Forum posts to 'General Discussion'

Re: Game of Thrones

TheTVCritic — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:56:09 +0000

Ha. No worries. Yeah I'm sure you're right that they are meant to have spent a few weeks there. But from our perspective it feels like a day or two later.

A friend of mine just watched Season 1 and that was his assumption. It's only natural as any other TV show would just pick up where the previous episode left off. I think those early episodes suffered a little from that sort of misunderstanding. By seasons end it wasn't a problem.

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Re: Game of Thrones

RevenantThings — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:05:44 +0000

Hey, only took 5 months to make a proper reply. :/

Anyway, After re-watching the show yet again the only reference to time passing between episodes one and two was a passing comment by Catelyn to Ned (I think, could be wrong but someone said it) about how long the Lannisters have been in Winterfell (which was a few weeks). Then you have to assume it takes another few weeks for the gang (everyone except Tyrion, who is going north to check out The Wall) to travel back to King's Landing. A decent amount of time for the family to get attached to their respective pets, especially children.

You also have to factor in the fact that according to the UK safety laws with using child actors, real wolves couldn't be used so the production team settled on Northern Inuit Dogs (As per Wikipedia anyway). I'm hoping now that the series' popularity has grown significantly, that HBO will give the special effects team enough funding to design convincing direwolves as they become more prominent later.

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Re: Thanks for the Summations

TheTVCritic — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:33:53 +0000

Hey Yogabon,

Thanks for letting me know what you're watching. I will definitely keep blogging about the new shows airing so anyone can come see if they are worth checking out. I'm glad it can be of help to you.

I will be opening up nominations and voting for the best shows \ moments \ episodes of 2011 very soon so do come back and let everyone know what you thought.

Thanks again,
Robin

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Thanks for the Summations

Yogabon — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:51:32 +0000

Hi Robin,
Just want to thank you for the time you took to summise the shows on your blog.

I found you during my LOST obsession. I moved to Fringe and love the show.

I currently am most vested in Walking Dead for good drama. Bones for light drama and Glee because I have a 13 year old.

I love Breaking Bad but am dreadfully behind. Dexter is completely done for me.

I also really enjoy Modern Family and Community at times but find it hard to dedicate time to half hour sitcoms.

I'm trying American Horror but haven't learned to really like any of the characters (one of the reasons I dropped True Blood).

Wishing you and yours a very happy Christmas and New Year,
Cheers,
Yogabon

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Re: Game of Thrones

TheTVCritic — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:22:14 +0000

Hey,

Thanks for commenting.

I will take your word for it for now. And that's a good spot.

I don't think enough was made of how much time had passed between episodes. Aren't they still in Winterfell in episode 2? Why are they still there when Ned is supposed to be off to King's Landing? I don't remember feeling like so much time had past.

Robin

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Re: Game of Thrones

RevenantThings — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:54:27 +0000

Hey Robin,

Just finished your podcast with Brando about Game of Thrones. You mentioned how you thought the direwolves grew rather quickly. I just rewatched the pilot and saw the mother direwolf of the litter and noted how huge she was. It looks like the direwolves aren't done growing by a long shot. Based on how big the adult carcass was I'm guessing the wolves are about a quarter grown. Factor in the fact that about a month has passed in between episode 1 and 2 and I think it's pretty reasonable to see the wolves at that size. For what it's worth maybe you could go back real quick and see?

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Re: Game of Thrones

TheTVCritic — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:04:44 +0000

Hi all,

Donna - I'm glad you're enjoying Game of Thrones. I hope you've found my reviews of the first 4 episodes. I have had several people ask me to podcast about it and if I have time I will try.

While I agree about Spartacus being very good, it is definitely the opposit of Rubicon in style. And I don't just mean the obvious visual aspects. I mean Spartacus is a show that works so well because the emotions and desires of its characters are obvious and presented for all to see. Rubicon was all about characters trapped in a world of secrets and emotional suffocation.

So it's no surprise that the two might attract different audiences.

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Re: Game of Thrones

RevenantThings — Sun, 15 May 2011 04:32:18 +0000

Hey,

Just wondering what you mean by Spartacus being for fanboys. Spartacus was the best show all last year in my opinion.

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Game of Thrones

DeeElle — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:35:06 +0000

OK, so I'm trying to stop sulking about the cancellation of RUBICON. Spartacus is for fanboys, and the casting spoils CAMELOT for me. The BORGIAS is ponderous and joyless.

For a rousing costume drama I'll cast my vote for GAME of THRONES. I'm looking forward to your comments on that show

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Re: A Good TV Show

TheTVCritic — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:37:16 +0000

Hey Gaff,

Thanks for posting that question here. It's definitely a key question to my work here.

The words "Best" and "Good" are very vague when it comes to TV shows.

You mention the commercial aspects of a shows success and that is certainly one way of looking at the strengths of a show. TV does have a specific financial goal as an art form. If a show can’t attract enough viewers to justify its budget then in the eyes of those who pay for it it will have failed.

However I assume from your question that you don’t really want to debate the commercial success of Star Trek and Dr Who. Practically speaking both were established in the 1960s when there was less competition in all art forms but particularly in the sci-fi genre. So to some extent their brands have name recognition which has helped their longevity.

So if we move to assessing them creatively we encounter a load of new problems. You mention criteria which includes attracting younger and older viewers. If that is part of your criteria then that is a specific or narrow view of what makes a TV show successful. Shows like “Mad Men” or “Breaking Bad” are deliberately built for an adult audience and wouldn’t face criticism for not attracting younger viewers.

So it sounds like you might want to debate something more specific like “Why have Star Trek and Dr Who been so successful for so long.” In which case their ability to attract younger viewers who then perhaps grow up to encourage their children to watch the newest version would be an important part of their success.

Both Star Trek (particularly TOS) and Dr Who operate on a generally similar basis. In that they tend to set up a new problem or situation each week often involving some kind of moral dilemma. I suppose you could get specific about stories and characters within the show where each show has been particularly daring or successful. A thorough google search would almost certainly bring up academic articles about Star Trek. I remember within the last couple of months the BBC podcast “Thinking Aloud” had a segment on Dr Who from an academic point of view. If you look in Itunes you should be able to find that episode.

A problem I can see in comparing the two though is that Star Trek is a far more commercially successful series. Of course it is based in a much larger and richer country but you would have to be very specific to argue that Dr Who is the better show. And by specific I mean you would need to argue that Dr Who has tackled a much wider variety of topics or tackled them with greater thoroughness or more interesting perspectives. I’m sure you could make that case. However personally as a TV Critic I would come to Star Trek’s defense. After all Dr Who is a BBC product and the BBC’s charter specifically encourages shows to explore difficult topics while the license fee protects the show from some commercial considerations. Whereas Star Trek had to stand alone in a commercial marketplace and draw an audience or go out of business (as Enterprise did). This means that Star Trek arguably had a greater pressure on it not to offend anyone’s sensibilities.

I guess you will have to make up your own criteria in this case. In most shows I watch I argue that the most important factor is believability and the internal consistency of a show’s universe. One of my favourite episodes of Star Trek ever is the Deep Space Nine episode “In the Pale Moonlight.” Having seen season after season of Starfleet officers behave impeccably there was nothing more compelling to me than to see one decide to lie and cheat for the greater good. For me the years of consistency helped create the believable drama of Captain Sisko breaking the rules. I haven’t seen enough Dr Who to know how this might apply in that case.

That belief in believability and consistency is what allows me to talk about “good” and “bad” storytelling, characterization, drama and comedy. Unless you have a definition in mind it might be difficult to argue academically about what is better than something else.

I’ve covered a lot of ground here; I hope some of it was helpful. If you are writing a university-style essay then I imagine you will need to frame the question quite specifically. Perhaps something about Dr Who being more successful then Star Trek at tackling moral questions. I’m sure you would be able to find other academic articles on this theme to help you.

Let us know what you think…

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Re: A Good TV Show

Ben — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:35:18 +0000

I am a big fan of Doctor Who, but are you working with the old or new series of Doctor Who?

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Re: A Good TV Show

TheTVCritic — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:42:45 +0000

I will get back to you asap...

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A Good TV Show

Gaffigan — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:47:50 +0000

Right now, I'm doing a research project that involves examining two sci-fi TV shows: "Star Trek" and "Doctor Who". Basically, I'm trying to see which one is a better TV show, but it's more academically minded.

The problem I'm coming up with is trying to find a definition for what makes a "good TV show". I know that you can tell if something is good by how long its been on and how many viewers have seen it and continue to see it. However, what I'm looking for is a set of qualities that actually make a TV show good.

To me, a good TV show involves a good story, involving a character or two that are both engaging for younger viewers, and complex enough for older viewers. It should have more than just a sci-fi element to it as well. There should be some comedy within it and some drama.

This sort of thought is not completely developed yet, but I know what direction I want to take with this research. I was wondering if I could get everyone's take on it.

Gaff.

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Re: The 2010-11 Television Season

TheTVCritic — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:17:14 +0000

Thanks for the support. I'm looking forward to hearing which shows you guys like.

Keep checking the "Other Reviews" section to see which new shows I'm watching. I will podcast about them all at the end of the week too.

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Re: The 2010-11 Television Season

Yogabon — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:10:17 +0000

I forget how annoying the commercial breaks on tv are. Couldn't these guys get a clue and offer much longer times between the commercials to at least help us get hooked on the new shows!

Looking forward to reading more on your take on what's new and returning this year.

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Re: The 2010-11 Television Season

DeeElle — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:30:22 +0000

LONE STAR is intruguing. Otherwise, nothing sounds new. The EVENT may turn out to be interesting, but I'm wary of getting too attached. It took most of last season to interest me in Flash Forward, and it was promptly cancelled.
As for returns, I love DEXTER, and MODERN FAMILY, and FRINGE is fun.
I've mentioned elsewhere that I'm enjoying RUBICON more with each episode. It's a show that invites discussion and conjecture.

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Re: The 2010-11 Television Season

TheTVCritic — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:58:46 +0000

Hey Ben,

Thanks for posting. I can't say I have heard of any new shows that have me excited. But then again maybe I'm still reeling from Flashforward.

I guess my list of returning shows remains decent sized though I am only looking forward to Dexter, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, Parks and Rec, Community and Modern Family.

For various other reasons I will also be welcoming back
How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, The Simpsons and Family Guy.

In 2011 I will also be very happy to see the Spartacus: Blood and Sand prequel, Curb Your Enthusiasm and definitely Breaking Bad.

A tv critic whose opinion I often agree with is Alan Sepinwall and he listed the new shows he most liked the look of here http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/press-tour-the-best-new-shows-i-saw

I'm sure I will be checking most of those out along with "The Event" from NBC though there is a lot of scepticism surrounding it.

Anyone got any other thoughts?

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The 2010-11 Television Season

Ben — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:29:04 +0000

So, with summer programming coming to an end, this new television season comes around, and quite frankly I'm a bit concerned. It feels as if they aren't as many new shows as there usually is, and of course all returning shows are back one year older and odds are, one year weaker.

Is anyone pumped for this year?

My list of shows for this year is quite small; just The Office, Burn Notice (when it comes back), Chuck, House, and maybe catching up on Breaking Bad.

Any suggestions?

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Re: Mid-season Break

TheTVCritic — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:59:36 +0000

She should wear a bra? You have no idea what makes good TV do you?

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Re: Mid-season Break

Cordia — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:01:15 +0000

Well, since I completely bailed on Dollhouse, I never had to see Topher get all prominent and stuff. So that's okay. And I don't hate Juliet. I just think she should wear a bra and stuff. I hate Kate more, and she's still around. But at least Lost makes up for it with other good stuff.

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Re: Mid-season Break

TheTVCritic — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:09:37 +0000

I have a feeling Juliet and Sawyer may be heading for some kind of happy ending by season's end. I don't think you should announce your hatreds to the world. Look what happened to Topher. As soon as you dislike someone they start to become more prominent in a show

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Re: Mid-season Break

Cordia — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:32:49 +0000

I just finished watching the first disc of Dexter season 3! Awesome stuff. I'm three episodes in and love it. The show is just so interesting. And the new (to me) character of Miguel trying to actually be friends with Dexter is great conflict.

Of course, now that Lost is back, I don't really need much else for filler. Anyone else beyond happy that Juliet is officially deceased? If she comes back and starts talking to Hurley I might hurl.

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Re: Mid-season Break

TheTVCritic — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:59:21 +0000

My housemate loves anime. Sadly all my network TV fills most of my time but I will keep it in mind...

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Re: Mid-season Break

Ben — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:09:59 +0000

Nah, I am not a Buffy fan, none of my friends ever watched it, so it sort of blew by me.

I am rather intrigued that you have added it to the site, its not the kind of show I would expect you to review, should be interesting.

A show I would recommend you to review or just watch is Death Note, its a great anime and it has a solid dub. I'm sure someone else on the forums has seen it.

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Re: Mid-season Break

TheTVCritic — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:22:37 +0000

Hey Ben,

Yeah I am worried about "The Office." I haven't reviewed it yet but I was deeply unimpressed with the last episode. I don't often say this about shows but I'm not sure there is much more for them to do.

Michael has outlasted everyone above him at Dunder Mifflin and it now seems like a retread for him to deal with a new set of bosses. With Jim and Pam happy and no focus on the minor characters I can't see a good direction for the show to go in.

"Chuck" is a tricky one for me. I do kind of turn off my brain and enjoy it because the spy stuff is so ludicrous that I don't get too worried about the storylines.

I would have enjoyed Chuck and Sarah being a couple and working together but I understand why they want to keep them apart for longer. I've never been a huge fan of the way Jeff and Lester were written but I agree that I miss the 'B' plots now that they aren't always there.

I don't have the energy right now to write about 30 Rock

Were you ever a Buffy fan?

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Re: Mid-season Break

Ben — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:00:26 +0000

Since the break, I've continued to watch the same shows.

I'm a little disappointed in Chuck this season for repeating the sexual tension again, but my main issue is that the show isn't as funny that I mainly attribute to the supporting cast taking episodes off due to budget cuts.

The Office is taking one too many hiatuses, now there's a break until March 4....

30 Rock has continued to annoy me, I don't know why I still watch... they should really get rid of it

Just something I hope someone will consider, should NBC end The Office after this season? I worry that the show has no ground left to cover after this current story arc. They probably won't because NBC is desperate for ratings and it is their best comedy, ratings wise. But it they do bring it back, then I hope they somehow incorporate the documentary to mix the show a little

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Re: Mid-season Break

TheTVCritic — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:37:52 +0000

I felt like that too at first. But it's structured a bit differenty. Leslie isn't incompetent or unlikeable the way Michael could be. So the show has developed a more enjoyable tone - where they all kind of like working together.

There have been moments where it has felt too similar to The Office, so I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling that way.

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Re: Mid-season Break

Ben — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:20:02 +0000

I have not watched Modern Family, or Breaking Bad.
Although in a perfect world, I probably would.

I find it surprising that Parks & Recreation is good this season, from the bits i've seen it looks awfully like The Office in its early years minus JAM

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Re: Mid-season Break

TheTVCritic — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:40:28 +0000

I agree about Community, I think there is real potential there. And about Parks and Recreation which despite some odd moments has been good too.

In both cases they have made me laugh out loud. When you watch so many shows on your own, often at weird times of the day, that is what you need from your comedies

I will be watching Chuck and Lost of course. Do you guys watch Breaking Bad? I will watch that when it returns. And what do you think of Modern Family which I have also enjoyed?

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Re: Mid-season Break

wolframhart — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:04:31 +0000

I completely forgot about Chuck coming back earlier than planned. I am pumped for that as well.

House should also be included in shows that improved from last season. The Office is consistent so I'll keep watching, but then again I don't think I would ever drop that show. 30 Rock is still watchable and I enjoy it.

You should definitely continue with Community. Catch up. It's a great comedy. Monk is over now isn't it. I have Curb on my list of shows to watch so I'm not sure if the show is down in quality or not.

I would caution you on Heroes.....

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