"TV" has really upped their game

[fazool]

It's The Game of Thrones Effect, I think.

Studios saw how ridiculously successful a series can be (analogous to the WoW effect) and, so really put an investment into good shows.

I've heard good things about The Magicians (although I didnt like the pilot).
I've heard great things about Stranger Things.


I binge-watched the entire first season of Prime's Carnival Row - it was great and I couldn't get enough of it.

I just binge watched the entire first season of Youtube's Impule - same.

Really good shows I would highly recommend if you like imagination-based genres.

[imwjl]

It does look like good new stuff is out there but I can't imagine hooking up a TV again. I might check out the Apple and Disney stuff about to be live.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by fazool

It's The Game of Thrones Effect, I think.

Studios saw how ridiculously successful a series can be (analogous to the WoW effect) and, so really put an investment into good shows.

I've heard good things about The Magicians (although I didnt like the pilot).
I've heard great things about Stranger Things.


I binge-watched the entire first season of Prime's Carnival Row - it was great and I couldn't get enough of it.

I just binge watched the entire first season of Youtube's Impule - same.

Really good shows I would highly recommend if you like imagination-based genres.

I think really started with Breaking Bad. Starting breaking away from the reality show paradigm that dominated TV in the years before that, thank god.

Good Shows:

Peaky Blinders
Mindhunter
The Killing
Halt and Catch Fire
The Terror
Black Sails
Better Call Saul
Breaking Bad
Fargo (all seasons)
True Detective (first season)
Mr. Robot
The Boys
Travelers
The Fall

Many more...

[fazool]

I said "TV" just so people would understand what I meant - but the shows I referred to were really online streaming shows

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by robj144

I think really started with Breaking Bad. Starting breaking away from the reality show paradigm that dominated TV in the years before that, thank god.

Agreed with AMC's "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men," although we could really go back to HBO's "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" for offering up huge alternatives to network drivel. Of course, streaming has allowed it to go to a whole new level with original programming from (primarily) Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc.

[Pura Vida]

BTW, robj144 listed some great shows, but I have to enthusiastically second his recommendation for David Fincher's "Mindhunter." Netflix is killing it with their programming... original series, mini-series (currently watching "Unbelievable"), documentaries, music, and the list goes on.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by fazool

I said "TV" just so people would understand what I meant - but the shows I referred to were really online streaming shows

Yes, I assumed you meant content but I was thinking how I do view what little I consume. We're as gone from sitting in front of a TV as we are paying for a cable TV bundle. Once in a while the kids and my wife use the Apple and Roku hockey puck devices on the TV but most all video consumption has moved to the phone, a computer or tablet.

I remember Steve Carel as being funny and see he's in one of the Apple products about to launch. I might try that. On upped the game and new media, I confess I've liked their News+. Their video product and that will be less than the newspaper subscription I cancelled and most of the paper I cancelled is in the paid News+.

I guess it's a year ago now, but I got the flagship iPhone and before that the large "Retina" type iMac. That fundamentally changed how I consume media. One of the phones launching this week is the same key elements $300 cheaper. I'm sure that will help change what TV is.

[01bluemiata]

True Detective, Season 1, was one of the most compelling shows I've seen in 'forever'. If you haven't watched it, PUT IT ON YOUR LIST TO DO SO!

Definitely watch all three seasons of Stranger Things. I stopped watching TV years ago but I made an exception for Stranger Things and it was totally worth my time.

[emtsteve]

Shows like this are really the only TV I watch anymore. Regular TV network programming, especially the awful reality stuff, only contributes to the dumbing down of the masses. Throw in commercials and it's a NOGO zone for me.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by emtsteve

Shows like this are really the only TV I watch anymore. Regular TV network programming, especially the awful reality stuff, only contributes to the dumbing down of the masses. Throw in commercials and it's a NOGO zone for me.

Yes. I'll catch conventional TV in break rooms, when I'm a guest somewhere or in hotel rooms. It's wretched bad. Stupid content, pundits confused as news, and a huge income party for the concentrated owners of local stations from all the campaign spending. No matter what the physical screen any more viewing for me will have to cut out all that garbage.

I manage 3 commercial type Facebook sites so when I do those logins and see what the masses I get that comment on the masses except I think there's nothing new with a lot of dumbness. Some of us just catch how much there is as we age!

Regardless, for a not much of a TV guy, I see there's stuff coming that interests me. I also followed the Disney and Apple stuff from finance news and appreciate knowing they're making some sincere efforts to produce quality stuff.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

Agreed with AMC's "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men," although we could really go back to HBO's "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" for offering up huge alternatives to network drivel. Of course, streaming has allowed it to go to a whole new level with original programming from (primarily) Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc.

I agree but am also old enough to remember vintage “ground breaking” one-hour shows such as St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and others...

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by RP

I agree but am also old enough to remember vintage “ground breaking” one-hour shows such as St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and others...

Good point. All of those shows pushed the envelope. But for me, the HBO shows were groundbreaking b/c they didn't have to adhere to network content censorship, paving the way for today's streaming content.

[boombox]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Definitely watch all three seasons of Stranger Things. I stopped watching TV years ago but I made an exception for Stranger Things and it was totally worth my time.

Hadn't stopped watching TV, but I concur on Stranger Things - just wish I could now get 'The Never Ending Story' theme out of my head!! (And does anyone else agree that Steve and Robin just owned last season?)

I've never really gone a bundle on recent crime-based series and saw Breaking Bad as a rehash (pun intended) of Weeds, but not as clever. That said, 'Killing Eve' definitely justified the buzz around it and Bodyguard was pretty good. I was a big fan too of Designated Survivor, now sadly cancelled.

I prefer a good bit of sci-fi or fantasy and we've been spoiled in recent years - Thrones obviously set the bar, but for pure entertainment, there have been many well-made shows I followed religiously. Some of my favourites have been Vikings, Black Sails, The Terror, The Last Ship, The Man In The High Castle, The Handmaid's Tale, Star Trek: Discovery and The Orville. We've also got Picard and season 2 of Britannia in the works as well as new series promised of the recent, excellent Carnival Row and Warrior. I read today too that Amazon are to starting shooting a Tolkien series with a reported one billion dollar budget.

Unfortunately though, channels are too governed by ratings or what the suits see as market demographics, so great shows like Braindead, Dark Matter, The Gifted, The Shannara Chronicles and Colony got cancelled. At least the writers will get the chance to end The 100 in style - a 16 episode final season planned to end the show on 100 episodes.

[imwjl]

I noticed promotions for the new Apple TV this weekend and a premier of a series but did not recognize the people. I guess the show with Steve Carel comes out later.

My wife has asked about cable TV again and I recall Apple's offering is much less but I know it's not the same. I've asked her to look at other ways to view whatever show she wants.

With rain in the forecast I might dig into this Apple promo and what we might get with Hulu and others. If this offering is like their News+, the content is very good and the software update from the past week made it better.

I would prefer TV shows and possibly gym membership to be pay as you go.