What TV Shows Are You Watching?

[jwaggs]

Anyone seen the Danish series Forbrydelsen?

[stonemonkts]

Jeff - I started watching it on youtube (someone posted complete episodes). If you haven't seen the American version, it is a treat, albeit dark, in more ways than one. The US version is an exact replica almost note for note. Being a fan of most things Danish, I would recommend it, but if you have already seen the US version, you may feel a bit too much deja vu.

[Monte Smith]

I binged on The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, an Anglo-American comedy for IFC starring David Cross. Initially I wasn't impressed, but eventually the unremitting bad taste won me over.

[stonemonkts]

I enjoy David Cross' brand of asshole humor.

[walto]

Some of my fam have been watching "Breaking Amish" and "Storage Wars." I find those shows enjoyable in small doses. So many weird sub-cultures in this world.

[sozamora]

Spring is the time for good cable shows to come back, it seems. Last week Game of Thrones and Veep, this week Mad Men, and the week after that Orphan Black. Also, Louie pretty soon.

Thanks to Amazon Prime, I've been catching up on The Americans (s1) and Justified (s1). I like Justified, but I'm really loving The Americans. I hear Justified really comes together in subsequent seasons.

I've also been digging the hell out of the animated show Rick and Morty on Adult Swim. It's co-created by Community's Dan Harmon. Not only is it funny as hell, but it's incredibly inventive. Insane but with a lot of heart in its own twisted way.

[Chazro]

A lot of new TV shows premiering last night. And yet what I watched was kinda giving me a same ol', same ol' feeling. Veep, Nurse Jackie, and Mad Men all seemed to be treading water. I actually nodded out during Mad Men. I automatically tune out whenever that girl playing Don Draper's new wife shows up, she's such a sub-par actress compared to the rest of the troupe, feels like she sucks the life out of any scene she's in. So I fell asleep and may have missed something but what I did see didn't impress. The best scene was watching Draper in front of a mirror while the Spencer Davis group's (Stevie Winwood) blastin' 'I'm A Man'. I missed The Good Wife, I actually stopped watching this show a few seasons ago but one of the leads dying has gotten my interest for the last few episodes. I also wanted to watch the docu-series 'Years Of Living Dangerously', thank god for on-demand! The one and only show that totally delivered the goods last night was 'Game Of Thrones'. Even though I've read the entire series and have known what's going to happen way in advance it's still must-see TV!! Truly outstanding!

[Chazro]

Orphan Black season 2 premiered on Sat. Man was it good! Anybody not watching needs to find out what all the fuss is about. But do yourself a favor and start at the beginning (On demand allows you to watch season 1). Besides being a great show, there'll probably be acting classes in the future about the work Tatiana Maslany's doing now. For a rookie she's got mad chops! Orphan Black is made for binge-watching!!

[Jazzooo]

Chaz--Season 6 of Mad Men is uneven, but I have to say that now that I got through it I feel like they went some interesting places and finished the season well. Worth it, if you're a fan.

[pig pen]

We just finished watching season one of the Americans. Thoroughly enjoyed it, surprisingly well cast since I never would have guessed that Felicity could be so badass. We then watched the first season of The Tudors, a well-done CBC production.

[sozamora]

Orphan Black season 2 premiered on Sat. Man was it good! Anybody not watching needs to find out what all the fuss is about. But do yourself a favor and start at the beginning (On demand allows you to watch season 1). Besides being a great show, there'll probably be acting classes in the future about the work Tatiana Maslany's doing now. For a rookie she's got mad chops! Orphan Black is made for binge-watching!!

I think those of use who have seen OB sound a little cultish when we go on about how amazing Maslany is, but she really is that amazing.

I thought season 1 was a really good, fast paced, well structured thriller. If episode 1 of this season is any indication, it got even better. And Tatiana is still amazing.

[sozamora]

We just finished watching season one of the Americans. Thoroughly enjoyed it, surprisingly well cast since I never would have guessed that Felicity could be so badass. We then watched the first season of The Tudors, a well-done CBC production.

I finished season one recently as well. I loved it. These kinds of shows usually take a while to get on their feet and work out the kinks, but this one was really good from the start. Keri Russel was cute in Felicity, but she's downright sexy now.

[Chazro]

Chaz--Season 6 of Mad Men is uneven, but I have to say that now that I got through it I feel like they went some interesting places and finished the season well. Worth it, if you're a fan.

I caught the latest episode and I was bored. I think it's just the latest example of a show that's hung out just a bit too long. Some leave too soon (Deadwood), some leave on top (Breaking Bad), and some run out of story to tell (The Sopranos). It remains to be seen if Mad Men can get its mojo back.

[walto]

I (finally) watched the first four episodes of Breaking Bad. Very gripping, beautifully scripted stuff. I don't like Cranston, though.

[Jazzooo]

Cranston might grow on you--that's what happened to me.

I just devoured the first season of Orphan Black. What a great show, great premise and an amazing actor in the lead. Wow. A couple of moments seemed a little too 'tv' to me, but other than that--excellent pacing. Sci fi, I suppose, but I don't really think of it like that.

[walto]

He's a naturally frenetic guy, so, like Robin Williams, when he has to play subdued he does that largely by making weird faces and taking on a very strange affect. Anyhow, I've found him pretty distracting so far. (Just to give one example, it's hard to understand why he was an apparently normal guy when he was a research scientist but became so odd/affected once he became a science teacher and family man--I hope I'm not half that weird when I start teaching again this fall.) It doesn't matter, though: the show is great.

[jwaggs]

He's a naturally frenetic guy, so, like Robin Williams, when he has to play subdued he does that largely by making weird faces and taking on a very strange affect. Anyhow, I've found him pretty distracting so far. (Just to give one example, it's hard to understand why he was an apparently normal guy when he was a research scientist but became so odd/affected once he became a science teacher and family man--I hope I'm not half that weird when I start teaching again this fall.) It doesn't matter, though: the show is great.

Naturally frenetic? How do you know that? Former co-worker of yours? Family member? College roommate?

[walto]

I base it on his apparent comfort when he's doing "over the top". I don't know Robin Williams personally either, actually.

But it doesn't matter if I'm right in my speculation. The important thing is that when Cranston tries to do subdued, he's pretty bad, and makes a bunch of weird faces.

[Chazro]

So any you guys watching 'Fargo'? Done by the Coen bros., same guys that did the excellent movie. Starring Billy Bob Thorton, Kieth Carradine, Oliver Platt, and Colin Hanks, amongst others. Got the same dark, quirky, raw, comedic beats as the movie. I enjoy dark, so I'm all in!! Freakiest thing about the show is that at the beginning of each episode they make the claim that it's based on a TRUE story. If so, Fargo is one crazy-ass place! Good stuff!

Another show I just caught is the premiere On Demand of Shotime's latest 'Penny Dreadful'. Gothic horror done right! Starring Timothy Dalton and Josh Harnett. Not the typical made-for-teens garbage, this show's got game! Very high production value, good writing, good acting, and great sets! Deliciously creepy!;)

[walto]

Been watching this anime series with my daughter on Crackle. Very nice performances of a bunch of classical warhorses. Also includes a German conductor who's a complete lech.

Nodame kantâbire (2006– )
TV Series - 47 min - Comedy | Drama | Romance
8.4

Ratings: 8.4/10 from 860 users
Reviews: 4 user | 1 critic

Two musicians united in talent, divided by nature - the upper-class perfectionist Chiaki and the sloppy middle-classer Nodame - fall in love.

[LennyH]

Been watching this anime series with my daughter on Crackle. Very nice performances of a bunch of classical warhorses. Also includes a German conductor who's a complete lech.

Sounds interesting, walto. I've never checked out any anime, films or otherwise. I've been thinking of having a look.

[walto]

This one's probably not typical. For one thing, my daughter, who draws a bit, says the artwork isn't particularly good. And while it's over-the-top--it's not as over-the-top as a lot of the other ones. (I don't think Crackle puts on the best series around, generally.) But Nodame takes place at a music conservatory in Japan, and the performances of Beethoven, Brahms, etc. are very nice. And it does have the ridiculous voice characterizations, the sweat droplets, the weird outbursts, etc. found in all the other anime series I've watched with her (3, I think). The script is a bit more adult than those, but I'm sure there's better stuff around: might be worth asking somebody who knows the genre what the classics are.

[Monte Smith]

Game of Thrones sucks.

[walto]

So any you guys watching 'Fargo'?

I've heard it's great, Chaz. I hope to get to it at some point.

[drumsolo]

The Americans. Season 1 was great. I'm a little bit let down by the second so far but it's still good.

Fargo. Being a Minnesotan, I'm insulted by the over-the-top accents but it's quickly jumped to the top of the heap for me. Pretty close to genius in my eyes. Btw, I believe the original movie said it was "true" too and it isn't, so it's just a continuation of that. I guess it's to mess with your mind.

The lead actress, Lester and Salvo played by Billy Bob Thornton are particular stand-outs and Bob Odenkirk is on the show too playing the most useless Sheriff ever. Must-see though it may not be for everybody.