![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat[As an aside, does anyone else remember when we only had a Fall TV Season, and the summer was just re-runs? There were no mid-season replacements. If the show wasn't on, we got re-runs of the show or specials or sports. Now? We have a new fall season, winter season, spring season, and summer season. And very few reruns. But not to worry there's always netflix, on demand, itunes or amazon if you missed an episode, or ahem illegal downloading and file sharing.]
Last night I watched the first two episodes of the critically acclaimed Showtime historical serial Masters of Sex, which is based, rather loosely, on the sex study done by William Masters and his secretary/assistant back in the 1950s.
It reminds me a lot of Mad Men, with some of the same inherent flaws of that series. Two career driven anti-hero protagonists (one of which may be a borderline sociopath, too early to tell) and an emphasis on style over substance. Pacing is a wee bit on the slow side - and the series is more interested in commenting on gender politics than plot mechanics or character development. It may improve. It admittedly took a while for me to get into or enjoy Mad Men. Right now, Mad Men is funnier, Masters seems to be lacking in the humor department, which is odd - since sex can be quite funny. I think it may be taking itself a wee bit too seriously? But Mad Men admittedly took a year or so to get into the groove and find its sense of humor. So perhaps it improves with time? The question is do I want to invest the time and money? Particularly for a series whose leads are difficult to care much about. The female lead, Ginny, is admittedly compelling - even if she is coming across as a manipulative sociopath (or self-described one at any rate). But Masters, portrayed by Michael Sheen, doesn't do anything for me. I find him annoying and unattractive. At least Jon Hamm's Don Draper intrigued me and was attractive in his own way. Masters is just an asshole, who I want to smack repeatedly upside the head. And he's not exactly surrounded by likable or interesting men - actually the only one I find half way interesting is Beau Bridges, head of the hospital, Scully, who keeps shutting down Masters study. The women, unfortunately look a bit alike, but are the most interesting and compelling. Mad Men in direct contrast had a much more interesting ensemble cast, and its characters were oddly more likable and less grating. Also, it cost me nothing to watch it - since it was on AMC.
So...I may let Masters go its merry way. What do you think? Should I stick with it?
In other TV news:
* Have not seen the new Doctor Who episode yet, but flist appears to love it. As far as I can tell - without actually reading the posts. Because I'm avoiding spoilers. Three posts were positive - all by women (one British, one German, and one American). Two, both male (British and Swedish), appeared to associate it rather negatively with politics, and seemed to be really upset with the politics, but I'm not sure if they were upset with how the episode specifically dealt with politics, the episode itself, or politics in general and the episode as a corollary to that, without reading their posts and risk getting spoiled.(ie. they may well have loved the episode and just hate the political climate at the moment but enjoyed how the Doctor Who episode demonstrated that or showed it? Can't tell without reading their posts and getting spoiled.)
* Caught up on Arrow episodes - one left to go, which is rerun next week. I'd stopped watching this year - got overwhelmed by other things and just was not in the mood. But after reading a few posts on it and seeing the trailers for next season - got intrigued, so have watched the last four-five episodes. They surprised me by killing off a major character - although I'd been spoiled for it. And appearing to write out two other characters. Summer Glau feels a bit too wooden for her role - I've decided that she comes across as either disconnected or a tad robotic in everything she does, and possibly best suited for those types of roles. Not a bad actress, just extremely limited.
There's a rather good essay by a film scholar/director regarding acting that articulates my views on the topic - How to Distinguish Good Acting from Bad Acting.
Here's a blurb that provides an example of bad acting:
Even though the essay is about film actors, I think it works for television actors as well. And a lot of tv actors, unfortunately, come from the Keanu Reeves and Kristen Stewart school of acting. Summer Glau reminds me a lot of Keanu Reeves in her acting style. But as the writer states above - this is highly subjective.
* TV Start Dates: [Note these are just for tv shows I watch, am interested in, and care about.]
1. Once Upon a Time (ABC) - Sept 28. Teasers? We have Elsa and Anna from Frozen popping up, but they aren't the villain, the new villain is being portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell (from Lost, V and Revolution). We have no idea who she's playing. Regina goes back to her evil ways - now that Robin Hood's wife is alive, but she gets side-tracked by a mission with Henry. Plus, Will Scarlet (the best thing in OUAT: Wonderland) has been added as a character. [Brooklyn Nine-Nine starts also on Sept 28. I don't watch it - but I know a lot of you guys do.]
2. The Good Wife (CBS)- September 21. Teaser? Apparently they pick up right where they left off - with Eli asking Alicia to run for DA. This season will have a lot more of Eli and Alicia together - because the writers see that as a core relationship dynamic. So less emphasis on romance and more on politics and platonic relationships (YAY!)
New Show - Madam Secretary (CBS) - right before the Good Wife, on Sept 21.
3. The Walking Dead (AMC)- Oct 12.
4. Homeland (SHowtime) - Oct 5.
5. Revenge (ABC)- Sept 28. Teaser? Apparently David Clark is alive and well. There's a small time jump.
6. Gotham (FOX)- new series about Detective Jim Gordon and the creation of Batman - Sept 22.
7. Big Bang Theory (CBS) (jumps back to Monday nights) - Sept 22.
8. The Originals (CW)(OCT 6)
9. Mom (CBS)- (Sept 29)
10. Scorpion(CBS) (new series - Sept 22)
11. Sleepy Hollow (FOX) - Sept 22. Teaser? Guests will include Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone and Benedict Arnold - with a twist as to why Arnold became a traitor.
12. New series - Star Wars Rebels - Disney - Oct 13
13. New Series - Jane the Virgin - (which looks much better than it sounds sort of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer come to think of it) - Oct 13.
14. State of Affairs (NBC)- new series - Nov 12
15. The Blacklist (NBC) - Sept 22
16. Castle (ABC)- Sept 29
17. (apparently there's a new series called the Mike Tyson mysteries?? Oookay. It starts Oct 27 on Adult Swim)
18. Marvel Agents of Shield - (ABC) - Sept 23. (The teaser intrigued me enough to give this series another try. SHIELD is now considered a terrorist organization and must work in the shadows. Reed Diamond and Kyle McLachlan play villains (good choices). Mercernary Lance Hood (Nick Blood) and former SHIELD agent Isabelle Hartley (Lucy Lawless) and superspy Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki) guest star.)
19. (Supernatural (CW)- OCT 7 for the handful of diehard fans on flist still watching it. Which is quite a bit - since it's on its 10th season and counting. Good for a fantasy serial. I'm admittedly curious now that Jensen Anckles (Dean) is playing a demon.)
20. New Series - The Flash - The CW - Oct 7 (touted by critics as the best new drama of the season, believe it or not.)
21. Forever - ABC - Sept 22
22. American Horror Story : Freak Show ( starring Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange, Michael Chicklis, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson...) - Oct 8 (F/X)
23. Arrow - The CW (Oct 8)
24.New Series - Red Band Society - FOX - Sept 17 (also highly touted by critics)
25. new Series - Black-ish (ABC) - Sept 24 (also highly touted by critics)
26. Nashville - (ABC) Sept 24 Teaser?? Apparently Juliet is pregnant. Odd I don't remember that plot thread from last season. They are writing Hayden Pantierre's real life pregnancy into the show.
27. The 100 - (CW) - Oct 22.
28. New Series - How to Get Away with Murder (ABC - Sept 25) - this is one of the most anticipated series - a murder mystery with lots of twists and turns, headed by Viola Davis, that is concluded within 15 episodes.
29.Grey's Anatomy - (ABC) - Sept 25. (And it is catching up with ER, season 11. ER went for 15 seasons. Personally, I think tv series should end after 5 or 6, but what do I know?)
30. Gracepoint (which is the American remake of Broadchurch, complete with David Tennant portraying the same character, but with BB's Anna Gunn playing his partner) - Oct 2, FOX. (I don't know, if you saw the original, why watch this?)
31. The Vampire Diaries ( The CW - Oct 2) - Teaser? Apparently Damon and Bonnie are stuck in a mysterious limbo between life and death - and they are pissed off. That's actually the most compelling bit about the teaser.
32. New Series - Bad Judge - NBC - Oct 2 (critics hate it.)
33. Reign - The CW ( Oct 2)
34. Scandal - ABC ( Sept 25)
35. Elementary - CBS ( OCT 30) - (we have football for most of Sept on Thursdays on CBS, hence the late start date.)
26. Parenthood - NBC ( Sept 25) - this is their last season, Season 6. See? Someone is doing this right.
27. New Series - Constantine - (NBC) - Oct 24 - they are actually doing this right. The hero is played by a Welsh stage actor, Matt Ryan. And it's much closer to the Hellblazer series. Where he's a sarcastic street magician with no super-powers, and a dark edge, who is trying to keep out of hell. No resemblance to the Keanu Reeves flick.
28. Grimm (NBC) - Oct 24
And I only listed the ones that interest me. Anyone miss/remember the days when we only had 20 tv series to choose from? They don't call it the Golden Age of TV for nothing.
Last night I watched the first two episodes of the critically acclaimed Showtime historical serial Masters of Sex, which is based, rather loosely, on the sex study done by William Masters and his secretary/assistant back in the 1950s.
It reminds me a lot of Mad Men, with some of the same inherent flaws of that series. Two career driven anti-hero protagonists (one of which may be a borderline sociopath, too early to tell) and an emphasis on style over substance. Pacing is a wee bit on the slow side - and the series is more interested in commenting on gender politics than plot mechanics or character development. It may improve. It admittedly took a while for me to get into or enjoy Mad Men. Right now, Mad Men is funnier, Masters seems to be lacking in the humor department, which is odd - since sex can be quite funny. I think it may be taking itself a wee bit too seriously? But Mad Men admittedly took a year or so to get into the groove and find its sense of humor. So perhaps it improves with time? The question is do I want to invest the time and money? Particularly for a series whose leads are difficult to care much about. The female lead, Ginny, is admittedly compelling - even if she is coming across as a manipulative sociopath (or self-described one at any rate). But Masters, portrayed by Michael Sheen, doesn't do anything for me. I find him annoying and unattractive. At least Jon Hamm's Don Draper intrigued me and was attractive in his own way. Masters is just an asshole, who I want to smack repeatedly upside the head. And he's not exactly surrounded by likable or interesting men - actually the only one I find half way interesting is Beau Bridges, head of the hospital, Scully, who keeps shutting down Masters study. The women, unfortunately look a bit alike, but are the most interesting and compelling. Mad Men in direct contrast had a much more interesting ensemble cast, and its characters were oddly more likable and less grating. Also, it cost me nothing to watch it - since it was on AMC.
So...I may let Masters go its merry way. What do you think? Should I stick with it?
In other TV news:
* Have not seen the new Doctor Who episode yet, but flist appears to love it. As far as I can tell - without actually reading the posts. Because I'm avoiding spoilers. Three posts were positive - all by women (one British, one German, and one American). Two, both male (British and Swedish), appeared to associate it rather negatively with politics, and seemed to be really upset with the politics, but I'm not sure if they were upset with how the episode specifically dealt with politics, the episode itself, or politics in general and the episode as a corollary to that, without reading their posts and risk getting spoiled.(ie. they may well have loved the episode and just hate the political climate at the moment but enjoyed how the Doctor Who episode demonstrated that or showed it? Can't tell without reading their posts and getting spoiled.)
* Caught up on Arrow episodes - one left to go, which is rerun next week. I'd stopped watching this year - got overwhelmed by other things and just was not in the mood. But after reading a few posts on it and seeing the trailers for next season - got intrigued, so have watched the last four-five episodes. They surprised me by killing off a major character - although I'd been spoiled for it. And appearing to write out two other characters. Summer Glau feels a bit too wooden for her role - I've decided that she comes across as either disconnected or a tad robotic in everything she does, and possibly best suited for those types of roles. Not a bad actress, just extremely limited.
There's a rather good essay by a film scholar/director regarding acting that articulates my views on the topic - How to Distinguish Good Acting from Bad Acting.
Here's a blurb that provides an example of bad acting:
Some people think acting is good if they like the movie. Keanu Reeves, in my mind, is a horrible actor—mostly because he's wooden and fake. It often seems as if he's reading from cue cards rather than saying words that are his. There is a difference between playing an undemonstrative person and being a wooden actor. In fact, playing someone who is reserved is very difficult (because you have to act without showing very much), and the actors who pull it off are brilliant. I would point you to Anthony Hopkins in Remains of the Day, Tommy Lee Jones in many of his roles, and even Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. These actors manage to convey the sense that although they have stony exteriors there's much going on underneath.
To me, Reeves conveys an actor who is showing up and saying his lines. Having auditioned many actors, I'm used to hearing ones that can take any writer's lines and make it sound like their own words. And I'm also used to less experienced (or less gifted) ones who sound uncomfortable with words that aren't their own. They sounds as if they're are reciting or reading something. They sounds scripted. Listen to Reeves in this clip, especially at around 10 seconds in, when he says, “I have offended you with my ignorance, Count.” Many of his line-readings sound like that to me: He has not fully lifted them off the page and into his own mind and body. I don't believe much else is going on underneath except maybe nervousness. I don't know if you can see a difference between Reeves, above, and Tommy Lee Jones here. They are both pretty deadpan. The difference, for me, is that Jones seems to be speaking his own words, even though they are just as scripted as the ones Reeves speaks. Jones is just much more comfortable in his skin and much more able to “own” his lines. If you feel otherwise, that's fine. Remember, it's subjective.
Even though the essay is about film actors, I think it works for television actors as well. And a lot of tv actors, unfortunately, come from the Keanu Reeves and Kristen Stewart school of acting. Summer Glau reminds me a lot of Keanu Reeves in her acting style. But as the writer states above - this is highly subjective.
* TV Start Dates: [Note these are just for tv shows I watch, am interested in, and care about.]
1. Once Upon a Time (ABC) - Sept 28. Teasers? We have Elsa and Anna from Frozen popping up, but they aren't the villain, the new villain is being portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell (from Lost, V and Revolution). We have no idea who she's playing. Regina goes back to her evil ways - now that Robin Hood's wife is alive, but she gets side-tracked by a mission with Henry. Plus, Will Scarlet (the best thing in OUAT: Wonderland) has been added as a character. [Brooklyn Nine-Nine starts also on Sept 28. I don't watch it - but I know a lot of you guys do.]
2. The Good Wife (CBS)- September 21. Teaser? Apparently they pick up right where they left off - with Eli asking Alicia to run for DA. This season will have a lot more of Eli and Alicia together - because the writers see that as a core relationship dynamic. So less emphasis on romance and more on politics and platonic relationships (YAY!)
New Show - Madam Secretary (CBS) - right before the Good Wife, on Sept 21.
3. The Walking Dead (AMC)- Oct 12.
4. Homeland (SHowtime) - Oct 5.
5. Revenge (ABC)- Sept 28. Teaser? Apparently David Clark is alive and well. There's a small time jump.
6. Gotham (FOX)- new series about Detective Jim Gordon and the creation of Batman - Sept 22.
7. Big Bang Theory (CBS) (jumps back to Monday nights) - Sept 22.
8. The Originals (CW)(OCT 6)
9. Mom (CBS)- (Sept 29)
10. Scorpion(CBS) (new series - Sept 22)
11. Sleepy Hollow (FOX) - Sept 22. Teaser? Guests will include Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone and Benedict Arnold - with a twist as to why Arnold became a traitor.
12. New series - Star Wars Rebels - Disney - Oct 13
13. New Series - Jane the Virgin - (which looks much better than it sounds sort of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer come to think of it) - Oct 13.
14. State of Affairs (NBC)- new series - Nov 12
15. The Blacklist (NBC) - Sept 22
16. Castle (ABC)- Sept 29
17. (apparently there's a new series called the Mike Tyson mysteries?? Oookay. It starts Oct 27 on Adult Swim)
18. Marvel Agents of Shield - (ABC) - Sept 23. (The teaser intrigued me enough to give this series another try. SHIELD is now considered a terrorist organization and must work in the shadows. Reed Diamond and Kyle McLachlan play villains (good choices). Mercernary Lance Hood (Nick Blood) and former SHIELD agent Isabelle Hartley (Lucy Lawless) and superspy Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki) guest star.)
19. (Supernatural (CW)- OCT 7 for the handful of diehard fans on flist still watching it. Which is quite a bit - since it's on its 10th season and counting. Good for a fantasy serial. I'm admittedly curious now that Jensen Anckles (Dean) is playing a demon.)
20. New Series - The Flash - The CW - Oct 7 (touted by critics as the best new drama of the season, believe it or not.)
21. Forever - ABC - Sept 22
22. American Horror Story : Freak Show ( starring Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange, Michael Chicklis, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson...) - Oct 8 (F/X)
23. Arrow - The CW (Oct 8)
24.New Series - Red Band Society - FOX - Sept 17 (also highly touted by critics)
25. new Series - Black-ish (ABC) - Sept 24 (also highly touted by critics)
26. Nashville - (ABC) Sept 24 Teaser?? Apparently Juliet is pregnant. Odd I don't remember that plot thread from last season. They are writing Hayden Pantierre's real life pregnancy into the show.
27. The 100 - (CW) - Oct 22.
28. New Series - How to Get Away with Murder (ABC - Sept 25) - this is one of the most anticipated series - a murder mystery with lots of twists and turns, headed by Viola Davis, that is concluded within 15 episodes.
29.Grey's Anatomy - (ABC) - Sept 25. (And it is catching up with ER, season 11. ER went for 15 seasons. Personally, I think tv series should end after 5 or 6, but what do I know?)
30. Gracepoint (which is the American remake of Broadchurch, complete with David Tennant portraying the same character, but with BB's Anna Gunn playing his partner) - Oct 2, FOX. (I don't know, if you saw the original, why watch this?)
31. The Vampire Diaries ( The CW - Oct 2) - Teaser? Apparently Damon and Bonnie are stuck in a mysterious limbo between life and death - and they are pissed off. That's actually the most compelling bit about the teaser.
32. New Series - Bad Judge - NBC - Oct 2 (critics hate it.)
33. Reign - The CW ( Oct 2)
34. Scandal - ABC ( Sept 25)
35. Elementary - CBS ( OCT 30) - (we have football for most of Sept on Thursdays on CBS, hence the late start date.)
26. Parenthood - NBC ( Sept 25) - this is their last season, Season 6. See? Someone is doing this right.
27. New Series - Constantine - (NBC) - Oct 24 - they are actually doing this right. The hero is played by a Welsh stage actor, Matt Ryan. And it's much closer to the Hellblazer series. Where he's a sarcastic street magician with no super-powers, and a dark edge, who is trying to keep out of hell. No resemblance to the Keanu Reeves flick.
28. Grimm (NBC) - Oct 24
And I only listed the ones that interest me. Anyone miss/remember the days when we only had 20 tv series to choose from? They don't call it the Golden Age of TV for nothing.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 01:27 am (UTC)Anyone miss/remember the days when we only had 20 tv series to choose from?
Actually it was more like 30-40 since hour-long shows took over very slowly from half-hour shows. But on the other hand in the 1960s and 1970s whole evening movie nights would soak up much of the empty time created from new series failing. The early days of HBO (and pay for what you used to get for free six months later) killed that.
Each of the three old networks specialized in their own kind of entertainment, They might have totally overlapping genres, but the style and tone of the shows on each network tended to be distinctly different. So people frequently would watch one channel not just most of one evening, but most evenings. People would starting talking about watching thus-and-such show, and if it wasn't on "your" network, you'd think "oh, one of those people!"
no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 07:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 07:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-16 06:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 11:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-16 03:42 am (UTC)I think that wasn't what the episode was trying to say, though. I took it more along the lines of "Everyone is afraid sometimes, but you don't need to let your fear control you or make you cruel."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 08:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-15 02:47 pm (UTC)Very much agree on Summer Glau.
Also, re Gracepoint (which I don't intend to watch, having already seen Broadchurch), BBC will give us another season of Broadchurch but not until 2015.