TV Thread

[supraman]

It sounds like someone else here actually wouldn't mind discussing it... I've been bringing it up for weeks and no one has been interested! The GF and I just got through all 4 seasons within the span of about a month and a half.



I've seen a handful of eps of Game of Thrones and I think it's more interesting in the very least.

Wait which is more interesting GoT or SoA?

 

[Ymono37]

What's to discuss, it's fucking awesome, and until you catch up to the new episodes this season, you're just a poser wannabe, haha. But seriously, let's discuss. Also, it's hard to discuss because you have to remember where certain folks are and there can be spoilers everywhere.

I am caught up now... I went and picked up Season 4 when it came out a few weeks ago just to get ready for the new season.



I think we can still talk about it, just throw up a "SPOILER ALERT" for those not on Season 5 yet.



Personally, I did not realize just what a talent Katy Sagal was prior to this show. She was always good on Married... With Children and Futurama - but man, finding out she can sing too?!?! Crazy. Also - she's married (IRL) to the writer/creator and our favorite jailbird, Otto (Kurt Sutter).

Wait which is more interesting GoT or SoA?

SOA, for me. I haven't thought GoT was bad, Sons just hooked me instantly and I had to get caught up as quickly as possible.

 

[supraman]

I might have to check it out then since I am obsessed with GoT.

 

[MassHavoc]

I am caught up now... I went and picked up Season 4 when it came out a few weeks ago just to get ready for the new season.



I think we can still talk about it, just throw up a "SPOILER ALERT" for those not on Season 5 yet.



Personally, I did not realize just what a talent Katy Sagal was prior to this show. She was always good on Married... With Children and Futurama - but man, finding out she can sing too?!?! Crazy. Also - she's married (IRL) to the writer/creator and our favorite jailbird, Otto (Kurt Sutter).





SOA, for me. I haven't thought GoT was bad, Sons just hooked me instantly and I had to get caught up as quickly as possible.

Yeah, but not everyone is as caught up as you are, and spolier alerts make me cry. haha. I think SOA and GoT are both excellent. Both worth watching. I think GoTs is one of the best shows on, but am still a bit underwhelmed by it, which should tell you how highly I feel about the books.

 

[supraman]

Yeah, but not everyone is as caught up as you are, and spolier alerts make me cry. haha. I think SOA and GoT are both excellent. Both worth watching. I think GoTs is one of the best shows on, but am still a bit underwhelmed by it, which should tell you how highly I feel about the books.

I'm reading book 2 now and it is kinda draggy at the moment. The only chapters I am engrossed in are the Tyrion ones.

 

[Ymono37]

I might have to check it out then since I am obsessed with GoT.

If you're interested, I believe Netflix has the first 3 seasons on streaming...

Yeah, but not everyone is as caught up as you are, and spolier alerts make me cry. haha. I think SOA and GoT are both excellent. Both worth watching. I think GoTs is one of the best shows on, but am still a bit underwhelmed by it, which should tell you how highly I feel about the books.

Sure, I get that... but there's so much cool shit happening on that show. I never thought I'd be this interested in the family politics of a motorcycle club.

 

[MassHavoc]

If you're interested, I believe Netflix has the first 3 seasons on streaming...





Sure, I get that... but there's so much cool shit happening on that show. I never thought I'd be this interested in the family politics of a motorcycle club.

Oh yeah definitely. it's funny. becuase you can see a lot of each show in themselves if you think about it... just set in a different light.

 

[supraman]

Is Katy Seagal still pretty damn hot?

 

[MassHavoc]

Umm... I guess, for her age.

 

[The Mule]

Is Katy Seagal still pretty damn hot?

Yeah. She's still hot.



Jax is suer hot. Hot! With flames.



That show is great, but I think the writing on GoT is better. Sometimes there is cheese on SOA, but never on GoT. And this is speaking as someone who loves SOA. Also, TCD is way behind me. I'm all caught up. New episode tonight.

 

[MassHavoc]

WEll... to be fair, GOT's has source material that is excellent, and probably about triple the budget. So I'm not disagreeing with you, but they also have to network TV write which is a different beast. You have to take into account for a larger audience and also do stupid things like write scenes for commercial break cuts which usually fucking suuuuuucks.

 

[The Mule]

I don't think it has anything to do with commercial breaks. Those breaks in fact come as act breaks a lot of the time, so no big deal.



Again, I love SOA, and the writing is better than almost all regular cable programming too, but there are moments that are a bit cheeseball or crazy.

 

[phranchk]

BTW, a new New Girl tonight. Got hooked on that show by the end of the season.

 

[MassHavoc]

I don't think it has anything to do with commercial breaks. Those breaks in fact come as act breaks a lot of the time, so no big deal.



Again, I love SOA, and the writing is better than almost all regular cable programming too, but there are moments that are a bit cheeseball or crazy.

Oh I agree, but I read an article that I'll have to find that talked about how writing a show for commercials was much different than one without. It may have been focused on sitcoms with laugh tracks but I'll see if I can find it. Talked about how framing the show to fit certain pieces in together between breaks because more important because folks would have short attention spans and such, and also how they would have to alter scripts for product placement. Meaning like, instead of having a scene in the kitchen, they'd have to do it in the basement so that they could get the snuggle in the shot. This also changed the dialog, a lot of times on the fly and impacted the conversation because instead of having a good line about a kitchen knife, you're now stuck with the writer on set making up a line about the lint trap. That sort of thing. I'm not applying this directly to SOA, but they are saying that this is why tv is becoming increasingly hard to write for.

 

[The Mule]

Oh I agree, but I read an article that I'll have to find that talked about how writing a show for commercials was much different than one without. It may have been focused on sitcoms with laugh tracks but I'll see if I can find it. Talked about how framing the show to fit certain pieces in together between breaks because more important because folks would have short attention spans and such, and also how they would have to alter scripts for product placement. Meaning like, instead of having a scene in the kitchen, they'd have to do it in the basement so that they could get the snuggle in the shot. This also changed the dialog, a lot of times on the fly and impacted the conversation because instead of having a good line about a kitchen knife, you're now stuck with the writer on set making up a line about the lint trap. That sort of thing. I'm not applying this directly to SOA, but they are saying that this is why tv is becoming increasingly hard to write for.

I've taken screenwriting for tv classes, but never actually written for television. Hopefully one day. I think a lot of that stuff is coming from network sitcoms with laugh tracks or procedurals. But I agree. There is a lot of that that goes on in the world of tv writing. The bigger the network, the harder it is to create a quality show without all that stuff, like product placement. I think this is why actually good tv is so revered now, because the bad shows are so obvious now. They are running on these product-based formulas and not challenging the audience at all, but the networks don't care because more people watch that crap.

 

[the canadian dream]

better be spoiler alerts if you start talking about sons of anarchy. Im so behind so i don't want shit ruined. Im only dealing with Henry rollins and the white supremacy shit right now.





i love Henry rollins by the way. going to suck when they eventually kill his asshole creepy character

 

[MassHavoc]

I've taken screenwriting for tv classes, but never actually written for television. Hopefully one day. I think a lot of that stuff is coming from network sitcoms with laugh tracks or procedurals. But I agree. There is a lot of that that goes on in the world of tv writing. The bigger the network, the harder it is to create a quality show without all that stuff, like product placement. I think this is why actually good tv is so revered now, because the bad shows are so obvious now. They are running on these product-based formulas and not challenging the audience at all, but the networks don't care because more people watch that crap.

Totally Agree, and also since it's down to such a cookie cutter science of how to deal with these challenges it not only leads to bad TV but predictive TV. No matter the content of shows you can easily get a feeling for what's going to happen just by watching a lot of tv because it all ends up using the same devices. Makes it so boring and uber important to have shows that are actually well written like you said. Good TV is really really so much better than the rehash other shows. They all take the same storylines and make them work for their premise. It reminds me of law and order actually. I love the show have no problem with any of it really, but I always laughed at how many episodes there are... it's like, how many different times can the wife kill the husband. hah.

 

[MassHavoc]

better be spoiler alerts if you start talking about sons of anarchy. Im so behind so i don't want shit ruined. Im only dealing with Henry rollins and the white supremacy shit right now.





i love Henry rollins by the way. going to suck when they eventually kill his asshole creepy character

HOLY SHIT. I ACTUALLY CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT LAST NIGHT.... SOA pulled a GoT!!!!!!!! Amazing episode, one of there best.Exciting, drama filled, sad, and out of no where really... I like that I had no idea what was coming the whole time.

 

[Ymono37]

HOLY SHIT. I ACTUALLY CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT LAST NIGHT.... SOA pulled a GoT!!!!!!!! Amazing episode, one of there best.Exciting, drama filled, sad, and out of no where really... I like that I had no idea what was coming the whole time.

I couldn't believe it! Feels like it came out of left field, but if you look at it, we were given a sign. And it did make me sad as well...



With that said, Jax is fucking primed for action now - gonna be REALLY interesting to see where this goes. Also, SPOILER ALERT we got confirmation that the home invasions are the work of some other, "to be named" group that has a grudge with the club.

 

[Ymono37]

I've taken screenwriting for tv classes, but never actually written for television. Hopefully one day. I think a lot of that stuff is coming from network sitcoms with laugh tracks or procedurals. But I agree. There is a lot of that that goes on in the world of tv writing. The bigger the network, the harder it is to create a quality show without all that stuff, like product placement. I think this is why actually good tv is so revered now, because the bad shows are so obvious now. They are running on these product-based formulas and not challenging the audience at all, but the networks don't care because more people watch that crap.

It's funny you mention it... because I've noticed it with SOA - they never had much in the way of product placement (other than Harley Davidson), but I've watched the beer the boys in the club drink change from a no-name brand to Miller Lite.