Favorite HBO Show
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next
 
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Off Topic Reply to topic
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
KeepItRealOrElse
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 11 Oct 2012
Posts: 32767

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 12:41 am    Post subject:

Omar Little wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
adkindo wrote:
Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.

Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.

Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.

Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.

great series, highly recommended


Seems your true inclination is top 10..
that is very far from the "lock of the greatest show of all time"
And my comment about the show aging was only about pace.. So much takes place in the office or tracking the cops pretty normal lives..
I honestly guarantee that it wouldn't be in the GOAT discussion if it came out today. It's pretty bereft of twists, or pressurized moments - and too much is focused around mundane cop life and the machinations of a cop office..
Mr Robot, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, GOT
It's just a different type of TV today. The Wire is like 80s basketball without 3pointers

/millennial rant


You still don't seem to know what it is about. It isn't a potboiler or plot driven action fest. It's a meditation on the fall of American civilization as told by a quintessentially American city and the quintessential organs if it's demise.


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
ani007
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 507

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:47 am    Post subject:

KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
Omar Little wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
adkindo wrote:
Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.

Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.

Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.

Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.

great series, highly recommended


Seems your true inclination is top 10..
that is very far from the "lock of the greatest show of all time"
And my comment about the show aging was only about pace.. So much takes place in the office or tracking the cops pretty normal lives..
I honestly guarantee that it wouldn't be in the GOAT discussion if it came out today. It's pretty bereft of twists, or pressurized moments - and too much is focused around mundane cop life and the machinations of a cop office..
Mr Robot, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, GOT
It's just a different type of TV today. The Wire is like 80s basketball without 3pointers

/millennial rant


You still don't seem to know what it is about. It isn't a potboiler or plot driven action fest. It's a meditation on the fall of American civilization as told by a quintessentially American city and the quintessential organs if it's demise.


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


like the bachelor or basketball wives? if The Wire came out today i'd still absolutely love it. Breaking Bad examined the psychology of a singular man. GOT is a high production value fantasy show with great canon and writing as a foundation. House of Cards was intriguing to begin with, but it's lost it's appeal to me personally. the wire was never entertaining for me per se. like sopranos still had a (bleep) ton of humor in it to balance the darkness. it's not a harry potter universe, but i've also never seen a world (city), so well built on so many layers. it really strips the facade of thinking in terms of black and white, good or bad.

i sometimes watch youtube scenes of soprano's or GOT or the wire. the wire was a master class as well. like that scene with Omar in the courthouse. pure gold. the politics of govt, the street, police.

the overlap. the cyclical nature. the corruption. i enjoyed the Shield too saw Justified recently Deadwood Westworld Veep etc. HBO has a ton of excellent shows, but wouldn't the Wire be considered one of the OG shows in this "golden era" of television. I hardly care what car they are driving....but if i don't want to pay attention or use my brain, entourage or a silicon valley is fine.

Not Veep though. the dialogue is so fast in that show it's impossible for me to partly pay attention to it. love veep

i don't think i saw the final season of the wire. i never loved these shows for the "cliffhangers" but the characters, the acting, the writing. The Shield The Wire Sopranos for me age like a fine wine.

man, HBO really played a big role in changing the television game. prestige tv attracting established talented actors.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
ani007
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 507

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:52 am    Post subject:

i thought Littlefinger (aiden gillan) was great in The Wire as an ambitious politically savvy city councilman. he played the game well. feel bad for the cop who started Amsterdam
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DaMuleRules
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 52624
Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:32 am    Post subject:

KeepItRealOrElse wrote:

What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


Fortunately appreciation for great storytelling still exists. And that is what it is all about. Whether a show is subtle and minimal or it is full of spectacular theatrics, you have absolutely nothing without good story.

I have no doubt that a show like The Wire would be just as well received if it were to premiere today because the depth and commitment to the storytelling is as solid as it gets. On the other end, you can take a show that enlists the stylistic and conceptual excellence of Breaking Bad, but without compelling writing, you just have a glitzy show with no soul.
_________________
You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames


Jason Isbell

Man, do those lyrics resonate right now
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
governator
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 24996

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:39 am    Post subject:

DaMuleRules wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:

What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


Fortunately appreciation for great storytelling still exists. And that is what it is all about. Whether a show is subtle and minimal or it is full of spectacular theatrics, you have absolutely nothing without good story.

I have no doubt that a show like The Wire would be just as well received if it were to premiere today because the depth and commitment to the storytelling is as solid as it gets. On the other end, you can take a show that enlists the stylistic and conceptual excellence of Breaking Bad, but without compelling writing, you just have a glitzy show with no soul.


would love to watch a re-make or modern day 'The Wire'... Chicago edition?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DaMuleRules
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 52624
Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 9:05 am    Post subject:

governator wrote:
DaMuleRules wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:

What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


Fortunately appreciation for great storytelling still exists. And that is what it is all about. Whether a show is subtle and minimal or it is full of spectacular theatrics, you have absolutely nothing without good story.

I have no doubt that a show like The Wire would be just as well received if it were to premiere today because the depth and commitment to the storytelling is as solid as it gets. On the other end, you can take a show that enlists the stylistic and conceptual excellence of Breaking Bad, but without compelling writing, you just have a glitzy show with no soul.


would love to watch a re-make or modern day 'The Wire'... Chicago edition?


"Chicago Wire" has a certain ring to it . . .
_________________
You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames


Jason Isbell

Man, do those lyrics resonate right now
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
adkindo
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 40345
Location: Dirty South

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 9:22 am    Post subject:

ani007 wrote:
i thought Littlefinger (aiden gillan) was great in The Wire as an ambitious politically savvy city councilman. he played the game well. feel bad for the cop who started Amsterdam


it was Hamsterdam
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
ani007
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 507

PostPosted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 10:31 am    Post subject:

adkindo wrote:
ani007 wrote:
i thought Littlefinger (aiden gillan) was great in The Wire as an ambitious politically savvy city councilman. he played the game well. feel bad for the cop who started Amsterdam


it was Hamsterdam


Haha yeah I realized after typing it because I invariably started watching clips on the tube.

There are precious few shows I'll watch clips of on YouTube. Maybe Sopranos or GOT recently.

Just any random scene from Sopranos or Wire and I'm so absorbed in the acting the writing the characters
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
loslakersss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 11853
Location: LA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:50 am    Post subject:

I was thinking about it last night while watching GoT and while enjoying it, wondering how much better it would be had they not shortened the seasons.

I think that's the main issue with HBO shows (GoT, The Wire, Treme and Boardwalk Empire come to mind), they cant afford to have proper final seasons so the show takes a hit to the quality by rushing through it.

This is what made BB so great, it was given the proper amount of episodes it needed to finish telling the story.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
kikanga
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 15 Sep 2012
Posts: 29150
Location: La La Land

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:55 am    Post subject:

My favorite is Entourage.
Not because it is the best written show. Or the show with the best acting.
It's my favorite HBO show because it is the most enjoyable show they've made (for me personally).
I don't think I'd be living in LA right now if it weren't for that show. It had that big of an effect on me.
_________________
"Every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better”
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
tox
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 17835

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 12:05 pm    Post subject:

KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
Omar Little wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
adkindo wrote:
Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.

Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.

Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.

Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.

great series, highly recommended


Seems your true inclination is top 10..
that is very far from the "lock of the greatest show of all time"
And my comment about the show aging was only about pace.. So much takes place in the office or tracking the cops pretty normal lives..
I honestly guarantee that it wouldn't be in the GOAT discussion if it came out today. It's pretty bereft of twists, or pressurized moments - and too much is focused around mundane cop life and the machinations of a cop office..
Mr Robot, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, GOT
It's just a different type of TV today. The Wire is like 80s basketball without 3pointers

/millennial rant


You still don't seem to know what it is about. It isn't a potboiler or plot driven action fest. It's a meditation on the fall of American civilization as told by a quintessentially American city and the quintessential organs if it's demise.


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


I disagree KIROE, it's like comparing JK Rowling to Steinbeck and arguing Rowling's work is better because it's more exciting on a page-by-page basis. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television. It might not be necessarily more immediately gratifying (although it's still captivating in its own right) than modern thrillers, but it has something that most of those shows don't have (even Breaking Bad, which I love as much as I do The Wire).

I know all of those are quality shows as well, so I don't object to your opinion so much as the reasoning here.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
loslakersss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 11853
Location: LA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 12:42 pm    Post subject:

tox wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
Omar Little wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
adkindo wrote:
Just finished 5 Seasons (60 Episodes) of The Wire. It was an extremely good series and well written. It would be on my top 10 list....likely close to the top, but I still think it falls short of The Sopranos.

Season 5 was definitely damaging to the series as a whole.....it almost seems like all the writers quit after Season 4 and they turned over Season 5 to a community college Creative Writing class. I realized it had "jumped the shark" when they brought on that Baltimore hack Billy Murphy to play himself, and began to feature Felicia Pearson (Snoop) as a primary character.

Also, I do not think Dominic West (McNulty) should have been the primary character from the outset. They almost completely wrote him out of Seasons #3 and #4 and they were solid. Also think they missed the boat by not going a little deeper into the back story of Bodie played by J. D. Williams. I thought John Doman (Rawls), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar Little), Chad L. Coleman (Cutty), and Robert Wisdom (Bunny) were some of the more exceptional characters that were both well written and acted in the series.

Finally, there was some earlier discussion about the show not ageing well. I think the issue is it is old, but still within this era. I think those ageing concerns will go away at it ages more. For example, a lot of the clothes are out of style but were within this generation. It is not as easy to distinguish as it would be a show set in the mid 70's and the characters wearing bell bottoms. Another example are the cars....like in Season 1 & 2, Avon Barksdale and Stringer are riding around in a '01-'02 Mercedes SUV....which was probably a very nice car then, but is found on every other "buy here, pay here" car lot today for a couple grand. I think in 10 more years when that car is out of circulation, it will become easier to discern that as an expensive automobile fit for a local drug kingpin.

great series, highly recommended


Seems your true inclination is top 10..
that is very far from the "lock of the greatest show of all time"
And my comment about the show aging was only about pace.. So much takes place in the office or tracking the cops pretty normal lives..
I honestly guarantee that it wouldn't be in the GOAT discussion if it came out today. It's pretty bereft of twists, or pressurized moments - and too much is focused around mundane cop life and the machinations of a cop office..
Mr Robot, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, GOT
It's just a different type of TV today. The Wire is like 80s basketball without 3pointers

/millennial rant


You still don't seem to know what it is about. It isn't a potboiler or plot driven action fest. It's a meditation on the fall of American civilization as told by a quintessentially American city and the quintessential organs if it's demise.


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


I disagree KIROE, it's like comparing JK Rowling to Steinbeck and arguing Rowling's work is better because it's more exciting on a page-by-page basis. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television. It might not be necessarily more immediately gratifying (although it's still captivating in its own right) than modern thrillers, but it has something that most of those shows don't have (even Breaking Bad, which I love as much as I do The Wire).

I know all of those are quality shows as well, so I don't object to your opinion so much as the reasoning here.


Great reference. I still don't know if I'll ever read anything as great as East of Eden.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
numero-ocho
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 18190
Location: Los Angeles, CA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:01 pm    Post subject:

loslakersss wrote:
I was thinking about it last night while watching GoT and while enjoying it, wondering how much better it would be had they not shortened the seasons.

I think that's the main issue with HBO shows (GoT, The Wire, Treme and Boardwalk Empire come to mind), they cant afford to have proper final seasons so the show takes a hit to the quality by rushing through it.

This is what made BB so great, it was given the proper amount of episodes it needed to finish telling the story.


Boardwalk Empire was especially frustrating because, IIRC, they got the cancellation on short notice so that had to modify the final season to fit. It really felt rushed.

I'm sure BB didn't come close in terms of production costs to BE and certainly not to GoT so they could probably afford to shoot the appropriate amount of episodes to end the series under their terms.
_________________
"Suck it up. Don't be a baby. Do your job." - Kobe Bryant
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
loslakersss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 11853
Location: LA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:22 pm    Post subject:

numero-ocho wrote:
loslakersss wrote:
I was thinking about it last night while watching GoT and while enjoying it, wondering how much better it would be had they not shortened the seasons.

I think that's the main issue with HBO shows (GoT, The Wire, Treme and Boardwalk Empire come to mind), they cant afford to have proper final seasons so the show takes a hit to the quality by rushing through it.

This is what made BB so great, it was given the proper amount of episodes it needed to finish telling the story.


Boardwalk Empire was especially frustrating because, IIRC, they got the cancellation on short notice so that had to modify the final season to fit. It really felt rushed.

I'm sure BB didn't come close in terms of production costs to BE and certainly not to GoT so they could probably afford to shoot the appropriate amount of episodes to end the series under their terms.


I think what HBO should do is what Marvel Studios does: sign their actors to longer contracts so they cant continually ask for more and more money which hurts the quality of the product because that money has to come from somewhere else.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
numero-ocho
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 18190
Location: Los Angeles, CA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 2:15 pm    Post subject:

loslakersss wrote:
numero-ocho wrote:
loslakersss wrote:
I was thinking about it last night while watching GoT and while enjoying it, wondering how much better it would be had they not shortened the seasons.

I think that's the main issue with HBO shows (GoT, The Wire, Treme and Boardwalk Empire come to mind), they cant afford to have proper final seasons so the show takes a hit to the quality by rushing through it.

This is what made BB so great, it was given the proper amount of episodes it needed to finish telling the story.


Boardwalk Empire was especially frustrating because, IIRC, they got the cancellation on short notice so that had to modify the final season to fit. It really felt rushed.

I'm sure BB didn't come close in terms of production costs to BE and certainly not to GoT so they could probably afford to shoot the appropriate amount of episodes to end the series under their terms.


I think what HBO should do is what Marvel Studios does: sign their actors to longer contracts so they cant continually ask for more and more money which hurts the quality of the product because that money has to come from somewhere else.


I think HBO has become their own worst enemy. They've set the bar so high for production quality and pushing the boundaries for television, they're going to be stuck for awhile making a couple of these visually stunning but super expensive shows.

They may need to look at other media companies like AMC who manage to produce hit shows that don't cost nearly as much to make.
_________________
"Suck it up. Don't be a baby. Do your job." - Kobe Bryant
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
tox
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 17835

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 3:41 pm    Post subject:

loslakersss wrote:
tox wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


I disagree KIROE, it's like comparing JK Rowling to Steinbeck and arguing Rowling's work is better because it's more exciting on a page-by-page basis. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television. It might not be necessarily more immediately gratifying (although it's still captivating in its own right) than modern thrillers, but it has something that most of those shows don't have (even Breaking Bad, which I love as much as I do The Wire).

I know all of those are quality shows as well, so I don't object to your opinion so much as the reasoning here.


Great reference. I still don't know if I'll ever read anything as great as East of Eden.


I'm so glad you chose East of Eden and not Grapes of Wrath
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Omar Little
Moderator
Moderator


Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 90299
Location: Formerly Known As 24

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:25 pm    Post subject:

tox wrote:
loslakersss wrote:
tox wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


I disagree KIROE, it's like comparing JK Rowling to Steinbeck and arguing Rowling's work is better because it's more exciting on a page-by-page basis. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television. It might not be necessarily more immediately gratifying (although it's still captivating in its own right) than modern thrillers, but it has something that most of those shows don't have (even Breaking Bad, which I love as much as I do The Wire).

I know all of those are quality shows as well, so I don't object to your opinion so much as the reasoning here.


Great reference. I still don't know if I'll ever read anything as great as East of Eden.


I'm so glad you chose East of Eden and not Grapes of Wrath


Should have been Of Mice And Men, the great American novel.
_________________
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
tox
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 17835

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:17 pm    Post subject:

Omar Little wrote:
tox wrote:
loslakersss wrote:
tox wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:


What a show is 'about' or illuminates - is only a fraction of what makes a show good, one piece of the puzzle. I think other pieces have emerged in modern TV, as being more entertaining and valued.


I disagree KIROE, it's like comparing JK Rowling to Steinbeck and arguing Rowling's work is better because it's more exciting on a page-by-page basis. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television. It might not be necessarily more immediately gratifying (although it's still captivating in its own right) than modern thrillers, but it has something that most of those shows don't have (even Breaking Bad, which I love as much as I do The Wire).

I know all of those are quality shows as well, so I don't object to your opinion so much as the reasoning here.


Great reference. I still don't know if I'll ever read anything as great as East of Eden.


I'm so glad you chose East of Eden and not Grapes of Wrath


Should have been Of Mice And Men, the great American novel.

Novella
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
non-player zealot
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Posts: 21365

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:28 am    Post subject:

tox wrote:
. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television.


You gotta get around to it. Commit yourself, you won't be disappointed. Its literary nature has been noted as well. Gore Vidal said it had the depth of literature and its artistic qualities have been credited from all corners. The familiarity of the basic gist even by those who haven't seen it would be hard to get around a decade after it ended, I admit. You might feel like you already know what it is. Shockingly, the pilot episode was filmed TWENTY years ago. It was released in January 99, but filmed in 97. So, it's been out there in pop culture land for so long that even I would feel like watching it in 2017 would be a chore.

However, these HBO show threads have been done before. Most peeps who've seen both TS and TW have them at 1 and 2 in either order. That's not a fluke. You're missin out, tox. It was the show that created the format that made The Wire possible. It gave permission to cable and TV to make shows for adults again and it made the complicated, yet "relatable" anti-hero hip. Tony is the self-absorbed/piggish/violent/racist thug we gradually come to care for over the course of an intimate character study. Tony is All-American. I'm watching Mad Men now and the roots that Don has back to the Tony character are clear (Matthew Weiner was a writer on The Sops). Despite being a totally different show, there are things about it that remind me of The Sops more than any other New Era "for adults" show I've seen. The Sopranos' effects are still evident 20 yrs later. Gandolfini is worth the watch, too. And then there's Paulie...
_________________
GOAT MAGIC REEL
SEDALE TRIBUTE
EDDIE DONX!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
ani007
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 507

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:46 am    Post subject:

non-player zealot wrote:
tox wrote:
. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television.


You gotta get around to it. Commit yourself, you won't be disappointed. Its literary nature has been noted as well. Gore Vidal said it had the depth of literature and its artistic qualities have been credited from all corners. The familiarity of the basic gist even by those who haven't seen it would be hard to get around a decade after it ended, I admit. You might feel like you already know what it is. Shockingly, the pilot episode was filmed TWENTY years ago. It was released in January 99, but filmed in 97. So, it's been out there in pop culture land for so long that even I would feel like watching it in 2017 would be a chore.

However, these HBO show threads have been done before. Most peeps who've seen both TS and TW have them at 1 and 2 in either order. That's not a fluke. You're missin out, tox. It was the show that created the format that made The Wire possible. It gave permission to cable and TV to make shows for adults again and it made the complicated, yet "relatable" anti-hero hip. Tony is the self-absorbed/piggish/violent/racist thug we gradually come to care for over the course of an intimate character study. Tony is All-American. I'm watching Mad Men now and the roots that Don has back to the Tony character are clear (Matthew Weiner was a writer on The Sops). Despite being a totally different show, there are things about it that remind me of The Sops more than any other New Era "for adults" show I've seen. The Sopranos' effects are still evident 20 yrs later. Gandolfini is worth the watch, too. And then there's Paulie...


Sopranos is amazing and i agree a precursor and influence on so much that came after it. compared to the wire i found it more entertaining. it could be so so funny at times too, and overall very thought provoking. i think his mother was one of the all time evil characters lol. Gandolfini tour de force.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
tox
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 17835

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:37 pm    Post subject:

non-player zealot wrote:
tox wrote:
. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television.


You gotta get around to it. Commit yourself, you won't be disappointed. Its literary nature has been noted as well. Gore Vidal said it had the depth of literature and its artistic qualities have been credited from all corners. The familiarity of the basic gist even by those who haven't seen it would be hard to get around a decade after it ended, I admit. You might feel like you already know what it is. Shockingly, the pilot episode was filmed TWENTY years ago. It was released in January 99, but filmed in 97. So, it's been out there in pop culture land for so long that even I would feel like watching it in 2017 would be a chore.

However, these HBO show threads have been done before. Most peeps who've seen both TS and TW have them at 1 and 2 in either order. That's not a fluke. You're missin out, tox. It was the show that created the format that made The Wire possible. It gave permission to cable and TV to make shows for adults again and it made the complicated, yet "relatable" anti-hero hip. Tony is the self-absorbed/piggish/violent/racist thug we gradually come to care for over the course of an intimate character study. Tony is All-American. I'm watching Mad Men now and the roots that Don has back to the Tony character are clear (Matthew Weiner was a writer on The Sops). Despite being a totally different show, there are things about it that remind me of The Sops more than any other New Era "for adults" show I've seen. The Sopranos' effects are still evident 20 yrs later. Gandolfini is worth the watch, too. And then there's Paulie...


Great writeup, NPZ! Color me convinced. I have a couple of other shows I've meant to finish up, but I'll put The Sopranos will be at the top of my queue for the next thing to watch.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
non-player zealot
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Posts: 21365

PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 9:56 am    Post subject:

tox wrote:
non-player zealot wrote:
tox wrote:
. I haven't seen The Sopranos (though I should), but The Wire is still the only show I've watched which actually felt like 'literature' on television.


You gotta get around to it. Commit yourself, you won't be disappointed. Its literary nature has been noted as well. Gore Vidal said it had the depth of literature and its artistic qualities have been credited from all corners. The familiarity of the basic gist even by those who haven't seen it would be hard to get around a decade after it ended, I admit. You might feel like you already know what it is. Shockingly, the pilot episode was filmed TWENTY years ago. It was released in January 99, but filmed in 97. So, it's been out there in pop culture land for so long that even I would feel like watching it in 2017 would be a chore.

However, these HBO show threads have been done before. Most peeps who've seen both TS and TW have them at 1 and 2 in either order. That's not a fluke. You're missin out, tox. It was the show that created the format that made The Wire possible. It gave permission to cable and TV to make shows for adults again and it made the complicated, yet "relatable" anti-hero hip. Tony is the self-absorbed/piggish/violent/racist thug we gradually come to care for over the course of an intimate character study. Tony is All-American. I'm watching Mad Men now and the roots that Don has back to the Tony character are clear (Matthew Weiner was a writer on The Sops). Despite being a totally different show, there are things about it that remind me of The Sops more than any other New Era "for adults" show I've seen. The Sopranos' effects are still evident 20 yrs later. Gandolfini is worth the watch, too. And then there's Paulie...


Great writeup, NPZ! Color me convinced. I have a couple of other shows I've meant to finish up, but I'll put The Sopranos will be at the top of my queue for the next thing to watch.


I'm the opposite. I gotta get around to watching The Wire. I dipped my toe into it and saw the first 3 to 5 epis many years ago. So long ago I can only remember a scene where two cops got pinned down by a tenement where they were being shot at from windows above. The realistic portrayal of the hood scenes and characters was striking to me right from the outset, even from the little I saw. The writing/acting and characters didn't feel contrived or corny as in something like Training Day. I have Mad Men to get thru, but I've finally got TW on deck right after. Gonna watch as much telly as I can before the season starts. I'm Jonesing like a mf for Zo n Kuz right now. I need me some shows I haven't seen before!
_________________
GOAT MAGIC REEL
SEDALE TRIBUTE
EDDIE DONX!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
DrWolf
Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation


Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 536
Location: At the basketball court next to yours, CA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:21 pm    Post subject:

if you werent shocked/taken aback from last nights episode of GOT i dont know what to recommend
_________________
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Kings

KOBE BRYANT
1978-2020
BLACK MAMBA RIP
2020 WORLD CHAMPION LAKERS!
2020 WORLD CHAMPION DODGERS!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
marga86
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Posts: 3442

PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:27 pm    Post subject:

ArminNBA wrote:
Omar Little wrote:
KeepItRealOrElse wrote:
Huey Lewis & The News wrote:
adkindo wrote:

(Note: Never watched The Wire, which is why it is not on list)


(bleep) cancel everything you're doing for the next 3 days and watch it. It's one of the most transformative pieces of art in existence.


*puts contrarian pants on*
I'm watching it for the first time now and I'm super disappointed. I'm just guessing it didn't age well... benefited from a mediocre time in TV (it's the golden age right now)

Season one was good, like a "B" grade.
Season 2 was centered around stupid young white boys and their uncle at the dock.. and it was pretty slow
I'm on ep. 6 in season 3 and this is the slowest season of all..
the show is like 75% centered around the detectives and their lives... ain't no surprise murders in this show.. ain't nothin surprising so far pretty much
The show's most interesting character Omar, isn't featured enough.
Season 1 was good, it was raw and eye opening... but 2 and 3, not above average.

They don't even allow this pace of a show to take place today... I think the Sapranos is way better , even though I identify and am interested in The Wire's culture more

This show is the 1950s, one handed head down, dribbling basketball stars of shows.. did not age well. Slow as hellll

*scurries away*


The wire is a complete and ridiculously carefully crafted meditation on the decline of America as seen through the lens of a single city. It explores crime, law enforcement, politics, industry, the media, schools, and how all of it inertwines, and bow the folks in each strata and milieu are really no different from each other (thus making potent race and class statements). That its moral centers are both homosexual and black (or biracial in the case of Kima), and one is a stickup man, is both highly unusual and also important in multiple ways.

Even the smallest character is precisely written and cast, and every bit of it has something to say, something powerful and even more relevant in our current economic, racial, and political climate.


'The Wire' has aged better than any other show I've ever seen. Because it is as much a period piece (the evolution of technology plays an important and intriguing role) as anything. While being of a certain period, it is more prominently a show that explores the universal issues of institutional decay, corruption, and systemic failures.

However, 'The Wire' is not a show for everyone. It is incredibly dense.

Anybody who describes the show as "75% centered around detectives" or explains Season 2 as a season about "stupid young white boys" hasn't even passed the first narrative gate. 'The Wire' is complex and not everybody is willing or able to explore its many layers.

FYI - 'The Wire' was conceived by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, David Simon. It is also one of the only shows, if not the only, to ever be nearly fully realized before it even began. For comparison, 'Breaking Bad' opened Season 5 with Walter purchasing a massing piece of artillery and Vince Gilligan had no idea how they'd incorporate the weapon into the show...just that he wanted to incorporate it. 'Breaking Bad' also infamously was going to kill off Jesse Pinkman before seeing his character's potential. 'The Wire' is simply in its own league as far as conceptualization and execution.


I personally think the wire is overrated. I'm not sure if it's nostalgia for some people, but i've seen the first 3 seasons and stopped there, maybe i should of kept going for the good stuff... and while i will say.. damn this is pretty good!! I don't think it's as good as people make it out to be.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
governator
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 24996

PostPosted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 1:30 pm    Post subject:

Not an HBO show but an Amazon Prime show called Hands of God. Just finished binge watching it... pretty damn entertaining. kinda like 'The Night of' twist and turn with a side of hallucination
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Off Topic All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next
Page 4 of 5
Jump to:  

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum






Graphics by uberzev
© 1995-2018 LakersGround.net. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.
LakersGround is an unofficial news source serving the fan community since 1995.
We are in no way associated with the Los Angeles Lakers or the National Basketball Association.


Powered by phpBB