What are you watching on TV? Showing 1-50 of 1,019

[[deleted user]]

Please use the spoiler tag for ALL spoilers. Shows do not air at the same pace in different countries, and some people come to old shows on DVD/Netflix.

I fell down the stairs and injured my knee and it's been a long healing process, which has turned me into a real couch potato. I watch way too much TV now and never have enough people to rave at about it, so I thought we could have a thread to discuss what we're watching.

My latest marathons have been American Horror Story with my family, and Babylon 5 by myself.

I'm halfway through the second season of B5 now, and I'm really enjoying its transition into a more heavily serialised show. Spoilers up to S2E9: (view spoiler)[I didn't like the change from Sinclair to Sheridan at first -- I understand I'm in the minority on that on the internet, but I really liked Michael O'Hare and his chemistry with the actors playing Ivanova and Garibaldi -- but I'm warming to it. What I am really enjoying is Londo's slide into darkness. The scene in The Coming of Shadows where he guiltily drinks to peace with G'kar while reflecting on the deal with the devil he's just made that will bring the Centauri and Narns back to war is one of the finer pieces of acting I've seen in any show lately, not just from B5's era where things were traditionally much more episodic. (hide spoiler)]

American Horror Story has grown to be one of my favourite shows. I love the idea of each season as a standalone story. I've been trying to sell some people on the show by recommending that they skip straight to S2 and S3, because I think Asylum and Coven are leagues above Murder House. Part of that is the casting -- putting Jessica Lange in a more pivotal role is never a mistake, and while I like Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott well enough, they're completely outclassed by most of the other regulars. Can't wait to learn more about season 4.

[Becky]

I don't tend to watch TV much... Well, not on TV anyway. Over the last couple months, I've been watching quite a lot of British comedy/game shows on Youtube. QI, Big Fat Quiz of the Year, 8 out of 10 Cats, Was It Something I Said? etc.

I love So You Think You Can Dance, and that's the only show that I watch routinely.

You see... I have this thing. TV and I have an odd relationship. I can get hooked into a TV show almost instantly... and lose interest in a series almost instantly. Like, if Thomas is watching something and I walk into the room, he's screwed unless it's something I know I DISLIKE, because now I'm hooked and have to watch the whole thing. But if it's a series, I will usually just leave, because I know that I won't see it through.

I have a long track record of unfinished series shows. Heroes, The Wire, Breaking Bad, every sitcom ever (except Roseanne - loved that one!), and on and on... I seriously will get up to pee or get a drink or a snack or something, and never come back.

It drives Thomas crazy.

[[deleted user]]

That'd drive me crazy too. LOL. You know my insane book completism? That applies to TV shows as well. I can never come in on an episode someone's watching and just... catch up. I have to start with season 1, episode 1, and watch all the way through.

I even have trouble giving up series I'm not enjoying anymore because then they're just sitting there... unfinished.

I am so freaking neurotic...

[Becky]

Yeah... Breaking Bad? I watched seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix, got halfway or so through 3, and then took a pee-break... that I'm still on.

Same thing with The Wire. Seasons 1-4, fantastic stuff... Never started 5.

Heroes, I think I watched 1 episode of season 3 and forgot to go back to it.

I have watched all of Firefly... I'm sure the fact that it's less than a full season long is just a coincidence. ;)

[[deleted user]]

To be fair, season 5 of The Wire and season 4 of Heroes are things I never got around to either, which is bugging the hell out of me and I must fix it soon. With The Wire it was because (season 4 spoiler) (view spoiler)[even though it was really good I got thrown by the fact that the cast I was used to, like McNulty and Kima, played a really minimal role, so I lost momentum and never got back into it (hide spoiler)], and with Heroes it was just because it had gotten really bad.

[Laurel]

I can't miss an episode of Walking Dead. My boyfriend is VERY glad I've discovered Doctor Who to tide me over until Walking Dead returns in February. I had never seen a Doctor Who, then decide to give the 50th Anniversary Special a try. I loved it so much I bought the new series (7 seasons) and am now starting season 3. (David Tennant, I love you!)

I watched all of season one of Orphan Black over a two day span (watch it, watch it now!) ditto with Broadchurch. Maybe I just love BBC productions?! Although I am a Supernatural fan...

Anyone else ecstatic over the return of Sherlock in January?

[[deleted user]]

Laurel wrote: "I watched all of season one of Orphan Black over a two day span (watch it, watch it now!)"

I wholeheartedly second this recommendation. In fact, thank you for reminding me I have to buy the Blu-rays for someone for Christmas! :)

I can't wait for Sherlock either.

[Felina]

I adored Breaking Bad. I'm waiting not very patiently for the 6th season to come out on Netflix. The series finale episode was named Felina. :)

[Felina]

I haven't seen Sherlock yet but it's on the list.

I love Rosanne too, Becky!

[[deleted user]]

Felina wrote: "I haven't seen Sherlock yet but it's on the list."

Gasp. You're already in love with Benedict Cumberbatch and you haven't seen Sherlock? We're going to have to mop you up off the floor afterwards. ;)

[Laurel]

Titania wrote: "Laurel wrote: "I watched all of season one of Orphan Black over a two day span (watch it, watch it now!)"

I wholeheartedly second this recommendation. In fact, thank you for reminding me I have to..."

Ironically, despite being filmed in Canada, the blu rays are super expensive "imports" here. I hate irony. Humbug!

Who am I kidding, I'll break down and buy them anyway ;). Season 2 in April!!!

[[deleted user]]

I just had a look at the Blu-rays on Amazon...

'This title will be released on August 11, 2014.'

What?! I guess we're in the same boat, Laurel. I will just have to foist another favourite show (The Borgias The Borgias) off on everyone for Christmas instead. :)

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Titania wrote: "Felina wrote: "I haven't seen Sherlock yet but it's on the list."

Gasp. You're already in love with Benedict Cumberbatch and you haven't seen Sherlock? We're going to have to mop you up off the fl..."

She has to pace herself or she'll have too many babies.

[Laurel]

Sorry Hon. But, I hear that the Borgias is great! I need to get to that one. Jeremy Irons is always superb.

Have you seen Downtown Abbey? I keep meaning to try season 1?

Becky, I haven't watched any of those comedies or game shows, but I do laugh myself silly watching Graham Norton's talk show on YouTube. Love him! I'll have to look up your list.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead

Everything else is background noise.

Actually that's not true. Survivor is my exception to the reality-tv hate.

I started Mob City this week and thought the first two episodes were pretty damn good.

Of old shows, I loved The Sopranos, Oz, Deadwood, and Rome.

eta: oh, and Spartacus rocks. I still have to watch the final season.

etta: oh, and Firefly and BSG.

This could go on awhile.

[[deleted user]]

Laurel wrote: "Sorry Hon. But, I hear that the Borgias is great! I need to get to that one. Jeremy Irons is always superb.

Have you seen Downtown Abbey? I keep meaning to try season 1?"

I think you'll love The Borgias... of course, I say that to everyone. ;) But Jeremy Irons puts on one of his best performances and the actors playing Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia are absolutely magnetic. It was airing on the same night as Game of Thrones and I rapidly switched from watching Game of Thrones -> The Borgias -> everything else to The Borgias -> Game of Thrones -> everything else, because TB was delivering the kind of political intrigue and interpersonal chemistry that a show based on Martin's books should have been able to conjure.

Ahem. Fangirling done. (For now.)

I've never seen any of Downton Abbey. I've also not watched Doctor Who since the 80s. I should probably hand in my Union Jack now.

[Ala]

More people should watch Orphan Black.

[Jackie]

I love Downton Abbey, although this season was by far the weakest.

Love Game of Thrones (it's the reason why I continue to pay for HBO).

I've been catching up on episodes of Dracula and Reign. Reign is so stupid that I can't stop watching it. It's like a parody of what an HF drama should be.

Titania glad to hear you like The Borgias because it's next on my list to watch.

In addition to series I like trashy reality TV, like Gypsy Sisters, The Kartrashians (I can take them in small doses), The Alaskan Frontier. Also, shows like House Hunters International.

[[deleted user]]

o_O wrote: "More people should watch Orphan Black."

Yes. Orphan Black and The Borgias. I will assimilate the world.

...okay, I will assimilate a small corner of Britain.

[Nyssa]

I tend to go through feast or famine with all of my entertainment options reading, music, TV), so when I'm in a "TV mood" its almost exclusive to anything else (Thank you Netflix & Hulu Plus).
This, of course, has led to many "missed" seasons/series.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do when it hits again, as we've just ended our 10 year relationship with DirecTV and will not be replacing it with any other cable or satellite company (again, thanks to Netflix & Hulu Plus).

Oddly enough, I'm not a big movie watcher... it has to be something I really want to see, and even then I'm usually months (if not years) behind everyone else unless my husband drags me to the movie theater.

[Kathy]

Titiana, I'm also a huge fan of American Horror Story: Coven! Love it!!

Plus, I like to watch Big Bang Theory, Ghost Hunters, and way too many reality shows! Lol

[[deleted user]]

Jackie wrote: "Titania glad to hear you like The Borgias because it's next on my list to watch."

It is literally my all-time favourite show, Jackie. Season three was breathtaking. I look forward to seeing what you think. :)

Kathy wrote: "Titiana, I'm also a huge fan of American Horror Story: Coven! Love it!!"

It's so funny, I was thinking I should recommend it to you after you mentioned loving horror the other day. Turns out I'm late to the party! :D I was trying to decide if Asylum or Coven was my favourite season, but Coven is the one that catapulted it into my list of favourite series, so I think that answers that.

[[deleted user]]

That list of favourite shows stands as follows, incidentally:

American Horror Story
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Boardwalk Empire
The Borgias
Breaking Bad
Carnivale
Firefly
Homeland
Justified
Orphan Black
Sherlock

I have been trying to decide if Mad Men deserves a slot, but based on its last two seasons I'm leaning towards no...

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Oh, I really like Longmire.

Justified had potential, but I fell off after a few episodes and never got a chance to catch up.

[[deleted user]]

Justified was a solid 'good but not great' show in season one, but from season two onwards they got a lot bolder with the serialisation and its awesomeness kind of snuck up on me. :) I never expected it to be a favourite, just a fun show to watch with my dad.

Margo Martindale helped make season two a winner, as well. I'm sad she's stuck on a daft sitcom now.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I was interested in Justified because it was from an Elmore Leonard story and I love his stuff. Also, Timothy Oliphant was in Deadwood.

[[deleted user]]

I've not seen Deadwood yet, I don't think. How have I not seen Deadwood yet? I love period dramas (and Timothy Olyphant). One for The List.

[Laurel]

Woo hoo! A fellow Battlestar Galactica fan!!!

[[deleted user]]

Laurel wrote: "Woo hoo! A fellow Battlestar Galactica fan!!!"

I could gush so much about that show. :) I think it was the first thing in a long time to really expand public awareness of what science fiction can do, of how visionary and poignant it can be. I'm using it to turn my mother into a sci-fi fan, although I'm still having a hard time convincing her that she'll love sci-fi books...

[Laurel]

But books are always better?!?!

[[deleted user]]

Precisely! I have some ideas for conversion...



...that sounds a little more sinister than it was meant to.

[Laurel]

You would make an excellent writer for Doctor Who ;)

[Laurel]

o_O wrote: "More people should watch Orphan Black."

I'm so glad we agree :D

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

Laurel wrote: "But books are always better?!?!"

Not always.

[Kathy]

Titiana, believe it or not, I haven't seen the first 2 seasons of American Horror Story...so talk about being late to the party! My son did buy me season one, so I need to get on that!

I also see Firefly mentioned. I didn't think to include it, since it's not on anymore, but I love it!!! I mean, what's not to love! :)

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

For Felina (and any other Cumberbabes): http://9gag.tv/v/1924

[Nyssa]

Colleen wrote: "For Felina (and any other Cumberbabes): http://9gag.tv/v/1924"

Oh yes..I remember that. Had to watch it again, anyway! :D

[Felina]

I have never seen that before and it was awesome. Double pregnant. Not twins but I'll be carrying them back to back.

[Emily]

I'm not a huge TV watcher myself. My husband and I are making our way through Alias on Netflix. I love LOVE Sherlock and cannot wait for January. I enjoy The Sing Off usually but have not gotten into it this season, mostly due to forgetting to set the DVR.

That said, I watch a lot of YouTube web series
and vloggers.

[Felina]

I'm doing a re-watch is the X-Files. Holds up. I love it.

I think I'm going to cut down on my TV intake as a resolution next year. I actually think I'm going to cancel my TV and just invest in an Apple TV. Pay my parents $15 a month to get HBO on their plan and then use their HBO Go for my Game of thrones needs. I actually love all the HBO shows. That staton is brilliant *cough* not so much True Blood anymore *cough*

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

Stuff We Currently Watch (in no order except how they popped into my head):

Haven
Elementary
Sherlock
White Collar
Grimm
Dracula
Doctor Who
Sleepy Hollow
NCIS
AHS: Coven
SHIELD
Justified
Ripper Street
Warehouse 13 (until it ends next year)


Stuff We're Still Recording but not Watching:
Bones - we've decided we want to finish off the Paulant (sp?) arc, and then we're calling it quits
Castle - keep planning on deleting this, but haven't brought myself to do it, yet


Stuff I Mean to Watch on Netflix at Some Point:
Merlin
Supernatural
Orphan Black

[[deleted user]]

Felina wrote: "I'm doing a re-watch is the X-Files. Holds up. I love it.

I think I'm going to cut down on my TV intake as a resolution next year. I actually think I'm going to cancel my TV and just invest in an..."

I have a WDTV Live (which is similar to the Apple TV but it can play .mkv files) and I love it. :) I can't remember the last time I watched live TV. I also, erm, tinkered with stuff so that I can play Netflix US through the WDTV and Netflix UK through the PS3. Now I can marathon through all the things. All I need is time...

[Kathy]

We used to use my son's PS3 to get netflix. But he took it away to college. :(

[Nyssa]

Kathy wrote: "We used to use my son's PS3 to get netflix. But he took it away to college. :("

Smart TVs, X-Box 360s, Apple TVs and Roku are all alternatives. They also give you access to Hulu Plus as well as other specialty "channels".

We use an Apple TV in our room and an X-Box 360 in the living room. There iare also our computers.

[Felina]

Yep. After the holidays I'm telling Dish to suck it.

[Becky]

Yeah, we have a PS3 for all of that stuff. We used to have a Sony Streamer, but we gave it to a friend since we use the PS3 instead.

I just bought my dad a Roku for Christmas though. He texted me asking about alternatives for cable, and I was like "Yay! I know what to get him now!"

It's only just occurred to me that this was probably his plan all along.

Well played, Dad. Well played.

[[deleted user]]

Hah. Well played Dad indeed. :D

I wouldn't get an Apple TV because of the lack of mkv support. Almost all high definition files that you obtain yourself (as opposed to watching over Netflix or Hulu) will be mkv. The Roku is another great choice because it has native mkv support, although last time I checked it doesn't support avi, which can be irritating for watching older things. (Though as a trade off it does have much less glitchy firmware than the WDTV, which we have three of now, and every one of them has to be unplugged and plugged back in weekly or Netflix starts throwing a fit.)

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Becky wrote: "I just bought my dad a Roku for Christmas though. He texted me asking about alternatives for cable, and I was like "Yay! I know what to get him now!"

It's only just occurred to me that this was probably his plan all along.

Well played, Dad. Well played. "

Well played, Dad!

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

I've thought about a Roku but we don't really need one.

But I want one, lol. Hubby needs his ESPN though.

[Felina]

The only reason I'm leaning towards the Apple TV is because absolutely all of my devices are already Apple and I've found the hardwares always work very well together. And secondly, I don't ever obtain files myself. I don't understand that stuff.

Anybody using the Chrome-cast or whatever it's called?