Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[JudyObscure]

I always knew Ralph's "to the moon,"stuff was, if not exactly meant in jest, just meant to show his frustration. My problem with it was that it wasn't funny. At all. The whole show was just depressing to me.  The set alone made me sad.  I know they were poor, but couldn't they have at least had a few tacky knick-knacks or a calendar hanging on the wall?  Jackie Gleason, on or off the show, always just came across as an obnoxious blow-hard to me. 

Edited December 18, 2016 by JudyObscure

[Haleth]

There's something about old black and white shows that makes everything look sad.

[JudyObscure]

I don't know, I always thought  some of them, like "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Leave it to Beaver,"  had a very happy look and feel to them.

[roseha]

Speaking of the black and white look - we had a thread about this - black and white shows versus color, and some that changed over mid-run -  back on TWOP, but I feel, and I don't know how unpopular this may be, that some of the shows that went from black and white to color in the mid-60s should have stayed black and white.  To me the outstanding example of this was The Fugitive, a highly popular show that was also extremely noir-ish with Dr.  Kimble constantly hiding out on the run from Lt. Gerard.  I remember that the finale, when Kimble caught up with the real killer, got an incredibly high rating, it's too bad that the network TV demands of the time meant that that last season was filmed in color, when I think the black and white look would have been way more effective.

[GreekGeek]

On 12/16/2016 at 8:10 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

Isn't the humor in the Honeymooners with Ralph threatening to knock his wife to the moon kind of the same humor they were going for with Archie Bunker? You weren't laughing at Archie because of the racist shit he said was hilarious you were laughing because of what an idiot he was. Isn't it the same with Ralph Cramden? I have read some commentary where if you watch those scenes, and Ralph is saying the to the moon stuff, Alice is staring him down like she knows he is is all talk and she has no fear of him. 

That said with all the shows over the years that have ripped off The Honeymooners model over the years do we really need an actual reboot?

I had no idea a Honeymooners reboot was in the offing, but I agree with the above. The "to the moon" stuff never bothered me because Ralph's threats were such obvious BS. Most of the shows ended with Ralph apologizing to Alice. In contrast, how often did Ricky Ricardo apologize to Lucy?

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 9:59 PM, kiddo82 said:

Not sure how unpopular this is but while I like both Fresh Off the Boat and the Goldbergs I find the characters of Eddie and Adam to be my least favorite aspects about their respective shows.  Although I'm pretty sure Eddie Huang is no longer involved with Fresh Off the Boat and hasn't been since very early on, I wonder if it's coincidence or if there is something to the fact that both he and Adam Goldberg are the creators of said shows. 

I find Eddie to be completely obnoxious, and would be happy to have him sent off to military school or something.  Adam, I don't hate, but he's sort just blah to me.  I agree that other characters make both shows far more watchable then the "main" ones.

[ByTor]

21 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I don't know, I always thought  some of them, like "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Leave it to Beaver,"  had a very happy look and feel to them.

Hell, even Ed & Trixie's apartment (in the same building, yet) wasn't nearly as depressing as Ralph & Alice's.

9 hours ago, GreekGeek said:

 how often did Ricky Ricardo apologize to Lucy?

Ricky even went as far as to put Lucy over his knee and spank her, which was played for laughs.

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

 Adam, I don't hate, but he's sort just blah to me. 

I don't hate Adam, but man do I ever hate that voice!

[ganesh]

This whole "american" v "British" canard about Black Mirror needs to stop. 

[proserpina65]

I had planned on watching The Hollow Crown because Shakespeare is my thing and I love the history plays, but the presence of first Tom Hiddleston and then Benedict Cumberbatch put me right off.  I'm sure they're both fine actors (haven't seen Hiddleston in anything so I can't judge) but they're freaking everywhere and I just can't take them.

[ennui]

I'm a little late, but I doubt the Honeymooners reboot will have any relation to the original aside from the title. 

The pitch: “Two couples — best friends and neighbors — contend with a new dynamic when one couple remarries after divorcing four years earlier.”

I can't imagine anyone replacing Art Carney.

[Enigma X]

This may be another way of stating my upthread UO about shocking moments, but I think this coming UO is different, although on a miniscule level.

A show can have too many twists and turns, no matter how clever or well written (that the showrunners or viewers think) they are. This is slightly different than a shocking moment to me. Granted, I can't place into words how.

I am looking directly at Damages season two. This is my first watch of this show. I am on episode 5 of season 2. The amount of people who cannot be trusted and who are unlikeable is really making me itch.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Enigma X

[ParadoxLost]

1 hour ago, Enigma X said:

This may be another way of stating my upthread UO about shocking moments, but I think this coming UO is different, although on a miniscule level.

A show can have too many twists and turns, no matter how clever or well written (that the showrunners or viewers think) they are. This is slightly different than a shocking moment to me. Granted, I can't place into words how.

I am looking directly at Damages season two. This is my first watch of this show. I am on episode 5 of season 2. The amount of people who cannot be trusted and who are unlikeable is really making me itch.

I generally find myself uttering these things about most of the critical darlings on cable TV which if why I don't watch most of the critical darlings on cable TV anymore.

Just because everyone is hateful doesn't mean you are edgy. 

Just because "no one is safe" doesn't mean you aren't complete chicken shit about killing characters(ahem. .. Walking Dead)

Its not being an unreliable narrator if only the audience is getting lied to in order to conceal a twist.

Edited December 27, 2016 by ParadoxLost

[Enigma X]

3 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

Just because everyone is hateful doesn't mean you are edgy. 

This.

I will admit, I love some of the "critical darlings." Although, I don't seek to love them. I just do. Some, I can't get into (Mad Men--although, in theory, this should be my kind of show). 

But yeah...the above sentiment I concur with.

[ganesh]

Writing "hateful" characters is kind of lazy. Let's just make them jerks because reasons #anithero. 

[zxy556575]

6 hours ago, Enigma X said:

A show can have too many twists and turns, no matter how clever or well written (that the showrunners or viewers think) they are.

Some writers get so amped up on being twisty that they lose coherent thought. I don't want to be forced to keep a spreadsheet in order to follow what's happening!

[Ms Blue Jay]

I don't get all of the accolades for Ted Danson on The Good Place.   A lot of people seem to point to him as the highlight of the show. I really enjoy the show, and it's one of my favourites of the new season.  But for me, he's the least interesting actor on the show.  He shows the least amount of range of emotion.  I've actually been turned around to like Kristen Bell a lot more than I did prior, and I enjoy all of the lesser known actors on the show as well.  And Adam Scott is a great asshole.  But Ted?  What is the big deal?  He's just.... kind of anxious?

[Enigma X]

8 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I don't get all of the accolades for Ted Danson on The Good Place.   A lot of people seem to point to him as the highlight of the show. I really enjoy the show, and it's one of my favourites of the new season.  But for me, he's the least interesting actor on the show.  He shows the least amount of range of emotion.  I've actually been turned around to like Kristen Bell a lot more than I did prior, and I enjoy all of the lesser known actors on the show as well.  And Adam Scott is a great asshole.  But Ted?  What is the big deal?  He's just.... kind of anxious?

Funny you should mention Ted Danson. I have not watched The Good Place, but I thought he was surprisingly good in the first season of Damages. (Funny, because I griped about Damages above.)

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm trying to see why maybe people respond to him - he never lets go, he's always this high strung character, never relaxes - I don't know. I guess I'm starting to get it a bit.  There's just so many actors on that show who are so special and who give the kind of performances I respond more easily to.

These characters like Ted's (and other examples from other shows I won't touch on) who only operate within this tiny little box and do exactly consistently what is expected of them.  It's not my thing because it doesn't feel complex.

[GodsBeloved]

I don't think Viola Davis is all that. I started out watching HTGAWM and fell off just because. I tuned back in this season to see another actress' debut on the show and found VD's acting to be horrible. I saw Fences on Christmas and thought she was ok but I'm not finding her to be an award worthy actress.

Edited December 27, 2016 by GodsBeloved

[ganesh]

Quote

I grew up in  19__ and no one I knew ever said _____. 

It's a big country and slang varies widely in time by several years. Maybe your childhood wasn't the definitive childhood of the era and people had different experiences? 

[dargosmydaddy]

I enjoy Call the Midwife a lot, but it has never made me cry.

(Not sure if that's a Unpopular Opinion or just a sign that I have no soul...)

[DittyDotDot]

36 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I enjoy Call the Midwife a lot, but it has never made me cry.

(Not sure if that's a Unpopular Opinion or just a sign that I have no soul...)

Us soulless people need to stick together. ;)

[Sandman87]

On Monday, December 26, 2016 at 3:56 PM, ParadoxLost said:

Just because everyone is hateful doesn't mean you are edgy.

Yes! This applies equally to movies, TV and commercials. I'm especially sick of alleged comedies where every character is a full-time jerk, an idiot, or both.

[DearEvette]

On 12/26/2016 at 6:56 PM, ParadoxLost said:

I generally find myself uttering these things about most of the critical darlings on cable TV which if why I don't watch most of the critical darlings on cable TV anymore.

Honestly, I don't feel the cable critical darlings are all that darling.  I have watched many a prestige show on cable and frankly outside of Breaking Bad, most of them I have found to be either or all: pretentious, badly paced, too much of a writer's vanity or self importance peeking through, not entertaining, too "twisty" for its own good, starts out great and goes steeply downhill after the first season(due to becoming pretentious, too twisty, or badly paced) , or is just plain old boring. 

I know critics sniff at network, but on the whole I think network tv is a lot more entertaining.

[zxy556575]

Oh, dear. I've been catching up this year on shows I never watched while they aired and now have to add Dexter to the "I simply do not get it" list. So many fans, accolades, and awards but ... I pretty much think it's terrible. My objections are not to do with the gore or serial killer-itis -- it's just so freaking self-aware and winkingly coy about it. The narration is killing me.

Edited December 28, 2016 by lordonia

[Ohwell]

22 hours ago, GodsBeloved said:

I saw Fences on Christmas and thought she was ok but I'm not finding her to be an award worthy actress.

I think she's an ok actress, but she's not all that.  And having snot coming out of your nose does not make one's performance Oscar-worthy.   

[Moose135]

39 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

And having snot coming out of your nose does not make one's performance Oscar-worthy.

It does make it Kleenex-worthy, however.

[zxy556575]

39 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

It does make it Kleenex-worthy, however.

I needed one to wipe my tears of laughter while watching Winona Ryder in Stranger Things. I thought she was awful -- scenery chewing awful -- but she's been nominated for three acting awards already so what do I know.

Edited December 28, 2016 by lordonia

[Chaos Theory]

10 minutes ago, lordonia said:

I needed one to wipe my tears of laughter while watching Winona Ryder in Stranger Things. I thought she was awful -- scenery chewing awful -- but she's been nominated for three acting awards already so what do I know.

That's hardly an unpopular opinion,  it's more 50/50 you either loved or hated her performance.  I am in the loved camp.  

[DittyDotDot]

5 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

That's hardly an unpopular opinion,  it's more 50/50 you either loved or hated her performance.  I am in the loved camp.  

Oh, I think there's a less-vocal third camp--one where we didn't really care either way. I found her adequate; at times more than adequate, other times, less than adequate. I found the entire cast of Stranger Things this way. 

[Neurochick]

I don't get why every bad behavior has to be labeled a "disorder."  Can't someone just be awful without a diagnosis?

[Ms Blue Jay]

14 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Honestly, I don't feel the cable critical darlings are all that darling.  I have watched many a prestige show on cable and frankly outside of Breaking Bad, most of them I have found to be either or all: pretentious, badly paced, too much of a writer's vanity or self importance peeking through, not entertaining, too "twisty" for its own good, starts out great and goes steeply downhill after the first season(due to becoming pretentious, too twisty, or badly paced) , or is just plain old boring. 

I know critics sniff at network, but on the whole I think network tv is a lot more entertaining.

The Affair.  This is how I feel about The Affair.  I know two people who really like the show so I tried the pilot.

A young child attempts suicide.  Check.

Rape scene?  Check.

(That's putting the scenes bluntly without much nuance, but that's how you're supposed to feel when you see the scenes.  I think they're supposed to upset you, because they really upset me.)

It checked all the boxes of what is "so super edgy" in a pilot.  You will find that other cable show pilots will also employ the following: vomit scene, masturbation scene, disturbing sex scene (i.e. at least one partner doesn't enjoy the sex), character urinating on a toilet scene.

All, in my opinion, to show you how EDGY the show is.  I've seen it again and again. I couldn't tolerate The Affair.  I can't believe how many awards it won in its first season against shows I found far superior and definitely more enjoyable.  I don't understand television critics when they're like this.

Dialogue and writing plot can happen instead.  It doesn't have to be these gratuitous shock scenes.  THESE SCENES AREN'T TELLING A STORY.  They just annoy me and I really feel like it's a checklist of Edgy Stupidity at this point.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[cpcathy]

I watched about two and a half episodes of The Affair since I was jonesing for a drama show with several seasons. HATED IT. Hated the two people in the affair, hated the Roshoman way of telling the story, just hated it all so much.

[ribboninthesky1]

1 hour ago, Neurochick said:

I don't get why every bad behavior has to be labeled a "disorder."  Can't someone just be awful without a diagnosis?

Certainly doesn't seem that way. 

3 hours ago, DittyDotDot said:

Oh, I think there's a less-vocal third camp--one where we didn't really care either way. I found her adequate; at times more than adequate, other times, less than adequate. I found the entire cast of Stranger Things this way. 

I'll always believe this show received critical acclaim because it's a love letter to the 80s, and presumably hit the nostalgia button for critics.  Nothing wrong with it, but nostalgia doesn't automatically equal good TV.     

On 12/27/2016 at 11:41 AM, GodsBeloved said:

I don't think Viola Davis is all that. I started out watching HTGAWM and fell off just because. I tuned back in this season to see another actress' debut on the show and found VD's acting to be horrible. I saw Fences on Christmas and thought she was ok but I'm not finding her to be an award worthy actress.

  I'm objectively pleased that Viola is getting kudos because she's paid her dues. Subjectively? In most of her work I've seen, her performance wasn't particularly memorable (I haven't seen Fences).  And since I'm confessing, I wasn't a fan of that particular scene in season one of HTGAWM that everyone felt was so raw and real. 

[Neurochick]

41 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I'm objectively pleased that Viola is getting kudos because she's paid her dues. Subjectively? In most of her work I've seen, her performance wasn't particularly memorable (I haven't seen Fences).  And since I'm confessing, I wasn't a fan of that particular scene in season one of HTGAWM that everyone felt was so raw and real. 

Viola Davis scared the shit out of me when she was in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."  Now THAT was a performance. 

[MargeGunderson]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I don't get why every bad behavior has to be labeled a "disorder."  Can't someone just be awful without a diagnosis?

If I could like this a million times I would. sometimes a person is just a raging jerk.

[CoderLady]

8 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Viola Davis scared the shit out of me when she was in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."  Now THAT was a performance. 

Yes. Her character even managed to read Bobby Goren so perfectly on their first meeting that for a little while he was totally speechless. Oh, the expression on his face...

[DeLurker]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I don't get why every bad behavior has to be labeled a "disorder."  Can't someone just be awful without a diagnosis?

There's actually a name for this - hyperdiagnosis. 

[ribboninthesky1]

3 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Viola Davis scared the shit out of me when she was in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."  Now THAT was a performance. 

So I keep reading/hearing.  I've never seen the episode, and not sure I want to.  I did think she was great in a little-known indie called Lila and Eve, but honestly, that's her only body of work I've seen to date that has resonated with me so far.  

[Mrs. P.]

She was very good in the Meryl Streep drama Doubt.  She was only on the screen for a brief time, but she left an indelible impression.

[Chaos Theory]

I am a big fan of some of the cable dramas  and I think the word "edgy" has been turned into a negative word by many.   I do agree though that The Affair was never as good as the critics thought it was.  I did enjoy the premise of watching the same scene from multiple points of view but the shows instance that one of the male leads was the perfect male specimen got old fast.  

That being said I do think channels like AMC and FX actually do put out better shows the HBO and Showtime.  

[DittyDotDot]

 I'm a firm believer there are just as many sucky shows on cable as there are on network TV; and just as many really good ones. 

[Kel Varnsen]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am a big fan of some of the cable dramas  and I think the word "edgy" has been turned into a negative word by many.   I do agree though that The Affair was never as good as the critics thought it was.  I did enjoy the premise of watching the same scene from multiple points of view but the shows instance that one of the male leads was the perfect male specimen got old fast.  

That being said I do think channels like AMC and FX actually do put out better shows the HBO and Showtime.  

The worst offender for edgy shows that were actually crap but got tons of buzz was Sons of Anarchy.  It started off decent but the last few seasons were ridiculously over the top.  But the ridiculousness seemed to make it more popular. 

[Chaos Theory]

1 hour ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The worst offender for edgy shows that were actually crap but got tons of buzz was Sons of Anarchy.  It started off decent but the last few seasons were ridiculously over the top.  But the ridiculousness seemed to make it more popular. 

I didn't like the last season but other then that I did enjoy the show.  A lot of the buzz came from Kurt Sutter himself who was extremely acrimonious that the show didn't win any awards.  I do think the show lasted maybe a season or two longer then it should have  he tended to give way too much screen time especially at the end to his wife when maybe he shouldn't have. But I do think it was an otherwise good show.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[ShellSeeker]

3 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The worst offender for edgy shows that were actually crap but got tons of buzz was Sons of Anarchy.  It started off decent but the last few seasons were ridiculously over the top.  But the ridiculousness seemed to make it more popular. 

Oh, agreed for sure. I watched up through season 5, and then the premiere of season 6 completely turned me off. It was the school shooting episode, and it played to me like a gratuitous ratings grab, and something done for shock value. I found it very distasteful. I gave it a couple more episodes, and then there was a scene with Jax showing up at the brothel to see the madam (I think played by Kim Dickens) who he'd been sleeping with. And showed him with the big sad puppy dog eyes when he found out she was with a client. Really? You're upset that the prostitute is boning someone else? That was it for me.

[Dee]

3 hours ago, DittyDotDot said:

 I'm a firm believer there are just as many sucky shows on cable as there are on network TV; and just as many really good ones. 

With the exception of 'Damages' is there another 'prestige' television show that centers anyone other than straight white men?

[Chaos Theory]

30 minutes ago, Dee said:

With the exception of 'Damages' is there another 'prestige' television show that centers anyone other than straight white men?

The Americans center around a family of Russian spies.   Yes one of the leads is a straight white male but his wife gets a lot (maybe more then he does) of the acclaim.  And this last season many people thought his OTHER wife (long story) was going to get nominated for supporting actress.  She wasn't.  I thought it was a seriously major snub.  

I think Power on Straz focuses on a black male nightclub owner with criminal ties.  I don't have Stars so I can't tell you more then that but I think it is still on.

i found an article that was written awhile back that called shows like Arrow and Scandal and the like.  Quality shows that aren't exactly prestige shows Mid-Reputable shows.  I think it is a fine distinction.  I like a lot of thes shows and think they are high in quality but I am rarely in the crowd when people complain at their lack of Emmy love.  

Edited December 29, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[DittyDotDot]

"Prestige" is in the eye of the beholder, IMO, and is not the same thing as quality.

[cpcathy]

Fargo always features good female characters.

[izabella]

Call the Midwife is a great show on PBS with a leading female cast.  Madame Secretary has a female lead, but everyone else is straight, white male, and it's not a prestige show.  Masters of Sex has a female and male co-lead.  One could make the argument that Dolores and Maeve on Westworld are leads, though Anthony Hopkins is the primary male lead.  Conviction has a female lead, but that ABC show is hardly "prestige."  And Nashiville has a strong female lead, but also isn't really a prestige show. 

Short roster for sure.