Behind the Times: Older, popular shows that you're just getting around to watching.

[Zella]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I started watching The Wire after seeing here for years how great it was.  I do understand why people loved it, but I don't think it's for me.  It's pretty rough.  However I do want to give young Michael B Jordan a hug.  (And older MBJ too for that matter, but that's a different issue.)

Just out of curiosity: how far are you? I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago and really loved it, but yeesh it really is hard on the emotions and the nerves. 

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I started watching The Wire after seeing here for years how great it was.  I do understand why people loved it, but I don't think it's for me.  It's pretty rough.  However I do want to give young Michael B Jordan a hug.  (And older MBJ too for that matter, but that's a different issue.

Me of today would not watch The Wire.  I just am not in that mindset anymore.  And I admit I had a rough start with the show, I didn't think I'd make it past the fisrt few episodes. 

But in retrospect I think I fell in love with it sometime round the last part of the S1 and into S2 where I really got to know the characters and understood the story he was telling.  The writing it really quite brilliant.  And it is one of the most quotable shows ever.  But, NGL, when I've done a re-watch I could only re-watch S1 and S2 it gets too heartbreaking after that. 

That said... I discovered Burn Notice during the writier's stike.  This is 100% where my head is at.  I love spy vs. spy hijinxs.  And It reminds me of the Parker books by Richard Stark where the main character is a master criminal who breaks the fourth wall to give you all these tips and tricks that criminals and spies use.  The character of Parker on Leverage was an homage to that character in these books.  Anyway I enjoyed the heck out of it.

 

[Zella]

8 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

But, NGL, when I've done a re-watch I could only re-watch S1 and S2 it gets too heartbreaking after that. 

Yeah I watch a lot of depressing TV, but season 4 is pretty much the saddest thing I've ever watched. 

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

That said... I discovered Burn Notice during the writier's stike.  This is 100% where my head is at.  I love spy vs. spy hijinxs.  And It reminds me of the Parker books by Richard Stark where the main character is a master criminal who breaks the fourth wall to give you all these tips and tricks that criminals and spies use.  The character of Parker on Leverage was an homage to that character in these books.  Anyway I enjoyed the heck out of it.

I love Burn Notice and the tips Michael gave out. How to tell if your being followed and his reason for not wearing black when get breaks into someone's house. I love Parker too. She's always teaching kids crime. Of course she does.

[Haleth]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

Just out of curiosity: how far are you? I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago and really loved it, but yeesh it really is hard on the emotions and the nerves. 

Mostly thru the 1st season. 

2 hours ago, Zella said:

Yeah I watch a lot of depressing TV, but season 4 is pretty much the saddest thing I've ever watched. 

That settles it then. Not gonna watch. 

[AstridM]

On 2/25/2024 at 1:25 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

I am watching Orange Is the New Black for the first time. I finished season one. There’s not very much commentary on it in the show thread. I was surprised, as I thought it had been very popular. It’s really just a big soap opera, and the characters speak with too high an education level. Yet it is somewhat compelling. How did they make this run for seven seasons when the real Piper served only one year, I think.  

I could’ve sworn that there was LOTS of discussion here about it. I wonder what happened to those forums?

On 2/25/2024 at 8:16 AM, Haleth said:

I started watching The Wire after seeing here for years how great it was.  I do understand why people loved it, but I don't think it's for me.  It's pretty rough.  However I do want to give young Michael B Jordan a hug.  (And older MBJ too for that matter, but that's a different issue.)

It took me about 4-5 episodes before The Wire totally won me over. Keep going! It’s truly one of the greatest series of all time. 

[EtheltoTillie]

2 hours ago, AstridM said:

I could’ve sworn that there was LOTS of discussion here about it. I wonder what happened to those forums?

It took me about 4-5 episodes before The Wire totally won me over. Keep going! It’s truly one of the greatest series of all time. 

1)  Some of the OITNB discussion appears to go all the way back to the beginning.  Who knows?  Did you watch it?  Did you like it?

2) The Wire:  Each season I felt I had to give a whole episode to get in the swing of the new story line.  Then I was mesmerized.  Keep going!  I've never done a rewatch, but then I typically do not re-watch a long drama series. 

BTW, The Wire was the first US show for which I needed closed captions, as it's hard to understand some of the accents.  I had already been using them for UK shows for the same purpose.  Now I use them for everything. 

Edited February 26 by EtheltoTillie

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, AstridM said:

It took me about 4-5 episodes before The Wire totally won me over. Keep going! It’s truly one of the greatest series of all time. 

I agree,  I kept hearing how awesome it was and after watching a couple episodes I thought this is the greatest show ever???? But I kept watching and by the end of the last episode of the first season I was hooked.  

On 2/25/2024 at 11:31 AM, Zella said:

but yeesh it really is hard on the emotions and the nerves. 

It's definitely not for the faint of heart.  There are some things that years later and after multiple rewatches still break my heart when I watch those episodes. 

23 hours ago, Zella said:

Yeah I watch a lot of depressing TV, but season 4 is pretty much the saddest thing I've ever watched. 

Oh yeah the school season.  After the first season season 4 is my favorite. But it did introduce some great characters.

[EtheltoTillie]

Yes, The Wire is not for the faint of heart.   I have never forgotten the scene near end of the very last episode when they are showing what happens to many of the characters

Spoiler

where one of the kids who everyone thought would make good is shooting up.  I don't remember the name of the character. 

Devastating. 

[Zella]

1 hour ago, bluegirl147 said:

Oh yeah the school season.  After the first season season 4 is my favorite. But it did introduce some great characters.

Yeah it is superb. One of the best seasons of TV I've ever seen. But I had to decompress a while after watching it, and rewatches don't make it any easier. 

[Anela]

I've started and stopped The Wire, several times. Same with Deadwood. I can't settle into much of anything now. I miss when I would just put something on, and several hours later, I'd just be curled up, and really into it. That happened with "Big Love" when I had the DVDs out of the library, years ago, and put them on when I was sorting out my room. 

I started "Monk" recently, after it showed up on Netflix. Easy to watch, amusing. I'm also in the mood for The Closer. 

The other night, I found a show from 2008, called Survivors, on one of those dodgy sites. I remember watching the first three episodes somewhere, when it was new, but can't remember if it was on BBC America, or something else. 

[xfuse]

20 hours ago, Anela said:

The other night, I found a show from 2008, called Survivors, on one of those dodgy sites. I remember watching the first three episodes somewhere, when it was new, but can't remember if it was on BBC America, or something else. 

It's a British show. I watched both seasons years ago and was disappointed it didn't come back for a third.

[chediavolo]

Is “Then Came Bronson” streaming anywhere? 

[Cobb Salad]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

Is “Then Came Bronson” streaming anywhere? 

According to IMDb, no. 
There are clips on YouTube though.  

[Trini]

I'm not afraid to revive a dormant topic; anyone want to discuss Red Dwarf?

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/6494-red-dwarf/

I recently discovered the entire series on Tubi, and I've gotten through Season/series 6. I remember watching some of this as a kid/teen on PBS in the 90s. The series had its ups and downs, but it took big swings, and had some great gags and characters.

Edited March 8 by Trini

[meep.meep]

I love Red Dwarf and hate Dr. Who!

 

[Cloud9Shopper]

I started Brothers and Sisters a few weeks ago, largely to see Sally Field as a TV lead. I wouldn’t say it’s my top favorite (right now my new obsession since losing some interest in ER is 9-1-1), but I really do enjoy the family dynamics and hearing about the father’s skeletons and misdeeds. 

I also want to see Roseanne from start to finish now that it’s on Peacock but I watch it on TVLand sometimes. My favorite episode is the one where she goes to Bingo because I too have played Bingo in Catholic churches and that episode is one of the most realistic things I’ve seen on comedy TV. 😂