Thursday, March 23, 2006

Can't write much... watching The Shield

TV is crap. There is never anything good on. I gave up ages ago; it's all rubbish.

BOLLOCKS.

I agree that there is a lot of crap on Telly, the same way there are an amazing amount of shitty books in bookshops, and an horrific amount of piss poor water down commercially created tunes in record shops. But it is not the case AT ALL that all TV is crap.

But like everything, it's about moderation. Great TV can be in everyway as rewarding as reading a good book or seeing a fantastic play - just be a bit fussy, that's all.

And here are 5 reasons why there IS something on TV;

1. The Wire - probably/ possibly the single greatest TV show ever created. Multi-layered and slow burning, oozing with terrific acting and even better scripting. The Wire is exactly like reading a great novel; the more you get into it the more you get from it.

2. The Shield - the 2nd greatest TV show ever - If The Wire is the Beetles, then The Shield is the Rolling Stones. Exciting, fast moving, hyper-kinetic, The Shield works as great standalone episodes with a structured story arc which tracks across all five series - in fact the conclusion to the 5 season is focused on events throughout the previous 4 series, including in a particularly audacious move, the pilot episode.

3. The Daily Show/ The Colbert Report - Great stuff, simply breathtaking that they seemingly churn this stuff out DAILY.

4. South Park. How long has this thing been on now? And still it has teeth.

5. Battlestar Galactica. My love for this is worrying. And I will dedicate an entire post to it soon.

So, how bad are your viewing habits? What is your current top 5? I bet they are nowhere near as sophisticated as mine.

And don't give me that bullshit about not watching TV 'cause it's crap, or you can never find anything to watch. Fuck me, you'd never admit to never reading for the same reason so get off your high horse.

Mind you saying that most TV is shite, hence the blogging.

What? Fucking off, Angry Chimp can be as much a hypocrite as he likes.


16 comments:

MoMo said...

Wow! At the risk of appearing a complete kiss-ass, I'd have to include three of those in my 'currently showing' top five; The Shield, The Daily Show/Colbert Report (Colbert's show actually surpasses Stewart's in terms of daily new material) and of course South Park (if they haven't shown the new season opener "Return of Chef" over there yet, its fucking hilarious - helps if you know the background of why Isaac Hayes left the show).

The other two; American Idol (go ahead, laugh - think I care?) and Ghost in the Shell; Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig.

However, they finally started showing Dr. Who on the SciFi channel for the first time ever last week - my first exposure to Eccleston and Piper. Will that creep into the top 5? Not until they get some fucking daleks on it it won't.

swisslet said...

I'm not proud. My current top 5 watches are (in no order):

House
ER
24
Planet Earth
This Life (on DVD - does that count?)

I am trying to stop watching TV and spend my time in front of the telly watching decent US dramas on DVD (west wing and the like).

and obviously, when watching this crap, I sit with my laptop surfing and blogging.

Man, I'm such great company.

ST

swisslet said...

oh, and "My Name Is Earl"

Herge Smith said...

Cali, Daleks in about 5 or 6 episodes - and it's a great one.

Actually that series starts slow but builds and builds - have fun.

I'm watching the Super Adventure Club episode now, quite touching with its message of 'Issac is our friend but he's been brainwashed', whilst being absolutely vicious.

Swiss - I just can't take Laurie's accent, it's really bad, like an inverse Dick Van Dyke. 24 fair game, and My Name is Earl is ace - love love love Joy - super hot trailer trash.

Just finished season five of The Shield and that has to be one of the most intense episodes of any show - especially the last 20 minutes - really powerful stuff.

Anonymous said...

I'm going a different route.

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. Funniest stuff I've seen in ages.

Squidbillies. Great.

Any of the Ghost in the Shell shows.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Shake makes me laugh.

American Dad. A lot of people seem to think this is an inferior program. I think it's amazing. Way funnier than Family Guy.

Rainypete said...

Gotta go with
Doctor Who - When the hell will they start showing season 2?!?

24 - Far and improbable tripe, but eerily entertaining.

South Park - Just when you think they've gone as far as possible, here they come again.

American Dad - Deranged and entertaining, oh and totally responsible for my wisht to have an alien in my attic again.

Rick Mercer Report - sort of a Canadian John Stewart for those unfamiliar.

Faltanus said...

The Shield - a great show; Daily Show/Colbert Report - absolute genius (i never thought they could out-do themselves, but The Colbert Report may just be funnier and more pointed than The Daily Show); South Park - brilliant

i haven't seen the Wire or Battlestar Galactica, so i can't comment on those. to my list i would add:

LOST - best thing on television right now. it's as finely crafted a show as has come along in a long time.

THE SIMPSONS - i don't care what anyone says, 16/17 years on the air and this show continues to be one of the best things television has to offer.

my guilty pleasure? Desperate Housewives. yeah, yeah....guess what? i'm gay.

Unknown said...

I know you know so I can't lie. Dammit.

1. Threshold - Ha! just kidding.

OK. Love the procedurals so we have:

1. CSI (all of them, Vegas, Miami, NY in that order)
2. Battlestar Galactica - looking forward to Herge's bit on this. It is truely fantastic.
3. Stargate SG-1 (I watch Atlantis too I'm afraid)
4. Invasion - getting better every week
5. Criminal Minds - sleeper hit from the states, another procedural.

And I do watch The Wire, and, er, appreciate it - but right now I need a bit more escapism; realism don't do it for me. But Herge is right it's a damn fine show - did he say it was really funny too?

So what else do I watch but didn't make it?

Surface - I think this has been canned, but did show a glimmer of promise despite been basically naff.

Medium - basic, but some fun moments.

Bones - would be good but for the lead, and why do they feel its necessary to invent bonkers technology (hologram visualisation) when it really isn't needed?

E-ring - gave up bore me stupid

Supernatural - steals everything you ever thought was 'ok' in horror movies and wraps up a jokey 'teen' bundle. Good fun though.

Oh and Lost which I loved in the first series, but now I feel I've been short-changed and hoodwinked.

paulhd said...

In no particular order -
My Name is Earl
Battlestar Galactica
Deadwood
The Mighty Boosh
Life on Mars
If it was still going Oz would be up there, if the list could've been longer so would Doctor Who.

Sniffy said...

What the hell is the Shield? I'm so out of touch on TV things.

I'n sure Herge will be pleased to know that I'm looking forward to Green Wing returning to our screens in the coming weeks.

I can't say as I watch anything else.

Terrible.

Herge Smith said...

Don't like the Green Wing as you know.

Don't like much UK TV as it happens, although I did like Life on Mars and IT Crowd.

paulhd said...

UK TV can be a bit hit and miss.
Love Green Wing, but it bugs me that it seemed to overshadow the genius that was Garth Mareghi's Dark Place.

Sniffy said...

OK then, top telly of last 5 or so years?

Spaced
League of Gentlemen
Kingdom Hospital
Dr Who
The L Word

swisslet said...

last 5 years? Black Books.

Genius.

phlegmfatale said...

House
Little Britain
American Idol
Boston Legal
Project Runway


(When they're on, Deadwood and Rome on HBO trump this entire list)

M said...

Project Runway & America's Next Top Model are ace!