3085 replies to this topic

[BloodBoal]

Don't worry, that's just the last 20 minutes or so of the last episode that are pretty bad. The rest is good.

But the wig... Oh, god, that wig!

[KK.]

The TV adaptation of Pillars was bloody awful. There, I said it. It was not engrossing and it seemed like a really amateurish and mediocre take on the source material. Ian Mcshane was great but that doesn't excuse the rest of the issues.

The biggest problem is easily the casting of Jack. That red-haired kid was terrible in the character to the extent that it was really hard to watch without cringing.

Ultimately, this was a dull and mediocre show, even it's sets failed to make an impression. Good opening and debut, but then it just sucks. It made the extremely intelligent and engrossing source material seem terrribly mundane and stupid. A shame, because I absolutely loved the book...

[Incanus]

Well then I will suffer through the series first and then read the novel.

[Alexcremers]

Well, that is no Tudors, that's for sure!

It feels more like a miniseries for the whole family, grandma included.

[BloodBoal]

Well then I will suffer through the series first and then read the novel.

Don't bother with the novel

The novel of Pillars was bloody awful. There, I said it. It was not engrossing and it seemed like a really amateurish and mediocre take on the source material. Ken Follett was great but that doesn't excuse the rest of the issues.

The biggest problem is easily the writing of Jack. That red-haired kid was terrible in the character to the extent that it was really hard to read without cringing.

Ultimately, this was a dull and mediocre book, even it's sets failed to make an impression. Good opening and debut, but then it just sucks. It made the extremely intelligent and engrossing source material seem terrribly mundane and stupid. A shame, because I absolutely loved the show...

[KK.]

Well, that is no Tudors, that's for sure!

It feels more like a miniseries for the whole family, grandma included.

Well said!

[Jason LeBlanc]

Alex, did you ever watch the last 2 seasons of Big Love? If so, what did you think?

[KK.]

Well then I will suffer through the series first and then read the novel.

Don't bother with the novel

The novel of Pillars was bloody awful. There, I said it. It was not engrossing and it seemed like a really amateurish and mediocre take on the source material. Ken Follett was great but that doesn't excuse the rest of the issues.

The biggest problem is easily the writing of Jack. That red-haired kid was terrible in the character to the extent that it was really hard to read without cringing.

Ultimately, this was a dull and mediocre book, even it's sets failed to make an impression. Good opening and debut, but then it just sucks. It made the extremely intelligent and engrossing source material seem terrribly mundane and stupid. A shame, because I absolutely loved the show...

Well played BloodBoal....but the show can't be the source material for the book

And are you honestly telling me you enjoyed this crappy show?

[BloodBoal]

Well played BloodBoal....but the show can't be the source material for the book

Nope. The source material for the book was History.

And are you honestly telling me you enjoyed this crappy show?

Don't you know this by now? I enjoy crappy things.

[Romão]

I've only read Pillars of the Earth, never seen the TV mini series. The book starts well enough and the premise is interesting. But it just becomes more and more ridiculous as the plot moves along and the writing of the romance between Ailena and Jack is really amateurish.

It's a very interesting premise and the first chapters are gripping, but the second half of the book is just bubblegummy bathroom-reading kind of stuff

[KK.]

And are you honestly telling me you enjoyed this crappy show?

Don't you know this by now? I enjoy crappy things.

Of course, just didn't think your tastes hit that low...

[Incanus]

Wow The Pillars of the Earth sounds crappier by the comment.

[BloodBoal]

It's a very interesting premise and the first chapters are gripping, but the second half of the book is just bubblegummy bathroom-reading kind of stuff

I noticed you took care of not using the word pedestrian. Good. Bubblegummy it is, then!

Wow The Pillars of the Earth sounds crappier by the comment.

By the time you reach episode 8, you'll be so disgusted, you'll never watch an historical epic TV series ever again.

[Incanus]

Oh my and I really want to see that BBC and Royal Shakespeare Company's The Hollow Crown performances! What to do? What to do?!!!

[BloodBoal]

Watch them now, before it's too late!

[Romão]

It's a very interesting premise and the first chapters are gripping, but the second half of the book is just bubblegummy bathroom-reading kind of stuff

I noticed you took care of not using the word pedestrian. Good. Bubblegummy it is, then!

I'm glad you noticed The word did cross my mind, though

[Alexcremers]

Alex, did you ever watch the last 2 seasons of Big Love? If so, what did you think?

Nope, only the first three.

[Jason LeBlanc]

K

[Alexcremers]

Incanus, don't worry about the negative comments. As you already found out, Pillars is a nice miniseries for when you have nothing else to watch but it's nothing to write home about.

So when are the Blu-rays of The Borgias coming out in me country, huh?!

[BloodBoal]

Which Borgias version?

[Alexcremers]

The Tudors Borgias version, of course! I like high production values, you know.

[BloodBoal]

You're from Belgium, right? Well, there's no Belgian Amazon site, but whatever

http://www.amazon.fr...39082829&sr=1-6

That's pretty damn expensive, but hey, that's what you have to pay for high production values!

If you don't have that much money, then...

http://www.amazon.fr...39082829&sr=1-3

The actors look much better in this one, for the most part (especially the guy playing Cesare). I still have to see both shows, though...

[KK.]

I've only read Pillars of the Earth, never seen the TV mini series. The book starts well enough and the premise is interesting. But it just becomes more and more ridiculous as the plot moves along and the writing of the romance between Ailena and Jack is really amateurish.

It's a very interesting premise and the first chapters are gripping, but the second half of the book is just bubblegummy bathroom-reading kind of stuff

I'd disagree. Yes, at times it's a bit too coincidental, but the novel is engrossing in its entirety. The premise itself is fantastic and the novel is consistently enjoyable, not ridiculous. Some might go as far as to call it a bit episodic, but I think that's a stretch.

I just don't agree with it being "bubblegummy", it's a highly enjoyable novel. I'd recommend it to those who haven't read it.

Wow The Pillars of the Earth sounds crappier by the comment.

The show is crap although the first half is harmless. It takes the book and makes it so overtly Hollywood-like that it becomes unbearable. But who knows, you might enjoy, especially since you didn't read the book.

Screw the show, read the book.

[Alexcremers]

The actors looks much better in this one, for the most part (especially the guy playing Cesare). I still have to see both shows, though...

I've heard the other version is quite good but they canceled further seasons. It's available here but I've decided to watch the Tudors version, which will definitely have a second season.

[KK.]

The Tudors Borgias version, of course! I like high production values, you know.

Jeremy Irons is great, but the rest of the show is a dull in pacing and characters. The sets and production values deserve merit. Ultimately, the show is harmless with a few perks, but nothing to rave about...

[Incanus]

Doctor Who Seasons 1 and 2: Pretty darn entertaining, quite a nice surprise to me actually. Despite being a sort of anthology show full of most bizarre stories that range from outlandish to just plain funny scenarios the series is quite addictive. Eccleston was not bad as the main protagonist but I would say David Tennant is just made to play the Doctor, such a great mix of humor and profundity with a twinkle in his eye. The structure of the series enables really an infinite variety of flights of fancy but there are some great emotional episodes thrown into the mix that deal with more serious matters and there is almost always some large or small moral to the episode and the subject it is dealing with. The slightly bad effects (those do improve over time) are part of the fun of the stories and do not take away from the immersion. Fun and entertaining.

[Chaac]

It's a lot of fun, I suggest you continue!

[Pasi Tiitinen]

Anybody here watch Free Radio?

I just got into it this past week and find it to be really funny!

Just accidentally got into this, summer rerun at noon.

Just.Brilliant.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Wow, way to dig up an old post! Is Free Radio really being rerun somewhere? I'd love to see all the episodes I never saw...

[Pasi Tiitinen]

Hah! Never really tried that search engine before. It's cool.

I'm afraid I caught this too late, the second of its two(I googled it) seasons going on its rerun here in Finland.

I need all the episodes! Damn this is funny!

[Wojo]

After watching two seasons of Stargate: Universe and two and a half seasons of Stargate: Atlantis, I am sick and tired of random calculus equations being used to represent the formulas required to build subspace wormhole bridges and control the hyperspace coordinates of city-ships. It implies that all it takes is pages upon pages of these scribbles to solve such great and wonderfully complex physics problems, which downplay the has stacks and stacks of similar equations problems of any engineering or math student that don't solve anything other than how to get a passing grade this semester.

[Chaac]

That is annoying. Props to The Big Bang Theory. They got a neuroscientist to play a neuroscientist and a physicist to revise everything else down to the whiteboards. That's more that I can say for many science-fiction things I've encountered.

[Joey]

I picked up the tv series UFO at the library. I'm digging the 1970's style, but the constant cigarette smoking is annoying. I love the effects and the jazzy music.

I loved this show as a kid. Everything about the shows says it started in 1970 but the credits show 1969, perhaps that was the actual pilot.

The racial component is so cool in this show. It's a generation a head of where things were back then!

the chicks and guys are meant to be hot, but that hair, groovy. NO.

[king mark]

oops wrong thread

[Alexcremers]

"Pay attention to the language itself, the ideas. Don't think in terms of a beginning and an end, because unlike some plot-driven entertainments there is no closure in real life".

9/10

[crocodile]

Yeah, it is the most grown-up series at the moment. Even riskier than The Wire.

Season 3 is coming out in October (I think) and there are also plans to do season 4.

And yes, this quote is the key to enjoying it.

Karol

[Incanus]

Obviously I should finally see the highly acclaimed The Wire and Treme. Sound like my kind of series.

[Hlao-roo]

Obviously I should finally see the highly acclaimed The Wire and Treme. Sound like my kind of series.

Yes, very classy.

[Incanus]

Obviously I should finally see the highly acclaimed The Wire and Treme. Sound like my kind of series.

Yes, very classy.

As classy as Classy Tactics?

[Koray Savas]

The Wire is one I need to watch. I'm waiting for the eventual Blu.