All Things TV Series Recommendations/Reviews

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fan of Ray Williams said:
Never watched the BBC version. Even funnier?
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It's really tough to compare as they are really different beasts, though based on the same premise. The BBC version ran only for 2 years (similar to all of Ricky Gervais' shows), 14 episodes total so a pretty much zero clunkers.

I'll just say the BBC version is great, and worth the time. As good as that series was, I liked Gervais' follow-up Extras even better.
 


stocker08 said:
Ah....you did mention that you recognized "Bilbo Baggins". Martin Freeman is a very good actor. If you have never seen the FX show "Fargo".....I highly recommend it. He was the main character in the first season. It's an anthology show, where each season is in a different time period or place with different actors, but they've all been good. The first and second were great.
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He is a lead actor and writer/producer for the newish sitcom, Breeders. I like it.
 


I know that I've brought it up at least once....but I'm sure I've mentioned it multiple times....The Life and Times of Tim. A crudely animated show on HBO from about twelve years back. Only got a few seasons....just didn't play well to that audience I guess. Probably flew way under the radar at the time. Took me a wild swing to run into it back then. Probably the single funniest TV show of all time, imo. The first season especially is filled with home runs.

If you can find it....give it a shot. The half hour episodes are split into two minisodes....which means they drop you almost immediately into wacky situations which are more often gold than not. The title of the first half of the first episode is "Angry Unpaid Hooker".
 

stocker08 said:
I know that I've brought it up at least once....but I'm sure I've mentioned it multiple times....The Life and Times of Tim. A crudely animated show on HBO from about twelve years back. Only got a few seasons....just didn't play well to that audience I guess. Probably flew way under the radar at the time. Took me a wild swing to run into it back then. Probably the single funniest TV show of all time, imo. The first season especially is filled with home runs.

If you can find it....give it a shot. The half hour episodes are split into two minisodes....which means they drop you almost immediately into wacky situations which are more often gold than not. The title of the first half of the first episode is "Angry Unpaid Hooker".
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I loved that show and his boss was great!
 


whogoofed said:
haven't read the whole thread so not sure if these have been covered but here are a few that my wife and I liked
Luther - British detective series on Netflix
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I started watching "Luther" on Amazon Prime a week ago or so; Brit detective series with Idris Elba as the main character. Me and the Mrs. really really like it, kinda surprisingly. I think it started in 2010 and there wasn't much rhyme or reason to the seasons and number of episodes per season; a few seasons with 6, maybe 4, kinda like that.

I'm somewhere in the middle of what I guess is season 3 and we are really enjoying it, it's pretty good so far.
 



for Disney+ subscribers:

Marvel released the 1st episode of the new "Loki" series today.

The series features Tom Hiddleston returning as Loki - Thor's adopted brother - the character he has played in multiple Marvel movies. It picks up from the end of "Avengers: Endgame" as Loki tries to escape but winds up getting captured by the Time Variant Authority.

(for the benefit of non-comic book nerds - The Time Variant Authority is a futuristic organization that protects the timeline from rogue time travelers trying to change history.)

Lot of humor with Owen Wilson playing a TVA agent. But there is also a serious side to the plot with a dangerous time traveler killing TVA agents, and Wilson wants Loki to help him capture the bad guy.

Apparently this is going to be a six-episode series. the 1st episode is about 50 minutes long, so the whole thing is going to be about 5 hours long.

1st episode was a lot of fun. If you haven't watched a lot of Marvel movies, they fill in enough of the backstory so people can follow what's going on.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
for Disney+ subscribers:

Marvel released the 1st episode of the new "Loki" series today.

The series features Tom Hiddleston returning as Loki - Thor's adopted brother - the character he has played in multiple Marvel movies. It picks up from the end of "Avengers: Endgame" as Loki tries to escape but winds up getting captured by the Time Variant Authority.

(for the benefit of non-comic book nerds - The Time Variant Authority is a futuristic organization that protects the timeline from rogue time travelers trying to change history.)

Lot of humor with Owen Wilson playing a TVA agent. But there is also a serious side to the plot with a dangerous time traveler killing TVA agents, and Wilson wants Loki to help him capture the bad guy.

Apparently this is going to be a six-episode series. the 1st episode is about 50 minutes long, so the whole thing is going to be about 5 hours long.

1st episode was a lot of fun. If you haven't watched a lot of Marvel movies, they fill in enough of the backstory so people can follow what's going on.
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Has anyone watched the Agents of SHIELD series. As mentioned in another thread, my wife and I are working our way through the Marvel movies in chronological order. Agent Coulson was the only character I really liked through the first few movies and was super bummed when he died. And then I discovered he's the lead in that series.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
for Disney+ subscribers:

Marvel released the 1st episode of the new "Loki" series today.

The series features Tom Hiddleston returning as Loki - Thor's adopted brother - the character he has played in multiple Marvel movies. It picks up from the end of "Avengers: Endgame" as Loki tries to escape but winds up getting captured by the Time Variant Authority.

(for the benefit of non-comic book nerds - The Time Variant Authority is a futuristic organization that protects the timeline from rogue time travelers trying to change history.)

Lot of humor with Owen Wilson playing a TVA agent. But there is also a serious side to the plot with a dangerous time traveler killing TVA agents, and Wilson wants Loki to help him capture the bad guy.

Apparently this is going to be a six-episode series. the 1st episode is about 50 minutes long, so the whole thing is going to be about 5 hours long.

1st episode was a lot of fun. If you haven't watched a lot of Marvel movies, they fill in enough of the backstory so people can follow what's going on.
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Oh....so they are just planning to do this as a limited series? I think that is a super awesome format that I hope we see more of. Can't cram everything into a feature length film? Six to ten episodes of a one off is a really badass way to flesh out an entire arch without forcing scenes. Also makes it easier to commit to something like this, rather than an ongoing series. For example....the Mandalorian lost me about halfway through the first season. Admittedly....I am not much a a Star Wars donk.

Was really hoping we'd see something like this for Dune. But it sounds like it will be a two-parter....which should help. Still.....I think movie goers expect less downtime.....so I still think it will end up cutting out what I would consider to be important progressions in the story. 'The Terror' (adaptation of the book of the same name by Dan Simmons) on AMC as a ten part limited series was a perfect example of well this can work. Someday I'll hopefully get that series for another Dan Simmons book, Hyperion. Sits at the top of my favorite book list with Dune.
 

Nokomis said:
Has anyone watched the Agents of SHIELD series. As mentioned in another thread, my wife and I are working our way through the Marvel movies in chronological order. Agent Coulson was the only character I really liked through the first few movies and was super bummed when he died. And then I discovered he's the lead in that series.
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"Agents of Shield" is OK. The thing is - that show was produced when Marvel Television was a separate division, so it really wasn't that connected to the Marvel Movie Universe. Had a couple of cameos by Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, and Sif from the Thor movies showed up once, but otherwise, the TV show didn't seem like part of the same universe.

But, on its merits, it was a decent show. In all honesty, there were times when it seemed like the writers were just throwing stuff at the wall to see what would stick, and some of the plot lines got a little wacky - killer robots, virtual reality, alien invasions, time travel, etc. But Clark Gregg as Coulson is always watchable.
 



Finally started watching Sons of Anarchy.

Why the hell haven't I already watched this show??? About halfway through season 2 now, and every episode has been great. I have to imagine they can't keep this quality up as the seasons start to go on and have to start reaching farther and farther for new conflicts and adversaries ... but it has been really good so far.
 

Almost done slogging my way through Travelers. The Will and Grace guy just isn't doing it for me as the lead.

Scratch that.....there's a third season. Dang.
 
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MplsGopher said:
Finally started watching Sons of Anarchy.

Why the hell haven't I already watched this show??? About halfway through season 2 now, and every episode has been great. I have to imagine they can't keep this quality up as the seasons start to go on and have to start reaching farther and farther for new conflicts and adversaries ... but it has been really good so far.
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SoA was pretty solid for the most part. They did a good job of keeping it interesting throughout the series.

Just finished up Halt and Catch Fire (AMC). Four seasons....which worked out really well. Didn't end up dragging like a lot of shows that overstay their welcome. It's set over a period of about 12 years or so....beginning in the early 80's as home PCs began their ascension. Each successive year jumps from there with the second season digging into networking and online communities. Third season dealing with antivirus and online transactions. Fourth and final season dealing with the growth and expansion of the internet (ISPs, world wide web, browsers, search engines, etc...). Basically just follows a core group of techies at the frontline of the tech boom. Definitely makes the show more interesting than the cookie cutter drama if you are into that kind of stuff.

I've heard good things about the show 'Patriot' on Amazon Prime. Only had two seasons....so it shouldn't a be long watch. I think after that.....it's time to finally watch 'The Americans'. While I didn't really have much interest in the show 'See' on Apple TV.....I may watch that one too....now that it seems Jonathan Tropper.....the showrunner behind the super fun 'Banshee' and 'Warrior' shows that were on Cinemax is going to be involved.
 

MplsGopher said:
Finally started watching Sons of Anarchy.

Why the hell haven't I already watched this show??? About halfway through season 2 now, and every episode has been great. I have to imagine they can't keep this quality up as the seasons start to go on and have to start reaching farther and farther for new conflicts and adversaries ... but it has been really good so far.
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I liked the show and watched it all the way through but it just is way too much sometimes. We're in rural northern California and a total of like 980 people die, there are 5000 shots fired, and there are dozens of explosions across the timeline of the show and yet there is like 1 arrest.

Shows can be entertaining and realistic at the same time and this one really hopped over that fence and stayed put.
 

tmvander said:
I liked the show and watched it all the way through but it just is way too much sometimes. We're in rural northern California and a total of like 980 people die, there are 5000 shots fired, and there are dozens of explosions across the timeline of the show and yet there is like 1 arrest.

Shows can be entertaining and realistic at the same time and this one really hopped over that fence and stayed put.
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Everybody is paying everyone else off (so far)! :D
 

Through a full season of 'Patriot' and I have nothing but good things to say. It's funny in the best sort of way.....where they don't really smash you over the head with jokes. The humor is subtle.....but in a quirky, charming way. I like the comparison to the FX series 'Fargo' in that sense. But 'Patriot' I believe is actually categorized as a Thriller/Drama/Dark Comedy. And for good reason. Highly recommend it.
 

My new guilty pleasure is a series on the History Channel titled "The Food that Built America." Typically runs Sunday evening.

They tell the stories behind different products, food companies and restaurant chains. Most shows include actors portraying the people being profiled, intercut with various talking heads commenting on the episode - including chefs, college teachers, historians, etc.

One of the recent episodes covered the battle between Coke and Pepsi, and the disastrous rollout of "New Coke." another episode covered the rivalry between McDonald's and Burger King as they tried to top each other with new menu items. Burger King rolled out the first chicken sandwich, so Mc Don's launched its own project which resulted in McNuggets being introduced. And there was an episode about pizza focusing on Dominos and Pizza Hut. (which included commentary by some guy who was identified as a "pizza historian." how do I get that job.)

Nothing earth-shattering, but fairly amusing. And if the shows are accurate, Ray Kroc was an absolute SOB.
 

stocker08 said:
SoA was pretty solid for the most part. They did a good job of keeping it interesting throughout the series.

Just finished up Halt and Catch Fire (AMC). Four seasons....which worked out really well. Didn't end up dragging like a lot of shows that overstay their welcome. It's set over a period of about 12 years or so....beginning in the early 80's as home PCs began their ascension. Each successive year jumps from there with the second season digging into networking and online communities. Third season dealing with antivirus and online transactions. Fourth and final season dealing with the growth and expansion of the internet (ISPs, world wide web, browsers, search engines, etc...). Basically just follows a core group of techies at the frontline of the tech boom. Definitely makes the show more interesting than the cookie cutter drama if you are into that kind of stuff.

I've heard good things about the show 'Patriot' on Amazon Prime. Only had two seasons....so it shouldn't a be long watch. I think after that.....it's time to finally watch 'The Americans'. While I didn't really have much interest in the show 'See' on Apple TV.....I may watch that one too....now that it seems Jonathan Tropper.....the showrunner behind the super fun 'Banshee' and 'Warrior' shows that were on Cinemax is going to be involved.
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The journeys of Gordon, Cam, Donna, and Joe, especially Joe in Season 3 is fantastic.
 

Now that I've wrapped up the series finale (end of season two) of Patriot.....I am willing to say that it is probably the best (non-comedy) show I've watched since Chernobyl.
 


Apple TV is making a big push to be a major player in the streaming service . 'The Morning Show' was good. 'Ted Lasso' was very good. 'The Shrink Next Door' looks like it could be great.


And I am also VERY excited for 'Foundation'....based on a classic novel written by one of the all time great science fiction authors, Issac Asimov. Holy smokes.....just watched the trailer.....that looks incredible. Wasn't sure how an adaption would work for something like this. Just way too ambitious a novel....like Dune or Hyperion....where a film just wouldn't be long enough to capture it. But a big budget television show could definitely do it justice. Doesn't appear that they are cutting corners here....which is good. Looking forward to seeing Lee Pace in another co-leading role....after the very good, 'Halt and Catch Fire'. And then of course.....Jared Harris is great in everything.

 

stocker08 said:
Apple TV is making a big push to be a major player in the streaming service . 'The Morning Show' was good. 'Ted Lasso' was very good. 'The Shrink Next Door' looks like it could be great.


And I am also VERY excited for 'Foundation'....based on a classic novel written by one of the all time great science fiction authors, Issac Asimov. Holy smokes.....just watched the trailer.....that looks incredible. Wasn't sure how an adaption would work for something like this. Just way too ambitious a novel....like Dune or Hyperion....where a film just wouldn't be long enough to capture it. But a big budget television show could definitely do it justice. Doesn't appear that they are cutting corners here....which is good. Looking forward to seeing Lee Pace in another co-leading role....after the very good, 'Halt and Catch Fire'. And then of course.....Jared Harris is great in everything.

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Oh man......and I just caught a trailer for 'Schmigadoon'. Parody of a 1940's musical starring Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, and Alan Cumming. Yeah.....I'm all over that.

 

I just started watching "Kims Convenience" on Netflix. 5 seasons, 13 episodes per season.
It's a comedy set in Toronto about a Korean family with a convenience store in the bottom level of their house. Apparently it has won a number of awards for best comedy in Canada. I have have been laughing throughout season 1.
 

So...connected to 'Patriot'...which I fully endorse...'Perpetual Grace LTD' on Epix. Another show from Steve Conrad...and it is SO similar in so many ways to Patriot...that it could have been the second season of anthology. Looks like it is only going to get an abbreviated second season...which is too bad unless they can wrap things up nicely.

Two really great shows that just never seemed to find an audience.
 

Watched the entire seven episode run of 'Mare of Easttown'. Deserves the acclaim. I'd go ahead and suggest dedicating a free day and watching the entire series at once. There are several key moments where it may be tough to stop watching.
 

Looking for feedback on Get Shorty the TV series.

Looks promising halfway through the first episode.
 

MplsGopher said:
Finally started watching Sons of Anarchy.

Why the hell haven't I already watched this show??? About halfway through season 2 now, and every episode has been great. I have to imagine they can't keep this quality up as the seasons start to go on and have to start reaching farther and farther for new conflicts and adversaries ... but it has been really good so far.
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Sons is a Top 5 all time favorite show of mine. Only one bad storyline (Ireland, you'll know it when you get there)...the character development is incredible. The ending is one of the best series endings I've seen.

Go SAMCRO!
 

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