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FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: wood and iron on January 09, 2012, 10:04:41 PM

Title: General Television Thread
Post by: wood and iron on January 09, 2012, 10:04:41 PM
I've felt like this thread has been needed for a while for TV shows that we're watching but don't necessarily want to start a new thread for.

Anyway, I'm watching the second season of Sherlock along with the Brits and just watched the second episode. Anyone else? Did anyone else find that second episode really...weird? I mean like too close to science fiction for a Sherlock story?
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: buffcoat on January 09, 2012, 10:50:15 PM
I've felt like this thread has been needed for a while for TV shows that we're watching but don't necessarily want to start a new thread for.

Anyway, I'm watching the second season of Sherlock along with the Brits and just watched the second episode. Anyone else? Did anyone else find that second episode really...weird? I mean like too close to science fiction for a Sherlock story?

How are you watching it?
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: buffcoat on January 09, 2012, 10:59:24 PM
Watching Amazon Prime Instant Video on the TV.  Ain't technology grand?
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: dave from knoxville on January 09, 2012, 11:02:58 PM
I watched Season 1 of Downton Abbey this weekend, and for balance, have seen most of season 1 of Swamp People today. Back to work's approaching though.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Barry in Ireland on January 10, 2012, 04:59:38 AM
I watched the first episode of Sherlock and really enjoyed it. Cumberbatch is top-notch, and it's beautifully made.

Also recently pulled the trigger on the Cracker boxset I bought myself for Christmas. Man alive, but that was a good show. Mrs. Barry in Ireland hearts Downton season 1, but is pretty excoriating about the second. Gets a bit soapy, by all accounts.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: masterofsparks on January 10, 2012, 08:02:26 AM
I watched the first series of Sherlock and I like the look and the two main performances, but the stories really didn't do it for me. I don't know enough about Doyle's work to know if they're based on actual Sherlock Holmes stories.

Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Barry in Ireland on January 10, 2012, 09:07:39 AM
I watched the first series of Sherlock and I like the look and the two main performances, but the stories really didn't do it for me. I don't know enough about Doyle's work to know if they're based on actual Sherlock Holmes stories.

More informed sources tell me that they're based loosely on Doyle stories; S02E01 for example is called "Scandal in Belgravia" and there's a story apparently called "Scandal in Bohemia" or summat. I think they're shifting the focus from being standalone, self-contained stories towards building a mythos OR WHATEVER.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: masterofsparks on January 10, 2012, 09:41:32 AM
Because the character of Sherlock Holmes is such a part of the discussion in any mystery/detective story, it's weird to watch just such a show set in modern times where you can't make that connection because, I'm assuming, these stories are set in a world where those stories didn't exist. I'm not sure I explained that well, but hopefully it was clear enough.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: wood and iron on January 10, 2012, 10:48:47 AM
I've felt like this thread has been needed for a while for TV shows that we're watching but don't necessarily want to start a new thread for.

Anyway, I'm watching the second season of Sherlock along with the Brits and just watched the second episode. Anyone else? Did anyone else find that second episode really...weird? I mean like too close to science fiction for a Sherlock story?

How are you watching it?

I'm not watching it by legal means unfortunately. The second season will air on PBS or something in late March. However, I balance that out in my conscience with the knowledge that I donate to PBS and will likely buy the DVD/blu-ray.

With more UK shows gaining popularity here in the US, they really need to start erasing the time between airing in the UK and in the US. It's been working for Doctor Who for about two seasons now.

Also, for the most part BBC America is terrible. It airs US shows!
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: buffcoat on January 10, 2012, 02:17:35 PM
And British reality shows.

It's like the BBC as programmed by American TV executives.  "Let's take the lowest common denominator British stuff; it's all Americans can understand or appreciate."

I don't understand why the British government doesn't just negotiate with American cable to show straight up BBC channels on cable.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: cutout on January 10, 2012, 02:33:13 PM
I've started getting into The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. I think I'd avoided it for awhile because of how David Cross seemed as a person, but putting that aside, he's pretty funny in the show.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: wood and iron on January 10, 2012, 04:16:04 PM
And British reality shows.

It's like the BBC as programmed by American TV executives.  "Let's take the lowest common denominator British stuff; it's all Americans can understand or appreciate."

I don't understand why the British government doesn't just negotiate with American cable to show straight up BBC channels on cable.

That would be brilliant.

As for British reality shows, I will admit to a fondness to How Clean is Your Home or whatever that is called because I'm a bit of an Anglophile so I love any glimpse into average British life and I love watching dirty stuff get cleaned (slight OCD coming out there).
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Eric Fishlegs on January 10, 2012, 07:34:03 PM
There's a British show called OUTNUMBERED that may be airing on your local PBS station that I really enjoy. It's basically a show about a family, but apparently the dialouge of the kids is partly improvised and the little boy and the little girl are just comedy geniuses.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: ~L on January 10, 2012, 09:56:09 PM
Season One of Outnumbered is on hulu.com, I'll check it out!
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: free plax on January 11, 2012, 04:52:16 PM
Two BBC series I've really enjoyed are Wallander and The Street.  Wallander stars Kenneth Branagh as a Swedish detective.  The Street is a pretty gripping drama about life on a, seemingly, normal street in Britain. It stars Bob Hoskins and a lot of the actors who work in Mike Leigh films.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Barry in Ireland on January 13, 2012, 05:03:55 AM
I've felt like this thread has been needed for a while for TV shows that we're watching but don't necessarily want to start a new thread for.

Anyway, I'm watching the second season of Sherlock along with the Brits and just watched the second episode. Anyone else? Did anyone else find that second episode really...weird? I mean like too close to science fiction for a Sherlock story?

I managed to finally watch the second episode of Sherlock the other night. I thought it was pretty great, dude that played Henry was brilliant and I will watch anything with production values like that show has. Original Hound of the Baskervilles story was always a weird one, and I thought they did a decent job of making it a little more coherent.

Should I just send these notes to Sherlock, the BBC, London, England? I think they'd be useful.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: wood and iron on January 17, 2012, 12:56:31 PM
New season of Justified tonight! Although I doubt they can top Margo Martindale as season villain.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Omar on January 17, 2012, 02:02:07 PM
New season of Justified tonight! Although I doubt they can top Margo Martindale as season villain.

Justified is a great program!
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Yannick on January 17, 2012, 02:04:33 PM
I love Sherlock and the two Moffat episodes (the opening episodes of both seasons) are some of my favorite tv things ever.
I've found the series 2 finale a alternately good and just okay.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: mostlymeat on January 17, 2012, 03:39:08 PM
I love Sherlock and the two Moffat episodes (the opening episodes of both seasons) are some of my favorite tv things ever.
I've found the series 2 finale a alternately good and just okay.

I watched the first episode of Sherlock last night, it was so fun, I can't wait to watch the other two, and then, watch them again. TV is rarely that fun. 10 of 10!
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: wood and iron on January 17, 2012, 04:54:26 PM
I love Sherlock and the two Moffat episodes (the opening episodes of both seasons) are some of my favorite tv things ever.
I've found the series 2 finale a alternately good and just okay.

Agreed. While I found the situation that Sherlock found himself in compelling, the episode distinctly lacked some genuine detection going on. It kind of turned into an action movie rather than a detective show.
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Cotton on January 17, 2012, 09:26:42 PM
Justified is probably my favorite non-comedy show on TV. Pretty psyched for tonight.

I've really enjoyed Sherlock so far (haven't seen the Reichenbach episode yet), especially how these stories have been updated while keeping some of the central plot points. Looking forward to "The Red-Headed League"!
Title: Re: General Television Thread
Post by: Bryan on March 14, 2013, 12:00:39 PM
I've been loving the clips from Nathan For You:

Nathan For You: Interview With A Seven Year Old (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f2rgzsO-AMM#ws)

I don't think there's any way to watch it in Canada yet. Even though he's Canadian!