Television thread

[Merusk]

'Til Death - it could go either way. The premise of two married couples in completely different periods of their marriage is solid, but if the writing isn't sharp it would go from a scathing comedic analysis of American marriage to sheer stupidity.

I watched the first episode and couldn't get into it. I don't even recall laughing.  I never liked the guy from Raymond, though (Perhaps because I despised that show.  Hand in your balls, Ray, oh wait your mom & wife have them.)  and I keep seeing the young guy and want to yell "Shitbrick"  or wait for him to hit on the older woman.

The show after it - Happy Hour - has gotten very little press and was pretty good. (Smalltown boy dumped by his Hot hometown girl once they're in the city.  He moves in with a Bachelor whose just lost his bacheloring buddy to a shrewish controlling woman.)    Perhaps because the alcoholic drifter lead reminds me of a guy I knew in college, but I found it to be a much better show.

[Trippy]

The series premiere of Men in Trees was on last night and I caught part of it. It looks like Northern Exposure meets Sex in the City  -- i.e. cliched already and they are just getting started. I like Anne Heche when she plays comedic roles, though, so I may watch a few of them.

[Xanthippe]

_Standoff_  had an excellent premiere, which in the second show became just another show.  I'm so disappointed; it had great potential - not to mention some of my favorite watchable actors lately (Gina Torres/Ron Livingston/Rosemarie DeWitt), and now it's normal drek.

[MrHat]

_Standoff_  had an excellent premiere, which in the second show became just another show.  I'm so disappointed; it had great potential - not to mention some of my favorite watchable actors lately (Gina Torres/Ron Livingston/Rosemarie DeWitt), and now it's normal drek.

My thoughts exactly.

[HaemishM]

I missed the premiere of Standoff, but watched the second episode last night. I liked it well enough, so the pilot must have been really good.

[Sky]

Universal HD is putting on a couple of scifi shows, they're just wrapping up season 1 of BSG. It's not too bad, but I'm still not that thrilled with it. I'm just an HD whore and it's a SciFi show in HD. Wish they'd start SG1 from season 1 in HD!

Sunday the 24th starts BSG season 2 plus Firefly. Just saw Serenity, which was very enjoyable, so I'm looking forward to Firefly.

Anyone watch Supernova over the summer? I like that it showcased rock talent, and I'm glad Dilana didn't win and get stuck playing with crappy Supernova :)

[Morfiend]

Here is my list of things to add to my DVR. Ones marked with * are my girlfriends shows, and ones marked with a ? and shows I wanted to check out.

Nip/Tuck (FX) Sept. 5
Cops (Fox) Sept. 9
Survivor (CBS) Sept. 14
CSI: Miami (CBS) Sept. 18
CSI (CBS) Sept. 21
Office (NBC) Sept. 21
* Without A Trace Sept. 24
? Heros (NBC) Sept. 25
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC) Oct. 1
Lost (ABC) Oct. 4
* South Park (CC) Oct. 4
Rome (HBO) Jan. 7
The Shield (FX) Jan. 9
* American Idol (Fox) Jan. 16

I hope heros turns out good, I like the xmen rip off theme.

[Triforcer]

Here is my list of things to add to my DVR. Ones marked with * are my girlfriends shows, and ones marked with a ? and shows I wanted to check out.

Nip/Tuck (FX) Sept. 5
Cops (Fox) Sept. 9
Survivor (CBS) Sept. 14
CSI: Miami (CBS) Sept. 18
CSI (CBS) Sept. 21
Office (NBC) Sept. 21
* Without A Trace Sept. 24
? Heros (NBC) Sept. 25
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC) Oct. 1
Lost (ABC) Oct. 4
* South Park (CC) Oct. 4
Rome (HBO) Jan. 7
The Shield (FX) Jan. 9
* American Idol (Fox) Jan. 16

I hope heros turns out good, I like the xmen rip off theme.

Your girlfriend likes South Park and you don't?  Without knowing either of you, you don't deserve her.

[WayAbvPar]

Cops (Fox) Sept. 9

I had no idea this was still on, or that anyone still watches it.

[Miasma]

Here is my list of things to add to my DVR. Ones marked with * are my girlfriends shows, and ones marked with a ? and shows I wanted to check out.

Lost (ABC) Oct. 4

I loved the first season of Lost but the second started really badly, I stopped watching about five episodes in.  Did it ever get better?

[HaemishM]

If the pilot is any indication, Heroes is worth watching.

[Sky]

I love the DVR version of America's Funniest Home Videos. It's about 20 minutes long.

[Paelos]

Here is my list of things to add to my DVR. Ones marked with * are my girlfriends shows, and ones marked with a ? and shows I wanted to check out.

Lost (ABC) Oct. 4

I loved the first season of Lost but the second started really badly, I stopped watching about five episodes in.  Did it ever get better?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is not until the last 4 episodes. So, the long and short is if you took an average, it ended up meh.

[Abagadro]

I thought season 2 was great.  Any ep where Eko or Locke had a big role kicked ass.  Plus, more Clancy Brown!

[tazelbain]

I agree and I like season 2 more because it feels like it is going some place.

[trotski]

Anyone see the premiere of 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'?

I really enjoyed it.  Good pace to the show, Sorkin writing is never horrible, and I like the parallels to real events (i.e. one character's drug addiction, like Sorkin). Anyway if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

I think Perry and Whitford will make a good team, hopefully they keep up the momentum.

[Morfiend]

Your girlfriend likes South Park and you don't?  Without knowing either of you, you don't deserve her.

I like South Park, but not enough to add it to my DVR list. For me its more of a watch it when its on and I have time show.

Cops (Fox) Sept. 9

I had no idea this was still on, or that anyone still watches it.

I love watching Cops. I get a kick out of seeing the white trash people.

I love the DVR version of America's Funniest Home Videos. It's about 20 minutes long.

Yeah. Also, it makes me feel old when I get excited about AFV. But since the new host took over the show has been much better.

[Xanthippe]

Surprised _House_ didn't make your list.

[Morfiend]

Surprised _House_ didn't make your list.

I cant stand House. Every episode I saw was exactually the same. Some patient comes in with a wierd problem no one can figure out, and then House figures it out on a hunch with no real evidence, then he has to go against the hospital and the family of the patent to administer treatment that saves the patent just in time. Blah.

[Sky]

But since the new host took over the show has been much better.

Fast forwarding past that dopey new host is partly why it's so short for us :)

[stray]

I haven't given much of a chance to any TV series outside the HBO ones in awhile, but I'll probably watch Smith tonight. A criminal/heist show with Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen has to be good, right?

Also, as a sidenote, Bruce McCullough, of all people, recently directed a comedy with Liotta in it. Not sure when it's being released though.

[Morfiend]

But since the new host took over the show has been much better.

Fast forwarding past that dopey new host is partly why it's so short for us :)

Yeah, but its the host who does the voice overs also. The new guy mostly lets the videos be funny for themselves. The last guy tried to *make* all the videos funny with wierd voices and stupid shit. If you watch one of the older shows now, its painful compaired to the newer ones.

[Trippy]

Anyone see the premiere of 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'?

Yeah I saw it. Has promise. I thought they were trying too hard with the dialog. The odd thing about the show is that it's supposed to be about an SNL-type show but there was very little humor -- i.e. it's a drama about a comedy show. The next episode may be better in that regard.

I really enjoyed it.  Good pace to the show, Sorkin writing is never horrible, and I like the parallels to real events (i.e. one character's drug addiction, like Sorkin). Anyway if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Matthew Perry was addicted to Vicodin in RL as well.

I think Perry and Whitford will make a good team, hopefully they keep up the momentum.

Yeah they do make a good team -- it definitely feels like they've been buddies for a long time.

[schild]

Studio 60 will be good shit. I enjoyed it.

[Trippy]

Surprised _House_ didn't make your list.

I cant stand House. Every episode I saw was exactually the same. Some patient comes in with a wierd problem no one can figure out, and then House figures it out on a hunch with no real evidence,

I understand what you are saying but I see it more like Sherlock Holmes' "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." They have all the symptoms so they do have evidence but after they rule out all the conventional diagnoses all that remains is the improbable one.

[Xanthippe]

Surprised _House_ didn't make your list.

I cant stand House. Every episode I saw was exactually the same. Some patient comes in with a wierd problem no one can figure out, and then House figures it out on a hunch with no real evidence, then he has to go against the hospital and the family of the patent to administer treatment that saves the patent just in time. Blah.

Heh.  Every episode, my husband says, "I bet it's caused by a tick!"

[schild]

I love House.

We blame Epstein Bar syndrome when every episode starts.

[Sky]

I love House.

We blame Epstein Bar syndrome when every episode starts.

[Paelos]

Funny, when I watch house I'm always thinking it's a fun game of "Find the Tumor."

[Ironwood]

Copper.  Watched two episodes of House in a row where the problem was Copper.

You'd think they'd pace it better.

[HaemishM]

House isn't about the illnesses, or the mystery. House is about watching these characters grow through shit in the context of the diseases. House could be about sewage workers trying to find the dead alligator corpses clogging up the toilets of everyone in New Jersey, and it'd still be a fantastic show, because the actors are fantastic and the writing is crisp and consistent. It's also one of those shows that if you only watch it once, and out of order, you'll be missing all the context that makes it worth watching and it will just look like "disease of the week" TV.

[Ironwood]

You know my feelings on House.  It's awesome.  But the point still stands - Pacing of the problems could be better.

And some of them are really and truly awfully disturbing.

(Favourite Episode was the Lecture Hall One.)

[HaemishM]

The pacing of the illnesses on House are just an artifact of the format. If there were any sort of sense applied to them, each one would stretch across several shows.

[MrHat]

Just caught Smith and Studio 60, both were decent and worth a watch.

Smith reminds me of Heat which is always good and I'm interested in where the characters are going.  Also makes me wonder whatever happened to that show Thief.

Edit: The Wire ruins all other cop shows.  Be careful if you watch it.

[WayAbvPar]

Caught Studio 60 last night on TiVo. I really liked it (but I have a hetero man-crush on Aaron Sorkin, so that was to be expected). The casting was mostly good, but I couldn't get over the fact that Amanda Peet appears to have 10-15 extra teeth in her head. Chandler and Josh Lyman look like they will make a good team. I hope they get a chance to bring Judd Hirsch back at some point- I liked his character a lot.