The Crap We Watch

I always thought Defying Gravity was a good show. too bad it only lasted one season.
 
Ah, Lost. What a great series. It wasn't always coherent but I couldn't stop watching.

I couldn't start.

i have this little quirk that if you over advertise something i will lose all intrest in it. They did that with Lost in such a big way.

Defiance is just about there as well. They have pushed it so hard i almost don't want to see it now.

some times it's meant I've missed out on some good shows but for the most part it works for me. If it's really so good they wont have to sell it so hard.

Shrug.

I was a huge fan of 'House' but that was mostly for Lisa Edelstein... growl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWZq5ebYb8s
 
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i have this little quirk that if you over advertise something i will lose all intrest in it. They did that with Lost in such a big way.

Defiance is just about there as well. They have pushed it so hard i almost don't want to see it now.

That's kind of my thinking on it as well. It's being hyped all over the various NBC channels, I see it on magazine covers, they even worked it into Face Off. I understand it's their new darling and they want to maximize their return (just from the previews, it looks like they've spent quite a bit on CGI, which was part of Sanctuary's downfall), but the more they push it, the more I tend to step back.

I'll watch the first episode, though. It's got my attention, there's no denying that.
 
I couldn't start.

i have this little quirk that if you over advertise something i will lose all intrest in it. They did that with Lost in such a big way.

Defiance is just about there as well. They have pushed it so hard i almost don't want to see it now.

some times it's meant I've missed out on some good shows but for the most part it works for me. If it's really so good they wont have to sell it so hard.

Shrug.

I was a huge fan of 'House' but that was mostly for Lisa Edelstein... growl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWZq5ebYb8s

It's too bad you feel that way, you missed out on a mostly amazing show. The four networks absolutely must promote the hell out of new shows. They only have two or three weeks to get eyeballs in front of TV screens. If they fail in that short window, they're never going to get them. This is especially true with serialized dramas. People don't start watching a show 8-9 episodes in when they have no way to catch up on the back story.

Not only that, but if a tent pole show fails, that can create a cascading effect on that entire night's programming. With major big budget shows, there is too much at stake to take a casual approach.

That's kind of my thinking on it as well. It's being hyped all over the various NBC channels, I see it on magazine covers, they even worked it into Face Off. I understand it's their new darling and they want to maximize their return (just from the previews, it looks like they've spent quite a bit on CGI, which was part of Sanctuary's downfall), but the more they push it, the more I tend to step back.

I'll watch the first episode, though. It's got my attention, there's no denying that.

Cables shows are a little different than broadcast network shows. Most cable shows shoot the entire season before the first episode is aired. As a result, they are committed to showing all episodes irrespective of the ratings. Also, they don't have alternative shows they can plug in if a show is tanking.

If the advertising turns you off, do what I do. Skip the commercials.
 
Defiance

Been watching the Making of Defiance on the SyFy Chanel. They're really pushing this one. Haven't seen this much hype given to a SyFy show since, well . . . ever.

Defiance is almost forcefully being pushed as a "thinking person's" science fiction show. They're pushing the existential angle on this one, talking about how the series is about hope, love, community, family . . . and then showering in a few choice scenes of graphic combat and high-tech systems and weapons. They have to appease the action-monger watchers, after all, and a good dose of both interpersonal and physical conflict is good for a story.

I'm still wondering if the show will be worth it. I'm getting a decidedly Star Trek vibe from what I've seen thus far, in that all the aliens look human except for some minor (in some cases, not so minor) cosmetic differences. Maybe that's a hook for the show, and the reasons for such will be explained later. I just hope the explanation isn't as hokey as what Star Trek eventually did to explain why all the races in the galaxy are humanoid.

I do like the basic premise, however. Basically, aliens arrived on Earth, resulting in what looks like a war based on fear from the human perspective. The alien "arks" are destroyed in orbit, and in some way, all these pieces of destroyed ships cascading onto the planet result in massive geological upheavals. There are massive die-offs of the human population, and in the aftermath, there are eight races now living on an apparently unintentionally re-terraformed Earth.

The premise really pushes the idea that this is not a story about humans versus evil aliens, but a bunch of different species who all find themselves stranded on the same planet, humans being just one of them. "Defiance" refers to a multi-racial settlement in which the various races all attempt to co-exist. It is St. Louis, but with some very obvious geological differences. The Arch still stands, but the city is framed by mountains that did not exist before.

There's definite potential here.
 
A perfectly understandable view, IMO.
Such a pity about the lights (either that or I need a new Monitor), but she does have a really good shimmy.

But I love this one.
Cote de Pablo; Gr r r r owl.

And it's a clever song, too

Very sexy, definitely. I love it when a woman wears a dress that makes it obvious she can't have anything on underneath. ;)


That was hilarious, Og. I especially liked the part where they traced the dance moves. :p
 
So, I watched the Defiance pilot. Twice. It definitely has its own feel. Right from the beginning, you know this is an alien world, even though, technically, it is Earth. The CGI is everywhere, from the terrain to the plants to the creatures. It's obvious, but not as hokey as the CG in Sanctuary. Thankfully, the producers wisely decided to go with actual makeup for all the actors playing members of the various alien races. The serpentine-skinned Indogenes are particularly striking, while the Sensoth look like something straight out of the Mos Eisley cantina.

The Star Wars reference seems apt, here. The main character, Nolan, is human and comes off to me as very Han Solo-esque. He's a mercenary, scavenger, fighter and apparently a prolific lover. He serves as a father figure to his partner, Irisa, who is an Irathient. They come complete with a debt to pay off, just like Han and Chewie, which seems to be solved when the find a rare technological artifact from a piece of a recently-fallen ship. Apparently, Earth's orbit is littered with the debris of thousands of destroyed "arks," which decay in orbit and come crashing to Earth.

Of course, the troubles of Nolan and Irisa aren't so easily solved, thanks to first a biker gang or Irathients who chase them away from their vehicle, and then to the politics and troubles of the town of Defiance. Predictably, they get caught up in a very Lord of the Rings like situation when the town is attacked by monstrous Volges, whom I can't help but compare to Tolkein's Uruk-Hai.

The pilot does a pretty good job of establishing all the main characters. There's the mayor, the local crime lord, the influential but controlling father, and the maddam. All pretty interesting characters who, ultimately, fight for the safety of their home. But they aren't all friendly to one another.

I won't say I'm hooked, but I think I'll keep watching. SyFy has invested a lot into this series, and the background information is pretty compelling and complete.
 
agreed, sir/madame!

Parenthood - near as good as Friday Night Lights, while being it’s own thing. It’s believable. And has a real nice balance between crippling dramatic situations and light-hearted humanity.

I watch a lot of Reality crap that would completely shit on any credibility I have if I listed it. But I guess I find it never ending interesting to witness and contemplate why people do what they do.

New Girl – hear me out on this before you bail.

I think I watched the first episode cuz I’m into chicks like Zooey Deschanel. And that was the end of that, it played like a zillion other 30min attempts to capture ‘careful’ comedy. Not my thing. (I’m more into Community… which is now RIP as far as I’m concerned.)

I kept reading about New Girl ‘finding its path’ so I eventually gave it another shot. Let my Tivo rack up maybe 15 episodes before I actually gave it a viewing. And let me tell you, I’m SO fucking glad I came back.

It’s well beyond the ‘quirky’ Zooey thing now. The other mates have their own lines which are all deliciously disparate and yet belonging within the unity of their ‘togetherness’. The writing itself is stupid genius. They have no issues at all slipping stuff in there that’s going to glide right past maybe 80% of the viewer base, stuff that you and I will hear and probably choke on it’s so intelligently funny (or else preposterously hilarious). The story lines are pretty fresh, at least as far as how they play out.

It’s not like any other sitcom I’ve given half a chance to the last few years. It doesn’t seem to care about that. Or if it does, it doesn’t look like it any longer. It ain’t afraid.

Most importantly, for ANY sitcom, I buy the interaction of those involved. They’re all unique together and yet they blend. And secretly, that’s what we all want, right? The idea that you can be yourself completely, and yet still gather among a group of people unlike yourself – and fit your finger in there like a glove, eh. Ain’t that why you’re here?

Trust me, it’s good stuff. You’ll have a good laugh, or several, every episode. And while you’re doing that, you’ll go, ‘Yeah… I belong.’

Give that a try. Some stupid shit is stupid good fun.

I heartily agree with your comments re: New Girl. As much as I'm very picky about comedies and usually dislike sitcoms, New Girl makes me laugh every time. And the writing is surprisingly delightful ("You don't have a phone because you have the credit score of a homeless ghost.").

As far as other shows, I do unabashedly adore all things Joss Whedon. Plus many other shows, most of which are long deceased:

Don't Trust the B in Apt 23
Warehouse 13
Supernatural
Justified
Pushing Daisies
Wonderfalls
Dr. Who
King of the Hill
Venture Brothers
Regular Show
Better Off Ted
 
I usually just look at a TV show(s) without really watching or listening.

Lately though, I've been enjoying that Elemetary show with my Grandmother. Mostly because I am in love with Lucy, cause epic hotness
 
I heartily agree with your comments re: New Girl. As much as I'm very picky about comedies and usually dislike sitcoms, New Girl makes me laugh every time. And the writing is surprisingly delightful ("You don't have a phone because you have the credit score of a homeless ghost.").

As far as other shows, I do unabashedly adore all things Joss Whedon. Plus many other shows, most of which are long deceased:

Don't Trust the B in Apt 23
Warehouse 13
Supernatural
Justified
Pushing Daisies
Wonderfalls
Dr. Who
King of the Hill
Venture Brothers
Regular Show
Better Off Ted

*Salute* to another Better off Ted fan. I forgot that one when I made my list.
 
Dancing On The Ceiling

Jessie Matthews (Later Mrs Dale of Mrs Dale's Diary)



All the above prove that the principle participants were /are fit beyond belief.
However,
if I could draw your attention to a very recent one:

Anastasia Volochkova dancing to Adiemus by Karl Jenkins

I think you might find the sinuous gyrations of this gorgeous female something worthy of study. For the classical study, she is /was the youngest principle dancer at the Bolshoi.
 
Prison Break was my favorite. That was several years ago, but I haven't had a TV since that ended.
 
Prison Break was my favorite. That was several years ago, but I haven't had a TV since that ended.

It's been revived (as reruns) on Nuvo. I haven't caught any of them yet but the teasers catch my eye now and then.

Heya, Lynn. ;)
 
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