Totally forgot about Band of Brothers. I had never watched it until recently. Great series and kind of funny seeing some future "stars" in bit roles.
The official COVID 19 no sports on tv binge watching thread
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Totally forgot about Band of Brothers. I had never watched it until recently. Great series and kind of funny seeing some future "stars" in bit roles.
Good ones here, I think we are similar in our viewing.
I absolutely loved The Boys. If you don't like superhero movies you will like this one and if you like superhero movies you will like it too.
my top 7 all time list - no particular order
Vikings
Deadwood
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Sopranos
Bates Motel
Fargo
I like 'em bloody
Your top four are on point. I also enjoyed Fargo. Here are a few more that I have enjoyed watching over the years.
Suits
Billions
The Blacklist
Ray Donovan
Schitts Creek
Southland
The Americans
The Last Kingdom
Doc Martin
If you have Prime for purchasing, you have Prime for viewing. Prime has ridiculously good content. They are my go-to for documentaries. I also use Prime as the portal to access Epix which is MGM's premium channel.
Goliath with Billy Bob Thornton is excellent. I'm not a comedy guy but Red Oaks brings back some memories. I enjoyed the first two seasons of Man in The High Castle then it kind of fell Catatstrophe is at times laugh out loud funny. Wives will like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - not quite my thing but a good watch to appease the wife.
Apple TV is improving - Morning News with Jennifer Aniston, Reece Witherspoon and Steve Carrell is well written and intense. Their quality is on the same level as HBO/Showtime series.
Hulu has Handmaid's Tale. 11.22.63 is great -James Franco time travels back to the days leading up to JFK's assassination. Hulu Original are picking up pace.
Most of the HBO and Showtime series have been mentioned. One other worth checking out is The Deuce with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco about the porn industry in NYC during the 70's and 80's. Really well done - obviously lots of nudity. Billions is the best show on Showtime.
ESPN+ has all the 30 for 30's and some additional content - the one on Bobby Knight's downfall is pretty jarring.
For $5 per month, one can access the PBS library of shows - American Experience is as good as it gets though I wish they had more episodes available.
I said I watched a lot of TV. Those are just the highlights.
Get Shorty with Ray Romano and a host of others is great - First couple seasons available on Netflix then newer season is on Epix.
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High Castle was another fine series based on a book. This one by a quirky Sci-fi writer, Philip K Dick. He also wrote the book that they made into the movie “Blade Runner”(which really grew on me after re-watching it a couple of times).
As someone else said, High Castle was overall really good. But I also felt the last season, or the “finish”, didn’t quite match up.
Prime really does have some quality programming.
I’d really rather read than watch TV as a rule, though I watch too much TV anyway.
But a whole different thread could be made about books to read. I grew up a sci-fi fan but read more history, historical fiction, detective/crime fiction, thrillers, a bit of fantasy, etc, these days.
For those of you who liked The Game of Thrones, there’s a series of historical fiction, very accurately based on the Wars of the Roses, by Conn Iggulden. No dragons, lol. But Wars of the Roses were the REAL THING and could have inspired much of the “house vs house” conflict and shifting loyalties that G.O.T. used as its basis.
The same author has written series about the rise of the Mongol empire and Rome. Very readable and very accurate historically. LOTS of “action” too....
There are just too many fine authors, books, series to really list.
Can’t let it go without saying that the finest series of books I have ever read are the “Aubrey/Maturin series” by Patrick O’Brian centered around a British frigate captain in the Napoleonic era. Really fine character study, full of action, humor, history and more. Somewhat based on a real character, Lord Johnny Cochran who was a frigate captain with a remarkable record of success. You have to wade through quite a bit of nautical jargon. But it’s the finest writing, especially over a long series, that I have ever come across.
Is that the Master and Commander series? With Russell Crowe was the captain in the movie?
Yeah. Master and Commander was a movie loosely made by combining two of the novels in the series. It took aspects of “Master and Commander” and “Desolation Island” from the 24 book (or so) series.
There’s an old cliche about the “book is always better than the movie”. IDK if that cliche is 100% true? I think it is usually. Some of it may depend on whether one reads the book first, or watches the movie first? I think we all kinda set our expectations somewhat accordingly?
In this particular case, I think the books are truly fine literature and the movie was mostly forgettable. And I generally like Russell Crowe a lot.
One of the problems with long series of books is that most authors aren’t good enough to pull that off. They become repetitive and cliched. The author writes for the paycheck and not for the quality. It takes a really talented writer to be able to pull off a long series. Patrick O’Brian was one of those gifted authors.
Another author to look for is James Ellroy. His writing isn’t for everyone. Some of his stuff is super-stylilzed. Most of it is dark and gritty. He is an interesting character himself. His home life and upbringing was bizzaro. His mom was a “good time girl” who ended up getting murdered in the LA area in much the same manner as the “Black Dahlia”. His dad was a sketchy father, hard drinker who didn’t do a lot of “parenting” on young Ellroy.
Ellroy ultimately became a street kid, running loose in LA/Hollywood. He has said he was saved by getting thrown in LA county jail at one point and getting his life turned around. He wrote an excellent autobiography on all that called, “My Dark Places”.
Most of his novels center around LA in the 40’s and beyond. Maybe some a bit earlier, some into the 60’s. A few have been made into movies. “LA Confidential” is probably the biggest film based on one of his books. But there have been others. The Black Dahlia is a true story and Elliot wrote an interesting novelized take on that case. As I said, his mom was killed in much the same way.
He tells the “inside story” of LA in that era. He knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak. Some of his other stuff moves into the realm of Vega$ and even the Kennedy assassination. Some are really, really stylized, all are dark and gritty. A certain amount of it is fact thinly veiled as fiction, at least the background stuff.
He’s known as one of the best American authors of recent times. But I usually feel like I need a shower after reading one of his novels, just to clean off the “grit and grime”.
A few other authors with “multiples” who are very much worth reading - Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and Bernard Cornwell.
Connelly and Crais are both fine writers, mostly police/detective/law stuff. Cornwell is another super-interesting guy who writes mostly historical fiction - Saxon stories series (made into Netflix/BBC “The Last Kingdom”), Richard Sharpe series (British rifleman stretching from the British Raj in India, up through Waterloo and beyond) , even a few books about our Revolutionary War from a bit of a Brit perspective, and some standalone books about the 100 years war, Grail quest, etc. Very fine writer!
Gawd...I could ramble on forever about this stuff. So many authors, so many books. And some damn fine Netflix/Amazon Prime/HBO/etc series, too. I love sports, especially my COUGS. But there’s never a reason to get bored in this life, when sports takes a break.......too much REAL LIFE to live, as well.
Speaking of not mentioned (unless I missed it) Shameless on Netflix/Showtime. Truly trash but if you enjoy watching car accidents it’s an entertaining watch.
Thanks, Wasi. I think I've read almost everything Cornwell has written. I like the period fiction, and if you like military fiction, IMHO he is the best for that era. Ellroy is good, and stands out in a crowded field of LA police genre' novels, though there are several good authors there. I also really enjoy Sue Grafton, though I've read most of her stuff already, also. Her Santa Barbera based novels (though she calls it Santa Teresa) are enjoyable, and the fact that I somewhat know that area amplifies the enjoyment. I've used her books as a hook to get many people (not just females) interested in modern detective fiction.
It's an amazing show. So totally white trash - but underlying some pretty good messages on loyalty, family, friends, etc.
And the nudity is top shelf. Not gonna lie about that. Primo.
Narcos with Escobar on it: amazing TV. The actor who played Escobar was amazing and the story was interesting. Narcos (and Narcos Mexico) without Escobar ... hard to care.
Season 1 of Goliath was awesome. Season 2 was one of the most awful piles of garbage I've tried to sit through in a long time. Haven't tested Season 3 yet due to the still-emanating stench of Season 2.
Could never get into Man in the High Castle. The acting and other aspects of the show felt fake / stilted and overproduced, among other issues. Usually seemed like they were just trying to show as many swastikas in NY and rising suns in SF as they could for shock value instead of trying to tell a good story or encourage good acting that wasn't like a live theater production.
Season 3 was pretty solid. Dennis Quaid and Beau Bridges added some character depth. Some stupid parts but mostly a pretty good plot. I like the Billy Bob Thornton character quite a bit. I would say Season 3 falls somewhere between Season 1 which was excellent and Season 2 which was m'eh.
I just realized that we have 60 posts on here without anyone mentioning Westworld, which makes HBO very, very sad. I thought the premise of the show (recycled obviously) was going to make for great TV and the late parts of the first episode were great. I enjoyed the first season overall even though the show was always a little too proud of itself and focused too much on being clever instead of good. Great moments and if you haven't heard "Paint it Black" as a western theme song....you haven't lived.
The second season was a hot mess overall but there were still a few really solid episodes. Kiksuya is a powerful episode that resonated with me. The episode where old man Delos is revealed to be a "host" as they try to perfect immortality was terrific. The finale was just dumb. It's a series worth watching, but I hope that there were lessons learned and applied to Season 3 that started last night. I was disappointed enough with season 2 of the show that I'm going to wait until late April to start up an HBO Now subscription so I can catch up and watch the series in one month and not "waste" money on a second month.
The second season was a hot mess overall but there were still a few really solid episodes. Kiksuya is a powerful episode that resonated with me. The episode where old man Delos is revealed to be a "host" as they try to perfect immortality was terrific. The finale was just dumb. It's a series worth watching, but I hope that there were lessons learned and applied to Season 3 that started last night. I was disappointed enough with season 2 of the show that I'm going to wait until late April to start up an HBO Now subscription so I can catch up and watch the series in one month and not "waste" money on a second month.
Justified is quite easily one of my top five shows of all time. I don’t recall the first two episodes but the characters of Raylen Givens and Boyd Crowder are hall of famers. The writing is ridiculously good. So many good lines.
Stick with it.
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Good writing is at the heart of any project, be it a book, TV program, or movie and Elmore Leonard was the writer, creator and consultant on Justified. He was one of our finest mystery writers and before that one of the best western writers of all time. If you haven't read his westerns you are in for a marvelous treat.
Honestly.....the entire first season of Justified isn't all that great. Season two is where the series really starts to find it's groove. Season one is necessary to set up the rest of the series.
Even season one has great moments and it has one of the my favorite quotes of the series:
Raylan Givens:
I guess I never thought of myself as an angry man.
Winona Hawkins:
Well, you do a good job of hiding it, and I suppose most folks don't see it, but honestly, you're the angriest man I have ever known.
I guess I never thought of myself as an angry man.
Winona Hawkins:
Well, you do a good job of hiding it, and I suppose most folks don't see it, but honestly, you're the angriest man I have ever known.
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I liked Justified despite the somewhat preposterous storyline where a US Marshall shoots nearly everyone in Kentucky. Timothy Oliphant (Raylon Givens) and Walton Goggins (Boyd Crowder) find a way to make it all work. Oliphant was also good in Deadwood and in the Santa Clarita Diet (despite the name not a cooking show). Goggins was great in the classic cop show The Shield which is well worth watching in my opinion.
You definitely don't watch justified for it's realism. It's a show that is filled with great moments. It's a bit silly even in the great moments but it's just great popcorn fun.
Bohler.
How fitting.
Also interesting how he began with "Its a great day for me personally."
For those of you with big chunks of time - Sherlock on the BBC is well worth the watch. Like most shows, it struggles with keeping steam down the line, but it really was a huge undertaking. Every episode is a full length feature (90 minutes), so be prepared for that.
Also, True Detective is fantastic.
Barry is great dark comedy - Bill Hader is on point as the conflicted assassin.
Silicone Valley manages to deliver through all 6 seasons, though toward the end theres a bit of Deus ex machina, but by that point you really don't care you just want to see how things play out and what happens to the characters.
Also, True Detective is fantastic.
Barry is great dark comedy - Bill Hader is on point as the conflicted assassin.
Silicone Valley manages to deliver through all 6 seasons, though toward the end theres a bit of Deus ex machina, but by that point you really don't care you just want to see how things play out and what happens to the characters.
I enjoyed the first season of True Detective although I wasn't wild about the outcome of the season. Season Two was a big letdown from start to finish for me. Vince Vaughn didn't work for me as a crime boss.
Barry is pretty solid entertainment. It's kind of silly but Bill Hader is perfect in the role. Another show that my wife enjoyed that I wasn't expecting her to like.
I finally woke up from my stupor of several days without sports and started looking for something bingeworthy to watch. Imagine my surprise when I found a woman sitting on the couch who claims to be my wife. Come to think of it, it IS my wife. I'll spend some time with her before I turn on the tube again.
Glad Cougar
Glad Cougar
Touche. My question was more of an opportunity for fans to tell me when it picks up.
I LOVED Fortitude. Recommended it to everybody. What a cool, supernatural thriller in a unique setting. I also love that it told a story and shut down. This is snobby but I don't like the American model of squeezing every drop of blood out of the rock (The Office, Walking Dead) and shooting until nobody's watching.
Also saw some talk about Better Call Saul... I enjoy it because I loved Breaking Bad. If you're one of those people who didn't make it to S3 of BB, you won't like BCS.
Westworld is also great. Peaky Blinders peaked; I felt the last season was getting a little stale. Schitt's Creek.
Favorite movies from the last 10 years: 1917, The Invisible Man, Inception, Sicario (the first), Ready Player One, Alita, The Nice Guys, '71, 21 Jump Street, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Blade Runner 2049, The Kingsman (first)
Alexandra Daddario tying up Woody Harrelson is one of the great scenes in TV history.
Make sure your kids aren't around when you google that.
I tried Santa Clarita Diet (watching it, not living it), and just couldn't get into it. Gave up partway into the 3rd episode. Tim Oliphant just wasn't good enough to counter how bad Drew Barrymore is in every movie she makes without Adam Sandler.
Just to be crystal clear, Woody Harrelson had nothing to do with the allure of that scene. In fact, it would have been better if he'd not been in it. And if it was shot on my couch.
I'm not sure at this point that I'll get sent home at all, but if I do:
1 - Band of Brothers (again. I've been thinking it was time to break it out again. But I'll contradict whoever mentioned it above, and I'll skip The Pacific. Not nearly as well done as BoB)
2 - Legends of the Palouse (How has nobody mentioned this yet, considering the forum?)
3 - Southland, if I can find it
4 - Mel Brooks marathon
5 - Pretty much any of the Ken Burns documentary series (don't think I've seen the Prohibition one yet. Sounds like a horror series)
6 - Classic sports movies - The Natural, Hoosiers, Bull Durham, Eight Men Out, Slap SHot, WIthout Limits, Caddyshack, Victory....
7 - Bond movies - at least the ones with Connery and Craig. Maybe a couple of the Moores, but most of them were too campy and haven't held up well. None of the Dalton/Brosnan ones are worth a second viewing.
8 - Police Academy - Netflix has some of them now. I'll check and see if they're still funny, or if I've grown up.
Well, if you're going to do #8 you might as well throw the Naked Gun movies in there as well.
I saw those enough that I remember them. Been a long time since I saw the first couple Police Academy movies...although I expect that I'll be disappointed.-
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