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Fargo (TV Series)


Jay

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  • 3 months later...

I don't know if it's "a masterpiece", but I think it's pretty good. I thought Deakins' photography was excellent and helped to set the mood of the film more than the characters or the plot.

I look forward to seeing the TV show. I like Martin Freeman.

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  • 1 month later...

... he is playing Macy's character. What makes you think he isn't?

The music is done in Burwell's style, but they're missing his great theme.

I rather like it, although I don't think Freeman quite has the same negative or 'squirming' qualities to his performance as Macy.

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I thought he was playing William H. Macy's character from the film?

... he is playing Macy's character. What makes you think he isn't?

Based on what I've read, and the clip, he is not playing Macy's character. This does not appear to be an adaptation of the movie, but rather it just uses the same location, similar atmosphere, and character eccentricities.

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I THINK I've seen little teasers for this to say that it's coming to Channel 4 or one of its 'sister' channels in the UK. Will definitely give it a go, Martin Freeman's great.

Deffo giving it a bash. To think Freeman used to be that guy who just stared at the camera with a baffled expression (sometimes) in The Office.

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I'm looking forward to this.

I THINK I've seen little teasers for this to say that it's coming to Channel 4 or one of its 'sister' channels in the UK. Will definitely give it a go, Martin Freeman's great.

Deffo giving it a bash. To think Freeman used to be that guy who just stared at the camera with a baffled expression (sometimes) in The Office.

Doesn't look like John Krasinski is having the same luck.

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Freeman crushes Krasinski, acting-wise. It also helps that "Sherlock" and The Hobbit greatly elevated his profile internationally... and what does Krasinski have post-"Office"? Promised Land and Big Miracle, which nobody saw.

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To be fair, Freeman's career didn't really lift off until 7 years after The Office ended. So who knows where Krasinski may end up in 6 years.

Having said that, it's clear that Freeman is the much better actor. I'm just saying, let's not pass off judgement so rashly.

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Saw the first season of the US Office and liked it OK, but I prefer the original ... I just like how Gervais stuck to 2 series and a 2-part 'rounding off' special to stop it becoming stale.

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We're talking about the UK Office, not US.

Oh. Really?

I just thought this was referring to the US version:

The second season is much better than the first. They found their footing.

and then you responded after that, so I thought you were referring to the US version.

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I thought nightscape was referring to the UK office with that post, so I replied in kind.

For clarity's sake, my opinions are:

The UK Office was just OK, but the finale was pretty good (and easily the best episode)

The US Office season 1 was nothing that great, but then Season 2 was amazing, one of the best seasons of any comedy ever.

Season 3 was also extremely good.

Seasons 4-5 they started to decline but overall were solid seasons of TV. Then seasons 6-9 are huge mixed bags of good ideas mixed with padding and meandering. There are many highlights within those seasons, for sure.... but overall none of them come remotely close to the highs of seasons 2 and 3.

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I thought nightscape was referring to the US version since Sweeping Strings wasn't all that impressed with the first season of that.

Well sorry for the mixup. I understand what you were referring to.

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I was referring to the US Office in my reply.


but then Season 2 was amazing, one of the best seasons of any comedy ever.

This is my feeling as well. It's sort of a mini-masterpiece of television. The US version that is ;)

/confusion

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I think Parks and Rec follows a similar structure

Parks and Rec Season 1 is (like The Office US Season 1) only 6 episodes long and is (like The Office US Season 1) not very good.

However, Parks and Rec seasons 2-3 are fantastic, top notch television. The subtraction of Paul Schneider and addition of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe is one of the best sitcom cast rejiggerings ever.

Season 4 was also good, but Season 5, which is when Greg Daniels left to run the final season of The Office instead, was really not that great.

It remains to be seen how Seasons 6 and 7 stack up with the rest, but right now (I've seen all aired episodes of S6) I'm thinking they should DEFINITELY end it after Season 7. This can't be dragged out to 9 like The Office was, it'll really suck.

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I think Parks and Rec follows a similar structure

Parks and Rec Season 1 is (like The Office US Season 1) only 6 episodes long and is (like The Office US Season 1) not very good.

However, Parks and Rec seasons 2-3 are fantastic, top notch television. The subtraction of Paul Schneider and addition of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe is one of the best sitcom cast rejiggerings ever.

Season 4 was also good, but Season 5, which is when Greg Daniels left to run the final season of The Office instead, was really not that great.

It remains to be seen how Seasons 6 and 7 stack up with the rest, but right now (I've seen all aired episodes of S6) I'm thinking they should DEFINITELY end it after Season 7. This can't be dragged out to 9 like The Office was, it'll really suck.

they only started showing it here recently in the UK, Season 3 finished last week and quite like it. Season 2 was a breath of fresh air after one. But the legend that is Ron Swanson remains stellar. At this point anyway.

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They introduce a love interest for Ron in the later seasons which is great, and she is played by Lucy Lawless which is great, but then she barely appears at all so it now seems like a bad idea in foresight. Should have cast someone who was willing to appear on the show often.

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Hollywood Reporter's review of the series is very favorable, saying the show's characters are similar to that of Fargo, but aren't the same. It also mentions that the Coen Brothers were so impressed with the script and finished pilot, that they came aboard as executive producers.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/fargo-tv-review-695445

If the series is renewed for a second season, it'll be a new cast of characters and story (a la "American Horror Story").

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Nice to see it's getting good reactions. An anthology type thing would be a good approach for this. Interesting how that is starting to catch on, with American Horror Story, True Detective, and potentially now this.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Enjoyed the first episode; Freeman is, as ever, quietly brilliant.

I take it it's a 'basic cable' show? The blood-letting and sexual content was at a level you wouldn't usually get on a network show, but nobody said 'fuck'.

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Enjoyed the first episode; Freeman is, as ever, quietly brilliant.

I take it it's a 'basic cable' show? The blood-letting and sexual content was at a level you wouldn't usually get on a network show, but nobody said 'fuck'.

It's on cable TV, which is where shows like Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Mad Men, and Sons of Anarchy live. This is a service you technically subscribe to but still has advertisers. It's like a broader version of HBO, which is a premium channel (you can subscribe to that individually, whereas cable is a package deal).

Network TV is "less offensive" and geared more toward family viewing.

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Yes, but I understood that there was 'basic cable' (shows like Fargo, Walking Dead, Nip/Tuck etc) where the language, violence/gore and sexual content (while 'stronger' than network TV) are still not as strong as 'full cable' (shows like Dexter, Sex And The City and The Sopranos).

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Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying ;)

Think of it in three sections.

Network - NCIS, CSI, The Mentalist, 2 Broke Girls, Criminal Minds, Glee, Agents of SHIELD, Revolution, Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, The Voice, American Idol, etc. Mostly what you would think of as "Family Appropriate Entertainment"...for the most part, but that's starting to change up a bit with Hannibal, The Following, and other shows of this ilk.

Cable - Fargo, Walking Dead, Mad Men, Bates Motel, etc.

Premuim - HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, etc

Each level up gives you a bit more freedom (HBO doesn't have advertizers to worry about, and the FCC regulations are different). Network is starting to jump on the bandwagon now since adults want, you know, adult oriented programming. They see there is a audience out there for more niche programming and are trying to stay competative.

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The FCC doesn't regulate basic cable, either. All the basic cable channels are legally allowed to show whatever the hell they want. Each channel, however, decides to set up their own internal standards and practices that they make the makers of the shows they air adhere to, but that's for more out of fear of losing advertisers and/or viewers than anything else. This is why some swear words and more violence have begun to make their way into basic cable shows on certain channels, and why many offer uncensored late night programming (look at what Comedy Central gets up to at 1am on Saturday nights lately)

The FCC only regulates what airs over the free airwaves.

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