I've actually recently been trying to get through the first season of Buffy since I have obsessed friends.
It's...slow going to say the least. I'm really not seeing the appeal.
It really doesn't hit its mark until the S1 finale
And then S2 is so, so good. And depending on who you ask, s3 is better. I'd say skip to the S1 finale, but they do amusing callbacks to some of those episodes in later seasons so *shrug*
I've actually recently been trying to get through the first season of Buffy since I have obsessed friends.
It's...slow going to say the least. I'm really not seeing the appeal.
It really doesn't hit its mark until the S1 finale
And then S2 is so, so good. And depending on who you ask, s3 is better. I'd say skip to the S1 finale, but they do amusing callbacks to some of those episodes in later seasons so *shrug*
But seriously, don't give up!
They really, really do. It's well worth it to power through it. It's not entirely terrible.
Webcomics are kind of the same thing. Reading through years of plot and then suddenly hitting a brick wall when you catch up with the updates can be a pain.
I've actually recently been trying to get through the first season of Buffy since I have obsessed friends.
It's...slow going to say the least. I'm really not seeing the appeal.
It really doesn't hit its mark until the S1 finale
And then S2 is so, so good. And depending on who you ask, s3 is better. I'd say skip to the S1 finale, but they do amusing callbacks to some of those episodes in later seasons so *shrug*
But seriously, don't give up!
They really, really do. It's well worth it to power through it. It's not entirely terrible.
It's not that it's awful, it's just so terribly 90s at time.
Like every single time a computer or the internet is mentioned.
I thought this thread would be about how the TV business ruins TV shows. For example, in Heroes they had to keep certain characters around because of their marketability. The writers are forced to plod along writing episodes at a fever pitch without being able to follow the initial idea for a story that they came up with. Great TV writers can deal with these pressures, but being a great TV writer is not a prerequisite for being a great writer.
I guess I'm still just bitter over the downfall of Heroes...
So I'm checking out this show called 100 Questions because everything else is on reruns.
This show is awful, the acting is terrible, and the plots are too simplistic for an infant. Who the hell did they show the pilot to? How did they let this happen?
Witch_Hunter_84 on
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten in your presence.
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Well, it depends how sing-along-with-able the intro is and whether or not it's Doctor Who, but yeah.
Also I think we're coming to a point now where no-one ever watches anything on TV at all anyway, so this is all getting kind of moot.
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Naw, simply having them as separate chapters that are easily skipped is preferable. Sometimes shows have arcs that span multiple seasons and having that "refresher" before the episode is nice...it's not too annoying when you're only watching two or so in a row. Same with credits.
mcdermott on
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-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
edited June 2010
Generally, if there's an overarching story that is heavily involved in the series, I can't watch it week to week. I generally forget to watch episodes because of it. If it's just a sitcom or something, week to week doesn't bother me at all.
I've actually recently been trying to get through the first season of Buffy since I have obsessed friends.
It's...slow going to say the least. I'm really not seeing the appeal.
It really doesn't hit its mark until the S1 finale
And then S2 is so, so good. And depending on who you ask, s3 is better. I'd say skip to the S1 finale, but they do amusing callbacks to some of those episodes in later seasons so *shrug*
But seriously, don't give up!
They really, really do. It's well worth it to power through it. It's not entirely terrible.
It's not that it's awful, it's just so terribly 90s at time.
Like every single time a computer or the internet is mentioned.
It's 13 years old. You gotta give it some slack on that shit.
Also, Buffy was pretty amazing in S1 back when it was first on. A breath of fresh fucking air back then, I tell you what.
I thought this thread would be about how the TV business ruins TV shows. For example, in Heroes they had to keep certain characters around because of their marketability. The writers are forced to plod along writing episodes at a fever pitch without being able to follow the initial idea for a story that they came up with. Great TV writers can deal with these pressures, but being a great TV writer is not a prerequisite for being a great writer.
I guess I'm still just bitter over the downfall of Heroes...
Yeah but that sort of stuff happens in every medium.
Admittedly, TV has it a bit worse because of the nature of the beast. Actors leaving or becoming too popular to kill off the way you planned, ratings spiking or declining due to certain actions, pressures of having to deliver week in and week out.
But you still have "money" beating out "quality" in all forms of entertainment. Why is it we havent had many truly open world, sandboxy type MMOs that the "niche" dreams off? Because they wouldnt make as much money. WHy are we getting a crappy FPS X-com rather then a true follow up to the series? We did the movie Marmaduke happen?
But whats interesting is this summer there is a new show on NBC which is basically a mystery show about a bunch of people locked in a house. The interesting part is that the commercials claim it to be a mini-series and promise that there will be answers.
It seems like they are perhaps realizing the popularity of such over-arching shows but realizing the issues with them as well. Summer mini-series is basically one step away from made for dvd TV.
I think its an interesting concept, but ultimately, I cant see it succeeding. Id assume the cost for developing a TV show (outside of rising actor costs as they become popular) would drop drastically after season 1. Youd have all your sets, and staff and advertizers etc. So making one season shows which dont have to bow to the pressures of trying to continue next year doesnt seem profitable enough even though itll likely lead to better TV.
People think Season 2 of Dexter is the worst one? What the hell are they smoking?
Season 2 of Dexter was amazing. In fact, why does Dexter even come into this discussion of why serial weekly tv doesn't work well. Dexter shows it can work perfectly, delivering perfect little contained stories alongside an overall plot which always develops and can be joined at any time.
I don't think there's a single show, movie, clip or anything at all that's better on TV. Maybe crap that wouldn't be worth the effort to see it in any other way. But stuff with actual production values?
Given that most great shows don't cross overseas for half a year or more, I happily accept the language barrier, thank you very much.
Ever wondered whether- let's call it "TV with production values" is a dying business model?
Course Arrested Development is a poor example of the Previously on Segment as they often contain bits not actually in the previous eps.
Same with the next-time-on bits. They'll often show a clip that won't happen, or won't happen until a season later, yet it's all also canon, and you will get callbacks to it happening.
Aw man, I have my parents' house to myself for the next week, and they have Netflix (with Netflix on demand). God, just when I was running out of stuff on Hulu, I get all these new shows to watch. Finally, I get to watch season 2 of Dexter (watched season 1 when it was being shown on CBS).
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Naw, simply having them as separate chapters that are easily skipped is preferable. Sometimes shows have arcs that span multiple seasons and having that "refresher" before the episode is nice...it's not too annoying when you're only watching two or so in a row. Same with credits.
Battlestar Galactica was the worst in this regard. The previously on and credits are on the same DVD chapter as the intro sequence for the current episode. It's like the people who made the DVD never watched a TV show on DVD. No wonder the show started to drag by the third season and the ending was so awful.
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Naw, simply having them as separate chapters that are easily skipped is preferable. Sometimes shows have arcs that span multiple seasons and having that "refresher" before the episode is nice...it's not too annoying when you're only watching two or so in a row. Same with credits.
Battlestar Galactica was the worst in this regard. The previously on and credits are on the same DVD chapter as the intro sequence for the current episode. It's like the people who made the DVD never watched a TV show on DVD. No wonder the show started to drag by the third season and the ending was so awful.
The people who make the DVD are generally not the people who make the show.
A show I'm actually really starting to like is NBCs Marriage Ref with Tom Papa. Mostly for the fact that they keep putting that gorgeous dame Kelly Rippa on the show, but it actually is pretty enjoyable and I'd recommend you people Hulu it if you get the chance.
Witch_Hunter_84 on
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten in your presence.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
I don't think there's a single show, movie, clip or anything at all that's better on TV. Maybe crap that wouldn't be worth the effort to see it in any other way. But stuff with actual production values?
Given that most great shows don't cross overseas for half a year or more, I happily accept the language barrier, thank you very much.
Ever wondered whether- let's call it "TV with production values" is a dying business model?
I feel like 24 is actually better watching weekly. Some (many?) of the situations are a bit outlandish, but having that week between them makes the show feel somewhat more plausible.
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Naw, simply having them as separate chapters that are easily skipped is preferable. Sometimes shows have arcs that span multiple seasons and having that "refresher" before the episode is nice...it's not too annoying when you're only watching two or so in a row. Same with credits.
Battlestar Galactica was the worst in this regard. The previously on and credits are on the same DVD chapter as the intro sequence for the current episode. It's like the people who made the DVD never watched a TV show on DVD. No wonder the show started to drag by the third season and the ending was so awful.
The people who make the DVD are generally not the people who make the show.
Yeah but the same idiots hired the DVD company that hired those crappy writers.
See I own scrubs on DVD and watched the first few seasons a ton. Same with Arrested Development. I will admit, "previously on Arrested Development" does get a bit old when you just saw it.
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Naw, simply having them as separate chapters that are easily skipped is preferable. Sometimes shows have arcs that span multiple seasons and having that "refresher" before the episode is nice...it's not too annoying when you're only watching two or so in a row. Same with credits.
Battlestar Galactica was the worst in this regard. The previously on and credits are on the same DVD chapter as the intro sequence for the current episode. It's like the people who made the DVD never watched a TV show on DVD. No wonder the show started to drag by the third season and the ending was so awful.
The people who make the DVD are generally not the people who make the show.
Yeah but the same idiots hired the DVD company that hired those crappy writers.
Um ... BSG had the same writers throughout pretty much.
There is no connection between the people who made the show and the people who hired the people to make the DVD.
The intro and stuff on BSG don't bother me at all. I always watch the Previously On, because - as was mentioned - they often recall stuff from many episodes or even seasons before, and it's a nice refresher. Then they have the intro, then afterward I chapter skip to the beginning of the show. No problems, here.
Though TV on DVD has spoiled me as regards commercials. Even having to skip through recorded commercials is a pain now, and I will now refuse to start watching a show on TV until it's progressed to where I can skip through all commercials without running into live TV.
The only thing I really like about TV shows on TV is that it allows me to chat with people on the forums about recent happenings.
ElJeffe on
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
Webcomics are kind of the same thing. Reading through years of plot and then suddenly hitting a brick wall when you catch up with the updates can be a pain.
Even Penny Arcade is like that, and now with the search thing, you can't even go to the beginning anymore.
Bartholamue on
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Webcomics are kind of the same thing. Reading through years of plot and then suddenly hitting a brick wall when you catch up with the updates can be a pain.
Even Penny Arcade is like that, and now with the search thing, you can't even go to the beginning anymore.
The beginning of the series? Or the beginning of a particular storyline?
The beginning of the series is easy... just hit "first." Otherwise, no idea.
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
I was the exact same with Lost: thought season 2 was awesome but realized it would be terrible if watched week to week. I think it's just the challenge of finding writers who really know how to work within the medium. I've never had that same problem with stuff that's on HBO because the production quality (including the writing) is so much higher that I feel each episode is entertaining standing on its own but has an overall arc as well. They also are nice because they lack commercial breaks as well which is a big reason for why I think a lot of people watch TV shows on DVD nowadays (me included).
I'd always hoped HBO would pick up some sort of sci fi show like Lost just to see what they'd do with it...a man can always dream!
I agree with people when they talk about watching certain sitcoms over and over, and for that, I love idly watching them on TV. Like Seinfeld...*salute* I miss Seinfeld reruns on TV in England! But story-based shows I'd almost always prefer watching them on DVD.
My wife and I record every Office episode that appears (and there are lots of them - apparently they have marathons on TBS all the time), and watch them when we have 20 minutes to kill. They never get old.
ElJeffe on
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
edited June 2010
frasier, taxi, seinfeld were always my favorite to watch repeats late at night
when friends was on, or cheers hell yeah I'd watch that too.
I like the weekly format, as it gives a chance to discuss the show with other people. Unfortunately on TV, commercials are annoying.
So yay for DVRs.
DVDs are for shows I'd want to watch again, need to catch up on quickly, or want to share with other people (lending someone DVDs is usually more effective than telling them to look it up online). But for discussion with regular viewers they're fairly useless because everybody else has already covered that stuff 6 months ago. That guy who showed up 6 months late with "I'm Rick James, bitch!" got eye rolls instead of laughs. It's like only watching movies on DVD/BRD, and getting "You want to talk about Avatar now?"
You also have problems with shows that use topical content. South Park isn't nearly as good 6 months later, because half their jokes are about stuff going on in pop culture the month it aired. Unless you're just Family Guy and your idea of humor is remembering things.
I thought this thread would be about how the TV business ruins TV shows. For example, in Heroes they had to keep certain characters around because of their marketability. The writers are forced to plod along writing episodes at a fever pitch without being able to follow the initial idea for a story that they came up with. Great TV writers can deal with these pressures, but being a great TV writer is not a prerequisite for being a great writer.
I guess I'm still just bitter over the downfall of Heroes...
See, I've heard that defense used for Heroes and all I can say is that plenty of shows stay great. While there are some examples of studio involvement killing shows I think by and large the more common issue is the people behind it fall flat.
Heroes had one good season, at best. Everything after that was crap and I really don't know that you could blame all of that on 'the business.'
frasier, taxi, seinfeld were always my favorite to watch repeats late at night
when friends was on, or cheers hell yeah I'd watch that too.
I find Friends gets a lot of stick just for being Friends, but there was always some classic moments.
The first few seasons of Friends were pretty fantastic. Around season 6 or so, all the characters turned into one-dimensional parodies of themselves, and while it was still generally watchable, it was far from good.
ElJeffe on
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
frasier, taxi, seinfeld were always my favorite to watch repeats late at night
when friends was on, or cheers hell yeah I'd watch that too.
I find Friends gets a lot of stick just for being Friends, but there was always some classic moments.
The first few seasons of Friends were pretty fantastic. Around season 6 or so, all the characters turned into one-dimensional parodies of themselves, and while it was still generally watchable, it was far from good.
Agreed, I don't have a good idea of when the rot set in though, I'll trust you on s6. It's one of those shows that should have ended way earlier than it did, in respect of the quality
Raybies666 on
Beat me on Wii U: Raybies
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I got into Friday Night Lights (amazing show) by watching it all on Netflix. Gripping, had to see the next episode to see what happened thing.
I can't say that if I saw it airing on a week to week basis if I'd love it as much. I think I wouldn't be as emotionally attached to some of the characters because of the delay.
Weeds was the same way with me and my friends. Honestly I don't think I watched but 3 or so episodes of season 1. Got into it with a friend and took off from there. Couldn't stop watching. Now neither can my girlfriend or other friends after they've watched an episode or two with me.
But on the other side of it I love Grey's Anatomy. I can take the week off (sometimes a month off) between episodes. Somehow I've connected with that story and those characters in a different way and pick back up each week with them.
If no one has seen this season's season finale, you should do so. It's very intense and you don't have to know much back story to get into it. What made the episode actually work though were no commercials. My girlfriend and me watched The Office finale while grey's was recording. Switched it over and had to sit through one commercial break as the episode wrapped up. With the commercials though? I don't think the episode would have been as good.
Posts
It's...slow going to say the least. I'm really not seeing the appeal.
It really doesn't hit its mark until the S1 finale
And then S2 is so, so good. And depending on who you ask, s3 is better. I'd say skip to the S1 finale, but they do amusing callbacks to some of those episodes in later seasons so *shrug*
But seriously, don't give up!
Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
Forget it...
They really, really do. It's well worth it to power through it. It's not entirely terrible.
It's not that it's awful, it's just so terribly 90s at time.
Like every single time a computer or the internet is mentioned.
I guess I'm still just bitter over the downfall of Heroes...
This show is awful, the acting is terrible, and the plots are too simplistic for an infant. Who the hell did they show the pilot to? How did they let this happen?
This. Why it isn't law that you cut anything resembling a "previously on show X" segment when you put it on DVD frustrates me to no end. Leaving the show intro credits/theme in should also be fucking criminal.
Well, it depends how sing-along-with-able the intro is and whether or not it's Doctor Who, but yeah.
Also I think we're coming to a point now where no-one ever watches anything on TV at all anyway, so this is all getting kind of moot.
Naw, simply having them as separate chapters that are easily skipped is preferable. Sometimes shows have arcs that span multiple seasons and having that "refresher" before the episode is nice...it's not too annoying when you're only watching two or so in a row. Same with credits.
It's 13 years old. You gotta give it some slack on that shit.
Also, Buffy was pretty amazing in S1 back when it was first on. A breath of fresh fucking air back then, I tell you what.
Yeah but that sort of stuff happens in every medium.
Admittedly, TV has it a bit worse because of the nature of the beast. Actors leaving or becoming too popular to kill off the way you planned, ratings spiking or declining due to certain actions, pressures of having to deliver week in and week out.
But you still have "money" beating out "quality" in all forms of entertainment. Why is it we havent had many truly open world, sandboxy type MMOs that the "niche" dreams off? Because they wouldnt make as much money. WHy are we getting a crappy FPS X-com rather then a true follow up to the series? We did the movie Marmaduke happen?
But whats interesting is this summer there is a new show on NBC which is basically a mystery show about a bunch of people locked in a house. The interesting part is that the commercials claim it to be a mini-series and promise that there will be answers.
It seems like they are perhaps realizing the popularity of such over-arching shows but realizing the issues with them as well. Summer mini-series is basically one step away from made for dvd TV.
I think its an interesting concept, but ultimately, I cant see it succeeding. Id assume the cost for developing a TV show (outside of rising actor costs as they become popular) would drop drastically after season 1. Youd have all your sets, and staff and advertizers etc. So making one season shows which dont have to bow to the pressures of trying to continue next year doesnt seem profitable enough even though itll likely lead to better TV.
Season 2 of Dexter was amazing. In fact, why does Dexter even come into this discussion of why serial weekly tv doesn't work well. Dexter shows it can work perfectly, delivering perfect little contained stories alongside an overall plot which always develops and can be joined at any time.
Given that most great shows don't cross overseas for half a year or more, I happily accept the language barrier, thank you very much.
Ever wondered whether- let's call it "TV with production values" is a dying business model?
Same with the next-time-on bits. They'll often show a clip that won't happen, or won't happen until a season later, yet it's all also canon, and you will get callbacks to it happening.
God I need to watch that show again.
I think I might have a problem...
Battlestar Galactica was the worst in this regard. The previously on and credits are on the same DVD chapter as the intro sequence for the current episode. It's like the people who made the DVD never watched a TV show on DVD. No wonder the show started to drag by the third season and the ending was so awful.
The people who make the DVD are generally not the people who make the show.
I feel like 24 is actually better watching weekly. Some (many?) of the situations are a bit outlandish, but having that week between them makes the show feel somewhat more plausible.
Yeah but the same idiots hired the DVD company that hired those crappy writers.
Um ... BSG had the same writers throughout pretty much.
There is no connection between the people who made the show and the people who hired the people to make the DVD.
Though TV on DVD has spoiled me as regards commercials. Even having to skip through recorded commercials is a pain now, and I will now refuse to start watching a show on TV until it's progressed to where I can skip through all commercials without running into live TV.
The only thing I really like about TV shows on TV is that it allows me to chat with people on the forums about recent happenings.
Even Penny Arcade is like that, and now with the search thing, you can't even go to the beginning anymore.
The beginning of the series? Or the beginning of a particular storyline?
I'd always hoped HBO would pick up some sort of sci fi show like Lost just to see what they'd do with it...a man can always dream!
I agree with people when they talk about watching certain sitcoms over and over, and for that, I love idly watching them on TV. Like Seinfeld...*salute* I miss Seinfeld reruns on TV in England! But story-based shows I'd almost always prefer watching them on DVD.
when friends was on, or cheers hell yeah I'd watch that too.
I find Friends gets a lot of stick just for being Friends, but there was always some classic moments.
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I remember when I had time to be good at games.
So yay for DVRs.
DVDs are for shows I'd want to watch again, need to catch up on quickly, or want to share with other people (lending someone DVDs is usually more effective than telling them to look it up online). But for discussion with regular viewers they're fairly useless because everybody else has already covered that stuff 6 months ago. That guy who showed up 6 months late with "I'm Rick James, bitch!" got eye rolls instead of laughs. It's like only watching movies on DVD/BRD, and getting "You want to talk about Avatar now?"
You also have problems with shows that use topical content. South Park isn't nearly as good 6 months later, because half their jokes are about stuff going on in pop culture the month it aired. Unless you're just Family Guy and your idea of humor is remembering things.
See, I've heard that defense used for Heroes and all I can say is that plenty of shows stay great. While there are some examples of studio involvement killing shows I think by and large the more common issue is the people behind it fall flat.
Heroes had one good season, at best. Everything after that was crap and I really don't know that you could blame all of that on 'the business.'
The first few seasons of Friends were pretty fantastic. Around season 6 or so, all the characters turned into one-dimensional parodies of themselves, and while it was still generally watchable, it was far from good.
Agreed, I don't have a good idea of when the rot set in though, I'll trust you on s6. It's one of those shows that should have ended way earlier than it did, in respect of the quality
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I remember when I had time to be good at games.
I can't say that if I saw it airing on a week to week basis if I'd love it as much. I think I wouldn't be as emotionally attached to some of the characters because of the delay.
Weeds was the same way with me and my friends. Honestly I don't think I watched but 3 or so episodes of season 1. Got into it with a friend and took off from there. Couldn't stop watching. Now neither can my girlfriend or other friends after they've watched an episode or two with me.
But on the other side of it I love Grey's Anatomy. I can take the week off (sometimes a month off) between episodes. Somehow I've connected with that story and those characters in a different way and pick back up each week with them.
If no one has seen this season's season finale, you should do so. It's very intense and you don't have to know much back story to get into it. What made the episode actually work though were no commercials. My girlfriend and me watched The Office finale while grey's was recording. Switched it over and had to sit through one commercial break as the episode wrapped up. With the commercials though? I don't think the episode would have been as good.