Television thread

[tazelbain]

Anyone else think The Lost Room is great.  Maybe I am just a sucker for Fantasy set in the present.

[Johny Cee]

Anyone else think The Lost Door Room is great.  Maybe I am just a sucker for Fantasy set in the present.

The Lost Room is pretty good.  Helped much by the fact that they went out and snagged some decent actors (dude from Sports Night and Six Feet Under, Juliette Marguilles, Kevin Pollack, Spud from Trainspotting) and a good writer.

It feels very much like an adaption of a Tim Powers book.

[Riggswolfe]

I've caught bits and pieces of Dexter,  was sort of interesting,  but haven't made the effort to sit down and catch an entire episode.  I was mostly trying to figure out where the hell I knew the blonde that plays Dexters girlfriend from...

She played Darla on Buffy and Angel. (for you Whedon haters  he has nothing to do with Dexter, and no other actors from his shows are involved.) She was also in an episode of Supernatural about a faith healer. (My girlfriend told me who she was, I was going "she looks vaguely familiar".)

I highly recommend Dexter if you have Showtime. It has beat out BSG as the best thing on TV IMO. They somehow manage to balance intense and humorous at the same time.

[Jayce]

So, BSG is moving to 10pm/9c Sunday.  What kind of time slot is that?

Pretty good midseason cliffhanger.  Though it's pretty clear that the nukes won't hit the ground, given the fact that the preview shows people on the ground still alive, which sort of dampens the hanging part.

I think The Passage (previous episode) was one of their best so far.

[Yegolev]

So, BSG is moving to 10pm/9c Sunday.  What kind of time slot is that?

A fucking shitty one.  I'd actually be angry about it if I wasn't using TiVo.  The question I have is, what is going to be on Friday night now?  Extra SG-1?  That show is a pox upon our civilization.

Though it's pretty clear that the nukes won't hit the ground, given the fact that the preview shows people on the ground still alive, which sort of dampens the hanging part.

I can't watch those upcoming-scene segments.  They just fuck up everything.

[Riggswolfe]

So, BSG is moving to 10pm/9c Sunday.  What kind of time slot is that?

A fucking shitty one.  I'd actually be angry about it if I wasn't using TiVo.  The question I have is, what is going to be on Friday night now?  Extra SG-1?  That show is a pox upon our civilization.

Isn't Sunday considered a better time slot than Friday evening?

[tazelbain]

Now it will be in the same time slot as Adultswim's 9:30c slot where they have been putting their flagship shows.  I hope I don't ever have to choose between BSG and Venture Bros.

[Nevermore]

So, BSG is moving to 10pm/9c Sunday.  What kind of time slot is that?

A fucking shitty one.  I'd actually be angry about it if I wasn't using TiVo.  The question I have is, what is going to be on Friday night now?  Extra SG-1?  That show is a pox upon our civilization.

I think the Dresden Files?

[Trippy]

So, BSG is moving to 10pm/9c Sunday.  What kind of time slot is that?

A fucking shitty one.  I'd actually be angry about it if I wasn't using TiVo.  The question I have is, what is going to be on Friday night now?  Extra SG-1?  That show is a pox upon our civilization.

Isn't Sunday considered a better time slot than Friday evening?

Generally speaking it is. BSG may have a skewed demographic with nonstandard viewing habits since it's a Sci-Fi show and it's on cable but for a typical network broadcast show moving from Friday to Sunday would be a huge promotion like when Fox did that with X-Files.

[Johny Cee]

Dresden and BSG are going to be on Sunday nights, either the 8-10 slot or the 9-11 slot.  I'm not sure what's being left on Fridays.

Friday (and Saturday) nights are fucking killing grounds for TV shows, in general.

Anyone else notice how piloty The Lost Room left it's ending?  Are they just fishing for a part 2 mini,  or was the network thinking of trying to produce a series?

That would be pretty interesting.

[HaemishM]

I haven't watched it yet, but Lost Room was built as a pilot type of deal. Sci-Fi does own an option for a series.

[tazelbain]

I think the Riverworld mini was the same deal.  Too bad that didn't catch on.
Given the lack buzz about LR, I doubt it will be picked up either.

[Jayce]

Now that I think on it, I agree - Sunday is a promotion.  It's hard to remember what it's like being the sort of person that does ... stuff... on Friday nights. I'm domesticated.

On an unrelated note, I came back a day later to check and see if anyone had responded to my BSG post.  I was still the last post when I checked the thread, but by the time I returned to the forum, Yegolev had posted! Eerie...

(I was too lazy to make note of it then, but I hereby attach this interesting coincidence to this post as a rider.)

[Yegolev]

Weekends...  keke.

[Bunk]

I didn't even realize that BSG was in the dreaded Friday night slot. Up here it plays on Saturdays at 6:00PM. Thank noodlies for DVR.

The Passage did impress me. As soon as the episode started I had it pegged for a generic filler episode. "Oh my god will she make it?!? Yep she did." type stuff. They suprised me with how it went.

[Sky]

Bah. Unless you have SciFi in HD or have a burning desire to view shows brand-new, just watch it on UniversalHD (again, if you have that option). HD BSG is friggin great, like the ep where they faced Scar in the asteroid field.

[Big Gulp]

I highly recommend Dexter if you have Showtime. It has beat out BSG as the best thing on TV IMO. They somehow manage to balance intense and humorous at the same time.

Yep.  Excellent, excellent show.  I like the fact that they really haven't tried to "humanize" the character.  He's a flatout sociopath, and you can never really forget it.

[Reg]

Oh I don't know. He came across as pretty humanized when his girlfriend gave him that little surprise a few episodes ago. :)

[schild]

Finished the Lost Room the other night. Wally kinda made the show for me. The ending was far too weak though. Also, did they want Dakota Fanning and just couldn't get her?

The objects thing was totally cool when they were talking about them. Dark and hilarious. But the total package was just unbelievably meh.

I think I'm gonna watch Taken for the 4th or 5th time though. That's a miniseries that just doesn't get old (for reasons I can't quite put my finger on).

[MrHat]

I've been enjoying 4400 for some reason I can't put my finger on either.

[Reg]

I just finished watching the season finale of Dexter. It was just amazingly good - better than any other show I've watched this season. Kudos to whoever it was that first mentioned it here.

[Big Gulp]

I just finished watching the season finale of Dexter. It was just amazingly good - better than any other show I've watched this season. Kudos to whoever it was that first mentioned it here.

Lab geek my ass!

[Johny Cee]

Finished the Lost Room the other night. Wally kinda made the show for me. The ending was far too weak though. Also, did they want Dakota Fanning and just couldn't get her?

The objects thing was totally cool when they were talking about them. Dark and hilarious. But the total package was just unbelievably meh.

I think I'm gonna watch Taken for the 4th or 5th time though. That's a miniseries that just doesn't get old (for reasons I can't quite put my finger on).

I liked the whole idea of the Objects,  and how they created huge moral dilemmas because they expanded the capacity to act.  Sort of a modern take on the whole Ring of Invisibility shtick.  Generally,  people who had Objects led miserable lives...   not because of mystical curse mumbo jumbo,  but because the Objects freed them to behave outside of societal norms and their actions then conflicted with the characters own moral codes.

Lots of interesting characters,  and good character development.  Would be interesting as a series if they kept the same caliber of writing and acting.

I actually liked Margaret Cho in this, too....  and I think she's terrible in nearly everything she does.

[Signe]

I love Dexter.  It might have been me who mentioned it on f13.  We have a special deal from Comcast because we're new in the area for Showtime, Starz and HBO and I thought I'd get rid of Starz and Showtime, but now I'm keeping Showtime because of Dexter.  I watched Lost, too, and thought it was pretty good.  Better than most stuff I've seen on the Sci Fi channel.  I appreciate when people post about stuff they find on the Sci Fi channel because I never remember to check it.

[Johny Cee]

I love Dexter.  It might have been me who mentioned it on f13.  We have a special deal from Comcast because we're new in the area for Showtime, Starz and HBO and I thought I'd get rid of Starz and Showtime, but now I'm keeping Showtime because of Dexter.  I watched Lost, too, and thought it was pretty good.  Better than most stuff I've seen on the Sci Fi channel.  I appreciate when people post about stuff they find on the Sci Fi channel because I never remember to check it.

Scifi is like alot of cable....  Huge amounts of suck/mediocrity with occasional gems.  Farscape and BSG,  for some people Stargate.  Eureka is a pretty good show,  as are some of the things they pick up after cancellation like Dead Like Me and Firefly.

I think Dresden has alot of potential....  fun books, and the author is involved in the series.  For Hoax,  later books add a pretty neat overall storyline going on in the background while they lose some of the very episodic feel.

I'll have to catch up on Dexter, sometime.

[stray]

Those new Rome commercials on HBO are getting me stoked. Starts January 14. Yeah!

Personally, I find the rise of Octavian and the Cleopatra/Marc Antony story to be more interesting than Julius.

Also, Titus Pullo must die.

[Johny Cee]

Those new Rome commercials on HBO are getting me stoked. Starts January 14. Yeah!

Personally, I find the rise of Octavian and the Cleopatra/Marc Antony story to be more interesting than Julius.

Also, Titus Pullo must die.

No!  Not Titus Pullo!

It will be interesting to see what they do with Caeserian (the kid Cleo had that she claimed as Julius Ceaser's)...   I believe he was assassinated by one of the factions to clear up who was the successor to Julius.

Moving into my new place now, hope I have cable for the Rome premier....

[stray]

Octavian kills Cleo's kid.

Since it's really Titus' son in the show though, and Titus and Octavian are pals, that will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Titus still needs to die though. What he did to Eirene's fiance was the last straw (speaking of Eirene, I hope it isn't her who does it. She's possibly the only character in the entire series who've never done one thing wrong. A complete innocent. She should stay that way.).

Titus is also the greatest character on the show too. Don't get me wrong. I like him.

[EDIT]

Actually, just about everybody should die. They're all horrible.

[Big Gulp]

Since it's really Titus' son in the show though, and Titus and Octavian are pals, that will be interesting to see how it turns out.

You really think Augustus would hesitate to kill off Pullo's offspring?  Not a chance.  And Pullo won't be dying anytime soon.  He's allied himself to the winning faction.  Vorenus, on the other hand, has tied himself to Antony's sinking ship.  If they cover the battle of Actium, that's where he'll likely bite the dust.

[stray]

I definitely don't think Octavian would hesitate, but I'm curious what Pullo would try to do to Octavian.

[Johny Cee]

Since it's really Titus' son in the show though, and Titus and Octavian are pals, that will be interesting to see how it turns out.

You really think Augustus would hesitate to kill off Pullo's offspring?  Not a chance.  And Pullo won't be dying anytime soon.  He's allied himself to the winning faction.  Vorenus, on the other hand, has tied himself to Antony's sinking ship.  If they cover the battle of Actium, that's where he'll likely bite the dust.

Thanks Stray,  couldn't remember if it was Antony or Octavian that had killed Caeser's (faux) kid to clear up who was Caeser's heir.

Octavian and Antony were allied under the Second Triumverate (fuck if I can remember the third partner....  he was really sort of a warm body) after crushing the Senate forces.  Octavian switches sides a couple of times in there,  so it'll give Lucius Vorenus a chance to come on over to the winners.

Octavian is just too smart and manipulative not to see the value of getting Vorenus over to his side.  Vorenus is a popular/near mythic figure in Rome for the rescue of Pullo,  has served/commanded in the Legions,  and was bumped up to Senatorial rank by Gaius Julius.  He's worth about 8 or 10 Brutus' or any of the other conspirators that did Julius in.

And of course,  he's going to be vulnerable to some heavy duty manipulation with the death of his wife.

[stray]

The third man in the Second Triumvirate was Marcus Lepidus. An old supporter of Julius Caesar, but a politician who also had the ear of the Senate. He was also married to Brutus' sister. Octavian eventually turned on him after defeating Antony, but only sent him off to exile.

He also rescued his mother-in-law from execution (Servilia/Caesar's mistress/Brutus' mother).

Kind of odd that they didn't introduce this guy at all in the first season.

[Riggswolfe]

I mentioned Dexter a few pages ago because I was hoping to get some of you guys to watch it. It's currently, by far, my favorite show on TV. I sometimes go a week or two before watching my DVRed BSG, but I watch Dexter the night it comes on.

[Johny Cee]

The third man in the Second Triumvirate was Marcus Lepidus. An old supporter of Julius Caesar, but a politician who also had the ear of the Senate. He was also married to Brutus' sister. Octavian eventually turned on him after defeating Antony, but only sent him off to exile.

He also rescued his mother-in-law from execution (Servilia/Caesar's mistress/Brutus' mother).

Kind of odd that they didn't introduce this guy at all in the first season.

Bah, you Wiki'd it.  No fair!

I kept wanting to say Crassus,  but he was in the First Triumverate with Ceasar and Pompei.

[stray]

Oops! Sorry about that ;).

Now that you mentioned Crassus, it kind of sucks that they didn't start Rome Season 1 during that period. Would have been interesting seeing the younger Julius and Pompey, as well as Spartacus. We could have had all of that, and not such a quick departure of Caesar for the series as well.