What's on the ol' boob tube RIGHT NOW.... or close to now
Posted: September 1st, 2011, 12:40 am
figured we could sustain a separate thread for television. Seems like tv shows are being taken more serious lately by talented people and more high quality shows coming out and well just more shows in general, i don't know where to start looking for a new show to follow. I've had a few shows end the past two years and also a few more ending soon, so i've been looking for new shows, but it's a bit daunting, there are just so many out there i dont know where to start. i've found a few promising ones but i've also seen some really bad ones. So i figured if we share what we've seen and rate, it would give us a starting point. you could post on series (old or new) as a whole, or also the weekly episodes you follow.
to start off a few that i have tried over this past month,
Falling Skies 8/10
An alien invasion show, aired on TNT. first season is 10 episodes and finished them all this week. I thought it looked poor when it was being advertised in the beginning of summer and i don't really know what got me to start watching it, but i was hooked after the pilot. It takes cue from Battlestar Galactica by focusing the story on the characters and not the action, which, when there is some, isn't great, due to the low budget for effects. nevertheless, the show doesn't seem lacking, there is a great parental dynamic of a father just trying to keep his sons safe, some military politics thrown in. great acting, would highly recommend.
Misfits: Pilot 5/10
british show, only saw the pilot so far. interesting premise and they are trying hard not to fall into the cliches, the almost constant handheld shaky cam felt a bit gimmicky to me. maybe i have just untrained ears, but it seemed like most of the characters have different accents and it takes me out a bit. Nothing sticks out to me as far as i need to continue watching, but i think i will give it another chance.
Pretty Little Liars 2/10
don't ask me why, i don't really have an excuse, other than i have heard a lot of people talking about it and comparing it to GG. but i think it's nothing like it. Seen the first 2 episodes. Boring characters, awful cliched situations that don't even have an ounce of believability in them, and whenever there is a scene with someone breaking into the house and a character calls out 'hello, anybody there'. i'm OUT
Web Therapy: Pilot 5/10
Lisa kudrow is endearing even as a high strung therapist who has no patience. There were moments it lagged but also some moments i laughed out loud. I read that the whole show is ad-libbed, only beats are written out beforehand which the actors need to hit. As of this moment, it seems a little unpolished, but with some great therapy patients added as recurring cast it really has potential and it's truly unlike anything out there on tv at them moments, the whole show is seen as through a webcam. Will definitely give it another chance.
Dead Like Me: Pilot 3/10
being a huge fan of Brian Fuller and Pushing Daises, also, to a slightly lesser extent, Heroes and Wonderfalls, maybe my expectations were too high, but i got nothing out of this. The main character is a very passive protagonist, as far as the pilot goes. The VFX were horrendous, which isn't surprising for 2003 tv, but still. and the supporting cast/characters are just plain boring. Don't think i'll be continuing.
Torchwood 6/10
a friend of mine has recently gotten into Dr Who and has been pestering me to see it, but with the length of the whole series and the many different incarnations, i don't know really where to start and i'm not in the mood to start at the beginning with the old shows to be honest, so i decided to start with the spinoff. Seen the first 2 episodes so far, It seems like a fun version of Xfiles, the VFX also aren't too great, but it's not too detrimental, i'm curious to see what other trouble they can get into, so i'll continue watching it.
few more shows i'me thinking of starting, Entourage and Happy Endings.
to start off a few that i have tried over this past month,
Falling Skies 8/10
An alien invasion show, aired on TNT. first season is 10 episodes and finished them all this week. I thought it looked poor when it was being advertised in the beginning of summer and i don't really know what got me to start watching it, but i was hooked after the pilot. It takes cue from Battlestar Galactica by focusing the story on the characters and not the action, which, when there is some, isn't great, due to the low budget for effects. nevertheless, the show doesn't seem lacking, there is a great parental dynamic of a father just trying to keep his sons safe, some military politics thrown in. great acting, would highly recommend.
Misfits: Pilot 5/10
british show, only saw the pilot so far. interesting premise and they are trying hard not to fall into the cliches, the almost constant handheld shaky cam felt a bit gimmicky to me. maybe i have just untrained ears, but it seemed like most of the characters have different accents and it takes me out a bit. Nothing sticks out to me as far as i need to continue watching, but i think i will give it another chance.
Pretty Little Liars 2/10
don't ask me why, i don't really have an excuse, other than i have heard a lot of people talking about it and comparing it to GG. but i think it's nothing like it. Seen the first 2 episodes. Boring characters, awful cliched situations that don't even have an ounce of believability in them, and whenever there is a scene with someone breaking into the house and a character calls out 'hello, anybody there'. i'm OUT
Web Therapy: Pilot 5/10
Lisa kudrow is endearing even as a high strung therapist who has no patience. There were moments it lagged but also some moments i laughed out loud. I read that the whole show is ad-libbed, only beats are written out beforehand which the actors need to hit. As of this moment, it seems a little unpolished, but with some great therapy patients added as recurring cast it really has potential and it's truly unlike anything out there on tv at them moments, the whole show is seen as through a webcam. Will definitely give it another chance.
Dead Like Me: Pilot 3/10
being a huge fan of Brian Fuller and Pushing Daises, also, to a slightly lesser extent, Heroes and Wonderfalls, maybe my expectations were too high, but i got nothing out of this. The main character is a very passive protagonist, as far as the pilot goes. The VFX were horrendous, which isn't surprising for 2003 tv, but still. and the supporting cast/characters are just plain boring. Don't think i'll be continuing.
Torchwood 6/10
a friend of mine has recently gotten into Dr Who and has been pestering me to see it, but with the length of the whole series and the many different incarnations, i don't know really where to start and i'm not in the mood to start at the beginning with the old shows to be honest, so i decided to start with the spinoff. Seen the first 2 episodes so far, It seems like a fun version of Xfiles, the VFX also aren't too great, but it's not too detrimental, i'm curious to see what other trouble they can get into, so i'll continue watching it.
few more shows i'me thinking of starting, Entourage and Happy Endings.