Watching any good TV?

[The Shoemaker]

Can't get enough of The Big Bang Theory. Watched every episode and own every DVD.

Also I watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. a lot when it's on TV.

Also when I'm up late I like to watch the late late show with craig fergerson.

I've felt like Big Bang Theory has been a little hit or miss lately, I like the plot points their introdoucing but the jokes fall flat here and there.

[Sinnthro]

Maybe I'm just caught up in the hype-train, but anyone who isn't watching Hannibal needs to stop what they're doing and give it a chance right now.

We watched a few episodes of it—maybe 5 or 6 episodes from season 1—and while it was entertaining enough, we couldn't really get hooked on it enough to watch it all. The one weakness that stood out for me was that it didn't feel like it was written as a comprehensive whole, like it wasn't paying off enough of its own setup or something. The acting is great, though, and I just love Mads.

It's funny, I think right around where you stopped (had you met Abel Gideon or Dr. Chilton yet?) was where the show seemed to wake up and realize it can't be an almost procedural kind of show and has to advance the main plot quicker and mix things up a bit more. Looking back at some episode descriptions seems to tell me that Season Two was a bit better at giving less "filler" so to say, compared to Season One. But I'm not going to be one of those people that's like "oh, power through this part because this part is actually really good." If you aren't into a show after a few episodes, it's probably not going to completely turn you around by getting to any part in particular.

The show is better than the books anyway, so you don't have to feel bad about that strategy if you do adopt it.

Oh, that's good to know! Makes the decision to just watch a bit easier to make.

As for Community, I haven't seen it, but everything I've heard seems to point to exactly to what Shoe was saying. Season 4 sounds like it was the low point thanks partly to the creator leaving and not coming back until Season 5.

[Claytone]

I mostly watch comedies when I watch TV. May make be a bit of a rube, but I do try to critically think about comedy and what strategies the shows I watch use to make people laugh.

Lately, I've been watching Cheers, Seinfeld, and Louie, and last year I Netflix blitzed all 9 seasons of The Office (US). I like all four, and all are pretty different shows. I think the "smartest" of the four is probably Louie (whose fourth season I still need to catch up with), with Seinfeld coming in close second. I'd say Seinfeld probably fits my sense of humor best (and it's the one I've been familiar with the longest, having caught reruns for years), and for that, I hold it in great esteem, but Louie is willing to tackle colder and more thoughtful subjects. I don't think Louis CK necessarily thinks any differently than Jerry Seinfeld or Larry David, but he certainly began his show in a time and on a network where his more somber, defeatist comedy could really shine (not unlike the way David's Curb Your Enthusiasm can go places Seinfeld couldn't by virtue of being on HBO).

The Office was a delightful show, and its cringe comedy style probably made me guffaw more than any of the other shows I've mentioned. It's rare that an episode would pass without a really good belly laugh. I originally thought Michael Scott would be an irritating, unbelievable character, but as the show went on, I was able to identify more and more elements of him that I'd seen in real people in my life, and I came to appreciate that he really wasn't all that far fetched, as absurd as some of his beliefs and tendencies were. What's more, the show's ability to make me care about him despite his myriad faults was impressive. And, of course, I'd be a liar if I said I didn't jump right into the next episode when I needed to sleep just to see where the Jim & Pam relationship was headed. I hate that I'm a sucker for that, but I suppose a lot of people are, or the writers wouldn't have crafted the show to revolve around their relationship dynamic for the first five seasons.

Cheers is a wonderful show. I began watching it simply because it was so acclaimed in its time, but I certainly had my misgivings. As a teetotaler, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get much out of the show, so I was glad to see that the show really has as little to do with booze as a show about a bar could. The show is probably the most "boilerplate" of the ones I'm watching right now, but that's not necessarily bad. The characters all have their charm, and above all, the show makes me laugh every episode, so I guess as long as the jokes are coming, it's not particularly problematic that the plots can be a bit predictable. One element the show has that's unlike any other I've watched is the Coach character. He's little more than a "who's on first?" wordplay device most of the time, but said wordplay is so clever and quick that I laugh every time he gets a line in. It's a goofy style of comedy that I appreciate Cheers tapping into.

[Kong Wen]

I think the "smartest" of the four is probably Louie (whose fourth season I still need to catch up with)... I don't think Louis CK necessarily thinks any differently than Jerry Seinfeld or Larry David, but he certainly began his show in a time and on a network where his more somber, defeatist comedy could really shine (not unlike the way David's Curb Your Enthusiasm can go places Seinfeld couldn't by virtue of being on HBO).

Definitely check out Louie's 4th season. Seinfeld is certainly an influence, but I think Louie leans a bit more to the cerebral and introspective than Seinfeld, who epitomizes the outward-looking observational subgenre.

The Office was a delightful show, and its cringe comedy style probably made me guffaw more than any of the other shows I've mentioned. It's rare that an episode would pass without a really good belly laugh. I originally thought Michael Scott would be an irritating, unbelievable character, but as the show went on, I was able to identify more and more elements of him that I'd seen in real people in my life, and I came to appreciate that he really wasn't all that far fetched, as absurd as some of his beliefs and tendencies were. What's more, the show's ability to make me care about him despite his myriad faults was impressive. And, of course, I'd be a liar if I said I didn't jump right into the next episode when I needed to sleep just to see where the Jim & Pam relationship was headed. I hate that I'm a sucker for that, but I suppose a lot of people are, or the writers wouldn't have crafted the show to revolve around their relationship dynamic for the first five seasons.

If you haven't already, you owe it to yourself to watch the UK original. It's a very different show from the US reimagining (partly because of their differing lengths, but also in their tone and approach to characterization), but it has most of the elements that you identified as strong points. (Indeed, it's clear that the writers of the US version of the show tried to steer pretty closely along Gervais' path when it comes to making the audience sympathize with a ridiculous try-hard, and with the subtleties of an office romance.)

Have you seen Talking Funny yet? It's an HBO interview (more like group chat), about an hour long, featuring three of the guys you mentioned above (Louie CK, Jerry Seinfeld, and the creator of the US Office, Ricky Gervais) talking about comedy. Fascinating viewing.

[SkyPikachu]

Can't get enough of The Big Bang Theory. Watched every episode and own every DVD.

Also I watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. a lot when it's on TV.

Also when I'm up late I like to watch the late late show with craig fergerson.

I've felt like Big Bang Theory has been a little hit or miss lately, I like the plot points their introdoucing but the jokes fall flat here and there.

I'd have to agree it's not as good as it use to be but it use to be really good so it's hard to continue being that good over many seasons.

[Yossarian]

Fargo

Loved the nods to the film and how it crafted its own tale with some genuinely loathsome characters and a superb performance from Billy Bob Thornton. It also made me not hate Colin Hanks which is impressive in itself! His bumbling out of depth persona is much better suited to him than his terrible turn in the equally terrible Dexter.

[Claytone]

If you haven't already, you owe it to yourself to watch the UK original. It's a very different show from the US reimagining (partly because of their differing lengths, but also in their tone and approach to characterization), but it has most of the elements that you identified as strong points. (Indeed, it's clear that the writers of the US version of the show tried to steer pretty closely along Gervais' path when it comes to making the audience sympathize with a ridiculous try-hard, and with the subtleties of an office romance.)

Have you seen Talking Funny yet? It's an HBO interview (more like group chat), about an hour long, featuring three of the guys you mentioned above (Louie CK, Jerry Seinfeld, and the creator of the US Office, Ricky Gervais) talking about comedy. Fascinating viewing.

'

Just checked out the first few minutes of Talking Funny, and I'm immediately intrigued! I'll report back once I get the chance to sit down for the whole thing. Looks great.

[TheGreatNads]

No.

[Kong Wen]

No.

Watching any bad TV?

[kitroplious]

I was watching the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs the last couple months... the referees were okay, but quite a few calls were bad (almost reminded me of that Canada/US Olympic Women's Soccer game a couple years ago)

Speaking of soccer, been watching a bit of the world cup; and in other shows, I watched Family Feud and Let's Make A Deal.