Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
lordfrikk
Mar 11, 2010

Oh, say it ain't fuckin' so,
you stupid fuck!
I don't know if there's a more appropriate thread but I'm interested in good (great would be preferable, since I'm not intending to consume a big amount of them) Spanish TV shows. Honestly, they don't even have to be Spanish as long as they're featuring an original Spanish dub (no Spanish-dubbed US or British shows).

I could Google around but I was hoping I will get some neat tips because I am terrified of someone recommending me what amounts to Ugly Betty-kind-of-soap-opera.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

Hakkesshu posted:

Oh, man, I had forgotten about Kings. That show was awesome as poo poo and had a ton of potential. The cast was super great, too. They could make a show that was just Brian Cox and Ian McShane sitting in a room and being hardasses towards one other and it would be the apex of television right there.

It would have done better if they hadn't hired a sack of potatoes as the protagonist.

Spalec
Apr 16, 2010
I got the first 4 seasons of 24 on DVD for christmas and just bought seasons 5-8 using my amazon giftcard on their boxing day sales.
My wife's never seen the show before and she's already hooked 5 episodes in. I'm excited to see her reactions to some of the :tviv: moments.

EvilTobaccoExec
Dec 22, 2003

Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts!
I reluctantly started watching GO ON after a long while not wanting to because of its ability to usurp Community which was on the shitlist at its time of airing.

There's a reason Go On caught flak for a lot of Community similarities early on, but those are definitely plus sides rather than it being any sort of rip off. It's a great style of humor that there needs to be more of.

This show is pretty neat.

Exploder
Nov 15, 2005

Just a humble motherfucker with a big ass dick

Hansen85 posted:

I'd say the first half of season 2 [FRINGE] is the low point, but ignoring that, I'd agree that it mostly just gets better and better as it goes on.

I kept this post in mind while I watched the first half or so of Fringe, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I was pretty annoyed by the fact that one of the episodes was out of order. I was confused as gently caress when I saw Charlie Francis out of nowhere after he died 10 episodes ago, but quickly found out that the episode was intended to be aired during the first season. So I figured if this is the low point, how good can this show get? I just finished the episodes Jacksonsville and Peter, and holy... loving... poo poo. This show is on another level now. I love where this is going. I'm thinking about circumventing the Science Channel's terrible scheduling and either buying the seasons on iTunes (I have some gift cards) and/or on DVD. Does anybody know a better, cheaper (and legal) way of watching Fringe? It's not on Netflix and Hulu only airs 5 episodes at a time.

Coffee And Pie posted:

After I see the new season of Breaking Bad, I intend to go through all of the X-Files, wish me luck.

Good luck getting past the seventh season. Other than that it is well worth it.

RC and Moon Pie
May 5, 2011

Coupling. I really don't know why I'm continuing to watch. I don't find it incredibly funny or the writing to be that good, but I've watched the first season and am on the second and I can't stop.

Doflamingo
Sep 20, 2006

RC and Moon Pie posted:

Coupling. I really don't know why I'm continuing to watch. I don't find it incredibly funny or the writing to be that good, but I've watched the first season and am on the second and I can't stop.

I watched this entire show on one particularly sad weekend. Can't say why as well, it was pretty much Friends except with even whinier main characters.

Harold Fjord
Jan 3, 2004

RC and Moon Pie posted:

Coupling. I really don't know why I'm continuing to watch. I don't find it incredibly funny or the writing to be that good, but I've watched the first season and am on the second and I can't stop.

There are a few episodes that are solid gold, the rest are pretty bad.

I just watched season 1 of Scandal in one sitting. I'll probably catch up on Season 2 tonight. This loving show.

isaboo
Nov 11, 2002

Muay Buok
ขอให้โชคดี
I'm about halfway through Terriers and I'm loving it... Michael Raymond-James is terrific. Why did this show only last one season?!

I'm also halfway into season 2 of The Shield. The first two episodes or so of the first season felt like a chore, but I'm digging it now. From what I've read in the official thread (no spoilers though), I'm in for one hell of a ride.

Also started on Scandal. I always assumed it would be too soapy for me, but per Goon Recommendation I gave it a shot and it's pretty darn good so far.

CeeJee
Dec 4, 2001
Oven Wrangler
Scandal is really addictive and the First Lady is completely stealing the show.

One thing that keeps distracting me is the repeated use of the music from a German movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT3D4-JTgRc

richardfun
Aug 10, 2008

Twenty years? It's no wonder I'm so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?

pahuyuth posted:

I'm about halfway through Terriers and I'm loving it... Michael Raymond-James is terrific. Why did this show only last one season?!

I'm also halfway into season 2 of The Shield. The first two episodes or so of the first season felt like a chore, but I'm digging it now. From what I've read in the official thread (no spoilers though), I'm in for one hell of a ride.

Also started on Scandal. I always assumed it would be too soapy for me, but per Goon Recommendation I gave it a shot and it's pretty darn good so far.

There are very few shows that have made a bigger impression on me than the Shield. Enjoy.

computer parts
Nov 18, 2010

PLEASE CLAP
My dad got Ken Burns' Civil War series, and we're watching that now. The casting for this is great; Jack McCoy is the perfect voice for Lincoln. :allears:

Twee as Fuck
Nov 13, 2012

by Lowtax

pahuyuth posted:

I'm also halfway into season 2 of The Shield. The first two episodes or so of the first season felt like a chore

... what?

I mean, seriously, The Shield's pilot is one of the best pilots around, and if you're not thinking by the end 'I now have to burn through another 5 episodes after that', I don't know what to say to you

DarkCrawler
Apr 6, 2009

by vyelkin
Yeah, it actually kind of slows down after the pilot.

You start all, man, he sure is an anti-hero. He won't play by the rules, he beat that pedophile, it's all pretty sympathetic thus far. I like this-

*bang*

:stare:

DarkCrawler fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Dec 27, 2012

Twee as Fuck
Nov 13, 2012

by Lowtax

DarkCrawler posted:

Yeah, it actually kind of slows down after the pilot.

You start all, man, he sure is an anti-hero. He won't play by the rules, he beat that pedophile, it's all pretty sympathetic thus far. I like this-

*bang*

:stare:


Exactly. How that doesn't immediately hook someone in, I don't know.

I mean, it kind of slows down during the second episode because the focus is on the I.A. interrogation scenes, but you have so much tension in them as well due to the Assinve err Acaveda/Dutch and the trick that Acaveda pulls on both Shane and Dutch and many great elements as well.

I mean, fine about the second episode possibly, but the pilot?!




drat it, once I'm done with Cougar Town, I'll have to do a rewatch of the Shield. AGAIN. :colbert:

Twee as Fuck fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Dec 27, 2012

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

I didn't like the pilot of The Shield at all. I actually didn't like the pilot for Justified or Terriers either but I love them all now. At the time I felt like The Shield was overcompensating and trying to be too grimdarkshocking.

It's really amazing how Vick's actions in the pilot is still relevant to the story to the very end. And it's awesome to see the great acting, especially watching people squirm their way out of bad situations.

CarlosTheDwarf
Jun 1, 2001
Up shit creek.
I guess I'll recommend something available on Netflix that's not very popular. Harper's Island. Basically a 13 episode show about a wedding group stuck on an island with a serial killer. It's not a good show. But it's entertaining if you like horror/slasher type movies with some mystery added.

richardfun
Aug 10, 2008

Twenty years? It's no wonder I'm so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?

Twee as gently caress posted:

Exactly. How that doesn't immediately hook someone in, I don't know.

I mean, it kind of slows down during the second episode because the focus is on the I.A. interrogation scenes, but you have so much tension in them as well due to the Assinve err Acaveda/Dutch and the trick that Acaveda pulls on both Shane and Dutch and many great elements as well.

I mean, fine about the second episode possibly, but the pilot?!




drat it, once I'm done with Cougar Town, I'll have to do a rewatch of the Shield. AGAIN. :colbert:

Rewatching the Shield now. On season 5, and I forgot how absolutely creepy Forest Whitaker was in this. Guy makes my skin crawl.

EvilTobaccoExec
Dec 22, 2003

Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts!
For anyone that didn't realize why The Shield has so much traction in the thread right now... it's all on Hulu Plus. Every loving episode! So if you've never seen it, why the gently caress are you reading this thread instead of watching it? GO GO GO GO! Don't have hulu? Get a free trial and marathon till your eyes bleed!

As the first real basic cable drama way back in 2002, The Shield's pilot is pretty dated and tries to ride the edge of these stereotypical cop archetypes. And then something clicks.

Still though, that first season is this battle trying to figure out what it wants and and can be a bit of a chore to watch for those of us TV snobs who usually wont touch something unless it's HBO caliber. Much like Justified many years later, that first season also leans really heavy on those MOW ("murder" of the week) plot lines ahead of the serialized element, but also like Justified the second season and beyond manage to strike the perfect cord of the real tense long con, constantly refreshed with these interweaving procedural elements that sometimes account to nothing more than a one-shot tale and at other times end up the rip cord leading to the next season's major arc.

As a total loving "HBO, golden age TV only" whore, I say confidently The Shield is one of the best shows ever created from start to finish, and manages this incredible level of coming full circle on a lot of arcs and minor characters that otherwise would amount to nothing on most shows. This is especially true of comparable shows at the time before this type of television really took off. Even after it did, The Shield never has a stale season, or a plot too out there, or huge cast shuffles because x actor got a job in y movie. Unlike most of the other great television works being very deliberately slow and focused on litter human interaction, The Shield is a high intensity action-tethered show in the style of OZ and Breaking Bad. That's not to say it doesn't have it's fair share of social commentary, but primarily the deeper questions and themes offered come in the form of complex character study much like Breaking Bad. There's a good reason The Shield gets mentioned so often in the BB threads.

I really could talk about this show for hours... gently caress I have before. I've written so much on these forums that I could publish my own journal on it. I've seen it far too many times, and watched the commentary tracks at least twice. The Shield thread is really good about spoilers usually, but anyone wanting to play it super safe feel free to PM me anything, questions, comments, whatever.

TLDR? WATCH THIS poo poo.

DarkCrawler
Apr 6, 2009

by vyelkin
Agree with all of the above.

Watching the Scandal, almost finished with the first season. Can you say the most badass first lady ever GODDAMN

escape artist
Sep 24, 2005

Slow train coming
American Dad. I love it so much. Definitely more than Family Guy, but I love Family Guy too so that's more of a testament to how good AD is. It's fun to get into an animated comedy show so late that you've got 130+ episodes to watch.

Rogue1-and-a-half
Mar 7, 2011

CarlosTheDwarf posted:

I guess I'll recommend something available on Netflix that's not very popular. Harper's Island. Basically a 13 episode show about a wedding group stuck on an island with a serial killer. It's not a good show. But it's entertaining if you like horror/slasher type movies with some mystery added.

I watched the first two episodes of that and gave up. The main thing I took away from what I saw was that there's a reason most slasher movies aren't thirteen hours long.

Trig Discipline
Jun 3, 2008

Please leave the room if you think this might offend you.
Grimey Drawer
Binged through the first season of Downton Abbey last night, probably going to do the rest of it over the next few days. It's totally a soap opera, but a very good one.

DominoDancing
Apr 26, 2008

Each morning after Sunblest
Feel the benefit
Mental arithmetic

Trig Discipline posted:

Binged through the first season of Downton Abbey last night, probably going to do the rest of it over the next few days. It's totally a soap opera, but a very good one.

The second season is a lot worse and has a few plot lines that are just too ridiculous for me accept, even in a "well, it's only a soap opera" way (Miracle healings, convenient deaths, disfigured Canadians). But if you power through it, season 3 is fortunately better again.

Rabbit Hill
Mar 11, 2009

God knows what lives in me in place of me.
Grimey Drawer
I just watched the first eight episodes of Alphas in one day (hey, I'm on vacation) and I'm loving this show.

First of all, it's true: it's Heroes but good. And actually, it's even cooler than that -- apparently the creators were heavily influenced by the research of Oliver Sacks, and all of the super-powers on the show are technically possible given our current understanding of neurology. So no laser-eyes or teleportation, and no invincible superheroes: the Alphas are regular humans with one savant ability.

Second of all: David Strathairn. One of the greatest character actors around, and he's brought his A-game. It's neat to watch how he infuses even the simplest, most banal dialogue with his sense of character. Plus, seriously: silver fox.

Strathairn's character of Rosen is really well-drawn, and only part of the credit can go to his acting. Rosen's a genuinely sensitive, gentle, caring, paternal figure, and he's also a genuinely condescending, meddling, arrogant man, and these two sides mesh so perfectly it seems as though, as self-aware as he is, he himself has no idea that he's not entirely benevolent. His flaws are revealed in little throw-away moments -- for example, in one scene, he gives one of his underlings some kindly advice; in a later scene, the underling teases Rosen by giving that advice back to him in a good-humored way. Given what you know of the man, you expect Rosen to humbly chuckle at the irony and admit his weakness, but instead he sharply says, "Don't be cute," and the conversation moves on. So far (up to 1x08) there have been no big dramatic scenes (or episodes) where Rosen's dark side is spotlighted, but it trickles out in little offhand moments like that and I can't wait to see where this goes.

To expand on this: the writers on the show are exceptionally good at working in character moments seamlessly into the plot-bearing and even exposition-dumping dialogue. The character moments aren't isolated into bookend scenes like a lot of shows do it, or cordoned off into discrete chunks that could easily be edited out for time -- they're worked right into the meat of the scenes so that you learn about these people in a totally organic way. Also, the ensemble cast has great chemistry and there is a lot of humor and teasing that feels so genuine and spontaneous I wonder if it's adlibbed and not scripted.

Basically, something has always got your attention -- whether it be the acting (besides Strathairn, Malik Yoba and Gary Cartwright are putting in really natural and believable performances, and Garrett Dillahunt just showed up as a charismatic but sinister preacher [the best kind :v:]), the premise, the writing, or the cast interaction. It really is a surprisingly good show.

DarkCrawler
Apr 6, 2009

by vyelkin
I guess I have to rewatch it because I thought it was a sort of a mediocre show. With Rosen as the saving grace, though. Too "monster of the week" for me. But maybe I never picked up on the good stuff.

richardfun
Aug 10, 2008

Twenty years? It's no wonder I'm so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?

Rabbit Hill posted:

I just watched the first eight episodes of Alphas in one day (hey, I'm on vacation) and I'm loving this show.

First of all, it's true: it's Heroes but good. And actually, it's even cooler than that -- apparently the creators were heavily influenced by the research of Oliver Sacks, and all of the super-powers on the show are technically possible given our current understanding of neurology. So no laser-eyes or teleportation, and no invincible superheroes: the Alphas are regular humans with one savant ability.

Second of all: David Strathairn. One of the greatest character actors around, and he's brought his A-game. It's neat to watch how he infuses even the simplest, most banal dialogue with his sense of character. Plus, seriously: silver fox.

Strathairn's character of Rosen is really well-drawn, and only part of the credit can go to his acting. Rosen's a genuinely sensitive, gentle, caring, paternal figure, and he's also a genuinely condescending, meddling, arrogant man, and these two sides mesh so perfectly it seems as though, as self-aware as he is, he himself has no idea that he's not entirely benevolent. His flaws are revealed in little throw-away moments -- for example, in one scene, he gives one of his underlings some kindly advice; in a later scene, the underling teases Rosen by giving that advice back to him in a good-humored way. Given what you know of the man, you expect Rosen to humbly chuckle at the irony and admit his weakness, but instead he sharply says, "Don't be cute," and the conversation moves on. So far (up to 1x08) there have been no big dramatic scenes (or episodes) where Rosen's dark side is spotlighted, but it trickles out in little offhand moments like that and I can't wait to see where this goes.

To expand on this: the writers on the show are exceptionally good at working in character moments seamlessly into the plot-bearing and even exposition-dumping dialogue. The character moments aren't isolated into bookend scenes like a lot of shows do it, or cordoned off into discrete chunks that could easily be edited out for time -- they're worked right into the meat of the scenes so that you learn about these people in a totally organic way. Also, the ensemble cast has great chemistry and there is a lot of humor and teasing that feels so genuine and spontaneous I wonder if it's adlibbed and not scripted.

Basically, something has always got your attention -- whether it be the acting (besides Strathairn, Malik Yoba and Gary Cartwright are putting in really natural and believable performances, and Garrett Dillahunt just showed up as a charismatic but sinister preacher [the best kind :v:]), the premise, the writing, or the cast interaction. It really is a surprisingly good show.

If you liked the first season, you're going to love the second one! Gary is the best.

Still no word on season 3 though :ohdear:

Inspector 34
Mar 9, 2009

DOES NOT RESPECT THE RUN

BUT THEY WILL
I'm trying to get started on The Shield, but Hulu is not cooperating. The show never restarts after commercials, it's just a blank black screen. If I reload the tab sometimes it works, most times not. Anybody else having issues?

Vanderdeath
Oct 1, 2005

I will confess,
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.



Luminous Obscurity posted:

Firefly's cancellation never tore me up that much. Kings on the other hand... :negative:

I thought I had gotten over the sting of Kings' cancellation but this reminder made me realize that the pain's still there. :smith:

Logan 5
Jan 29, 2007

Bash -> To the Cop

Trig Discipline posted:

Binged through the first season of Downton Abbey last night, probably going to do the rest of it over the next few days. It's totally a soap opera, but a very good one.

Downton Abbey is the best soap opera. My sister made me watch an episode and we ended up watching 2 seasons in 2 days.

Recently I've been watching a lot of QI (Quite Interesting), a British quiz-like show hosted by Stephen Fry with 4 actor/comedian contestants. Its informative and funny, although I don't always get all the British-centric references. It is also, inexplicably, mostly available on youtube.

Rapsey
Sep 29, 2005
I think Downton Abbey should have stayed a 1 season show. The writers can apparently write amazing characters, but story-wise there is a lot of deus ex machina.

thrakkorzog
Nov 16, 2007

DarkCrawler posted:

I guess I have to rewatch it because I thought it was a sort of a mediocre show. With Rosen as the saving grace, though. Too "monster of the week" for me. But maybe I never picked up on the good stuff.

Like a lot of genre shows, it starts off with a lot of MOTW A-plots, with character and background world building relegated to B-plots. Then the last couple of episodes move the major plot along, leading to a great second season.

kylejack
Feb 28, 2006

I'M AN INSUFFERABLE PEDANTIC POMPOUS RACIST TROLL WHO BELIEVES VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM. I SUFFER FROM TERMINAL WHITE GUILT. PLEASE EXPOSE MY LIES OR BETTER YET JUST IGNORE ME!

lordfrikk posted:

I don't know if there's a more appropriate thread but I'm interested in good (great would be preferable, since I'm not intending to consume a big amount of them) Spanish TV shows. Honestly, they don't even have to be Spanish as long as they're featuring an original Spanish dub (no Spanish-dubbed US or British shows).

I could Google around but I was hoping I will get some neat tips because I am terrified of someone recommending me what amounts to Ugly Betty-kind-of-soap-opera.
When I was learning Spanish, we watched a show called Destinos. It's a telenovela soap opera/mystery kind of thing made specifically for learning Spanish, but there was something intangible about it that made it really enjoyable.

Mis hijos. Si si, mis hijos.

lordfrikk
Mar 11, 2010

Oh, say it ain't fuckin' so,
you stupid fuck!

kylejack posted:

When I was learning Spanish, we watched a show called Destinos. It's a telenovela soap opera/mystery kind of thing made specifically for learning Spanish, but there was something intangible about it that made it really enjoyable.

Mis hijos. Si si, mis hijos.

Thanks, I'll check it out! Mystery is always good in my book.

If anyone else has tips on Spanish TV shows, please keep 'em coming!

Lord Dekks
Jan 24, 2005

I couldn't find a recommendation thread so hopefully this is the best place to ask this. Me and the wife are almost completely up to date on our current show binge (Supernatural and re-watching Seinfeld) and are at a loss what to watch next.

Can anyone recommend any fun to watch procedurals/monster of the week shows? We feel like we've done all the usual ones like X-Files, Fringe, Supernatural, Grimm and Warehouse 13 and have watched most of the more fun crime ones that we've heard of. We mostly like the ones that are a little goofy/silly over the more serious ones, so more along the lines of Sherlock, Burn Notice, White Collar and Castle than CSI and the like. We watched a few episodes of Suits and Psych but neither really grabbed us for some reason despite being fairly popular in TVIV.

Something a little more serious is fine as well, and to that end we enjoyed Mad Men, Dexter, BSG, The Wire, Spartacus (Okay that one maybe isn't so serious...) and Rome etc. We seem to be the only people in the world who couldn't get into Breaking Bad despite watching most of the first season, and Treme and Boardwalk Empire were a bit disappointing, probably because we were expecting another Wire out of them.

This should be something easily google-able but most of the results I find just keep being the same 20 shows listed starting with The Wire, Rome, Dexter...etc.

escape artist
Sep 24, 2005

Slow train coming
Go for Carnivale. You got monsters and serious drama!

Twee as Fuck
Nov 13, 2012

by Lowtax
Veronica Mars is the first show that comes to mind when I read your list. It mixes longer arcs with case of the week stuff, has some pretty dramatic moments but is first and foremost funny and really enjoyable.

If you have not seen it, you owe it to yourself.

Revenge is another possibility

Joramun
Dec 1, 2011

No man has need of candles when the Sun awaits him.
Seconding Revenge. It is exactly what you are looking for, Lord Dekks.

Doctor Candiru
Dec 23, 2004
Umbrella Monkey Sand
I'm surprised you haven't seen House. It's medical, but probably the best medical procedural. Really funny, too.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

The Rooster
Jul 25, 2004

If you've got white people problems I feel bad for you son
I've got 99 problems but being socially privileged ain't one

escape artist posted:

Go for Carnivale. You got monsters and serious drama!

and blueballs.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply