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Thread: The High-end TV Series Thread

  1. #1
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    The High-end TV Series Thread

    I stumbled across this BBC production and immediately became hooked. After watching 4 episodes I pulled my wife and daughter in the re-watched with them, all the way through the 8 episodes of the the first season. If you like whodunits and the high quality of BBC dramas, I highly recommend this one. Apparently it became quite the rage in Great Britain.

    Trailer for Season 1:

    http://www.bbcamerica.com/broadchurc...os/first-look/

    Be careful of spoilers -- pay attention to Season 1 before you get into Season 2.

    There is an American version called "Gracepoint" but it is vastly inferior. Don't bother with that one.

    Season 2 begins on BBC America in March.
    Last edited by LA Ute; 01-10-2015 at 01:56 PM.

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  2. #2
    Watched it about a month ago, really liked. Quite a number of twists and turns.

  3. #3
    Enjoying Broardchurch. Thanks for the heads up.

  4. #4
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    This thread started with Broadchurch, but there are others to watch. Is anyone else watching "Poldark?" We've seen the first episode and are hooked. It's very well-done, well-acted and beautifully shot. (I think my wife and daughter mainly started watching because they like looking at the actor who plays the male lead, but they got puled into the story pretty quickly.)

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/poldark/

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  5. #5
    I have not watched Poldark, but there are a couple of pretty good series on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Check out The Code on Netflix and The Last Enemy on Amazon Prime. Series that are edgier, but also pretty good are Damages, The Honorable Woman and Peaky Blinders.

  6. #6
    Broadchurch was fantastic. Just finished season 2 a few weeks ago.

    I just finished True Detective Season 1, and was floored. What a fantastic series.
    I watched season 2 episode 1, and ...... Not quite into it. Not getting great reviews, but should I push on?

    Also, there are a bunch of HBO series I have never seen:
    Oz, The Wire, Sopranos.

    Suggestions on the order I should take these on?

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian View Post
    Also, there are a bunch of HBO series I have never seen:
    Oz, The Wire, Sopranos.

    Suggestions on the order I should take these on?
    I have only seen The Wire, and it was fantastic. Lots and lots and lots of swearing. If you don't mind language and the occassional boobie then it is a great series.

  8. #8
    Narcos. Binge watched it. Awesome

  9. #9
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    ¨River,¨starring Stellan Skarsgaard. A very different detective series that Netflix picked up from the BBC. I watched ther first episode and am hooked.

    http://deadline.com/2015/10/netflix-...an-1201577912/

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  10. #10
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    The High-end TV Series Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    ¨River,¨starring Stellan Skarsgaard. A very different detective series that Netflix picked up from the BBC. I watched ther first episode and am hooked.

    http://deadline.com/2015/10/netflix-...an-1201577912/
    Just watched the final episode. It's the most offbeat and fascinating detective series I've ever seen. Highly recommended. Skarsgaard alone makes it worth watching. "John River is a brilliant detective whose fractured mind traps him between the living and the dead." Watch it. You won't be sorry.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    Just watched the final episode. It's the most offbeat and fascinating detective series I've ever seen. Highly recommended. Skarsgaard alone makes it worth watching. "John River is a brilliant detective whose fractured mind traps him between the living and the dead." Watch it. You won't be sorry.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Just finished episode 1.
    Im excited to continue. Looks very interesting.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Scorcho's Avatar
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    i just finished Broadchurch Season 2, caught me by surprise I just realized about 2 weeks ago that they had done another season. I think I will give River a chance.

    here are a couple other recommendations .... FX's Fargo is incredible it rates out at 100 on Rotton Tomatoes ... They are just finishing up Season 2 PG 13 rated

    HBO's Newsroom is very good PG 13 on Amazon Prime

    HBO's The Leftovers is Phenomenal rated R - it's depressing and disturbing but like a car wreck you can't look away. I couldnt binge watch this series because I neede time in between each episode to wrap my head around it.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Scorcho View Post
    i just finished Broadchurch Season 2, caught me by surprise I just realized about 2 weeks ago that they had done another season. I think I will give River a chance.

    here are a couple other recommendations .... FX's Fargo is incredible it rates out at 100 on Rotton Tomatoes ... They are just finishing up Season 2 PG 13 rated

    HBO's Newsroom is very good PG 13 on Amazon Prime

    HBO's The Leftovers is Phenomenal rated R - it's depressing and disturbing but like a car wreck you can't look away. I couldnt binge watch this series because I neede time in between each episode to wrap my head around it.

    The Leftovers is the best thing I've seen in quite a while.
    I'm slowing making my way through season 2. On episode 4. I really want to enjoy it, and have watched a few episodes multiple times.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Scorcho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    Just watched the final episode. It's the most offbeat and fascinating detective series I've ever seen. Highly recommended. Skarsgaard alone makes it worth watching. "John River is a brilliant detective whose fractured mind traps him between the living and the dead." Watch it. You won't be sorry.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Great recomendation, just finished episode 1

  15. #15
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    This is great.

    http://www.pushbobbysavebobby.com/#/


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    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  16. #16
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    I started watching "The Killing." It's superbly done.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  17. #17
    This isn't really high-end in any way, but Sam Raimi's 'Ash vs the Evil Dead' is a lot of fun. It is a continuation of the early 80s Evil Dead cult films.

    Bruce Campbell is fantastic and schlocky in every early 80s schlock-horror-comedy sense of the word. It has silly makeup, is over-the-top bloody, has silly dialogue, and brings out the grit as well as humanity of small-town Michigan (Sam Raimi is an MSU grad), despite being filmed in New Zealand.

    Bonus: Bruce Campbell is a dead ringer for Mitt Romney, with a chainsaw for a hand.

    Bonus bonus: the series has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

  18. #18
    Senior Member Scorcho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    I started watching "The Killing." It's superbly done.


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    that is a great series, the lead actress (red headed detective) is/was LDS

  19. #19
    Does "Fargo" count as high end TV? We just finished season 2. My wife and I both loved season 1. I liked season 2 a lot more than her but it had some definite slow parts, especially early. However, I think the episode where Nick Offerman was heavily featured (I think it was episode 6ish) was perhaps the best single episode I've seen of a show since Breaking Bad. I also enjoyed the last couple of episodes a lot.

    Looking forward to the return of Better Call Saul in a couple of weeks and then the Americans in March. (Again, not sure if these all count as high end TV but I'm going with it for now).

  20. #20
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UBlender View Post
    Does "Fargo" count as high end TV?
    Oh, ya, you betcha.

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  21. #21
    Five-O Diehard Ute's Avatar
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    I think my "High End" thing now days is The Blacklist.

    James Spader is just awesome. And the depth of the plot line of the show is impressive.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  22. #22
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    The High-end TV Series Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Diehard Ute View Post
    I think my "High End" thing now days is The Blacklist.

    James Spader is just awesome. And the depth of the plot line of the show is impressive.
    That's my guilty pleasure show. Totally unbelievable but wonderful. You're right, Spader is great -- without him and his character, there's no show. I've watched every episode from the beginning.
    Last edited by LA Ute; 01-27-2016 at 10:01 PM.

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  23. #23
    The cliche - he chews up the scenery is the perfect description for Spader in The Blacklist.

  24. #24
    I just finished season 1 of "Daredevil".............I liked it overall, but then again, Im a big marvel fan.

    My biggest complaint, and I appear to be in the minority on this.........I hated the way they portrayed wilson fisk. To stay in the marvel universe, he reminded me a lot of Ronan the Accuser, an oversized, superpowered toddler.

    Looking forward to season 2.

  25. #25
    I just finished watching the first season of "American Odyssey"on Netflix. It originally aired on NBC, but I never heard anything about it. The Hollywood reporter describes it as follows: "American Odyssey" "centered on three families who are torn apart when a stranded female soldier (Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel), a disillusioned corporate attorney (Nurse Jackie's Peter Facinelli) and a disrespected political activist (The Carrie Diaries' Jake Robinson) are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy."

  26. #26
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    I just finished watching the first season of "American Odyssey"on Netflix. It originally aired on NBC, but I never heard anything about it. The Hollywood reporter describes it as follows: "American Odyssey" "centered on three families who are torn apart when a stranded female soldier (Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel), a disillusioned corporate attorney (Nurse Jackie's Peter Facinelli) and a disrespected political activist (The Carrie Diaries' Jake Robinson) are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy."
    I enjoyed that one in the early going, but it lost me by the end of the season. I understand it was canceled and won't return to NBC. The conspiracy just got too complex for me to be believable. Frankly, I don't know why I can suspend disbelief for the story in The Blacklist, but could not do it for American Odyssey. Maybe because it seemed to me that they were making a political statement about current events, which always turns me off. What did you think of it?

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  27. #27
    I enjoyed it. The plot might be making a political statement about current events, but it is a statement that I don't have a hard time following. Just think of it as an arm of the Cabal from Blacklist.

  28. #28
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    The High-end TV Series Thread

    Well, in The Blacklist you know none of it could really happen, so it's just a tale. In American Odyssey it seemed like the filmmakers were taking themselves much too seriously. Maybe it is just me.


    "It's men in shorts." -- Rick Majerus

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  29. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    Well, in The Blacklist you know none of it could really happen, so it's just a tale. In American Odyssey it seemed like the filmmakers were taking themselves much too seriously. Maybe it is just me.


    "It's men in shorts." -- Rick Majerus
    I love the blacklist. Its had me hooked since the first episode. And that real life maternity leave induced game changer a couple of episodes back was just amazing!!

  30. #30
    Had a flight to Manila on which to kill time, so I downloaded the first season of the Sopranos on Amazon Prime. I had never seen The Sopranos before, I feel like I may be one of the last people in America that hasn't. It seems like this was the first big non-network high-end TV series, the first season was in 1999.

    The Soprano's made the time go by quickly. But thinking back, there wasn't a lot of action, cliff-hangers, etc., just really interesting characters, in an interesting world, with great acting. I have season 2 in the queue for the flight home, and then will work through the rest of the seasons this summer.
    Last edited by chrisrenrut; 05-11-2016 at 06:25 PM.
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

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