Random TV Thoughts: Not really as random as you'd think

[The Sapient]

For the third time, I've decided to watch The Wire. Maybe this time I actually will.

Season 1 down. You're doing it!

[Largo]

I've decided to just catch up on British TV I missed this year, because I'm really having too much fun with My Life in Film and an Office UK rewatch I've been meaning to do for years now. It looks like all of Rev., something HS highly recommended earlier last year/in the end-of-year AV Club lists, is all on Hulu (as is The Thick of It), and there's quite a bit of stuff on Netflix that I've been meaning to watch for a while (like The Catherine Tate Show and Luther). I really wish I could find The Hour, but such is life.

[Silaron]

Parks and Rec is such an amazing comedy. The cast is phenomenal and it's both hilarious and touching. Up to season 4 now. Can't believe this hasn't won any Emmy's.

[Dent]

Speaking of the Parks and Rec cast, the just-announced AXE COP voice cast is a thing of beauty:

In addition to the amazing casting of Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman as Axe Cop himself, the Axe Cop series will features the voices of includes Megan Mullally, Patton Oswalt, Ken Marino, Peter Serafinowicz and weekly guest stars such as Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution); rapper Tyler, The Creator; Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad); Rob Huebel (Despicable Me); and Community creator Dan Harmon.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/...ets-debut-date

RON SWANSON AS AXE COP. Can't beat that.

[MVP of West Hollywood]

Does anybody here like Once Upon a Time. It's soooooo surprisingly good. I'm as big a fan of it as I was Lost. They continue the formula in a good way (the flashback/character episode structure, similar character and villain development, ludicrously complex plot web w/ tons of unanswered questions and etc., plus they load it with Lost easter eggs like Apollo chocolate bars, MacCutcheon whiskey, the numbers all over the place, etc.) The shows are connected stylistically as much as an auteur's multiple films, though technically Kitsis and Horowitz were small-ish links in the chain in making Lost what it was. Everyone who was a Lost fanboy should look past how lame it looks on paper and jump on Once, it's the same experience done again

[Blasty]

I only saw the first few episodes of Once Upon a Time from season 1 but I had a great time with it! I just haven't gotten a chance to continue it but the show was basically made for me. I have to get back into it.

[MVP of West Hollywood]

I find it kicks into higher gear in the second half of S1, probably because like most shows, once it became an established hit the writers had more freedom to expand the plot arcs and overall direction of the show and etc.

[Largo]

The Catherine Tate Show is really, really disjointed, but still silly fun. (I watched the first two episodes of S1.) I assume that, as a sketch show, it'll be hit and miss for its entire run, so I'll probably watch something more serialized as part of my continued exploration of British telly, and pop in a Catherine Tate ep every so often.

Except now I'm stuck choosing between starting Wallander and Faulty Towers. Halp.

[Dent]

Fawlty Towers is only 12 half-hour episodes. You'll be done with it really quick. And it is fucking hilarious.

[Aurelius]

Faulty Towers is a crucial part of one's education in life, so that choice is easily made. It's done, done, done.

[Bean]

Fawlty Towers is seriously one of the best TV comedies ever.

[Largo]

I assume it would also be lighter than Wallander. Okay, choice made.

[Largo]

Two episodes into Fawlty Towers and yeah, it's pretty much one of the greatest comedies ever. The end of "The Builders" is delightful!

[Aurelius]

Two episodes into Fawlty Towers and yeah, it's pretty much one of the greatest comedies ever. The end of "The Builders" is delightful!

Wait until you get to The Germans. You'll finally understand what all the hoopla was about.

[Dent]

One of the many, many things that baffles me about you is that you remain un-murdered.

Digging this back up, because I have finally found time to rush through the season. Absolutely fucking amazing. Hilarious as ever, and spot on in its criticism of politics. This is top tier television, up there with the likes of The Wire or The Sopranos, or any of those big name shows. The way this show manages to be so sharply satirical, yet at the same time keep all its characters, no matter how backstabbing and incompetent they all are, so humane without resorting to stereotyping is incredible. This is almost as much a drama as it is a comedy, certainly in this season.

The Inquiry episode is probably one of the best hours of television I have ever seen, because it embarrassingly shows these people for what they're really are, and then you're thinking, "Hey, I've seen these kind of stumbling, bumbling, lying people on the news." And then in the final five minutes, when Malcolm Tucker in all seriousness explains how politics works (and I'll reiterate that I think this show is closer to the truth than any other 'political' show ever) and why it works like that, and why people like him are needed, turning the tables on the inquirers, the episode is raised to a level of awesome rarely attained by any show. And all of that in 60 minutes of just people being interrogated by a panel of four people.

Missed this earlier!

Yeah. It really was as much a drama as a comedy this season, particularly with Malcolm's arc and exit. His line reading of "Doesn't matter" alone in the finale should get Capaldi an Emmy nomination, with the scene you cited (among many, many others) the win. His work really is characterization on a Deadwood/Wire-level, and the rest of the ensemble was brilliantly developed as well. This was just spectacular television with Iannucci leaving nothing on the table.

And Largo: Glad you're enjoying the glory that is Fawlty Towers. And yes...The Germans.

:willnotspoil,ifyouhaveremainedunsp oiled:

[dyedred19]

Just about finished with the first season of The Sopranos. What amazing television.

I also didn't realize how progressive Six Feet Under was, especially in terms of gay rights.

[BBKing44]

Breaking Bad is my new obsession. I'm currently almost halfway into season 2 and I can't stop watching it.

[dlong5665]

Breaking Bad is my new obsession. I'm currently almost halfway into season 2 and I can't stop watching it.

It just gets nothing but better and better!

[BBKing44]

It just gets nothing but better and better!

Good to hear! You've no idea how many people have been urging me to watch it for the last few months.

[Howard Beale's Toothpaste]

Elementary isn't terrible at all. It's procedural as all CBS shows must be, but like Person of Interest, it manages to be interesting. Although, I'm pretty sure a lot of that rests on the leads being amazingly good actors.
Also, The IT Crowd is the best.