General Television Thread 2024

[Bobfoc]

They got the old theme tune and the general look of the original series back. This looks a lot better than the ill-fated Sky reboot.

[RPS]

Scavengers Reign is an amazing show, definitely the best science fiction show I have ever watched. Not for those bothered by body horror. It is also incredibly bleak. It has unexpected twists on tropes and the less I say about the show is for the best. 

 

[Benji]

So long as you look at it as the archival example of 90s/00s attitudes to relationships and sexuality, Coupling actually holds up better than I expected for humour. There's a lot of homophobia that wouldn't and shouldn't fly now, but outside of that it is genuinely funny, and I forgot how wonderful Jeffisms are.

[Cymbols]

The Traitors is back and I am so here for it. Some grade A dipshit behaviour already, absolutely compelling stuff.

[Lint]

CES 2024: Sony reveals new details about Gravity Rush, God of War, and Horizon adaptations

 

God of War for Amazon Prime, Horizon for Netflix. 

Honestly, just Horizon straight into my veins.  That could be a great series.

I've never played a single GoW game, so I have no strong opinion

[Gabriel]

Prime is a good landing spot for God of War. It needs to have a very long leash in regards to swearing, violence and gore.

Think Hercules, but taken infinitely more seriously and somehow sexier.

[Lint]

Our Flag Means Death’ Canceled at Max

Well this sucks

[RazorsEdge]

3 hours ago, Lint said:

Our Flag Means Death’ Canceled at Max

Well this sucks

That is absolutely criminal. Our Flag Means Death is one of the best new shows of the last couple years. Gutted.

[Ruki]

The second season didn't hit for me sadly, but still a bummer it's gone. 

[Benji]

Wtf, it was only planned for three, why not just finish the story?

[GhostMachine]

Netflix has a new reality show called Trust: The Game Of Greed. The description calls it a cross between Big Brother and Traitors, and the trailer looked good, so I watched the four episodes that are out.

Its a....*maybe*, but I should post a warning:

A review I read called it `A Budget Bootleg of Traitors', and I somewhat agree. The problem is that most of the women are fucking annoying and whiny in the first two episodes, so don't judge it by those two episodes alone. Three are oversensitive and get easily offended and two of those three also come off as straight up bitches (and one of the two is also paranoid) in those episodes.. But it gets somewhat better in episode 3.

Spoiler

One of the male contestants is a privileged 22 year old millionaire who works in real estate. He comes off somewhat likeable in the first three episodes, but really shouldn't have been there in the first place. Shows he's privileged ass in episode 4. Can't wait for him to go bye-bye.

One of the other women is clearly a golddigger, but it was understandable why when she explained her background. 

I'm not sure I'm going to watch the rest. 4 episodes are out, 3 more come out next week, then the finale comes out a week or so later. 

If you choose to watch it, wait until next Wednesday when 5-7 are out. Because 4 ended on a heck of a cliffhanger.

 

Edited January 12 by GhostMachine
Changed my review.

[C-MIL]

I watched it as well.

31 minutes ago, GhostMachine said:

Got upset a guy called her African, and said she's not African.

She got upset because he continually called her African and said she's not just African. The show made it pretty clear what was happening and why she had a problem with it.

[GhostMachine]

10 hours ago, C-MIL said:

I watched it as well.

She got upset because he continually called her African and said she's not just African. The show made it pretty clear what was happening and why she had a problem with it.

Ended up watching the next two episodes because Heidi wanted to, and after the conversation they had in episode 3, I know.

Have revised my opinion somewhat after watching those other episodes, and am editing my post to reflect that.

[Cymbols]

On 04/01/2024 at 23:42, Cymbols said:

The Traitors is back and I am so here for it. Some grade A dipshit behaviour already, absolutely compelling stuff.

This this, and so much more this. Best thing on television at the minute, hands down.

[GhostMachine]

7 hours ago, Cymbols said:

This this, and so much more this. Best thing on television at the minute, hands down.

Spoiler

Glad they decided to do just celebrities this season. The mix of celebrities and normal people the first season didn't really work for me. But why did they pick a former member of Parliament to be on an American show? If they had to get someone British, why not someone we've actually heard of?

The Faithful are idiots. But if they actually nail any of the Traitors, I kind of hope that Dan goes first. Especially after his conversation with Parvati in the latest episode.

The Traitors might be the one murdering people, but Alan is absolutely killing it as the host, just like he did the first season, I've been a fan of him for years. (Still not happy his show Instinct got cancelled, and that was in 2019.)

Can't wait for Kevin and Janelle to be gone. CT goes, I won't be happy.

 

 

Also, all caught up on The Trust. Just waiting for the finale.

Spoiler

Glad Bryce is gone. He never should have been there. Even moreso glad that Jay is gone, but wish she had been voted out and left with nothing. Lindsey deserved to go for not bothering to defend herself AND being rude. Not happy that Winnie got voted out.

There is absolutely NO justice if Brian doesn't make it to the end. I won't be surprised if the guys join with Tolu and eliminate Julie after seeing the finale preview. Especially after she was busted for lying about voting to eliminate Winnie.

 

[Benji]

Rewatching Masters of Sex and The Americans, and honestly it's criminal these shows don't get more love. The Americans slowly seems to be getting more recognition but deserves way more. I think they and Boardwalk Empire are arguably some of the best TV of the last two decades and all deserve more praise than they get.

[Lineker]

Quote

Comedy Central is reaching back to the past to keep its long-running “The Daily Show” going in the present.

After scuttling a months-long search for a new host, the Paramount Global network said it has enlisted Jon Stewart, who presided over the late-night mainstay’s most popular era, to serve as its host on Monday nights throughout the 2024 election cycle and to run the program. He is expected to play an oversight role at “Daily” that could extend through 2025, and will start his on-air duties February 12. Various “Daily Show” correspondents will host the program Tuesday through Thursday nights, and Jen Flanz, the current executive producer, will continue her duties on the show.

“Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, in a statement. “In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.”

Stewart made his own announcement on X after the news broke, saying that he’s “decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility.”

Stewart is the persona most closely identified with “Daily,” and turned it from Comedy Central’s bid to be part of the late-night landscape into a cultural institution that became a touchstone for much of TV’s younger crowd. Since his exit in 2015, Stewart has tended to other projects. He has been an executive producer of CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and led a weekly foray into topical humor on Apple’s streaming service, a show called “The Problem With Jon Stewart” that did not gain as much traction as his tenure on “Daily.”

Comedy Central has been under intense scrutiny over the past year as it tested out a wide range of potential hosts, including Leslie Jones, Kal Penn and Sarah Silverman after the abrupt departure of Trevor Noah at the end of 2022. Executives have been determined to keep the program — a signature series for both the network and its parent, Paramount Global — particularly in an election year.

But the economics of late-night TV have weakened. Advertising dollars and audiences for the programs have begun to shrink in recent years as viewers move more readily to streaming video and watch more of the programs by checking out digital-media snippets of the programs the day after the run on linear TV. After capturing about $39.9 million in advertising dollars in 2022, “Daily Show” is on track to lure just under $19 million for 2023, according to Vivvix, a tracker of ad spending. Production last year was hampered by the Hollywood writers strikes, and Comedy Central did not run “Daily Show” repeats as its rivals at CBS, NBC and ABC did.

There has been speculation that Comedy Central may have reached out to people who did not appear in among “Daily’s” array of guests. Two people familiar with the matter say executives tried to interest comedian John Mulaney, for example, in taking on host duties.

Others have tested a model similar to what Comedy Central will do. NBCUniversal, faced with the departure of MSNBC’s most popular primetime host, Rachel Maddow, negotiated with her to have her continue to appear Monday nights and at important times in the news cycle, even as she pursued a bevy of other projects within the media company’s overall portfolio.

Executives at the network may be hoping that Stewart will cultivate new talent for “Daily,” and ultimately find the show’s next leader. During his “Daily” tenure, Stewart helped launch careers for many comedians, including John Oliver, Samantha Bee and Steve Carell. His knack for finding new voices and comedic actors may be as strong as that of Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

Under terms of the deal, James Dixon, a WME agent with deep ties to the world of late-night TV, will also serve as an an executive producer. Dixon works with Stewart, Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, and is also an executive producer of the new late-night entry at CBS, “After Midnight.” That program, which counts Colbert as one of its executive producers, is hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, and debuted less than two weeks ago.

 

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeah, that's a shocker. I thought Comedy Central was fine with just letting the show die a slow, hostless death but getting Stewart to come back even in reduced form feels a lot more like they just had absolutely no idea what to do once Trevor Noah left and Hassan Minhaj talked himself out of being the replacement.

I don't hold the reverence for him I used to when I was a teen but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to watch at least the first episode or two to see how he approaches it, given pretty much everything that's happened in the last nine years.

[GhostMachine]

The finale of The Trust: A Game Of Greed. 

Spoiler

Happy with the ending, but I was kind of afraid Tolu was going to vote out Julie or Jake. Completely understand why she took the vault money, and under the circumstances I would have done the same thing. *Except* After the final voting was over, I would have come clean and explained why.

Glad Brian walked away with the most money.  He's a good dude.

 

Also, Heidi and I have been watching Anthony Anderson (and Mama Doris!) on his new show, We Are Family. I was 3 for 3 on the latest episode (but didn't get the first one until the clues from singing with their relative), and 2 for 3 on the previous two. I'm beating Heidi, so far, but....

Spoiler

She nailed Carnie Wilson being the celebrity relative immediately in the episode she was on. The only time I've been anywhere near that fast was Joel McHale.

 

[GhostMachine]

If you have Peacock and are not watching The Traitors, you are missing some damn good tv.

And, if you are watching:

Spoiler

Do you hope they nail Dan asap?

 

Edited January 26 by GhostMachine