Television... Sci-Fi, .and Doctor Who
Jun. 28th, 2017 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. EVERY SINGLE DOCTOR WHO STORY RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST for the DW fans on my reading list.
Reading through it, I was reminded of why I found the series far too scary to watch when I was eight in the 1970s. It also reminds me a great deal of two sci-fi anthology US programs in the 1960s and 70s, which were reprised briefly, Outer Limits and Twilight Zone. I liked Twilight Zone better -- it was psychological horror, while Outer Limits was basically monsters came to eat you from outer space.
The 1950s in the US seemed to spawn a lot of scary sci-fi movies. I think most if not all of them were allegories of the fear people had of the Other, or Communism. We'd just come off of a brutal war, where no one was necessarily a good guy. (If you disagree, go google the Battle of Dresden and read Slaughter-House Five. Also google the US internment camps for Japanese Americans, and what happened with the two atomic bombs.) Anyhow, WWII spawned US and Japanese sci-fi horror films. Our fear of nuclear warfare, communism, nazism, fascism...all show up in those, along with Doctor Who.
Anyhow, it's hard for me to quibble with the rankings, I only saw a smattering of the episodes. Agree with Blink, Midnight, Listen, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Day of the Doctor, The Doctor's Wife...have never really understood the appeal of the Vincent Van Gough episode and the Girl in the Fire Place, but that's just me. Personally I preferred The Impossible Astronaut and A Good Man Goes to War, along with Family of Blood and The Human Condition.
2. Television Shows to Binge Watch.
Please name a television show that you recommend binge watching this summer, list the channel and where to find it. I'm looking for recommendations.
Right now considering Orange is the New Black, Fortitude, Bosch, Big Little Lies,
American Gods.
3. What are the Best Television Adaptations of Books?
Hmmm...the best one that I've seen, and actually read the book, was A&E's adaptation of Pride & Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. It seemed to be the closest to the book, with a few interesting tweaks here and there. Such as Darcy taking a dip in his estate's lake only to find himself running into Elizabeth and her Aunt and Uncle.
I didn't like Poldark take 2 that much. But that may be a mood thing. And I didn't read the book.
The Expanse did a rather decent job with Leviathan Wakes, the first in that series. I haven't read the others yet.
I think it is hard to do a decent book adaptation. I liked The Night Manager, but again have not read the book. Le Carr gives me a headache, I can only watch the adaptations of his work. His books...feel a bit like trudging through quicksand.
(I admit I was more of a Ludlum and Fleming fan, and Helen McInnes, who were less realistic but more fun.)
The Thorn Birds was a good adaptation of that book, I must admit. Collen McCullough's Australian epic actually was my favorite of that specific genre.
Oh, and the best horror novel adaptation was Harvest Home (by Tom Tyron) which was adapted in the 1970s.
4. Brings me to my next question which books would you like to see adapted into a television series?
I can tell you this much, none that are currently being adapted. The one's I want adapted aren't popular enough, apparently, to be adapted.
Would love to see all the Shakespearean plays adapted. That would be cool. Do modern adaptations!
Also love to see His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman adapted into a television series. I think it would work better for television than film.
And The Chronicles of Lymond by Dorothy Dunnett starring Tom Hiddleston in the lead role.
Would not mind it if they adapted the Vicky Bliss mysteries.
Other books? The Secret History by Donna Tartt and The Sparrow/Children of God by Maria Doria Russell. The Kim Harrison - Rachel Morgan series, about a bounty hunter who discovers she's a demon. Neil Gaiman's Sandman series.
Sci-Fi series? Hmmm....they don't tend to do a good job with sci-fi book adaptations.
Although I haven't seen Man in the High Castle. I did not like what they did with Dune or the Wizard of Earthsea.
See? Too off the beaten path. They'd never do them.
5. Any reboots?
Can't think of any. They always reboot shows that really don't need to be rebooted.
What they should do is continue series that left us with a cliff-hanger. Sort of a wrap-up of that series. Or something.
Reading through it, I was reminded of why I found the series far too scary to watch when I was eight in the 1970s. It also reminds me a great deal of two sci-fi anthology US programs in the 1960s and 70s, which were reprised briefly, Outer Limits and Twilight Zone. I liked Twilight Zone better -- it was psychological horror, while Outer Limits was basically monsters came to eat you from outer space.
The 1950s in the US seemed to spawn a lot of scary sci-fi movies. I think most if not all of them were allegories of the fear people had of the Other, or Communism. We'd just come off of a brutal war, where no one was necessarily a good guy. (If you disagree, go google the Battle of Dresden and read Slaughter-House Five. Also google the US internment camps for Japanese Americans, and what happened with the two atomic bombs.) Anyhow, WWII spawned US and Japanese sci-fi horror films. Our fear of nuclear warfare, communism, nazism, fascism...all show up in those, along with Doctor Who.
Anyhow, it's hard for me to quibble with the rankings, I only saw a smattering of the episodes. Agree with Blink, Midnight, Listen, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Day of the Doctor, The Doctor's Wife...have never really understood the appeal of the Vincent Van Gough episode and the Girl in the Fire Place, but that's just me. Personally I preferred The Impossible Astronaut and A Good Man Goes to War, along with Family of Blood and The Human Condition.
2. Television Shows to Binge Watch.
Please name a television show that you recommend binge watching this summer, list the channel and where to find it. I'm looking for recommendations.
Right now considering Orange is the New Black, Fortitude, Bosch, Big Little Lies,
American Gods.
3. What are the Best Television Adaptations of Books?
Hmmm...the best one that I've seen, and actually read the book, was A&E's adaptation of Pride & Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. It seemed to be the closest to the book, with a few interesting tweaks here and there. Such as Darcy taking a dip in his estate's lake only to find himself running into Elizabeth and her Aunt and Uncle.
I didn't like Poldark take 2 that much. But that may be a mood thing. And I didn't read the book.
The Expanse did a rather decent job with Leviathan Wakes, the first in that series. I haven't read the others yet.
I think it is hard to do a decent book adaptation. I liked The Night Manager, but again have not read the book. Le Carr gives me a headache, I can only watch the adaptations of his work. His books...feel a bit like trudging through quicksand.
(I admit I was more of a Ludlum and Fleming fan, and Helen McInnes, who were less realistic but more fun.)
The Thorn Birds was a good adaptation of that book, I must admit. Collen McCullough's Australian epic actually was my favorite of that specific genre.
Oh, and the best horror novel adaptation was Harvest Home (by Tom Tyron) which was adapted in the 1970s.
4. Brings me to my next question which books would you like to see adapted into a television series?
I can tell you this much, none that are currently being adapted. The one's I want adapted aren't popular enough, apparently, to be adapted.
Would love to see all the Shakespearean plays adapted. That would be cool. Do modern adaptations!
Also love to see His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman adapted into a television series. I think it would work better for television than film.
And The Chronicles of Lymond by Dorothy Dunnett starring Tom Hiddleston in the lead role.
Would not mind it if they adapted the Vicky Bliss mysteries.
Other books? The Secret History by Donna Tartt and The Sparrow/Children of God by Maria Doria Russell. The Kim Harrison - Rachel Morgan series, about a bounty hunter who discovers she's a demon. Neil Gaiman's Sandman series.
Sci-Fi series? Hmmm....they don't tend to do a good job with sci-fi book adaptations.
Although I haven't seen Man in the High Castle. I did not like what they did with Dune or the Wizard of Earthsea.
See? Too off the beaten path. They'd never do them.
5. Any reboots?
Can't think of any. They always reboot shows that really don't need to be rebooted.
What they should do is continue series that left us with a cliff-hanger. Sort of a wrap-up of that series. Or something.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-29 06:39 am (UTC)Downward Dog, ABC (broadcast, I assume it can be streamed somewhere or other)
This just had it's season finale the other night. Very clever, a critical hit as I understand (90% on the Tomatometer*), but low viewership to date. Probably too quirky for mainstream audiences, I reckon. The finale ends things nicely if it doesn't get renewed, but I hope it does.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/downward_dog/s01
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Date: 2017-06-29 08:46 am (UTC)I thought he was very harsh on Love and Monsters. I hold that episode in great affection because it is the ultimate fan service.
Best TV adaptation of a book: Bleak House, the BBC version with Gillian Anderson. Superb. I also thought the recent Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell made a very good attempt at a very complex book, and added some things in the process.
Reboots: I just watched Gracepoint, the US version of Broadchurch. Different ending so it is worth watching, and once you get over David Tennant's weird American accent and stop comparing it to Broadchurch and watch it for itself, it is surprisingly good.
I'm currently doing a Poldark binge. It is like Downton Abbey - comfort food, nothing more, nothing less.
no subject
Date: 2017-07-03 09:40 pm (UTC)Too melodramatic. It's weird, I like melodrama. But for some reason this didn't work for me. (shrugs)
Am going to try S3 Broadchurch, after having skipped over S2, which I got bored during. But I have to be in the mood for it.
Right now I want dark vigilant superheroes careening about NYC for some reason. ;-)
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Date: 2017-07-04 06:55 am (UTC)On the other hand the stuff is like crack to me and I am hooked. I've even started reading the books as a sort of advanced form of fanfic for the show.
You need a fair bit of emotional resilience to cope with S3 - it hits hard where it hurts. Don't want to say more in case its spoilery.
I can't think why that would appeal in the current climate ;-)
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Date: 2017-06-29 02:05 pm (UTC)Last night's "burn off the remaining episodes" finale ("Getting What You Always Wanted" and "Lost") was fantastic, crystallizing everything the creators had been building to throughout the season, and the emotional impact was huge.
I'm not going to spoil you on specifics, but the entire season is about the search for your authentic self, from the perspective of Nan (Alison Tolman) and her dog, Martin (voice of co-creator Samm Hodges). Nan and Martin's subplots (her ad campaign, his battles with the neighborhood cat) bounce off each other, subtly reflect each other (until last night, when the parallels came sharply into focus).
The talking dog gimmick never becomes cutesy or sentimental, mainly because Martin's POV (although odd and sweet) is never allowed to dominate; Nan's story is clearly the main event.
I think it's streaming on ABC.com. If you don't want to do the whole thing, watch the pilot, "Trashed" and the last two. I hope a cable channel picks this show up, because there's a lot more Tolman and Hodges can do with this premise; but if last night was the end, what a great way to go out.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-29 03:37 pm (UTC)I tried Downward Dog's first two episodes, and I just couldn't get past the first five minutes without cringing. I think it's the format that turns me off -- it is worth noting that I was not a fan of The Office, Parks and Recreation, and other series documentary style formats, and find the whole interview or speaking to the audience bit -- highly annoying. So its not the content of the show, it's the format.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-30 11:38 pm (UTC)I read so little published works these days that I don't think I'd know what was originally a book and have no idea of what would make a good adaptation. But I do have a suggestion for a reboot -- American Gothic. That was a show as mishandled as Firefly and almost as short but with just as much potential. Casting was really important though, and it would be tricky to get the right people into some key roles.
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Date: 2017-07-02 02:29 am (UTC)Hmmm, I have to try Dear White People. I've been considering trying the movie. Been flirting with it for a while now. (At least it's been renewed. Also, I am getting closure for Sense8 now. Netflix has redeemed itself.)
I've been reading a lot of genre and somewhat pulpy e-books, which aren't adapted into films, nor will they ever be. The more literary books are too depressing. Although I am flirting with Americanh, at the moment. Which I think they are adapting.
Which American Gothic? Is it the cool one with Sarah Paulson and Gary Cole? I loved that one. Where the Sheriff is the devil and is trying to get custody of his son? It was short lived. It and Now and Again. Both ended on cliff-hangers of a sort. And both were cult --- or had a nitch audience. I don't think most people have heard of them. (Sigh, I have tendency to find and watch television series that no one but a select group of people have ever heard of. And often get cancelled within a year. Although lately I've gotten better and not done that, but then nowadays, they will cancel a series out of the box.)
If it's the Gary Cole American Gothic...that is highly dependent on casting. I'm not sure they'll do it again, it turned off a lot of the audience, too dark. Had a Twin Peaks vibe.
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Date: 2017-07-02 10:07 pm (UTC)Ha, yes, the cool one. Well the creator said that he's not interested in rebooting this or his other early cancelled series. (I tried that one and it wasn't grabbing me). I did want to see if his Roar was available anywhere as it starred Heath Ledger in one of his earliest roles.
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Date: 2017-07-03 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2017-07-03 09:36 pm (UTC)I probably would have watched it if it had less competition for my attention. (Which alas is the problem with most television shows nowadays.)
I think he did something before that though...which also didn't grab my interest.