meanwhile, Gotham is insanely fun this season. The Mad Hatter and Alice storyline is excellent so far.

[ISiddiqui]

Speaking of Halt and Catch Fire:

AMC has renewed Halt and Catch Fire for a fourth and final season - The Verge (http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/11/13241722/halt-and-catch-fire-fourth-season-amc-renewal)

Renewed for a 4th and Final season. Remember that tonight is Ep9 and 10 (season finale) of the current season.

[ISiddiqui]

Whoa.... Halt and Catch Fire just ran off a string of 3 episodes in a row that were so incredible, I can't remember there being a string of 3 eps in a row of that quality aside from Breaking Bad.

[Chief Rum]

I finally watched the second episode of Westworld last night. The first episode didn't really capture my interest the way I thought it would. Not so with the second. Excellent show, especially the scenes with Ed Harris--he's a brilliant bad guy.

[nol]

I'm on the Westworld bandwagon too. My only worry at this point is that it might be something like Lost where there's a huge letdown down the road.

I haven't actually seen Lost - had a lot of friends telling me I'd love it at first, but by the time I seriously started thinking about watching it, the consensus among them was that it'd be a frustrating waste of time because of how it ended. For all I know, I might have actually loved the show, but that wasn't a chance I was willing to take. I'd probably be more optimistic about Westworld since it's not network TV, but it's not too often I start watching a show like this early in its run.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I'm on the Westworld bandwagon too. My only worry at this point is that it might be something like Lost where there's a huge letdown down the road.

I haven't actually seen Lost - had a lot of friends telling me I'd love it at first, but by the time I seriously started thinking about watching it, the consensus among them was that it'd be a frustrating waste of time because of how it ended. For all I know, I might have actually loved the show, but that wasn't a chance I was willing to take. I'd probably be more optimistic about Westworld since it's not network TV, but it's not too often I start watching a show like this early in its run.

I've enjoyed the first two episodes of Westworld. Some great stuff.

As for Lost... It was an amazing show. The ending was a letdown, but, for the large, the journey was more than worth it. The show had some amazing individual episodes, some fantastic characters, and some really great ideas and concepts.

It gets a bum rap in retrospect because of the ending, but it was remarkable, especially given that it came out during the glut shitty reality TV shows. So many network shows tried to copy it and utterly failed, where it succeeded. Even with the subpar and unsatisfactory ending, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys quality TV.

[RainMaker]

I'm on the Westworld bandwagon too. My only worry at this point is that it might be something like Lost where there's a huge letdown down the road.

I haven't actually seen Lost - had a lot of friends telling me I'd love it at first, but by the time I seriously started thinking about watching it, the consensus among them was that it'd be a frustrating waste of time because of how it ended. For all I know, I might have actually loved the show, but that wasn't a chance I was willing to take. I'd probably be more optimistic about Westworld since it's not network TV, but it's not too often I start watching a show like this early in its run.

I watched it a couple years ago. It's worth it. The ending isn't as terrible as people say. Not satisfying but doesn't ruin the whole series for me.

[CrescentMoonie]

The first two seasons of Lost are about as good as TV gets. The third season is good. Seasons 4-6 are complete dreck.

[RainMaker]

I guess the biggest reason I'd have for not watching Lost is it's like 100 hours of content and there is just so much good TV out there right now.

[chesapeake]

I watched it a couple years ago. It's worth it. The ending isn't as terrible as people say. Not satisfying but doesn't ruin the whole series for me.

It is all about expectations. Someone watching it for the first time now will be mentally prepared for the eventual disappointment. It won't hurt nearly as much. Those who agonized over the show for six years got burned so badly that the scars will last a lifetime.

OK, so there's a little hyperbole there. But not a lot. The more you love someone, the more it hurts when they let you down.

[Draft Dodger]

the ending of Lost is a lot better than the middle of lost, IMO

[Honolulu_Blue]

the ending of Lost is a lot better than the middle of lost, IMO

This is a good point. I actually quit watching the show sometime during season 3 or 4. My brother told me that it had gotten good again after several episodes, so I jumped back in. I've never seen those 5-7 episodes or so - the ones where Jack's tats are explained and with the Brazilian dude who played The God King Xeres in 300 and his girlfriend.

[GrantDawg]

Whoa.... Halt and Catch Fire just ran off a string of 3 episodes in a row that were so incredible, I can't remember there being a string of 3 eps in a row of that quality aside from Breaking Bad.


Agreed. I really do enjoy this show, but the subject might be too nerdy for a larger audience.

[ISiddiqui]

At least the critics are paying attention - AV Club, Hitfix (Alan Sepinwall), Vox (Todd VanDerWerff) have been absolutely glowing. Maybe it'll get some Emmy or Golden Globe love?

[Chief Rum]

I remember I watched a few episodes of the first or second season last year, and I did enjoy it. Although I didn't think the episodes I saw were representative of anything amazing-- it just looked like a good character drama based around the rise of the computer industry in the 80s.

That's not a bad spot to be in, but I guess it elevated even more from there?

[Chief Rum]

Watched the third episode of Westworld tonight, and it was again excellent. Actually, every episode has gotten better than the last. I am looking forward to next week.

There were some actually pretty tense stuff going on in this one.

[kingfc22]

Watched the third episode of Westworld tonight, and it was again excellent. Actually, every episode has gotten better than the last. I am looking forward to next week.

There were some actually pretty tense stuff going on in this one.

Can't believe Westworld doesn't have its own thread. I finally caught up and must say this show has been excellent. The past two weeks have been fantastic and I can say I definitely did not see the most recent plot twist coming.

[Chief Rum]

Can't believe Westworld doesn't have its own thread. I finally caught up and must say this show has been excellent. The past two weeks have been fantastic and I can say I definitely did not see the most recent plot twist coming.

I thought about starting one but I wasn't sure who else was watching. I probably should just start it.

It really has been terrific. I'm a big TWD fan, so when it came back, I was watching Westworld and then TWD (save the best for last).

I now watch TWD first (and I still love TWD).

[Honolulu_Blue]

I've been loving Westworld.

[thesloppy]

I love Westworld too, but I think the Lost comparison is apt, as they've got so many hanging threads going right now that at least part of the enjoyment is dependent on the viewer giving the show the benefit of the doubt that all of these mysteries have definite & satisfying conclusions.

[Chief Rum]

I love Westworld too, but I think the Lost comparison is apt, as they've got so many hanging threads going right now that at least part of the enjoyment is dependent on the viewer giving the show the benefit of the doubt that all of these mysteries have definite & satisfying conclusions.

For me, that's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it. A lot of good shows don't end particularly satisfying. So I wouldn't make any assumptions here one way or the other. I'll just enjoy the journey.

[thesloppy]

A lot of good shows don't end particularly satisfying.

That's certainly true, and I am totally enjoying the show so far. Personally, I hope the show keeps most of the focus on the "in game" plots, as the behind-the-scenes stuff is obviously integral to the plot and some of it is interesting, but the job-politics stuff is some of the weaker stuff in my opinion. Hopkins is interesting as a shady agent of mystery, but so far the scenes that extensively focus on his character are some of the most boring, and usually just consist of him stopping time & doling out exposition. Also, the "real-world" business stuff actually tests my disbelief more than the massive gameworld, with the suggestions that this tech is ONLY used for amusement park purposes, and the company who finances it wants to fire the ONLY human who knows how to code the whole thing? There are obvious answers to those issues, though not necessarily very believable ones, the "gameworld" is so much more disconnected from reality that I'm less likely to question things.

Similarly, I enjoy the plot-line with Maev and the techs a lot, but it's also inching closer and closer to aping "Ex Machina" every week, and it doesn't seem to be deeply connected to any of the other plots (yet). I'm hoping she points her mischief inward toward the game-world, rather than stretching the plot into even more settings.

...but again, I AM enjoying the show, I just looooove to nitpick.

[EagleFan]

Anyone watch The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime? I heard good things about it. Hopefully they can capture their magic from the past.

[Chief Rum]

Another episode of Westworld where my mind is blowing. Just a very enthralling series.

Season finale is Sunday.

[CrescentMoonie]

If you're not watching Speechless, you might want to give it a shot. I'm a fan of anything that allows normalization of special needs be they physical or mental and it's genuinely funny.