What is the last Television series you watched?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I've watched them on netfix. I'd much rather watch Lucy Lui.

The hobbit underwhelms as John??? Isn't it James?

[crocodile 8,006]

I'm watching Deadwood again. Very weird. It's like watching Shakespeare but not on stage.

Alex

Oh I want to watch that.

It was always John, Joe.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I've watched them on netfix. I'd much rather watch Lucy Lui.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Fox's shameful treatment of the episodes is pretty much responsible for the viewing figures. People didn't have a clue what was going on.

This actually explains why each episode has an utterly pointless explanation of the characters and world at the beginning.

[KK 3,307]

Bothers is a strong word (I'm not articulating anythning clearly tonight, sorry). Disappointing, maybe. I'd like to hear something else. Zimmer's take is quite unique, no matter how you slice it.

Karol

Yup. Zimmer's score is unique and fun. Still enjoys it very much.

The sequel however...

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Sherlock Holmes is to A Game Of Shadows like The Da Vinci Code is to Angels & Demons.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Angels & Demons features the best two minutes of Zimmer's music yet.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I think both are worthy sequel scores. Zimmer always gets darker and more percussive and rhythmic with his sequels.

[crocodile 8,006]

I never heard the second Sherlock score. But the first one I like quite a bit.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

Nah. Angels and Demons is a helluva entertainer (not the film...), while it's predecessor is one of Zimmer's most intelligent works.

Sherlock 2 is dull, flat (both in sound and composition) and drowns in its murkiness.

There was a fresh, vibrant flair to the first score that never crossed over to its sequel.

[Quintus 5,399]

Watched season 1 of Sherlock. Nothing amazing about it, most British shows are crime dramas of sorts anyway. The music seems to rip-off Zimmer's (and poorly). But it's very watchable and Benedict Cumberbatch is very likeable in the role. Much better than that Robert Downey Jr crap. Onto season 2.

Karol

That's kind of how I felt. However, I can tell it's a well made production for those who like that sort of thing. It has good style and its own distinct personality in a sea of genre saturation, which goes along way, clearly.

[Jay 37,353]

Modern Family 5x12 Under Pressure

Wow! Out of nowhere, Modern Family hits us with a really tense, dramatic, and completely non-funny scene in the middle of an otherwise extremely sitcom-y episode. This had to have been the longest stretch of time any network sitcom has ever stayed on one dramatic scene. It really drove the point home - guess they think they have viewers who can relate to Alex's plight? Wow, good stuff, great episode.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I've watched them on netfix. I'd much rather watch Lucy Lui.

there is 6 episodes, I've not seen the new episodes, but I can see them online at PBS it seems.

season 1 of Elementary has 8 seasons worth of Sherlock.

I've noticed that the police are not idiots in Elementary like in Sherlock

Joan Watson is much more interesting to do than the hobbit

Cumberbatch has been excellent in 9 episodes, Johnny Lee Miller has been excellent in 48. I love Irene Adler being Moriarity.

Still I love me some Basil Rathbone as well.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

So there is more of it. What does that say about quality, at all?

I do like the guy playing Sherlock but it all feels unnecessary.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

the quality is pretty good. I really like it when they play the whole opening theme music which doesn't happen often.

I don't get the fucking snobbery about the british show.

I get to watch both.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Glad you enjoy it!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

it gets old all the elitism here. If it's network show it sucks. But by God if the show features soulless evil pricks who poison kids or smoking whorish advertisers who basically line up to fuck each other it's the best ever, except for maybe the wire.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I don't think I've ever expressed that kind of sentiment... I like or dislike a show on its own merits, not the network it's on, or its nationality!

As far as network television that I enjoy, you have Person of Interest on CBS, and Modern Family on ABC. There used to be more, but I don't flip on the tube as much these days.

[KK 3,307]

I believe he was referring to Alex's famed sentiments towards network television.

Is Person of Interest any good by the way? I've been wondering if I should check it out.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

it is decent, but I tend to watch basketball when it's on.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It's a solid program, really. Emerson and Caviezel are great together. The Abrams/Nolan combo got my attention, but the consistent quality of the show kept it.

I'm spoiled post-Lost/Breaking Bad, but it's a fine substitute.

[A24 4,331]

Watched season 1 of Sherlock. Nothing amazing about it, most British shows are crime dramas of sorts anyway. The music seems to rip-off Zimmer's (and poorly). But it's very watchable and Benedict Cumberbatch is very likeable in the role. Much better than that Robert Downey Jr crap. Onto season 2.

Karol

Only liked the eppy with the cab driver (the very first one). It's probably great if you like crime series but it scores rather poor on interesting human subjects and character depth. Even the two main characters (Sherlock and Holmes) fail to have any chemistry together. Not that it's a bad show, it just isn't a very interesting one, IMO. I gave up on it.

I'm watching Deadwood again. Very weird. It's like watching Shakespeare but not on stage.

Alex

Oh I want to watch that.

You should! Like all the greats, it manages to walk the fine line between comedy and drama. Also, the amount of amazing characters it has is astonishing.

Alex

[crocodile 8,006]

If I can get the box set of Deadwood somewhere real cheap, it shall be mine. Sometimes those used/cheap CD's stores has those for less than a tenner.

Back to Sherlock. Watched the first episode of season 2 last night. The budget seems larger, but the tone changes drastically - it's less of a drama now and more stylised and comedic. Still, in the end, probably even more entertaining.

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

Even the two main characters (Sherlock and Holmes) fail to have any chemistry together. Not that it's a bad show, it just isn't a very interesting one, IMO. I gave up on it.

Alex

Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic... and so am I!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

James Earl Jones was a hoot on Big Bang last night.

[crocodile 8,006]

Started season 3 of Sherlock. After rather exciting second series, the opening episode was the worst yet. Hopefully, things will improve.

Karol

[Jay 37,353]

I agree that Season 3, episode 1 is the worst of all 9.

However, Season 3, episode 2 is one of the best, so you're in for a treat soon!

[crocodile 8,006]

You mean season 3 episode 2, right?

I'll watch that and the last one tomorrow.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He does!

Even if The Empty Hearse is the worst of the series. It still has a hell of a lot going for it.

Acting, the dialogue etc etc.

The Blind Banker is my least favorite, but it's essentially still a great 90 minutes.

[crocodile 8,006]

Well, the reason I think it is the worst is that it feels too much like it tries to tie some loose ends and too little of its own thing. All the preview six were essentially television films tied by some threads. There was no strong distinctive element about The Empty Hearse.

But given that I watched all those in a matter of days, it must say something about the enjoyment factor.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The makers were essentially dealing with 2 years of audience expectation and speculation on how he survived. And chose to have fun with it. Making the bomb plot secondary.

[Jay 37,353]

Yes, I meant season 3 episode 2, sorry for the typo.

And yea, even the worst episodes of Sherlock are better than most everything else on TV.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Except Breaking Bad and maybe the wire. Rolls eyes.

[Quintus 5,399]

You forgot M.A.S.H.!

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

And Deadwood.

[A24 4,331]

And Six Feet Under, Mad Men, The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones, Carnivale, The Office (BBC), Het Eiland (EEN), Rome, In Treatment S1, Treme, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland ... and soon Better Call Saul!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Didnt you see 2 eps of Sherlock and dismissed it, Alex?

You know nothing.

[publicist 4,643]

And Six Feet Under, Mad Men, The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones, Carnivale, The Office (BBC), Het Eiland (EEN), Rome, In Treatment S1, Treme, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland ... and soon Better Call Saul!

Mad Men and Homeland are not better than Sherlock.

[A24 4,331]

I saw more than that, Steed. I'm even selling my Sherlock Blu-ray at this very moment. I even catched the first eppy of S2 on TV. I mean, I can watch it, but I just don't find it interesting or even 'new'. Crime with a quirky UK touch? I loved that as a kid.

Yes, even Homeland has more to offer, Pubs, even though it's not a series that I regard as the very best (like Mad Men, The Wire, Dead Wood, Six Feet Under, ...),

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ooohhh....how much you selling it for?

[A24 4,331]

6 Euro ... but somebody already ordered it. It's very popular. People love crime shows around here. Witse, Zone Stad, Flikken, Baantjer, Borgen, The Killing, Hercule Poirot... Then there are the countless American ones. ...

[Quintus 5,399]

Apparently Elementary is just as good as Sherlock, in an American sensibilities sort of way. Claire loves Sherlock and she's going to give it a go. It has far more episodes, too.

[KK 3,307]

Homeland is definitely not better than Sherlock. It takes itself far too seriously to be so (although the last season was a good improvement).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Surely the direction and visual style cannot be as crisp and detailed?

[publicist 4,643]

Apparently Elementary is just as good as Sherlock, in an American sensibilities sort of way. It has far more episodes, too.

That most likely will be the problem with it.

[A24 4,331]

Homeland is definitely not better than Sherlock. It takes itself far too seriously to be so (although the last season was a good improvement).

The setup (main character is an American hero/Al Qaeda terrorist) is better, more intriguing, more original ... although the execution borders ordinary TV. I wouldn't buy it on DVD or Blu-ray though.

[publicist 4,643]

You really can't compare a wicked, escapist updating of an old british sleuth routine with a brooding post-Iraq paranoia piece á la USA. At least i don't see much point in it. Sherlock i certainly dig more than the glossy melodramatics of this other escapist fare called Mad Men that postures as period piece.

[KK 3,307]

Homeland had an interesting premise that was butchered by the usual cliches, a lack of plausibility and plotlines that were either poorly executed, far-fetched, or sometimes just plain silly (and not in a good way). It has its perks, and can come out quite nicely when its not trying to exploit the appeal to that kind of conspiracy genre, but falters when compared to Sherlock. The latter is just more interesting visually and stylistically, and there is a lot more charisma to the cast. Sherlock is a show I can have fun with, even at its worst.

Homeland at its best is entertaining stuff, but at its worst, utterly dull.

[A24 4,331]

Of course, they can't be compared, Pubs, but I think we all realize that 'best' here means nothing more than "what do you prefer?"

[publicist 4,643]

Yeah but a premise does not make a series. I think that with the precious few episodes to be had of Sherlock it's rather unnecessary to compare it to huge and 'epic' american stuff. There's no need to pitch it against BOARDWALK EMPIRE and the likes. If you can't enjoy a stylish and somewhat silly series with room for actors to play around with their characters, it's not because it is worse than HOMELAND.