Exceelent TV Shows

[johnnya24]

2 hours gone right there ... really funny.

[Fresno Bob]

I started watching Sons of Anarchy a few seasons ago. I've never considered it to a top-tier show but this last season was pretty awesome and that finale, dayum!

I only watched the first two seasons, I think right when the IRA stuff started, worth watching from there?

[DMT]

I only watched the first two seasons, I think right when the IRA stuff started, worth watching from there?

Season 3 was ok, part of the season takes place in Ireland so you learn about the backstory between Clay, Gemma & John. I'd say Season 4 was the worst with some really lame storylines, but it gets better from there. Season 5 was good and Season 6 was excellent. I just learned that the creator of the show, Kurt Sutter, plays Otto, and he must have some demons. I think you'll enjoy it, but it doesn't get any 'smarter', like Deadwood, BB, or GoT. Just some crazy shit going down in almost every episode the past couple seasons.

[johnnya24]

Just finished Recitfy. Best thing I've seen this year. Shame there were only 6 episodes. Quality acting, quality writing, quality everything.

[heyelander]

[johnnya24]

Finished season 3 of Justified. Definitely improves with age.

[johnnya24]

Caught up with the first episode of season 3 of Sherlock. That is the only UK TV show that can claim top tier status IMO. Really top class stuff.

[Fresno Bob]

Caught up with the first episode of season 3 of Sherlock. That is the only UK TV show that can claim top tier status IMO. Really top class stuff.

Sherlock is totally worth watching. My wife has set up a VPN IP masker so that our house looks like it is in the UK so we can watch Sherlock and Downton Abbey when they run on the BBC (instead of waiting for the hacked up versions to get to the US). Hell, we even went to Speedy's for lunch when we were in the UK.

Have you watched Orphan Black yet?

[johnnya24]

Sherlock is totally worth watching. My wife has set up a VPN IP masker so that our house looks like it is in the UK so we can watch Sherlock and Downton Abbey when they run on the BBC (instead of waiting for the hacked up versions to get to the US). Hell, we even went to Speedy's for lunch when we were in the UK.

Have you watched Orphan Black yet?

Yeah that was really enjoyable also. Season 2 must be coming soon.

Can we really call them series or seasons when they only contain 3 episodes (albeit movie length episodes)? Surely the BBC would be able to make enough money from Sherlock syndication to sanction more episodes. It's top quality stuff.

I haven't watched any Downton Abbey yet.

[Fresno Bob]

Yeah that was really enjoyable also. Season 2 must be coming soon.

Can we really call them series or seasons when they only contain 3 episodes (albeit movie length episodes)? Surely the BBC would be able to make enough money from Sherlock syndication to sanction more episodes. It's top quality stuff.

I haven't watched any Downton Abbey yet.

I didn't think I'd like Downton, but I got hooked. Orphan Black isn't as good as Sherlock or Breaking Bad, but it was my favorite thing from 2013. My wife wanted to go as "dancing Helena" for Halloween!

[TranaGreg]

I didn't think I'd like Downton, but I got hooked. Orphan Black isn't as good as Sherlock or Breaking Bad, but it was my favorite thing from 2013. My wife wanted to go as "dancing Helena" for Halloween!

Yeah, I'm hooked on Downton as well; it's definitely a drama in the typical sense but it is such a well done period piece - it provides great in-depth insight into the teens & early twenties with nods to historical events (Titanic, various WWI events, women's rights movement, England - and Europe - moving away from the monarchy, and so on). Plus it's neat to see people using all kinds of things for the first time (telephone, vacuum, toaster, mixer, etc.)

[heyelander]

I didn't think I'd like Downton, but I got hooked. Orphan Black isn't as good as Sherlock or Breaking Bad, but it was my favorite thing from 2013. My wife wanted to go as "dancing Helena" for Halloween!

i thought Orphan Black was done well... but there was something missing for me. I didn't quit get the menace behind it. They tried to make the whole thing seem like some deep dark earth shattering experiment that must be protected at all costs, but to me it just seemed like an odd social experiment. yeah, freaky for those involved, but I didn't quite get the level of intrigue they were trying to portray.

[johnnya24]

i thought Orphan Black was done well... but there was something missing for me. I didn't quit get the menace behind it. They tried to make the whole thing seem like some deep dark earth shattering experiment that must be protected at all costs, but to me it just seemed like an odd social experiment. yeah, freaky for those involved, but I didn't quite get the level of intrigue they were trying to portray.

I've actually started watch UK TV shows again for the first time in a decade.

For me, the problem with Orphan Black was the production. At times it felt like a lightweight 90's or 00's BBC production. They have been trying lots of new things lately to their credit. Outcasts was a decent effort. Orphan Black wanted to be much bigger than it was, but didn't have the budget.

Also, Orphan Black wasn't pushed as a BBC prime time show. I doubt it was even shown on BBC1. It was probably made for the North American market or their minor UK channels. So hopefully they've increased the budget for the second series.

The tendency is to see the BBC as copying the US cable channel model. But IMO the biggest influence has been the influx of Scandinavian drama which is getting huge ratings on BBC4 (one of their artsy digital channels). Borgen, The Killing, The Bridge and a French show called Spiral all get big ratings. Channel 4 and ITV have also up'd their game. High production value hows like Utopia, Broadchurch and Downton Abbey have been getting all the attention. They're getting there ... Sherlock, Top of the Lake, Orphan Black, The Fall. I really hope we get more of Top of the Lake.

But I wonder how long they will be able to keep Benedict Cumberbatch on board for Sherlock? I'm sure every Hollywood producer has him pegged as the villain in their next movie. The BBC are publicly funded ... it's unlikely they can match what he will make in Hollywood.

[Fresno Bob]

Orphan Black got made in Canada

[johnnya24]

Orphan Black got made in Canada

Pretty sure is was BBC funded. Copper wasn't really promoted in the UK either.

Do you have to pay for BBC America?