What Are You Watching

Honestly? I'm kind of surprised no one's gone back to that well. Simon and Simon and Magnum, PI are the two big shows that don't feature Vietnam vets, talking cars, or rednecks from my childhood, and all three of those other shows have been retread at least once.

I believe at least some if not all of the main characters in Magnum (except Higgins) were Vietnam vets.

You are correct. I should have said, "Vietnam veteran convicts". Because yes, Thomas' experiences in Nam came up quite frequently.

Watched all of American Horror Story yesterday, except the last episode. We really wanted to finish it off, but it was already 2 a.m.

I just attempted Revolution, it did not go well. I was hoping they wouldn't focus on "Why did the power go out", but on a "How do we survive in this powerless world." Unfortunately they chose the former, which means I can't ignore all the plot and logic holes.

To be fair, they aren't really focusing on why the power went out in subsequent episodes. Mostly they're doing wild capers to get NotCatniss' brother back. Occasionally a power related thing occurs, but it's mostly related to getting it back.

The thing that I find weird is that they apparently just recently decided that steam power might be a good way to do things until electricity happens

I got Netflix last month and now I never sleep. I burned through all of Battlestar Galactica. I liked it a lot and ignored the stuff I didn't.

I also watched The League and loved it. It's nominally about a fantasy football league but mostly it's about a group of guys (and one wife) shit talking each other and getting in stupid situations. I *heart* Taco. SHIVAKAMINI SOMAKANDARKRAM!!!!

Adventure Time. Like, I can't even deal with how this show works.

On the surface, it's the really whacked out Wonderlandian bit of nonsense. You have a human boy and his best friend, a dog with super stretch powers, and they spend all their time fighting FOR GREAT JUSTICE, protecting the Candy Kingdom and Princess Bubblegum and...

But then you start to notice things in the backgrounds. Rusted out car chassis. Bombed out buildings. Litter. And you start to meet characters like Marceline the Vampire Queen, and see flashbacks to her as a little girl 1000 years ago playing with a ragged teddy bear in a desolation of ruins. And that's over a season ago, and the episodes link up, but not always in order. Some directly continue on from an episode we got three weeks ago, so trying to piece out the chronology of the show can be a little tricky. Which obscures the fact that bit by bit the creators are putting together this tapestry of drama beneath all the whackadoo songs and silliness set in a world that it turns out is actually our own following a nuclear war.

And it's so hard to talk about precisely because they deliberately chop up the narrative sequence. But the new episode, "I Remember You", kind of broke the show wide open for me. I'd enjoyed it before, but now I think I truly love it and I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Big Reveal, which takes two semi-villainous characters and gives them this heartbreaking backstory that transforms the whole undercurrent of their current relationship by framing it as a child dealing with a parent's dementia.

From an eleven-minute Cartoon Network show that I wasn't even sure I wanted my kids to watch but they were so insistent. Does anyone else watch it?

I'm all caught up with New Girl, and now I'm catching up on Raising Hope so I can watch all of the excellent FOX Tuesday night lineup. I looove this show. My respect for Martha Plimpton is through the roof, and my mind is blown knowing that Garrett Dillahunt can play sweet Burt Chance AND creepy-as-fuck Francis Wolcott in Deadwood.

laddical wrote:Adventure Time. Like, I can't even deal with how this show works.

From an eleven-minute Cartoon Network show that I wasn't even sure I wanted my kids to watch but they were so insistent. Does anyone else watch it?

All I know about Adventure Time is that it's often featured in mash-up t-shirts on teefury.com - but your description sounds really intriguing!

Gallifrey Girl wrote:

laddical wrote:Adventure Time. Like, I can't even deal with how this show works.

From an eleven-minute Cartoon Network show that I wasn't even sure I wanted my kids to watch but they were so insistent. Does anyone else watch it?

All I know about Adventure Time is that it's often featured in mash-up t-shirts on teefury.com - but your description sounds really intriguing!

My 16 year old daughter, all her friends and my 11 year old nephew LOVE that show so much. I've never watched it, but the daughter and her friends can recite huge amounts of dialogue from that show. And they worship Marceline.

And now, since I obviously win at parenting, I should make the effort to see what goes on there and watch it.

All I know is that Adventure Time cosplay was All. Over. New York Comic Con this past weekend.

And it's so hard to talk about precisely because they deliberately chop up the narrative sequence. But the new episode, "I Remember You", kind of broke the show wide open for me. I'd enjoyed it before, but now I think I truly love it and I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Big Reveal, which takes two semi-villainous characters and gives them this heartbreaking backstory that transforms the whole undercurrent of their current relationship by framing it as a child dealing with a parent's dementia.

This episode made me tear up. I love Adventure Time. I'm glad my daughter is starting to like this and Regular Show more than the Disney Jr. fare, because I'm not sure how much more of that I can stand.

punzy wrote:I just attempted Revolution, it did not go well. I was hoping they wouldn't focus on "Why did the power go out", but on a "How do we survive in this powerless world." Unfortunately they chose the former, which means I can't ignore all the plot and logic holes.

If you want a story that's more focused on the "how do we survive" side of that kind of situation, you should read SM Stirling's "Emberverse" series. He world builds like a champ!


I've been trying to like Arrow, but it just seems bland and forgettable to me. I'm really hoping it'll pick up.

I admit that like 75% of the reason I'm sticking with Arrow is how good he looks without a shirt on!

After an episode and a half of Call the Midwife, I think my womb has sealed itself shut, permanently. I am so glad I'm not a 50s housewife in the East End.

Is anyone still watching Copper? The season finale is this Sunday, but luckily it's been picked up for a second season. The storylines are interesting and end up taking directions that I don't expect, and they manage to make the history feel real (if not look it--the sets sometimes look like sets still). And I find all of the characters interesting, even the one-offs brought on for the case of the week. Morehouse is my boyfriend.

I freaking love Copper! You're totally right, I thought I had this show pegged in the first few episodes but the storyline has gone in a way I didn't expect. I kind of love Andrew (? Right? The other, heavyset detective).

Unlucky Bear wrote:After an episode and a half of Call the Midwife, I think my womb has sealed itself shut, permanently. I am so glad I'm not a 50s housewife in the East End.

Oh, I so agree. I've only seen the first episode so far, but I would very much like to get my tubes tied now, kthanks.

I spent an hour of my life watching Key & Peele clips on You Tube today. That show is pretty solid! It's not always laugh out loud, but there is a wry humor to every bit that at least makes me grin. The slave auction block sketch cracked me up because the idea of anyone getting offended that they're not being bought like a piece of furniture is just ridiculous!

I found season 3 of Roseanne at my library and man, this show is so much better than I remember! I'm pretty sure this is one of the better seasons (ie, before Darlene is all depressed and wearing black and early enough so Becky is only a bitch on wheels HALF the time) and my feelings on the later seasons will be more like what I remember.

John Goodman is just amazing on this show and he actually manages to convey tons of chemistry with Roseanne, which I can't imagine is any easy feat. If you were to tell me that one of the happiest-seeming marriages in tv history would involve Roseanne Barr, I wouldn't have believed it, but they really sold it.

The kids and Jackie are pretty great in this season too, I love Jackie and Roseanne just hanging around giggling and the way Becky and Darlene are at each other's throats most of the time, but pair up against the parents.

John Goodman and Roseanne Barr had EXCELLENT chemistry together. Dan and Roseanne's relationship always felt very genuine and realistic to me. Not at all perfect, but there was definite love and respect there even when they got on each other's nerves.

As I posted on Facebook, I've been watching the first season of Fringe all weekend, and it is DELIGHTFUL. It almost fills the hole in my heart left by The X-Files.

The music and the location titles are seriously the best, but I freaking love Walter. And Peter/Olivia, I wants it, oh my yes.

We also spent a good portion of last night drinking and watching Doomsday Preppers, but the less said about that show, the better.

Marathon the other seasons, Unlucky Bear, so you can catch the series finale, which I believe is coming up in a few weeks. I have people on my LJ flist already wanting to cry because the show is ending so soon. It's great that the series lasted 4 seasons though, considering it's never gotten the highest ratings and had its time slot moved around a few times.

I just finished watching the first season of Smash, and I really enjoyed it! I really enjoyed all the actors and loved seeing the politics behind the scenes of the show. Although I hated that stupid Ellis - he was such a malicious, conniving little worm! I'm really looking forward to season 2.

Bunheads just started here as well, and I just watched the first episode last night. It was good, and I really liked Sutton Foster (who I realised was Bret's girlfriend Coco in Flight of the Conchords). I'm interested to see what direction the show takes.