Well heck that’s where that project ended up! Guess we’ll have to line up a bunch of shows and give the service a go at some point too.
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The All-New TT: Television Time Mini Reviews
- Thread starter Rascally Badger
- Start date
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is an incredible show so far. John C Rilley does a damn good job, and Quincy Isaiah is a revelation as Magic. That kid is going places. I assume my knowledge of basketball helped me understand and appreciate the show a bit better than someone sports agnostic, but I was also raised to abhor not just the Lakers, but these Lakers and I'm having a blast. It's also a show going out of its ways to show how messed up a lot of common cultural mores were back then, especially in 1970s Hollywood, so be prepared for a fair amount of uncouth, and upsetting stuff if you can't compartmentalize what we're lookin' at, as fair warning.
Sprite
(He/Him/His)
I’ve been getting pretty into Joe Pera Talks with You, and am kind of astounded that it exists. It’s an Adult Swim show through and through, but far calmer and more wholesome than anything they’ve put out before. It has the same non sequitur sense of humor as a Tim and Eric joint but with none of the casual cruelty you’ll find in most of those shows. It feels like they wanted to make a parody of Mr. Rogers which was just as pleasant to watch.
Basically if you’re a fan of Adult Swim shows but are hitting your 40s and want TV to be nicer, I recommend it.
Basically if you’re a fan of Adult Swim shows but are hitting your 40s and want TV to be nicer, I recommend it.
I've been watching Gotham, which I've been enjoying quite a bit as a Batman story without the Batman. Their Penguin is a really good take on the character, and I like the characterization in general. My one big complaint is with Barbara Kean, who changes her personality on a dime to whatever is needed for her to be An Ongoing Problem for Jim Gordon. They really don't do enough work to set up her breakup with him, or her going to Montoya for a few weeks, or her being driven to the point of insanity by the Ogre, or even why she would try to kill Lee and get sent to Arkham, really. She's like the concept of "ex-girlfriends be crazy" as a character.
I haven't seen any of the new season yet, but I love this show. From interviews I've read, it really sounds like the whole show is just an extension of Joe Pera's whole approach to comedy without much (if any) interference from Adult Swim. He's a treasure.
So I watched the Halo premiere. They spent a lot of money and came away with nothing. I don't know that I'd even say its bad, its just nothing.
I mean, sure sounds like Halo to me tbh
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
Heh, burn.
So I bought a couple of DVD sets at a yard sale on the other side of town. One of these was The Sentinel, a syndicated action series from the 1990s about an ex-soldier who solves crimes with his heightened senses. I remember the series being entertaining enough; certainly worth the fifty cents the yard sale charged. Good luck trying to sell anyone else on it, though. There were plenty of syndicated popcorn action shows from the 1990s with ridiculous premises, but "man who sniffs out crime by literally sniffing out crime" isn't just ridiculous; it's underwhelming.
"So he has no super powers? He can't turn into a cat or have the strength of Hercules or kill people with pressure points?"
"Uh, no."
"What does he do, then?"
"He sees and hears better than most people."
"So it's like Bravestarr, but lame."
"Hey, that's not- I mean... uh, he solves crimes, too!"
"LAAAAAME."
So I bought a couple of DVD sets at a yard sale on the other side of town. One of these was The Sentinel, a syndicated action series from the 1990s about an ex-soldier who solves crimes with his heightened senses. I remember the series being entertaining enough; certainly worth the fifty cents the yard sale charged. Good luck trying to sell anyone else on it, though. There were plenty of syndicated popcorn action shows from the 1990s with ridiculous premises, but "man who sniffs out crime by literally sniffing out crime" isn't just ridiculous; it's underwhelming.
"So he has no super powers? He can't turn into a cat or have the strength of Hercules or kill people with pressure points?"
"Uh, no."
"What does he do, then?"
"He sees and hears better than most people."
"So it's like Bravestarr, but lame."
"Hey, that's not- I mean... uh, he solves crimes, too!"
"LAAAAAME."
I’m almost completely certain that was an Always Sunny in Philadelphia joke
'He smells something that stinks . . . CRIME!"
I too watched the Halo premier. It was fine. My overwhelming reactions were:
1) Why can't the games look this good.
2) I could not care less about the lore/setting/characters of this franchise.
3) Glad to see that Halo continues to not care about those things either.
There was a whole lot of "hey, they do that in the games!" fan service and not a lot else. Except violence. There's a LOT of graphic violence. Nothing a high schooler couldn't handle, but probably keep the grade schoolers away.
1) Why can't the games look this good.
2) I could not care less about the lore/setting/characters of this franchise.
3) Glad to see that Halo continues to not care about those things either.
There was a whole lot of "hey, they do that in the games!" fan service and not a lot else. Except violence. There's a LOT of graphic violence. Nothing a high schooler couldn't handle, but probably keep the grade schoolers away.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I'm very curious about it because I love the games and the lore of it, but one of the things I've always loved is that it's never been that gory or violent. I don't want that!
I never quite know how TV works, so it might be a "both" situation, but I don't think The Sentinel was a traditional syndicated series, but a UPN original back when they were trying to find their "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" like the WB network (before they just merged with the WB network). It is clear the concept was trying for mixing "superheroes" with "cop show" and a healthy sprinkling of the same tropes that made Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues as marginally successful as it was. And the super sense super powers? Absolutely super powers on a budget, as the dude can be fantastic, but all they ever have to do visually is a tight camera pan on his ears when his powers are in use. No vampire makeup necessary! And Jeri Ryan shows up as She-Sentinel in the fourth season! Lore got complicated!
Um... anyway I just mention all this because I loved that show when it was first-run, as I have terrible (super, Sentinel-level) taste in damn near everything.
ALSO AROUND THAT TIME we had UPN's Seven Days, where a time traveling meathead has the technology to go back in time seven days to groundhog day his way to prevent global catastrophes. I am pretty sure that was pitched as "time travel on a budget" in the same was as The Sentinel was "Superman on a budget", as half the episode was allowed to be literally the same shots/footage (as, ya know, time travel). It was a great show. I admire UPN original programming. Ask me about Shasta McNasty (do not do that).
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL EDIT ABOUT SEVEN DAYS: So it's a time travel show, right? So there is naturally a mad scientist type who is responsible for the time travel equipment and is generally around to be silly and wacky most of the time, but can rattle off the techno babble whenever required. In real life, the actor who played said mad scientist was diagnosed with what would ultimately be fatal cancer, and had to leave the show for medical reasons. Absolute bummer, and, in most cases, the writers might find a way to have him experience a tragic but important deadly sacrifice, or maybe use the real life actor's malady as a sort of PSA/message about this happening to real people. Seven Days was not that kind of show. Dr. John Ballard, at the top of the third season, won an entire tropical island in a poker match, got blackout drunk, married one of two women, but could not remember which, so he had to "take some time off" to sort out the situation. Hell yeah, Doc, you enjoy your retirement. Always felt like that was a great way to write off an actor into a happy ending.
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I've decided to watch all these 'ripped from the headlines' mini-series that are clogging up various TV providers lately. Joe vs Carole is hitting a full year too late, and though it doesn't repeat the biggest crime of Tiger King (in implying that Carole was actually the villain), it still runs into the trouble that Carole Baskin is just not that interesting. She a little kooky, but nothing outside of that weird aunt that we all have. Joe is more interesting in a rubbernecking, slowing down for a car crash sort of way, but he is a bad guy. The show never really figures out how to solve making its two leads equally interesting and ends up uneven and even bad.
Pam & Tommy is much better made, and has a much clearer sense of purpose. The fact that it was made not only without the help of Pam Anderson, but with her opposition to it kind of undercuts the shows whole thesis that in the 90's we kind of ignored how this crime affected her because of who she was.
The Drop Out has one more episode to go. The most interesting thing about it is that it gave up trying to figure out who Elizabeth Holmes is and what made her tick, and just posits that she is a complete void of a person who only cared about the appearance of success. So the perfect avatar for silicon valley.
Pam & Tommy is much better made, and has a much clearer sense of purpose. The fact that it was made not only without the help of Pam Anderson, but with her opposition to it kind of undercuts the shows whole thesis that in the 90's we kind of ignored how this crime affected her because of who she was.
The Drop Out has one more episode to go. The most interesting thing about it is that it gave up trying to figure out who Elizabeth Holmes is and what made her tick, and just posits that she is a complete void of a person who only cared about the appearance of success. So the perfect avatar for silicon valley.
If we're talking about late 90s TV shows of this ilk then I feel it is my duty to remind you of or introduce you to Night Man:
Atlanta Season 3 still slays
I was prepared to riff on this by way of Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but… I watched that clip and by God, there’s nowhere left to riff.
The show is perfect and is impervious to jokes made at its expense
I watched all of Station Eleven in 4 days. It was really good and I cried during the last episode. It's a post-apocalypse series with a premise that a flu mutation kills 99% of humanity (the show came out late last year, the book it's adapted from is from 2014), so y'know, there's COVID parallels.
It's a very slow-burn kind of show, and it's also pretty heavy on non-linearity which I'm a sucker for. But like, the central "conflict" if you could even call it that doesn't really start unfolding until halfway through the series. But I would also say if you like the first episode then you'll like the rest of it. It's also not a typical post-apocalypse story; there's no Mad Max vehicle wars (okay it might have a bit of Beyond Thunderdome in there), or The Walking Dead kind of stuff, it's just a whole lot about trauma. And (telling) stories. Also if you happen to be a fan of Hamlet, you're in for a treat.
It's a very slow-burn kind of show, and it's also pretty heavy on non-linearity which I'm a sucker for. But like, the central "conflict" if you could even call it that doesn't really start unfolding until halfway through the series. But I would also say if you like the first episode then you'll like the rest of it. It's also not a typical post-apocalypse story; there's no Mad Max vehicle wars (okay it might have a bit of Beyond Thunderdome in there), or The Walking Dead kind of stuff, it's just a whole lot about trauma. And (telling) stories. Also if you happen to be a fan of Hamlet, you're in for a treat.
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I don't know what I'm amazed by: that the show Martial Law was ever made, that it got two seasons, that it got good ratings, or that the reason why it was cancelled was because Sammo Hung walked away from the project.
zonetrope
(he/him)
I ignored Ozark when it launched, but more recent reviews have been more positive, so I finally decided to check it out. It's true that it starts out as a middling (if watchable) Breaking Bad knockoff, but it eventually grows into a better, funnier, richer show, dealing in themes distinct from BrBa and boasting a fairly sizeable roster of strong female characters. The show is ending later this month and is now very much worth watching, IMO.
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FelixSH
(He/Him)
Just binged the whole, one season of Heartstopper, a show about a gay teenaged boy and his school live. It's about him falling in love with another guy, and how their relationship develops.
I found the show very sweet. It has a lot of cute, heartfelt moments, and all the characters are decent and good natured. There is drama, but only in a low-key way, that always felt true and realistic to me. There is slight bullying, which is the focus in one episode, but that episode also ends with the friend of the protagonist having a physical fight with the bully, and it's the bully who is suspended. Not only the friends, but also the teachers and parents are supportive and kind-hearted, and everyone is essentially a decent person, supporting the other people in their live.
Really enjoyed it. Feels good, to have a show where most of the people are just good people, and there for each other. To be clear, there is blockheaded behaviour, and the characters are flawed, but it's just never drama for dramas sake. As mentioned, the stupid behaviour seems real and honest.
I found the show very sweet. It has a lot of cute, heartfelt moments, and all the characters are decent and good natured. There is drama, but only in a low-key way, that always felt true and realistic to me. There is slight bullying, which is the focus in one episode, but that episode also ends with the friend of the protagonist having a physical fight with the bully, and it's the bully who is suspended. Not only the friends, but also the teachers and parents are supportive and kind-hearted, and everyone is essentially a decent person, supporting the other people in their live.
Really enjoyed it. Feels good, to have a show where most of the people are just good people, and there for each other. To be clear, there is blockheaded behaviour, and the characters are flawed, but it's just never drama for dramas sake. As mentioned, the stupid behaviour seems real and honest.
FelixSH
(He/Him)
Seinfeld gets really mean at the end, at least in some episodes. I mean, it always kind of is, but in a less harsh way, or something?
I'm specifically thinking of the episode about catfights, where Elayne basically lives in a horrible nightmare, where she has to deal with a bully, and no one cares. It's horrifying. But I guess, as a portrayal of bullying, that fits pretty well. Still, treating it as some lighthearted fun feels really disgusting.
A lighter example is the episode, where Kramer has to deal with shitty kids from his neighbours. It just feels like the show has changed by getting closer to a more aggressive humor, that might have been a thing at this point? Maybe? I'm just guessing here.
I'm specifically thinking of the episode about catfights, where Elayne basically lives in a horrible nightmare, where she has to deal with a bully, and no one cares. It's horrifying. But I guess, as a portrayal of bullying, that fits pretty well. Still, treating it as some lighthearted fun feels really disgusting.
A lighter example is the episode, where Kramer has to deal with shitty kids from his neighbours. It just feels like the show has changed by getting closer to a more aggressive humor, that might have been a thing at this point? Maybe? I'm just guessing here.
It’s ironic to me that this is the case when Larry David had left the show by then.
Seinfeld is a show about horrible people. They pretty much deserve almost all the bad things that happen to them. It’s why the finale is the way it is.
Seinfeld is a show about horrible people. They pretty much deserve almost all the bad things that happen to them. It’s why the finale is the way it is.
FelixSH
(He/Him)
Oh, I'm not complaing about these people having bad things happening to them. They are awful, and the finale is very fitting for that. I think my problem is just the intensity.
It feels the same way that the three bullying episodes in King of the Hill felt. One of them about a new colleague, who makes fun of everyone and is the worst, the one with the new neighbours, where the king bullies Hank, and the one where these awful neighbour moved in who made noise turing the whole night, and was starting to get violent at the end. Maybe it's just me, having trouble when it comes to bullying, and seeing no one taking this serious. It makes me really uncomfortable.
In general, I have no problem at all with them having bad things happening to them, there are just some things I find too disturbing.
It feels the same way that the three bullying episodes in King of the Hill felt. One of them about a new colleague, who makes fun of everyone and is the worst, the one with the new neighbours, where the king bullies Hank, and the one where these awful neighbour moved in who made noise turing the whole night, and was starting to get violent at the end. Maybe it's just me, having trouble when it comes to bullying, and seeing no one taking this serious. It makes me really uncomfortable.
In general, I have no problem at all with them having bad things happening to them, there are just some things I find too disturbing.
The show crossed the Rubicon of meanness in Larry David's final episode before he returned for the finale, where George's fiance dies and none of the characters really care much.