Canvassing opinions on TV series

[Ocelot]

The Last of Us getting a movie adaptation is so dumb. It's like how there's been a Metal Gear Solid movie "in development" for over a decade. Nobody is actually interested in video games getting film adaptations because there's any merit artistically; nerds just want the perceived legitimacy to validate their hobby. Times like these are when I miss Ebert.

Sorry to stray a bit off topic. I'm working on a concept for a show now called Canceled, just for fun. And if anyone hasn't seen Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, do so!

[ShogunRua]

The Last of Us getting a movie adaptation is so dumb. It's like how there's been a Metal Gear Solid movie "in development" for over a decade. Nobody is actually interested in video games getting film adaptations because there's any merit artistically; nerds just want the perceived legitimacy to validate their hobby. Times like these are when I miss Ebert.

I partially agree. The reason studios greenlight these pictures is because it's an easy way to pander to the fanboys (calling them "nerds" implies they're smart, which would be incorrect) and get a nice built-in audience regardless of the picture's quality.

I don't believe the vast majority of video games, even ones with creative premises and well-executed cutscenes, can add anything new to the story through a movie adaptation.

I wrote only "partially", because I sure as fuck don't miss the two-bit hack and third-rate writer, Roger Ebert.

[Ag0stoMesmer]

The Last of Us getting a movie adaptation...

I partially agree...

New thread

[Barthalen]

I'm ridiculously late to the party but I finally finished my first viewing of 4 seasons Arrested Development. It took a few episodes way back in season 1 to get over the use of the narrator, basic-looking setups for hijinks and the cheesy music, but it quickly started gaining momentum and turned into something truly special.

I can't really think of any other comedy that has so many jokes that work on different levels. Look a bit deeper at a funny line from one character and suddenly you realise it also references an at the time minor thing X that happened to person Y in episode Z. While drawing from the same well might seem easy or lazy on paper, on the screen it just works. So many amazing jokes only reveal themselves by either connecting nearly invisible dots or by having a sharp memory, and that's on top of all the obviously funny stuff. The musical cues! The flashbacks! The wordplay! There really is a lot to love here.
The fourth season might not be as laugh-out-loud hilarious, but the whole labyrinth-like structure of all the overlapping storylines is pretty damn impressive. Just a shame so much is left hanging for a fifth season/movie.

The only other comedy I can think of that works so well with its own in-jokes is Harvey Birdman; Attorney at Law, which remains absolutely hilarious even after having seen every episode multiple times.

[mattorama12]

I'm ridiculously late to the party but I finally finished my first viewing of 4 seasons Arrested Development.

Well, then, it seems it's the perfect time to re-watch it all. You'll find a number of jokes that occur before the event that actually makes them jokes, such that no amount of sharp memory could help you catch them the first time around.

[Barthalen]

Ha, even crazier! Thanks for the tip, curious which other details I'll catch on a rewatch that I totally missed before.

[MmzHrrdb]

...

[Ocelot]

I'm as big a Breaking Bad fan as you can get, but calling it "more than a show" and then describing exactly what a TV show is comes across as a tad ridiculous.

[CMonster]

Breaking Bad did something truly incredible, it ended the Golden Age of tv..

Isn't this kinda the opposite of what happened? From what I've seen and a lot of people agree serious tv was mostly left to HBO and everything else was mostly cheesey (occasionally great) sitcoms and reality tv. Then the mid to late 2000's had a bunch of much more edgier comedies and real compelling dramas enter the scene. Now places like AMC, FX, and Netflix are creating tv that will compete with HBO. Dunno, this is just what I've thought.

[hellboy76]

Breaking Bad did something truly incredible, it ended the Golden Age of tv..

Isn't this kinda the opposite of what happened? From what I've seen and a lot of people agree serious tv was mostly left to HBO and everything else was mostly cheesey (occasionally great) sitcoms and reality tv. Then the mid to late 2000's had a bunch of much more edgier comedies and real compelling dramas enter the scene. Now places like AMC, FX, and Netflix are creating tv that will compete with HBO. Dunno, this is just what I've thought.

Well, there were obviously serious and edgy shows prior to HBO, they were few and far between and couldn't get the edginess HBO could since it could show hoo ha and say fuck. HBO dominates, and still does as a whole (the most Emmy nominations again, for something like 14 years in a row) but it has gotten a lot narrower. This is one of the better periods for television (except for maybe comedy).