TV Talk

[lirazel]

Shows I'm currently making my way through, on and off:

The X-Files
Farscape


Shows I need to catch up on:

Friday Night Lights
Mad Men
Being Human
Misfits

TV I've been meaning to watch:

The West Wing (Curse you, eowyn_315!)
Life on Mars
Legend of the Seeker (the fandom is so lovely!)
Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles (just for you madcap_shiny)
The Vampire Diaries
Rome (What? Don't look at me like that!)
And probably half a dozen others that just aren't leaping to mind right now.

TV I've been meaning to rewatch:

The Black Donnelleys
Veronica Mars

And I know all of that. But I'm wanting something new right now? I don't know why.

So. British TV. Tell me, flist, which one should I try: Torchwood or Primeval?

Also, my seasonal_spuffy posting date is Monday. I've got some written and know where I'm going with the rest of it, but I just can't bring myself to write tonight. I'm totally gonna be working this one right up to the deadline again, aren't I? Why do I fail so hard? Emmie, your RPF is feeling dangerously close to real life. Except without all the CENSORED stuff with Enver to make it all okay....

Comments

[madcap-shiny.livejournal.com]

TORCHWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I'm so scared! Because I only like Captain Jack okay, and honestly, I think this show will make me like him less. And I also feel like I won't actually like it the first season at all. But I want to watch Children of Earth!

ARGH!

I probably will end up going with that.

[next_to_normal]

FWIW, I really liked Jack in Doctor Who and was very disappointed in Jack in Torchwood. (I also thought Torchwood was pretty bad altogether.)

[madcap-shiny.livejournal.com]

If it helps any: I started with s2 with only a handful of info about s1, which is really rare for me because I'm usually insane about chronological order, but I loved it. I'm pretty sure it helped that I skipped the general bad of s1.

There are a couple of references to s1 that might go over your head, but overall? Most of the callbacks to anything in the first ep of s2 are about Jack being gone over on s3 of Who and the TW team not knowing where he went and having to deal in his absence. So I think you should be fine if you skip s1.

SO YES THAT IS MY RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO GO ABOUT YOUR TORCHWOOD VIEWING EXPERIENCE.

/tl;dr

[ineffort.livejournal.com]

SECONDED.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Of all the shows to watch, I'd pust West Wing to the top of the list. All you need is the pilot to see how incredible it is. SRSLY. Then after that, I'd go for the frothy fun of Vampire Diaries, but Rome is also excellent but really gory with the violence.

I approve of all the TV though, with one exception: I've heard the series finale to Life on Mars (which only had one season, didn't it?) was so cracktastic that it put a pall on the entire show. So hearsay, but I also watched it for a few episodes and just decided to give up because it seemed like they didn't know where they were going. Then I read up on the finale and realized they really didn't know where they were going with it. So I'm guessing it'd be comparable to the finale season of BSG if you never got to see the first three seasons of awesome.

I'm not surprised this RPF is coming true. I am psychic, after all. Just give it a few days and Enver should be arriving shortly.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Yay for weighing in!

I want something genre-y and easy to watch right now, so I'm putting of tWW for a few days. But I'm keeping your words in mind, definitely.

LoM had two seasons, I believe. And I've just heard that it's unrelentingly good while it's on. I saw the first episode and liked it fine, but I think I need to dig back into it at some point. Plus, I just flat-out love John Simm.

I'm holding you personally responsible if he doesn't!

[snickfic]

FWIW, politics is soooo not my thing, and I loved the handful of West Wing eps I saw. Very character driver and quite funny.

And from what little I know of Captain Jack from crossover fic and the pan-fandom mpreg hunt I can't stand the man. So I'm opposed on that score. OTOH, I have heard lovely things about Children of Earth.

All of which is to say: I haven't actually seen any of the shows you list (except a couple dozen XF eps, a handful of West Wing, and one and a half eps of Farscape.) But there's a lot of them I want to see...

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Good to know! I was kind of worried, since I know it's quite liberal, that it might be kind of...snobby? Since half the people I love are conservative and not exactly intellectual (this is not a slam on their intelligence, just an observation about the way they approach life, as I'm sure you know), I'm sensitive to such things. But I love character driven, and as long as everybody's respectful, I can definitely give it a chance.

Yeah, I've never been a fan of Jack. But I think some of the other characters will make it worth it--I've been told I'll like Owen. So there's that. And CofE is supposed to be incredible.

I'm sure you hate me, always naming more shows, right? Ha!

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

West Wing is wonderful. eowyn_315 had to remind me how much I loved the show when it was on.

I watched Torchwood but was pretty lukewarm. They killed off the characters I was most interested in way too early. It's fun, but not as grabbing as I'd hoped. I love Dr. Who, so the bar was set quite high.

Rome is awesome! Vampire Diaries took a bit to heat up, but the episodes are fast paced and solidly acted. I'm looking forward to next season.

Phew, I was looking for a break in my TViewing, but with FNL, Royal Pains, and other summer stuff firing up, I guess the mister is still a TV widow!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Oh, my goodness. There is just way too much good TV in the world, isn't there?

[prophecygirrl.livejournal.com]

Rom = good, clean very cool, occasionally cracktastic, fun. I enjoyed it immensely!

West Wing is wonderful! I have 'ship predictions in mind for you, but have sealed them in an envelope for future dramatic effect. :D

[prophecygirrl.livejournal.com]

Rome, that is. Not Rom. *facepalm*

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I've been told I'd really enjoy Rome, but I have a feeling it'll be a long time before I get around to it.

I am apparently predictable! Because whenever someone tells me to watch a show, they're all, "I know you'll really love x character" or "I know you'll ship y pairing!"

[next_to_normal]

Okay, since we are TV twins, I haven't seen most of these shows, either, lol, so I can only second Emmie's advice to bump The West Wing to the top of the list. And definitely catch up on Mad Men and FNL, though I can't be too picky about the last one, since I'm only watching season 4 now on NBC.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Ha! I like this comment. :D

[green-maia.livejournal.com]

The more Torchwood I see, the less I like Jack. (I haven't seen COE yet.)
I'm at the end of the second season, and now...I just ignore him. He's so annoying, and so uninteresting. The other characters are wonderful, though, and - despite its major flaws - the show is DEFINITELY worth watching. And I would love to know what you think of it!

[ohwaluvusbab.livejournal.com]

Dude, your list is identical to mine. I need to get into Torchwood too, so can't comment there. But do try Primeval! It's BATSHIT CRACK.

And season 4 of Mad Men starts late July, so schedule that in *sunglasses*

[angearia.livejournal.com]

LOL, I love how a post asking for TV advice is over 70 comments long.

[silverusagi]

Yay for watching Legend of the Seeker and Vampire Diaries! Also, this post prompted me to finally get around and make my TV post.

[pennydrdful.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I'd been meaning to watch The Vampire Diaries because I loved the original books growing up. Well, I finally caught an episode the other day and I hated it. I mean sure, part of the hate was because the only thing it took from the books was the name of the damn characters, but a larger part of my hate was that it was just kind of... bad. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

The first four or so episodes are nothing special, but then it gets lightyears better. But... that might not make a difference for those who've read the books and loved them. 'Cause for me, loving the books makes the live action realization inevitably a disappointment (even LotR is disappointing to some diehard fans and I heart those movies).

[finkpishnets.livejournal.com]

Torchwood.

I've always loved Primeval, but it's a fun, family friendly show that I kind of lost interest in somewhere along the line.

Torchwood is a work of art. I'm not even kidding. It is actually one of the most awesome things British TV has ever produced (and I'm damn proud of us!). ♥

[finkpishnets.livejournal.com]

Also, I feel like I need to point out that the British version of Life on Mars is actually my favourite TV show of all time.

And you know me, so you know that's a fairly big statement to make.

So, yes, seriously watch that. ♥

[madcap-shiny.livejournal.com]

Oh, and can I just say one more pro-TW thing?

You know the old trope of Girl Has Normal Boyfriend/Girl Meets Mysterious Sexy Adventurer and Realizes She Might Like Him Despite Her Normal Boyfriend's Existence/Girl Picks Mysterious Sexy Adventurer Over Normal Boyfriend?

In TW, the Girl realizes she is very much attracted to a Mysterious Sexy Adventurer and has a variety of complicated feelings for him, but she is going to stay with her boyfriend because he is the one she loves OKAY.

SO. REFRESHING. ESPECIALLY AFTER THE ARDENT USE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TROPE ALL OVER THE PLACE ON WHO. (And I say this as an Eleven/Amy 'shipper.)

I mean okay she does cheat on him with Owen in s1 and then retcons Rhys to forget about it but she owns up to her mistakes and guilt later on so I stand by my above statement.