What was the last TV show you watched?

[Zombie_61]

Hell on Wheels. What was that? Filler. Meeting contractual obligations. Like Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (without the smart aspect).

I think someone at AMC had a meeting with the writers and reminded them that the show is supposed to be about the building of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S., so they've used the last few episodes to end some of the storylines in order to have the series end with the Central Pacific and Union Pacific meeting at Promontory Summit. I think the second half of Season Five has been pretty lackluster compared to the rest of the series, and I'm guessing the final episode will be somewhat anticlimactic.

 

[Benzadmiral]

This weekend the Decades Channel (which I think is new) on cable had a "Binge" of Peter Gunn episodes, nearly all of them from 1958 to 1961. These were taut little half-hours, B & W of course, quite film noir-ish, with the famous Henry Mancini theme music bookending what were basically short private-eye stories. Gunn is not a run-down Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade, and he's not a violent Mike Hammer either. Someone on IMDb wrote that it was as if Craig Stevens were playing Cary Grant as private eye (though without Grant's accent or famous mannerisms).

Neatly done stuff, all of it, especially the minor characters Gunn interviews in the course of a case: vivid little portraits as memorable, and sometimes more so, than the plots.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Neatly done stuff, all of it, especially the minor characters Gunn interviews in the course of a case: vivid little portraits as memorable, and sometimes more so, than the plots.

Looking back, a lot of those late '50s - mid '60s TV shows have better style details and character intrigue than strong plots. Shows like "Hitchcock Presents," "The Saint," (even some) "Twilight Zones" were stronger on style (camera angles, mood, lighting, sets, etc.) and character development or exposition than the plot themselves.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Part of that is due to the DPs/camera and lighting crews/film editors/etc. that created those early TV shows. They were mostly movie industry veterans, many with decades of experience. Younger folks without that deep feature-film background took over these jobs in the 70s/80s, and the visuals became more utilitarian, blander, less striking. (Compare the dynamic, dramatic lighting in the original Star Trek to the "flatly over-lit luxury hotel" look of The Next Generation.)

 

[Fading Fast]

... the "flatly over-lit luxury hotel" look of The Next Generation.)

Fantastic phrasing and spot on.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I quoted it because I'm far from the first person to make this observation!

 

[Trenchfriend]

My old german VHS-cassette "National Geographic: The Search For the Battleship Bismarck".

I think, this documentary about Ballard's search for the Bismarck is one fo the best. It's always so melancholic and haunting.

And then the ending-words of Sir Ludovic Kennedy.

Happening!

 

[Fading Fast]

My old german VHS-cassette "National Geographic: The Search For the Battleship Bismarck".

I think, this documentary about Ballard's search for the Bismarck is one fo the best. It's always so melancholic and haunting.

And then the ending-words of Sir Ludovic Kennedy.

Happening!

Agreed, it is incredibly well done. But to be fair, the story has so much natural drama to it, that the crime would be not putting out a good documentary on it.

 

[Touchofevil]

Fast N' Loud reruns

 

[Stearmen]

DB Cooper: Case Closed? I used to think, what's the harm in these conspiracy theories, there not hurting anyone! Turns out I was wrong, they ruin peoples lives. All the conspiracy nuts, hounding the crew and passengers of that plane 40 years latter, not to mention the so called persons of interest. With no evidence that would stand up in court, people convict them in the court of public opinion. It has gotten so bad, one of the presidential candidates repeated a conspiracy theory that another candidates Father was involved in the assassination of JFK! So I say, no more, unless someone is actually convicted of a crime, I am not watching another conspiracy theory oriented TV documentary!

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Ray Donovan. SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to b1tch about THE pivot point in the new season. Ray and his crew are experts at what they do. Cleaners. Cleaners for criminals, thus criminals themselves on many levels. Never get caught. Cannot get caught. Yet, the sh1tty writing that would have Ray screw with the mob (Russian) in the middle of the day, on said mob's turf (the docks), so they're guaranteed to be seen as the people behind their boss going to jail. They were going to find out it was Ray no matter what, whether he did it at the bath house or at the docks, but this was just stupid, inconsistent writing. This series isn't made of great writing, but it isn't based on stupid writing, either. This entire season is going to fulcrum round a situation that never would have happened if they stayed loyal to their characters rather than expose the fact that they are short on ideas and how to execute those ideas. I really loathe the writers' room sometimes. At this point, I don't think they have the slightest clue what to do with Mickey, either. It's great that they have such a respected actor on the roster, but his storylines are silly.

 

[Touchofevil]

DB Cooper: Case Closed? I used to think, what's the harm in these conspiracy theories, there not hurting anyone! Turns out I was wrong, they ruin peoples lives. All the conspiracy nuts, hounding the crew and passengers of that plane 40 years latter, not to mention the so called persons of interest. With no evidence that would stand up in court, people convict them in the court of public opinion. It has gotten so bad, one of the presidential candidates repeated a conspiracy theory that another candidates Father was involved in the assassination of JFK! So I say, no more, unless someone is actually convicted of a crime, I am not watching another conspiracy theory oriented TV documentary!

Saw that as well. Entertaining, but that's it.

 

[Touchofevil]

Preacher - just keeps getting more entertaining. A great cast and fun story.
HBO's The Night of - well done. Good cast.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

UFC FightNight coming up in a few minutes...but I won't miss Tyrant at 10pm.

 

[Formeruser012523]

House marathon. Did a patient cough up blood in EVERY episode?

 

[Touchofevil]

House marathon. Did a patient cough up blood in EVERY episode?

Yes.

 

[Touchofevil]

UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Lineker

 

[Zombie_61]

House marathon. Did a patient cough up blood in EVERY episode?

It's not Lupus.

 

[Benzadmiral]

It's not Lupus.

And "Everybody lies."

 

[Formeruser012523]

It's not Lupus.

And "Everybody lies."

And it's basically Sherlock, but in a hospital.