TV Shows Discussion

[RedRaven]

Any TV show that has grabbed peoples attention I guess. I like yourself am not a big watcher, do try to catch the F1 when its on, Schumacher is past it I reckon, but Vettel keeps getting better and the last race in China was one of most exciting I've ever seen.


Fringe is about our 'Earth' and a parallel 'Earth' with some interesting differences, kind of a far superior X-files and a bit more sci-fi. Dont want to give it away to those who may want to start watching it. As usual IMDB has plenty to say.


If you think this topic should be merged with the other feel free, still kind of re-finding my way around OWG.

[Art Blade]

merged.  :-D

[fragger]

I haven't seen Fringe but I've heard of it. Is it something you can jump into and watch without being lost or do you need to see it from the start?

I don't watch TV either as a rule, except for sometimes the news and the odd documentary. Even then, the incessant commercials really grate on me >:((

[RedRaven]

@Art  Cheers, cant believe did not see the existing topic!

@Fragger  I missed most of 1st series but quickly picked up the main gist part way into the second, now its approaching end of season 3.
I know what you mean about ads (spits on floor in disgust)
I cant watch the news anymore as it just upsets or angers me. :(

[mandru]

I know what you mean about ads (spits on floor in disgust)
I cant watch the news anymore as it just upsets or angers me. :(

I pick holes in the ads for fun finding the flaws in their logic.

Why aren't there any attorneys (solicitors in the U.K) running ads on TV to seek out clients to represent in lawsuits to bring legal action against crooked attorneys (solicitors) that have cheated or misrepresented their cases?   ;)

There's a 24 hr cable news channel that I leave on during the day as background noise for the purpose of keeping me angry.   >:D

[RedRaven]

I pick holes in the ads for fun finding the flaws in their logic.

Why aren't there any attorneys (solicitors in the U.K) running ads on TV to seek out clients to represent in lawsuits to bring legal action against crooked attorneys (solicitors) that have cheated or misrepresented their cases?   ;)

Nearest thing is so called 'Ambulance Chasers'. The "If you have had an accident and it wasn't your fault then you may be able to claim compensation" type.

Its yet another way for people to be irresponsible and be unaccountable for their own stupidity!

Those adds make me furious, as do the ones with made up statistics, usually cosmetics products, like 87% of 143 people would recommend this product, which when you do the math makes 124.41 people. Its all lies, those companies should be fined or just plain banned from making ridiculous statements.

Starting to turn Green, can feel my inner Hulk starting to break free again. Must breath, count to 10 and relax.

There's a 24 hr cable news channel that I leave on during the day as background noise for the purpose of keeping me angry.   >:D

Lol :)

[mandru]

It keeps my heart rate up, it's aerobic and easier than jogging.   ;D

[deadman1]

There's a 24 hr cable news channel that I leave on during the day as background noise for the purpose of keeping me angry.   >:D

CNN?

[mandru]

FXNWS Fox news.

Every word that's said on air by Fox is under so much scrutiny by so many of the other news organizations that would seriously like to give them a black eye for even the slightest exaggeration of the truth or a misstatement forces Fox to document their accuracy before they can report on an incident.

That allows me to soak it in and then as new elements of news arrive I can connect the dots myself sometimes spotting things or trends that Fox wouldn't dare say on air.

It was recently reported that Obama was creating a commission (yet another red herring to take our focus off of what's really happening )  to find out if oil companies are price gouging and causing the surge in recent gasoline prices.

I hear this and I'm reminded of a video clip of Obama that I've seen (either as a presidential candidate or immediately after his election) where he said "I think that $8 a gallon (for gasoline *my edit*) would be a good thing."  Examining this comment I believe he was stating his belief that high gas prices would push people into buying electric cars but that said as we bump into $5 a gallon prices (up from $3.45 in a month or so) how seriously can I take him at his word that he's trying to correct the same gas prices that he has previously stated he believes should be even higher?   ???


Because of Obama's propensity for pushing government growth at every turn and seeing a new organization being created to perform the study on the oil companies behavior I have to ask how many of these newly created positions are being staffed by family members of his high level union bed buddies?   :D


I would also like to know how vilifying and irritating the oil companies is going to reduce gas prices, oh wait, that's right we're only half way to the $8 a gallon Obama thought would be a "Good Idea".   :D  :D


And at what point will government accurately recreate that circus act where a mini-car pulls out into the center ring and an unbelievable number of goofball clowns (with gag props no less! ) come pouring out of it?   :D  :D  :D

???...    ???...   ???...

See how easy it is?  8:37 AM and I've already got the sustained heart rate of a 5k run.   ^+-+

[deadman1]

FXNWS Fox news.

-------------8<--- snip ---8<------------- / Art

See how easy it is?  8:37 AM and I've already got the sustained heart rate of a 5k run.   ^+-+

??? wow to bad I can´t see Fox news here in sweden, I could use the exerscise. But then again I probably won´t get as worked up as you do so it wouldn´t w%&k anyway  ^+-+

[RedRaven]

Not sure what its like over the pond in the USA but from my experience this side Fox seems to have a Right-wing stance and gets loads of bad press. Yet they do The Simpsons, which after all its years is still very funny and for the most part family friendly, unlike the many other cartoon shows that have followed (Family Guy, American Dad etc) which don't seem to be able to be as funny without being aimed at an older audience.

Even The Simpsons pokes fun at Fox on a regular basis.

[Art Blade]

[admin]just a tip, guys.. quoting is useful if you want to point out a certain part of what someone said. Quoting entire posts, especially if they are long, and even more so if they contain quotes in succession, doesn't really help readability. I cut away half a mile of the last quote so I was able to read what was actually new.. cheers, guys. :)[/admin]

[mandru]

Not sure what its like over the pond in the USA but from my experience this side Fox seems to have a Right-wing stance and gets loads of bad press.

Part of a process that has been going on for a long time here in the U.S. is the posturing that has taken place between the Right wing and the Left wing components of politics.

I've been looking at the Liberal (Left wing) presidency of JFK.  The things he stood for, his positions and his presidential actions.  For all intents and purposes, JFK judged upon the politics of his presidency, was more Right wing than 99% of the current Right wing politicians.   ???

The only thing I can figure out is that over time in this perpetual tug-of-war any time there's an irreconcilable difference of opinion for a course of action between left and right over an issue in order to reach a compromise the right will reach across the aisle and make concessions to appease the left and in trying to do so stop the left's continual name calling and taunting that the right side are all uncaring inflexible stick in the muds or worse.

The problem with this whole process (as I see it) is that every time this happens the left take another solid step further left and says "Nnnnno! We're over here now.  You'll have to reach farther than that! "

It has come to the point that I've actually heard an Ivy League Poly/Sci professor (an instructor shaping the minds of our Right and Left wing future politicians :o ) on Fox news seriously attempt to defend his position that parents should have a 2 year "Buyers Remorse" period after a child is born where the parents could decide to abort the child.

All I can say after that is where is the center line between left and right any more if this is what is being accepted as a reasonable suggestion?   :knockout

[Art Blade]

I don't care if it's left s#!t or right s#!t, white s#!t or black s#!t. You can't turn s#!t into gold. It will just stay s#!t.

[RedRaven]

Parents should have a 2 year "Buyers Remorse" period after a child is born where the parents could decide to abort the child.

Really ???
I'm sure that's what is more commonly known as infanticide. Bet the Catholics love that guy.....
Personally I think any one who wants such legislation in place should be taken out behind a shed and shot.

Next thing you know the Krishna's will have their own 'Final Solution'

Sometimes it amazes me how smart the human race thinks it is, and how utterly stupid the human race acts towards itself. If there is a divine power it must of given humanity to the apprentice to design.

Enough said, ranted plenty already today ;)

ps -(I'm not doubting your words mandru, just astonished that it was said on TV by an 'educated' person.)

[fragger]

"Abort the child" - that's a charming little euphemism for murder. That's typical of some of these Ivy League twits and others of their ilk who hold some twisted belief that the ethics and codes of conduct that constitute civilized human society should be dispensed with for the overall good of that society. I can't believe some of the bilge these sick characters spew forth >:((

I'm reminded of another individual who believed in taking a harsh line and dispensing with the niceties of civilized behaviour for the greater good of his people. Result - a world war and 50,000,000 million deaths.

[RedRaven]

I have a saying "Let our differences Unite us"  we are all different yet fundamentally we are all the same, if everybody would just WAKE UP and realise our potential we might actually get some where before we kill the planet.

Showed a friend the post from Mandru, his response was "And they call Charley Sheen crazy" and pointed out that euthanasia is still illegal in most of the world too.

EDIT -  A better policy would be Less breeding, more reading.

[PZ]

EDIT -  A better policy would be Less breeding, more reading.

Absolutely agree - the planet can only sustain a limited amount of exponential breeding, particularly because the lowest end of society appears to breed the most profically.

[Art Blade]

Less breeding, more reading.

nice one  :) :-X

[Fiach]

The only american who's political views I agree with :)

Johnny Cash - One on the right

[Art Blade]

 :)

[Fiach]

LOST TV SERIES

OK, I have just watched all six seasons!!!!  :o

I first saw this series when the season one boxset was released, I had an injured leg and was confined to the couch for a number of weeks, I saw a number of different shows, 24, Desperate Housewives, West Wing and also Lost.

I was really enjoying it, when on the last disc, which contained only two episodes, I was expecting some resolution and maybe a feature length final episode as I knew there could be no story resolution in  the 2 normal timed episodes. When it ended, if my leg wasn't so buggered up, I would have kicked in the TV screen!!

So, now the series is over, lovers and haters have formed two quite distinct lines, regarding their opinions, I was recommended by a friend (series lover) to watch it all, each season, back to back.

People were very disappointed with a series that they assumed the creators were just making up as they went along, I was one of those doubters, I stopped watching it after a couple of episodes from season two were shown  on TV.

Watching all the episodes one after the other, with no seasonal breaks for 6 months and no having to wait for the next episode a week later, I was able to luxuriate in an incredible well crafted storyline, played by extremely talented actors, who's individual storylines opened layer by layer as the seasons progressed.


The series used "time" in a very creative way, initially with moving back and forth to the days and hours before and after the plane crash, to eventually travelling back and forth decades and centuaries in each direction, never once causing head scratching or confusion, JJ Abrams is a masterful storyteller.

I really recommend that anyone interested in a finely crafted story, with great acting and with the ability to watch all the seasons back to back are in for a great treat :)

[JRD]

I did watch LOST back to back... to be honest, the more I got into the story, the more afraid I was it was going to be quite er... lost ( ::)) in the end.

I really enjoyed how they told the story back and forth and how they used time displacement to create layer over layer of the whole plot but the final season was a let down imo.

It still a great show and I can recommend anyone fond of time / space travelling and overlapping realities to give it a try. But don`t expect the show to have an ending like it`s beginning.

First esason was mind blowing, truly, no kidding... I was hooked on episode one. Second season was incredible with yet more twists and surprises... third season came along to keep my interest very deep... fourth season (I guess is when time traveling start to be on the table) gave me another boost, then came season five and six and the ending... man, I think I could have put things in another way and still have a great finale.

Too many loose ends and shallow explanations... the smoke monster for instance... the other Others...

Anyway... I had a great time watching that show but as I look back after finishing it almost a year ago... I still have that damn it... why, how? feelin in my mouth  :-(

[Fiach]

I think season six especially felt a bit rushed, it has alot less episodes than the previous seasons too, I think the network sensed diminishing returns and told them to wrap it up, so they spent as much time as they could with the loose ends before they were shut down, still though, I was satisfied with the ending, even though it was what I thought from the very first episode lol :)

[fragger]

Exactly the same thoughts occurred to me, Fiach. I got the sense that seven seasons were originally planned, but by season five the producers were told to wrap it up early, maybe due to the fact that the ratings were dropping, and so there just wasn't time to resolve everything before the new deadline. Kind of ironic really, given that time-slipping is one of the key elements of the story...

I think the main reason ratings took a plunge was simply because the series was too long for a great many viewers. I don't wish to sound snobby, but I believe that a lot of people just don't have the patience for a show like LOST, nor do they wish to put in the mental effort required to try and comprehend it, especially over a number of years.

LOST is the only television show I've gotten seriously hooked on in a very long time and I enjoyed it hugely, despite the nebulous ending and unanswered questions. Great production values all round and refreshingly original :-X

Btw, did I miss this somewhere - the significance of that particular sequence of numbers? Was that ever revealed, other than the fact that they all add up to 108 - the number of seconds between button-pushes?

Speaking of J J Abrams, another of his stories I quite enjoyed was Alias, although that one didn't grab me the way LOST did. It was intriguing nonetheless even if far-fetched as hell - sort of like Dan Brown meets Ian Fleming :-()