Looking at the "Television" forum and seeing thread after thread about comic book heroes I've never heard of has really got me down, for some reason. So this is a thread for talking about any shows that are NOT adapted from comic books (P.S. "Graphic novels" are totally comic books, as far as I'm concerned).
If there are no shows currently on television except comic book adaptations, we can talk about older shows instead. ("My Name is Earl" was a particular favorite of mine!)
Thanks! Blacklist looks really interesting -- I might give that a try, despite Spader's recent appearance in a comic book adaptation movie! Currently I'm taking advantage of Amazon Prime to watch some of the shows I missed when they were on: Justified, Boardwalk Empire, and Deadwood. I'm also getting really into Man in the High Castle.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Heroes Reborn isn't technically an adapted comic book, it's original story comic book.
In January there's the X-files revival mini-season. Also the premiere of the Shannara Chronicles on MTV in January (which admittedly is an adaptation, but of fantasy, not comics).
I'm enjoying Blindspot, and Minority Report and Sleepy Hollow are okay.
Genre television...yeah right now it's almost entirely comic book adaptations. I think the only show I am currently watching that doesn't fit into that paradigm is Dr Who and The Man in the High Castle....and I have kind of gotten bored of the latter and have been very slow to watch the final 4 episodes
I am also watching Star Trek: The Next Generation as background noise
Really looking forward to the next season of Orphan Black, 12 Monkeys, and Sense8, but those won't be out for awhile. Also intrigued with The Expanse.
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Black Sails is my favorite at the moment not based on a comic book. However, it does take place 20 years before Treasure Island so its loosely based on a book. I mean very loosely. The exposition of this show is truly amazing.
Homeland is decent and not based on a comic book. Spy stories updated for the modern world. However, I think the show has dropped in quality since season 3 ended. Still the first 3 seasons are excellent.
Ray Donovan is a contemporary noir series with an excellent cast. Old street thug story updated for the millennial generation. Many compelling characters and sub-plots. Jon voight is not to be missed.
Fargo uses the 90's film as a sort of guide but is really taking on a life of its own. Another excellent contemporary noir series.
Despite the second season getting mostly negative reviews, True Detective provides an excellent contemporary noir experience with top talented actors.
Orphan Black started out an excellent series with a compelling premise. Though I feel its writing is starting to get bad and dont see to many more seasons left for OB. A sort of conspiracy theory genetic experiment series. Worth a look.
Rectify isnt talked about nearly enough. This show takes place in the south where a young man went to prison for a murder he didnt commit. 18 years later he is freed based on DNA evidence and has to reintegrate himself into society. I believe its available on netflix.
I am not as enthralled as everyone else seems to be with Mr. Robot but it could be an interesting show for you. Lots of fanfare for this underground hacker fighting the evil corporation tale. Very emo and stuff.
David Lynch's calssic Twin Peaks is returning next year. Finally after 25 years we may get to find out what happened to laura palmer. Quirky characters and tense ambiance makes this a neat experience. Get ready with the original seasons on netflix.
I dont watch much network television so I cant comment on that scene.
Black Sails is my favorite at the moment not based on a comic book.
Ooh! Sounds good. Added disks to my queue (no Netflix streaming).
Homeland is decent and not based on a comic book.
Season 1 was good, but not good enough for me to pay to see them on Amazon Prime.
Ray Donovan is a contemporary noir series with an excellent cast.
Started watching S1E1 on a plane, and didn't make it all the way through. I may have to try again.
Despite the second season getting mostly negative reviews, True Detective provides an excellent contemporary noir experience with top talented actors.
Season 1 was my favorite TV show of all time. Haven't seen any of S2 -- I can't stand Colin Ferrel.
Rectify isnt talked about nearly enough. This show takes place in the south where a young man went to prison for a murder he didnt commit. 18 years later he is freed based on DNA evidence and has to reintegrate himself into society. I believe its available on netflix.
I'll mention this one to Mrs Gersen; it sounds right up her alley.
David Lynch's classic Twin Peaks is returning next year. Get ready with the original seasons on netflix.
I never did see that show when it was on. It's on my streaming queue, but my interest in it isn't that high.
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Season 1 of True Detective was amazing, but I couldn't even get through the second season. Huge drop in quality of writing, and I think the showrunner just couldn't juggle the larger cast.
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I think there was a lot going for TD season 2, but the missteps out weighed the risk. I still enjoyed it a lot and think its a quality experience. Hopefully there will be a third season.
@Kirth Let me know how Black Sails goes for you. In my opinion the show gets better and better.
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Fargo is probably the best series on TV right now. Everything about it is top-notch and season 2 is probably even better than season 1.
Rectify is superb, but really depressing. Thankfully the seasons are relatively short.
In the same vein is The Leftovers, a Damon Lindelof show about how 2% of Earth's population just vanishes into thin air. It deals with the effects on the eponymous people that were left. Christopher Ecclestone, Liv Tyler and Justin Theroux are part of the cast (the latter is suprisingly not bad).
The Americans is about two Soviet sleeper agents in the 80s. Excellent writing and great performances all around.
I agree with Imbicatus that James Spader is the best thing about The Blacklist. The rest of the show is a big pile of hot garbage, however.
The second season of the Librarians seems to be better than the first (it's still got the characters goofing off, but they seem willing to let an episode end on a down-note).
Minority Report did okay its first season (half-season?).
Does Castle count if there were Castle graphic novels made after the series started?
Echoing positive take on Scorpion.
Love the Muppets.
And probably my favorite series after Castle is Elementary.
Also currently a few episodes into season five of Deep Space Nine on Netflix. Just after the crossover episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" where Julian Bashir goes back in time and meets who he suspects to be his great-grandmother and ponders sleeping with her just in case it turns out that he is his own great-grandfather. And then, later in the series, we find out that Dr. Bashir is genetically engineered because he had learning difficulties as a child (I wonder if it's related).
I got into Black Sails after Vikings and I must say it is fantastic. Particularly as I'm in the middle of DMing Skull and Shackles lol.
One of the reasons I love it is that while it is bloodthirsty, unlike Game of Thrones it really means something when someone dies. Done so well but won't give any spoilers.
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I really want to like Blacklist. Spader is great. I would watch an edited version that was nothing but his dialogue. That said, some of the writing is really bad. Also, in the age of binge watching shows, I get really annoyed when they string the main plot along and every reveal only makes things more "mysterious". I'll probably give Blacklist another look once the series is done and I can watch it all over a short period.
I tried watching The Leftovers. I didn't get it. Best I can tell, it's a slice of life show after people mysteriously disappear. It's well acted and written, but I don't get the point of it. I don't understand where it's going or why. It has a ton of potential though.
I just got HBO Now, so I'm watching The Sopranos for the first time. It definitely feels a little dated, but I'm enjoying it all the same.
I enjoy Castle quite a bit. This season is a little so-so, but the cast is still strong and enjoyable to watch.
I tried watching The Leftovers. I didn't get it. Best I can tell, it's a slice of life show after people mysteriously disappear. It's well acted and written, but I don't get the point of it. I don't understand where it's going or why. It has a ton of potential though.
The Leftovers is about many things: how to deal with loss (especially when you don't know what happened to the missing person), religious fanatism, why life is worth living, mental health, etc. It is a but slow, but I think it's worth it.
I enjoy Castle quite a bit. This season is a little so-so, but the cast is still strong and enjoyable to watch.
I think it'll get better now that
Also, I heartily approved of the return of Officer Slaughter.
We're really liking Blindspot. Ok it's basically another Police Procedural but I'm enjoying the ongoing mystery with the tattoos
I tried watching The Leftovers. I didn't get it. Best I can tell, it's a slice of life show after people mysteriously disappear. It's well acted and written, but I don't get the point of it. I don't understand where it's going or why. It has a ton of potential though.
The Leftovers is about many things: how to deal with loss (especially when you don't know what happened to the missing person), religious fanatism, why life is worth living, mental health, etc. It is a but slow, but I think it's worth it.
I get what you're saying, and I think what you said is covered in the part of my post that I bolded. I'm not big on slice of life stories. A paragraph long summary is usually just a list of events that happened, without actually describing a story.
I loved The Wire. It was a slow show, with tons of characters, often loosely connected. At the same time, it had a direction and I can easily identify what the show is about and tell you where it's going to take me very early on.
I don't know where The Leftovers is going. As far as I can tell, it's not going anywhere, it's just going to be a period of time out of these people's lives when some things happen. Maybe later one when some big reveals happen, the point and direction of the story will come into focus. If that happens, I'll probably take the time to catch back up and watch the show.
I enjoy Castle quite a bit. This season is a little so-so, but the cast is still strong and enjoyable to watch.I think it'll get better now that
** spoiler omitted **Also, I heartily approved of the return of Officer Slaughter.
I just want an opinion... did you find Lucy to be really off-putting in that episode? Like to the point that I hope they never include it again. Ever. I understand they were going for a sounding board for Castle's thoughts, but there are plenty of characters to do that with and it just felt super awkward and out of place to use Lucy for it.
Also, he should stop bragging about banging his wife to his daughter.
Really enjoyed the last kingdom
I enjoy Castle quite a bit. This season is a little so-so, but the cast is still strong and enjoyable to watch.I think it'll get better now that
** spoiler omitted **Also, I heartily approved of the return of Officer Slaughter.
I just want an opinion... did you find Lucy to be really off-putting in that episode? Like to the point that I hope they never include it again. Ever. I understand they were going for a sounding board for Castle's thoughts, but there are plenty of characters to do that with and it just felt super awkward and out of place to use Lucy for it.
Also, he should stop bragging about banging his wife to his daughter.
For me, it's not so much I found her particular character off-putting as the fact that I found her being a character at all to be disconcerting. I mean, the last time I saw a home appliance demonstrate intelligence like this (in a series that wasn't even about cutting-edge technology), I was watching Rocky IV and Paulie was getting a robot as a birthday present.
I tried watching The Leftovers. I didn't get it. Best I can tell, it's a slice of life show after people mysteriously disappear. It's well acted and written, but I don't get the point of it. I don't understand where it's going or why. It has a ton of potential though.
The Leftovers is about many things: how to deal with loss (especially when you don't know what happened to the missing person), religious fanatism, why life is worth living, mental health, etc. It is a but slow, but I think it's worth it.
I get what you're saying, and I think what you said is covered in the part of my post that I bolded. I'm not big on slice of life stories. A paragraph long summary is usually just a list of events that happened, without actually describing a story.
I loved The Wire. It was a slow show, with tons of characters, often loosely connected. At the same time, it had a direction and I can easily identify what the show is about and tell you where it's going to take me very early on.
I don't know where The Leftovers is going. As far as I can tell, it's not going anywhere, it's just going to be a period of time out of these people's lives when some things happen. Maybe later one when some big reveals happen, the point and direction of the story will come into focus. If that happens, I'll probably take the time to catch back up and watch the show.
If you're looking for a big reveal, Leftovers might not be for you. The story gets more focussed, though, as the Guilty Remnant starts to play a big role. It is what drives the story, but you have to be patient.
Maybe later one when some big reveals happen, the point and direction of the story will come into focus. If that happens, I'll probably take the time to catch back up and watch the show.
The show runners have explicitly stated that, as with the original book, they are never going to provide an explanation for how or why people disappeared, where they went, etc. If that's the payoff you're looking for, stop watching now.
The point of the story is to explore how people deal with loss and what mythologies they create for themselves to explain events for which no answer is forthcoming.
Maybe later one when some big reveals happen, the point and direction of the story will come into focus. If that happens, I'll probably take the time to catch back up and watch the show.The show runners have explicitly stated that, as with the original book, they are never going to provide an explanation for how or why people disappeared, where they went, etc. If that's the payoff you're looking for, stop watching now.
The point of the story is to explore how people deal with loss and what mythologies they create for themselves to explain events for which no answer is forthcoming.
That isn't what I'm finding fault with in the show.
Instead of trying to explain the show to me more (I've watched some of the show, as much as I could stand), if you don't understand my issue with it, feel free to ask me questions about my opinion, like what part of you it you don't understand.
I don't find the show compelling. I get what it's about and what kind of show it is. The writing/acting/directing I've seen has been very good so far. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in the story they are telling. I find it directionless and vague.
I don't need the show explained to me again.
So what "big reveals" are you looking for?
So what "big reveals" are you looking for?
I'm not really looking for any. I just don't like the show.
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If you're into black comedies and/or political comedies, my wife and I have been enjoying Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. We watch it via HBO Now. I don't watch a lot of TV, so I don't know how it compares, but aside from a few episodes, it's consistently fun.
I also found Constantine very enjoyable. The main character is a lot of fun and I like the concept. Shame the second series is unlikely but the first episodes had a lot of flavour.
Edit: just realised this is a comic book adaption! Sorry. But it is a very good one and in my opinion much better than some of the other tut.
I also found Constantine very enjoyable. The main character is a lot of fun and I like the concept. Shame the second series is unlikely but the first episodes had a lot of flavour.
Edit: just realised this is a comic book adaption! Sorry. But it is a very good one and in my opinion much better than some of the other tut.
The show has also already been cancelled and John Constantine relegated to a third-rank character on Arrow.
Only non-comic show I've been watching is iZombie. Its been enjoyable.
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The show has also already been cancelled and John Constantine relegated to a third-rank character on Arrow.I also found Constantine very enjoyable. The main character is a lot of fun and I like the concept. Shame the second series is unlikely but the first episodes had a lot of flavour.
Edit: just realised this is a comic book adaption! Sorry. But it is a very good one and in my opinion much better than some of the other tut.
I hadn't watched the show, but based on his appearance in Arrow I wish I had.
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Only non-comic show I've been watching is iZombie. Its been enjoyable.
I've got some bad news for that claim.
well, it looks like nothing on TV I watch is non-comic.
well, it looks like nothing on TV I watch is non-comic.
See what I mean?
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Ash vs The Evil Dead?
Black Sails is beautiful... But it often relies too much on exposition and forgets the golden rule known as "show, don't tell"... That makes quite a few episodes move too slowly and become too boring.
far too much gratuitous sex.
No such thing!
Ash vs The Evil Dead?
Is that on Netflix or Amazon Prime yet? I would totally watch that!
Drunk History!!
I'm going to third or fourth suggest Fargo, absolutely phenomenal show! Also the first three seasons of Sons of Anarchy were pretty good.
I also miss My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, and The Office.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is always great, same with Archer.
You're The Worst! Is alright, a raunchy comedy, but good actors and writers.
If you're interested in internet original shows I highly, highly recommend The Awesomes, and Quickdraw is a pretty good cowboy themed improvisational comedy. Difficult People is also pretty good there.
Edit: those last few are on Hulu.
I'm going to third or fourth suggest Fargo, absolutely phenomenal show!
I'm always skeptical of a show based on a movie, but given the number of good reviews, I may need to rethink that.
Also the first three seasons of Sons of Anarchy were pretty good.
I liked seasons 1-2. Watched seasons 3-4 and didn't like them, then stopped watching altogether.
I also miss My Name is Earl, 30 Rock,
Loved them!
and The Office.
Couldn't stand this show. Annoying =/= funny, to me.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is always great,
Saw the pilot, didn't get any of it, and gave up.
same with Archer.
Bad animation and the so-called "ironic" hipster vibe I get from the commercials for it has kept me far away from this one.
You're The Worst! Is alright, a raunchy comedy, but good actors and writers.
Never heard of this one, but I'm a sucker for raunchy comedies.
I saw the first episode of Master of None on Nextflix. It was an amusing if all too realistic show.
Kirth, if you're up for some British TV, I'd strongly suggest trying Utopia as well as Life on Mars and its sequel, Ashes to Ashes.
Fargo, despite the name, is not based on the movie.
It's set in Minnesota, has the beginning tag line of being a true story, and that's all.
Kirth, if you're up for some British TV, I'd strongly suggest trying Utopia
After a group of people, who meet online, discover a bizarre graphic novel...
More comic books!
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I saw season 1 of Black Sails but we gave up most cable, so I don't have it anymore. (Aside, I watched it because of the soundtrack*, but got into it.)
Comics are about the *only* thing Once Upon a Time hasn't stole- er borrowed from (how do you do strike text anyway?) I enjoy the range of acting, it runs from the muted Robert Carsyle) to the scenery chewing of Rebecca Mader.
I've heard The Librarians is good, has some cast I enjoy, but again, no cable.