TV we've been watching lately

[chai tea latte]

Because there's a movies thread, but not a television thread.

Recommendations for things you've been watching or teeveechat go here, I guess.


I'm about five episodes into Orphan Black and I have to say that I really enjoy it so far. Modern science fiction, but less 'aliens and warp drives' and more 'there is a mystery afoot which has roots in exploration of science's limits'. I really don't want to spoil too much about the plot, because the way it develops in the first two episodes is phenomenal, but it is Very Exciting so far. So I'll just link to the first three minutes on youtube, which set the plot in motion.

Also the lead actress, Tatiana Maslany, is utterly incredible. So much of what I've seen so far is this utterly exquisite character piece and I'm just flabberghasted by how good she is.

e: if you are interested in watching the show please don't google it or anything, there's some spoiler-y stuff that comes up in search results that is way more fun to try to puzzle out before the reveal.

[Sherlockian]

Sleepy Hollow! 

If you can get over all of the historical inaccuracies and poor biblical research (and the fact that the plot is all about the biblical book of Revelation), it's a lot of fun.  Nicole Behaire and Tom Mison are fabulous actors-- it's a very odd-couple sort of dynamic (cynical, 21st century cop meets civil war-era professor and soldier).  The pacing is great and despite the silly premise, I'm finding the meta-plot fairly engaging.

Also, John Cho and Orlando Jones play supporting roles.

[cyclopeantrash]

Agreed on Sleepy Hollow. It's pretty damn fun. Ichabod has a pretty great sense of sarcasm and is legitimately funny. The book of Revelation bit did make me roll my eyes. As far as tired themes go, the biblical apocalypse in contemporary fantasy is comatose.

I've mostly been watching Jonathan Creek. It's a British mystery pseudo-serial. It's about a lateral thinking stage magic mastermind who lives in a windmill and solves various preposterous locked room mysteries. It's really damn fun and has a unique atmosphere to it. Also the titular character is really awkward and they play fun at sexual tension a lot. There are some weaker episodes, but it's pretty consistent.

At Kal-Elk's recommendation I started watching Top of the Lake and I have to say, it's one of the most unsettling shows I've ever seen. Brilliant so far.

I don't really watch TV all that much, so that's about the extent of it.

[chai tea latte]

At Kal-Elk's recommendation I started watching Top of the Lake and I have to say, it's one of the most unsettling shows I've ever seen. Brilliant so far.

It gets even better. And yeah, it's not really a pleasant show, but I think it's still an important one. How far in are you?

[cyclopeantrash]

I'm only on episode 2. But every single conversation up to this point has been awkward and tense. Especially conversations that involve the Mitchams.

[chai tea latte]

I'm only on episode 2. But every single conversation up to this point has been awkward and tense. Especially conversations that involve the Mitchams.

Oh shit, it hasn't even started to get tense yet. Well, obviously it has, but not like it will. I'm excited you're watching it, though! I thought it was one of the better shows I've seen.

[Yossarian]

I was watching Southland until it was canceled. It got a firefly style treatment and but was cancelled after 5 seasons in the middle of growing ratings and amazing reviews. The cast was entirely amazing and the show was keeping me hooked but it ended on a horrible cliffhanger. There is the possibility of a movie floating around though.

[Lemon]

Motherfucking Eastbound & Down is back.

The T is for Taters.
The N is for And.
And the final T? Tits.
Cause all the waitresses at TNT have huge tits. Taters and tits

Damn Kenny, how did you think of that shit!?

[Locclo]

After finally getting through Breaking Bad, I was kind of in a haze, wondering what to watch next. Then Netflix added a bunch of new stuff that I was hoping to see - namely, Dexter, Leverage, and Chuck.

So far, I've been binge-watching Leverage, and I just love it. It's a great mix between comedy and drama, with some great humor backed up with some serious and sometimes tearjerking moments. Plus, it's pretty neat to see that each of the five main characters has their own soft side tucked away.

Worth a watch, in my opinion. There's some great humor to be found inside it.

[Goose Goose Honk At Me Now]

I'm excited about the Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary special because John Hurt is in it and that man is one of the three voices of my childhood. If you never watched Jim Henson's The Storyteller, please to do so with promptitude. The writing is beautiful, Sean Bean is in an episode and lives all the way to the end of it, and of course the puppetry is awesome.

The rest of the TV I watch is too embarrassing or bad to go in this thread.

[Lemon]

I've been binge-watching Leverage, and I just love it. It's a great mix between comedy and drama, with some great humor backed up with some serious and sometimes tearjerking moments.

So, I enjoyed watching Leverage quite a bit, but... you understand it's crap, right? I mean, it's fun crap, but... okay, let me set the stage for you.

In one episode, The Bad Guys are Monsanto. The Good Guy is a perky young woman who invented a potato which is better at being a potato. I think the hacker character describes it as "The iPhone of potatoes". Monsanto doesn't like this, because this woman's potato will single-handedly solve world hunger and therefore eat into their profits, so they want to confiscate the potato.

So an Escalade pulls out, and a stern looking businesswoman climbs out with two toughs in black suits behind her. The businesswoman explains to nice scientist that her potato was grown with Monsanto pesticides and is therefore Monsanto property. One of the toughs barges into her house and finds a potato and brings it to the businesswoman, who then puts it one of those silver briefcases with an indentation in the foam for the potato! They leave, triumphant.

[chai tea latte]

I've been binge-watching Leverage, and I just love it. It's a great mix between comedy and drama, with some great humor backed up with some serious and sometimes tearjerking moments.

So, I enjoyed watching Leverage quite a bit, but... you understand it's crap, right? I mean, it's fun crap, but... okay, let me set the stage for you.

In one episode, The Bad Guys are Monsanto. The Good Guy is a perky young woman who invented a potato which is better at being a potato. I think the hacker character describes it as "The iPhone of potatoes". Monsanto doesn't like this, because this woman's potato will single-handedly solve world hunger and therefore eat into their profits, so they want to confiscate the potato.

So an Escalade pulls out, and a stern looking businesswoman climbs out with two toughs in black suits behind her. The businesswoman explains to nice scientist that her potato was grown with Monsanto pesticides and is therefore Monsanto property. One of the toughs barges into her house and finds a potato and brings it to the businesswoman, who then puts it one of those silver briefcases with an indentation in the foam for the potato! They leave, triumphant.

what the fuck

[Sherlockian]

I've been binge-watching Leverage, and I just love it. It's a great mix between comedy and drama, with some great humor backed up with some serious and sometimes tearjerking moments.

So, I enjoyed watching Leverage quite a bit, but... you understand it's crap, right? I mean, it's fun crap, but... okay, let me set the stage for you.

In one episode, The Bad Guys are Monsanto. The Good Guy is a perky young woman who invented a potato which is better at being a potato. I think the hacker character describes it as "The iPhone of potatoes". Monsanto doesn't like this, because this woman's potato will single-handedly solve world hunger and therefore eat into their profits, so they want to confiscate the potato.

So an Escalade pulls out, and a stern looking businesswoman climbs out with two toughs in black suits behind her. The businesswoman explains to nice scientist that her potato was grown with Monsanto pesticides and is therefore Monsanto property. One of the toughs barges into her house and finds a potato and brings it to the businesswoman, who then puts it one of those silver briefcases with an indentation in the foam for the potato! They leave, triumphant.

Leverage is what most good genre TV is, for me-- unabashed in its ridiculousness. Yeah, it's silly and probably rubbish from a critical standpoint, but it's fun and worth enjoying unironically.

But I hate most serious genre shows, so my tastes are skewed towards things that wear their humor on their sleeves.

[Runic]

That sounds fucking amazing.

[cyclopeantrash]

Oh it is dear Runic, it is. Leverage is schlocky genre series fun.

Speaking of schlocky fun. I've been re-watching Friday the 13th: The Series (note: in no way related to the film franchise) and man I forgot how campy and incredible this show was. It all the best and worst parts of monster of the week. It also had the best special effects that a late 80s cult TV show could have.