Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Oh yeah, and I remember kinda liking Harper's Island. It was what it was--cheesy horror/mystery--and wasn't trying to be anything more.

 

So I was checking out the IMDB listing for Harper's Island, and my first thought/brainfart was, "Are Elaine and Katie Cassidy related?" If it isn't streaming anywhere, is it available on DVD?

Edited February 15, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[DittyDotDot]

So I was checking out the IMDB listing for Harper's Island, and my first thought/brainfart was, "Are Elaine and Katie Cassidy related?" If it isn't streaming anywhere, is it available on DVD?

 

As far as I know Katie and Elaine are not related. It is available on DVD, but also available for streaming on Netflix.

[amensisterfriend]

I'm almost sure Katie and Elaine Cassidy aren't related---I remember discussing this at the time with one of the few other people on the planet who watched the show!

 

Cobalt, let us know if you start watching Harper's Island. We can create a discussion thread and relive its cheesy glory along with you :)  

[joelene]

If they're related its very distant, since Elaine is Irish and Katie is American (or Canadian?).

Loving all this Harper's Island reminiscing! I was totally into the show and I thought it was actually pretty good. Not good good but it was, for the most part, a pretty satisfying horror thriller show, and how often do you get shows in that genre that are worth a damn? It was WAY better than The Following, for example, if I'm gonna compare it to something.

This is the only thing I've seen Katie Cassidy in and I thought she was very good and likeable. When I see posts off the "Katie Cassidy is so bad!" variety I always think it must be the scripts or directing she's given on these other shows. And I've ben a fan of Elaine Cassidy since Felicia's Journey. Two other characters that were great were Cal and Chloe who also managed to subvert expectations and tropes you'd think the writers would put them through. One scene in particular gave me goosebumps and I choked up, and that doesn't happen a lot.

Then of course there was plenty of cheese in the show too and plot holes and annoying characters like in most other shows (I'm looking at you, Madison) but all in all it was a great ride if you just went with it and didn't pick it apart.

You should check it out, Cobalt! I know it's downloadable and streamable. This got me jonesing for a rewatch.

Edited February 15, 2015 by joelene

[Haleth]

I think this counts as a TV UO because commercials and HBO - I am officially over Matthew McConaughey. He probably is a wonderful actor. But I've had enough of his mumbling his way through car commercials (not to mention his way-beyond-cool attitude) and I had to turn the subtitles on during a recent viewing of Dallas Buyers Club, which I hate doing.

Up until recently I would have agreed with you.  I always found MM to be overrated and, well, greasy.  But he was truly outstanding in True Detective.  His was perhaps the finest performance I'd ever seen on tv.  No kidding.

[Enigma X]

Up until recently I would have agreed with you.  I always found MM to be overrated and, well, greasy.  But he was truly outstanding in True Detective.  His was perhaps the finest performance I'd ever seen on tv.  No kidding.

 

I went back and forth on MM's cuteness quotient for years. I decided at one point that he was cuter than the average male but...His acting always varied from movie to movie to me. Although in movies where it called for charm he always knocked it out of the park. This is even when it is inappropriate charm, such as in one of my favorite movies ever Dazed and Confused.

 

After watching True Detective (even if I hated the first season's ending), I don't doubt that he or Harrelson can bring it. I had not before with both of them. But I agree the MM commercials where he is too cool for school are annoying.

 

On the other hand, and not sure if it is a UO, the Rob Lowe DirecTV commercial's are hilarious.

[Hybridcookie]

If they're related its very distant, since Elaine is Irish and Katie is American (or Canadian?).

Loving all this Harper's Island reminiscing! I was totally into the show and I thought it was actually pretty good. Not good good but it was, for the most part, a pretty satisfying horror thriller show, and how often do you get shows in that genre that are worth a damn? It was WAY better than The Following, for example, if I'm gonna compare it to something.

This is the only thing I've seen Katie Cassidy in and I thought she was very good and likeable. When I see posts off the "Katie Cassidy is so bad!" variety I always think it must be the scripts or directing she's given on these other shows. And I've ben a fan of Elaine Cassidy since Felicia's Journey. Two other characters that were great were Cal and Chloe who also managed to subvert expectations and tropes you'd think the writers would put them through. One scene in particular gave me goosebumps and I choked up, and that doesn't happen a lot.

Then of course there was plenty of cheese in the show too and plot holes and annoying characters like in most other shows (I'm looking at you, Madison) but all in all it was a great ride if you just went with it and didn't pick it apart.

You should check it out, Cobalt! I know it's downloadable and streamable. This got me jonesing for a rewatch.

 

 

I loved Harper's Island in all it's cheesiness. Cal and Chloe were my favourites, and I really liked Katie Cassidy as Trish.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I'm almost sure Katie and Elaine Cassidy aren't related---I remember discussing this at the time with one of the few other people on the planet who watched the show!

 

Cobalt, let us know if you start watching Harper's Island. We can create a discussion thread and relive its cheesy glory along with you :)  

 

amensisterfriend, they are indeed not related, as I did a Google search and found that other people had the same question. I knew who Elaine is before Katie, actually - she was in 2005's Fingersmith with Sally Hawkins, and I've been a fan ever since. I will put Harper's Island in my Netflix queue, since its only thirteen episodes and won't take long for me to gobble up. :-)

[amensisterfriend]

Oh, awesome---this is just the excuse I need to rewatch! If I request a show thread for Harper's Island, will some of you guys join me over there?! 

 

An Office (U.S.) UO: The short and often dismissed first season is my very favorite, or at least the one I find most rewatchable. And I actually think I find even the fourth season more rewatchable than the understandably lauded S2 and S3. 

 

And I'm also that one Office fan who just couldn't root for Dwight/Angela. 

 

Also: I adored Toby and think he was a sadly underrated character! 

[joelene]

And I'm also that one Office fan who just couldn't root for Dwight/Angela.

You were supposed to root for them?! I didn't root for any characters on that show. I mean, I liked the show but every one of those people were just awful, which is what I thought was fun about it.

I suppose I didn't not root for Jim and Pam, they were just low priority for me.

[tribeca]

Here's an oldie but goodie :)

 

The NBC show Ed which I loved.  Adored Ed and never wanted him to get together with Carol.  Actually JMHO he had better chemistry with Molly.

 

 

And I totally rooted for Angela and Dwight :)

Edited February 16, 2015 by tribeca

[Neurochick]

My UO is I don't mind turning on the closed captions on my TV.  My TV has them, I don't mind using them.

 

I also don't get why sometimes it seems that women hate female characters on TV shows.  I notice that folks seem to hate the women characters more than the men, like Gabby in Chicago Fire, Lana in Smallville, Max in Black Sails just to name a few.

[gator12]

Downton Abbey: I don't get why poor poor Edith get so much sympathies. She is just another user who walks all over people who are of lower class than her and thinks of no one but herself. Playing with people and a child life like that ain't cute. 

 

Grey's Anatomy: Derek is a douche and I don't get why Meredith is acting like she was never the sun of that relationship. 

 

Chicago Fire and Chicago PD would have been better if they didn't evolves ships/couples and keep things as case of the week 

Edited February 16, 2015 by gator12

[ChaseMCP]

I also don't get why sometimes it seems that women hate female characters on TV shows.  I notice that folks seem to hate the women characters more than the men, like Gabby in Chicago Fire, Lana in Smallville, Max in Black Sails just to name a few.

 

I'll be honest and admit that I do find myself disliking more female characters than male characters, which just irks me because I'm a female myself. I couldn't understand it, cause when I find a female character I like, I don't just like her - I absolutely LOVE her, and she becomes my favorite in the show. Brienne from Game of Thrones, Sloan from The Newsroom, Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Vanessa from Penny Dreadful, etc. It bugged me so much that I couldn't find a reason why I disliked so many female characters while at the same time adoring other female characters and honestly I think it's because of the writing. Most shows have more males than females and when the writing is poor I think the female characters suffer the most and it becomes more obvious because of the fewer female characters.

Ziva from NCIS comes to mind when I think of this. Her character had so much potential but the writers narrowed her down to being defined by the relationships she had with the men in her life. I don't think she ever really had a plot that explored her character alone. The writing for the show suffered elsewhere as well, but I think it was more evident in Ziva's character because she was one of the lone females and was featured so prominently, so she became the face of that, if that makes any sense. 

[paramitch]

My latest UO (resurrected because of "Better Call Saul") is that I am so tired of hearing that "Mr. Chips becomes Scarface!" quote by Vince Gilligan when people discuss the "Breaking Bad" universe.

 

First off, I hated it the moment I heard it, I think early in Season 2 or so, because I considered it a massive spoiler by the showrunner, and I resented knowing where Walter White was headed. And secondly, I just think it's a bit overly glib and really has little to do with the brilliance of BB at all. Yes, I loved "Breaking Bad" and it was awesome. But this quote comes up constantly pretty much ANY TIME people talk about it (almost always as if it's a new and unique thought), and it drives me absolutely batty -- and now over on "Better Call Saul" it's out again in full force and... AGGHGHGH.

 

I know. It's a totally stupid pet peeve. But there ya go.

 

Meanwhile, on the Whedon discussions:

 

1. I liked "Firefly" but thought the show was really uneven, and I HATED Mal. Hated. Mal. No matter how charming the actor is (and Nathan Fillion is ridiculously charismatic and funny), watching a show congratulate itself as being enlightened for having a courtesan/sex worker as a main character loses something when you have the show's lead (and her supposed soulmate) constantly and nastily bashing said character for being one (I remember at one point counting the number of different words Mal used in a single episode for "whore"). I thought Mal was somewhat redeemed in "Serenity" (which I thought was superb), but I still don't get Mal/Inara as a couple at all. (I honestly thought "Deadwood" was far, far more risky and interesting in the way it treated its prostitute characters -- Trixie for instance was superb -- complex, abused, weak/strong, funny, heroic, profane, and lovable all at once.)

 

2. I loved "Dollhouse," especially Season 2, however I also think the dystopic future-universe as a direct result of the 'dolls' was pretty stupid. I especially hated that no one ever addressed that -- as with cyborgs or AI, etc. -- if you upload your thoughts, you aren't immortal. You will still die and your particular consciousness will end. Characters on "Dollhouse" were actually crowing about getting shot, like, "I'll just be in a new body next week," but it bugged me so much because those deaths were still final to those particular beings.

 

3. And last but not least: I hate that people constantly refer to everything good or bad that happens on "Agents of Shield" due to "Whedon" (with Joss always the assumed subject). I just don't agree that it's actually a "Whedon" show. Yes, Joss has some involvement but it's mainly his brother's show and honestly there is very little of the typical Joss Whedon wit or snap to the dialogue at all (a good and a bad thing). Yet anytime someone dies, or something funny happens, it's all, "Oh, right, it's a Whedon show." 

Edited February 16, 2015 by paramitch

[amensisterfriend]

I rewatched a bunch of Psych this weekend, which means you guys are stuck hearing some of my UOs about that show :) 

 

1. I love Juliet (at least for the first four or so seasons!) She's one of my favorite female TV characters. And I never, ever wanted her to be with Shawn. 

 

2. If they had to pair up Juliet with anyone, I'd far rather it have been with Lassiter. 

 

3. Shawn is annoyingly obnoxious and over the top and very often the only thing I don't absolutely love about the show, but my UO is that I blame the writing far more than the acting and actually liked James Roday a lot in that role. 

 

4. I think the mysteries are often at least as engaging and satisfying as those found on the more serious crime dramas, if not more so. Sadly, I'm not kidding. 

 

5. I hate, hate, HATED the casting of Cybil Shepherd as Shawn's mom. I find myself fast forwarding through her scenes. 

[LeeLeePanda]

Torchwood Unpopular Opinions:

1. I like Gwen. I can see why some may find her annoying, but I don't think she's a Mary Sue (which is a term that I hate), or even supposed to be close to perfect.

2. I shipped Owen and Gwen. I thought the tree scene in Countryside was incredible hot, and I wish we had seen more of their affair on screen.

3. While I don't condone cheating, and I thought it was interesting that Gwen got away with her affair with Owen. Usually a female cheater is raked over the coals, and deemed a slut. She's punished for her sins while the male characters get away scot free. I guess it also helps that Gwen never made any excuse for what she was doing, and knew that she probably would get caught. Maybe that's why I liked Gwen. She was an asshole, and knew it.

4. I was surprised when Ianto and Jack got together. Mostly because I didn't see any chemistry between the two. Like wise, I didn't think there was any romantic chemistry between Jack and Gwen. I think that Jack and Tosh would have been interesting to explore.

5. I didn't hate Miracle Day. I decided to watch I as if it was a new show with 2 characters from the original Torchwood. It wasn't perfect, but it entertained me enough.

[rue721]

UOs for The Americans:

 

I love Elizabeth. I wish I could be more like her!

 

It makes sense to me that she'd be worried about Philip's loyalty. He's materialistic enough that he could be bought out -- he even told her so in the pilot! Ironically, his materialism probably makes him more of a Marxist than she is :P. Of course, then it turned out that even he has things he holds dearer (his family) so apparently he's trustworthy after all? To the members of his family, anyway.

 

(Though it's strange that someone who cares about family that much would abandon everyone he knew/loved in Russia to become a sleeper agent in America, isn't it?)

 

Anyway, it didn't even occur to me that we were "supposed" to root against the Soviets until someone mentioned it on the forum. I still don't root against them or for the FBI.

 

Even though they're sleeper agents and Super Spies for Mother Russia (!!!), a lot of the time Philip and Elizabeth just seem to me like any immigrants who need to assimilate for their own safety, and because of that, I tend to identify and empathize much more with them than I do with the "American" characters.

 

Regardless of the problems with the (terrible) real life Soviet state (and the problems with Russia and the former Soviet bloc even today), I have absolutely no problem with either Elizabeth or Philip's "ideology." I take no issue with communism, atheism, or even patriotism (though imo that one's the most complicated) as ideals.

 

It seems ridiculous to me that Philip is aghast that Elizabeth is going to try to manipulate Paige using Paige's newfound Christianity. Imo, Paige is obviously searching for something to believe in, hence the churchgoing, so Elizabeth is going to be a good parent and *give* her child something to believe in that she herself thinks is true/right/moral -- her political ideology. Frankly, I see nothing wrong with that. But more importantly, I find it obnoxious that Philip would, since he also believes in that political ideology more than he believes in religion, let alone specifically in Christianity, anyway. That Philip would apparently be fine with Paige sucking at that particular teat (kumbaya Christianity) her whole life, if it meant that she would be in less physical danger, makes me question his integrity. And also, tbh, that seems more manipulative (of Paige) than does Elizabeth's plan to sway Paige into replacing her belief in Christianity with a belief in communism and patriotism. Paige needs something to believe in, and it's most convenient for Philip that she believe in (what he believes is) pap/bullshit, so he's going to let her keep doing that rather than trying to steer her more in the direction he believes is right? Imo that's irresponsible and disrespectful toward Paige.

[DittyDotDot]

I rewatched a bunch of Psych this weekend, which means you guys are stuck hearing some of my UOs about that show :) 

 

[...]

 

3. Shawn is annoyingly obnoxious and over the top and very often the only thing I don't absolutely love about the show, but my UO is that I blame the writing far more than the acting and actually liked James Roday a lot in that role. 

 

I just started watching Psych a couple months ago and am in mid-S3 right now. I'm really enjoying the light and goofy tone of the show. While I agree with Shawn being over-the-top and obnoxious, I find it rather charming for some reason. He really should grate on my nerves, but for some reason he never does. Maybe it's the combination of James Roday and Dule Hill that make it work for me?  Maybe it's just that each character sees, accepts and enjoys the other for who they are rather than them constantly looking down on each other?

[amensisterfriend]

Yay---a new "Psych-o" :)  Can I beg you to come over to those threads? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

[DittyDotDot]

Um, I don't know. It always seems so overwhelming to me to jump into discussion on a show so late in the game. It takes me forever to get caught up. I'll give it the old college try, though.

Edited February 16, 2015 by DittyDotDot

[redlaces]

Dick in a Box is not funny. At all.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I wouldn't say it's completely unfunny but I thought the sequels were better.

[Janet Snakehole]

Dick in a Box is not funny. At all.

I will go a step further and say Justin Timberlake is not funny on SNL. At all.

Though that may be because I think he has a supremely punchable face.

[allyw]

Torchwood Unpopular Opinions:

1. I like Gwen. I can see why some may find her annoying, but I don't think she's a Mary Sue (which is a term that I hate), or even supposed to be close to perfect.

2. I shipped Owen and Gwen. I thought the tree scene in Countryside was incredible hot, and I wish we had seen more of their affair on screen.

3. While I don't condone cheating, and I thought it was interesting that Gwen got away with her affair with Owen. Usually a female cheater is raked over the coals, and deemed a slut. She's punished for her sins while the male characters get away scot free. I guess it also helps that Gwen never made any excuse for what she was doing, and knew that she probably would get caught. Maybe that's why I liked Gwen. She was an asshole, and knew it.

4. I was surprised when Ianto and Jack got together. Mostly because I didn't see any chemistry between the two. Like wise, I didn't think there was any romantic chemistry between Jack and Gwen. I think that Jack and Tosh would have been interesting to explore.

5. I didn't hate Miracle Day. I decided to watch I as if it was a new show with 2 characters from the original Torchwood. It wasn't perfect, but it entertained me enough.

 

I've pretty much forgotten about this show but I agree with some of your uos especially 1, 4 & 5. And to expand on 4 & 5, I thought the show on a whole was like badly written fan-fiction so Miracle Day for me was in the same vein as the other seasons. I was also surprised by Ianto and Jack because one minute Ianto was risking everyone's life to save his ex-girlfriend and the next he was in-love with Jack. They didn't have any build-up and all of a sudden they were the love of each other's life.

Edited February 17, 2015 by allyw

[ganesh]

Miracle Day needed a good editor to narrow the focus of what story they actually wanted to tell. The concept wasn't actually that bad. 

[raven]

 

While I don't condone cheating, and I thought it was interesting that Gwen got away with her affair with Owen. Usually a female cheater is raked over the coals, and deemed a slut. She's punished for her sins while the male characters get away scot free. I guess it also helps that Gwen never made any excuse for what she was doing, and knew that she probably would get caught. Maybe that's why I liked Gwen. She was an asshole, and knew it.

Well, she only confessed to Rhys because she knew she was going to wipe his memory of it.  She didn't seem like she knew she was an asshole, she was presented (IMO) as being above reproach.

 

I agree that there wasn't chemistry between Jack & Ianto.  I liked Owen, who was an unrepentant jerk.  I haven't seen Miracle Day, but did watch Children of Earth and liked that very much.

 

My biggest UO is that I don't like the puppet episode of Angel.  It's dumb and not funny *sigh of relief*.  I also  like Kate, played by Elisabeth Rohm, who I also liked on Law and Order.

 

I still like Supernatural and am with it until the bitter end.  

 

I also liked Harper's Island and wish they had brought it back each season with a different murder/slasher/whatever.

Edited February 18, 2015 by raven

[FormerMod-a1]

My biggest UO is that I don't like the puppet episode of Angel.  It's dumb and not funny *sigh of relief*.  I also  like Kate, played by Elisabeth Rohm, who I also liked on Law and Order.

 

I have confessed the latter before, to a rousing sound of silence.  So yay!  I'm not alone.  I have never confessed the former, although I do feel the same.  I kept waiting for the puppet  "bit" to end, and it didn't.  

[ParadoxLost]

I also liked Harper's Island and wish they had brought it back each season with a different murder/slasher/whatever.

 

I liked the idea of Harper's Island, but I thought it was going to be more Agatha Christie and less slasher flick.

[proserpina65]

I read the Song of Ice and Fire series up until book 4. My UO is that the TV series is better TV than just following the majority of the books.

I've read the whole series, and think the first three books are better than the TV series (the last two, not so much), although I enjoy it as well.  I'll confess to struggling with the way some parts of the story have been adapted, but I do try not to be that person whining about every little change.  I believe, however, that most readers complaining about how a particular book has been adapted for the screen, large or small, do so out of love for the source material and not just to feel superior to those who haven't read the book.  There are, however, those few who are just being assholes, and unfortunately they often are the loudest.

 

My unpopular (or maybe just uncommon) GOT opinion: I don't think Jaime raped Cersei in that infamous Season 4 scene.

[ribboninthesky1]

My biggest UO is that I don't like the puppet episode of Angel.  It's dumb and not funny *sigh of relief*.  I also  like Kate, played by Elisabeth Rohm, who I also liked on Law and Order.

 

I don't have any particular opinion on Rohm, but I remember the "Is this because I'm a lesbian" quote being a thing on TWOP.  And maybe it's because I watched that episode long after that line was submitted as evidence of how bad an actress Rohm was...but I had no issues with her line delivery, nor did I think it was unintentionally hilarious.  I never got the joke, I guess.

Edited February 19, 2015 by ribboninthesky1

[merylinkid]

I have no problem with Rohm as an actress.   The problem with that line is that Fred Thompson as Arthur Branch just told her in detail why he was firing her and she comes out with the most WTF, out of nowhere line in the history of television "Is it because I'm a lesbian."   Serena's sexuality had never been referred to in the entire time of her run on the show.    She was being fired for being too much a defense attorney when she worked as a prosecutor, not for her hitherto unknown sexual orientation.

[raven]

It was a WTF exit line for all the reasons you mentioned merylinkid, I agree.

 

Other UO - I don't watch talk shows or award shows, both are boring and I don't care about awards.  

[opus]

UO----- Terms/things I hate:

             -Binge watching

              -shipping

              -combining characters names

              -love letter/gift to fans

[ganesh]

Y'all know what's 'jumped the shark'? The literal phrase: jumped the shark. If "jumped the shark" was a buddhist, it would have achieved nirvana and exploded into the heavens in a bright column of light. It's a tired, boring, lame, and cowardly way to snit and bitch about something you don't like. 

 

What's worse is the "officially' jumped the shark. Because you're King of TV. 

[cynic]

...

I agree that there wasn't chemistry between Jack & Ianto. ....

I also liked Harper's Island and wish they had brought it back each season with a different murder/slasher/whatever.

I didn't get the whole Jack/Ianto thing either.

I also really enjoyed Harper's Island, cheesiness and all. I liked the cast too, including Katie Cassidy.

Speaking of Katie Cassidy, I liked her as Ruby for the most part on Supernatural. She wasn't fantastic, but I didn't think she was nearly as bad as people made her out to be. I could never get into Arrow, but of the few episodes I saw, I would say that she wasn't even close to being the worst actor on that show either. I would give those honors to Stephen Ammell.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I never, ever, not even for half a second, hated Kat the Pink Power Ranger. In fact, I vastly preferred her to Kimberly, and thought the hate directed towards her was more than a little insane.

[Expat]

I never, ever, not even for half a second, hated Kat the Pink Power Ranger. In fact, I vastly preferred her to Kimberly, and thought the hate directed towards her was more than a little insane.

 

Kat was awesome!

 

The only Power Ranger that ever deserved any hate was Tommy imo. And he probably didn't even deserve it. I'm just very irrational about him and how TPTB turned MMPR into the Tommy show. From the time he came back as the white ranger until about halfway through Zeo, the show was inordinately focused on him.

[SmithW6079]

I don't think Neil Patrick Harris sucked as the Oscars host. I think Billy Crystal as host is highly overrated. As he gets older, the less I find him funny.

I also don't see anything wrong with using your acceptance speech to express your political views. Is it annoying? Yes, but you just won a freaking Oscar and you'll probably never have a bigger audience. Take advantage of the bully pulpit.

[ribboninthesky1]

Since I'm the only person in my immediate circle who doesn't watch it, I took the opportunity to watch the first three seasons of Downton Abbey.  I laughed a lot during times I don't think I was meant to.  I thought some of the acting ranged from mediocre to poor.  I entertained myself by predicting the telegraphed plot points.  I disliked Mary AND Edith. I had to stop after season 3 because I just could not watch anymore. It's not the worst show ever, but I couldn't take it seriously.   

 

Best part of the show? Scenery.  Thanks to Amazon's recommendation algorithm, I found PBS programs on British estates, and watched that instead. 

[proserpina65]

I don't think Neil Patrick Harris sucked as the Oscars host. I think Billy Crystal as host is highly overrated. As he gets older, the less I find him funny.

I also don't see anything wrong with using your acceptance speech to express your political views. Is it annoying? Yes, but you just won a freaking Oscar and you'll probably never have a bigger audience. Take advantage of the bully pulpit.

I do think NPH sucked as host last night, but I agree that Billy Crystal got less funny over the years he hosted.  And I blame him for every host seeming to think that he/she needs to do a song at the beginning; not sure if Billy did it first, but he certainly made it an expected part of his hosting schtick.  And yes, if an Oscar winner wants to talk about their political/social views or activism, I say go for it.  I may not agree with them (I certainly didn't with the woman involved in making Citizenfour), but I'm not offended by them including it in their Oscar speeches.

[briochetwist]

Since I'm the only person in my immediate circle who doesn't watch it, I took the opportunity to watch the first three seasons of Downton Abbey.  I laughed a lot during times I don't think I was meant to.  I thought some of the acting ranged from mediocre to poor.  I entertained myself by predicting the telegraphed plot points.  I disliked Mary AND Edith. I had to stop after season 3 because I just could not watch anymore. It's not the worst show ever, but I couldn't take it seriously.   

 

Best part of the show? Scenery.  Thanks to Amazon's recommendation algorithm, I found PBS programs on British estates, and watched that instead. 

Amen!  It's like a bad British soap opera, it's got awesome costumes and scenery, but as a drama it's laughable.  Gosford Park it ain't.  Maggie Smith was mildly amusing, but not enough to keep me watching past season 3 either.  

[supposebly]

 

Amen!  It's like a bad British soap opera, it's got awesome costumes and scenery, but as a drama it's laughable.  Gosford Park it ain't.  Maggie Smith was mildly amusing, but not enough to keep me watching past season 3 either.

Me three. I only made it until the end of the second season and that was only because of Maggie Smith. It ain't Gosford Park, it ain't Upstairs/Downstairs and overall, it was all highly predictable and boring. I felt like I've seen these characters in various British productions of the time period before.

[DittyDotDot]

Me three. I only made it until the end of the second season and that was only because of Maggie Smith. It ain't Gosford Park, it ain't Upstairs/Downstairs and overall, it was all highly predictable and boring. I felt like I've seen these characters in various British productions of the time period before.

 

You guys did better than me...I only made it one season before bailing. Just didn't do much for me.

[cynic]

Downton Abbey started losing me when Matthew miraculously recovered from being paralyzed in about a day and a half. Like, really? I watched a little bit past that, because it's pretty.

Edited February 24, 2015 by cynic

[Aquarius]

You guys did better than me...I only made it one season before bailing. Just didn't do much for me.

 

I live under a rock, apparently, so when it aired on PBS Thirteen, I thought it was a mini-series.  I hung around until the end because it was pretty, and I wanted to see how it ended.  I was so upset to find out it was a series, and there was more!  I just couldn't go on with it.

[ribboninthesky1]

Downton Abbey started losing me when Matthew miraculously recovered from being paralyzed in about a day and a half. Like, really? I watched a little bit past that, because it's pretty.

 

That was one of the "unintentional comedy" plots that had me rolling.  The list also includes deaths of certain characters.    

 

It took me a while to get through the three seasons I watched.  If not for Amazon Prime, and people telling me things like, "It gets better in the 2nd/3rd season" and "There are so many compelling characters," I would have given up after the first.  There were some likable characters, but overall, I wasn't invested in anyone or anything that happened. 

 

Also, while Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley has very nice eyes, overall, I never thought him that attractive. Actually, none of the supposedly handsome men did anything for me. The sweeping vistas were the eye candy for me.  I am glad I hung in there for the Scottish Highlands views at the end of season 3 - just gorgeous.    

Edited February 24, 2015 by ribboninthesky1

[islandgal140]

Parks and Recreation should have never come back for another season. I thought it ended well enough the previous season with the time jump of several years into the future, showing Leslie as a boss lady with toddler triplets. I've also always hated the character of April. She is a mean, dour, joyless sadistic bitch and it annoys me that everyone thinks that is funny & cool. Donna should have gotten far more play than she did. Tom Haverford stopped being funny 3 seasons ago.

 

I found Chris Pratt more attractive when he is heavier. 

 

I am not a hate watcher however, I do have a tipping point with certain shows, wherein that if I have invested X amount of time and feel like I have to continue watching otherwise I will feel that I have wasted several hours of my life. Take for instance a limited series like Broadchurch UK. It must have been about half way through that I felt that show wasn't shit and was boring the fuck out of me, yet I continued to watch because hey, it is only about 8 or so episodes and I am about half way though so might as well truck through it. Long story short, I hated the show, hated the ending and disliked the characters but stuck it out because I genuinely needed to know who killed the boy. I doubt I would ever do this for a longer running series though. 

 

I found Outlander to be mostly meh. I binged watched it last month and I doubt that if I had watched it 'live' that I would have stuck around. The female lead is pretty good and I love that she is smart and competent but I couldn't get into the story or the romance. They had some cute moments but I prefer the male portion of such stories to be a bit more alpha than Jamie is (and no, not in a Christian Gray kinda way either). Plus, I don't find the male lead of Outlander hot. His body is everything but I do not really find him facially attractive and his hair is worse than Jared Padalecki on Supernatural.  

 

The two leads on The Affair make an ugly couple. Yeah, I am superficial.

 

I don't watch awards show. They are all just one huge circle jerk. The only thing interesting about them to me are the fashions and the moments of WTF'ery which I get next day in the recaps or youtube. 4-5 hours of my life saved right there.

 

My UO is I don't mind turning on the closed captions on my TV.  My TV has them, I don't mind using them.

 

 

 

I couldn't understand most of the words coming out of Mads Mikklesen's mouth S1 of Hannibal so closed captioning was an absolute necessity for me. 

 

I like Tim from the UK's version of The Office a million times more than the US version's Jim Halpert. Just had to get that off my chest :) 

 

John Krasinski is an unfunny lump of oatmeal. I just find him so charmless. 

 

Never watched Friends, but I have an irrational dislike of Lisa Kudrow. I don't know what it is about her that inspires it but I just do. 

 

I feel the same way about Patricia Heaton. Even before all that Terry Schiavo stuff, I just didn't like her.

 

Ray Romano isn't funny.

 

Jerry Seinfeld isn't funny but I did like his show. Can't really watch the re-runs. Kramer ruined it for me.

Edited February 24, 2015 by islandgal140

[Constantinople]

I never thought Dennis Miller was funny as SNL's Weekend Update host.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

My UO is I don't mind turning on the closed captions on my TV.  My TV has them, I don't mind using them.

 

The sound from my ABC station is so muddy, I have to turn the closed captions on so I can understand what anybody is saying.