Gentleman's Compendium Of The Visual Arts (AKA Television and Films)

ancapailldorcha

I'm living in the UK and I know only a few people who are even aware of it's existence and noone else who's watched it. The second and fourth seasons of Dexter were excellent, the first was inferior to the book and the third could have been 2 episodes once you remove the unnecessary padding.
The only programmes where I've been eagerly anticipating the next week's episodes were Dexter (at the start), Breaking Bad and Love/Hate. I agree when you say that Breaking Bad is below the Wire. I've not seen the Sopranos so I can't comment there.

KomradeBishop

The Black Oil wrote: »

Is Oz available anywhere at a reasonable price?

Re The Wire, its pre-cursor is Homicide: Life of the Streets, which everyone should check out. It's a good look at murder police in Baltimore PD. It declines in quality in later years, more attractive cast members are added and the network seemed to loathe it, but it's still a very fine show.



What makes you say that?

Ah, that reminds me: The Corner was a very good precursor to The Wire - a lot of the same cast and all, so a must-watch for any Wire fans.

[QUOTE=JaseHeath;93620151...
I've gone on a little binge of The X-Files now, seeing as I brought it up. And damn, it's still so good. The conspiracy episodes only, essentially a mini-series of only the stuff to do with Alien colonists, Black Oil, Bounty Hunters, etc. I love these episodes and it's been so long since I caught them. I'm tempted to watch other episodes, as there are some classics there, but I want to blaze through the Conspiracy Mytharc first.[/QUOTE]
The Lone Gunmen was good as well, it was an X-Files spinoff; there is one episode actually, which is eerily prescient of 9/11 (broadcast only a few months before it).

Pawwed Rig

JaseHeath wrote: »

Not sure if STG£70 is reasonable or not, but for all 6 seasons of it, I reckon it is:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oz-Complete-Season-1-6-DVD/dp/B002D3ZJCG/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1419955631&sr=1-1&keywords=oz

Worth every penny. A great show. There are alot of now familiar actors in it too which were unknown at the time

mass_debater

For anyone that liked The Shield or The Wire check out Southland, it's decent

KomradeBishop

Some niche ones that are worth a watch:
Jericho - post-nuclear apocalypse smalltown US (often weak acting, but was good - has one or two actors from The Walking Dead in it, which is a similar post-apocalyptic setting - also alright).
Dollhouse - one for fans of Whedon/Firefly (which is also a must-see, along with Serenity). This is actually a lot like Orphan Black, which was mentioned earlier (also good, but have to get used to some of the characters).

Oh yea, how has this not been mentioned The most inventive and well-executed swearing on TV:
The Thick of It (also In The Loop, and Veep)

I've got most of a decades worth of shows strewn across several hard drives from over the years, so I'll probably find yet more to add later.

ancapailldorcha

They actually had a "swearing consultant" for The Thick of It".

Liam McPoyle

The Black Oil wrote: »

Is Oz available anywhere at a reasonable price?

€53 from Wow HD.

Delivery can be slow with them sometimes but Ive used the site loads and never had an issue.

Another one I watched recently is the mind bending Utopia from Channel 4.

It was cancelled after 2 seasons but David Fincher recently bought the remake rights to it for the US market so hopefully Channel 4 will renew it. Fantastic and thrilling stuff.

The Black Oil

Business Cat wrote: »

€53 from Wow HD.

Delivery can be slow with them sometimes but Ive used the site loads and never had an issue.

Thanks, I've used that site before. I think it was formerly CDWOW. €45.04 this morning.

Aidric

JaseHeath wrote: »

Firstly, I think that no modern gentleman should go without watching HBO's The Sopranos. One of the truest definitions of brilliance ever to emerge from the small screen. The acting, the writing, the characters, the production values. Absolutely everything about this show is just from the very top drawer and it is for this very reason that it is so lauded and so brilliant. I recently invested in the Blu-Ray box set and it is worth every penny. If you haven't watched this already, watch it. It is a long haul (the episodes are all about 50 minutes long and there are 86 episodes spread over 6 seasons), but it is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. Simply one of the best (if not the best) television shows of all time.

Agreed. Set the benchmark for excellence in TV drama that has yet to be surpassed. Recently bought the box set and started watching through again. Whilst some series may age badly, the strength of the writing and the layering of the characters was so strong on The Sopranos that it will stand the test of time.
I recently finished the first two series of House of Cards and whilst it's much too early to draw definitive comparisons the signs are good. In much the same way as James Gandolfini was the fulcrum that drove The Sopranos, Kevin Spacey is a strong central character driving House of Cards.

As for film, one of the benefits of living in continental Europe is a strong art movie scene. As Hollywood becomes more and more risk averse, it's the independent movie makers who are taking the plunge to deliver thoughtful and narrative driven cinema. That said this is the best time of the year for movies so enjoy!

JaseBelleVie

Aidric wrote: »

Agreed. Set the benchmark for excellence in TV drama that has yet to be surpassed. Recently bought the box set and started watching through again. Whilst some series may age badly, the strength of the writing and the layering of the characters was so strong on The Sopranos that it will stand the test of time.

Absolutely. Totally agree. Without The Sopranos, none (and I do mean "none") of all the brilliant TV series that have been released since the turn of the millenium would have been made. Every huge, sprawling and slow-burning epic TV series since 2000 owes something of a debt to The Sopranos.

My favourite character out of it is definitely Paulie Walnuts. The sickest f*ck to ever grace the screen and hilarious too.

Aidric

JaseHeath wrote: »

Absolutely. Totally agree. Without The Sopranos, none (and I do mean "none") of all the brilliant TV series that have been released since the turn of the millenium would have been made. Every huge, sprawling and slow-burning epic TV series since 2000 owes something of a debt to The Sopranos.

My favourite character out of it is definitely Paulie Walnuts. The sickest f*ck to ever grace the screen and hilarious too.

A lot of credit also has to go to David Chase for his vision, patience and precise pacing. He never sacrificed the greater vision for a cheap pay off.

mass_debater

Aidric wrote: »

A lot of credit also has to go to David Chase for his vision, patience and precise pacing. He never sacrificed the greater vision for a cheap pay off.

And he had the balls to finish it when he did

Aidric

mass_debater wrote: »

And he had the balls to finish it when he did

Indeed. Like this quote attributed to him about the final scene:

Of the controversial final scene of the series finale, Chase said, "I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there.

JaseBelleVie

That final scene gave me a mini-heart attack the first time I watched it. And anyone who has watched it already will know why!

THE F*CKING ELECTRICITY JUST WENT! NO! F*CKING NO! NO NO NO NO NO!

Kinet1c

In no particular order:

The Sopranos
The Wire
The Shield
Game of Thrones
It's Always in Sunny in Philadelphia
Parks and Recreation
House of Cards
Friday Night Lights
Eastbound and Down
True Detective
Sherlock
Breaking Bad
Oz
Moone Boy
The Big Bang Theory
Modern Family
Dexter
Entourage
The League

TimeToShine

The Big Bang Theory sticks out like a sore thumb in that list.

cson

Surprised it hasn't been mentioned in here but Mad Men is simply fantastic. From the period details to the depth of character development. Definitely a must watch.

You'd love to have been a male ad exec in the 60s anyway. :P

Jimmy Iovine

Aidric wrote: »

I recently finished the first two series of House of Cards and whilst it's much too early to draw definitive comparisons the signs are good. In much the same way as James Gandolfini was the fulcrum that drove The Sopranos, Kevin Spacey is a strong central character driving House of Cards.

The Sopranos benefitted from having one of the strongest casts ever. I could watch a whole season of Paulie and Christopher play hide and seek in the woods.

House of Cards doesn't have that same feel.

They killed off the two main supporting characters. I've only seen to the end of the first episode of season 2, but I'm not as hooked. Kevin Spacey is great in it. He has that same aura that Tony had, but there is Dr Melfi/Johnny Sack/Phil Leotardo/Uncle Junior for him to battle. Underwood is too strong for them.

I read a review where it was criticised that Underwood always gets his way. Tony got his way most of the time too but it never came as easily to him, and when he does it doesn't feel like it was part of a bigger plan, such as when he killed Ralphie.

And then there's Carmela - the best supporting female character in TV history for me. She stood up to Tony and tried to be more than the dirt swept under the carpet.

boobar

For those who like prison dramas Oz but be warned this is not for the faint hearted.

TV has really improved over the years with addictive viewing like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Ray Donovan leaving us spoilt for choice.

One programme that I watched recently was Black Mirror ...with John Hamm...interesting take on where social media may take us in the future...worth a watch.

Blockbuster films ...everyone knows them so here's a movie I'll recommend....Stretch...about a down on his luck limo driver....very enjoyable....quite different.

Aidric

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

The Sopranos benefitted from having one of the strongest casts ever.

Completely agree but they all fed off the dynamism of Gandolfini. Subsequent interviews with cast members bear this out.

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

House of Cards doesn't have that same feel.

They killed off the two main supporting characters. I've only seen to the end of the first episode of season 2, but I'm not as hooked. Kevin Spacey is great in it. He has that same aura that Tony had, but there is Dr Melfi/Johnny Sack/Phil Leotardo/Uncle Junior for him to battle. Underwood is too strong for them.

Stick with it. It really picks up the pace in season 2 and reveals the ruthlessness of Underwood in pursuing his goal, ably supported by his wife. She is no Carmela but few actors are. With regards to

killing off leading supporting actors

it was a surprise at the time but it all plays in to Underwood's ruthlessness and so is imo crucial to his characters development.

Galwayguy35

I was a late arrival to Game of Thrones, I just started watching it last season and found it hard to follow it, but watched it from the start over Christmas and I think it's one of the best series on the box.

Also a big fan of Vikings, thisk this series is going to get better and better as well.

As regards films, my favourite would be Goodfellas.

mfceiling

Comedy anyone?

The Office was/is as good a program comedy wise as I ever had the privilege of watching. The writing was on the money - the characters and some of their facial expressions would crack me up.

Another one from the start of this year for me was "The Trip to Italy" with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Location wise was beautiful and the way they played off each other made for great viewing. I could watch it every day and not get tired of it.

Aidric

mfceiling wrote: »

Comedy anyone?

Police Squad tops my list for silly comedy. The Fast Show had some brilliant sketches. I also liked Curb Your Enthusiasm more recently.

Closer to home I think The Savage Eye is very clever satire and perhaps didn't get the credit it is due. The tragedy is most Irish people would sooner turn to Mrs Browns Boys or Callans Kicks for their laughs.

Pawwed Rig

mfceiling wrote: »

The Office was/is as good a program comedy wise as I ever had the privilege of watching. The writing was on the money - the characters and some of their facial expressions would crack me up.

Extras is worth a look too. A bit of darker comedy I would recommend is Misfits although it is running out of stem in season 4.
QI is obviously the quiz show of choice for tGC regulars:p

Liam McPoyle

Not too many daycent comedy shows nowadays but those that havnt seen Brass Eye should rectify that, fantastic stuff.

Also, Scrubs is imo the best sitcom of all time.

The Black Oil

Not hugely into comedy, tbh. I enjoy humour in drama shows more so than dedicated comedies, for the most part. Obviously films like Airplane! and Marx Brothers are classics. Too many modern comedies seem to be star vehicles and lack imagination in the writing department. As for satire, I find it very hit and miss, often lacking any real bite or nerve. One exception is Bremner, Bird and Fortune - and by that I mean the Bird and Fortune duo rather than Bremner. For scripted comedy I'd turn to Black Books, back in the day Drop the Dead Donkey.

Non-comedy question - growing up we all watched MacGyver and The A-Team, right?

Kinet1c

TimeToShine wrote: »

The Big Bang Theory sticks out like a sore thumb in that list.

I'd agree with you on some of the episodes but it's easy watching and like the nerd /geek culture protrayed.

Silicon Valley is also worth a watch if you're anyway nerdy/geeky.

JaseBelleVie

The classic British comedies such as Fawlty Towers, Steptoe & Son, Only Fools And Horses, Open All Hours, Dad's Army, et al, are up there amongst the best going. Never get old and are still hilarious.

But the pick of the bunch of the classic British comedies is definitely Fawlty Towers. Only 12 episodes of this absolute gold-standard comedy were ever made, but each of them is hilarious. My personal favourite being "Basil The Rat". Comedy genius from John Cleese and Connie Booth. The care, attention to detail and sheer hard work that went into every episode is there for all to see. I still cry with laughter to this day watching it.

More contemporary British comedies that are far cruder, more low-brow but equally funny would include the likes of Bottom, The Young Ones and Men Behaving Badly. Bottom is the brainchild of Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall (RIP) and is intended to be "a crude cousin to 'Waiting For Godot'". And it is priceless. The slapstick violence, foul language and insanity that surrounds the plots all makes it more endearing. Another one that often leaves me doubled over and crying with laughter.

On the American side of comedy, I'm not a fan. Particularly of the more modern American comedies. To me, there is only one American comedy that I've ever been a huge fan of, that I've ever laughed until I cried at and is right up there at the peak of comedy alongside many other contenders. That comedy series is Frasier. The writing, the acting and the wit all combined to make this one of the key comedy series of the 1990's and provided us with a brilliant amount of laughs. While the series did dip slightly in its latter years, it was still head-and-shoulders above its contemporaries. Niles Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce, has to be one of the greatest pieces of acting and comedy in history. Not to take anything away from Grammer, Mahoney, Leeves or Gilpin, but David Hyde Pierce was absolutely outstanding in every episode as the neurotic shrink.

No other American comedy series has ever done it for me, and I've tried a lot of them. But Frasier ticked ever box and is a stone cold classic.

KomradeBishop

I rewatched the comedy sketch show Jam recently - it has some brilliantly dark/weird sketches, so it's well worth a watch for anyone who likes The Day Today or Brass Eye; worth it just for the 'doctor' sketches alone

I also thought that Nathan Barley was very good (albeit short) - Charlie Brooker did that.

Brooker also just did his '2014 Wipe' show, which was pretty funny - worth checking all the stuff he has done (he even has done 'Screenwipe' before - perfectly suited to this thread - which is where I found many of the shows I recommended):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3EoNsGHZD0

Adam Curtis also does a short piece in 2014 Wipe, and - expanding the thread to documentaries - all of his past documentaries are a must-see; every one of them is very good.

ancapailldorcha

JaseHeath wrote: »

On the American side of comedy, I'm not a fan. Particularly of the more modern American comedies. To me, there is only one American comedy that I've ever been a huge fan of, that I've ever laughed until I cried at and is right up there at the peak of comedy alongside many other contenders. That comedy series is Frasier. The writing, the acting and the wit all combined to make this one of the key comedy series of the 1990's and provided us with a brilliant amount of laughs. While the series did dip slightly in its latter years, it was still head-and-shoulders above its contemporaries. Niles Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce, has to be one of the greatest pieces of acting and comedy in history. Not to take anything away from Grammer, Mahoney, Leeves or Gilpin, but David Hyde Pierce was absolutely outstanding in every episode as the neurotic shrink.

No other American comedy series has ever done it for me, and I've tried a lot of them. But Frasier ticked ever box and is a stone cold classic.

Funnily enough, I don't think I've seen a whole episode of Frasier all the way through.

Though they do manufacture a huge amount of muck, the Americans have made some of the best comedy ever made. Arrested Development is probably my all-time favourite sitcom (Season 3 began to dip as they knew they were being cancelled, avoid season 4 altogether). I really want to watch Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm at some point as well. More recently, I've been completely enthralled by Parks and Recreation which is worth watching for Nick Offerman's scenes alone (Season 1 is abysmal but there are only 6 episodes).