What was the last TV show you watched?

[Gregg Axley]

Raining, so I watched Ice Road Truckers. I was going to say, it is getting dumber and dumber, but, I'm the dumb one for watching it!

Cool, so when my wife wants to watch it tonight, I can put Quadrophenia in the D drive, and have something else to watch.

 

[rjb1]

I'm a season behind on watching "Hell on Wheels" on Netflix so take that into account concerning my comments.
I made a comment earlier about the preposterous plot events (poor writing) of the show, as you mentioned, but I keep watching anyway.

How did others feel about such things as the Indians "sneaking up" on the railroad at night, while carrying torches(!). Also, when the Indians attacked and the Swede had stolen all the rifles, no one said one word about the theft. At least someone could have mentioned that they had a problem since they were surrounded by hostiles and didn't have any firearms.
Another big issue to me is why a Confederate is put in as Chief Engineer of the biggest Federal expenditure/boondoggle of the century - just two years after the Civil War ended. (Not counting the real history that Grenville Dodge, a Union general, was the real chief engineer on the UP.) I'm less looking for exact historical accuracy than internal plausibility.
I just watched the episode last night, "Cholera", in which the camp had no water and they had to dig a well and (quickly) design/build a windmill to pump the water, or they would all die.

Don't the writers know that we are talking about a steam railroad and steam engines?? Steam is evaporated water - no water, no steam, no railroad. If there was anything the mid-1800's railroads knew about it was how to store, transport, and manage water. (A steam locomotive uses 7,000 gallons of water for each 10 tons of fuel burned and the tender on the back of the locomotive carries about half fuel and half water by volume.) Escaping steam is what makes the "choo-choo-choo" sound of a steam engine...
Since they are connected by telegraph back up the line they could just send a message - "Short on water - send 10,00 gallons." and it would arrive shortly. You don't really need to know all the technical details of steam engine operation, just that they can easily communicate back to "civilization" for assistance, since that capability has been well established in prior episodes.


As for the Swede, since he is a psychopath/sociopath whatever he does may be frustrating, but who knows what a serial killer is going to do. Also, at some point, when Bohannon finally kills him, it will be quite cathartic.

I like to watch it, but I wish I didn't have to work so hard at suspending disbelief.

(Another reason I like to watch the show is that Anson Mount grew up about 20 miles from my home (near Nashville), so it's like hearing a friend/neighbor as the lead in a TV series.)

 

[carranty]

Is anyone else watching The Last Ship? After what I thought was a fairly bland pilot episode its really started to grow on me, though I'm not totally sure why. Is it having this effect on anyone else?

Hell on Wheels. So far it looks like it'll be an interesting season.

I've really enjoyed the first two episodes, and am curious as to what happened to Elam - he surely can't be ...***spoilers***

 

[Zombie_61]

I'm a season behind on watching "Hell on Wheels"...I like to watch it, but I wish I didn't have to work so hard at suspending disbelief...

Shhh, you're not supposed to notice that stuff. lol

...I've really enjoyed the first two episodes, and am curious as to what happened to Elam - he surely can't be ...***spoilers***

From what I've read Elam will be back, but the people responsible for the show are being a little cagey about that, saying something to the effect that the way he returns will be unexpected. [huh]

 

[Stearmen]

I'm a season behind on watching "Hell on Wheels" on Netflix so take that into account concerning my comments.
I made a comment earlier about the preposterous plot events (poor writing) of the show, as you mentioned, but I keep watching anyway.

Maybe it is like Gilligan's Island. You were not suppose to question why Gilligan, The Skipper, the Professor and Marry Ann wore the same outfits every episode, but the Howell's and Ginger had all those beautiful cloths!

 

[Stearmen]

Top Gear Australia. I understand why I like this version so much, they have a segment called V8 To The Rescue! The hypothesis is there any problem in the world that a V8 can't solve? If you don't know the answer! [video=youtube;hKRsUrjEwDY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKRsUrjEwDY[/video]

 

[1mach1]

Masters of Sex

 

[Edward]

Season four of The Walking Dead has finally reached non-subscription television in the UK!

 

[Touchofevil]

Seinfeld

 

[Gregg Axley]

Counting Cars.
I'm not a Charger fan but the purple just makes this car.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Top Gear Australia. I understand why I like this version so much, they have a segment called V8 To The Rescue! The hypothesis is there any problem in the world that a V8 can't solve? If you don't know the answer! [video=youtube;hKRsUrjEwDY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKRsUrjEwDY[/video]

This is okay, and frankly a lot better than the American version.
Those idiots have gone from bad to worse.
Oh sure they've had their good moments, but those are few and far between.
And I've noticed that what the British version does, the other 2 tackle a year or so later. :eusa_doh:

I found a full length feature film of Stingray (Gerry Anderson's show) that actually doesn't exist.
A youtube user edited clips from every episode, put it all together, and made a movie that's a little over 1.5hrs.
Brilliant, and it's edited in such a way that everything flows.
Although the Supermarionatoin isn't as good on Stingray as it is on Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, but I can't get in to spy stuff.

 

[Stearmen]

Ferrets, Attack! No, not a SciFi movie, Two And A Half Men. I miss Rose, she was funny, a cute little girl who is a complete Psycho!

 

[1mach1]

M*a*s*h

 

[cw3pa]

"The Cisco Kid" (1952) in color with Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo. Interesting that it was shot in color when most early TV westerns were black & white.

 

[Fading Fast]

I find it absurd when shows, or movies, think dropping character development and/or backstory through social media or online is an acceptable substitute for doing the work in the program. They could be more efficient with time, dialog, and story. If they can't manage these things, it's unacceptable to excuse it because they have too much happening or too many characters to attend. Again, poor writing, directing, and producing. That isn't the responsibility of the audience to give them a pass because they heaped too much on the plate. That's their job. Boardwalk Empire has this problem as well.

Just getting caught up and this is a great comment. It drives me crazy when they do this as I feel like "am I too stupid to follow a TV show" and, then, I learn here or elsewhere that the bigger backstory is "out there" in social media. That said, some of the time, what I have inferred had to happen is pretty close to the truth - i.e., the mormons must have taken him in, but I get some wrong. To your point though, this is asking too much from your audience. I am not that vested in any show that I want to have to hunt out on-line story lines not included in the actual show.

 

[Zombie_61]

...I am not that vested in any show that I want to have to hunt out on-line story lines not included in the actual show.

I'm the same way. I'm also puzzled when a television show--any television show--includes a comment to the effect of, "For more content, go to www-dot-whateveritis-dot-com." Let me get this straight. You're in the business of producing television shows, the success or failure of which is determined by the number of people watching those shows (i.e., ratings). And now you want me to stop watching your show and surf the Internet??? First, that seems self-defeating with regards to your chosen occupation. Second, if it was that important you should have put it in the show I'm watching. :eusa_doh: :rage: :frusty:

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm the same way. I'm also puzzled when a television show--any television show--includes a comment to the effect of, "For more content, go to www-dot-whateveritis-dot-com." Let me get this straight. You're in the business of producing television shows, the success or failure of which is determined by the number of people watching those shows (i.e., ratings). And now you want me to stop watching your show and surf the Internet??? First, that seems self-defeating with regards to your chosen occupation. Second, if it was that important you should have put it in the show I'm watching. :eusa_doh: :rage: :frusty:

Part of what I think is going on is fear. The old model - put out a TV show, have people watch it, have companies pay you to advertise during it, produce 100 episodes and sell them into syndication and, then, count all your money - is breaking down, fast and hard. Cable started the breakdown, but Netflix, Hulu, social media and a generation of kids who have no ingrained watching-TV-on-cable meme is smashing the old model to pieces. And no one really knows what the new model will look like, but everyone in the industry wants to be part of it, so they are trying everything.

Your point is spot on - why would any producer want to distract me away from their show when its on - and rational, but fear and change are causing irrational behavior where these producers are desperate not to be left behind so they want to be part of social media even if they don't know where it is going. Like Johnny Rocco in "Key Largo," they don't really know what they want, but they know they "want more." More social media - why? I don't know, but I want it.

 

[Touchofevil]

The Musketeers

 

[Zombie_61]

Part of what I think is going on is fear. The old model - put out a TV show, have people watch it, have companies pay you to advertise during it, produce 100 episodes and sell them into syndication and, then, count all your money - is breaking down, fast and hard. Cable started the breakdown, but Netflix, Hulu, social media and a generation of kids who have no ingrained watching-TV-on-cable meme is smashing the old model to pieces. And no one really knows what the new model will look like, but everyone in the industry wants to be part of it, so they are trying everything...

I'm not sure yet whether it's fear, or an attempt at "forward thinking" that makes them do this. The Internet seems to be consuming all forms of entertainment media these days, so they're probably thinking, "Television will soon become an extinct medium because everything is done through the Internet now, so let's make sure they know where our website is. That way, when the day comes that our shows can only be seen through the 'Net they'll know where to find them." [huh]

Sadly, in some cases this has even affected the people who produce DVDs. I'm a fan of the Showtime series Dexter, and I own the DVD box sets for the first four seasons (so far; I haven't picked up the last four season box sets yet). On each box there is a list of Bonus Features that are allegedly included. But the reality is that only some of the listed bonus features are actually on the disks; you need Internet access to watch the others. This raises two complaints from me. First, I've already placed the disk in my Blu-Ray player so I can watch the episodes and features on my big screen TV. Now I have to get up, walk across the room, remove the disk, walk across the room again, put the disk into my laptop, and watch certain bonus features on a much smaller screen? Second, and more importantly, I'm sure there will come a time when this content will no longer be hosted online, which means I will no longer have access to something I've paid good money for.
:suspicious:

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm not sure yet whether it's fear, or an attempt at "forward thinking" that makes them do this. The Internet seems to be consuming all forms of entertainment media these days, so they're probably thinking, "Television will soon become an extinct medium because everything is done through the Internet now, so let's make sure they know where our website is. That way, when the day comes that our shows can only be seen through the 'Net they'll know where to find them." [huh]

Sadly, in some cases this has even affected the people who produce DVDs. I'm a fan of the Showtime series Dexter, and I own the DVD box sets for the first four seasons (so far; I haven't picked up the last four season box sets yet). On each box there is a list of Bonus Features that are allegedly included. But the reality is that only some of the listed bonus features are actually on the disks; you need Internet access to watch the others. This raises two complaints from me. First, I've already placed the disk in my Blu-Ray player so I can watch the episodes and features on my big screen TV. Now I have to get up, walk across the room, remove the disk, walk across the room again, put the disk into my laptop, and watch certain bonus features on a much smaller screen? Second, and more importantly, I'm sure there will come a time when this content will no longer be hosted online, which means I will no longer have access to something I've paid good money for.
:suspicious:

I am, like you, very suspicious that all this on-line information I have access to today, that I'm told I'll always have access to, will be the case. We've seen this play out in the real world where I have Coach luggage that I bought twenty years ago that had an unlimited life-time warranty that is no longer honored because I don't have my receipt. When I bought the bags, the store's policy did not require a receipt, in practice, because the warranty applied to all Coach bags - the brand was smaller and they just took your bag and fixed it. Maybe some legal document somewhere said you needed a receipt, but for years it was never enforced or even discussed. Now, those same bags effectively no longer have a lifetime warranty.

I wonder about all these ebooks and iTunes songs that can be accessed on this or that devise. What happens if Apple falls one day and goes out of business (sounds crazy now, but bigger and mightier have fallen)? Or if the costs of storing all these things get too great for these companies and they have their super smart legal teams go through every single word to find a way to "reinterpret" this or that guarantee of access?