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You are here: Home / TV & Movies / Television / True Blood Open Thread

True Blood Open Thread

by John Cole|  August 4, 20138:51 pm| 138 Comments

This post is in: Television

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Have at it. What other shows are we watching these days?

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Previous Post: « Open Thread: “Turtle and the Her”
Next Post: RIP, Artie Donovan, One of a Kind »

Reader Interactions

138Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    August 4, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    It’s Shark Week.

    da da da da da da

  2. 2.

    Hill Dweller

    August 4, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    I’m watching Ruggles of Red Gap, starring the great Charles Laughton.

  3. 3.

    NobodySpecial

    August 4, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    I’m watching The Great Meltdown of Cassidy, and what’s on TV just don’t compare.

    Plus Cubs baseball sucks lately, what with Dale Sveum having lost his frigging mind.

  4. 4.

    schrodinger's cat

    August 4, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    Gilmore Girls, Season 2
    Sherlock, Season 2

  5. 5.

    Elizabelle

    August 4, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    Yeah, Ruggles sounded good. But I missed too much at beginning. Next time …

  6. 6.

    Schlemizel

    August 4, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    I ran through the first 6 episodes of Copper from BBC America. Not really sure if I am going to continue, its a costumed soap opera with 6 too many coincidences per episode. The acting is good, the settings interesting but I feel the endings are just a bit too convenient.

  7. 7.

    Betty Cracker

    August 4, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    I don’t have HBO, so I won’t get to see True Blood until it’s released on Amazon or something down the road. That’s how I recently discovered The Sopranos, long after everyone else had seen it. I’m half way through season 6 now. What a fine actor Gandolfini was.

    Looking forward to the return of Breaking Bad next week (I think).

  8. 8.

    Sarah in Brooklyn

    August 4, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    I’m watching Six Feet Under, which I’ve never seen. I can decide if I like it or not.

  9. 9.

    Schlemizel

    August 4, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    @Sarah in Brooklyn:

    I really like the opening episodes but it sort of fell off I thought. I stopped watching & then saw the last couple shows & felt bad because it looked like it had been better & maybe I should have stuck with it

  10. 10.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    @Betty Cracker:

    What a fine actor Gandolfini was

    And we still have Darth Cheney, El Rushbo, and Fat Tony sucking up oxygen. FSM’s got a lotta splanin to do.

  11. 11.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    @NobodySpecial:

    I am kind of enjoying the first season of Pitbulls For Protein. It’s a wonderful collection of recipes and anecdotes.

  12. 12.

    Cassidy

    August 4, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @NobodySpecial: Oh no. What you’re watching is Cassidy figuring out that he doesn’t owe hardly anyone here shit, has no interest in this false community of hypocrites bullshit, and then deciding that blunt honesty really is the best prescription for everything. I know I feel better.

    And this what Cole and his shut-ins want: mean spirited thread derailment. I’m just doing my part.

  13. 13.

    piratedan

    August 4, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @Schlemizel: there’s a new police procedural coming up this week on BBC America called Broadchurch. It stars David Tennant and if it measures up to the quality of spooks, whitechapel and Luther, it could very well be worth the time.

  14. 14.

    Steeplejack

    August 4, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    @Schlemizel:

    I gave up on it after a few episodes. Some weird combination of CSI: Gaslight and I don’t know what. I’m currently having the same debate over Ripper Street after watching a few episodes. Pressing on, but with reservations.

  15. 15.

    SIA

    August 4, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    Sadly, Endeavour is over for the year. The last episode was excellent. Really love the young Morse character. He’s becoming Morse.

  16. 16.

    Eric U.

    August 4, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    @NickT: I hope I’m the first to note that you are a genuinely horrible person

  17. 17.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    @SIA:

    That was a hell of an impressive show. Much better than most prequels – and more consistent than the old Morse in its writing too.

  18. 18.

    Robert

    August 4, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    Orange is the New Black on Netflix is very good. There is formula established very quickly–focus on an inmate, jump back and forth between past and present–that doesn’t tire because the show is constantly moving the actual story forward.

    I’m also digging Blast of Tempest on Hulu. It’s a new anime series that combines Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and The Tempest into a science fantasy story about competing gangs of magic-wielding crime syndicates fighting for control of the world. The main character discovers the secret world of magic while investigating his girlfriend’s murder. His guide is the most powerful witch in the world, trapped on an island by the crime family that betrayed her ala Prospero being ditched by his own court in The Tempest. It’s a very interesting reexamination of Shakespeare in a decidedly modern story.

  19. 19.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    @Eric U.:

    I didn’t even mention the possibilities of garlic and red wine, not to mention a rotisserie style of pitbull cuisine.

  20. 20.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    Just watched the premier episode of “Broadhchurch” on the link I mentioned earlier. It looks like it is going to be a kick ass drama. I cannot wait for the next episode.

    As I was watching the Candy Spelling bullshit I remembered with actual fondness when our heat pump died during the winter. We couldn’t afford to get it fixed right away so we stacked the fireplace with logs and basically lived in the living room. DH spent hours going down into the forest and felled snags and chopped logs. We slept on the pull out sofa couch with the fire going every night, me and DH, the three dogs, and all the cats slept on that pull out couch every night, snuggling in front of the roaring log fire, with a couple of comforters and some blankets in case anyone got cold. I know it sounds weird but that was actually good times. I know I am really weird.

  21. 21.

    SIA

    August 4, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    @NickT: I like it much better than the original Morse.. I always thought Sgt Lewis was a bit of a drag on the original. Roger Allam is great in the supporting role, and they have good chemistry. And the chick that was singing in the club in the opening scene blew me away!

  22. 22.

    NobodySpecial

    August 4, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    @Cassidy: At times like these, I’d like to helpfully direct the other members of the community to the Rants to English Dictionary.

  23. 23.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    You can have a lot of fun in unexpected circumstances – and it doesn’t even have to involve lots of money, technology or luxuries. People forget that because the corporations have been selling the idea that only brand names bring happiness, which is utterly false.

  24. 24.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    @Steeplejack:

    Ripper Street is truly worth sticking with, it like so many BBC programs has stand alone episodes as well as a story arc which has to be followed to its conclusion. Stick with it. It is worth it.

  25. 25.

    WereBear

    August 4, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    @Betty Cracker: recently discovered The Sopranos, long after everyone else had seen it

    I, too, am catching up since HBO is rerunning all the episodes in Mr. Gandolfini’s honor. Hard to believe it’s the same guy as the bumbly stuntman from Get Shorty.

    And… loving it.

  26. 26.

    Josie

    August 4, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:
    Actually, it sounds really inviting. That could be because I am living through the south Texas summer heat from hell, however.

  27. 27.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    @SIA:

    I think Inspector Lewis isn’t bad, although I’ve taken an evil pleasure in spotting the holdover meme from Morse of “tongue-tied but well-meaning inspector falls for sad/damaged/unavailable middle-aged woman” playing out in various episodes.

  28. 28.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 4, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    So I go away for the weekend and blog goes all asshole all the time? Lovely.

  29. 29.

    cathyx

    August 4, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    @SIA: I always thought that Inspector Lewis was a set up for the assistant (can’t remember his name) to have his own show in the future. He was way more astute and interesting than Lewis. I actually thought it a stretch for Lewis to be the lead man since he was such a doofus when he worked for Morse.

  30. 30.

    Jane2

    August 4, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Waiting impatiently for the last episode of “The Killing” and then about to binge watch “The Spiral” on Netflix, now that I figured out how to get subtitles on my Apple TV.

  31. 31.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    @NickT:

    After Hurricane Bertha I was actually disappointed when the power came back on cause I was having so much fun improvising cooking on the grill with charcoal. I used every last ounce of heat from the charcoal by keeping pots of water on there boiling so I could do dishes. I felt so empowered by overcoming all of the diversity and actually thriving. I guess I am a prepper at heart.

  32. 32.

    Jane2

    August 4, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I binge watched “Broadchurch”….great story.

  33. 33.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    But have you been hoarding canned goods, buying grains online and stockpiling ammunition?

  34. 34.

    patrick II

    August 4, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    The final episode of “The Killing” is on tonight. It has been a great show tis year. The two lead actors are tremendous .

  35. 35.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    @Josie:

    Yeah I can understand that, the thing with winter is that you can keep building fires and keep piling on blankets and eventually you get warm. When it comes to the summer you can only remove so many clothes until you are either arrested or you know totally naked. When you are hot there is no way without electricity to get cool. With cold there are a myriad of ways to heat up that do not cost anything. I have to admit that I would kill rather than give up my generator that I hook up to my A/C units after hurricanes.

  36. 36.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:29 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Cold showers and bath tubs filled with cold water are a couple of ways of cooling off. Best not combined with electricity though.

  37. 37.

    Rosalita

    August 4, 2013 at 9:31 pm

    still mourning the loss of SouthLAnd… but watching Independence Day for the umpteenth time right now and it’s still entertaining.

    and fuck any haters.

  38. 38.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:31 pm

    @NickT:

    Well I have always hoarded canned goods because I have a Squirrel nature, when times are good I buy food, every cupboard in my house is stacked with food. It comes from growing up poor and NEVER wanting to be without food should the paycheck suddenly not be there. I learned well from my mother. I do not however stock ammunition, don’t have a gun, never have.

  39. 39.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Just watched Mud. It’s ok. Reese looks 18.

  40. 40.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    August 4, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    @cathyx: Hathaway? I liked Lewis, but Endeavour really is excellent.

  41. 41.

    geg6

    August 4, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    Have been loving this last season of Burn Notice. And of course, Top Chef Masters. Been recording Under the Dome for future viewing. Just saw a preview for a new show on NBC starring James Spader. Don’t know if it will be any good, but I just love, love, love James Spader.

  42. 42.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    @The prophet Nostradumbass:

    I thought Hathaway was a pretty good ironic foil to Lewis.

  43. 43.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Ah. So it’s your fault then.

  44. 44.

    cathyx

    August 4, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    @The prophet Nostradumbass: Hathaway is well read and smart. Lewis is neither. Hathaway would make a great inspector.

  45. 45.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    @Yatsuno:

    I blame Obama. Or gay marriage. Or Obama’s gay marriage. I think that covers all the bases.

  46. 46.

    srv

    August 4, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    Enjoyed season 3 of Luther.

    Old Bonds are back on Netflix.

  47. 47.

    JPL

    August 4, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    @Robert: It was okay. Piper came across as Narcissistic bu I could forgiver that quality, if they hadn’t invented the story lines of inmates. The series is compelling and I can’t wait for the next season, with all it’s faults. .

  48. 48.

    kdaug

    August 4, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    Orphan Black. (Should be back soon-ish).

  49. 49.

    mai naem

    August 4, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    Anybody watching Newsroom this season? It’s moving faster than last season. Also, y’all mention these BBC stuff. I have cable not satellite and for me it seems like whenever I turn on BBC all I see is Top Gear,Dr. Who, the talk show host guy(can’t remember his name) and some older movies. I’ve seen some BBC detective stuff on PBS though. Also too, the beeb had a short lived show a long time ago based on a Dick Francis character. Can’t remember the name but loved the series.

  50. 50.

    Mike in NC

    August 4, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    Seeking to beat the 90 degree heat, we went and saw “2 Guns” with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg today. Great mindless action/comedy if you can suspend your disbelief. Four guns up.

  51. 51.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 4, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    @Yatsuno: Could merely be correlation. But, Jeebus, wtf?

  52. 52.

    Rosalita

    August 4, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    Anyone been watching Graceland?

  53. 53.

    Josie

    August 4, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:
    The hot humid weather after a hurricane is so miserable, especially with the electricity off. I much prefer cooler weather and hope one day to move to a location where I can enjoy some. I have been working outside this summer at a nature center, teaching 9-12 year olds about our local climate and ecology. I love working with the kids, but the heat is brutal. It probably won’t start to cool off until October, which seems a long way off.

  54. 54.

    Another Holocene Human

    August 4, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    now debuting fixed nym, wonder when I started spelling it wrong?

    Inspector Lewis. 4 seasons are on Netflix. Newer stuff is … available. Hehe.

    I wish there were more watchable Marples. The 80s series is godawful. The soundtrack alone violates the Geneva Convention. The 2000s series had two different Marples, first was the best, but I’m sorry they seem to have quit making them.

  55. 55.

    Another Holocene Human

    August 4, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    Btw, thanks for the “Arcadia” X-Files rec, wifey and I watched it and had a blast!

  56. 56.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    @JPL: Compared to these stupid fucking vampire shows it’s great.

  57. 57.

    Mike in NC

    August 4, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    @Rosalita: Southland was a fabulous TV show. We’ll miss it a lot. But Independence Day was total crap on every level imaginable.

  58. 58.

    Angela

    August 4, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    @mai naem: I’m watching Newsroom, I liked last season where the emphasis seemed to be on telling the news, with some side stories of relationships etc. This season the emphasis seems to be on telling the relationships with some side stories of news. I don’t like it as much, but I’m not quite ready to give up on it yet.

  59. 59.

    James E. Powell

    August 4, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    I did the whole season of Orphan Black in one day last week. (I was recovering from minor surgery.) I was pretty impressed with Tatiana Maslany’s ability to create different characters. Hope the story continues to hold up.

  60. 60.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    @raven:

    I kinda miss the days of mysterious, sexually repressed, castle-skulking, lisping vampires. It used to be the case that you could get a good, high-stakes movie with some genuine drama involved out of a vampire and his prey. Now, it’s all sparkles and “Oooh Edward, did you bring any protection?”

  61. 61.

    Another Holocene Human

    August 4, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    @NobodySpecial: I’m not sure how I feel about melty pies.

    Oozy, gooey pies are always good, however.

  62. 62.

    Rosalita

    August 4, 2013 at 9:46 pm

    @Mike in NC: some of us like a twinkie once in a while, lol

  63. 63.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    @NickT: I just can’t hack dumb and that shit is a dumb as it gets.

  64. 64.

    geg6

    August 4, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    @raven:

    Not usually a sucker (heh!) for vampire fare, but I’m a big fan of True Blood, though I prefer the books to the show. I find a lot of political context in it and I believe that is deliberate, both in its literary form and its tv iteration.

  65. 65.

    gogol's wife

    August 4, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    It was hilarious! I never saw him do comedy before. And Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland were brilliant.

    And I wish my signature would quit disappearing.

  66. 66.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    @geg6: I’ll take your word for it. :)

  67. 67.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    @Josie:

    After Hurricane Floyd our house was flooded. The smell the day after we returned was absolutely overpowering. Dead animals, reptiles, bugs, you name it all over the house, soaking the cream carpets. We ripped everything out and replaced it with stick on tiles. Never have to worry about a flood again. Just get a mop and bucket and we are done.

  68. 68.

    gogol's wife

    August 4, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I guess Higgs Boson’s Mate hasn’t returned.

  69. 69.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 9:50 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Well a commenter had a vicious dog attack, it involved a pit bull, and I think some unexpressed emotions surfaced. It went pretty much downhill from there.

  70. 70.

    NickT

    August 4, 2013 at 9:50 pm

    @raven:

    I am not a Polanski fan, but his The Fearless Vampire Killers/The Dance Of The Vampires is genuinely hilarious at points.

  71. 71.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:52 pm

    @NickT: Ever see Bitter Moon? Of course Chinatown is the best.

  72. 72.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:52 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Happy yesterday LT.

  73. 73.

    raven

    August 4, 2013 at 9:53 pm

    out

  74. 74.

    SiubhanDuinne

    August 4, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Did you have a nice birthday?

  75. 75.

    kdaug

    August 4, 2013 at 9:56 pm

    @Josie:

    Actually, it sounds really inviting. That could be because I am living through the south Texas summer heat from hell, however.

    I’m talking tomorrow with some folks who want me to move to Edmonton. From Austin.

    Pro-strategy tip: Talk to a Texan about moving someplace colder in early August.

  76. 76.

    Skerry

    August 4, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Goodbye, Dennis

  77. 77.

    SIA

    August 4, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    @cathyx: Could be. Hathaway is intriguing. Though Lewis’ budding romance with the lovely doctor has added some interest. I like her character and the actress who plays it.

  78. 78.

    Calming Influence

    August 4, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    Watching Vikings; grabbed a torrent of season 1 (9 episodes – so far watched 1-6). We like it. Unfortunately season 2 doesn’t start until 2014, so we’re trying to space them out…

  79. 79.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    @kdaug: Edmonton is actually quite nice. It’s just far enough from the tar sands that you wouldn’t have to smell it every day. But make sure you can get onto provincial health care, there are a few docs who will take American insurance but not many.

  80. 80.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    @gogol’s wife:

    His way, his terms. If that is to be, then so be it.

  81. 81.

    Jane2

    August 4, 2013 at 10:00 pm

    @kdaug: Pro: it’s known as Redmonton, a liberal oasis in tory Alberta. Con: check out some stories pics of Edmonton in January.

  82. 82.

    Josie

    August 4, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    @kdaug:
    I’ve always thought that Austin seemed worse than the valley even though our temps may be a little higher. We don’t have as much concrete and highway surface and we have a better breeze most of the time. I would imagine Edmonton sounds pretty good to you at this point.

  83. 83.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 4, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    @raven: Thanks.

    @SiubhanDuinne: Yep. How about you?

  84. 84.

    Botsplainer

    August 4, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    @Cassidy:

    And this what Cole and his shut-ins want: mean spirited thread derailment. I’m just doing my part.

    Quit being a fucking dick to the man. He has a lot to sort through on this without you grinding slushy rock salt into the wounds.

  85. 85.

    Sarah in Brooklyn

    August 4, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    @Schlemizel: I have this linear compulsive completist thing going, so I’ll keep watching. I expected to like it more from the start, though.

  86. 86.

    kdaug

    August 4, 2013 at 10:07 pm

    @James E. Powell:

    I was pretty impressed with Tatiana Maslany’s ability to create different characters.

    Ding. That’s a lot of dedicated character work. (And by work, I mean work). Saw an interview show where the other actors were like “damnnn…”. And, btw, she’s American. New York. Best Romanian I’ve seen, but from an admittedly small pool.

    Whether the series holds up or not, she’ll be around for a long while.

  87. 87.

    MomSense

    August 4, 2013 at 10:10 pm

    @piratedan: Ooh, just realized I can watch Broadchurch online so I think I will do so now!

    Tennant looks like a mini version of my dad 30 years ago. He even has some of the same mannerisms so it is such a trip to watch him.

  88. 88.

    Cassidy

    August 4, 2013 at 10:13 pm

    @Botsplainer: He’ll survive.

  89. 89.

    max

    August 4, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    @kdaug: I’m talking tomorrow with some folks who want me to move to Edmonton. From Austin. Pro-strategy tip: Talk to a Texan about moving someplace colder in early August.

    If you are native, take some advice: you won’t like it. Promise. (If you spent your childhood north of 38 degrees or so, well, I hope it works for you if you try it.)

    What other shows are we watching these days?

    The Right (or is that Left?) Honorable Mr. Pierce convinced me to watch Elementary, so I did, and now I’m catching up.

    Watching The Bridge avidly. Was convinced to watch Longmire, which is pretty good for a standard(?) cop show.

    Otherwise, nuthin’. It’s fuckin’ summer, the sun is out, the days are long, fuck the TV unless it’s dark and even then…

    max
    [‘It’s already gettin’ colder here.’]

  90. 90.

    NotMax

    August 4, 2013 at 10:18 pm

    A pit bull ate my TV.

  91. 91.

    Bruuuuce

    August 4, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    @mai naem: The Newsroom is my one must-see scripted show on the air at the moment (and Top Chef Masters is the other show I’ve got to watch). It’s definitely better than Season 1, and at least as good as Sports Night ever got, though hoping it can get up to the level of The West Wing seasons 1-4 is probably a bit of a stretch.

  92. 92.

    Cassidy

    August 4, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    Oh well, it’s bedtime. I’ve got an early morning. This has been one eye opening weekend. Fuck the hypocrites, fuck the sadists. And fuck this current crop of vampire shit. Seriously, they’re supernatural predators that kill shit and drink its blood. If you want to watch a fucking soap opera there are plenty on during the day.

  93. 93.

    MomSense

    August 4, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    @geg6:
    I think this season of Burn Notice is really good, too. I had sort of lost interest the past two seasons but it has really improved of late. I know someone who went to prep school with James Spader and Steve Carell. In fact I think my friend may have been some of the inspiration for 40 year old virgin (he was a nerd who painted lead soldiers). Carell was apparently a great guy. He doesn’t have nice things to say about Spader. Let’s just say that when he plays a jerk he may not be doing much acting.

    @NickT:
    The first twilight movie was like a 2 1/2 hour calvin klein fragrance commercial. Skinny, attractive people looking hungry and sulking under moody lighting.

  94. 94.

    mclaren

    August 4, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    @Betty Cracker:
    Netflix has the first few seasons of True Blood available right now. The first three seasons are really good but it declines after that.

  95. 95.

    kdaug

    August 4, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    @Jane2:

    Pro: it’s known as Redmonton, a liberal oasis in tory Alberta.

    Kind of a Austin, Texas in the north? Got it.

    Con: check out some stories pics of Edmonton in January.

    Yeah. Spent some time in Billings as a kid. This is, what, another 300 miles north? Choices are hot or cold (or coastal assholes). Swell.

  96. 96.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    August 4, 2013 at 10:21 pm

    @MomSense:

    I just watched the first ep on line courtesy of the beeb, what a brilliant idea. Way to hook someone to a series.

  97. 97.

    MomSense

    August 4, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    @srv:

    Season 3 of Luther??? I thought it didn’t start until September.

  98. 98.

    Suzanne

    August 4, 2013 at 10:26 pm

    I am hooked on “Property Wars”, in large part because it takes place here in PHX and I know almost all the neighborhoods, but also because I really cannot help but enjoy watching all of them be such unmitigated douchebags to each other.

  99. 99.

    Julie

    August 4, 2013 at 10:29 pm

    @piratedan: I watched the first episode tonight on Xfinity streaming. It was very good.

  100. 100.

    PurpleGirl

    August 4, 2013 at 10:36 pm

    Having discovered that TWC has the MeTV channel (Memorable Entertainment TV) I’ve been indulging in some 50’s shows this evening. Watched Dobie Gillis, which has held up pretty well. Currently watching Thriller, will watch Night Gallery soon. Last night I watched original Star Trek. I’m a happy person.

  101. 101.

    NotMax

    August 4, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    Still savoring a re-watching of “Wild Boys.” Anyone who liked the Newman/Redford Butch Cassidy movie ought to check out at least the first two episodes to see if it grabs you (though the series is grittier, the cadence is similar).

    @MomSense

    Never watched it at all, but according to the invaluable epguides.com, season 3’s quarter of episodes aired last month (July).

    @gogol’s wife

    When they show up, you might enjoy Laughton’s lighter side in “Hobson’s Choice” and also “The Tuttles of Tahiti.”

  102. 102.

    andy

    August 4, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    Really enjoying Space Battleship Yamato 2199 someone was kind enough to rip/post/whatever. So far it’s been a revelation- well drawn characterizations and development, a compelling storyline- they basically broke down the original series from the 70’s and rebuilt everything. The complete series isn’t up yet, I’m assuming that will change as they are broadcast/released in Japan. Really amazing stuff.

    I also made some burgers– I’m in kind of a meat coma right now…

  103. 103.

    JD_Rhoades

    August 4, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    @MomSense:

    I thought so too.

    Just finished Season 4 of Breaking Bad. Holy hell. Going to try and catch up with Season 5A before Season 5B starts, but don’t know if I can get it done. Well, there’s always DVR.

    Anyone hears any news of Dennis/Higg’s Boson’s Mate let me know.

  104. 104.

    NotMax

    August 4, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    @NotMax

    Should read:

    season 3′s quartet of episodes aired last month (July).

  105. 105.

    Jebediah

    August 4, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    @PurpleGirl:
    Been watching a ton of that stuff myself – Dick van Dyke, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie not holding up well for me for whatever reason, but kind of surprised at how much of the rest of it I have been enjoying.

  106. 106.

    mai naem

    August 4, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    @Suzanne: I know several people who do trustee sales and that show is a load of crap and the prices are ridiculous. The most ridiculous part is that they only have the four guys bidding on the same property. Apparently, there’s nobody else bidding on the property, only these four assholes. And who the fuck pays $80K for a fixer upper in Maryvale? Just dumb.

  107. 107.

    scav

    August 4, 2013 at 10:57 pm

    You want sad? Faux is already signed up to do a remake of Broadchurch for ‘mercans. Fox to remake ITV’s Broadchurch for the US.

    Apparently, even the UK is too unreal and foreign . . . and local ideas so thin on the ground . .

  108. 108.

    NotMax

    August 4, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    @PurpleGirl

    Color me jealous.

    BTW, the complete 4-season set of “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (plus bonus material) was released on DVD in July.

  109. 109.

    becca

    August 4, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    Watched the first 2 episodes of Doc Martin on Netflix. Shot in a Cornish village. It’s worth watching just for the breathtaking landscape and the characters are interesting.

    Monarch of the Glen is promising. We ran thru all the Marples, Poirots, and Lewis’s so we needed new material.

    Things don’t blow up and not a lot of guns on British TV, it seems. Maybe that’s the draw for us.

  110. 110.

    scav

    August 4, 2013 at 11:16 pm

    @becca: May not blow up, but you must admit, dropping dead in villages (and elsewhere) under mysterious circumstances appears to be epidemic. Amateurs and DIs / CID are run off their feet. Avoid Midsomer and St Mary’s Mead above all places.

  111. 111.

    Jebediah

    August 4, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    @becca:
    Were you a fan of Hamish Macbeth?

  112. 112.

    Kris Benson's Wife

    August 4, 2013 at 11:18 pm

    Orange is the New Black is excellent. Do it

  113. 113.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    @becca: “Monarch of the Glen” is quite brilliant. It was on PBS for awhile and I really enjoyed it. I only watched the first two seasons however.

  114. 114.

    Redshirt

    August 4, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    I’m too hip for TV. I read stone tablets.

  115. 115.

    Suzanne

    August 4, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    @mai naem: I know it’s fake, but I still find it sickly compelling.

    Though the fact that these people have apparently never heard of Google Earth strains credulity.

  116. 116.

    MomSense

    August 4, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    @becca:

    Loved Doc Martin and fell in love with the town as much as the show. Having you seen the movie Saving Grace? It takes place in the same town and the actor who plays Doc Martin is in it also playing a doctor.

    I loved Monarch of the Glen until the last season when it gets weird and the main characters leave.

    @scav:

    We have decided as a family never to visit Ystad or the Island of Sodor.

    One show I really enjoyed was Kingdom with Stephen Frye.

    @JD_Rhoades:
    Breaking Bad is on my list but I’m going to have to wait until I have some time to watch because I know that show will suck me right in.

    I don’t know what to do about Higgs Boson’s Mate. I’m worried and hope he is getting some help. While I was sitting in the garden with the dog today, we had a nice long visit from a hummingbird. First one I’ve seen this summer. Made me think of General Stuck.

  117. 117.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    @Suzanne:

    Though the fact that these people have apparently never heard of Google Earth strains credulity.

    Every time I think there is a limit to human stupidity, someone proves me wrong. Hell I’d be amazed if they’d heard of Zillow.

  118. 118.

    MomSense

    August 4, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    How long do we have to wait to find out what happened??

  119. 119.

    Suzanne

    August 4, 2013 at 11:50 pm

    @Yatsuno: But the ongoing rivalry and tricks they play on each other make it all worth it.

  120. 120.

    Klare

    August 4, 2013 at 11:53 pm

    Caught the first episode of Newsroom this season, really like it but have missed the rest. Liked it last year too. Catch Doc Martin occasionally, the Midwife too. Hmm, reading stone tablets.

  121. 121.

    Yatsuno

    August 4, 2013 at 11:57 pm

    @Suzanne: At the end of the day it’s TV. How believable it has to be is pretty questionable.

  122. 122.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    August 5, 2013 at 12:01 am

    I’ve spent the last hour plus looking at early morning threads. Wow. I hope Omnes Omnibus had a great birthday because things got a bit scorched.

  123. 123.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    August 5, 2013 at 12:13 am

    My birthday today pretty much sucked. It got off to a great start, with my Mom forgetting about it, and it didn’t really improve from there.

  124. 124.

    Uncle Ebeneezer

    August 5, 2013 at 12:23 am

    We are wrapping up season two of Breaking Bad. Hopelessly waiting for GoT and Boardwalk Empire (which I think we may watch again before the next season.

  125. 125.

    Steeplejack

    August 5, 2013 at 12:25 am

    @PurpleGirl:

    I like MeTV for my Perry Mason fix, but I’ve also found myself getting into Kojak, which holds up surprisingly well (given the context of ’70s dramas), and the very old Jackie Gleason show The Honeymooners, which I didn’t see when it was on the air. It is so old (1955-56) that it has almost an archaeological fascination, but it has some great moments.

    ETA: “Getting into” in the sense of having on the TV in the background while doing computer stuff.

  126. 126.

    PurpleGirl

    August 5, 2013 at 12:28 am

    @The prophet Nostradumbass:

    Happy belated Birthday.

    Argh. That sucks. So, did any friends call or send you messages of some sort?

    (One year my mother called me at work but before wishing me happy birthday she said, “it’s one year since your brother got sick.”)

  127. 127.

    Suzanne

    August 5, 2013 at 12:39 am

    @Yatsuno: Word. If I needed documentary realism, I know to look somewhere else.

  128. 128.

    Sloegin

    August 5, 2013 at 12:44 am

    Like Longmire well enough, but I think I’m finally done with cable TV. $75/mo for ‘basic cable’ and there isn’t a goddam thing on. Good riddance to my monthy sportsball tax to boot.

    Guess I’m on an irrevocable slide now to Cranky McCrankypants land, if I’m not already there.

  129. 129.

    Redshirt

    August 5, 2013 at 12:57 am

    @The prophet Nostradumbass: Sounds like you’re living a John Hughes movie. Have you gone to the mall recently?

  130. 130.

    PurpleGirl

    August 5, 2013 at 12:58 am

    @Steeplejack:

    …in the sense of having on the TV in the background while doing computer stuff.

    I do that too. I don’t turn around and actually watch most shows.

  131. 131.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    August 5, 2013 at 1:23 am

    @PurpleGirl: Thanks. I did have some friends send me greetings through Facebook, at least.

    @Redshirt: HA!

    So, I see the site is forgetting people’s information again.

  132. 132.

    ruemara

    August 5, 2013 at 1:31 am

    You’re all missing out if you’re not watching Megalodon. It’s got massive sharks and re-enactments, people!

  133. 133.

    Cookie Monster

    August 5, 2013 at 2:41 am

    @MomSense: Doc Martin started life as a spin-off from Saving Grace, and it was originally meant to be the same character.

  134. 134.

    donnah

    August 5, 2013 at 5:24 am

    Luther was brilliant and Idris Elba is fantastic. I’m halfway through Dexter, which is supposedly the final season, but it doesn’t seem to have the feeling of closure I was expecting. It’s not as good as when it first started, sad to say.

    Haven’t watched Psych or Burn Notice and I really should catch up on both of those because I watched them from the start. We watched a Netflix pick Sither last night with Nathan Fillion. I expected it to be a dark sci-fi comedy, but it was more dark and less comical. Still very good: gross and scary…

  135. 135.

    jak

    August 5, 2013 at 5:26 am

    Finishing up with The Killing. Much better than the first two seasons. Looking for the 4th season of Spiral. First 3 were on Netflix but 4th hasn’t popped up yet. Spiral is on Mhz channel in some areas but it has been edited beyond recognition. Endeavor is interesting. Waiting for Broadchurch and Low Winter Sun.

  136. 136.

    TheronWare

    August 5, 2013 at 9:38 am

    Watching 24 and Rome on Netflix.

  137. 137.

    Roger

    August 5, 2013 at 12:00 pm

    After several false starts (why would anyone watch Fringe when we’ve already had The X-Files? and Stargate SG-1 – really?) just completed a 5-season Wire marathon and can’t help but comment that while certainly the best police procedural ever its somewhat overrated and perhaps the most truly conservative show on TV.

    (as ultimately everything is so terminally fucked up that nothing can be done – and those of us who can had best withdraw from the fight before it corrupts and ruins us and tend to our gardens by just looking after our own careers and families…..)

    Thanks to my hatred of contrived cliffhangers won’t even look at True Blood again until current season is done and it can be watched over a single weekend as God intended.

    Just downloaded S01 of Falling Skies and if that doesn’t serve then it may be time to finally watch the Sopranos (which I gave up on in S03 due to TV scheduling).

  138. 138.

    hoi polloi

    August 5, 2013 at 9:38 pm

    @Hill Dweller: I was hectoring my wife just the other day about what a fabulous actor Laughton was. There’s a scene in Les Miserables where he as Javert and two other dudes are riding horses through the woods at night — of course it’s actually a rear-projection process shot (the green screen of the day) — where Laughton is fucking riding a horse through the woods at night and the other two dudes are doing a process shot. But despite he those two dudes mailing it in, Laughton sells the scene. It’s a tour-de-force-de-green-screen.

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