What TV Have You Seen?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by iank

I'm just marathonning Smallville now. In the last third of season 6. Have to say, it does get better as it goes. First two seasons were very Buffy-ripoff-with-Superman. I did enjoy the darker season 3 with Evil Lionel at his most despicable - love John Glover. 4 was fun, though the whole magic plot with Lana felt like a complete waste of time. But 5 and 6 have been great, a lot darker, and the Clark/Lana/Lex plot is deliciously twisted, esp with Lex clearly going Full Bad Guy now.* It's also very cognitive dissonance inducing with Chloe still being so loveable...

Thanks to yesterdays Smallville chat i restarted it last night in preparation for season 10.

2 down, 215 to go.

Michael Rosenbaum in the definitive Lex Luthor in my eyes. He's absolutely brilliant.

Need to get him and Welling in the DC Multiverse ASAP.

[iank]

I do agree, he's my favourite Lex.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I'm currently 13 episodes into my first rewatch of the first season of Smallville (2001)

The coming of age adventures of teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling) in his fictional hometown of Smallville, Kansas, before he formally becomes the Man of Steel. The first few series focus are centered on the high school life of Clark and his friends, his complicated romance with Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), and his friendship with future nemesis Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum).

As with all shows in this era the first is very much a 'Threat of the week' show with long running story lines in the background.

Having said that, these first 13 episodes have been generally on the strong side with two or three genuinely great ones along the way.

Helped no end by Rosenbaum being the greatest screen Lex Luthor to date and John Glover portraying an equally good Lionel Luther, whilst Annette O'Toole is still the mum any teenage boy would kill for.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Since my last post in this thread, I finished the Sons of Anarchy box set, watching all 91 episodes of the seven seasons (plus rewatches with the commentaries) relatively quickly and without interspersing it with another TV series.

I think the speed worked because it allowed me to go from one season to the next without forgetting what happened previously and focus on the narrative and character arcs, and interpersonal relationships, in a way that would have been impossible if I was watching more than one show at a time.

I found it interesting that I noticed Charlie Hunnam's English accent occasionally leaking through in the way he pronounced certain words within sentences that were otherwise very American, moreso the way he emphasises the 't' sound in words that Americans would probably say with a 'd' sound. I think that's what Tom Holland meant when he said that it was easier for English actors to speak with a convincing (or passable) American accent than for American actors to learn RP English.

Sons of Anarchy is a really good show and one of those drama shows which is both popular and acclaimed, and, like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, or Succession, focuses on anti-heroes, people who are amoral criminals or even murderers that you grow to like and even root for, siding with them instead of law-enforcement officials.

After that, because I noticed the second season of Reacher was on Prime Video, I rewatched the first season to familiarise myself with the characters again and have watched the first few episodes of the second season. It's a good show which benefits from Alan Ritchson, a huge man, playing the titular character – although I haven't read any of Lee Child's books, Ritchson matches the descriptions of Reacher I've read online. He is also a very good actor, able to be brutal, humorous, and appropriately tender, with fine support from the good ensemble cast. If you have Prime Video, I recommend it.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Since my last post in this thread, I finished the Sons of Anarchy box set, watching all 91 episodes of the seven seasons (plus rewatches with the commentaries) relatively quickly and without interspersing it with another TV series.

Most of he law enforcement officials are more corrupt than the outlaws aren't they. Very easy to take a dislike to as they are supposedly on the side of right.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Most of he law enforcement officials are more corrupt than the outlaws aren't they. Very easy to take a dislike to as they are supposedly on the side of right.

Even the police who are law-abiding citizens without a corrupt bone in their bodies are difficult to support because they are trying to bring down the charismatic protagonist, whether it's Jax Teller, Tony Soprano, or Walter White.

[iank]

Started season 9 of Smallville now. 7 was pretty good and it was fun to have James Marsters back as Brainiac, though losing Lionel, Lana and Lex in the space of a few eps was a bit much. I am glad they brought Lana back for a multi-episode guest stint in season 8, though, as while it sat rather oddly in the middle of the season (would have been better earlier) her exit the previous season sucked absolute balls. Brainiac turns her into a vegetable, she disappears for a bunch of eps and then when she wakes up (off-screen) after he's destroyed, her exit is a pre-recorded videotape. Like, really? That's the exit you give your leading lady for the last seven years? F**k off!
8 was pretty solid, though, with the Davis Bloome/Doomsday arc giving it plenty of welly.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by iank

Started season 9 of Smallville now. 7 was pretty good and it was fun to have James Marsters back as Brainiac, though losing Lionel, Lana and Lex in the space of a few eps was a bit much. I am glad they brought Lana back for a multi-episode guest stint in season 8, though, as while it sat rather oddly in the middle of the season (would have been better earlier) her exit the previous season sucked absolute balls. Brainiac turns her into a vegetable, she disappears for a bunch of eps and then when she wakes up (off-screen) after he's destroyed, her exit is a pre-recorded videotape. Like, really? That's the exit you give your leading lady for the last seven years? F**k off!
8 was pretty solid, though, with the Davis Bloome/Doomsday arc giving it plenty of welly.

Having Lana in for so long was holding the whole show back i thought when i initially watched it. Couldn't wait for her to leave.

I watched episode 15 of season one last night Nicodemus.

Wonderful first scene with Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) in his truck listening to Good Ol' Boys by Willie Nelson. Wonder if he'd heard that before?

[MrBarlow]

Chocky.

I had only ever seen parts of this back in the early 90s and somehow came across it while searching for something completely different. I never realised it was based on a book by John Wyndham that was a interesting concept for me to re-watch this. Andrew Ellams plays the 12 year old who is somewhat befriended by a strange mist that can talk to him and helps him solve problems but also slowly learns of the human race and causes problems within the family. James Hazeldine and Carol Drinkwater play the adoptive parents who thinks their son has a imaginary friend until it all comes out slowly. A great tv show that was probably played in the afternoon.

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Chocky.

I had only ever seen parts of this back in the early 90s and somehow came across it while searching for something completely different. I never realised it was based on a book by John Wyndham that was a interesting concept for me to re-watch this. Andrew Ellams plays the 12 year old who is somewhat befriended by a strange mist that can talk to him and helps him solve problems but also slowly learns of the human race and causes problems within the family. James Hazeldine and Carol Drinkwater play the adoptive parents who thinks their son has a imaginary friend until it all comes out slowly. A great tv show that was probably played in the afternoon.

Yes

It was broadcast on ITV (Thames Television) in 1984 on a Monday afternoon between 4:45 - 5:15 (after 'He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe' and before 'Emmerdale Farm')

There was also two sequel shows, each containing six episodes - 'Chocky's Children' in 1985 and 'Chocky's Challenge' in 1986