Lack of good TV

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longtimelurker: Come back online briefly as there is just NOTHING on TV here at the moment .

Thought this may be an opportunity to find out whether we can look forward to any good US imports anytime soon. I'm still a bit annoyed that I only heard about 24 about half-way through the series and by then it's not really worth starting, as all the plot has been built up etc. etc. - still waiting for them to repeat it...

So, what's hot over there at the moment - anything to keep our eyes peeled for? I really liked 6 feet under, but I think they're struggling to stretch the characters to a 3rd series.

Anyway, I'm blathering... :

 

[Pecker]

HBO's Carnivale looks promising if you were a Twin Peaks fan.

Pecker

(Don't drink and drive. You might run over somebody and spill your drink.)

 

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aj2181: I think there is never anything good on most of the time....with a few exceptions.

Mostly just un-real reality programs.

 

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jackinman: I'm with you AJ. I hardly watch any of these TV programs.
I think the only reason I own a TV is to watch sports and the news. Oh yea the History Channel and the A&E channel are usually very good to watch.

 

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gigantikok: Check out TLC, The Discovery Channel, and The History Channel.

Nothing beats learning... AND watching TV!  Makes me feel like I am actually not wasting my time.

 

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Javierdude22: Come on people!! You're not telling me you all only watch educational TV.

I secretively recognize some old Friends/Will&Grace/Sex and the City/SpinCity/Felicity (yeah sorry) and 'That 70's show' fans among you.

Whats the next buzz in comedy/drama television? (hey...it just hit me that every really hit show is 'located' in NY City)

Spill!

 

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sammygirly: I'm a huge Will & Grace fan, I'll fess up.

But my deepest darkest sin is reality TV. I'll watch them all - currently ecstatic that Survivor has begun, hanging on the edge of my seat for the finale of Big Brother 4 next week....Joe Millionaire, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Paradise Hotel, For Love or Money, The Amazing Race on and on. Max and I share this obsession, don't bug us on Survivor nights!

Also, I'm a BIG watcher of fix up shows...Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, The Painted House, The Decorating Challenge...

And I'm also into a lot of educationaly TV, like Gigz.

But mainstream sitcoms...meh, hasn't really done anything for me in a long time.

 

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awellhungboi: I don't have cable anymore, but I do have an antenna so I can pick up the local stations.

I admit my guilty pleasure show is Fear Factor I love it!

When I had cable I watched CNN and C-Span a lot, and Turner Classic Movies, as well as keeping an eye out for horror movies.

I recently rented two DVD sets of television shows. HBO's Mr. Show and Bravo's Fishing With John. Highly recommend them both.

 

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longtimelurker: I find that a lot of the best TV that gets imported here is from HBO. There are exceptions, but 24 and 6ft under, the Sopranos and Sex and the City are definately some. CSI is also quite good, but is on a weird channel here that no-one ever watches.

My big bug with American comedy, though is canned laughter. The prog. makers seem to think that if there isn't laughter practically CONSTANTLY throughout the show then it isn't funny. Even when there is nothing funny happening on-stage at all there is still laughter, and for me that really spoils the show. I never noticed how much of it was in Friends before until I upgraded to surround sound at home and kept hearing all this sinister laughter coming from behind me - scary!!!

Friends is OK, but is becoming a bit old now. Will and Grace I enjoyed when I first watched it, but it's starting to bug me a bit (they need to find a joke other than 'we're both gay, but you're really camp'. Sex and the City can be good for an occasional laugh but why oh why does Sarah Jessica Parker (plays Carrie Bradshaw) think she's so hot? She's OK for her age, but not exactly a super-babe!

 

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Dantesco: I also enjoy educational shows on Discovery, TLC and the History Channel. I also catch sitcoms from time to time on network or syndication. But HBO puts out the series that I stay glued to. I liked "Oz" when it was on ... never missed an episode. I enjoy "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under". Judging from the trippy first episode, "Carnivale" is going to be my new TV fix.

 

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longtimelurker: [quote author=Dantesco link=board=99;num=1063921863;start=0#9 date=09/20/03 at 09:49:05]I also enjoy educational shows on Discovery, TLC and the History Channel. I also catch sitcoms from time to time on network or syndication. But HBO puts out the series that I stay glued to. I liked "Oz" when it was on ... never missed an episode. I enjoy "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under". Judging from the trippy first episode, "Carnivale" is going to be my new TV fix.[/quote]

I have to agree that Oz was good. It was a shame that channel 4 decided to air it at some stupid hour in the night (about 12:30 I think!). Have to look out for Carnivale, though.

 

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awellhungboi: I agree with you about canned laughter, LTL. And what's really spooky is that most of those laugh tracks were recorded in the fifties. So in some cases you're hearing the laughter of dead people.

 

[Pecker]

Yes Monstro, I hear dead people! Ever notice how often you hear that woman in the audience say "Uh-oh!" followed by laughter? That one's from I Love Lucy for pity's sake.

I rarely watch sit-coms because the laughter has become as much a character in the script as the stars of the show are. Even when they claim to have a live audience they'll often supplement with the canned stuff.

I've had several relatives tell me that when they attended the taping of some of the comedy shows the producers would re-tape a scene simply because the laughter came in the wrong place or didn't sound sincere enough.

Give me a break. If I'm going to be manipulated, I don't want it to be done by a TV show, I want it done to me by a woman. During sex.

Pecker

(Daddy, why doesn't this magnet pick up these videotapes?)

 

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gigantikok: [quote author=Pecker link=board=99;num=1063921863;start=0#12 date=09/20/03 at 11:22:54]Yes Monstro, I hear dead people!  Ever notice how often you hear that woman in the audience say "Uh-oh!" followed by laughter?  That one's from I Love Lucy for pity's sake.[/quote]
Wow, fascinating. You guys have me curious now! I'll be watching TV sitcoms now just to hear that one dead woman say "Uh-oh!"...

Oh and Sammy, I love Survivor too. Haven't been able to watch the last few seasons, but I want to start up again. What and time is it on??

 

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longtimelurker: [quote author=Pecker link=board=99;num=1063921863;start=0#12 date=09/20/03 at 11:22:54]

Give me a break.  If I'm going to be manipulated, I don't want it to be done by a TV show, I want it done to me by a woman.  During sex.

[/quote]

Well, how about by a woman, during sex using canned laughter.

Aaah, the cruelty!

 

[Ralexx]

Would someone believe me if I'd tell you that I barely watched TV in the last 5 years, excepting news, finances, music and some films here & there ? ... :-[...

 

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Maximillian: I rarely watch TV but I do admit I like the reality shows, like sammy said. Discovery, the new SpikeTV, TLC are current favorites. Unsolved History on Discovery fascinates Me. Fear Factor which sammy calls the "Ick show", Monster House and Monster Garage, American Chopper, Ride with FunkMasterflex, Most Extreme Challenge (Overseas game show thats dubbed, the dubbing makes the show)

Gigs, Survivor is on Thursdays at 8PM EST usually. There will be a re-broadcast of the first Episode on Sunday so you can catch up.

Be well,
Maximillian

 

[johnstone1985]

[quote author=longtimelurker link=board=99;num=1063921863;start=0#10 date=09/20/03 at 09:52:23]

I have to agree that Oz was good. It was a shame that channel 4 decided to air it at some stupid hour in the night (about 12:30 I think!). Have to look out for Carnivale, though.[/quote]

Is there going to be another series of OZ? it was amazing!

 

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Longhornjok: Oz was a great show, but it ended with this past season. You should check for the DVDs if you missed past years, though.

I loathe laugh tracks, too. The last sit-com that was allowed to try to exist without one was Aaron West Wing Sorkin's underappreciated Sports Night. It didn't get big ratings its first year so ABC insisted they add the canned laughter for Season 2, much to Sorkin's dismay. The show was still good, but the tee-hee-heeing was offputting. They weren't always so intrusive, but now the cheesiest toss-off line gets a huge belly laugh like it's a freakin' night at the Improv. I think networks are convinced the general public doesn't know when to laugh without them. Of course I guess they never considered that, in most cases, making the shows funny would help.

 

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Javierdude22: I think I might have missed that OZ show. Whats it about?
Carnivale sounds like something to look out for.

I don't like Reality shows at all actually. Big Brother was fun the first episode, but got old quickly. I loathe those reality Tv-news things where all you see is black people being chased by cops.

Here in Holland we do get most popular, and less popular sitcoms, like the ones mentioned already. Anduh LTL, Sarah Jessica Parker IS hot (for her age)....she's really beautiful I think. I'd be glad to have my wife look like that when she hits her age.

MI think most sitcoms like Friends, Will&Grace, Sex and the City etc. are really cool the first few seasons, but they lose their formula. We, regarding educational Tv, unfortunately only have the Discovery Channel, which is indeed very cool. But we have state sponsored tv as well (three channels) with some really cool documentaries and programs as well.