***THE OFFICIAL TV SHOW THREAD***

[mondatoo]

Is Mad Men really slow at the start or just not my cup of tea ?

[Marky147]

Parks and Rec is much better after the 1st season

Much more rounded writing. Funnier, bit darker.

This.

It is my favourite series ever made, period, pretty ridiculous with the Wire being around, but for the out of nowhere laughs, its there.

I think it is cheating a little to have a comedy set out in a mockumentary style, with me anyway, as it is set up to hit your funny bone out of the blue on so many occasions. US office, despite its lulls in some episodes was great for it and of course the holy grail, the original Office. Even Modern Family is a great watch because of it despite it being behind the aforementioned.

Ron Swanson is my all time favourite comedy character, somehow finding his way past David Brent. Believe me too that I am not taking how good the original office is lightly. Should probably be shot down for saying its better than the UK Office, and I will rewatch that to confirm, but I think I am sure.

Have the problem now, after watching every up to date episode of Parks and Rec, of withdrawal symptoms, but I think I will live

I don't do understatement very well generally, but I can't rave enough about this show. So AndrewT, I recommend you stick to the plan and continue watching

Office US > The Office imo

Season 1 wasn't the greatest, but it followed the UK script which didn't work. From there though it's incred and for me Dwight just crushes Gareth!

[Marky147]

Is Mad Men really slow at the start or just not my cup of tea ?

Wanted to start it a while back, but my old man started watching it and after 4-5 eps was

[redarmi]

Mad Men is incredible but it is very multi-layered and if that isn't the kind of thing that you like then it possibly isn't for you.  To give you an example in the last series there was an episode entitled Lady Lazarus which is the title of a poem by Sylvia Plath.  An understanding of that poem somewhat explains the themes of that particular episode and you will get more out of the episode and its themes if you understand that but beyond it being the title it isn't mentioned again so you either have to know or make an effort to understand it.  Similarly in the same episode at the end Don Drapers is given a record to listen to and it is "Tomorrow never knows" by the Beatles which was totally ground breaking at the time and is a metaphor for how the times are passing Draper by somewhat and the new generation understands, and is influenced by things he just doesn't understand.  It is a show that is full of metaphors and cultural references that reward a bit of work and thinking which is obviously not for everyone but I personally get more out of it than anything else I have watched with the possible exception of the Wire.

[mondatoo]

Mad Men is incredible but it is very multi-layered and if that isn't the kind of thing that you like then it possibly isn't for you.  To give you an example in the last series there was an episode entitled Lady Lazarus which is the title of a poem by Sylvia Plath.  An understanding of that poem somewhat explains the themes of that particular episode and you will get more out of the episode and its themes if you understand that but beyond it being the title it isn't mentioned again so you either have to know or make an effort to understand it.  Similarly in the same episode at the end Don Drapers is given a record to listen to and it is "Tomorrow never knows" by the Beatles which was totally ground breaking at the time and is a metaphor for how the times are passing Draper by somewhat and the new generation understands, and is influenced by things he just doesn't understand.  It is a show that is full of metaphors and cultural references that reward a bit of work and thinking which is obviously not for everyone but I personally get more out of it than anything else I have watched with the possible exception of the Wire.

Ah ok, sounds like far too much effort :p

[Ant040689]

It is a show that is full of metaphors and cultural references that reward a bit of work and thinking which is obviously not for everyone 

In other words Monda, you are a little slow :p

Obv I kid and appreciate your description Redarmi. I too have seen the first lot of episodes and not appreciated it as much as I should have and now I know why.

Little lost onto what to sink my teeth into now. I love a good comedy and do shy away from most things in the least bit serious, unless its The Wire. Have been watching 30 Rock, and it's okay. It comes across as a little tacky (into the first 10 episodes of season 1) and corny, but you get caught off guard with random belly laughs, which I love, but I think fundamentally, I can't quite carry on with the show.

Been hearing raving reviews of Community. I have watched the first 4 episodes of season 1, and they are terrible. Heard though it gets good into season two, but where I saw promise in a not so good Parks and Rec season 1, I find hopelessness with Community.

Seen Parks and Rec/Modern Family/US Office/UK Office/Family Guy, have seen nearly all of Friends/Arrested Development, have loads of Simpsons to catch up on but don't know if it is actually any good anymore?

Thinking about about whether or not to give Curb Your Enthusiasm another go if i should even start now on South Park and if i should start some old school ones in the Larry Sanders show/Frasier/Seinfeld.

And Marky147, Dwight does indeed crap all over Gareth. However, it is like a hyped up super version of him. Gervais probably didn't want to go that way with Gareth because as you hinted its a different show altogether really. UK office always had that bleak undercurrent going through it with relative understatement in comparison to the US version. Probably a social comparison to be made there between the two cultures.

[redarmi]

I am not sure how great community is for a UK audience.  Similarly to Mad Men it draws a lot on cultural references but a lot of them are American cultural references.  Sometimes I feel like I get it and find it very funny other times I am a bit meh about it.  Similarly I downloaded the Royle Family the other day because since we had the baby I have taken to calling my wife Denise and wanted her to watch it.  She just didn't get it at all....well she got the bit about me calling her Denise but that didn't go down to well and she missed the humour in the rest of it........

[Marky147]

I am not sure how great community is for a UK audience.  Similarly to Mad Men it draws a lot on cultural references but a lot of them are American cultural references.  Sometimes I feel like I get it and find it very funny other times I am a bit meh about it.  Similarly I downloaded the Royle Family the other day because since we had the baby I have taken to calling my wife Denise and wanted her to watch it.  She just didn't get it at all....well she got the bit about me calling her Denise but that didn't go down to well and she missed the humour in the rest of it........

Actually lol'd in the hospital and everyone in the EMU looking at me like I'm mental

@ Ant - watch Friday Night Lights, Sopranos for a more serious show or  Californication  for laughs. Saying that, the Sopranos is funny at times too

[Ant040689]

I am not sure how great community is for a UK audience.  Similarly to Mad Men it draws a lot on cultural references but a lot of them are American cultural references.  Sometimes I feel like I get it and find it very funny other times I am a bit meh about it.  Similarly I downloaded the Royle Family the other day because since we had the baby I have taken to calling my wife Denise and wanted her to watch it.  She just didn't get it at all....well she got the bit about me calling her Denise but that didn't go down to well and she missed the humour in the rest of it........

Actually lol'd in the hospital and everyone in the EMU looking at me like I'm mental

@ Ant - watch Friday Night Lights, Sopranos for a more serious show or  Californication  for laughs. Saying that, the Sopranos is funny at times too

Random excursion before I go into responding to the above.

I have also watched nearly all of House and all of Lie to Me before it got cancelled and the reason I watched both, despite both having real bad plot failings in that they were both outrageously formulaic, was that both the main characters I really liked. And that carried me into each episode. They were both mavericks and of course that's no real diversion away from other series but these guys I found endearing and funny and that can make or break a show. To talk of one show where there is a maverick but it really doesn't work for me as I don't like the character, is The Mentalist.

Now this show really is tacky and crusty and this got way too many watches from me only because who I believe to be probably the most attractive woman I have seen on TV, in Amanda Righetti, features, (get your google perv on) despite the acting across the board being pretty wooden. Tim Kang in fact is laughably bad in it, but if he has been told to act in that deadpan way as a way to make us laugh, then bravo, depends if it is deliberately bad or not.

To Redarmi, I think there is a lot to be said about different cultures and not getting series because of it and you are better versed to notice this as I have stayed in the UK all my life. But that doesn't explain why some US shows are nearly seamlessly good when those UK peeps watch them and react to them. I can only speak for myself obv, but the shows I listed before are great and I don't think there are any teething issues with them. Maybe Community will be great as soon as I get through the first season, I will eventually get around to it, as many people have said its better than Parks and Rec and I need to give it a fair go, because if it does get better than it, yes yes yes yes yes.

Not seen any of Royal Family AT ALL! It looks from the outside something you either love or you hate, in that you get this family and find them funny or you may just think the show is crap. I dunno, is it worth a bash for a newbie?

Gonna start Californication off of your recom alone Marky, no pressure Just seen the cover picture to the show, from memory, I think its the bloke from X Files and appears to be another Maverick formula, all good if I like the bloke and the show supports it.

Fuck me all this writing, waste so much time putting my word across too, its sad. But yeh I do love me a good series. 

[Marky147]

Loved House, Lie to Me and I love Mentalist too, Patrick Jane is a hero

Amanda Righetti is hot, but I'm not sure that I'd go so far as to say hottest on TV... Cho gonna Cho, as you say unsure if he's supposed to be like that and not losing sleep anyway.

I like the characters and that's enough for me, stretched it out some way and I can't see it going beyond a 6 if I'm honest...

Royle Family is just incred, Jim Royle is a legend of a man and the show is just too good!!

No pressure if you're plumping for Hank, guy crushes and you'll be working through that show lively I would bet.

[Ant040689]

Loved House, Lie to Me and I love Mentalist too, Patrick Jane is a hero

Amanda Righetti is hot, but I'm not sure that I'd go so far as to say hottest on TV... Cho gonna Cho, as you say unsure if he's supposed to be like that and not losing sleep anyway.

I like the characters and that's enough for me, stretched it out some way and I can't see it going beyond a 6 if I'm honest...

Royle Family is just incred, Jim Royle is a legend of a man and the show is just too good!!

No pressure if you're plumping for Hank, guy crushes and you'll be working through that show lively I would bet.

Watched the Pilot and it looks incred. Will probably get back to u in 2 days, after i finish the lot! tyty.

[byronkincaid]

GOT back tomorrow, if you're like me and have forgotten WTF is going on this is a good catch up

http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/overlay/from-arya-to-tyrion-game-of-thrones-season-3-primer

Looks like they are preparing for the TV show to overtake the books in a few years time which will be very weird. Might have to stop watching

[EvilPie]

Just started watching the vampire diaries. Seems half reasonable but nothing amazing.

Is it worth sticking with?

[Marky147]

Just started watching the vampire diaries. Seems half reasonable but nothing amazing.

Is it worth sticking with?

I really like it, but I'm quite sure that I will be in the minority here

The way they develop the characters and switch things around as the seasons play out is pretty cool and lots of hot women don't harm matters.

[bobAlike]

Just started watching the vampire diaries. Seems half reasonable but nothing amazing.

Is it worth sticking with?

Vampires? Have you not looked up Banshee yet Matt?