Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Enigma X]

7 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

HBO has a nasty habit of introducing shows, then cancelling them two seasons later, I'd like some of those to come back.

I am specifically thinking of Deadwood here.

[UYI]

16 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I find the whole "revival/reboot" trend annoying and pathetic. A Will and Grace revival? Seriously? Who asked for that? The leads' careers are doing fine, why exactly do they feel the need to do it? This was the show that was so creatively bankrupt that introduced the whole "Jack decides to become a nurse" storyline... then completely abandoned it! They didn't even try to explore the possibilities!

I get that comic books, the Star Wars franchise, and the like, are ongoing because they're these mythological universes with comparatively unlimited storyline opportunities.

Will and Grace, Gilmore Girls? Full House?

Those. Shows. Are. DONE. They're finished. What others stories are there to tell? Is this just the creative well running dry, or is it this utterly pitiful, self-indulgent need to satisfy nostalgic cravings because we fear finality? 

I think the reboots are picking up where the old school TV reunion movies left off.

And as someone who unapologetically loves A Very Brady Christmas, I'm really not one to judge.

Hell, I didn't ask for a Coach reboot, but I as sure as hell wanted it once it was announced. And I probably would have sold my left tit for a Punky Brewster reunion at some point.

And I KNOW that's a UO. Sigh. 

I don't know; I'm not a SciFi fan, so for me, these are things I'm actually interested in. I don't NEED them, per se, but it's nice when shows I actually like have the chance to come back.

That said, I prefer the old TV reunions to reboots, which, again, are two different things. 

Edited November 1, 2016 by UYI

[proserpina65]

On ‎10‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 0:33 PM, Neurochick said:

My UO is that I like Code Black and don't even miss what's his name and what's her name who aren't in the show this season.  I realized someone was missing, but didn't even register who.  

Also, already some folks think the new black female resident is "annoying."  Whoa, folks think a black woman is "annoying," how original.

Raza Jaffrey was the only reason I even occasionally watched the show.  With him gone, it doesn't need to be on my tv.  So I can't judge whether or not the new female resident is an annoying character, but it is possible for her to be so regardless of her race.  For example, I think Maggie on Grey's Anatomy is annoying not because she's black but because the writing for the character has mostly been dreadful; I find Amelia hard to take for the same reason.

Edited November 1, 2016 by proserpina65

[Cherpumple]

8 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

As for Will & Grace, I don't get the demand for a return there. I never watched the show to the end, but didn't it end with a big flash forward that showed Will & Grace in the future?

Yes it did, which makes a revival even less appealing because the flash forward showed that Will and Grace became estranged for almost 20 years until they met again while moving their kids into their college dorm rooms (right across the hall from each other). It was bittersweet, and not very good IMO, so a revival now would either have to ignore that ending or deal with it directly, which would probably ruin the light and fun tone of the original show. Nope, not interested. I'll stick to re-runs.

1 hour ago, UYI said:

And as someone who unapologetically loves A Very Brady Christmas, I'm really not one to judge.

Did you also watch the drama series The Bradys that followed it? I liked the Christmas special, but couldn't deal with the revived show- too boring!

[cpcathy]

2 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

CARNIVALE and ENLIGHTENED!

 

Bored to Death and Togetherness

[Anela]

3 hours ago, cpcathy said:

HBO has a nasty habit of introducing shows, then cancelling them two seasons later, I'd like some of those to come back.

Carnivale! 

I've started season two of Narcos, but now I want to see if it's still on Amazon (also Boardwalk Empire, and Deadwood - I only watched a few episodes of each). I hope they're still there. 

[UYI]

1 hour ago, Cherpumple said:

Yes it did, which makes a revival even less appealing because the flash forward showed that Will and Grace became estranged for almost 20 years until they met again while moving their kids into their college dorm rooms (right across the hall from each other). It was bittersweet, and not very good IMO, so a revival now would either have to ignore that ending or deal with it directly, which would probably ruin the light and fun tone of the original show. Nope, not interested. I'll stick to re-runs.

Did you also watch the drama series The Bradys that followed it? I liked the Christmas special, but couldn't deal with the revived show- too boring!

No, but I like the theme song to that show! Which is kind of sad, I guess. 

[andromeda331]

I have less sympathy for the Gilmore Girls showrunners for not being allowed to do their last season. It was their own fault. They tried to hold out for a two year contract and refused to budge. Even though most of the actors contracts were only through season seven. They could have signed for one more year and finished out their show.  

[ennui]

20 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Those. Shows. Are. DONE. They're finished. What others stories are there to tell? Is this just the creative well running dry, or is it this utterly pitiful, self-indulgent need to satisfy nostalgic cravings because we fear finality? 

Rose: I just want you to know no matter what you do, you're gonna die, just like everybody else.

Cosmo Castorini: Thank you, Rose.

[GHScorpiosRule]

26 minutes ago, UYI said:

No, but I like the theme song to that show! Which is kind of sad, I guess. 

It is NOT SAD! I LOOOOVE that theme song. I think what tanked the new show was the dramatic turn it took; Marcia an alcoholic, Bobby paralyzed...ugh. They shoulda tried harder to get Maureen back. I can't recall why they weren't able to. And it's gratifying to know, at least for me, that Maureen and Florence are still close.

[UYI]

34 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It is NOT SAD! I LOOOOVE that theme song. I think what tanked the new show was the dramatic turn it took; Marcia an alcoholic, Bobby paralyzed...ugh. They shoulda tried harder to get Maureen back. I can't recall why they weren't able to. And it's gratifying to know, at least for me, that Maureen and Florence are still close.

She had just had her daughter Natalie and wasn't ready to work again yet.

And she hated the script.

[applecrisp]

On 9/27/2016 at 9:07 AM, Neurochick said:

My UO:  I can't deal with the Poldark discussion because it's filled with people who say, "I like the version from the 70's better."  Well if you liked to so much, then don't watch this version.  See how simple that was?

BTW, I didn't like the 70's version which is why I'm watching the current one.

Agree.  Neurochick.   Take it at face value. I watched the '70's version and thought the production values were poor.  I love the scenery and most of the characters.  Ross is being an ass. In the forum, many don't talk about what is but everything else.  Let's just talk about the current show.

[Blergh]

Here's an odd: UO, though it was overall unwatchable and insufferable, one of the few likable parts of "The Star Wars Holiday Special" was Bea Arthur singing. Yes, it had her character being the cantina bar owner but she'd been a Broadway singer for many years prior to her sitcom career and this was one of the few times her singing got showcased on television. Also, as bogus as it was for her to be in tinsel, I thought Diahann Carroll was rather fetching and she did a good job with the song she was given to sing.

   Now, as for BAD singing. . . . I think there's a REASON why Carrie Fisher has never sung again in any SW adaptation since this one.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Blergh
spelling

[ganesh]

I've never actually seen the holiday special. 

[ChromaKelly]

I cannot get bogged down in the details of a past time period. Big glaring errors, sure, those take you out of it. But a song was released five months after this episode was supposed to take place, or people would or would not have said a phrase, or the style of a grocery bag was off... I just don't care.

[Bookish Jen]

22 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I've never actually seen the holiday special. 

http://www.starwarsholidayspecial.com/

[Chaos Theory]

6 hours ago, ChromaKelly said:

I cannot get bogged down in the details of a past time period. Big glaring errors, sure, those take you out of it. But a song was released five months after this episode was supposed to take place, or people would or would not have said a phrase, or the style of a grocery bag was off... I just don't care.

Oh thank God.  I thought I was alone.  I get the big moments.  No people didn't drive cars in the old west or even something like the major calibers of guns but speaking the wrong dialect of Texan or eating the wrong food just doesn't seem to worth getting fussy about.  

Edited November 3, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[orza]

It's getting to be that time of year again... I hate all "It's a Wonderful Life" themed episodes. No matter what show we're talking about, they're predictable, cliched and cloying. I also really dislike the Christmas episodes. Newsflash, we're not all Christians in TV viewer land. And while I'm at it, I also hate musical episodes. They are so forced and it shows that many TV actors are terrible singers and have no training in musical theater. Although I did love the final episode of Cop Rock when the fat lady showed up to sing in the precinct.

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, orza said:

It's getting to be that time of year again... I hate all "It's a Wonderful Life" themed episodes.

Allow me to add A Christmas Carol episodes to that as well.  I don't mind if film makers want to do the latest version of the movie (I happen to love Scrooged), but I can choose not to see a movie. I can choose not to watch my tv show, too, of course, but  I hate missing episodes and if it's one of these types then I tend to drift and not pay much attention to it. 

[Chaos Theory]

Because it's been brought up I will put it out there A Christmas Carol is the only Christmas story I consistently enjoy; almost all versions.  I don't know why.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[orza]

An actual Dickens adaptation with classically trained actors and high production values is something I would also watch. However, that is very different from the typical low-brow A Christmas Carol episode of some random network show.

Edited November 2, 2016 by orza

[ganesh]

The only version of A Christmas Carol that I liked is Black Adder.

[ChromaKelly]

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Oh that God.  I thought I was alone.  I get the big moments.  No people didn't drive cars in the old west or even something like the major calibers or guns but speaking the wrong dialect of Texan or eating the wrong food just doesn't seem to worth getting fussy about.  

The anachronistic Kroger bag on Better Call Saul did me in. They didn't have that logo in 1995! Or whatever the hell it was. OMG it really took me out of the episode for that two minute scene! 
I would hate to see how Happy Days would get picked apart if the internet existed then.

[Popples]

3 hours ago, orza said:

It's getting to be that time of year again... I hate all "It's a Wonderful Life" themed episodes. No matter what show we're talking about, they're predictable, cliched and cloying.

The only one I've ever liked was the Married... With Children episode because Sam Kinison was the angel.

[ganesh]

I forgot about that one.

[Moose135]

40 minutes ago, Popples said:

The only one I've ever liked was the Married... With Children episode because Sam Kinison was the angel.

I never really watched MWC much, so I've never seen that one.  I'll have to see if it's online somewhere, I loved Kinison!

[ribboninthesky1]

2 hours ago, ChromaKelly said:

The anachronistic Kroger bag on Better Call Saul did me in. They didn't have that logo in 1995! Or whatever the hell it was. OMG it really took me out of the episode for that two minute scene! 

Wait...please tell me this is sarcasm.  Please tell me this did not happen in real life. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

4 minutes ago, Popples said:

The only one I've ever liked was the Married... With Children episode because Sam Kinison was the angel.

I like that one, as well as the Beavis and Butthead and Fairly Oddparents ones, because they all show how the world is actually better off without the protagonists.

Yeah, I'm horrible, so what?

[allyw]

5 hours ago, orza said:

It's getting to be that time of year again... I hate all "It's a Wonderful Life" themed episodes. No matter what show we're talking about, they're predictable, cliched and cloying. I also really dislike the Christmas episodes. Newsflash, we're not all Christians in TV viewer land. And while I'm at it, I also hate musical episodes. They are so forced and it shows that many TV actors are terrible singers and have no training in musical theater. Although I did love the final episode of Cop Rock when the fat lady showed up to sing in the precinct.

I'm right there with you and even if the actors have training I don't see why they need to be singing if the characters aren't singers. 

Edited November 3, 2016 by allyw

[ChromaKelly]

42 minutes ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

Wait...please tell me this is sarcasm.  Please tell me this did not happen in real life. 

It was real. There was nitpicking over what the logo on the grocery bag looked like.

[ribboninthesky1]

Wow. I can relate somewhat to anachronism annoyance, but that's another level.  

Most of what bothers me are the broader cultural issues, especially in relation to minorities (sometimes women).  Showrunners generally don't want to delve too deeply into the casual, accepted bigotry in American history, so they overcompensate by making the protagonist(s) ridiculously progressive for their time. Guess I'm meant to be distracted by the pretty clothes and dialogue.

Speaking of pretty clothes, I always feel strange as a woman who generally doesn't give much of a damn about costuming.  I can and do appreciate a nice outfit, but it's not enough to keep me watching a show.    

[zxy556575]

4 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

Speaking of pretty clothes, I always feel strange as a woman who generally doesn't give much of a damn about costuming. I can and do appreciate a nice outfit, but it's not enough to keep me watching a show.    

I think half the viewers of Elementary are there only because of the clothes! If you took a plier to my toenails immediately after an episode, I still could not tell you anything about what Lucy Liu wore.

[Anela]

On 11/2/2016 at 3:54 PM, Chaos Theory said:

Because it's been brought up I will put it out there A Christmas Carol is the only Christmas story I consistently enjoy; almost all versions.  I don't know why.

I love that one - for years, I had a ritual where I wrapped most Christmas presents by myself, in the middle of the night, with the Patrick Stewart version playing.

I love It's a Wonderful Life, too, though. Clarence is my favourite. 

[UYI]

On 11/2/2016 at 0:40 PM, Blergh said:

Here's an odd: UO, though it was overall unwatchable and insufferable, one of the few likable parts of "The Star Wars Holiday Special" was Bea Arthur singing. Yes, it had her character being the cantina bar owner but she'd been a Broadway singer for many years prior to her sitcom career and this was one of the few times her singing got showcased on television. Also, as bogus as it was for her to be in tinsel, I thought Diahann Carroll was rather fetching and she did a good job with the song she was given to sing.

   Now, as for BAD singing. . . . I think there's a REASON why Carrie Fisher has never sung again in any SW adaptation since this one.

Not a UO. Most people find Bea Arthur to be the only real highlight of that special.

[UYI]

On 11/2/2016 at 0:45 PM, ganesh said:

I've never actually seen the holiday special. 

Get thee to YouTube!

But yeah, it only aired once, in 1978. There are several bootlegs that have circulated over the years, but if George Lucas had his way, he would destroy every copy there is out there.

Conan O'Brien once showed Harrison Ford a clip of the special on old late night talk show. When he announced that they had a clip of it--after HF had tried to deny it even existed--the latter looked like he was ready to shit his pants.

Edited November 4, 2016 by UYI

[ribboninthesky1]

I enjoy reading a diversity of opinions about episodes, even if I disagree with some of them.  Sometimes it feels like there are two primary ways to express opinions: "I love this show..." or "I hate-watch this show..." 

Not sure if it's because there are many places to discuss TV shows on the Internet today vs 5-7 years old, and thus the circumspect viewers are dispersed, but I feel as though there was a peak period, 2009 - 2013 or so, where I read truly interesting, substantive online discussions. I miss those. 

Edited November 8, 2016 by ribboninthesky1

[kiddo82]

I think it's in part due to the prevalence of social media.  It doesn't pay to have just any old take today, everything's got to be a hot take. 

[TattleTeeny]

Is it a UO to say that I find myself wanting less and less to read the forums on the "serious" shows I like? The Walking Dead is a good example: I watch that differently than I watch a "non-serious" Housewives show or whatever. The latter is fun to read about in the forums; the former is just bitching for the most part by people who seem to need to do an about face on something they once liked to prove how astute and above it they are. I just get tired of the "Viewers want this, not that!" attitude. I'm a viewer and I'll take whatever story the show's creators choose to tell me (which is not to say I am happy about all of it, just that it's not my creation). I've never set foot into the Gotham forum and should probably keep it that way.

Quote

Hell, I didn't ask for a Coach reboot, but I as sure as hell wanted it once it was announced.

A fellow Coach person! I am not even that big a fan of sitcoms in general, particularly from that era, but this one in is my Netflix queue alongside all my horror and documentaries! 

Quote

I would hate to see how Happy Days would get picked apart if the internet existed then.

Apropos of nothing (though maybe it is a UO?), I would really like to have seen a Happy Days episode where the gang reads about Ed Gein in the newspaper...

Edited November 7, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[Chaos Theory]

How long has The Walking Dead been on?  6 years?  Honestly I think shows that old are way past their prime.  Most "good" shows have six or seven years in them before they write themselves into mediocrity.  The Walking Dead has never been my show so I don't know but it sound like it is right about at its tipping point.

[TattleTeeny]

To some, I guess. Not to me (and a whole lot of other people). While I found some seasons' storylines and villains to be tiresome, I've never stopped wanting to know what happens next. 

ETA: I don't remember how many years it's been on--six sounds about right to me though. 

Edited November 7, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[allyw]

4 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

How long has The Walking Dead been on?  6 years?  Honestly I think shows that old are way past their prime.  Most "good" shows have six or seven years in them before they write themselves into mediocrity.  The Walking Dead has never been my show so I don't know but it sound like it is right about at its tipping point.

I usually agree with this but I believe the Walking Dead  have a lot more story to tell. The problem that I have with the show is the pacing and some of the characters they choose to focus on.

[ganesh]

They have tons of story to tell , but they seem to only be telling the same one over and over . The show universe is ridiculously static given the show concept . 

[DearEvette]

23 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

 I just get tired of the "Viewers want this, not that!" attitude. I'm a viewer and I'll take whatever story the show's creators choose to tell me (which is not to say I am happy about all of it, just that it's not my creation).

I agree with this to some extent.  Yet, sometimes I can't help but wonder while watching some of these show, is this the story the creators really want to tell?  Is it a coincidence that so many so-called "high concept" or "prestige" dramas feel all dark, arty & gritty lately?  Like, they fancy themselves the latter day coming of the French New Wave or German Expressionism or something.  Sometimes I get the feeling that showrunners get so in love with being critical darlings that they subconsciously (or consciously) stop trying to tell a good story and instead shoot for style rather than story, or try to create shocking moments, rather than just letting them occur naturally from the story, in order to generate fan reaction.  So it doesn't feel like real storytelling and the artificiality bleeds through as you watch.

Edited November 8, 2016 by DearEvette

[Chaos Theory]

15 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I agree with this to some extent.  Yet, sometimes I can't help but wonder while watching some of these show, is this the story the creators really want to tell?  Is it a coincidence that so many so-called "high concept" or "prestige" dramas feel all dark, arty & gritty lately?  Like, they fancy themselves the latter day coming of the French New Wave or German Expressionism or something.  Sometimes I get the feeling that showrunners get so in love with being critical darlings that they subconsciously (or consciously) stop trying to tell a good story and instead shoot for style rather than story, or try to create shocking moments, rather than just letting them occur naturally from the story, in order to generate fan reaction.  So it doesn't feel like real storytelling and the artificiality bleeds through as you watch.

Sometimes I think that success of a particular project allows a showrunner to actually do what he/she/they wanted to do in the first place but were reined in.  Yes there is a middle ground but some amount of style adds to the story as much as story does.   

[Dee]

Unpopular Opinion: When it comes to Roseanne, I've always preferred Becky to Darlene.

[DangerousMinds]

15 minutes ago, Dee said:

Unpopular Opinion: When it comes to Roseanne, I've always preferred Becky to Darlene.

Which Becky?

[Dee]

Both, actually; but Lecy most especially.

[ennui]

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Sometimes I think that success of a particular project allows a showrunner to actually do what he/she/they wanted to do in the first place but were reined in.  Yes there is a middle ground but some amount of style adds to the story as much as story does.   

David Dortort's success with Bonanza allowed him to make High Chaparral, which was the story he really wanted to tell.

[Bastet]

Quote

Unpopular Opinion: When it comes to Roseanne, I've always preferred Becky to Darlene.

I liked them pretty equally (as long as we're talking about Original Recipe Becky; New Coke Becky, no).  And when I did a binge re-watch of the whole series last year, I realized I pretty much hate Darlene after she goes to Chicago.  She's just a straight-up asshole whenever she comes home.  After a couple of seasons of that, there's a run of just two or three episodes where she's enjoyable again, and then she gets knocked up and I just don't understand or recognize her from that point on.

So, if we're talking the first five seasons - I like them equally (and I love both characters).  The second half of the series, I prefer Becky when Lecy is playing her.  With Sarah as Becky, I just want both off my screen.

My Roseanne UOs are:

- I don't hate the "it was all a book" ending (I only hate the husband switch for Darlene and Becky)
- I don't hate the "Roseambo" episode or the Jenna Elfman Riot Grrrl episode (the latter I outright love)
- I think Roseanne and Jackie's attitudes towards Dan in the amnio episode make sense based on his actions, which is why they change as he explains himself
- While I do like it less in later seasons (seasons two through five are its prime for me, with four being my favorite), overall I enjoy the series all the way through.

[proserpina65]

18 hours ago, ennui said:

David Dortort's success with Bonanza allowed him to make High Chaparral, which was the story he really wanted to tell.

I loved High Chaparral, so I guess I fine with this.  (No, I'm not that old.  I saw it on a cable channel years later.)