Party of One: Unpopular TV Opinions

[Minneapple]

5 hours ago, Blergh said:

  Actually, I find it a relief to have reached the age when I can laugh at what I WANT and not have to worry about whatever hype and trends are out there that claim to tell the world what they are SUPPOSED to laugh at! Anyway, I hope that not having to laugh at the show (or anything you yourself don't sincerely find funny)  brings you comfort!

Oh, no, I genuinely loved it 20 years ago. We went to see the movie multiple times in the theater, etc. But tastes change, right? People grow out of things. It doesn't mean it's better or worse than anything else. Just not my cup of tea anymore.

5 hours ago, 2727 said:

These days I'll smile or chuckle at TV. Every so often a snort of laughter will erupt, but I think ROFL is reserved for the young.

Nah. You can rofl no matter how old you are.

[topanga]

33 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Oh, no, I genuinely loved it 20 years ago. We went to see the movie multiple times in the theater, etc. But tastes change, right? People grow out of things. It doesn't mean it's better or worse than anything else. Just not my cup of tea anymore.

Nah. You can rofl no matter how old you are.

I still finding myself laughing out loud at The Simpsons. Not as consistently as I did 20 years ago when we were both younger and fresher, but it still has its moments. 

[Irlandesa]

For me, it all depends on my mood. I can laugh out loud at episodes others don't find funny and not laugh at things others find funny.

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Oh, no, I genuinely loved it 20 years ago. We went to see the movie multiple times in the theater, etc. But tastes change, right? People grow out of things. It doesn't mean it's better or worse than anything else. Just not my cup of tea anymore.

Oh, definitely. There are some shows from my childhood I loved but can't watch anymore. I've tried but they just aren't funny anymore and others I still laugh and enjoy no matter how many years go by. 

[ABay]

The last time I laughed and couldn't stop was at something Alan Davies did on QI. I can't explain it, I just started giggling until I couldn't breathe.

[2727]

I don't particularly like Streep's acting in season 2 of  Big Little Lies; it seems overly mannered and forced to me.

Feels good to get that out!

[topanga]

9 minutes ago, 2727 said:

I don't particularly like Streep's acting in season 2 of  Big Little Lies; it seems overly mannered and forced to me.

Feels good to get that out!

I feel you. I love  Meryl Streep, but I keep wanting to tell to take it down a notch. 

[juno]

4 hours ago, 2727 said:

I don't particularly like Streep's acting in season 2 of  Big Little Lies; it seems overly mannered and forced to me.

Feels good to get that out!

I will get out some more.

I loved the first season of BLL.

I actually don't even care about her as an actress in this show because I think her character is wrecking it. Every single scene she is grinding, insulting and making passive aggressive comments towards the main characters. It completely pulls me away from a good story about the grieving  and recuperation of characters from a major emotional and physical event.

[Mabinogia]

Just now, juno said:

I loved the first season of BLL.

Me too, but I couldn't make it through the first ep of season 2. I was just too bored. That is the most joyless bunch of rich people I have ever seen.

[juno]

22 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Me too, but I couldn't make it through the first ep of season 2. I was just too bored. That is the most joyless bunch of rich people I have ever seen.

I am close to being out with season 2 as well. I am ff through all Streep's scenes and that is not leaving me with much. I still really enjoy the main characters.

[shapeshifter]

On June 17, 2019 at 2:35 PM, 2727 said:

Same. I used to HOWL with laughter at Saturday Night Live sketches during the  70s-80s. I look at land shark sketches now and wonder what I thought was so funny.

These days I'll smile or chuckle at TV. Every so often a snort of laughter will erupt, but I think ROFL is reserved for the young.

Please do not correct the typo/autocorrect of "land shark sketches" to "landmark sketches." It may be the only really funny thing a poster will see or hear today. :)

[2727]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Please do not correct the typo/autocorrect of "land shark sketches" to "landmark sketches." It may be the only really funny thing a poster will see or hear today. :)

Glad for anything that elicits a smile! The land shark was a recurring skit on SNL's first season, as a parody of Jaws and the resulting hysteria about shark attacks. It was a shark that ... walked on land. :-)

[shapeshifter]

21 minutes ago, 2727 said:

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Please do not correct the typo/autocorrect of "land shark sketches" to "landmark sketches." It may be the only really funny thing a poster will see or hear today. :)

Glad for anything that elicits a smile! The land shark was a recurring skit on SNL's first season, as a parody of Jaws and the resulting hysteria about shark attacks. It was a shark that ... walked on land. :-)

Oh! So it was not a typo!
I was inadvertently amused.
But like you said, "Glad for anything that elicits a smile!" 
Maybe someone else can laugh at my confusion.
😊

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, 2727 said:

Glad for anything that elicits a smile! The land shark was a recurring skit on SNL's first season, as a parody of Jaws and the resulting hysteria about shark attacks. It was a shark that ... walked on land. :-)

"Candygram"

[Chaos Theory]

Black Mirror doesn’t always need gut punchy episodes to be good and Netflix didn’t ruin the series

Well except to this last season which kinda sucked and I don’t think that is an unpopular opinion. 

[topanga]

On 6/19/2019 at 12:48 PM, proserpina65 said:

"Candygram"

(Through the door):  "What? What?"

"Candygram." 

--That was one of the funniest sketches ever. 

[2727]

I'm not excited for and won't be watching season 3 of Stranger Things.

I enjoyed the plucky kids of season 1, but angsty teens are not for me. Am also good with no more Winona Ryder.

Ideally, David Harbour will be in lots of other shows that don't annoy me.

[Mabinogia]

9 hours ago, 2727 said:

I'm not excited for and won't be watching season 3 of Stranger Things.

I'll most likely watch it, but I'm not nearly as excited for it as I was for the first two. Partly because, yeah, angsty teens, and partly because it seems like it's been forever since it was on and I honestly can't remember how it ended, or even all that much that happened in season 2 now that I think about it. 

[Dr.OO7]

On 6/17/2019 at 3:35 PM, 2727 said:

Same. I used to HOWL with laughter at Saturday Night Live sketches during the  70s-80s. I look at land shark sketches now and wonder what I thought was so funny.

These days I'll smile or chuckle at TV. Every so often a snort of laughter will erupt, but I think ROFL is reserved for the young.

I used to think soaps were awesome. Then 9/11, my sister's death, and yes, getting older made it gradually occur to me how ridiculous the stories are. I've come to find the Back From The Dead trope especially offensive.

I think the Chicago PD is the most corrupt and violent ever--particularly Voight, who has repeatedly committed assault and MURDER--and I'm sick of the unspoken expectation that I should laud these people as heroes because their unethical tactics are used against the "bad guys". In Real Life, everyone of these people would be in jail right next to the criminals--who might be getting out once their lawyer finds out what underhanded means were used to arrest them.

[Blergh]

While the phrase 'Jump the Shark' got invented due to the Happy Days episode when Fonzie waterskiied over a shark in a pen wearing his leather jacket, shorts and boots, I think the show lost a great deal of its charm after Season Two when they ditched the original sets and canned laughter for the smaller sets AND the Live Studio Audience. Not only was that the end of the characters actually speaking to each other in normal tones of voice  instead of screaming  their lines at each other but  it also started the deal of amping Fonzie from a side character of few but significant words to turning him into SuperFonz who could NEVER lose and would  never let anyone forget how he was supposedly the coolest of the cool. With the Live Studio Audience screaming as though he were Elvis making a cameo at a Beatles concert EVERY SINGLE TIME he stepped onto the set, it got rather tedious to watch. Also, for reasons I never understood, they soon did this for his cousin Chachi despite Chachi having NEVER been cool even in his earliest appearances (but actually dumber than a box of rocks who somehow made Joanie seem comparatively intelligent) .

Edited June 23, 2019 by Blergh
at each other

[Wiendish Fitch]

3 minutes ago, Blergh said:

 Also, for reasons I never understood, they soon did this for his cousin Chachi despite Chachi having NEVER been cool even in his earliest appearances (but actually dumber than a box of rocks who somehow made Joanie seem comparatively intelligent) .

Well, apparently that's why they loved each other. :) As for Chachi never being cool, like character, like actor.

Isn't it interesting how the Fonz is never, ever, ever derided as a Marty Stu?

[shapeshifter]

3 minutes ago, Blergh said:

With the Live Studio Audience screaming as though he were Elvis making a cameo at a Beatles concert EVERY SINGLE TIME he stepped onto the set, it got rather tedious to watch.

I'm not familiar with Happy Days beyond it's being the origin of "Jump the shark" and, of course, it's being the place where several great actors got exposure
--but Seinfeld had the same problem with over-doing Kramer's entrances vis a vis the live audience reactions. 
It's a fine line between breaking the fourth wall and crashing through it in a way that derails the episode for too many precious moments of the ever-shrinking length of a "half hour" sitcom.

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, shapeshifter said:

but Seinfeld had the same problem with over-doing Kramer's entrances vis a vis the live audience reactions. 

Eventually leading producers/the stage crew to ask each studio audience not to engage in a sustained "yay, he's here" reaction to Kramer's very entrance into Jerry's apartment; the difference between episodes before and after this edict is noticeable (and welcome).  I didn't care for Happy Days, so I don't know whether they ever curbed the same behavior regarding "The Fonz," or if it carried on until the show's end.

[Blergh]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Eventually leading producers/the stage crew to ask each studio audience not to engage in a sustained "yay, he's here" reaction to Kramer's very entrance into Jerry's apartment; the difference between episodes before and after this edict is noticeable (and welcome).  I didn't care for Happy Days, so I don't know whether they ever curbed the same behavior regarding "The Fonz," or if it carried on until the show's end.

No, they did NOT curb that re 'The Fonz', and, in fact, did consider renaming the show Fonzie's Happy Days but once Ron Howard told them he'd leave the show regardless of any extra monies or directorial opportunities they gave him if they did that, they dropped it.  It should be noted that despite all the hype over the character from both TPTB and the media, Ron Howard and Henry Winkler evidently  have stayed good friends to this day!

[Mabinogia]

25 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

It's a fine line between breaking the fourth wall and crashing through it in a way that derails the episode for too many precious moments of the ever-shrinking length of a "half hour" sitcom.

It's why I can't stand shows with a live studio audience. I was watching an ep of Good Times not too long ago where James makes this speech about inequality, and yes, it was a great speech, but the audience applauded for what felt like two minutes, which doesn't sound like that much until you remember the episode is only 22 minutes long. 

It's worse any time a well known guest star shows up and the entire cast have to kind of hold what they were saying/doing until it dies down. It totally disrupts the flow, especially when it happens mid sentence for one of the regulars. 

[Annber03]

24 minutes ago, Blergh said:

No, they did NOT curb that re 'The Fonz', and, in fact, did consider renaming the show Fonzie's Happy Days but once Ron Howard told them he'd leave the show regardless of any extra monies or directorial opportunities they gave him if they did that, they dropped it. 

Henry Winkler himself was against the idea of the new show title as well, from what I've heard. For as big a breakout character as the Fonz became, Winkler himself seemed pretty reserved about it all. 

19 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

It's why I can't stand shows with a live studio audience. I was watching an ep of Good Times not too long ago where James makes this speech about inequality, and yes, it was a great speech, but the audience applauded for what felt like two minutes, which doesn't sound like that much until you remember the episode is only 22 minutes long. 

It's worse any time a well known guest star shows up and the entire cast have to kind of hold what they were saying/doing until it dies down. It totally disrupts the flow, especially when it happens mid sentence for one of the regulars. 

I don't mind shows with live audiences, because sometimes it can be entertaining to hear how they react to some of the crazy stuff that happens on a show, and I know with a lot of older shows, the actors thrived off a live audience, and all that good stuff.

But yes, I'll definitely agree that the constant cheering anytime somebody just stepped on stage on shows got ridiculous. 

[Bort]

22 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

It's worse any time a well known guest star shows up and the entire cast have to kind of hold what they were saying/doing until it dies down. It totally disrupts the flow, especially when it happens mid sentence for one of the regulars. 

I remember this was such a huge problem when Friends had Tom Selleck on that they had to reshoot his entrance scenes later without an audience because their reaction ate up so much time. 

[Raja]

6 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Henry Winkler himself was against the idea of the new show title as well, from what I've heard. For as big a breakout character as the Fonz became, Winkler himself seemed pretty reserved about it all. 

I don't mind shows with live audiences, because sometimes it can be entertaining to hear how they react to some of the crazy stuff that happens on a show, and I know with a lot of older shows, the actors thrived off a live audience, and all that good stuff.

But yes, I'll definitely agree that the constant cheering anytime somebody just stepped on stage on shows got ridiculous. 

We got hooked into being part of the audience for a What's Happening episode. The reactions are not actual reactions unless they decided to use the first take. And cheerleaders where there to get the response the director wanted, especially when a political speech was made by a character 

[ganesh]

On 6/21/2019 at 6:00 PM, Mabinogia said:

I'll most likely watch it, but I'm not nearly as excited for it as I was for the first two.

I just don't get what the plot is going to be. Eleven closed the gate. It seems like it's over. 

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

No, they did NOT curb that re 'The Fonz', and, in fact, did consider renaming the show Fonzie's Happy Days

I'm sure this is a very unpopular opinion, but Fonzie is my least favorite part of Happy Days.  He annoys me. He's not cool.   I prefer Richie, Potsie and even Ralph over Fonzie.

[Mabinogia]

43 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I'm sure this is a very unpopular opinion, but Fonzie is my least favorite part of Happy Days.  He annoys me. He's not cool.   I prefer Richie, Potsie and even Ralph over Fonzie.

Fonzie came across to me, even when I was a child, as a sad loser who was probably popular in high school but never made anything of himself so he hangs out with the high school kids because they think he's cool because he's older. I liked Henry Winkler, he did the best he could, but I always thought Fonzie was kind of pathetic. 

[Katy M]

17 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Fonzie came across to me, even when I was a child, as a sad loser who was probably popular in high school but never made anything of himself so he hangs out with the high school kids because they think he's cool because he's older. I liked Henry Winkler, he did the best he could, but I always thought Fonzie was kind of pathetic. 

I could just never understand why everyone was afraid of him.  Richie, Potsie and Ralph, OK.  They would be afraid of anybody.  But, gangs, the current cool kids.  I just don't get it.  Or why every girl flocked to him.  I mean, he's OK looking, but the arrogance outweighs that.

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I could just never understand why everyone was afraid of him.  Richie, Potsie and Ralph, OK.  They would be afraid of anybody.  But, gangs, the current cool kids.  I just don't get it.  

Give me one bad bout of PMS, and I could snap Fonzie in half like a damned twig. Dude was not threatening. Come to think of it, the Fonz isn't much different from Matthew McConaughey's character from Dazed and Confused. 

God love Henry Winkler for playing Fonzie with humor and charm, but, boy, his flaws are glaring in hindsight (the Fonz, not Winkler, who seems like a nice person).

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

Fonzie came across to me, even when I was a child, as a sad loser who was probably popular in high school but never made anything of himself so he hangs out with the high school kids because they think he's cool because he's older. I liked Henry Winkler, he did the best he could, but I always thought Fonzie was kind of pathetic. 

Fonzie was never in high school. I think he dropped out-hence Howard thinking he was a bad influence on Richie. I loved both Richie and Fonzie. Richie because as a kid, I couldn’t understand how Opie could be all grown up once a week, since The Andy Griffith Show aired during the day.🤪🤪😆😆

For me, it was Potsie and Ralph I couldn’t stand. But my irritation with them was NOTHING compared to the hate I had for Jenny Picolo.

Edited June 24, 2019 by GHScorpiosRule

[Mabinogia]

7 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

For me, it was Potsie and Ralph I couldn’t stand.

Me either. I could stand Fonzie, I just didn't get the appeal and didn't like how the show began to focus more and more on him as his popularity rose. 

8 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Richie because as a kid, I couldn’t understand how Opie could be all grown up once a week, since [i{ The Andy Griffith Show[/i] aired during the day.🤪🤪😆😆

hahahahaha, I love this. As a kid my mind totally worked that way. 

[GaT]

Never mind Fonzie, what was with Pinky Tuscadero? I didn't get her at all.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

Never mind Fonzie, what was with Pinky Tuscadero? I didn't get her at all.

My sister loved Pinky Tuscadero.  She had a stuffed pink elephant and she named it, you guessed it, Pinky Tusk-adero.  Which I'll have to admit is actually a pretty clever name for a stuffed pink elephant. LOL.  She also liked Leather Tuscadero who I don't even really remember. She was way more into Happy Days than I was.

[ganesh]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

Which I'll have to admit is actually a pretty clever name for a stuffed pink elephant.

That is the best name of all time. 

[Blergh]

When Happy Days started out, I liked virtually all the characters and they each had room to grow (yes, even Ralph). Fonzie was an outsider who both fascinated and intimidated Richie (and it seemed Fonzie could easily take or leave any of the other characters). Surprisingly, Potsie was the one who tried to pretend he could be Richie's mentor (especially about girls) but at that point he truly knew no more than Richie on the subject yet Richie (as intelligent as he was) still was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Ralph was a good comic relief in small doses (which is what we got) . Marion was the straight woman homemaker who could make a funny quip or two every now and then but was actually quite intelligent and had her family's genuine respect. Howard was a bit sarcastic even then but was willing to actually listen to Richie and Joanie's POV.  And yes, these characters all talked to each other and did things that normal human beings would do. Alas, with the Live Studio Audience, Fonzie changed into a caricature of his former self (which I detailed earlier), Potsie became a total loser who everyone tolerated out of sheer pity, Ralph became an annoying joke, Marion devolved into a ditzy dope and Howard became a virtual fusspot who somehow could be guilted into getting walked all over despite earlier stances. Oh, and no one talked to each other any more just screamed their lines so the back row of the Live Studio Audience wouldn't miss any dialogue!  Yeah, the show lasted a good long time under the latter format but I liked it much better beforehand (and thought it actually showcased the performers' true talents far better than the latter format). 

Edited June 24, 2019 by Blergh

[GHScorpiosRule]

Going back to the comment about how Fonzie never lost, never was wrong, etc., I have to point out that there was one time where he wasn't the uber cool Fonz. And that was when he was blind, albeit temporarily. It's one of my favorite episodes because Richie is the only one who refuses to coddle him, and wants him to learn how to deal with his blindness. Both Ron and Henry were great in that episode.

[Blergh]

5 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Going back to the comment about how Fonzie never lost, never was wrong, etc., I have to point out that there was one time where he wasn't the uber cool Fonz. And that was when he was blind, albeit temporarily. It's one of my favorite episodes because Richie is the only one who refuses to coddle him, and wants him to learn how to deal with his blindness. Both Ron and Henry were great in that episode.

Totally agree but it was a flash in the pan in the show's latter seasons never to be referred to again much less having anything like that repeated! 

[Katy M]

There were a few times I liked Fonzie. The blind episode was good (and he kind of paid that forward with the Chachi diabetes episode).  I liked the episode where he told Potsie that grades aren't cool, learning is cool.  Yeah, it was corny, but it's true.  Sometimes students get too wrapped up in the grades to remember what the ultimate objective is, or should be.  I liked his relationship with Joanie.    I always felt that of the younger set (i.e. not Howard and Marian) that she idolized him the least.  She liked him, but acted more like he was a normal person.  And, even though, the show was clearly on its last legs by that time, it was nice that they finally let him grow up and settle down (albeit not permanently) with Ashley.

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, Blergh said:

When Happy Days started out, I liked virtually all the characters and they each had room to grow (yes, even Ralph). Fonzie was an outsider who both fascinated and intimidated Richie (and it seemed Fonzie could easily take or leave any of the other characters). Surprisingly, Potsie was the one who tried to pretend he could be Richie's mentor (especially about girls) but at that point he truly knew no more than Richie on the subject yet Richie (as intelligent as he was) still was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Ralph was a good comic relief in small doses (which is what we got) . Marion was the straight woman homemaker who could make a funny quip or two every now and then but was actually quite intelligent and had her family's genuine respect. Howard was a bit sarcastic even then but was willing to actually listen to Richie and Joanie's POV.  And yes, these characters all talked to each other and did things that normal human beings would do. Alas, with the Live Studio Audience, Fonzie changed into a caricature of his former self (which I detailed earlier), Potsie became a total loser who everyone tolerated out of sheer pity, Ralph became an annoying joke, Marion devolved into a ditzy dope and Howard became a virtual fusspot who somehow could be guilted into getting walked all over despite earlier stances. Oh, and no one talked to each other any more just screamed their lines so the back row of the Live Studio Audience wouldn't miss any dialogue!  Yeah, the show lasted a good long time under the latter format but I liked it much better beforehand (and thought it actually showcased the performers' true talents far better than the latter format). 

I used to love the show as a kid. But watching it when I was older. I didn't like it for this reason. The first couple years are still good but everyone goes off the rails early on in the series. 

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

1. Dawn is the best thing to ever happen to Buffy, both the character and the series. 

I will raise that UO by adding that seasons 5-7 are better than 1-4.

And I love Spike.

[kiddo82]

Buffy UO's? 

1. I don't hate season 6 and actually have a strange affinity for it. 

     1a.  Gellar and Marsters have chemistry for days and although it wasn't handled well, I don't blame the writers for one second for going there with Buffy and Spike.

2. Season 4 is by far my least favorite.  

3. Whiny, twitchy, needy Willow is my least favorite character. By a lot.

    3a. I liked Tara as a character infinitely more after she and Willow broke up and wish we had more of that Tara

4. I don't disagree with any complaint anyone has about Anya being a mass murderer but I simply don't care.  She cracks me up and her bunny aversion is never not funny.

5.  Season 1, while not bad, is a chore to rewatch secondary to all the clunky exposition and the episodes...move....so......slowly

Damn.  Now I wanna do a full on rewatch.  It's been a minute.

[TattleTeeny]

I just did a complete rewatch a couple weeks ago. And now that it's over (again), I am left feeling empty!

[MissAlmond]

My unpopular opinion is soon (and very soon) being able to watch programs on all these streaming services popping up will cost as much as, if not more, than cable packages of old.  

[Raja]

19 minutes ago, MissAlmond said:

My unpopular opinion is soon (and very soon) being able to watch programs on all these streaming services popping up will cost as much as, if not more, than cable packages of old.  

Unpopular? And then the independent streamers will offer the cooperative bundle so you can get the one show from each service at a discount price

[MissAlmond]

12 minutes ago, Raja said:

Unpopular? And then the independent streamers will offer the cooperative bundle so you can get the one show from each service at a discount price

By "unpopular" I meant many believe cord cutting is less expensive than cable packaging.  Wasn't that supposed to be the great benefit of doing so?  I feel soon it will prove otherwise thus being an "unpopular" -or IOW contrarian -opinion.  

Edited June 26, 2019 by MissAlmond

[janie jones]

Whether or not one thing (or a combination of things) costs more than another thing isn't a matter of opinion though.

(Unless by opinion, you mean prediction.)

Edited June 26, 2019 by janie jones