General Television Thread

[Guest mr. potato head]

So let's talk new comedies.

Mr. Sunshine - It's evolved into exactly what you'd expect a Thomas Schlamme/Matthew Perry production to look like. Which isn't necessarily a good thing. Unless they bring in some interesting new blood, I don't see this getting a second season.

Mad Love - Oh god. It's so desperately a HIMYM clone - look at them getting a booth-in-the-middle-of-the-bar scene this week - but so much worse because we still barely know anything about any of the characters beyond their professions and some one-dimensional characteristics. There does seem to be chemistry, or at least the potential for chemistry, in the cast, but right now all the main characters are just so generic that you can't get into them.

[NM!]

Woah, Woah, Woah. You can stand Outsourced but you don't approve of Mr. sunshine? I'll agree in saying that its average, but I'm almost certain the show can get to a second season. Hell, Cougar Town got another season and that show is TERRIBLE.

[Benji]

Watching Jericho. Two episodes in and I feel like I should be loving it... and I kind of do. I say kind of because I feel like something's not quite clicking with it. From what I hear it ends up being tremendous and I am definitely enjoying it, but I just can't put my finger on what's bothering me.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Got to agree with the comments on the recent Supernatural episode, bloody outstanding and one of the funniest episodes in the shows history. Back to doing what it does best really.

So glad Episodes has been renewed. Didn't expect it to get a second season, so I'm over the moon regarding that. Interested to see where they go from here too.

Caught the first episode of Mr Sunshine, it was pretty good, keep meaning to check out the second. Also watched the opener for Mad Love. It's kinda good, but certainly nothing special. Seems like a predictable show really, but it's quite fun, so I'll continue to check it out and see where it leads. Plus it's got Biggs, automatic win.

[Benji]

How'd I forget how awesome Nip/Tuck is?

[Mysterio2000X]

Holy shit, Larenz Tate is still alive?

Justified continued it's string of great episodes today, guest starring the aforementioned Tate.

[YI]

Mad Love - Oh god. It's so desperately a HIMYM clone - look at them getting a booth-in-the-middle-of-the-bar scene this week - but so much worse because we still barely know anything about any of the characters beyond their professions and some one-dimensional characteristics. There does seem to be chemistry, or at least the potential for chemistry, in the cast, but right now all the main characters are just so generic that you can't get into them.

Doesn't help that Biggs is basically playing Ted Mosby, and Biggs is shit in everything but "Boys And Girls". Then there's the voice-over. But yeah, in the pilot the way they shot the bar bit, the camera work etc, totally HIMYM. Chalke isn't too great either. Really like the other two though. But, it's like the writers don't even have much hope for the show as they're blowing their wad over stuff way too quickly. The flashback reveal in episode 3 is something that really didn't need to be used so soon. Ultimately, the only way I feel like the show is going to have any legs is if the 'couples' switch roles.

Also, my biggest gripe is that for this 'fairytale' there seems to be no real connection between Biggs and Chalke's characters, or any reason why the two seem to give as much as a shit about each other as they do. Take the HIMYM pilot, you had that little 5 dogs, scotch, Ghostbusters quote thing showing how she ticked Ted's boxes, coupled with him being in a 'vulnerable place' to explain him falling hard for Robin. You got why he did it. Here, all we know is she found his phone, he found a hat and "They both like sharks", which turns out to be bollocks as she only lied about it to have something in common with him...so yeah, WHY THE FUCK DO THEY GIVE SO MUCH OF A SHIT!?!?! They've done a pretty good job to build up the love-hate relationship between the other two (but I could see that getting old fairly quickly), but with Biggs and Chalke we've got no reason to know why they give so much of a shit, so why the fuck should we?

Oh yeah, and the gags are a bit rubbish. Beard guy has potential though.

Also for the "House 'jumping the shark'" thing from a page back. I'm still only in the first few seasons, but I've already established whenever it's dealing with relationship arcs it's fucking shite. And judging from what I've read it's become 'relationship central' recently, so, eugh.

Edited March 3, 2011 by YI

[sahyder1]

Watching the first season of Survivor on Youtube. I'm up to the ninth episode and it's amazing watching the awful, awful play of everyone not in The Alliance, particularly Sean's "I'm going to vote in alphabetical order and tell everyone that I'm doing it" thing. Part of it, of course, is that it's the very first one and the only people who've outright figured out how to play the game are the alliance members (well, Joel seemed to have a decent idea of what needed to happen but he was on the wrong tribe for it and was a bit of an ass in general).

But seriously, this is a great season of TV. Every contestant has a well-defined character or at the very least serves a purpose to the overall flow of things; Stacey was a bit of a nonentity but served as a good first victim of the alliance, and Ramona's elimination was pretty unfortunate seeing as she was a billion times more productive than Gervase, whose "I'm going to be totally unproductive but stick around because I'm too charming to get rid of" strategy is hilarious. My main interest is trying to watch the seasons in chronological order (I might skip The Outback because that was the only one I actually watched on TV start to finish, but then again it's been a fucking decade since then, all I really remember is "Tina wins it all, Colby wins every immunity challenge ever, Jerri is a bitch, the fact that Amber actually goes on to win a Survivor down the line is hilarious given what she does in this one, some dude falls into a fire, the black guy is lazy for the second season in a row man is that unintentionally awkward") and see how the gameplay has evolved as the players have more and more information on how to play the game successfully to go on/how the gameplay mechanics change.

EDIT: Wow, Sean is an idiot.

Go watch it in chronological order. I tried skipping around and realized it was a mistake. Watching the game and strategies evolve over time are a big part of the show. Plus they've had seasons with people returning for 2nd,3rd and 4th times so it obviously helps to have watched their previous runs.

[GoGo Yubari]

Well yeah, that's my impetus for watching it the way I'm watching it. Four episodes in on The Outback and what really strikes me is that everyone's much more up-to-speed on the political game (particularly Ogakor), and Jerri is a really interesting villain to follow Richard. She's much more overt in her power plays (presumably making up the beef jerky shit to eliminate Kel so her core alliance would make up half the tribe) and takes way more joy in it and the fact that she really relishes playing the villain is what bites her in the ass (episode four is probably the first really great episode I've watched thusfar because the way the political game with Ogakor shifts is brilliant).

Also I forgot how much fun a character Michael was. Pity about how that turned out.

[fr34k]

Everytime I watch Mad Love I wait for the narrator to go "Kids..." . Awful.

[Pesci]

Also for the "House 'jumping the shark'" thing from a page back. I'm still only in the first few seasons, but I've already established whenever it's dealing with relationship arcs it's fucking shite. And judging from what I've read it's become 'relationship central' recently, so, eugh.

If I had to pinpoint a precise time it's jumped the shark, it'd definitely be this season. Without going into too much detail, House just isn't acting the way he has been in the first six seasons and the progression doesn't seem at all natural. The last episode in particular was cringeworthy. But like I said, I still enjoy a bad House more than any other show so I don't mind, though I can see the writing on the wall.

[fr34k]

Regarding House (current season)...

First, I thought everything up to the current season was great. I liked Season 6 a lot, especially because they tried to do a lot of different things with the show and it didn't seem like we already saw something similiar.

Then comes this season and I'm not sure how to feel about it. It was obvious that House would be happy some day, but I'm not used to it and it seems weird. The ending of the latest episode was fucking stupid. House would have never compromised his job for anything. I just hope that they have Cuddy realize this and try to work it out.

The show shouldn't go on much longer. Don't get me wrong, I love House, but they can't really do a lot more. Maybe another season after this, but that's it.

On the other hand, I think Masters is great. I'd love to see a few more episodes that focus on other characters (like the one in Season 6 that followed Cuddy).

[Josh]

Fuck you all, HOUSE 4 LYFE.

[StevenRichardsRules]

What Josh said. What Josh said HARD.

[Meacon Keaton]

I accidentally watched Mad Love. It was terrible. Of course, I don't care for How I Met Your Mother, either.

As for Mr. Sunshine, it's...well, it's not bad. I like it. Kind of. It's yet to make me laugh out loud, but I smirk enough to keep going back to it. I watch it, but it's not "can't-miss". I have skipped an episode or two if a good game is on, or I have the itch to play Xbox.

[Pesci]

Pfft I probably like House more than both of you

[GhostMachine]

Three things I'd like to see happen with House:

1. Amber Tamblyn gone. She's a good actress, but I don't care for her character.

2. House coming down with Foreign Accent Syndrome so Hugh Laurie speaks with his normal accent for a couple of episodes.

3. A patient finally has Lupus! (I've missed a handful of episodes, so if that's already happened, I missed it)

[Josh]

1. Amber Tamblyn gone. She's a good actress, but I don't care for her character.

I thought this at first too. However, I've since come to see her as a terrific shot in the arm for the series. She's presently the perfect foil for House.

My only complaint is a highly unrealistic one: I want ALL the team members back. Give me one episode where fuckin' everybody gets called in to help on a supercase.

Even Kutner.

[Damian WayLNKe]

I just hope that when House ends, we get a spinoff. Most of the time I'm against this spinoffs, but I think it could work well with how great the characters on House are. Give us Foreman attempting to escape House's shadow again or Chase living it up in New York City with Taub in a Nip/Tuck clone.

[Pesci]

A three men and a baby-esque spinoff with Foreman, Chase and Taub would be wonderful.