All Things TV Series Recommendations/Reviews

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odd "local" note -

Sunday night, watching "The Food that Built America" on the History Channel.

The episode was about microwave popcorn. One of the featured products was "Pop Secret" which was sold by a division of General Mills. There was a scene showing the General Mills CEO in his office reading the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.......!

as an older fellow, I got a kick out of the episode, because it did a segment on 'Jiffy Pop." "as much fun to make as it is to eat...."
 

Ope3 said:
Hopefully that does not happen with Barry which is coming back to HBO this Sunday for Season 3. It's been delayed due to the pandemic since 2019.

I revisited Season 1 this weekend and was reminded just how fantastic it's been so for.
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So far Barry Season 3 looks like it will be able to sustain itself, the premier was fantastic and has set itself up for some great storylines.

Having said that, and knowing they are already in production on Season 4, I don't know how it can go beyond that. Sooner or later it feels like it will have exhausted any feeling of plausibility and become a parody. Until that point, I'm all in for the ride.
 

The Disney+ series "Moon Knight" wrapped up this week.

this turned out to be very different than what I expected. they took more chances in how the story was presented. But, make no mistake, it was entertaining. the writers played some mind games with the characters - and by extension, the audience. they actually down-played some of the 'super-hero' aspects.

It helps to have a little background knowledge on the character, but they pretty much explained everything you needed to know to follow the story. made a few changes from the comics.

at this point, it does not appear that the show will get a second season. But Disney is using the Disney+ shows to introduce characters and concepts that will carry over into the movies, so I would be surprised if we don't see Moon Knight popping up in some future MCU projects.

On another topic, new trailer out for the upcoming "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series on Disney+. This looks like it could be a lot of fun for Star Wars fans.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
The Disney+ series "Moon Knight" wrapped up this week.

this turned out to be very different than what I expected. they took more chances in how the story was presented. But, make no mistake, it was entertaining. the writers played some mind games with the characters - and by extension, the audience. they actually down-played some of the 'super-hero' aspects.

It helps to have a little background knowledge on the character, but they pretty much explained everything you needed to know to follow the story. made a few changes from the comics.

at this point, it does not appear that the show will get a second season. But Disney is using the Disney+ shows to introduce characters and concepts that will carry over into the movies, so I would be surprised if we don't see Moon Knight popping up in some future MCU projects.

On another topic, new trailer out for the upcoming "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series on Disney+. This looks like it could be a lot of fun for Star Wars fans.
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VERY atypical Marvel fare. It was a very interesting story that was heavy on character development of the human and light on action of the 'super-hero' as you mentioned. Moon Knight is an awesome super hero so I hope that we see more in the future films or shows.

Oscar Isaac was fantastic in the lead role. He should certainly be up for some awards.

It is already being discussed that Moon Knight will make an appearance in the Disney+ Halloween special which may include Werewolf by Night or Midnight Sons.
 

"Thank God we were all on that tour bus. Amen, if that Groupon wasn't about to expire, we would all be dead men." - NoHo Hank

I really like how Barry is previewing each following weeks episode. Spoilers minimized.
 


"Fear the Walking Dead" is killing off characters left and right.

(SPOILER ALERT)

John Dorie Sr. bit the dust in Sunday's episode, along with Stand's flunky Howard. Charlie is dying of radiation poisoning, so she isn't long for the show.

and with this "war" coming up for control of the Tower, you can expect more characters to expire.

at this point, I'm only hanging on because I want to see how they bring Madison back. But, the way the season is going, they'll find some way to muck that up, too.
 

Checking out Prehistoric Planet on AppleTV+ currently. They did a hell of a job making it a believable nature documentary. Budget for this must be pretty crazy.
 

Nax5 said:
Checking out Prehistoric Planet on AppleTV+ currently. They did a hell of a job making it a believable nature documentary. Budget for this must be pretty crazy.
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I just added that to my list to watch. We got rid of AppleTV once we caught up with Ted Lasso and See. Will have to pick it up again to watch this. Also interested in Severance.
 

Really like Under The Banner of Heaven on Hulu.

Andrew Garfield is excellent and it deals with Fundamental Mormonism and has a “slow burn” pace which works well.
 



The "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series on Disney+ is supposed to roll out its first two episodes on Friday - or at Midnight Thursday (?).

at the Star Wars Celebration event - a Comic-Con style event for all things Star Wars - they also put out some info on the upcoming "Andor" series - a prequel to "Rogue One" featuring Diego Luna as rebel leader Cassian Andor. Series will be two seasons - 12 episodes each season - with the first episode dropping on August 31.
 

OK - saw the first 2 episodes of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" on Friday.

I will try to avoid spoilers. Suffice it to say that 'Star Wars' fans should be happy.

This picks up the story 10 years after the events of "Revenge of the Sith" aka the last 'prequel' movie - or about 10 years before the events of 'A New Hope.'

Ewan McGregor returns as Obi-Wan.

the plot in a nutshell - Obi-Wan has been in hiding since Order 66 led to most of the Jedi being killed. Then, an old friend asks for help, forcing Obi-Wan to decide whether he wants to come out of hiding. He is also being hunted by the Inquisitors - a group of force-sensitive people who work for the Emperor.

several characters from the prequels return, along with some new characters.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
OK - saw the first 2 episodes of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" on Friday.

I will try to avoid spoilers. Suffice it to say that 'Star Wars' fans should be happy.

This picks up the story 10 years after the events of "Revenge of the Sith" aka the last 'prequel' movie - or about 10 years before the events of 'A New Hope.'

Ewan McGregor returns as Obi-Wan.

the plot in a nutshell - Obi-Wan has been in hiding since Order 66 led to most of the Jedi being killed. Then, an old friend asks for help, forcing Obi-Wan to decide whether he wants to come out of hiding. He is also being hunted by the Inquisitors - a group of force-sensitive people who work for the Emperor.

several characters from the prequels return, along with some new characters.
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Also watched it tonight. Loved it. This is the kind of content I want from Star Wars.
 

mnsportsgeek said:
Also watched it tonight. Loved it. This is the kind of content I want from Star Wars.
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I think it's very mediocre.

The 3rd sister actress is horrible. The little girl even worse.

The scenes where they chase the girl are really poorly directed.

McGregor is good, and he's carrying the whole show right now. If it was any worse, I'd stop watching.

Also, Obi-Wan is too weak. He doesn't need to be in his prime. However, he's supposed to be looking after Luke. He should be keeping up with training in case The Empire comes knocking. What good is a weak ass Obi-Wan going to do if everything hits the fan?

It's pretty bad.
 
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Started watching "The Lincoln Lawyer" on Netflix; I liked the movie with Matthew McConaughey and I'm somewhat of a fan of the author, Michael Connelly.

The show looks pretty good so far, although the primary actor is no Matthew M. I imagine I'll finish it in the next several days but me and the wife like it so far.

I was going to start reading the Connelly books a year ago or so but after the first one (which I can't recall the title at the moment), I'm not entirely sure. Not sure the writing style is for me, but after I finish this series, and finish the book I'm currently reading, I may give another Connelly book a try.

Anyone else a fan of either the Netflix series and/or the author?
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Started watching "The Lincoln Lawyer" on Netflix; I liked the movie with Matthew McConaughey and I'm somewhat of a fan of the author, Michael Connelly.

The show looks pretty good so far, although the primary actor is no Matthew M. I imagine I'll finish it in the next several days but me and the wife like it so far.

I was going to start reading the Connelly books a year ago or so but after the first one (which I can't recall the title at the moment), I'm not entirely sure. Not sure the writing style is for me, but after I finish this series, and finish the book I'm currently reading, I may give another Connelly book a try.

Anyone else a fan of either the Netflix series and/or the author?
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Just started the Netflix show. 3 episodes in and similar to you my wife and I like it.
I Really liked the movie so was intrigued by this show.
 

TruthSeeker said:
I think it's very mediocre.

The 3rd sister actress is horrible. The little girl even worse.

The scenes where they chase the girl are really poorly directed.

McGregor is good, and he's carrying the whole show right now. If it was any worse, I'd stop watching.

Also, Obi-Wan is too weak. He doesn't need to be in his prime. However, he's supposed to be looking after Luke. He should be keeping up with training in case The Empire comes knocking. What good is a weak ass Obi-Wan going to do if everything hits the fan?

It's pretty bad.
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I think the point is that the series is showing Obi-Wan at his lowest point. He's defeated and by his own admission has not been trying to access the Force for years. So now, the question is how he responds to these new threats and challenges. we've only seen 2 of 6 episodes. a lot of story left to tell.

on the female inquisitor - I don't mind the way the actress is portraying her. I'm more curious about the back-story - why she wants Obi-Wan so much. I haven't watched the "Clone Wars" animated series in a long time, so maybe there's something in that series that explains it.

the "young Leia" kid was a little cute for my taste, but she was still better than the kid that played young Anakin in "Phantom Menace."
 

TruthSeeker said:
I think it's very mediocre.

The 3rd sister actress is horrible. The little girl even worse.

The scenes where they chase the girl are really poorly directed.

McGregor is good, and he's carrying the whole show right now. If it was any worse, I'd stop watching.

Also, Obi-Wan is too weak. He doesn't need to be in his prime. However, he's supposed to be looking after Luke. He should be keeping up with training in case The Empire comes knocking. What good is a weak ass Obi-Wan going to do if everything hits the fan?

It's pretty bad.
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I think it’s magnitudes better than Bobba Fett. I still laugh when I remember they had to bring in Mando and stick him center stage to save that series.
 

Been watching through some FX shows that came and went....but had always been on my radar.

Started with 'You're The Worst'. Comedies, especially darker ones like this, are hard to recommend to people without knowing what they find funny. I found myself on average....laughing out loud maybe once every other episode. That's impressive. Really funny show. On the flip side....when the show got dark....it was pretty damn dark. Things like clinical depression, PTSD, drug abuse, infidelity, etc all showed up....and at times....really showcased the ability of the two main actors, Chris Geere and Aya Cash (recognizable as 'Stormfront' from The Boys). Really great show.

Just finished up 'Justified' last night. Another excellent FX show. Timothy Olyphant is great in the lead role. It's consistently entertaining from start to finish. Guest stars are plentiful. Fun thing to note about this show. Walton Goggins who plays Boyd Crowder was originally written to only be in the pilot episode of the show, but positive reaction to his character led the showrunners to write him in as a first season regular. Ended up being the co-star of the entire series.

Both shows ran for six seasons. Really a good length for a series. No dips in quality and neither overstayed their time...which tends to result in a dip in quality. After catching up on the first half of the final season of 'Better Call Saul'....I'll be starting up 'The Americans'.
 


stocker08 said:
Been watching through some FX shows that came and went....but had always been on my radar.

Started with 'You're The Worst'. Comedies, especially darker ones like this, are hard to recommend to people without knowing what they find funny. I found myself on average....laughing out loud maybe once every other episode. That's impressive. Really funny show. On the flip side....when the show got dark....it was pretty damn dark. Things like clinical depression, PTSD, drug abuse, infidelity, etc all showed up....and at times....really showcased the ability of the two main actors, Chris Geere and Aya Cash (recognizable as 'Stormfront' from The Boys). Really great show.

Just finished up 'Justified' last night. Another excellent FX show. Timothy Olyphant is great in the lead role. It's consistently entertaining from start to finish. Guest stars are plentiful. Fun thing to note about this show. Walton Goggins who plays Boyd Crowder was originally written to only be in the pilot episode of the show, but positive reaction to his character led the showrunners to write him in as a first season regular. Ended up being the co-star of the entire series.

Both shows ran for six seasons. Really a good length for a series. No dips in quality and neither overstayed their time...which tends to result in a dip in quality. After catching up on the first half of the final season of 'Better Call Saul'....I'll be starting up 'The Americans'.
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I watched all of You're the Worst too. It was a great show.
 

Watched the first part of a new History Channel documentary on "Teddy Roosevelt." Learned a few things. The 1st part went up to the point where TR becomes President. 2nd part tonight. Some of the re-creations are a little cheesy.
 

Finished the History Channel Doc on "Teddy Roosevelt."

He certainly led a full life. One of the bits I liked - TR arranged for reporters to come along with the Rough Riders in Cuba during the Spanish/American War. The reporters sent back glowing articles about the exploits of TR, helping raise his public profile.

the Doc makes the point that TR was one of the first public figures who really understood the power of the media, and how to use the media to influence public opinion.

But, the Doc does not make TR out to be a saint. He pulled some shady moves to help spur the construction of the Panama Canal.

Anyway, if you're interested in American History, the Doc is worth watching. About 5 hours long.
 

For fans of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia'.....I cannot recommend the 'Always Sunny Podcast' enough. It's typically an episode per podcast (average of about 45 minutes) in chronological order in which they kind of recap the episode. But they more talk about what they remember from shooting and how some of the lines came into existence. Plenty of talk about personal stories and recollections scattered throughout too. It's really great. Wasn't sure if they would be as funny unscripted as the show is. They are all very funny. Especially Charlie Day. I'd also recommend checking out the short lived FOX show, 'The Mick'.
 




Starting watching 'Winning Time' now that the full season is out. I'll keep watching....but after two episodes....I'm finding it to be a bit grating. It's overly pulpy and melodramatic. The people being portrayed are caricatures. Entertaining? Sure. But it feels like a lot more style than substance.
 

stocker08 said:
Starting watching 'Winning Time' now that the full season is out. I'll keep watching....but after two episodes....I'm finding it to be a bit grating. It's overly pulpy and melodramatic. The people being portrayed are caricatures. Entertaining? Sure. But it feels like a lot more style than substance.
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I finished the first season but I’m not gonna continue. Didn’t really resonate with me.
 

Finished Barry Season 3 and I thought it was just flat out fantastic from the beginning to the finale last night. The last 2 episodes were incredibly dark, with very little humor.

I do not want to spoil it, but I do think it will be difficult going forward. For me such a draw was the comedy aspect with Barry being in the Hollywood acting world. That's just not an option anymore, nor has it been for the last few episodes. The writers though have been adept at morphing the show as it goes along, so I am still up for the ride for at least a Season 4.

Lastly, the finale highlight was Gene Cousineau gave the acting performance of his life, which depended on it. Just hand Henry Winkler the Emmy now.
 

History Channel launched a new show Sunday night - "The Booze, Bets and Sex that built America."

a fun look at some of the nation's vices, telling the stories behind the development of Marlboro cigarettes, Jack Daniel's whiskey, Budweiser, and Sheik condoms, among other brands.

apparently New York City was quite a place at the turn of the Century. lot of drinking and prostitution. one 'talking head' said that people drank booze because so much of the water was contaminated, that it was safer to drink booze. also showed old photos of little kids smoking cigars and cigarettes!

future episodes will get into gambling, including the creation of Las Vegas as a gambling mecca.
 

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