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Heckler

Just read that the Top Gear Live tour is going ahead with Clarkson... But is being rebranded to remove all references to the name Top Gear and the BBC.   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32137424

 

 

So at least the fans aren't going to suffer because of the BBC's decision.

 

 

I fully expect Sky to make an offer to all three... But I'd rather see Netflix give them a shot provided they don't try to 'Americanise' it and simply let them do what they do best, in that distinctive British way.

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jhevener

Haven't seen it mentioned here and it deserves one. Shameless (2011-) . Already in it's fifth season, this US comedy (based on the 2004 UK series of the same name) is a wild ride through lives of the totally dysfunctional family of terminal alcoholic Frank Gallagher (William Macy). The opening credits and theme song alone are so catchy that I never skip them even after little or no change since the pilot. If you want a wild ride though the craziest family dynamic you've ever seen then check this show out. My wife and I never watch an episode without laughing out loud several times this excellent show. One of my favorites and very highly recommended if you like to laugh!

 

 

Meet the fabulously dysfunctional Gallagher family. Dad's a drunk, Mom split long ago, eldest daughter Fiona tries to hold the family together. Eldest son Philip (Lip) trades his physics tutoring skills for sexual favors from neighborhood girls. Middle son Ian is gay. Youngest daughter Debbie is stealing money from her UNICEF collection. Ten-year-old Carl is a budding sociopath and an arsonist, and toddler Liam is - well, he might actually be black, but nobody has a clue how. Written by Showtime Publicity

 

My Rating: 9.4/10

IMDB: 8.7

RT Critics: 100%

RT Audience: 95%

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jluce50

Yep, Shameless is great. It makes me laugh and cringe in equal measure. It's like watching a trainwreck in slow motion.

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jhevener

Yep, Shameless is great. It makes me laugh and cringe in equal measure. It's like watching a trainwreck in slow motion.

 

@@jluce50, agreed. I love the pace of the show though, never, ever a dull moment. The writing and acting is fantastic and even though I find myself a bit depressed with the ironic parallels to real life I find myself fascinated to discover how much outrageous their lives can become. Macy does such a great job that I forget he's acting and I can't help but keep getting floored by how much of a dirt bag he is (plays). Sad thing is, there are plenty of people like Frank.

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Frank is hilarious when he's out manipulating everyone for drinking money, although not when he's lying in bed sick doing nothing. 

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jhevener

Frank is hilarious when he's out manipulating everyone for drinking money, although not when he's lying in bed sick doing nothing. 

 

Yeah agreed but once he gets a certain new body part he's out scamming again with renewed vigor. Joan Cusack also has a great role on the show in the first four seasons and had a nomination for every one. No awards though. William Macy (Frank) got beat out by Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory for the best actor in a comedy series for Emmys 2014.

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dark_slayer

In the third episode of Black Sails and have to ask, does this series pick up at all? It's very flat and disappointing for me right now

 

Music/Audio - great

Plot - thin

Acting - nothing stands out as horrendous

Video - tons of junky camera shake going on

 

The camera shake, good grief. It feels like an accident half the time, like they couldn't afford tripods. They also have an overly annoying habit of always switching between actor to actor full-face shots in a lot of conversations rather than sitting back and showing the whole conversation from a third person vantage point (as if they didn't have enough money to build out sets, or they just weren't happy with the quality and didn't want to give some sets any screen time)

 

I mean, the nudity is great and all like most Starz original series, but I could just check that stuff on the celebrity movie archive or mr skin. Right now the annoying errors in cinematography and slight underwelmingness of acting could be ignored, but it just feels like a series that has started nowhere and is going further nowhere

 

Checked imdb and see that the direction is hodge-podge. Not sure what to expect for the remainder of the series, but my sister and my father in law love pirate stuff so at least someone will enjoy it if I don't

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jhevener

In the third episode of Black Sails and have to ask, does this series pick up at all? It's very flat and disappointing for me right now

 

Music/Audio - great

Plot - thin

Acting - nothing stands out as horrendous

Video - tons of junky camera shake going on

 

The camera shake, good grief. It feels like an accident half the time, like they couldn't afford tripods. They also have an overly annoying habit of always switching between actor to actor full-face shots in a lot of conversations rather than sitting back and showing the whole conversation from a third person vantage point (as if they didn't have enough money to build out sets, or they just weren't happy with the quality and didn't want to give some sets any screen time)

 

I mean, the nudity is great and all like most Starz original series, but I could just check that stuff on the celebrity movie archive or mr skin. Right now the annoying errors in cinematography and slight underwelmingness of acting could be ignored, but it just feels like a series that has started nowhere and is going further nowhere

 

Checked imdb and see that the direction is hodge-podge. Not sure what to expect for the remainder of the series, but my sister and my father in law love pirate stuff so at least someone will enjoy it if I don't

 

It gets better. I remember the same impression and to be honest, I never have really been had any of the cast members become a favorite but the show does start to take form and there is a storyline that develops. The sex and action get better too. Just don't expect to invest yourself in any of the characters because they never really concentrate on any of them for any real length of time except for the captain. Hey, they are dirty, scumbag, pirates after all. It's mainly all about action, intrigue and betrayal.

 

As for the camera work, you can thank 24 and Friday Night Lights for that.

Edited by jhevener
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xnappo

Watched the first episode of 'Shameless' last night.  It was good, but does it get funnier?

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Watched the first episode of 'Shameless' last night.  It was good, but does it get funnier?

 

The first few seasons are quite good but it got too depressing for me last season and I kinda quit watching it.

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ScottIsAFool

So at least the fans aren't going to suffer because of the BBC's decision.

No, not "the BBC's decision." That should read because of "Clarkson's own foolishness!" Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of him, but you can't do what he did. The BBC didn't really have any choice. Make no mistake, all of this is Clarkson's fault, not the BBC's.

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ScottIsAFool

One show I kept meaning to get started with, and did at the weekend, was Better Call Saul. Like Breaking Bad, it's a slow burner, but is slowly sinking its claws into me and getting me hooked.

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Macburp

One show I kept meaning to get started with, and did at the weekend, was Better Call Saul. Like Breaking Bad, it's a slow burner, but is slowly sinking its claws into me and getting me hooked.

 

The season finale of BCS is next week, and the second season is already green-lit. I think it's better to binge watch this show, as I've found the episodes to be either so good I can't wait for next week, or so slow as to be filler. Also I look at the main character and I think of him as Saul, not honest Jimmy McGill - so the shady things he tries and fails to resist seem a bit too inevitable. 

 

All in all, a worthy sister show to Breaking Bad.

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ScottIsAFool

Yeah, I have been binge watching it :) although still got 3 episodes left before I'm caught up. They had faith with the show early on, second season was green lit long before the first even aired :)

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Latchmor

One show I kept meaning to get started with, and did at the weekend, was Better Call Saul. Like Breaking Bad, it's a slow burner, but is slowly sinking its claws into me and getting me hooked.

 

Me too! Think I'm on ep 8 and will watch the rest at the weekend.

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I only watched the first two and then am waiting for it to end so I can watch the rest as fast as I want.  Its killing my son though who has kept up with it and can't talk to me about it :).

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jhevener

Watched the first episode of 'Shameless' last night.  It was good, but does it get funnier?

 

Yes, but it takes some time to develop the characters. There is a wide range of emotions that the show evokes but though it all I've found it to be funny and many times side-splitting hilarious. I could rattle off dozens of completely outrageous little scenes that happen but wouldn't want to spoil any of the fun of watching it for those tidbits.

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jhevener

One show I kept meaning to get started with, and did at the weekend, was Better Call Saul. Like Breaking Bad, it's a slow burner, but is slowly sinking its claws into me and getting me hooked.

 

The show doesn't really hit it's stride until Saul gets involved with Mike. Once Mike gets more into the plot, the show starts to get more like what we've been used to from Vince Gilligan. It's still no Breaking Bad by any means IMHO.

 

Sorry for the multiple posts folks, I need to learn how to use the multiquote button. :huh:

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jhevener

From Dusk Till Dawn (2014– )

 

My Rating: 7.4

IMDB Rating: 7.0

RT Rating: 69%

 

I found the first season to grow on me even though I didn't really expect much to begin with. Not a real big fan of Rodriguez but I love Tarantino and luckily he's involded in the show along with him. It's been renewed for another season so that's a good sign. All in all I'm looking forward to it, especially because they are adding Danny Trejo as the Regulator.

 

Heres a quote from a reviewer on IMDB because it sums up my take on the show perfectly.

 

Well re-imagined by the creator
21 May 2014 | by pontram (Austria) – See all my reviews

First to say, I didn't like the 1996 movie very much, when it came out, for several reasons. The Grindhouse culture wasn't something I learned to love or hate where I grew up, it simply wasn't present. Now, about 18 years later, I gave it another try because of this new show, and I liked it a bit more, but felt that it has aged a lot since.

The new show, created by Roberto Rodriguez himself, is for me a big improvement of the original movie, in many ways.

First, Richie's character is much deeper than before, although Zane Holtz plays the psychopath in the first few episodes very convincingly, so I did mistakenly think it is going to be a rehash of the cool brother vs. mad brother relationship, which couldn't be farther from what it actually is in this new show. Luckily.

Second, the atmosphere is thicker because there is more foreplay near and behind the Mexican border (until dusk).

Third, the Vamps have much more background than before. They do their feasting, but it's not that simple. It's a ritual, and the arrival of the Gecko brothers isn't by accident but planned long beforehand. To add/resize the Carlos character was a very good and well elaborated idea.

And fourth, it's not a Rodriguez/Tarantino Grindhouse parody. That may be disappointing for lovers of that genre, but this show takes its time to develop the story, and it takes itself seemingly serious. When people or monsters die, there's very little to laugh about.

It seems like the story has been grown up with its creator. Of course it is still over-the-top horror-fantasy, and some of the old things are still there, but it feels much more grounded to earth and true-to-life thanks to the less flippant undertone. I would say it has got some shadows of Sin City, in a positive way.

Production values, from a TV perspective, are high, directing is solid, and acting is mostly very good. Of course, Don Johnson is a highlight (although I didn't recognize him instantly), but also is Robert Patrick. Zane Holtz is here my best actor, although he loses a bit of intensity near to the end of the show, which is owed to the story. Same goes to Jesse Garcia. Weakest performance is from Eliza Gonzalez, but I will not recall S. Hayek for comparison of acting - it's a charisma thing.

Of course there are some setbacks. While the show noticeably builds a distance to the movie, it tries to keep story-wise some unnecessary strings tight, while strangely most of the weird humor (like Sheriff McGraw's time counting in the Pilot, a wonderful little sequence) gets lost over the time. The Pyramid under the bar as a maze does not really feel big inside, that is a missed occasion. The ending itself is a bit weak, because it is not to far from what we've already seen, but there is not a real climax before, what I would expect. It's a bit like the scriptwriters lost their faith in their own imagination, to save it for the second season.

For that, I give a solid seven.

 

Anybody else watch this?

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jhevener

Louie (2010– )

 

My Rating: 8.5
IMDB Rating: 8.7
TV.com Rating: 8.8


I'm a huge fan of Louis CK. I love his self-deprecating style of humour and the way he says things that many of us think and never would say or else shit you would never, ever think of doing or saying, but that makes you laugh your ass off. His brutally honest take on life is showcased in this series with a mixture of his stand-up comedy and his role playing a 40s something divorced dad of 2 young girls trying to make sense of life. 4 seasons strong and all set for season 5 in May. He is truly one of today's greatest comedians IMHO and this is another show to make you just laugh and laugh outloud. Check out his stuff on DVD or youtube for some more of his stand-up.

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thefirstofthe300

Just watched the first two episodes of 12 Monkeys and I have to say that the entire concept is rather mind-bending...in a good way. Dealing with the whole concept of time travel is really quite difficult because of how many things are interconnected but I will say that they have done a good job with keeping small details together

such as the watch

.

 

I definitely can see this going on for several seasons but like all shows where the storyline hinges on one plot point, I doubt it will be able to go for more than two or three seasons without losing steam.

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jhevener

Just watched the first two episodes of 12 Monkeys and I have to say that the entire concept is rather mind-bending...in a good way. Dealing with the whole concept of time travel is really quite difficult because of how many things are interconnected but I will say that they have done a good job with keeping small details together

such as the watch

.

 

I definitely can see this going on for several seasons but like all shows where the storyline hinges on one plot point, I doubt it will be able to go for more than two or three seasons without losing steam.

 

I've watched all episodes up to current and I think you are right on that point. Can't see it lasting for long. That being said, I have enjoyed it enough to watch the whole thing and except for the show's propensity for jumping around in time too fast and frequently it's been a step above most SyFy productions IMHO (but that ain't sayin' much). There are enough twists and turns to keep my interest even if the casting and acting leaves a bit to desire along with the production value.

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fantaxp7

Would be nice to have some sort of statistics here from what people watch, review, recommend, etc. I'd like to see what everyone is thinking about what shows but not skim through all the pages.

 

Edit: Maybe that's what Trakt is all about now that I think about it  :)

Edited by fantaxp7
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