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Post by marlonbrawndo on Mar 17, 2017 3:39:33 GMT
I. Think it has been better at least when it comes to writing, acting and production of tv series, for everyone who says comedy is bad right now What about the very successful Big Bang theory and Modern Family? The only tv chanels getting worse are: E which i used to be a big favorite of mine: yes i used to love Rank, sexiest, its good to be, love chain, The E true Hollywood story and revealed with Jules Asner heheh. Now its the kardashians channel. Mtv : the only thing they have now are reality shows. VH1 which used to be a mixture between the old E and old MTV and then the only thing we had were reality shows. Other than those three chanels tv is getting much better. now Network chanels are suffering from having very little time to pick up an audience, when this forum started i made a post on how bad tv networks react to ratings and how ridiculous is that they expect big numbers in their first season. Its impossible, Fox learned that with House which suffered this first 10 episodes and then we got to Vogler and the show became a phenomenon. Now those people who gave House a real chance they gave Backstrom the Axe in their first season for bad ratings. For me, it's been slim pickings for new comedy I enjoy. For a lot of shows, it seems to me the writers' are drawing on their memories of other series, rather than coming up with new and interesting ideas. There are new shows with original takes, like Powerless, but they don't fulfill the potential of their concepts. Kevin James seems to be in some new comedy every couple of months, but they're boilerplate, uninspired. Lately, the networks are sending in veterans like Friends alumni Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry, but only end up wasting these two quite good comic actors with an uninspired vehicle, in the case of LeBlanc, and absurd miscasting, in the case of Perry. Some of the best comedy on network TV is still the Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons. I'm not one of those who are put off by the expanded cast on BBT, and feel that it still has its sharpness, typical of Chuck Lorre's shows. The Simpsons still has some of the best writing on TV, and is simply taken for granted, IMO. If it was a new show with that level of quality, it would make a splash again, I think. Often, shows that I do like don't last long, which might indicate that I don't speak for many. Community was, I thought, a wonderfully innovative series, and gave an excellent cast opportunities to do wonderful things. (Much credit to the mercurial Dan Harmon who was a wizard at the helm of a show that could have been a short-lived mediocrity in anyone else's hands. The cast hasn't been as lucky in their post-Community projects.) Community got five seasons on network, and one on Yahoo streaming, pretty long for a series I enjoy. A couple of others which were very smart and excellently played were Don't Trust the B In Apt. 23 (with the brilliant Krysten Ritter and excruciatingly funny James Van Der Beek, who parodied himself), and The Grinder, with Fred Savage and Rob Lowe playing a delicious send-up of TV legal series, which last just one season. One other under-appreciated gem is Showtime's Episodes, with Matt LeBlanc playing a wonderfully vile version of himself in a razor-sharp "inside TV" series which would seem to really hit the sweet spot for the knowledgeable denizens of these chat boards.
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Post by deembastille on Mar 17, 2017 23:59:02 GMT
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 18, 2017 6:21:00 GMT
I’ve always been quite ‘choosy/picky’ when it comes to comedies I watch on TV. I used to watch Friends and Just Shoot Me! in the 90’s, then there wasn’t a whole lot of ‘comedy’ shows I watched on TV for a good long while. I did catch some of Better Off Ted and quite liked that.
I think my favourite comedy in recent years has got to be Don’t Trust the B----- in Apartment 23 – this was before I’d ever watched Jessica Jones on Blu-ray and only really knew Krysten Ritter from her more ‘comedic’ roles (aside from Veronica Mars, I'd only seen her play the 'best friend' types of roles in a few different movies). It was quite the surprise to see her take on a very different kind of role than I was used to seeing her in with Jessica Jones, but I thought she nailed that role just as well as she did the role of Chloe.
I really loved Dreama Walker as June in the show. Her facial expressions/reactions to things Chloe said and did always cracked me up. I’d missed the show during its first run on TV here, then missed the first couple of episodes when it was repeated but tuned in shortly thereafter and watched through till the end. It was then repeated for a third time and I caught the episodes I’d missed whilst rewatching the ones I had seen. A comedy has to be at least pretty ‘decent’ for me to rewatch, as usually the jokes have gotten somewhat old by the time it comes to a repeat viewing.
I also quite liked Episodes...for its first couple of seasons, anyway. Then it started being less funny and I kind of lost interest (which was what happened with Friends and seems to happen with quite a lot of shows I think are very funny to start with).
The most recent comedy I’ve been watching is The Crazy Ones (and yes, I’m aware it’s not that ‘recent’ – we’re quite behind with shows where I am). I mainly tuned in for SMG, but the other female character in the show, Lauren (played by Amanda Setton), has quickly become my favourite on that show. She just has some of the most hilarious moments/lines – which are often quite random (which is my kind of ‘humour’).
I never did get into HIMYM, though did catch some of it on rare occasions, and whilst I did get a chuckle or two, it wasn’t laugh out loud funny for me, whereas the ones I’ve mentioned above were that (for me, at least). I imagine ‘comedy’ is probably one of the most divisive genres, as what one person finds amusing someone else might not and vice versa.
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persephone
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Post by persephone on Mar 19, 2017 9:23:57 GMT
For me it's been peaks and valleys. Television seems to go through real spurts of creativity and then gets saturated with whatever type of show is trendy. Right now there are some great, creative shows. Legion is always a visual treat and Feud is fun but, well done camp. I can't get behind The Simpsons anymore but Bob's Burgers is one of the best comedies around. Same with The Good Place.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 20, 2017 6:27:09 GMT
Yeah, that^ I definitely agree with. I remember some of the good shows from the 80's, 90's, etc - but they also had their fair share of 'bad' ones too. And while there's a lot of really bad shows on nowadays, there's also some really excellent ones as well.
For me, 'comedy' shows especially seem to go through real 'spurts'. Like I said, there were some in the 90's that I watched/enjoyed (not to mention repeats of older shows), but then I didn't watch any for a good long while. There's been a few in recent memory, but they're all over with now or have gone down hill and aren't very funny anymore. So it might be some time before I find another one that I like.
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moonlight91
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Post by moonlight91 on Mar 20, 2017 13:06:55 GMT
It would depend on the genre, I have seen a great rise in dramas during my lifetime but fantasy programs, cop dramas, and sitcoms have taken a giant dip in quality.
Cop drama: They tend to be more soap boxes about the cops personal lives than the case of the week.
Sitcoms: Laugh tracks still exist and most of the shows aren't funny.
Fantasy programs: Gone are the days of Buffy, Next Generation and Lost as most fantasy/sci-fi dramas give you the impression the writers don't know what they are doing, writing to plot rather than character becomes the norm resulting in characters becoming inconsistent, Twilight style love triangles that eventually are what drive the story, the obnoxious character gets the spotlight and all of this Can be forgiven if writers had a clear idea on what each storyline is going because the "villain of the week" is now replaced with villain of the season with characters going through the same problems every season.
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Post by marlonbrawndo on Apr 2, 2017 0:37:54 GMT
I think my favourite comedy in recent years has got to be Don’t Trust the B----- in Apartment 23 – this was before I’d ever watched Jessica Jones on Blu-ray and only really knew Krysten Ritter from her more ‘comedic’ roles (aside from Veronica Mars, I'd only seen her play the 'best friend' types of roles in a few different movies). It was quite the surprise to see her take on a very different kind of role than I was used to seeing her in with Jessica Jones, but I thought she nailed that role just as well as she did the role of Chloe. I really loved Dreama Walker as June in the show. Her facial expressions/reactions to things Chloe said and did always cracked me up. I’d missed the show during its first run on TV here, then missed the first couple of episodes when it was repeated but tuned in shortly thereafter and watched through till the end. It was then repeated for a third time and I caught the episodes I’d missed whilst rewatching the ones I had seen. A comedy has to be at least pretty ‘decent’ for me to rewatch, as usually the jokes have gotten somewhat old by the time it comes to a repeat viewing. I also quite liked Episodes...for its first couple of seasons, anyway. Then it started being less funny and I kind of lost interest (which was what happened with Friends and seems to happen with quite a lot of shows I think are very funny to start with). I never did get into HIMYM, though did catch some of it on rare occasions, and whilst I did get a chuckle or two, it wasn’t laugh out loud funny for me, whereas the ones I’ve mentioned above were that (for me, at least). I imagine ‘comedy’ is probably one of the most divisive genres, as what one person finds amusing someone else might not and vice versa. It's a kick to find a response from a fan of comedy whose tastes appear to be similar to mine. It seems one thing that's true about our preferences is that, if we like a show, it's destined to be short-lived. "Don't Trust the B in Apt 23" was so original and superbly produced that I had to wonder why it didn't attract a bigger following. The title, maybe? We differ slightly about the enduring appeal of "Episodes", though, again, I'm pleased to meet another fan. Unlike you, I've enjoyed the whole run so far, and I'm looking forward to the new season. One thing that "Episodes" and "Don't Trust the B..." have in common is that two of the featured characters (LeBlanc and Van Der Beek) are playing wickedly funny versions of themselves, which reveals them as both good sports, and more gifted actors than they are often considered to be. With that in mind, you might like "The Grinder", in which Rob Lowe does a similarly self-deprecating take on the kind of roles he's played, though not playing "Rob Lowe", per se. I agree completely about "HIMYM." I've sampled it a few times, and it's always felt like a labored attempt to replicate "Friends." Again, you and I diverge from the public at large about that. Comedy is my favorite genre, because it seems so much more difficult to do well than any other, such as drama and action, where the formula appears to be putting a sympathetic character in danger, adding gunfire, special effects, and loud pulsating music, stir and serve. Comedy, (good, intelligent comedy, anyway) requires much better writing and acting.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Apr 2, 2017 1:23:14 GMT
It's a kick to find a response from a fan of comedy whose tastes appear to be similar to mine. It seems one thing that's true about our preferences is that, if we like a show, it's destined to be short-lived. "Don't Trust the B in Apt 23" was so original and superbly produced that I had to wonder why it didn't attract a bigger following. The title, maybe?
I do think that 'comedy' is very subjective (but then, so are most things when you really get down to it). However, I think with 'comedy' shows it can be a case of, something has to just be a particular sort of 'funny' to make me actually laugh out loud, whereas it's fairly easy to just get a chuckle. I do find that 'random' things happening/said can often tickle my funny bone, but then if things get too random/bizarre/out of left field, they just leave me cold. I think I saw previews for Don’t Trust the B----- in Apartment 23, and I'll admit I didn't tune into it during its first airing. Not because of the title (titles of things don't often affect my interest - though there has been the odd one for a movie/show/song that's put me off a bit), but I think there just wasn't anything overly 'funny' shown in the previews - but this is the problem comedic shows/movies face: They could put some of their best jokes in the previews/trailers, but then they've used up some of their best material (and while sometimes stuff you've seen in previews/trailers *can* be funny the second time around, oftentimes I find they've lost their impact). However, the opposite problem can also be true - that if they don't include much of their best stuff in the previews/trailers, then what's there to entice viewers? We differ slightly about the enduring appeal of "Episodes", though, again, I'm pleased to meet another fan. Unlike you, I've enjoyed the whole run so far, and I'm looking forward to the new season. I appreciate that we can differ in some of our views of the shows we both watched, but also agree on other points (and so so civilly ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) ). I liked the show when Merc was the boss (though I'll readily admit he was a horrible person), but when that other guy took over from him, I just didn't find him amusing at all (though I still enjoyed the other characters). We still have yet to get the latest seasons where I am, so maybe I'll enjoy those. I'll have to wait and see. One thing that "Episodes" and "Don't Trust the B..." have in common is that two of the featured characters (LeBlanc and Van Der Beek) are playing wickedly funny versions of themselves, which reveals them as both good sports, and more gifted actors than they are often considered to be. With that in mind, you might like "The Grinder", in which Rob Lowe does a similarly self-deprecating take on the kind of roles he's played, though not playing "Rob Lowe", per se. Yes, Episodes and Don’t Trust the B----- in Apartment 23 do have that in common. Those are the only two shows of that 'type' which I have watched. I did see previews for The Grinder, but I find that I don't watch too many shows that are of a similar 'type' (at least not with comedies, anyway). Maybe it's just that if I watch too many of the same 'type' of comedy, the jokes become 'predictable? I'm not sure. Comedy shows have always been a different kettle of fish for me when compared to drama/fantasy/action/etc shows - I can watch numerous shows that fit into the latter genres, but only a select few in the former. Comedy is my favorite genre, because it seems so much more difficult to do well than any other
While I can't really say 'comedy' is my favourite genre (there's only a a small group of shows in that genre which I've genuinely enjoyed), as I prefer the other genres that might seem 'easier' to do (though I find they can be just as hard to do really well, but there's a lot more of them I enjoy), I will agree that really excellent comedy shows do seem difficult to do well, and there's plenty of 'comedies' out there, but only certain ones that appeal to my particular sense of humour.
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deeznutz
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Post by deeznutz on Apr 5, 2017 14:17:42 GMT
Better the budgets on the big ones are much greater it depends on your age I guess to be fair
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Post by nakitaakita1 on Apr 12, 2017 18:40:22 GMT
I'm surprised at how much smut there is. Sophomoric dirty jokes are all the rage I guess. I can't even watch Sit-"Coms" anymore. How could someone sit and watch those shows as a family? As others have stated they watch the channels that play the old shows and movies, do I, or I watch stuff from foreign countries. Also I refuse to pay for the idiot box either, so possibly that might eliminate some selections for me but I rather beleive that it simple eliminates more smut from my viewing pleasure,😀
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Dec 9, 2017 9:50:22 GMT
We differ slightly about the enduring appeal of "Episodes", though, again, I'm pleased to meet another fan. Unlike you, I've enjoyed the whole run so far, and I'm looking forward to the new season. Well, we just started Season 4 of the show here the other night, and I was happy to see that I found it 'funny' again. There were some genuinely amusing moments throughout the first two episodes (I'm just glad they ditched Castor, as I didn't find him even remotely entertaining). Here's hoping the rest of the season continues this way.
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Post by THawk on Dec 10, 2017 21:14:19 GMT
Gone abysmally downhill. When I was growing up as a teenager, my favourite (and still favourite) shows were Buffy, Angel. Then came LOST, Battlestar Galactica, which were also brilliant. But since these 4 ended, I have not found anything that I truly love, and I have searched far and wide. There have been some good shows peaking into temporary greatness here and there, but the vast majority of material out there does not engage me. I need themes of philosophy, spirituality, morality; yet almost everything out there is about which morally bankrupt character backstabs another morally bankrupt character, repeat to infinity with different variations.
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Post by novastar6 on Dec 10, 2017 21:33:15 GMT
Worse, it used to be on 5-6 channels you could find something good to watch all day and most of the night. Now, we have 80 channels and there's NOTHING on to watch.
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Dec 11, 2017 2:11:54 GMT
Worse.
In the old days many actors came out of the same system as the motion picture business so they had strong voices and personalities. Also, the stories were self contained which is more audience friendly. In fact, everything was more audience friendly.
In the late 60s-70s there were also tv movies. Lots of them.
There are shows that do not hold up in repeat viewing but there are still many that do.
And for a network program you got 55 minutes of a show--now what is it down to--40 minutes and then another 20 minutes of commercials? With sped up content and quicker editing?
As for cable--Sopranos and the rest, they are just soap serials with movie budgets and no censor. They are not a replacement for the single, one shot story.
Social engineering propaganda was around then as well but it was not so in your face as it is now. I was watching a short-lived Andy Griffith series from the 70s where he is a cop in a small California town and someone calls him a redneck as an endearment.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2017 11:03:57 GMT
There is really no factuall answer to this question
Its all opinions.
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Post by TheGoodMan19 on Dec 12, 2017 22:19:56 GMT
Yes.
Going back to the 70's - early 80's, there were very few shows that "stood out". There were good shows, but nothing to compare with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire etc. Exception, Hill Street Blues. And there were very few abysmal shows. OK, they existed, but they had a short shelf life. Cop Rock, Manimal, Supertrain etc. Networks had the sense to cut losses and pull them. And none seemed as slimy as Jersey Shore, Naked and Afraid and other reality based dreck.
It is the best of times, it's the worst of times
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Dec 15, 2017 4:44:38 GMT
Aside from sitcoms (which reined supreme in the 90s), I'd say better.
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Post by bluerisk on Dec 17, 2017 2:44:34 GMT
Way better.
Aside from the fact that you have today far more choices. If you don't like reality TV, why even bother to mention them?!
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David
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Post by David on Dec 17, 2017 23:03:26 GMT
Easily a lot better since the 80s. The only category that is close is comedy.
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Post by DSDSquared on Dec 19, 2017 12:56:30 GMT
How is this dumb thread still active? To the posters who say TV was better in the past, you are all morons. Plain and simple. No mincing words here. I guess if you are a teenager, then maybe you could argue shows like The Wire and Sopranos were better. Sure, I can see that, but saying TV pre 1990s was better than after is not only wrong but on a level of stupid I cannot even describe here.
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