I am not sure if it is me or it seems like the BBC has more good shows out compared to any US network. There just seems to be more and more shows or specials I watch from the BBC that are just good. I am watching State of Play DVD from Netflix this week. I had no idea that this series was made back in 2003, but I recently found a review for it on another DVD so I put it in my queue. I am glad I did. It is fantastic. I am up to episode 4 (out of 6) and it is fantastic so far. This series adds to the long line of other great series I have watched from the BBC. Recent favorites are Foyles War, Spooks, Hustle, & Torchwood. Then there was Red Cap, The Vice, Doctor Who, and the list goes on!
BBC Spooks
Spooks Series 4
Spooks (MI-5 in the US) has completed its series 4 (season in the US). Thanks to the joys of the internet I was able to watch the entire series while living in the US even though it has not been broadcast here yet. The 10th and final episode was crazy. I for one can’t wait to see what happens to everyone next year. Isn’t that what good TV is about? Keeping you wanting more? I still haven’t found an american show as good as this in the genre.
Since I was able to get all the episodes so quick I now have to wait until the end of 2006 for more. Let the waiting begin…
Resting, & Cleaining
I am so sleepy today. I woke up around 10:30, and I have been sleepy ever since. I tried to lie down and take a nape (not something I usually do) but I couldn’t fall asleep. I am done cleaning up my apartment. My parents are coming over later so I decided that my weekly weekend cleaning should be a good one. I finished most of the the work last night, but I put the finishing touches on the place this morning.
I would be watching TV now, but there is nothing good left on my Tivo or DVR. Oh I have about 100 hours of crap on them, but nothing I want to be watching now. I watched the latest episode of Spooks (aka Mi-5) last night thanks to usenet!!! All I can say is I love watching a show where no one is safe from getting killed off. Too bad US TV isn’t as good as some of the stuff coming out of the BBC.
Rich and Amanda are back from their honeymoon. They called and wanted to know if I wanted to goto a steak brunch. Now I am up for steak, but for sunday brunch? Who am I kidding? I would have said yes if it wasn’t for my parents coming over later and me being so sleepy.
At least it stopped raining in NYC!
Whats Hot And Not on TV (for me)
As I always say I am a science fiction geek. I don’t care what you think about that. It is not like I have costumes and goto conventions. There was that time at Burson that I ran around with a Star Wars laser gun, but that was more to make fun of Jeffrey M for having it than anything else, but I digress. Being a sci-fi fan I get very happy when I see a real good sci-fi drama. Battlestar Galactica is my latest favorite. it is dark, gritty and has a real feel to it. Granted it is sci-fi but it is at least tries to put a human element in everything it does. The stories are fantastic, and lets face it CGI doesn’t make everything ok. The story is what makes things work. The first season is more than half over. I am already dreading the months to a year for the next 13 episodes to come out.
Season 3 of Mi-5 (Spooks) is still as good as the first 2 seasons. the only problem is that 10 episodes does not a season make. Maybe that is why the british tv calls it series 3? Even the Soprano’s has more than 10 episodes a season. of course if my only complaint of a show is that they make too few of them, then they are doing something right. Even after 2 of the 3 main characters are out this season it still keeps its stride.
For all those people out there saying DVR’s like Tivo with the ability to keep shows forever are killing DVD sales I have one thing to say. I can (and do) burn shows to DVD for person use, as is my right under fare use laws. I had all 10 episodes of season 2 of Mi-5 on my hard drive. I still went out and bought the dvd series, and deleted the perfectly good high quality MPEG-2 files from my hard drive? Why because I wanted the DVD. you are afraid of losing money because of people like me saving files on my computer. If I can get the season’s of stuff on DVD quick I will still buy them. I will let you in on a little secret, I spend more on DVD’s now that I have a DVR than when I didn’t. Buy tightening the reigns on DVR’s you are only pissing me the consumer with $$$ off. Think about it.
I haven’t watched a complete season of 24 since the first season. I just bought that one on DVD a few weeks ago. This year I watched the first 2 hour episode of season 4 and I was interested. I had the Tivo grab every episode. I find that 24 is better to be watched 6-9 episodes at a time. When I was recovering from being sick I sat and watched all the episodes I have up till now. Man can I say action packed. Granted it is unrealistic, but it is a good serial drama. I still have my season pass waiting to capture the remaining episodes. I actually like what fox did and waited to put the show on until January to give it a 23 week run with all first run episodes.
Now I don’t normally admit I know this show exists, let alone watch it, but Gilmore Girls used to be good. I mean you may ask why a 30 year old guy is watching that show? I say why wouldn’t I? I will watch any show on TV now a days with good witty writing on it, decent stories and did I mention hot actress’s on it! So a chick show, maybe, but don’t mock me for it. Did I mention hot actress’s? I blame my friend Jenn for getting started on that thing. Yes Jenn another plug for you:)
Law & Order is another great show. A semi realistic look at crime fighting. Recently I am a fan of the Special Victims version of that show. Just good all around crime show. It is not as good as my all time favorite crime show, Homicide Life on the Street, but it is better than everything else out there now. Now if you never have seen Homicide, you need to go get the DVD. I need to finish my collection of that series on DVD soon.
Some shows that I watch, but I don’t know why are things like Enterprise. Man I really don’t care if that show gets canceled. I am a sci-fi fan, and an off and on again Star Trek fan, but looking back on all the series they made I only like about 1 1/2 of them. I don’t care if you agree with me or not, but some of those people need some spines. I don’t know about you but if I was on a ship (space ship, naval ship, inflatable raft) and I saw/knew a bad guy is coming after me I wouldn’t try to talk. They don’t want to talk to you. You need to show them a whole six pack of wup ass. I need a good show like Babylon 5 again. The good guys don’t always have to be squeaky clean pussies. OK, I feel better now.
Third Watch was another show that used to be good, but it is so over the top now I don’t know why I watch it? I keep hoping it will get better. I don’t know. It is not like I have more time for TV than I did before. I actually have less. I guess I am an optimist sometimes. Of course there was a time that I liked ER also, and now I can’t stand that show. How some shows should be pulled off the air after a while.
Lastly one last good show Arrested Development. Funny, witty, and well written. If you know me you must be wondering why I didn’t mention the Simpsons sooner? The answer is the Simpsons are always good, no matter what I or anyone else says. Mmmm Simpsons… And that is what is on my mind about what is on TV. Just remember this is my opinion. I don’t care what you or anyone may thing about my opinion. I am just writing because I feel like writing about what is on my mind.
There are plenty other shows out there that I can comment on, good or bad. This was just a few that came to mind when I couldn’t sleep last night.
Sci-Fi Remakes
I am an admitted fan of Science Fiction. In recent weeks and months I have been happy to read about some really interesting remakes. I read this week that they will remake the 80’s film Tron. The movie was a bit cheezy but it was still great. I can’t wait to see how it looks with some state of the art CGI.
Another remake I just read about is the BBC show Dr. Who. I used to watch that in the early 80’s. it was also cheezy but good. I guess you gotta like the 80’s cheeze. The last Dr. Who movie they made in the 90’s sucked big time. I am interested to see how the new show looks. I have liked several drama’s from the BBC in recent years. From MI-5 (spooks), to The Vice, so I hope this one is actually good.
Other remakes that have just gotten on the air are Battlestar Galactica. One of the first movies I ever remember watching was Battlestar Galactica. Of course that memory includes my dad having to leave the movie with me since I was really little and didn’t want to sit around anymore:) The mini series and the first episode on the Sci-Fi Channel were good. I have Tivo programed to get the rest of the series so I can watch it.
Show’s Return
I have been vegging out today (Saturday, this post will go up late). I was zombied out since I was stuck working late last night and this morning, so I decided to sit around and clean out my backlog of TV watching. By doing that I realized that a show I really like (MI-5, or Spooks in the UK) was starting new episodes tonight. I should have realized when A&E played all of last season all day Saturday. Cable networks tend to do that. Since new seasons don’t come out for so long they play all of the last seasons shows in a run up to the new one. Well I was excited (or as excited as I can get over a TV show) that I would get more BBC spy goodness. I also just pre-ordered season 2 on DVD. Should be out Tuesday.
This week also marked the return of new shows on TV. Since I don’t watch TV (i just tivo stuff and watch later) I figured this out because my new tivo actually started to get full with stuff. This fueled my TV watching binge today.
What’s On TV
I used to watch TV all the time. It was my way of relaxing when I got home from work. Tivo has changed my life, or my TV watching life. It records the crap I want. I don’t channel surf anymore. I also find myself watching less TV. I even fast forward allot of what I Tivo, or just decide to delete it after I capture it. It is rare to find good television, especially during the summer.
My new favorite thing on TV currently is Mi-5, on A&E of all places. I mentioned it before in another post. It is a well done BBC show that A&E picked up. Their are only 16 of them over 2 seasons. I just saw the entire season 1 over the past week or two. A&E had a marathon monday and I captured all the ones I had not seen. I like spy novels and shows, but this is just good. This is my spy fix since The Agency was canceled. I just ordered Mi-5 Season 1 on DVD. Gotta love that amazon.co.uk. You can find tons of stuff you can’t get in the US.
On the down side in 9 more weeks the second season will be over and I will have to wait till june 2004 or later to get more installments of Mi-5 (or spooks as it is called in the UK). I guess I will have to wait till September or October and see what crap US television puts on the air. Of course who will be watching TV when the Simpson’s Season 3 comes out on DVD!!!