What are you watching right now?

[Cavaliere (moderator emeritus)]

Criminal Minds: "Amplification"

[Doctor Hmmm?]

Doctor Hmmm? said:

Working my way through season sets of '60's TV shows.  I polished off The Time Tunnel, then Season 1 of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and now I'm about to finish Season 1 of Mission: Impossible.  I'm not sure what's up next -- probably the first season of either Lost in Space or The Wild, Wild West.  or maybe just some more M:I.  (Goodbye Mr. Briggs, hello Mr. Phelps.)

I went with the West. Watched the pilot last night and am re-watching it with Robert Conrad's commentary today.

Like most shows, the pilot doesn't quite reflect what the show will ultimately evolve into. But the script isn't bad and the acting is great. Conrad completely nails Jim West right out of the box, and while Ross Martin needs more room than he gets in this one, the Jim-Artie chemistry is definitely developing.

And Oh My the guest cast in this pilot. Suzanne Pleshette, Victor Buono, Nehemiah Persoff and even a one-scener by James Gregory. Heck, I could watch Victor Buono alone all day long.

[George]

Season One of "Angel." Never watched this "Buffy" spin-off when it was new, but 12 years late is better than never. And it's as good as "Buffy," so far.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

I watched the lastest Poirot -- "Tragedy in Three Acts" -- last night.   I hated, hated, hated the recent version of "Murder on the Orient Express" -- a shame, since that one is Agatha Christie at her Agatha Christie-est -- but this was well done.  (I miss the ITV theme music, though.)

Suchet has been playing this character for over 20 years now, and he's still fun to watch. 

[George]

Season Two of "Angel."

 

I'm amazed when I encounter comics fans who have never seen an episode of "Buffy" or "Angel." That's like being a rock music fan and never listening to the Beatles or the Who. These two shows are the closest thing to Marvel Comics ever presented on TV -- much closer than the live-action Spider-Man and Hulk shows of the late '70s and early '80s.

[Figserello]

George said:

Season Two of "Angel."

 

I'm amazed when I encounter comics fans who have never seen an episode of "Buffy" or "Angel." That's like being a rock music fan and never listening to the Beatles or the Who. These two shows are the closest thing to Marvel Comics ever presented on TV -- much closer than the live-action Spider-Man and Hulk shows of the late '70s and early '80s.

Too true. Buffy is Spider-man.

The Scoobies are the Avengers.

Whedon learned an awful lot of his craft from late-Bronze Age comics. Buffy and Angel owe more to the works of Claremont, Byrne, Mantlo et al than to TV shows like Manimal and Six Million Dollar Man.

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

George said:

Season Two of "Angel."

 

I'm amazed when I encounter comics fans who have never seen an episode of "Buffy" or "Angel." That's like being a rock music fan and never listening to the Beatles or the Who. These two shows are the closest thing to Marvel Comics ever presented on TV -- much closer than the live-action Spider-Man and Hulk shows of the late '70s and early '80s.

 

...Be amazed !!!!!!!!!

  Moi.........

[George]

Whedon (and other writers on those shows) have been up-front about their comic-book influences. On the DVD commentary for one "Buffy" episode, the writer points out which elements were lifted from Frank Miller's "Daredevil," and says -- with considerable glee -- "People thought we were ripping off horror movies, but we were really ripping off Marvel Comics!"

[Figserello]

What elements were from Daredevil?  Ninjas?  Hails of arrows?

[Doctor Hmmm?]

Poirot: The Clocks

Geoffrey Palmer!!!

[KSwolf]

The season 4 premiere of True Blood. 

 

You know, if they were to kill off every character except Jessica (and maybe Eric, Pam and the vampire spokeswoman to serve as antagonists) this show would improve dramatically.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

Getting ready to wrap up Season 1 of The Wild Wild West.  Next up is either (1) The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (another sci-fi western*, more humor and a tad more sci-fi), (2) Firefly (another sci-fi western, emphasis on the sci-fi), (3) Season 1 of Space:1999 (I don't know why, just in the mood) or (4) Season 1 of Columbo (in memoriam, so to speak).

Thoughts?

*Yes, I know WWW might not technically have been a "sci-fi western", but c'mon.  The creative team try to argue that it wasn't even really a western.  Go figure.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Over the past couple days, I've watched a few episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun on Netflix streaming. I so profoundly love that show. They really are a pretty brilliant (and hilarious) commentary on social issues and society in general.