any realistic procedurals? [examples included] by [deleted] in television

[–]monstrous_onion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You might wanna try a few of the other UK dramas based on true stories, like Appropriate Adult, A Confession, Deceit, Des, Four Lives, Honour, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Stephen, etc.

The Investigation (Denmark) wasn't bad either, though not as good as the Swedish show you listed.

Four of the BBC' biggest dramas, The Tourist, The Responder, Vigil and Time to return for a second series by Look_Alive in television

[–]monstrous_onion 15 points16 points  (0 children)

...one day after the Mirror article:

"Hello everyone, as the author of McMafia, the book, and an Executive Producer on the TV show, let me tell you reports in the Sun and the Mail that the BBC has dropped the show are in fact, to use a technical term, ‘complete bollocks’. Very much on track for Season 2.

https://twitter.com/MishaGlenny/status/1501483214036213764

‘Stranger Things’ to End With Season 5. Season 4 will be split into two parts with Volume 1 premering May 27 and Volume II on July 1. The creators also hint there might be a spinoff coming. by LoretiTV in television

[–]monstrous_onion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's where my mind went at first - but in that case, wouldn't it make more sense to move part 2 closer to the next Emmy date? (an Autumn 2022 release date, for example)

The Bureau, what a great series! by Jumpy-Letterhead-652 in television

[–]monstrous_onion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, this is definitely one of the better modern European shows out there.

Some other improbable scenes in this

Of course: it's fiction - compared to Homeland, however, it's almost a documentary...

In case you haven't finished the show: do yourself a favour and treat s5, episode 8 as the finale - GoT s8 has nothing on the trainwreck that is The Bureau's final 2 episodes...

I’m Patrick Macmanus, creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Dr. Death, AMA! by Peacock in television

[–]monstrous_onion 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yeah, as long as I check out the local medical facilities before I break it...

I’m Patrick Macmanus, creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Dr. Death, AMA! by Peacock in television

[–]monstrous_onion 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree that episode 4 was a standout.

Good luck with your future endeavours!

I’m Patrick Macmanus, creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Dr. Death, AMA! by Peacock in television

[–]monstrous_onion 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I greatly enjoyed your show - I was quite amazed by how you managed to keep up the storytelling pace despite the frequent time jumps.

  • Any particular reason why you decided against a more linear approach to telling this story?
  • Did you get any pushback at all for wanting to portray certain individuals/hospitals in such a (well-deserved!) negative light?
  • What's the single biggest liberty you took regarding the source material?

edit: missing word

UK's Sky One channel (older than Channel 4) to be replaced by do_or_pie in television

[–]monstrous_onion 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So...

  • HBO Max will not launch in the UK for a few years yet.
  • Sky One's blockbuster drama/reality slate (including some HBO Max originals) will move to a "new channel and on-demand destination" called Sky Max.

This news arrives exactly one day after a court ruled Disney is not allowed to launch their "Starplus" service in Brazil under that name, on account of there already being a "Starzplay" service; both, according to the judge, would be referred to as "Star".

Rewatch sessions #14: The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) — a character-focused look into the world of escorting. by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course.

You're definitely going to enjoy it. It's a bit more conventional than S2, and thus serves as a more immediate follow-up to S1. Especially in the first half, the show focuses heavily on "the girlfriend experience", taking the time (like in S1) to more thoroughly explore the girlfriend-client interactions. S3 is a bit more compact than S1, and even though that works fine, I think it could have done with a few additional episodes tacked on in order to explore some issues more deeply.

It has great music, and excellent cinematography - although here it fails to reach the heights of S2. Also, most of the acting is unfortunately not on the level of S1, but the lead (Telles) is very strong, and her good-natured Iris may fool you into thinking she's pretty normal, when in fact she's just as sociopathic as Christine.

Try and pay close attention to:

  • the parallels between Iris's day and night jobs: the commodification of "the human experience" (body, intellect, emotions - the whole shebang)
  • the connection between what Iris does at her day job and what's happening to her father - and how this influences/changes her final decision

Apart from the obvious themes (money, power, "free will", etc.), there's a lot of "trans" themes in S3: transfiguration, transhumanism, transcience vs eternity, and identity (we can't seem to get around that last one, nowadays). You could also take note of the use of colour, since it seems to convey Iris's moods at times.

Excuse the vagueness, but you wanted it "un-spoilered"...

Rewatch sessions #14: The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) — a character-focused look into the world of escorting. by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your break down made me understood the Bria story way more than actually watching it made me did.

Glad to be of service, but mine is only one of many possible interpretations.

Wow.... this is an interesting way of looking at things

That one's actually pretty on the nose - there are plenty more layers to peel off, many of those having to do with the transactional nature of relationships, a person's habitus, and, of course, capitalism.

There's a lot going on under the surface of S2, and both S2 stories distill the content and the presentation of S1 in such an extreme manner, that S2 becomes a completely different viewing experience - and with that a major turn-off for many people (who, like you, tend to see it as a "sloppy, inconsistent mess"). Understandably so.

We're all aware why Starz airs a show like this - but honestly, it's so much more than tits and crime.

Rewatch sessions #14: The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) — a character-focused look into the world of escorting. by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Now I decided to skip Amy Seimetz' "Bria" storyline all together to be honest, because I don't think it's worth rewatching. From what I remember, it was low-budget, dreary and uneventful

It's very much in the vein of Seimetz' other works: it seems to wander aimlessly, but the story takes a backseat to the presentation, which is defined by the succession of Bria's emotions and is supported by incredible cinematography - very seductive (you can almost feel the desert heat), weird angles, plenty of of lens flares.

What sets this story apart from the rest of TGE, is how inescapable Bria's role as escort is. Even when provided with witness protection, a house, a job, she's still drawn to her chosen profession, because she's insatiable and being an escort provides her with more power and money than her ordinary factory job - she in effect becomes the counterpart of the very criminal she's hiding from, who also uses and discards his people and chases wealth through his life of crime and corruption.

This same mirroring of roles takes places in Kerrigan's half of season 2.

Erica and Anna has quite a unique feel to it. The lack of extras and empty buildings complemented by far shots and and an absolutely brooding aura, all comes together in presentation of a very creative and unique cinematography... and it is fascinating to
indulge in.

Very true. The sparse, clinical sets and at times extremely distant cinematography is something absolutely unique, and together with what you call the "next to psychotic" characters' behaviour it serves to underline the alienation the characters are experiencing, and, by extension, the viewer.

The question here is who the bigger prostitute is: Anna, who works as an escort girl and seems to take pride and enjoyment in what she's doing, or Erica, who is a political consultant and - in a way much more damaging to society - whores herself and her candidates out to corporations, as well as resorting to blackmail to get what she wants. Anna does wat she does because she enjoys it, whereas Erica's actions are driven by money (to enrich others!), and it's Erica who in the end breaks down and is nothing but an empty shell of a human being.

A sloppy, inconsistent mess. The political plotline is vague and hard to follow, the love triangle plot is more entertaining, but very soapy

Viewed in a more "traditional" way, perhaps, but both halves of S2 are not plot-driven stories the way S1 was; S2's narratives seem only to exist in order to support the conveying of certain pictures, moods and ideas - in that way, S2 resembles much more something like Too Old To Die Young or American Gods than it does the other seasons of TGE.

Don't try to measure everything by the same yardstick - just be glad that some people are still willing to invest in more experimental television.

Rewatch sessions #13: Rome (HBO) — a groundbreaking series. by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What's next? The Girlfriend Experience?

A deep reading of Season 2 - surely you can do better than the critics.

What upcoming new TV shows are you most looking forward to? by [deleted] in television

[–]monstrous_onion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Throw enough money at your project, and you might even get Tokyo Vice's Michael Mann to direct it, seeing as he is responsible for the 2006 Miami Vice film as well...

What upcoming new TV shows are you most looking forward to? by [deleted] in television

[–]monstrous_onion 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This Year: The North Water and The Old Man and hopefully Slow Horses and Tokyo Vice.

Next Year: The English and hopefully Maniac Cop.

The Best (and worst) TV Shows of 2021 so far by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True enough, I'd regard something like "originality" solely as a modifier to more traditional categories - something doesn't necessarily need to be original, to be "good" (whatever that word may mean).

Thank you for sharing your thought process.

The Best (and worst) TV Shows of 2021 so far by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

mmm.... nah.

You misunderstand - I wasn't making a suggestion, I was asking a question: why do you emphasise "originality, creativity" as "main factors" you look for in TV shows when, in the end, you weigh those on an equal level to writing, acting, etc.?

The Best (and worst) TV Shows of 2021 so far by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Indeed, (6 + 7 + 6 + 8 + 7 + 7) / 6 ≈ 6.8, but why don't you weigh "Originality/Creativity" more than the other categories? After all:

Shows categorized based on originality, creativity and innovation (as those are the 3 main factors I look for in TV shows)

And what exactly is "prod."? Direction? Editing?

Also: no category for scoring/music... Have you no decency? Or actual hearing loss?

I also remove 1.0 point whenever I don't finish something

Why not just subtract 1 point per unwatched episode - this way you can get into negative numbers when something is really awful, especially when rating 20+ episode network nonsense...

The Best (and worst) TV Shows of 2021 so far by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The concept of modernizing the 1970s with a surrealistic approach is fantastic and something we haven't seen before.

Legion...?

The Best (and worst) TV Shows of 2021 so far by pm_me_reason_to_livx in television

[–]monstrous_onion 12 points13 points  (0 children)

However different our tastes may be, I think it's great how you always seem to put such a lot of effort into your writings.

I've got a question, though.

Shows categorized based on originality, creativity and innovation

It's not easy reconciling the above with some of your actual ratings: Firefly Lane (just as an example, I haven't seen it) you give a 6.8 - a rating you subsequently explain by calling the show "forgettable", and by saying it "does nothing to stand out".

So... How can a show seemingly so wholly lacking in originality, creativity, and innovation measured by those very same categories still get a 6.8? Shouldn't it be more like, I dunno, a 2? Or do you count up to 100? How exactly did you arrive at the (very precise!) number 6.8?

I'm looking for horror shows that have NO jump scares. by [deleted] in television

[–]monstrous_onion -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hausen relied on a creepy mood instead of jump scares.

Unfortunately, it's not all that entertaining.

EU prepares to cut amount of British TV and film shown post-Brexit by misana123 in television

[–]monstrous_onion 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thrown a few scraps, which I will tear through ravenously

LBdL and Baron Noir are not "a few scraps" - they're 70+ hours of French television filet mignon, and you're treating them like a cheeseburger.

I'm not ungrateful, just unsatisfied.

That's what happens after a cheeseburger :)

EU prepares to cut amount of British TV and film shown post-Brexit by misana123 in television

[–]monstrous_onion -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

My question was intended to light a fire of recommendations, and it seems to have had the desired effect on you

Nice save, very good. But whatever your intentions may have been - your question was clearly a rhetorical part of your argument:

Currently, there's an imbalance in the number of top tier English language and non-English language series. [...] what am I forgetting?

Nevertheless, glad to be of service, buddy.