Television

[jvcc]

Aha, people were discussing The Apprentice at the beginning of this page.* Good.

The Apprentice Ireland showed up in my YouTube suggested videos, so I watched the first series. I must say I think it is better than the US or UK versions because the candidates tended to be comparatively competent and were much more polite to each other. The Trump/Lord Sugar of the show had the contestants call him by his first name, which is affectedly casual I'm sure, but I prefer affected informality to pompous self-importance. I don't think it is very widely watched, though, because some YouTuber posted elaborate boardroom sexual fantasies on every single video for the entire series and no one appears to have reported him or her.

[jvcc]

*beginning of the previous page

[MysticalDescent]

I forgot to mention months ago that for those who enjoy Douglas Adams' work, the BBC did a three episode series called Dirk Gently, based on the Dirk Gently book series. I haven't actually read it, but it seems that in terms of appearance the BBC's Gently is somewhat different to Adams' Gently. What a strange sentence. Anyway, it got cancelled, but I quite enjoyed it and it might be worth looking into.

[EsBe]

I don't think it is very widely watched, though, because some YouTuber posted elaborate boardroom sexual fantasies on every single video for the entire series and no one appears to have reported him or her.

Isn't it just as likely that everyone on YouTube tacitly agrees with him/her?

[James]

I forgot to mention months ago that for those who enjoy Douglas Adams' work, the BBC did a three episode series called Dirk Gently, based on the Dirk Gently book series. I haven't actually read it, but it seems that in terms of appearance the BBC's Gently is somewhat different to Adams' Gently. What a strange sentence. Anyway, it got cancelled, but I quite enjoyed it and it might be worth looking into.

Oh, that got cancelled? They showed one episode ages ago, and then there was nothing, and I thought it didn't get picked up, but then there were a few more, and it stopped again, but I thought perhaps it was just doing the short series thing. I did enjoy it somewhat, but to be honest I'm not too fussed about it being cancelled. I also read the book, but I remember very little of it. I don't remember it being much like the programme, anyway.

[MysticalDescent]

The new series of Sherlock was announced a few weeks ago, apparently to be aired in autumn next year, I think. The clues for the subjects of the three episodes were rat, wedding and bow.

Meanwhile, I saw a trailer for Elementary, which appears to be 'hey, those people are doing a popular adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes novels and there have been a couple of recent popular Sherlock Holmes films, let's do an American version'. It looks like a checklist of everything I don't like in adaptations:

Change location. Check.
Change gender of main character. Check.
Appears to be based loosely on fan-fiction. Check.
Lucy Liu. Check.

There also appears to be an American version of The Inbetweeners coming out on MTV. It looks appallingly unfunny.

Finally, I'm told that Dexter and Arrested Development are quite excellent and that I need to watch them. Is that right?

[EvilJekyll]

Finally, I'm told that Dexter and Arrested Development are quite excellent and that I need to watch them. Is that right?

Yes, definitely Arrested Development. Dexter is rather hit or miss with people as it gets progressively less believable throughout the series.

[jvcc]

A million yeses to Arrested Development.

[EsBe]

Arrested Development is scene after scene of the same absurdist humor that runs rampant on this forum. Sooooooo yeah. I don't think I ever saw the end of the series, though.

[jvcc]

I don't think I ever saw the end of the series, though.

You're a monsteeeeeeer!!!

[EsBe]

I don't think I ever saw the end of the series, though.

You're a monsteeeeeeer!!!

I was debating whether or not to watch the end of the last season, but that seals the deal.

[IanC]

Arrested Development is massively overrated. Dexter is brilliant. Season 4 is the best season i think. 5 was poor. Season 6 (the most recent one)was quite good.

[MysticalDescent]

The process of watching those shows now commences, then.

[EvilJekyll]

Dexter is brilliant. Season 4 is the best season i think. 5 was poor. Season 6 (the most recent one)was quite good.

I enjoy watching it, it's well acted, but it's filled with plot holes and sometimes even the plot is a bit weak. As far as drama goes it's enjoyable though if you can look past certain things.

Also, Arrested Development is pretty much a primetime comedy version of Archer.

[IanC]

Also, Arrested Development is pretty much a primetime comedy version of Archer.

I liked Archer (lvoe it in fact) but as you can tell, never really liked Arrested Development.

Though they share some cast and crew with AD, and a couple of Adult Swim shows.

[ntw3001]

There also appears to be an American version of The Inbetweeners coming out on MTV. It looks appallingly unfunny.

Ouch. I can't think of many shows less well-suited to that treatment. But then the American version of The Office apparently turned out alright once they finished butchering the UK episodes and transformed it into the kind of US comedy their people were familiar with. The Inbetweeners has more UK episodes though, doesn't it? How many series are there, 4? That's just enough for a single grave failure of a season. Still, maybe it'll knock Red Dwarf from the 'worst US remake' perch! That'll be historically significant.

[jvcc]

There also appears to be an American version of The Inbetweeners coming out on MTV. It looks appallingly unfunny.

Ouch. I can't think of many shows less well-suited to that treatment.

Plans were apparently made to make a US version of Peep Show, but they weren't going to film it in POV. Unsurprisingly, those plans never came to fruition.

[IanC]

Plans were apparently made to make a US version of Peep Show, but they weren't going to film it in POV. Unsurprisingly, those plans never came to fruition.

Wait, what??

Whats the point of doing a remake of Peep Show if it wasnt going to be in POV?

[James]

Arrested Development is massively overrated.

You're wrong.

Whats the point of doing a remake of Peep Show if it wasnt going to be in POV?

Maybe they liked the ground-breaking idea of a sitcom about two friends living in a flat. Definitely worth buying the rights for.



In other news, fork yes.

[chrismachine]

That looks like it would be funny.

[IanC]

Arrested Development is massively overrated.

You're wrong.

You're wrong.

[ntw3001]

Maybe they liked the ground-breaking idea of a sitcom about two friends living in a flat. Definitely worth buying the rights for.

No there's a twist! They are not true friends. They are often dishonest with one another! Hilarity ensues!

[Zombie Protestor]

So maybe-sister loves Dr. Who, and in addition to wanting some conversation topics, I'd been meaning to pick it up again as I'd only seen the first episode and wasn't impressed. After discussion with you guys back when I first expressed this, you had said that the first (ninth) doctor was not very good anyway. So, should I start with season 2 instead and just come back to season 1 later, or will I have missed key parts?

[EsBe]

So maybe-sister loves Dr. Who, and in addition to wanting some conversation topics, I'd been meaning to pick it up again as I'd only seen the first episode and wasn't impressed. After discussion with you guys back when I first expressed this, you had said that the first (ninth) doctor was not very good anyway. So, should I start with season 2 instead and just come back to season 1 later, or will I have missed key parts?

> insert obligatory "just watch Blink" response here

[jvcc]

So maybe-sister loves Dr. Who, and in addition to wanting some conversation topics, I'd been meaning to pick it up again as I'd only seen the first episode and wasn't impressed. After discussion with you guys back when I first expressed this, you had said that the first (ninth) doctor was not very good anyway. So, should I start with season 2 instead and just come back to season 1 later, or will I have missed key parts?

Ah, you're beginning with the new series. People are wrong. Christopher Eccleston is excellent (better than David Tennant and Matt Smith in my opinion, but that's a fairly controversial stance to take). Tennant became a nerd-heartthrob, and they started to play to that image more as the series progressed (or it seemed so to me), and from what I saw of Smith's episodes (I haven't kept up with them, truth be told) he didn't extend the role far beyond what Tennant did with it. Some of the newer episodes, usually the ones by Russel T. Davies, I think, tend to be overly dramatic (to the point of melodrama) or too sentimental.

The best episodes are from the old series, I feel. The sets, props, and effects are painfully low budget and there tends to be more dialogue than action, but they have far superior writing to most episodes from the new series (again, in my opinion). I would suggest watching The Three Doctors serial with Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, and William Hartnell; it makes excellent use of the show's unique ability to change protagonists every couple of series by having three doctors with three distinct personalities interacting with each other. Anything with Tom Baker or Peter Davison should be good (I like the Snakedance serial that Davison was in as it deals with questions of imperialism and free will, if I recall).

EDIT:

BUT I agree that "Blink" is an excellent episode, as others from the new series have been. I really liked "The Empty Child" with Tennant and also enjoyed "The Beast Below" with Smith.