My take on quality television

[meredith44]

So, I follow a lot of television critics on Twitter. (Pretty much I follow mostly critics and people behind the scenes of television shows.) Consequently, I was inundated with lists for the top shows of the year and the decade. I found that I didn't like a lot of the shows that were being listed. It made me feel a little inadequate that I

Comments

[meridian_rose]

I hear you! Sometimes I've come to a show later, via repeats or DVDs and loved it, even though I initially thought I wouldn't like it. (sometimes poor promotions give me the wrong impression). Other times I've caught five minutes of something and thought WTF...and changed the channel.
Like you, I've never seen "Mad Men" or "The Shield" but I do love "Burn Notice". I still so want to see "Castle" that I'm worried I'll feel let down when I finally do get to see it.
And I don't do reality shows. And some of the shows I like aren't A++ artistic masterpieces that tackle worthy issues, but you know, that's okay. Sometimes I just want to be entertained rather than preached at.

[meredith44]

Sometimes I've come to a show later, via repeats or DVDs and loved it, even though I initially thought I wouldn't like it. (sometimes poor promotions give me the wrong impression).
That has totally happened to me. I've caught a number of shows (most notably Gilmore Girls, BSG, and Torchwood late and now love them. I'm so happy I live in an age of DVDs!

Other times I've caught five minutes of something and thought WTF...and changed the channel.
And, yes, that has happened as well. (Although in my case, it was most likely fast forwarding rather than changing the channel.)

I still so want to see "Castle" that I'm worried I'll feel let down when I finally do get to see it.I think (hope?), that if you keep your expectations reasonable, you should enjoy it. The cases are nothing spectacular, but the character interaction is fun, and Nathan Fillion is a blast. Plus, I love that there doesn't seem to be any gender fail and the show seems very accepting of people with alternative lifestyles. Considering a lot of the issues I have with

[jebbypal]

I've watched the Shield and enjoyed it, but yes, Vic and his issues do get a bit tiresome after a while. Fortunately the rest of the cast has generally made up for it. However, the last season I gave up on because it just got too out there with everything that had gone wrong and too contrived.

that being said, s1 and s2 were some of the best tv out there. Then again, I tried the Wire, which everyone raves about, and never managed to get into it for the half of the first season that I watched. To each their own.

[jebbypal]

Oh, and for as much as Vic is the protagonist, it is very much an ensemble drama (which if you've tried more than the first couple of eps, you probably know. :)

[meredith44]

Yeah, I could have mentioned The Wire as another show I am not planning on watching anytime soon, despite the huge critical acclaim. For that one, it is that it seems so dark and depressing. I just don't find constant darkness to be enjoyable.

Thanks for the tip about The Shield being an ensemble. I've never watched it; all I know about it is what I've seen in promotional images and what I've read from the critics. Most of what I've heard is about Vic, and thus I assumed he was the focus. Are the other characters less.... (I'm not really sure how to put this...) irredeemable? I like my share of "bad/evil/villain" characters, but they usually have some quality that manages to hook me and pull me in. I'm just not sure that Vic as a character can do that for me, so if there are more characters that I could focus on, that might work. (For example, I hate Tommy Gavin on Rescue Me but I mostly enjoy the show, as it is such an ensemble.)

I have to say The Shield and The Wire are both on my Netflix DVD queue, but they are not at the

[smilla02]

I've been watching The Shield on and off. Mostly what I like about it is its realism (a curiosity: last year, there was an operation my husband led about, among other things, cops stealing money and possibly drugs and it was called Operation The Shield). But in all honesty it's not the kind of show that has me engrossed or involved because it doesn't have any character I can root for, nobody I can feel emotionally close to (briefly, I liked the character played by Glenn Close, but she only stayed a season if I remember correctly). People keep telling me that The Wire is a very good show, excellent even, but that's not what makes the break for me either; I'm even sure that I would agree with them if I saw it, but what I need from my entertainment is characters I can connect with emotionally.

So, yes. I agree. :D

Oh, you're on Twitter? Me, too. Want to swap the name? (So, maybe we'll stay more in touch, finally...)

[meredith44]

Sorry for the delay in responding. I couldn't reply right away and then it totally slipped my mind.

it's not the kind of show that has me engrossed or involved because it doesn't have any character I can root for, nobody I can feel emotionally close to
So much this! I have historically said that I can watch a show that either has good stories or characters I care about (preferably both); however, I have discovered in my "old" age that I really need the characters first and foremost. Bonus points if there are great stories, but the characters are a must.

I don't post on Twitter (well, except for trying to find out if one of the ncis_newsletter editors is actually posting for her nights), but I'm totally willing to add you/be added. I'm MeredithA44 over there.