M: This is a 4 season British comedy about an elite surgeon who develops a phobia of blood, and moves to a small coastal town to become a general practice doctor. The characters are great, the scenery beautiful, and the story fun. We really enjoyed this, and recommend it. 3 1/2 stars
V: Oh, I loved Doc Martin, and I'm sad that our watching has come to an end. (And it only ended because the series did.) Doc Martin, the character, is true to his curmudgeonly self throughout. (Well-acted by Martin Clunes.) The rest of the characters are fun and endearing. Social problems, strange diseases and a tense romance - we loved our evening visits to the telly and that beautiful coastal village - we want to go to there. FYI - on Netflix it is unrated - it's probably about a TV-14 for occasional medical gore. - 3 1/2 stars
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
News Radio
M: This is one of my favorite TV shows ever. I just finished watching the first season and half of the second on Hulu.com. Hulu has the first 4 seasons right now. A fantastic show with a great cast, including Phil Hartman. Check it out. 3 1/2 stars.
V: Pretty funny. It is good to see Phil Hartman. 3 stars.
V: Pretty funny. It is good to see Phil Hartman. 3 stars.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
LOST
M: Where to begin. Lost is the only current TV show that V and I have been actively following. After watching the first season on DVD, we started tuning in each week. Thank goodness for DVR and the internet, over six seasons there was probably about a months worth of commercials. Well, Sunday was the final episode. I am left really torn. When Lost is on its A game, there is no better drama, on TV, possibly ever. When it is off, it is really off. As my friend noted, Lost is both the best and worst of TV. The plot walks a fine line between mind blowing mystery and absurdity. See if you can spot the plot twist that didn't actually happen.
1. A giant polar bear attacked a character while she was stranded on a tropical island
2. The characters set off a nuclear bomb that created an alternate reality
3. One of the characters drowned in some murky water and came back to life evil
4. When one of the characters escaped, it caused the island to start jumping trough time
5. A character shot and killed her yet to be born son when he came to the island
6. A character pushed a button every few hours in order to save the world
7. The characters discovered a magical bird that could tell the future
8. A black smoke monster helped a highly radioactive man go into a cave and unstop a glowing well of water, which led to earthquakes
9. One of the character's dead father is spotted alive several times
10. One character plays a cop, a con-man, a murderer, and a 70's security guard for a scientific community
11. One of the characters does not age and has lived for hundreds of years
12. The island had a giant statue (hundreds of feet tall) and a magical man lived in its foot
13. The island contained a lighthouse that could be used to look at people all over the world
14. A man fell into a cave, turned into a smoke monster, and later inhabited the body of a former cripple who was cured when he came to the island but was later killed after he left the island
15. A character can hear dead people talking from their graves. Another character sees dead people and talks to them face to face.
Which plot never happened? Number 7. A magical bird, that's ridiculous! But I guarantee that someone who hasn't seen the show could not correctly answer this quiz. My biggest complaint is that the writers are clearly better at creating intriguing mysteries than in explaining the mysteries. At the end, a lot was left completely unexplained. That bugs me. But still, as my brother in law noted, at times a Lost episode will come along that can only be described as "high art." These moments occurred the most frequently in the 1st, 4th and 5th seasons. I definitely recommend Lost. The characters are great, and, for the most part, the storyline is compelling. But be prepared to get lost a few times. 3 1/2 stars
V: Lost is fun. Watch it. 3 1/2 stars.
1. A giant polar bear attacked a character while she was stranded on a tropical island
2. The characters set off a nuclear bomb that created an alternate reality
3. One of the characters drowned in some murky water and came back to life evil
4. When one of the characters escaped, it caused the island to start jumping trough time
5. A character shot and killed her yet to be born son when he came to the island
6. A character pushed a button every few hours in order to save the world
7. The characters discovered a magical bird that could tell the future
8. A black smoke monster helped a highly radioactive man go into a cave and unstop a glowing well of water, which led to earthquakes
9. One of the character's dead father is spotted alive several times
10. One character plays a cop, a con-man, a murderer, and a 70's security guard for a scientific community
11. One of the characters does not age and has lived for hundreds of years
12. The island had a giant statue (hundreds of feet tall) and a magical man lived in its foot
13. The island contained a lighthouse that could be used to look at people all over the world
14. A man fell into a cave, turned into a smoke monster, and later inhabited the body of a former cripple who was cured when he came to the island but was later killed after he left the island
15. A character can hear dead people talking from their graves. Another character sees dead people and talks to them face to face.
Which plot never happened? Number 7. A magical bird, that's ridiculous! But I guarantee that someone who hasn't seen the show could not correctly answer this quiz. My biggest complaint is that the writers are clearly better at creating intriguing mysteries than in explaining the mysteries. At the end, a lot was left completely unexplained. That bugs me. But still, as my brother in law noted, at times a Lost episode will come along that can only be described as "high art." These moments occurred the most frequently in the 1st, 4th and 5th seasons. I definitely recommend Lost. The characters are great, and, for the most part, the storyline is compelling. But be prepared to get lost a few times. 3 1/2 stars
V: Lost is fun. Watch it. 3 1/2 stars.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Corner Gas
M: Let me introduce you to my favorite TV series, hands down: Corner Gas. A Canadian TV show that aired for 6 seasons on CTV. The show is based in the fictional town of Dog River, in Saskatchewan, Canada. Dog River has one gas station, Corner Gas. Brett Leroy--played by comedian, producer, writer, and sometimes directer, Brett Butt--owns and operates the station with the help of his employee, and real life wife, Wanda. Attached to the gas station is the town diner, owned by Lacy, the girl from the big city. Other regulars include Brett's best friend and town laze-a-bout Hank, Brett's cranky parents, and the two lovable but incompetent local cops. I was introduced to this series by my sister, and through me, a think quite a few have now watched and, I hope, loved it. I love Sienfield, the Simpsons, and Arrested Development. They are all great shows. They also, at times, are not all that wholesome. They leave you laughing, but feeling bad that you are laughing. This is where Corner Gas shines. While it's not perfectly squeeky clean, it is more so than anything you can find on US television. It is also a lot better, funnier, and far more endearing.
The first thing that struck us about the show, as we start watching, was its slow, gentle pace. There is no laugh track, so you have to figure out when and if to laugh all on your own; I like this, it adds to the calmness of the show. As the show's opening theme states "You think there's not a lot going on, look closer, your so wrong. And that's why you can stay so long, where there's not a lot going on." The more I watched, the more I learned to absolutely love all of the characters, each quirky and delightful in their own way. When we got down to the last episode, I couldn't bring myself to watch. Each night, V would ask, "should we watch the last Corner Gas tonight," my response each night was, "not tonight, conditions have to be perfect." I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend. Cheesy, I know, but true. Fortunately, we missed a few episodes along the way, V more than me because we watched one season in the Hospital after a baby, so she viewed it through very sleepy eyes. So, we have started again from the beginning. Corner Gas' offbeat humor, quirky and hilarious characters, and willingness to do a sitcom without dragging its viewers through the gutter is what makes Corner Gas the best comedy series ever. It is why we "can stay so long." It is why we can't get enough.
The closing theme describes Saskatchewan, "It's a great big place, full of nothing but space, and its my happy place." Corner Gas is my "Happy Place." Give it a try, maybe it will be yours too. 4 stars.
V: M is right. Corner Gas is a delight! We are now watching it over again from the beginning. (Can you believe M chided me for falling asleep during some of the episodes - while I was in the hospital? The nerve. Morphine is stronger than even the draw of Corner Gas. Besides, it hurts to laugh after a c-section. It was self-preservation.) I especially love Wanda. The "Conjunctivitis" and "Queasy Rider" episodes are some of my favorites. Also the one where Hank whines after losing at golf was pretty funny. I think that one caused me some pain in my hospital bed. And then there's "The Brent Effect" and the one with the Archie's characters, and well, you'll just have to watch. We love Corner Gas. It's a gas, gas, gas. 4 stars
The first thing that struck us about the show, as we start watching, was its slow, gentle pace. There is no laugh track, so you have to figure out when and if to laugh all on your own; I like this, it adds to the calmness of the show. As the show's opening theme states "You think there's not a lot going on, look closer, your so wrong. And that's why you can stay so long, where there's not a lot going on." The more I watched, the more I learned to absolutely love all of the characters, each quirky and delightful in their own way. When we got down to the last episode, I couldn't bring myself to watch. Each night, V would ask, "should we watch the last Corner Gas tonight," my response each night was, "not tonight, conditions have to be perfect." I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend. Cheesy, I know, but true. Fortunately, we missed a few episodes along the way, V more than me because we watched one season in the Hospital after a baby, so she viewed it through very sleepy eyes. So, we have started again from the beginning. Corner Gas' offbeat humor, quirky and hilarious characters, and willingness to do a sitcom without dragging its viewers through the gutter is what makes Corner Gas the best comedy series ever. It is why we "can stay so long." It is why we can't get enough.
The closing theme describes Saskatchewan, "It's a great big place, full of nothing but space, and its my happy place." Corner Gas is my "Happy Place." Give it a try, maybe it will be yours too. 4 stars.
V: M is right. Corner Gas is a delight! We are now watching it over again from the beginning. (Can you believe M chided me for falling asleep during some of the episodes - while I was in the hospital? The nerve. Morphine is stronger than even the draw of Corner Gas. Besides, it hurts to laugh after a c-section. It was self-preservation.) I especially love Wanda. The "Conjunctivitis" and "Queasy Rider" episodes are some of my favorites. Also the one where Hank whines after losing at golf was pretty funny. I think that one caused me some pain in my hospital bed. And then there's "The Brent Effect" and the one with the Archie's characters, and well, you'll just have to watch. We love Corner Gas. It's a gas, gas, gas. 4 stars
Monday, March 8, 2010
Gilmore Girls
M: TV series are interesting. They are different from movies. They are a bigger commitment. They are something you can look forward to, and they are in your life for an extended period of time. They can be great, or they can be huge time wasters (or both). A Movie is like choosing a restaurant to eat a meal, and a TV series is like choosing a caterer to make your meals for the next several months. So you have to choose wisely. The Gilmore Girls, at 7 seasons, is definitely a big investment. It took us about a year, and two different homes, to get through. The first season, I kind of half watched, have played on my computer. But, as the series went on, I tuned in more and more. Over time, it became something that V and I looked forward to. This is a fun series, with great dialog (and a lot of it, tons in fact). A mother and daughter live and love and learn. Lots of quirky characters come and go, and make a place in your heart. Lauren Graham plays the mother, Lorelai Gilmore, brilliantly. Some questionable moral decisions, and a bit preachy at times. But very fun. This is a good series to watch as a couple. 3 stars
V: We had a lot of fun watching these. I found it to be good escapism after a long day of housewifery. Lauren Graham, as M mentioned, is really great. Very funny, very likable, even though she does really dumb things sometimes. The writers (there are many) loved sticking in as many obscure cultural references as they could into an episode. Sometimes the extent to which they did that was annoying- kinda like the word-of-the-day snuck into high school plays. I remember the "gravy" performance. Otherwise, it was kind of fun, and they provided a list of their references in the dvd, uh, "pamphlet." Because there were so many writers, there were incongruities at times, but only irritating people like me would be bothered with it. (Or is bothersome people like me being irritated?) Just a few tiny complaints. So, you can tell that we liked it since we watched the entire series in a year. It was good fun. 3 stars
V: We had a lot of fun watching these. I found it to be good escapism after a long day of housewifery. Lauren Graham, as M mentioned, is really great. Very funny, very likable, even though she does really dumb things sometimes. The writers (there are many) loved sticking in as many obscure cultural references as they could into an episode. Sometimes the extent to which they did that was annoying- kinda like the word-of-the-day snuck into high school plays. I remember the "gravy" performance. Otherwise, it was kind of fun, and they provided a list of their references in the dvd, uh, "pamphlet." Because there were so many writers, there were incongruities at times, but only irritating people like me would be bothered with it. (Or is bothersome people like me being irritated?) Just a few tiny complaints. So, you can tell that we liked it since we watched the entire series in a year. It was good fun. 3 stars
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Battlestar Galactica
M: Ok, so at the risk of revealing myself as a closet nerd, I really liked this series. This has been my treadmill series, meaning the series I watch on the treadmill in the evenings. It works good because it is action packed and not necessarily dialog heavy. From the first episode, which is really a two hour movie, I was hooked. Very exciting. Who are the Cylons, who are the humans, what will become of civilization, and what exactly does frak mean (ok, so that last one is not really a big mystery). With 4 seasons, there are of course a few throw-away shows. And, I am not sure that I am 100% sold on the finale, I wish they had pulled it together a bit more. But all in all, I recommend. Beware, there are some sex scenes that will make you uncomfortable. I wish they weren't there, but they are. Also violent at times, but I don't think to an extreme. If you don't mind space ships and suspense, mingled with death and sex, give Battlestar Galactica a shot. 3 1/2 stars
V: Wow, really sold it there at the end, M. I actually DO mind spaceships. I find them really boring. I do. I even didn't love, I know some of you will hate me for this, Star Wars. Too much metal, too many buttons. I thought the first episode of BG was all right, it took a little longer for me to get past the spaceship block, but after a while, I really got into it. There are a bunch of characters that you get to stick with throughout the entire series, that you will get attached to. It is interesting, exciting. Like M said, good treadmill material. Some good actors, like Stand and Deliver's Edward James Olmos and Dances with Wolves' Mary McDonnell. There is some objectionable material. And, yeah, it's kinda violent at times - because it's a war - the whole thing is about a war between the humans and cylons. Star Wars had some war in it, if I recall correctly. So I wouldn't not see it based on that. Overall, we really liked it. Like, I'd call M at work after seeing an episode to tell him I couldn't believe what happened, or I think ___ is a cylon! It was good. 3 stars
V: Wow, really sold it there at the end, M. I actually DO mind spaceships. I find them really boring. I do. I even didn't love, I know some of you will hate me for this, Star Wars. Too much metal, too many buttons. I thought the first episode of BG was all right, it took a little longer for me to get past the spaceship block, but after a while, I really got into it. There are a bunch of characters that you get to stick with throughout the entire series, that you will get attached to. It is interesting, exciting. Like M said, good treadmill material. Some good actors, like Stand and Deliver's Edward James Olmos and Dances with Wolves' Mary McDonnell. There is some objectionable material. And, yeah, it's kinda violent at times - because it's a war - the whole thing is about a war between the humans and cylons. Star Wars had some war in it, if I recall correctly. So I wouldn't not see it based on that. Overall, we really liked it. Like, I'd call M at work after seeing an episode to tell him I couldn't believe what happened, or I think ___ is a cylon! It was good. 3 stars
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