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[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Match of the Day

[Cruiserweight]

Packers/Steelers game

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

BBC News

[tdalton]

Falcons v. Jets (Pathetic )

[Agent 76]

24



Hercule Poirot's Christmas

[SecretAgentFan]

I have discovered CHUCK.

And I like it. Funny, light, entertaining fluff but well made. Kudos!

[tdalton]

I have discovered CHUCK.

And I like it. Funny, light, entertaining fluff but well made. Kudos!

Great to see another CHUCK fan around here. Great show.


January 10 can't get here soon enough. Can't wait for (finally) some new episodes.

[Cruiserweight]

Sportscenter

[Ambler]

Dollhouse on DVD.

Some good ideas dragged down by a cowardly studio and a vapid lead.

[Salomé]

Dollhouse on DVD.

Some good ideas dragged down by a cowardly studio and a vapid lead.

Did you ever get around to giving Firefly a chance? Even though Whedon was hampered by Fox as well in the execution of his ideas, it's far less of an issue there. And the cast is infinitely superior.

I found Dollhouse uninteresting for the most part. And I agree about Dushku, the series was dead the moment they cast her in the leading role. Next to Olivia Williams and Enver Gjokaj, I found the cast to be sorely lacking in quality.

[Cruiserweight]

ECW

[Ambler]

Dollhouse on DVD.

Some good ideas dragged down by a cowardly studio and a vapid lead.

Did you ever get around to giving Firefly a chance? Even though Whedon was hampered by Fox as well in the execution of his ideas, it's far less of an issue there. And the cast is infinitely superior.

I found Dollhouse uninteresting for the most part. And I agree about Dushku, the series was dead the moment they cast her in the leading role. Next to Olivia Williams and Enver Gjokaj, I found the cast to be sorely lacking in quality.

Still haven't watched all of Firefly. Space opera isn't generally my thing, but the girl next door has the set so I might nab it next time I borrow a cup of sugar.

Dollhouse struck me as having great possibilities. It could have used the SF genre to disguise a commentary on human trafficking, mind control and prostitution, but instead most of the episodes were low-concept spy stories, badly written and poorly executed.

I agree about Olivia Williams, thought she was the best thing in the show; if Eon is looking for a Dench replacement she's right there. However, I don't get the Victor thing; if you mean he's a good-looking guy then I take your point.

In the end I remain unconvinced by the Joss Whedon phenomenon.

Edited by Ambler, 23 December 2009 - 11:06 AM.

[Salomé]

Dollhouse on DVD.

Some good ideas dragged down by a cowardly studio and a vapid lead.

Did you ever get around to giving Firefly a chance? Even though Whedon was hampered by Fox as well in the execution of his ideas, it's far less of an issue there. And the cast is infinitely superior.

I found Dollhouse uninteresting for the most part. And I agree about Dushku, the series was dead the moment they cast her in the leading role. Next to Olivia Williams and Enver Gjokaj, I found the cast to be sorely lacking in quality.

Still haven't watched all of Firefly. Space opera isn't generally my thing, but the girl next door has the set so I might nab it next time I borrow a cup of sugar.

Dollhouse struck me as having great possibilities. It could have used the SF genre to disguise a commentary on human trafficking, mind control and prostitution, but instead most of the episodes were low-concept spy stories, badly written and poorly executed.

I agree about Olivia Williams, thought she was the best thing in the show; if Eon is looking for a Dench replacement she's right there. However, I don't get the Victor thing; if you mean he's a good-looking guy then I take your point.

In the end I remain unconvinced by the Joss Whedon phenomenon.

I find Enver Gjokaj not at all attractive.

He does however do some interesting things from a purely acting/technical point of view in the second series. I will admit that in the Victor persona, he was largely uninteresting. But the Victor doll is used by several personas in the second season of Dollhouse, and he does very well in capturing the different tics and mannerisms of the personalities that inhabit the Victor body.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Frasier

[Ambler]

Victor doll is used by several personas in the second season of Dollhouse, and he does very well in capturing the different tics and mannerisms of the personalities that inhabit the Victor body.

Ah,you have the advantage over me there, young lady.

Haven't seen the second Dollhouse series. It's on Sci-Fi in the UK and has been put on hiatus until 2010, most likely because of Fox's mid-season break in the USA.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Only Fools And Horses

[Cruiserweight]

Mike And Mike In The Morning

[0024]

'Arrested Development'

[Cruiserweight]

First Take

[dinovelvet]

BTW, can anyone from the U.K. tell me what 'Gazza like some posh' means? In the second episode of the first season of the U.K. version, Jennifer goes down to the warehouse to do an inspection with David Brent, and finds the workers standing around watching a video of two dogs humping. When Jennifer confronts one of the slacking workers, he says something to the effect of: 'Wait your turn, luv. Gozza like some posh'.

Well Jennifer, being a classy, well-to-do lady, is the "bit of posh" in question. Presumably the worker's name is Gazza (which would be a nickname for either Gareth or the surname Gascoigne etc). So basically he's making a suggestive/sexual harassmentish comment to her face.

Anyway I couldn't stand the American version. Too broad, they sitcom-ed it up for network tv.

[Cruiserweight]

Sportscenter

[Safari Suit]

What I still continue to not understand about British television is why they don't make more episodes. 6 episodes in a "season" is just not enough. You all have some great shows. Why not make more of them?

Part of it has to do with regulated budgeting requirements and distribution (the BBC is funded entirely by a TV licence fee mandatory for anyone in the UK who wants to live in a household with a TV). Part of it has to do with some kind of precedent set in the 50s which I read about once but a ) forgot b ) can't find and c ) I'm pretty sure I didn't understand when I read it but it does exist. There are probably other reasons, but I can't recall them right now, or simply don't know them.

As for why the UK Office is rauchier than the US one, censorship for British TV after the watershead is much, much laxer than it is for mainstream (i.e. not HBO/Showtime etc.) US TV.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Frasier

[dinovelvet]

One thing I like about the UK version is that they're willing to go harder, and coarser with some of the language and the descriptions of body parts, etc...when it is called for. Like the pink vibrator that David Brent found in his office and then tastelessly waved around as he started an inquisition to find out who put it there. The American version would appear to not be comfortable going that far, so far as I have seen.

Yeah, that's a big difference. From what I've seen, the US version does touch upon cuteness a bit too much, including the "very special wedding episode". I can't imagine the UK one ever doing that.
My favorite scene from the whole show is when Gareth's "wacky" friends turn up at the office, including the Oggmonster himself played by series co-creator Stephen Merchant, and Brent's supposed good-natured ribbing about his eyes sends him running out in tears, prompting Brent to ask "What's the matter with him?". Brutal, hilarious, and pathetic all at once.

Anyway to continue the Brit theme, watched the classic Blackadder's Christmas Carol last night. Great stuff as always, though it's surreal seeing the "old" Hugh Laurie doing his thing, as well as Oscar winner Jim Broadbent and Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson. Who'd have thought!

[Cruiserweight]

First Take

[St. John Smythe]

The whole British TV licensing thing always confounds me . . . TV, even if in completely fuzzy form, should in some form be free - do you have to have a license for ALL television or just cable? I have imaginings of 17 year-old Brits desperately cramming for their TV license exams. And has television on the internet hurt that? I'd think I'd just watch on my computer instead of paying for a license . . . which would really affect the BBC's budget. But of course, there are other perks to living in the U.K. The non-existence of Sarah Palin, for example. But I totally digress.

I'm all about NBC on Thursdays. I've been watching The Office (US) as well, mostly season 3 during the rerun season as it's the only one I have on DVD, and then episodes from the current season on NBC on demand. I watched the UK version as soon as it came out on DVD (before the US version aired), but I never really got into it, mostly because I find David Brent extremely creepy and unlikable. I can't put my finger on it exactly, because I haven't watched the UK version in years (and probably won't). I still have a hard time watching Ricky Gervais in anything, just because I found Ricky Gervais's performance incredibly icky. And I know that's "the point" but he was never icky or creepy in an perversely enjoyable way for me - just icky and creepy period. That said, I loved Tim, Gareth, and Dawn. But I prefer Jim, Dwight, and Pam, and Michael Scott has a lot of pathos that makes him more human than David Brent. But that's the difference between US and UK shows, I suppose. I will agree about Ryan, though. I don't know why he hasn't been written out of the show, because his character is pretty useless . . . oh, wait, it's because B.J. Novak is a show writer. Boo.

But hands down my favorite show this season is Parks and Recreation. Everybody says it started off "weak" last year (whatever, I've been a fan from the start), but the show has completely hit it's stride. Amy Poehler is just so brassy and hilarious, and there have been at least 3 episodes that made me laugh out loud throughout the entire show: "Greg Pikitis," ("AAA! PIKITIS!") "Ron and Tammy" (in which Megan Mullally plays Ron's ex-wife in one of the funniest guest performances in a long while), and "Hunting Trip." (Worth it alone for Leslie's varied reasons for shooting someone in the head.) Really, if you were turned off by this show last year, you need to give it a go. Seriously. Because if it gets canceled, it will be your fault, and I will be forced to dis-like you.

30 Rock has been really disappointing to me this year. I think I'm just getting sick of it: No one ever changes, no one ever grows, no one ever learns. Which is strange since I LOVE Strangers With Candy, and that's pretty much the gimmick there, but at least Jerri and co. were lovable and (sort of) learned and grew sometimes. There's no emotional connection for me on 30 Rock, and maybe that's why I hate it this year. That, or the writing's just sucked. Probably a little from column A, a lot from column B.

I'm also watching a lot of King of the Hill, which I just adore. I'm still pissed that they haven't released seasons 7-13 on DVD, which is the most heinous and evil thing the heinous and evil Fox Corp has down to me. Well, that and Glenn Beck. I'm all about the Peggy-heavy episodes -- the one where she ends up on a foot fetish site, the one where she pretends to be a nun in order to teach spanish, the one where she gets conned into believing she's a "genius," . . . anything Peggy is okay by me. And Bobby taking self-defense and then kicking everyone in the balls is awesome: "That's my purse! I don't know you!" Classic. King of the Hill very, very rarely makes me laugh out loud, but it's such a gentle and good-natured kind of comedy, even when it gets kind of out there, and you can't help but root for everyone. I'm also a sucker for gentle guitar music, which KOTH has in spades. I'm sad that Brittany Murphy passed away - she really did a great job with her voice-work for many characters on the show, and it makes it a little melancholy watching the show now.

[Tybre]

Watched The End of Time, Part One before crawling into bed at 2am this morning.

[AgentBentley]

Project Runway in Hollywood.

Yes I know, I'm not getting to see much fiction these days because I get home late and I don't want to watch TV in the morning.
Next week, the 2nd season of Damages starts in my part of the world. One of the few series around these days that looks worth watching.

[Cruiserweight]

Sportscenter

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Jets/Colts