Be Excellent To Each Other

And Bubbles!

Given there's not much point in starting a "General Purpose Australian TV thread for Autumn 2008" thread, I'm going to mention here that Shaun Micallef's Newstopia, the majestic Australasian fusion of The Daily Show and The Day Today is back for a new series on SBS (and by extension, the internet). It doesn't quite hit the stratospheric heights of the first two series' just yet, but it is still more than welcome.

Here's a montage of parts from one episode of the last series, which is still quite topical now:

While talking about Australian shows, is Underbelly meant to be any good?

Life on Mars USA v2.0 -

Much, MUCH better than the original pilot; a totally new production from ground up. This is a good thing.

There's still a few things to work out to make it better though - it's a bit too fast-paced at times, meaning that it tends to speed through scenes. Fine if you already know the premise, but to new viewers it's going to get confusing or irritating quickly.

As a pilot? Great. Just needs some work.

And the new series of Knight Rider? Crap. But hugely entertaining crap; the kind of silly telly they don't tend to make very often nowadays. Perfect for when you're knackered and don't really want to think, and just want a vague plot and your telly to make flashing images with all wooshy noises.. I'd still prefer them to have been able to have kept Gob as KITT, but Val Kilmer is a fair replacement I think.

I'd be massively surprised if it lasts a full season run, but they've ordered four more scripts so it's looking more likely than I said after watching the (fairly dull) season opener.

Aaargh! Cheers for the reminder Mark X, I keep forgetting this is back. Enjoyed series 2 immensely, and have torrenting series 1 for future viewing. Really wish someone over here would pick this up, as we clearly can't "do" this sort of thing anymore.

On another Australian tip, the Oz version of Top Gear is a near perfect copy of the format.

Unfortunately the people they have to host it are possibly some of the least charismatic Australians ever committed to the cathode tube. Shame.

is me and the missus, exactly. Though she has started doing other things during Heroes. Smallville has done a retool for series 8 and is showing promise, even with the Sith apprentice from the new Star Wars game in it!

Just watched the 1st episode of fringe, was impressed.... will be watching the other episodes tonight.. the wonders of sky+

Dexter series 3? YAY!

Also, I very much enjoyed the Big Bang Theory.

But, Dexter, YAY!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I like Dexter.

Dexter.

Yeah, it's really good too. Series 4 and 5 have been commissioned too!

Fucking sweet! Get in!

How far into the new series are they so far? I'll have to do a bit of catching up.

I'm still enjoying Dexter but can't help feeling that the premise is starting to feel a bit stretched. He just doesn't seem any longer to be uncontrollably driven to kill people but just does it purely for fun as and when he feels like it, it's as though he could just stop at any time and it wouldn't really bother him. I know that the whole setup was preposterous to begin with and you're just meant to go with it and enjoy it but I don't know I'm finding suspension of disbelief to be increasingly difficult.

Episode 5 was last night.

That's because Series One of the show followed the first book very closely.

The subsequent series diverged from the original premise, which ended up being cool, but only if you like weird shit that's largely detached from accepted reality (books 2 and 3).

Does nobody watch Supernatural apart from me? Really enjoying this series. I am also enjoying Dexter, The Fringe and The Mentalist (great main character)

I am trying to enjoy Sanctuary but its missing something. I think its the leads acting which at times is very wooden. I also find the pacing of the plot to be erratic. I think they were trying to make an American Torchwood but got lost along the way.

Knight Rider is so bad that its good and the nostalgia factor makes it even better.

I watch considerably more American TV than I do English. Apart from Spooks and Torchwood I have not really enjoyed anything domestic in recent times.

I'm considering picking up the S1 boxed set. Convince me.

Phew, no spoilers for the latest ep of Dexter, at least as far as I could see. It is an utterly ace programme, a drama that quite wonderfully is happy to direct you toward a certain plot-path, then drag you harshly away from it for something a lot more surprising, interesting and compelling at the last moment. If they'd carried on with the direction we'd been expecting, we would have been perfectly happy, but no. They think we deserve more from our drama. Brilliant. It's a bit of a shame ITV have got the rights to it, what with their "broadcasting the neutered version of it on ITV1" approach to it and everything.

No new episodes of Family Guy, American Dad or The Simpsons this week. I may have said this here before, but whenever the viewing figures drop for comedy shows in the USA, why is it none of the networks make the mental leap toward "fewer people are watching because they know there's a 40% chance we won't be showing a new episode after all". They generally produce at least twenty episodes per season! Just show them on consecutive weeks, you dolts!

Then it wouldn't hit both "Sweeps" periods.

They could do it with one break in the middle, or reform their fucking awful system of course.

Well the first series follows a set formula and is entertaining enough if you like this kind of show. It really starts to get interesting in the final episoide of season one.

Season two is amazing with unexpected twist and episodes that are pure genius. I actually watched season two in one weekend and found it some of the most compelling TV I have ever watched.

In season three they have thrown everything into the mixer again and thus far its been great. It never gets stale because they are always mixing things up and taking you in directions that you never expected.

If you like shows about the paranormal or you just like to be entertained whilst suspending your disbelief then Supernatural is the show for you. Its fast paced, unpredictable and at times absolutely hilarious. (Dean gets all the best one liners)

I am not very good at reviews but I hope I have helped you with your decision.

Sky's treatment of new Simpsons episodes is unbelievable considering it's Sky One's flagship show. Back in the day you were guaranteed a new episode once a fortnight; these days there are literally months with no new episodes, followed by one a week for a few weeks, then another dry spell. It's not like they're showing them straight after US broadcast like Prison Break or Bones so there's really no excuse. Tsk, eh?

Fancy a lend? I can bring it to Shunt.

You're going to have to turn up with a mahoosive rucksack at this rate!

Yeah, g'wan then.

FeeX.

My wife really enjoys Supernatural, think it must be something to do with the 'hunky' blokes or something. Maybe they remind her of me

I quite enjoy it (not for the 'hunky' blokes), it's farily lightweight and a tad predictable in places but it's entertaining.

Sounds like I've got quite a few things to download.

Has it got tottie?

Oh yes indeed.
I've just realised that I named my son after the two lead characters.

She's really into Ghost Whisperer and Medium too.

I'm not that fussed by either, but can think of two good reasons to glance over at the telly every now and then while ghost whisperer is on

My Own Worst Enemy and Lipstick Jungle have been cancelled.

'Fringe' is still entertaining me, despite being possibly the single most formulaic thing I have ever seen on television.

I'm still watching it, in the hopes that (assuming it doesn't get cancelled) some of this formula will resolve into some explanation and reason to continue watching it into season 2.

Heroes is total fucking bollocks now though. They're scuppering the integrity of the plot by explaining more lunatic backstory that shows connections never previously known, in that predictable (look, everyone really knew everyone else all along!) way. It's a bit of a deperate effort to stimulate the flailing plot, and I'm getting bored.

Just reading the TV pages summaries of Heroes makes it sound like they've gotten desperate, and are now all about the "gasp! what a plot twist!" approach, e.g. turning previously "good" characters into inexplicable baddies, and vice versa.

I'm more at peace with Heroes since I worked out what it was.

It's a comic, see? That's why its continuity is completely fucked, that's why people keep forgetting about powers that they demonstrated in earlier episodes that would completely resolve whatever problem they're currently facing, that's why familiar faces keep turning up from other series to shuffle about ineffectually then bog off again, that's why we keep having insane plot twist piled upon insane plot twist, most of which look more like fanservice than a planned dramatic arc. About two episodes into the new series, I threw up my hands and said "OK, I accept you're not going to make a lick of fucking sense. Just entertain me."

All that being said, it's still a bloody mess and could seriously do with culling about half its characters. Starting with Peter "Fucking" Petrelli and Doctor Woodentop.

and stop introducing new fucking characters when you've no idea what to do with the old ones! What was the point of killing off nikki and then bringing the actor back playing someone who was basically the same person? Did they want to rid her of the kid in a creative way?

ZOMG SPOILER

erm.... erm.... shit. Sorry for the cave-dwellers!

I kill you in the face.

And that was after we were treated to many episodes detailing her back-plot. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZffs.

Lost does that as well. How many fucking episodes did we have to endure telling us about some fucking character that ended up getting killed off and never referred to again? Waste of fucking time.

I gave up on Heroes about 3 episodes into Series 2, with those stupid irritating South American twins. And Peter Fucking Petrelli still not being dead.

nikki and paulo in lost.... give me a fucking break. Shoehorn them into an aleady bulging cast, pretend they were there all along and then off in a rubbish way. WHY FUCKING BOTHER?

It's about as close to a 'non-main-plot' episode as lost can get.

Lost has gone downhill. I'm not sure I have the mental fortitude to ensure another two fucking seasons of getting to the point of it all. Maybe I'll just wait until its finished and read a plot summary from wikipedia.

Peter was rediculously over powered by the start of series 3 anyway. But wait.....

I had enough of that sort of shit with the X-Files.

I still watch smallville. I don't know WHY I do, because it's shit. It's always shit. It's always been shit. However It's now season 8 and I suppose at this point I might as well see what fucking happens before they cancel it.

Plus Lois is fucking hot, with killer norks.

Now Lost, I'm sure they can shake it up a bit (like they've done with Smallville) by reaching a major milestone in the plot, n. This could give them a chance to start from stratch and do something really spectacular. I don't know what they really could change.

If you mean Lois, I agree. This Louis chap sounds cracking though!

lol, yes.

Too bad she's not filthy enough to have done any proper nude films or whatnot, although she came fairly close (fnarr) in Butterfly Effect 2.

Season 4 was absolutely brilliant, and had so much revealing of plot it was unreal!

zzzz, Craster, zzzzz.