Your Ten Favorite Shows Currently on Television

I was v surprised at the fact that it actually makes an effort to hang together as an actual rinky-dink serialized sci-fi show, instead of just using its premise as a pretense for joeks

we talked about it a bit in the Community thread, but yeah - generally positive reception by those who bothered to watch it

Summer brought a new ridiculous unseen-force vs. small group sugary serial to rival the one with the dome (successors to the Kansas one a few years back?), and if it won by a whisper it was probably because it starred my girlfriend Lily Rabe, who I've never bothered with when "horror" is in the title and unfortunately missed (visually) in the park with her other boyfriend this year, even if in lesser Shakespeare.

A little less ridiculously, I've also come around very late but not small to The Good Wife, contra my usual relative disinterest in lawyer shows (see also Better Call Saul). I'm still a bit mystified by its particular appeal to me and others, though think it may have a lot to do with the not-legal-so-much-as-professional/class milieu that I suspect accounts for most of its awards and guest spots (Frasier 2.0?), and, quite possibly and as with Meredith Grey, et al (from whom I expect returns to continue to diminish with Dempsey joining Oh in absentia), the illusion of intimacy with an intelligent (no-bullshit, perhaps a little sad, but fairly nice and genuine?) female lead (and support - Sharma, ok, but see also Tascioni), even one to whom I have no particular attraction.

Letterman, one of whose last shows (Clooney/Pacino/Waits) I caught along with some final-show-guest-gawking, is missed, and, apart from the occasional dip into Conan among others (Corden has his moments but is not yet and probably never will be Ferguson; previously-ignored Meyers has entertained cheerfully on the few occasions allowed, though I had to "laugh" whenever they cut to the pickup band led by Fake Fred Armisen (or Fake Will Ferrell Chad S.); Leno II Kimmel remains mostly unwatchable with too-faux Fallon only a notch better), largely replaced by a papier-mache of Charlie Rose and Seinfeld reruns (I've come around to Samberg too in his post-SNL life; his show may be a bagatelle but after Mindy the best I've seen of the mostly-unwatchable Koosbane-set meta-ironic-sitcoms of the Community/Parks and Rec age (who can I pay to design me an Ansari-blocker?)). Stephen may save the day, shortly. Neither he nor Stewart nor anything else on their channel ever interested me much - politics a bit too remedial, partisanship a bit too muddy, cynicism a bit too broad, comedy a bit too lowbrow, Colbert a bit too Carolinian, Stewart a bit too Jersey - and Batiste doesn't make my top dozen NoLA musicians either, but my hopes are high.

The return of Sherlock (and his Ophelia, by which I don't refer to "the woman") is certainly awaited, though not quite with looking-for-tickets-outside-the-NT levels of bated breath.

Christian Slater hasn't impressed me in two decades, but maybe I should check out this new one? I doubt I'll last longer than the 15 minutes or so I lasted with the latest from the more visually and cortically appealing Duchovny.

I'm sure David Simon's new one would make and perhaps top the list, in no small part due to its subject matter, but I no longer pay for HBO so...

/damn/ the first ep of Narcos was good, hope it holds up?

and I keep thinking about Rectify, the first season of which I liked a lot, and then it just totally lost me shortly into season 2. now it's being heralded again... anyone watching?
--rip van wanko

narcos is pretty damn good, never quite gets great but that's nbd due to how consistently good it is

The actor who plays Escobar really steals the show, even if he's never quite allowed to because of how evil Escobar himself is. It feels like reigning in the story and providing this American voiceover throughout was kind of a compromise. But I thoroughly enjoyed this even if sometimes the pacing was either too fast or too slow for the topic.

Eagerly awaiting the return of Person of Interest
Elementary is comfort viewing with just enough brains to be interesting
Awaiting the return of Empire with some trepidation
Greatly enjoying Ray Donovan, a show I caught up with when Hulu started offering Showtime shows (I'm currently in the middle of the second season of Masters of Sex as well)

Masters of Sex has turned utterly unwatchable this season after major stumbles about halfway through the second season
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/masters-of-sex-recap-with-an-ape-the-show-jumps-the-shark/

Power watched Show Me a Hero; good but not great? woulda liked deeper characters for the public housing sector tenant storylines and Simon has issues with female storylines being anything but reactive.

Stumbled into Worricker on Amazon Prime and that show scratches my Graham Greene itch nicely. Recommended!

Fear of the Walking Dead suffers from some of the same dogwhistle classism and racism as it's namesake but is more interesting not least because of Kim Dickens. Worth following for the moment.

Married's second season has held up surprisingly well; great casting throughout and the writing is still fairly fresh.

at least Fear seems to be actively trying to fix these issues compared to the original series; i'm giving it the benefit of the doubt for now.
not a great sign for the fate of the first black character though :/
(also i'm sure there are evil Hollywood types on the horizon re: classism)

I'm enjoying Married, I love how relaxed everyone is. Most recent ep was v funny

Fear of the Walking Dead is just kinda boring & paint by numbers for me, I don't think I like it much at all. But I fell off the Walking Dead wagon & it all feels like it's of the same piece

I've been meaning to try Worricker, will def give it a go

worricker is the kind of spy story where winona ryder tells bill nighy "there's just one problem with that plan... you're gonna have to trust me" and then stalks away on the beach while the music / tide rises
it's also a wonderfully engaging high stakes spy story of intrigue and corruption that has SPOILER no guns, no profanity and no physical violence of any kind over a two hour stretch
what it does have is great actors devouring scenery, carefully decomposing their poker faces in close up and pirouetting through david hare's cleverly convoluted purple prose with acrobatic ease
the whole show is dipped in honey: occasionally cloying but generally sweet, infused with the profundity of natural gold

Masters of Sex has turned utterly unwatchable this season after major stumbles about halfway through the second season

Yeah, I've been keeping half an eye on recaps and I'm a little worried. But I'm nine episodes into Season Two (Masters' long-lost brother has just turned up) and it's still interesting.

i don't want to tell you you're at the point of disintegration but

Survivor's Remorse started out dabbling in shibboleths in an original way and allowed its nouveau riche characters considerable latitude for character development. it has almost immediately fallen apart in S2 and lazily shifted into CONTROVERSIAL OPINIONS 4 U like the recent ep where the lead character (an athlete) is knocked cold by his lesbian sister in a cringing Ray Rice semi-satire. At the behest of his shoe sponsor they produce a horrifyingly cynical "women have to stop abusing men" spit-take on the NO MORE PSAs, which I mean, yeah NO MORE is horrifyingly cynical too but who are you really mocking here?
i appreciated the show's boundary pushing with regards to stereotypes but it often shits on the floor, laughs and pretends it is being meaningful. I think I'm done there.

I lasted two and a half episodes with Blunt Talk. It has Patrick Stewart gleefully overacting and pretty much nothing else.

Currently on or about to be on that I'm following:
Last Week Tonight s. 2 - HBO
Your Pretty Face is Going to hell s. 2 - Adult Swim
Married s. 2 - FX
Jeopardy s. 32 - ABC
Rick and Morty s. 2 - Adult Swim
Review s. 2 - Comedy Central
Fear the Walking Dead s.1 - AMC
Drunk History s. 3 - Comedy Central
The Bastard Executioner s.1 - FX
How to Get Away with Murder s. 2 - ABC
Limitless s. 1 - CBS
Moonbeam City s.1 - Adult Swim
Minority Report s.1 - Fox
Undrafted s.2 - NFL Network
You’re the Worst s. 2 - FXX
NFL and NFL related chutzpah - Every channel ever all at once
American Experience / POV / Nature - PBS

I also plan to eventually finishing
Wolf Hall s. 1 - PBS
Unreal s.1 - Lifetime
Masterpiece Contemporary: Worricker s.1 - PBS
American Crime s. 1 - ABC

Masters of Sex has turned utterly unwatchable this season after major stumbles about halfway through the second season
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/masters-of-sex-recap-with-an-ape-the-show-jumps-the-shark/

Parsed that as "Masters of sex with an ape"

it basically is.
http://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/mastersofsex_ape.jpg%3Fw%3D620

The Masters of Sex discussion is precisely why, these days, I wait a few seasons before starting to watch acclaimed (non-superheroic) dramatic series. The vast majority of those shows seem to hit a hardcore sophomore (or at least junior) slump anymore. I can't handle the disappointment.

http://www.vox.com/2015/9/14/9301867/peak-tv
http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z7dGpyP_BLIiczZ7gmGGq3IvjuE%3D/800x0/filters%3Ano_upscale%28%29/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4048068/fxchart.png
there is twice as much scripted television airing right now as there was in 2009

In 2009, there were 211 primetime scripted series on television. That number steadily climbed until in 2014 there were 371, an increase of 160 shows. FX expects the number to top 400 in 2015. (There are already 267 series, and that's before the glut of shows that will debut when the fall TV season begins in late September.) And if it somehow doesn't this year, it almost certainly will in 2016. (Keep in mind, that's just scripted programming. Once you factor in reality shows, talk shows, and every other manner of program, the number climbs north of 1,000 — it was already at 933 in May 2015, the last month FX has data for.)

Wow, that's a lotta shows. Good to see scripted stuff is on the rise, though.

I have binged s1 & 2 of Proj Greenlight, now starting the new season, i love the shitshow-ery of it

I nvr watched it previously but the new ep was kinda perfect w/ who they chose as director. I think they pretty clearly did it for the conflict it will (and did immediately lol) create but ya know im cool w that

the bastard executioner is the worst title btw, I cringe for ppl having to read promos abt it during sports

Watched the Masters of Sex season 3 premiere last night; a definite drop in quality from season 2. I'm now mentally prepping for the upcoming trainwreck.

Also watched the season premiere of The Mindy Project, which retained the things about the show I hate (Ike Barinholtz) but was also funny as hell.

I guess there isn't a rolling 2015 TV thread. I am not claiming this as one of my ten favorite shows, but DIFFICULT PEOPLE on Hulu starring Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner is pretty funny.

― Immediate Follower (NA), Thursday, August 6, 2015 12:08 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Been watching this and agree but sometimes they're too much and too OTT even for me. I do like it though. Fred Armisen is really good as Garry.

I'm gonna have a go at Catastrophe shortly.

Previously.tv said some good things abt Quantico, has anyone watched it?

Catastrophe is great!

Andrea Martin is really really funny in Difficult People.

she will always be the best thing in anything.

has the guy in difficult people been in anything? he has a weird eye.

also, precious isn't funny.

he was in parks & rec and he has his own show called billy on the street which is p funny

also, is there a thread for people behaving badly shows? so damn many of them. i keep wanting to blame christine baranski for everything but ab fab really did come first.

wow, i must have have missed him on parks & rec. i didn't see later seasons.

Just got to the ape episode of Masters of Sex last night. I'm sticking with it, but ugh.

Just started watching You're the Worst recently, which is really funny.

wait

Andrea Martin is really really funny in Difficult People.

― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, September 29, 2015 12:40 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Please tell me this is the mom because she is the best part imo. I'm from Long Island and she completely nails Jewish Long Island mom. So good.

The Player is super ridiculous and stupid.

I plan to watch it for the next month at least.

x-post

also, precious isn't funny.

― scott seward, Tuesday, September 29, 2015 12:50 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Agreed! I do not like her in this at all. Billy does have a weird eye and it bugs me. I think some times I just want them to tone it down a couple notches - esp Julie K. Any show that can just drop a line about shopping for a M'lynn wig is going to be something I'm going to enjoy.

I do kind of feel terrible for Arthur because he's so nice to her and she's just so mean to him.

I watched part of The Player out of residual loyalty to show creator John Rogers (I liked Leverage, and his Kung Fu Monkey blog used to be pretty great) but didn't make it through the pilot. Felt like the lead was the guy you hire when you can't get Nathan Fillion and you can't afford Mark Valley, and Snipes looked like he was wearing (and trying to act through) a Wesley Snipes mask.

Yeah Andrea Martin plays Julie's mom. She was on SCTV.
I don't love everything about Difficult People but I think Billy Eichner is great in it, he does some impressive actual acting in a few episodes.

I enjoyed You're the Worst but it's pretty retrograde in a lot of ways for a supposedly edgy show. Lindsay is the best character in that show and has a great moment in the S1 finale.

Lindsay is pretty great, but the show is all about Edgar IMO.

already quickly starting 2 dislike project greenlight, for a reality show it seems v formulaic + boring idk, not as good as the starz director-wannabe show "the chair" a few yrs ago

Some of the retrograde stuff is the point of the show - these people who think of themselves as being outcasts and edgy end up desiring a traditional romantic relationship - but also I feel a little weird that the female lead is supposedly constantly eating junk food and doing drugs and drinking but she's still always put-together and attractive. Is that weird? Maybe I'm the one being retrograde.

xps lol how much does Mark Valley cost nowadays? he's one of those kiss-of-death TV character actors

project greenlight just needs to stip pretending it's about ~filmmaking~ & admit it's a human chemistry set :D

I enjoyed You're the Worst but it's pretty retrograde in a lot of ways for a supposedly edgy show. Lindsay is the best character in that show and has a great moment in the S1 finale.

I strongly suspect the entire viewing audience has a crush on Kether Donohue. She's great.

I do kind of feel terrible for Arthur because he's so nice to her and she's just so mean to him.

btwn that and his incredible villainry on Review, Urbaniak is unusually visible this year.

Anyone into Narcos? A reasonably familiar story with its fair share of macho gangster movie cliches, but really well told, well acted and really addictive.

Rick and Morty elevated its game considerably and the second season, when it was trying, was almost Adventure Time good.

Married was excellent throughout, mostly carried by A+ acting by what has to be the best supporting cast on television: Paul Reiser, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Sarah Burns, John Hodgman, Rob Huebel, Amy Landecker, Kimiko Glenn... Judy Greer and Nat Faxon always on point too. Never seen Faxon in anything else but he's tailored for this. Dude's got an Oscar!

I enjoyed Review (and the last two episodes were brutal) but the show just wore me down with its sadism. Three stars.

Moonbeam City, Benders and Gigi Does It are hot garbage.

So the current watching list is:
Last Week Tonight s. 2 - HBO
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell s. 2 - Adult Swim
Jeopardy s. 32 - ABC
Fear the Walking Dead s.1 - AMC
Drunk History s. 3 - Comedy Central
How to Get Away with Murder s. 2 - ABC
You’re the Worst s. 2 - FXX
American Experience - PBS
POV - PBS
Nature - PBS
The Affair s. 2 - Showtime
Inside the NFL - Showtime
The Simpsons s. 27 - Fox

... with these upcoming in the next two weeks:
The Knick s. 2 - Showtime
Homeland s. 5 - Showtime
Nathan for You s. 3 - Comedy Central
Fargo s. 2 - FX

... and this stuff waiting to be tried:
The Bastard Executioner s.1 - FX
Limitless s. 1 - CBS
Minority Report s.1 - Fox
Undrafted s.2 - NFL Network

First ep of The Affair offers the Maura Tierney perspective which is great and long overdue but JEEEEEZUS what happened to the writing on this show
there's a bit where, at the dinner table with her four estranged children and apropos of nothing, she tries to get their attention by saying "Look! There's Justin Bieber!"
And they all look up! AND ONE KID SAYS "WHERE?"
I mean what the fuck is going on here