The TV Slut Report and other stuff..
Apr. 30th, 2013 08:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatCo-worker: I rarely watch tv, there's nothing on.
Me: Oh I watch a ton of it, everything under the sun...but then I've always been a bit of a TV whore -
Co-worker's eyes widen.
Me: I mean TV slut.
Co-worker bursts out laughing: I love how you did that...you check yourself, but at the same time make it worse...instead of just saying TV Junkie.
ME: Yeah, well, the other is more descriptive...I love serials, and I'm not that discerning in my eclectic taste, as my mother likes to retort - you will watch anything or read anything, regardless of how bad it is as long as it has a character that intrigues you or a good story.
Co-worker (who only watches documentaries, Leave it To Beaver Reruns, and news shows on PBS): Well at least you're honest.
Oh as an aside...this has zip to do with tv, more a PSA about Amazon Kindles...did you know you can return books and get a full refund if you hate them? Just has to be within a specific time period - ie a few weeks of purchase. I found this out recently. I read Amazon reviews during lunch at work - to relax. (Mainly because they have blocked all the other sites and Good Reads won't come up at all except in a very rudimentary manner, damn them.)
Anyhow the Amazon reviewers kept stating - I hated this book so much I returned it to Amazon and got a refund. And I thought, wait, you can do that? Cool! And rushed off to do it myself.
Yes, I actually found a book that not only was badly written but offensive - and you know me well enough by now to realize it would have to be pretty bad. It was actually worse than American Psycho (which while offensive in places is at least very well written). Yet - the writers had an interesting idea - they were selling their novels as a serial, in 50-100 page installments. Sort of like the written version of a tv series. People pay $2.99 for each 50-100 page installment. That way you won't feel overwhelmed by the content, and will able to keep going. (Didn't work for me, these female writers clearly don't understand the male anatomy all that well, and one's married to a male, no less. I'd go into more detail, but trust me you do not want to know.) Reminds me, I have to remember to return Forty Shades of Pearl - which is horrid and unreadable. It's astonishing how many badly written books have been published.
TV Shows...from last week.
* Bletchy Girls - this is worth watching. It's about four women code breakers from the 1940s. They were part of a clandestine code-breaking unit during WWII. No one knows what they were doing. Jump ahead to 1950s, London, England - and they decide to get back together and use their code breaking skills to solve a murder. It reminds me a little bit of the novel Mr. Churchill's Secretary, but far more realistic and a lot more interesting.
There's only three episodes apparently. Hope they haven't been cut to ribbons in the transfer from BBC to PBS, like Dowton Abbey was. When will US broadcasters figure out that we want the full show from BBC, not one chopped down to 43 or 45 minutes. It's on PBS, it's not like you have to make room for commercials.
* Doctor Who - I can't help but wonder if I'm watching a cut-down version on BBCAmerica? Because the episodes seem off somehow and not as good as everyone on my flist makes out. Well, except for the fourth and first one's at any rate. I rather liked those. Wasn't thrilled by this episode, a lot of running about, and riddles. It gave me a headache. There were some good moments here and there, and a clever idea or two. But way too much running around.
The good bits:
1. We discover the Tardis has a library, with a history of the Time War - where Clara discovers the Doctor's real name. Too bad we get a time retcon or reverse and she never actually did look at it. I think the tv series is hunting new and innovative ways to not provide an actual name for The Doctor. Because if they did - they'd be stuck with it. And every writer would have to deal with that name. If you don't provide it - it can be a mystery and gives them more elbow room to write in. Besides what can be cooler and niftier than Doctor Who? Everything else is an anti-climax. Sort of like calling Spike, William or Angelus..Liam, wait, they did that. And versions of the same name no less.
2. Apparently the Tardis can freeze time...cool.
3. Clara and the two brothers Van (not quite sure what happened to the third one, did he die when I wasn't looking? It's possible...I was admittedly bored and surfing the net at the same time), end up becoming the burned monsters that are chasing Clara, the Doctor, and the brothers Van throughout the Tardis in present and future time. They got burned by the Tardis' trapped sun or black hole, and since they are trapped in frozen time (I think) they have been insane charred creatures chasing themselves. (And you wonder why I got a headache).
This counts as a good and bad thing like number 1.
4. The trapping ship and the three brothers, one of which has been convinced he's just a robot by the other two...was rather intriguing. If only the plot held up to the idea.
The bad things:
1. The plot - which made no sense.
2. The running around in circles which I found dull.
3. The fact that people learn crap but only forget it because we have to rewind time to save everyone (as if that hasn't been done before).
Sorry, this season of Doctor Who is not particularly wowing me.
So far, GH has had a better 50th Anniversary Year than Doctor Who, and Doctor Who has less episodes to screw up with. Considering how cheesy GH's 50th Anniversary celebration was, this is saying something.
3. Revenge - eh, Doctor Who was better. This is just too convoluted and I only like Emily, Aiden and Nolan. Everyone else annoys me. And can we kill off Jack please? OR Charlotte? Either would be a welcome loss.
4. Grey's Anatomy - it was a Bailey centric episode - so clearly great. Actually this season's been better than expected. A few unevenly written stupid episodes, but not too many.
Plus they got rid of Lexie, who annoyed me. Wish they'd get rid of April Kepner, but we can't have everything.
5. Glee with the exception of three musical numbers, it was lame. The story, written by Ryan Murphy, who usually isn't bad, was sort of lacklustre, yet better than last week (although that would not be hard). Best bit was the Principal explaining why there was a blackout. LOL!. Also, the "At the Ballet" number from Chorus Line, which admittedly has been overdone lately - everybody honoring chorus line does it. But I love it any way. (Hello, musical theater geek! I have no shame.) And "Little Girls" by Jane Lynch (an obvious advertisement for the Broadway revival of Annie - I don't want to see Annie, I want to see the revival of Pippin. I love Pippin - it has Fosse dance numbers! Plus great songs! Since it's got a lot of Tony nods - I may never be able to afford it.) Plus a rather decent accoustic version of Queen's We Will Rock You ( I have a weakness for Queen, I love their songs.)
[Haven't seen Game of Thrones, Call the Midwife, Mad Men, Defiance, Arrow, Hannibal, Elementary, Revolution, Red Widow (Which I think I'll just delete without watching)...yet.]
Me: Oh I watch a ton of it, everything under the sun...but then I've always been a bit of a TV whore -
Co-worker's eyes widen.
Me: I mean TV slut.
Co-worker bursts out laughing: I love how you did that...you check yourself, but at the same time make it worse...instead of just saying TV Junkie.
ME: Yeah, well, the other is more descriptive...I love serials, and I'm not that discerning in my eclectic taste, as my mother likes to retort - you will watch anything or read anything, regardless of how bad it is as long as it has a character that intrigues you or a good story.
Co-worker (who only watches documentaries, Leave it To Beaver Reruns, and news shows on PBS): Well at least you're honest.
Oh as an aside...this has zip to do with tv, more a PSA about Amazon Kindles...did you know you can return books and get a full refund if you hate them? Just has to be within a specific time period - ie a few weeks of purchase. I found this out recently. I read Amazon reviews during lunch at work - to relax. (Mainly because they have blocked all the other sites and Good Reads won't come up at all except in a very rudimentary manner, damn them.)
Anyhow the Amazon reviewers kept stating - I hated this book so much I returned it to Amazon and got a refund. And I thought, wait, you can do that? Cool! And rushed off to do it myself.
Yes, I actually found a book that not only was badly written but offensive - and you know me well enough by now to realize it would have to be pretty bad. It was actually worse than American Psycho (which while offensive in places is at least very well written). Yet - the writers had an interesting idea - they were selling their novels as a serial, in 50-100 page installments. Sort of like the written version of a tv series. People pay $2.99 for each 50-100 page installment. That way you won't feel overwhelmed by the content, and will able to keep going. (Didn't work for me, these female writers clearly don't understand the male anatomy all that well, and one's married to a male, no less. I'd go into more detail, but trust me you do not want to know.) Reminds me, I have to remember to return Forty Shades of Pearl - which is horrid and unreadable. It's astonishing how many badly written books have been published.
TV Shows...from last week.
* Bletchy Girls - this is worth watching. It's about four women code breakers from the 1940s. They were part of a clandestine code-breaking unit during WWII. No one knows what they were doing. Jump ahead to 1950s, London, England - and they decide to get back together and use their code breaking skills to solve a murder. It reminds me a little bit of the novel Mr. Churchill's Secretary, but far more realistic and a lot more interesting.
There's only three episodes apparently. Hope they haven't been cut to ribbons in the transfer from BBC to PBS, like Dowton Abbey was. When will US broadcasters figure out that we want the full show from BBC, not one chopped down to 43 or 45 minutes. It's on PBS, it's not like you have to make room for commercials.
* Doctor Who - I can't help but wonder if I'm watching a cut-down version on BBCAmerica? Because the episodes seem off somehow and not as good as everyone on my flist makes out. Well, except for the fourth and first one's at any rate. I rather liked those. Wasn't thrilled by this episode, a lot of running about, and riddles. It gave me a headache. There were some good moments here and there, and a clever idea or two. But way too much running around.
The good bits:
1. We discover the Tardis has a library, with a history of the Time War - where Clara discovers the Doctor's real name. Too bad we get a time retcon or reverse and she never actually did look at it. I think the tv series is hunting new and innovative ways to not provide an actual name for The Doctor. Because if they did - they'd be stuck with it. And every writer would have to deal with that name. If you don't provide it - it can be a mystery and gives them more elbow room to write in. Besides what can be cooler and niftier than Doctor Who? Everything else is an anti-climax. Sort of like calling Spike, William or Angelus..Liam, wait, they did that. And versions of the same name no less.
2. Apparently the Tardis can freeze time...cool.
3. Clara and the two brothers Van (not quite sure what happened to the third one, did he die when I wasn't looking? It's possible...I was admittedly bored and surfing the net at the same time), end up becoming the burned monsters that are chasing Clara, the Doctor, and the brothers Van throughout the Tardis in present and future time. They got burned by the Tardis' trapped sun or black hole, and since they are trapped in frozen time (I think) they have been insane charred creatures chasing themselves. (And you wonder why I got a headache).
This counts as a good and bad thing like number 1.
4. The trapping ship and the three brothers, one of which has been convinced he's just a robot by the other two...was rather intriguing. If only the plot held up to the idea.
The bad things:
1. The plot - which made no sense.
2. The running around in circles which I found dull.
3. The fact that people learn crap but only forget it because we have to rewind time to save everyone (as if that hasn't been done before).
Sorry, this season of Doctor Who is not particularly wowing me.
So far, GH has had a better 50th Anniversary Year than Doctor Who, and Doctor Who has less episodes to screw up with. Considering how cheesy GH's 50th Anniversary celebration was, this is saying something.
3. Revenge - eh, Doctor Who was better. This is just too convoluted and I only like Emily, Aiden and Nolan. Everyone else annoys me. And can we kill off Jack please? OR Charlotte? Either would be a welcome loss.
4. Grey's Anatomy - it was a Bailey centric episode - so clearly great. Actually this season's been better than expected. A few unevenly written stupid episodes, but not too many.
Plus they got rid of Lexie, who annoyed me. Wish they'd get rid of April Kepner, but we can't have everything.
5. Glee with the exception of three musical numbers, it was lame. The story, written by Ryan Murphy, who usually isn't bad, was sort of lacklustre, yet better than last week (although that would not be hard). Best bit was the Principal explaining why there was a blackout. LOL!. Also, the "At the Ballet" number from Chorus Line, which admittedly has been overdone lately - everybody honoring chorus line does it. But I love it any way. (Hello, musical theater geek! I have no shame.) And "Little Girls" by Jane Lynch (an obvious advertisement for the Broadway revival of Annie - I don't want to see Annie, I want to see the revival of Pippin. I love Pippin - it has Fosse dance numbers! Plus great songs! Since it's got a lot of Tony nods - I may never be able to afford it.) Plus a rather decent accoustic version of Queen's We Will Rock You ( I have a weakness for Queen, I love their songs.)
[Haven't seen Game of Thrones, Call the Midwife, Mad Men, Defiance, Arrow, Hannibal, Elementary, Revolution, Red Widow (Which I think I'll just delete without watching)...yet.]
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no subject
Date: 2013-05-01 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-01 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-01 04:01 am (UTC)Neither a big fan of Queen nor a detractor-- they certainly have their moments-- but I absolutely loved that Glee vversion-- it was brilliant both musically and visually. A true highlight in a very uneven, often lackluster season.
Another stunning visual moment in the last week of TV-- that longish Steadicam shot of Alicia making her way out of the campaign headquarter and going to meet Carey. The combination of her perfect expressions, the claustrophobic feelings as she moves between the chaos of all the other people celebrating around her, the lighting, the fact that it was a very difficult technical shot to pull off, oi.
Very, very cinematic. Loved, loved, loved it, and thank you again for turning me on to this incredible show!
no subject
Date: 2013-05-01 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-01 07:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-01 12:58 pm (UTC)