LaurenNMU
New member
- Joined:
- May 15, 2010
- Posts:
- 203
- Liked Posts:
- 0
- Location:
- wauconda/marquette
I've recorded all 3 parts of Hatfields and McCoys but haven't watched them yet, looks good though
TV Thread
- Thread starter MassHavoc
- Start date
supraman
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 8,024
- Liked Posts:
- 196
- Location:
- St.Pete, FL
I will take WW1 and WW2 stuff over the current lineup everyday of the week.
The Mule
New member
- Joined:
- Dec 11, 2011
- Posts:
- 722
- Liked Posts:
- 4
- Location:
- Vancouver
Reality television shows (or docu-series or docu-soaps as they're called by tv peeps), are not going anywhere. They are cheap to produce, and if they get great ratings and lots of ads, then they make soooo much money. And if they bomb and no one watches them, they're as cheap and disposabe as fast food.
As to why people watch them, there are many reasons, but part of it is that production companies cast characters. They find "interesting" (obviously up for the debate) subject matter, but the characters are more important. Like in a sitcom or drama, they want you care about people on the show enough to come back and discover what they're up to. The story lines are written, but the characters are the ones who need to make them come alive, just like in more scripted television. The stakes are high based on the choices the producers and writers make. It's not that those elements aren't part of their lives, but they're heightened, etc.
I also think people love to feel superior to others. They like to say, "look at those trashy assholes on tv, I'm so much better than them and classier and smarter, etc." which is the part of that culture I hate the most. Instead of looking at our own faults we project onto these people and want to make fun of how they live their lives. Obviously, I'm not talking about all reality tv here, but there are certain programs that do this. Shows like Hoarders or Intervention exploit mental illness to make tv and money. That's pretty shitty. They should talk about that, the pathology, the real fucking problems of these people.
A great non-fcition book, history or science, etc. can achieve both education and entertainment, but I'm not sure television has been able to achieve that as consistently. I'm not sure historians are interested in participating in documentary television to make it better because it's not considered a higher pursuit, like writing and researching books.
Do I believe there should be better documentary programming? Sure I do. I think it's great, but in order to fund those things, production companies need more Real Housewives and Hoarders to fund their other programming. People working in the industry want to produce work they care about, but they also want to keep their jobs and make money. It's really hard to stick your neck out in an industry so full of greedy and scared and entitled people.
This is also coming from someone who loves America's Next Top Model, so take it with a grain of salt.
As to why people watch them, there are many reasons, but part of it is that production companies cast characters. They find "interesting" (obviously up for the debate) subject matter, but the characters are more important. Like in a sitcom or drama, they want you care about people on the show enough to come back and discover what they're up to. The story lines are written, but the characters are the ones who need to make them come alive, just like in more scripted television. The stakes are high based on the choices the producers and writers make. It's not that those elements aren't part of their lives, but they're heightened, etc.
I also think people love to feel superior to others. They like to say, "look at those trashy assholes on tv, I'm so much better than them and classier and smarter, etc." which is the part of that culture I hate the most. Instead of looking at our own faults we project onto these people and want to make fun of how they live their lives. Obviously, I'm not talking about all reality tv here, but there are certain programs that do this. Shows like Hoarders or Intervention exploit mental illness to make tv and money. That's pretty shitty. They should talk about that, the pathology, the real fucking problems of these people.
A great non-fcition book, history or science, etc. can achieve both education and entertainment, but I'm not sure television has been able to achieve that as consistently. I'm not sure historians are interested in participating in documentary television to make it better because it's not considered a higher pursuit, like writing and researching books.
Do I believe there should be better documentary programming? Sure I do. I think it's great, but in order to fund those things, production companies need more Real Housewives and Hoarders to fund their other programming. People working in the industry want to produce work they care about, but they also want to keep their jobs and make money. It's really hard to stick your neck out in an industry so full of greedy and scared and entitled people.
This is also coming from someone who loves America's Next Top Model, so take it with a grain of salt.
The Mule
New member
- Joined:
- Dec 11, 2011
- Posts:
- 722
- Liked Posts:
- 4
- Location:
- Vancouver
Finally, something we agree on. There is sooooo much history that isn't fucking boring old war footage. Ugh. Just no. We need a moratorium on making any more movies, tv shows, anything about WWI and WWII. It was brutal. I fucking get is already. Now, find something else important and historical to fucking show me. It's not like those were the only two things that happened in the history of the damn world. Geez!
End rant.
- Joined:
- May 14, 2010
- Posts:
- 17,855
- Liked Posts:
- 2,554
I hang my head in shame at the complete miss on the mallrats reference.
Supra, I don't know what you are holding onto, but the last season of Trueblood was already heading the series downhill. From everything i've seen of the featurettes and previews it's only going to get worse. Dominated most of the last decade, more like most of the last 5 years, which is about right for a tv fad? I'll give it Hope I'm wrong, but either way like all tv fads, they have over saturated the market and killed the genre. Everyone trying to one-up the other has really sucked and made it all shit. Just like when all the GoT clones start popping up that genre will turn to shit. The trend I see that has been used more an more recently (you can thank fucking hollywood for this) is rehashing old shows. Like Hawaii 5-0, Dallas, 90210 ect... These are going to be the next wave just like reality TV taking over. Unfrotunately reality tv is here to stay till they can find something cheaper. And the rehash is a nice even ground between real tv and reality tv (See how I'm forced to call scripted TV real, and reality tv scripted?) because it's cheaper to just recreate something than it is to come up with a new idea buy the rights, rework it ect.... and it's still not reality tv which is struggling to come up with anything that hasn't been done at this point.
Moving on, Hatfields and McCoys is on the DVR, I can't wait. Looks good hope they pull it off. I'm a little worried about it being History channel. Why you ask? Because they have some really good shows and I expect this to be steeped in knowledge and history but from the previews it seems to get away from that some and I hope they don't lose some quality by getting away from the history channel bread and butter and try sensationalizing it. I think a 3 part series it about right. But I also hate that the week leading up to it, American Pickers and Pawn Star magically had Hatfield and McCoy storylines built into them. I get why it was done, and you just can't get around tie ins these days, but it cheapens those shows for me who try to pretend like it's unscripted and random. American pickers especially as they've gone a long way on camera to make it seem like their picking is random at times. On a side note they reported that H&Mc's did a 13.9 million viewership which was the largest of any non-sporting event on non-basic cable. So it's a big deal, but still a lot of qualifiers.
Supra, I don't know what you are holding onto, but the last season of Trueblood was already heading the series downhill. From everything i've seen of the featurettes and previews it's only going to get worse. Dominated most of the last decade, more like most of the last 5 years, which is about right for a tv fad? I'll give it Hope I'm wrong, but either way like all tv fads, they have over saturated the market and killed the genre. Everyone trying to one-up the other has really sucked and made it all shit. Just like when all the GoT clones start popping up that genre will turn to shit. The trend I see that has been used more an more recently (you can thank fucking hollywood for this) is rehashing old shows. Like Hawaii 5-0, Dallas, 90210 ect... These are going to be the next wave just like reality TV taking over. Unfrotunately reality tv is here to stay till they can find something cheaper. And the rehash is a nice even ground between real tv and reality tv (See how I'm forced to call scripted TV real, and reality tv scripted?) because it's cheaper to just recreate something than it is to come up with a new idea buy the rights, rework it ect.... and it's still not reality tv which is struggling to come up with anything that hasn't been done at this point.
Moving on, Hatfields and McCoys is on the DVR, I can't wait. Looks good hope they pull it off. I'm a little worried about it being History channel. Why you ask? Because they have some really good shows and I expect this to be steeped in knowledge and history but from the previews it seems to get away from that some and I hope they don't lose some quality by getting away from the history channel bread and butter and try sensationalizing it. I think a 3 part series it about right. But I also hate that the week leading up to it, American Pickers and Pawn Star magically had Hatfield and McCoy storylines built into them. I get why it was done, and you just can't get around tie ins these days, but it cheapens those shows for me who try to pretend like it's unscripted and random. American pickers especially as they've gone a long way on camera to make it seem like their picking is random at times. On a side note they reported that H&Mc's did a 13.9 million viewership which was the largest of any non-sporting event on non-basic cable. So it's a big deal, but still a lot of qualifiers.
supraman
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 8,024
- Liked Posts:
- 196
- Location:
- St.Pete, FL
Last season was great. Got a little weird but far better from the worst season which was 2.
- Joined:
- May 14, 2010
- Posts:
- 17,855
- Liked Posts:
- 2,554
No, it was bad, and yet still better than season 2. This will be the last season. It looks horrible.
supraman
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 8,024
- Liked Posts:
- 196
- Location:
- St.Pete, FL
The Mule
New member
- Joined:
- Dec 11, 2011
- Posts:
- 722
- Liked Posts:
- 4
- Location:
- Vancouver
I disagree and only my opinion matters
Get a room in the vampire hotel in Dallas! Geez!
I don't think it'll be cancelled. The ratings are too good. And they'll probably make a big deal about it being over. It won't be an, "oops, the show is over now" kind of thing. Alan Ball isn't going to be the day-to-day showrunner, but I don't think that means the show will be cancelled. I liked last season. Nice Eric! Good guest actors. Andy Bellefleur being an idiot. Jason Stackhouse being an idiot. And this season Denis O-Hare is back and being a total badass. It's purposefully campy and ridiculous. It's not a serious show like GoT. I don't think about it when it's not on. I only think about Mad Men, and dream of it. I will eventually convince everyone to watch!
- Joined:
- May 14, 2010
- Posts:
- 17,855
- Liked Posts:
- 2,554
Maybe we will... maaaaybe we will... Jealous we can afford a Vamp hotel?
Any way, sure it may go on one more season after this to wrap up the series, give it an ending for the dvd series, and ride whatever ratings are left while they find something suitable to fill the primetime spot, but you'll see, for all intents and porpoises, this is the last season. All hail zombies. I loved True Blood season 1. It was the best show on TV, Season 2 was a letdown, and season 3 while not as bad was an even bigger let down because it was a mere shell of itself. Nothing has looked even remotely good about season 4 yet. But previews can be deceiving as the teaser short for season three was quite possibly the worst promo of all piece of all time.
Any way, sure it may go on one more season after this to wrap up the series, give it an ending for the dvd series, and ride whatever ratings are left while they find something suitable to fill the primetime spot, but you'll see, for all intents and porpoises, this is the last season. All hail zombies. I loved True Blood season 1. It was the best show on TV, Season 2 was a letdown, and season 3 while not as bad was an even bigger let down because it was a mere shell of itself. Nothing has looked even remotely good about season 4 yet. But previews can be deceiving as the teaser short for season three was quite possibly the worst promo of all piece of all time.
LaurenNMU
New member
- Joined:
- May 15, 2010
- Posts:
- 203
- Liked Posts:
- 0
- Location:
- wauconda/marquette
I will watch True Blood as long as Alexander Skarsgard is in it
he's so hot
- Joined:
- May 14, 2010
- Posts:
- 17,855
- Liked Posts:
- 2,554
You mean as long as he continues to take his shirt off?
the canadian dream
New member
- Joined:
- May 15, 2010
- Posts:
- 6,402
- Liked Posts:
- 14
if people want scary while a guy takes his shirt off I'll be more than willing to let the cameras follow me around
The Mule
New member
- Joined:
- Dec 11, 2011
- Posts:
- 722
- Liked Posts:
- 4
- Location:
- Vancouver
I will watch True Blood as long as Alexander Skarsgard is in ithe's so hot
Exactly. He is a Swedish slice of perfection!
supraman
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 8,024
- Liked Posts:
- 196
- Location:
- St.Pete, FL
I will watch True Blood as long as Alexander Skarsgard is in ithe's so hot
Yeah okay I'll admit it, he is
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 3,869
- Liked Posts:
- 5
- Location:
- Uptown baby!
I will watch True Blood as long as Alexander Skarsgard is in ithe's so hot
And that's ALL anyone needs to say on the subject of TB. Period.
Ymono37
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 4,005
- Liked Posts:
- 0
- Location:
- Suburbia
I'll up the ante and agree to take off my shirt along side TCD.
We'll give the name "Jason" a whole new level of horror.
supraman
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 8,024
- Liked Posts:
- 196
- Location:
- St.Pete, FL
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 3,869
- Liked Posts:
- 5
- Location:
- Uptown baby!
WTF. This thread has taken an HORRIFIC turn in it's imagery.
Ymono37
New member
- Joined:
- May 16, 2010
- Posts:
- 4,005
- Liked Posts:
- 0
- Location:
- Suburbia