What was the last TV show you watched?

[Stearmen]

Adam Ruins Every thing. Not bad! Sad to find out, donating canned food is one of the worst ways to give!

 

[Stearmen]

Wheeler Dealer! Even Edd China couldn't make a silk purse out of an AMC Pacer! [video=youtube;ZlPE4NiPCn8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlPE4NiPCn8[/video]

 

[AmateisGal]

The Blacklist. Wow. Excellent episode. I'm looking forward to the season!

 

[Fading Fast]

Just got a chance yesterday to see PBS Masterpiece's "Indian Summers." Set in India in '32 - the British still rule, but resistance is growing. The first episode sets up several soap-opera like story lines in the ruling British class - affairs, failed marriages, drunken behavior, power and political intrigue, etc. and the Indian population - family strife, caste system prejudices, desire by many to resist the British versus those who have found a decent place in British-ruled India, etc.

A fantastic moment in history -Empire waining / resistance growing - to set a story. While it feels a bit soap opera like (isn't "Downton Abbey," basically, one too), it is so beautifully filmed - the architecture alone will be worth a second viewing, to say nothing of the clothes, cars and other period details - that for now I'd watch it just for the visual, but again, the time period and story are all promising based on the first episode.

Has anyone else seen it yet?

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Just got a chance yesterday to see PBS Masterpiece's "Indian Summers." Set in India in '32 - the British still rule, but resistance is growing. The first episode sets up several soap-opera like story lines in the ruling British class - affairs, failed marriages, drunken behavior, power and political intrigue, etc. and the Indian population - family strife, caste system prejudices, desire by many to resist the British versus those who have found a decent place in British-ruled India, etc.

A fantastic moment in history -Empire waining / resistance growing - to set a story. While it feels a bit soap opera like (isn't "Downton Abbey," basically, one too), it is so beautifully filmed - the architecture alone will be worth a second viewing, to say nothing of the clothes, cars and other period details - that for now I'd watch it just for the visual, but again, the time period and story are all promising based on the first episode.

Has anyone else seen it yet?

I'd argue that any good-quality story has elements of what we consider the soap opera. It's on my docket to watch.

 

[MisterCairo]

Caught up on "Longmire" -- the Netflix season.

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pumped about Longmire coming back! I'm at sea, it's number one on my binge plan coming home in January, even before the first half of Walking Dead!

A&E is killing me with their decisions - "Hey, let's cancel The Glades on a cliff hanger!" "Hey, let's cancel Longmire on a cliffhanger!"

Not that The Glades was on par with Walt and the gang, but still...

 

[Fading Fast]

I'd argue that any good-quality story has elements of what we consider the soap opera. It's on my docket to watch.

I'm looking forward to your review. And, I agree, soap opera is part of the human condition. I'm enjoying the story lines in "Indian Summers" so far, but didn't want to mislead anyone into thinking it was mainly historical drama - all about governing and resistance. It's got those elements, but it also has the basic, gossipy soap opera stuff in it as well. It's also about balance: If you can keep the historical details as the construct / the back-bone and don't go too silly soap opera then, as you said, to reflect a good story and life as it is lived, it becomes part soap opera.

 

[Touchofevil]

A few episodes of Seinfeld and Thursday Night Football

 

[Stearmen]

Wheeler Dealer. finally, a car, Edd almost fits in, a Datsun 240Z, (or Zed, for those of you that speak English!)

 

[Zombie_61]

The Blacklist. Wow. Excellent episode. I'm looking forward to the season!

I thought it was one of the best episodes of the series so far. I'm hoping they'll be able to maintain that level of quality.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Indian Summers episode 1.

I liked it. Another beautifully shot program (a crutch and a substitute these days for good writing). I couldn't tell if I felt the story was a little loose or if it was the makers being arty. Another program that gives me the illusion of substance, but because the technical side is so well done (except for the audio), it only becomes unsatisfying after the fact. I'm a broken record. I expect more out of the writing, especially the dialogue, and I don't think they deliver. So, as usual IMO, beautiful photography and scenes, maybe average writing, and poor audio (what did they just say?). I can see it being a great series. It doesn't hurt that I have some interest in India and that part of British Empire history.

 

[Fading Fast]

Indian Summers episode 1.

I liked it. Another beautifully shot program (a crutch and a substitute these days for good writing). I couldn't tell if I felt the story was a little loose or if it was the makers being arty. Another program that gives me the illusion of substance, but because the technical side is so well done (except for the audio), it only becomes unsatisfying after the fact. I'm a broken record. I expect more out of the writing, especially the dialogue, and I don't think they deliver. So, as usual IMO, beautiful photography and scenes, maybe average writing, and poor audio (what did they just say?). I can see it being a great series. It doesn't hurt that I have some interest in India and that part of British Empire history.

You said it better than I did, but I think you made the point I was trying to make about it being beautiful - period details, sets, locations, etc. - but the story being basic soap opera.

As to the sound - I've been so frustrated with how hard it is to hear some dialogue on many shows that I did some homework and it seems that TV shows are being "recorded" in a way that is meant to be played back on "enhanced audio systems." Meaning, if you - like I do right now - use just your TV's speaker, then you are not hearing the show the way it was intended. It seems they are recorded to play back on "home theaters" systems and, if you don't do that, at least one should use a "sound bar" to help separate out the dialogue from background (which is the problem in the first place). I'm doing a bit more homework, but am probably going to buy a Sonos "system" as it is reasonably priced, wireless, not obnoxious in size, but will dramatically improve the sound - dialogue separation. I have resisted this forever, but I think "they" are going to win as I want to hear the dialogue without having to jack the volume way up.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Great UFC prelim fights tonight.

 

[DNO]

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pumped about Longmire coming back! I'm at sea, it's number one on my binge plan coming home in January, even before the first half of Walking Dead!

A&E is killing me with their decisions - "Hey, let's cancel The Glades on a cliff hanger!" "Hey, let's cancel Longmire on a cliffhanger!"

Not that The Glades was on par with Walt and the gang, but still...

I'm with you on Longmire...been watching it from the beginning. It won me over the moment they played Steve Earle's Transcendental Blues over the opening credits in episode 1! The new season's on netflix, which I don't get, so I'll have to wait for it to trickle down to one of the stations us mere peasants can get....APTN perhaps.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

As to the sound - I've been so frustrated with how hard it is to hear some dialogue on many shows that I did some homework and it seems that TV shows are being "recorded" in a way that is meant to be played back on "enhanced audio systems." Meaning, if you - like I do right now - use just your TV's speaker, then you are not hearing the show the way it was intended. It seems they are recorded to play back on "home theaters" systems and, if you don't do that, at least one should use a "sound bar" to help separate out the dialogue from background (which is the problem in the first place). I'm doing a bit more homework, but am probably going to buy a Sonos "system" as it is reasonably priced, wireless, not obnoxious in size, but will dramatically improve the sound - dialogue separation. I have resisted this forever, but I think "they" are going to win as I want to hear the dialogue without having to jack the volume way up.

That makes sense, but I never put the 2 and 2 together. I find it entirely whacked that movies and TV are designing their sound for advanced audio systems, while the music industry is designing their sound for the lowest common denominators and with technology that is fifteen years old (MP3), which is like 75 years in the computer world. How does this make sense at all?!

 

[DanielJones]

Doctor Who - Vincent & The Doctor.
Something about that episode just hits me deep every time I watch it.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

San Francisco 2.0 doc on HBO. Lived in the area. Loved it. Hate what has happened to it. The doc lacked oomph. I'm invested, and it didn't make me feel anymore urgency or woe.

 

[Touchofevil]

Great UFC prelim fights tonight.

Missed it, but did catch that front flip (Webster Flip) by Sage Northcutt after his victory; pretty awesome!

 

[Touchofevil]

Some early Sunday morning NFL: Jets vs. Dolphins from London.

 

[belfastboy]

Finished watching season 3 of "Ray Donovan". The acting is uniformly great, Liv Schreiber and Jon Voight are superb. The writing and plot line is cringe worthy in spots but overall pretty good TV