Telly thread

[Keith Houchen]

On 5/30/2024 at 1:51 PM, Keith Houchen said:

Girlfriend suggested Bodies on Netflix. Thought the premise sounded interesting enough, plus Stephen Graham is in it. However, in the opening credits it stated “Based on the Graphic Novel…” (which my girlfriend deliberately kept from me) but don’t let that put you off, really intriguing three episodes in

Finished this. As with all things time related, it has plot holes aplenty, but it was still an enjoyable 8 episode series. Stephen Graham doing a posh voice was hard to get used to!

Have started Parks And Rec and swiftly on to the second season. It’s not bad, is it! Shame Chris Pratt is in it and Louis CK has turned up but hopefully it won’t sour things. 

[DavidB6937]

I've got a lot of time for Parks. The cast is great and it could've easily been shit and cancelled pretty quick but they developed the characters and relationships well over the years. And to be fair it's probably the best thing Chris Pratt ever did.

[deathrey]

3 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Have started Parks And Rec and swiftly on to the second season. It’s not bad, is it! Shame Chris Pratt is in it and Louis CK has turned up but hopefully it won’t sour things. 

To be fair, Chris Pratt is quite good in it, I really liked him when this is all I knew him for.

Louis CK isn't part of the main cast so he doesn't sour anything

[JLM]

Yeah I liked pudgy teddy bear Parks and Rec Chris Pratt before I learned anything about him and it was ruined. Ron has some of my favourite one liners in any sitcom,  I generally kept rooting for Leslie when the character could easily just be annoying. Tom/ Donna and Leslie/Anne are heartwarming friendships. It’s also where most people first fell in love with Aubrey Plaza. Fun side characters too. I love Jean Ralphio, though I think my single favourite part of the whole show is Perd Hapley. 

I have one friend who stubbornly argues that he likes Mark more than Ben. It’s an Insane take to me. The only person I know who has seen the show and rates that character. 

[gmoney]

Just now, JLM said:

I have one friend who stubbornly argues that he likes Mark more than Ben. It’s an Insane take to me. The only person I know who has seen the show and rates that character. 

What a fantastically obviously, hilarious troll. Most people don't remember he exists. I do really like the second series though, they've hit their stride by then, and the addition of Ben and Chris compliment something that was already really great, rather than turn it around. 

[JLM]

He really dislikes Adam Scott, but yeah, Brandanowicz is a void. 

Interesting to read Keith’s take on it where he’s simply enjoyed season 1 enough  to watch season 2. That was my experience too. It got better and I agree it hits its stride towards the end of season 2 where we get the long term main cast in place, but I do think the shitness of the start is overstated. At this point it’s hard to come across Parks and Rec without someone loudly proclaiming that season one is absolutely terrible and you need to power through it to get to a watchable show. 

 

Edited June 5, 2024 by JLM

[Keith Houchen]

6 minutes ago, JLM said:

I generally kept rooting for Leslie when the character could easily just be annoying

That’s a good point! She doesn’t (at least what I’ve seen this far) doesn’t do what she does for her own benefit but for everyone in Pawnee. 

[gmoney]

6 minutes ago, JLM said:

He really dislikes Adam Scott, but yeah

Absurd. 

[gmoney]

12 minutes ago, JLM said:

He really dislikes Adam Scott, but yeah, Brandanowicz is a void. 

Interesting to read Keith’s take on it where he’s simply enjoyed season 1 enough  to watch season 2. That was my experience too. It got better and I agree it hits its stride towards the end of season 2 where we get the long term main cast in place, but I do think the shitness of the start is overstated. At this point it’s hard to come across Parks and Rec without someone loudly proclaiming that season one is absolutely terrible and you need to power through it to get to a watchable show. 

 

I wouldn't say I thought it was terrible, but it did make me wonder why I'd been recommended it, and if I hadn't been and just caught the first series I doubt I'd have carried on. It's like an US Office clone, and I really don't like the US Office. Amy Pohler and Nick Offerman carry it. 

[SuperBacon]

I liked Parks & Rec a LOT when I watched it, but have had zero desire to revisit it. 

Which is weird as I rewatch everything!

[Keith Houchen]

15 minutes ago, JLM said:

Interesting to read Keith’s take on it where he’s simply enjoyed season 1 enough  to watch season 2. That was my experience too. It got better and I agree it hits its stride towards the end of season 2 where we get the long term main cast in place, but I do think the shitness of the start is overstated. At this point it’s hard to come across Parks and Rec without someone loudly proclaiming that season one is absolutely terrible and you need to power through it to get to a watchable show. 

That’s interesting. I thought it was a really easy watch and only a handful of episodes. It was clearly still finding stride but the cast were brilliant and worked so well together. It certainly wasn’t something you had to power through at all in my opinion 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

On 5/18/2024 at 12:15 AM, waters44 said:

I watched Taskmaster being filmed earlier this week

Was it the new line up that was announced after the end of S17. Zaltzman, Dee, Jones, Sidi, Aleshe?

[waters44]

1 hour ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Was it the new line up that was announced after the end of S17. Zaltzman, Dee, Jones, Sidi, Aleshe?

Yep. I didn’t know Emma Sidi but she’s going to be great I reckon. 

Very minor spoiler about what someone wears in one of the live shows 

Spoiler

I don’t know Zaltzman either, but in the episode I saw he was dressed as a wizard during the live show and kept cursing Greg. Got a bit tiresome in the live recording but I bet they will edit it so well in the show that it will be hilarious

I only saw the one episode but I think it’s going to be a great series. 

[deathrey]

2 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

I liked Parks & Rec a LOT when I watched it, but have had zero desire to revisit it. 

Which is weird as I rewatch everything!

I feel exactly the same. I usually love to comfort watch stuff but I have never desire to rewatch Parks & Rec.

[Devon Malcolm]

Parks and Recreation follows the usual US sitcom pattern of starting out quite boring, finding its feet in its second series, knocking it out of the park for its middle series before really going to shit near the end.