I've forsaken American television.

TerranRich · Mon 29/12/2003 07:01:16

Wow, I'm surprised at the number of people who like Conan. You all ROCK.

I like SNL, stand-up comedy, and Everybody Loves Raymond -- nobody seems to like the latter, for some reason or another. I think it's hilarious, an excellent example of comedic timing, as good an example as you can have with a live audience, that is. There's also Enterprise, but I watch that simply because I am a die-hard Trek fan. I could never get into Seinfeld either, for the same reason Mills gave, that all they did was complain and act like idiots.

And what's with all this nonsense about "relating" to characters? It's entertainment, for crying out loud! I don't want to relate to the character, I don't want to feel what the characters are feeling, and all that; I just want to be amused, entertained, and I just want to laugh (if it's comedy, whcih is all I watch).

Seeing as how I don't pay for DirecTV, I don't watch all that much TV and survive mainly on DVD movies and specials, like The Best of Will Ferrell and The Best of CHris Farley, two awesome SNL DVDs. Being a subscriber to Netflix, I can watch many movies, and have been catching up on movies I've missed lately.

Renal Shutdown · Mon 29/12/2003 09:26:57

Bonjourno, y'all

Here's my tuppence..

Coupling. The first series was ok, but the second kinda lost it after the split-screen episode (the first ep, actually). All it is now is 4 people acting dumb, and Jack Davenport going off on a rant that is supposed to be funny. Most of the time, it's not. The only decent thing left is Jeff. It should be the Jeff show..
Now, Coupling got remade with American actors, as the makers thought "Ooh, British Humour.. our viewers won't get that..", even tho BBCAmerica it doing better and better. The show got cancelled after 4 shows, I think.

The reason us brit's make apparently better comedies? Take Friends, how many episodes did they make a year? 24? 26? Something like that. The "britcoms" (such a lame word) make 6. A year. A Christmas special, if we're lucky. Take Fawlty Towers.. it's only got, what, 12 eps? If we knocked up another 20 eps a year, would the shows still be as good? I kinda doubt it.

Now.. on to the brit-bashing section. We gave the world the Reality TV format. Sweet. We* always harp on about America dumbing down and everything. But, the truth is, we're the ones giving the lobotomy. The US stations saw the cheaply made british reality shows, like Big Brother and to a lesser extent Changing Rooms.. and now, the world is full of Joe Millionaire, High School Reunion, and an endless supply of poor quality DIY shows.
(* We, as a nation, via the media.. not any of the Brit's here, I'm sure).

The dumb thing is, tho.. I know all this from watching the idiotbox. It seems to drain time/life from me. When I at my folks, with a PC.. I don't watch it. At home, and it's on all the time. I end up watching repeats of 70's cop shows, cookery programs, quiz shows (which isn't too bad I s'pose, at least I'm learning stuff), australian soaps.. well, Neighbours, at any rate. I can't help myself. I do watch quite a few documentaries, tho.. mainly because I have five channels, and I seen most of what's on.

That's one thing that bugs me. The "TV licence". Only for the BBC. You want watch only the other channels, and not the BBC? Tough. You still need to pay the licence fee. For what? 2 normal channels, full of repeats.. no, so you don't have to watch adverts. Even tho, the other BBC owned channels, like UK Gold (all repeats, all the time) still have adverts in them. I wouldn't mind if they actually made something good with the Â£120-odd we'll be paying them this year. Instead of the 30 or so Simpsons eps they normal show in rotation. I'd rather be informed about this new miracle cleaning product, of fast food restaurant's newest addition to the menu.

Anyhow, I've taken up enough of your time, for now. Happy viewing (or not)..

Hugs
Iqu

Also, Monty Python changed comedy for the better, Americans are better at one liners.. yada yada, and the best American comedy at the moment is Ed - because it doesn't try to hard.

DGMacphee · Mon 29/12/2003 10:17:27

Does anyone watch Monk?

I dig Tony Shalhoub a lot and the show has a very Columbo-esque feel to it.

MrColossal · Mon 29/12/2003 10:50:07

read the damned thread DG and you'll find out that someone does...

the only TV i watch is adult swim on sundays [there's only so many times i can watch THE LOST FAMILY GUY EPISODE!!1! on the weekdays] and...

well that's it really. that's the only television i set aside time in my day for.

late at night i take breaks from the computer to watch random shows on at night like discovery channel [now the science channel, and they tell you every commercial break that they changed their name! how happy i am for them!] any random show on tech tv that isn't stupid or about robots fighting and def poetry jam [i love]

eric

and real sex of course.

DGMacphee · Mon 29/12/2003 12:50:28

GET TO BED BEFORE I GET HILLBILLIES TO VISIT YOU IN THE NIGHT!!!

Matt Brown · Mon 29/12/2003 14:07:23

Iqu: I think coupling lasted about 5 shows here. People thought it was too racy to be shown on NBC. Provo and South Bend (home of BYU and Notre Dame) refused to even show the show. controversy insued, and the bad publicy, along with cricts destroying the show, caused it to be cut.

DG, I also watch Monk sometimes. Its the only program my mom ever watches, (ok, that, and the one about the detective who has that huge mustache...perot maybe?) and I always end up needing her while she's watching it.

Me:Mom?
Mom: not now dammit! monk!
me: oh. *goes to watch monk*

Barcik · Mon 29/12/2003 15:04:32

My daily viewing program is limited to History Channel. TV Serials ask for too much loyalty - "be every day/week at ___ hours on your couch!".

Darth Mandarb · Mon 29/12/2003 17:23:20

I (like Barcik) am pretty much on the History Channel. I watch Call For Help and The Screen Savers on techTV daily. I tune into TLC and Animal Planet as well. Mostly educational stuff.

Tuesday nights I watch 24 (best show on TV in my opinion)
Thursday I watch Scrubs (best comedy on TV in my opinion)

That's about it for me.

When the reality TV shows die out I will do several happy dances.

I think most of the drivel on the TV now-a-days is designed for the brain-dead masses. So much of the world today are under educated and need mindless crap on TV to keep them occupied. It's all formula and nobody (rarely) tries anything original/new.

])]v[

Captain Mostly · Mon 29/12/2003 20:42:27

of course, we brits are lucky that our country is so small. This means that we all know the people on TV personally, and can go down the pub and tell them they suck. This way, only people with no friends (and thus no-one around them to tell them they suck) ever get on TV. And have you never noticed that friendless people are always the most entertaining? Well I sure have!

veryweirdguy · Mon 29/12/2003 20:49:59

Darth is right. 24 & Scrubs are the best two American shows on at the moment.

As for British comedy, what did everyone think of the last two episodes of The Office? Personally I thought they were great - despite the predictable ending, it was a nice way to round it all up.

Simple · Mon 29/12/2003 22:32:32

To be honest, I've seen a lot of Six Feet Under, and it didn't really impress me. It seemed pretty...heavy-handed. I don't know...kind of a, "look at how weird this is! Keep looking! it's getting weirder!" sort of vibe. It DOES have its moments...but I stopped watching after a bit of season 2.

And also Terran mentioned about how we don't need to relate to the characters if it's only entertainment...but for some people (and I may entirely be the odd man on this, which is fine

) entertainment IS relating to characters. Which is why great novels can be read over and over again...because you want to spend time inside these peoples' minds. If it was just the plot, you'd never have to read a novel more than once. Same for television...if you're just watching for the plot, or to see a coconut fall on Gilligan's head...you only need to watch once. What really impresses me is a truly layered, complex character.

Which are difficult to write, especially in TV, I'm sure. And difficult to act as well. But that's why they're so rewarding to see when you do find them.

Still haven't seen 24 or Scrubs, though. I may well check them out. On someone's advice I put on TV Land when I was going to sleep last night and it was an All in the Family marathon. Now that was good timing.

Ben · Tue 30/12/2003 00:55:36

I watch Scrubs quite a bit.. It's not in quite as rigid a format as most sitcoms that are on now. I can't predict what everyone is going to say like I can with Friends..

I also like Conan O'Brien and SNL. Conan's show has some of my favorite sketches. Simple, tastless, and genuinely funny. It's also the only network show that has decent musical guests.. SNL has been hit or miss lately. There have been some really good shows, and also some really bad ones (The "zing" sketch.. wtf?)..

I watch CSI, mostly because I'm interested in the camera work and special effects.. I wish the stories and dialog were as good as the show's looks.

Other than that, there's not really a lot that I watch regularly.. Monk looks really good, but I never seem to be around to watch it.

LordHart · Tue 30/12/2003 02:03:01

I only watch a few shows anymore, because I'm mostly on my computer.

A few of my favourites are:
Men Behaving Badly (UK), 24 (US), Conan (US), Monty Python(UK), Scrubs (US), Skithouse (OZ), Rove Live (OZ), Micallef Programme (OZ), Red Dwarf (UK), Doctor Who (UK), Enterprise (US) and Stargate (US).

I mentioned Doctor Who, and might I just say that I am sooo glad that they are making a new series. When I have kids, I'm gonna make them watch the old series and the new, simply because Doctor Who rocks!

Would you like a Jellybaby?

edit: Just spotted this at Darkhorizons.com

24 (TV): FilmReviews.Net reports that the BBC has dropped plans to air the third season in the UK after negotiations with FOX failed.

Too bad mates.

TheYak · Tue 30/12/2003 04:49:33

People occasionally mention older shows as being the now-expired holy grail of television. "If only we could have a show like ____ again, it was absolute genius." Bullshit. TV's always sucked and there have usually been a couple of exceptions. Star Trek (Original)? It had one of the largest followings for a series for quite some time. It was absolute crap. Some of the writing, situations and characters were impressive but the show itself was laughable. What about older Sit-Coms like ____? Very few Sit-Coms have ever been worth a damn. Honestly, I have a lot more respect for Everybody Loves Raymond than I do for Cheers. I don't mean to put down everyone's TV preferences but if you take away the nostalgia factor, how much TV has ever been *good*?

TerranRich · Tue 30/12/2003 05:59:35

Quote from: Simple on Mon 29/12/2003 22:32:32And also Terran mentioned about how we don't need to relate to the characters if it's only entertainment...but for some people (and I may entirely be the odd man on this, which is fine ) entertainment IS relating to characters. Which is why great novels can be read over and over again...because you want to spend time inside these peoples' minds. If it was just the plot, you'd never have to read a novel more than once. Same for television...if you're just watching for the plot, or to see a coconut fall on Gilligan's head...you only need to watch once. What really impresses me is a truly layered, complex character.

You're right. You know, when I hear "entertainment," the only word I can think of is "comedy". And, true, Enterprise, the non-comedy, isn't very profound most of the time. I do know what you mean, about getting into a character, but I'll only watch non-comedies if it's Trek or a movie.

So when I said that relating to characters wasn't important, I was thinking about comedies: the only thing I ever watch.

MillsJROSS · Tue 30/12/2003 06:40:51

QuoteSo when I said that relating to characters wasn't important, I was thinking about comedies: the only thing I ever watch.

I don't agree. Look at Everybody Loves Raymond (and yes, I am well aware of the fact that not everybody loves him), I think the show is funny because I can relate to them. The characters are extreem sometimes, but there is a lot of truth in that show as to how people feel towards there family. I think that's the reason people either like this show or hate it. Because you can either relate to the characters, or your family make up is different, so you don't see the comedy (not that this applies to everyone, sometimes your taste in humor is different, too).

And I do see shows that are *good* from way back when. I think the shows I mentioned would be considered *great* tv. They are shows I enjoy watching and find they are worth my time. Nostalgia? There are plenty shows that I don't like that are old. Like Bewitched. Anyway, the argument about nostalgia doesn't make sense, because you'd only be nostalgic about something you enjoyed or found funny previously.

-MillsJROSS

TheYak · Tue 30/12/2003 07:14:27

The argument about nostalgia makes perfect sense. I wasn't saying that we think all old shows are wonderful merely because of nostalgia but that we tend to see older items we enjoyed with a bit of favoritism. We tend to see things that we watched and enjoyed in our teens (or younger) through rose-colored glasses. I did not say, however, that nobody had a right to enjoy these things. One show you mentioned, "Bewitched," quite a few people enjoyed. As far as that goes, take the plot synopsis, editing capability, the "effects" used for "magic", the characters and summarize their worth without any bonus points given for the fact that you once enjoyed it. It's utter tripe. I am fully willing to admit that one of my favorite older shows, Get Smart, was patently ridiculous. It did, at least, have the redeeming value of having a particularly poignant point of view in the beginning years of the Cold War. It encouraged its viewers not to take stuff too seriously (our enemies & ourselves). I could name a dozen or so shows that I watched quite a bit of while growing up and I realize now how cheesy they were. It doesn't stop me from enjoying them still, mainly for nostalgia's sake.

I'm only intended to express my point that complaints about current television programming is similar to the way that everybody gripes about anything new. We often claim that some of the best stuff happened years ago. Hell, that's part of what the AGS group is about. We recognize the average banality evidenced in today's game offerings and strive to re-live and re-make the gaming experiences that we felt were the best. If you take this post as condemnation, you've got it all wrong. It's merely honesty.

evenwolf · Tue 30/12/2003 11:21:05

I'm really digging american infomercials.. even more entertaining than actual shows.

Then there's Iron Chef USA with Will "The Chairman" Shatner
and The Daily Show, I guess.

I like Conan, Dave, and Jay in that order. I despise Craig and I don't really like the Jimmy Kimmel show, but that's mainly because Andy Milonakis (Penis) is often on the show.

veryweirdguy · Tue 30/12/2003 13:08:20

Quote from: Os Ãšltimo QuÃ£o Queijo ^_^ on Tue 30/12/2003 02:03:01
24 (TV): FilmReviews.Net reports that the BBC has dropped plans to air the third season in the UK after negotiations with FOX failed.

Too bad mates.

Just in case anyone reads this and starts crying, Sky One are showing the third series of 24 in the UK in the new year (I predict around February), so um.............if you don't have Sky then continue crying.....

Simple · Tue 30/12/2003 23:41:11

You know, I realize now that pretty much everybody who posted here has said, "Yeah, I only really watch X, Y, and Z anymore..." and then possibly went on to list one or two other occasional shows.

You guys have given me a lot of hope. You're not addicted to television like too many of my friends (and family members). I guess it doesn't really matter what you watch, as long as you watch it because you like it and benefit in some way from it...and not just watch it because it exists.

Hm. I learned something wonderful today, and this time it had nothing to do with an underage girl.