# "That's some bad hat, Harry!"



## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i'm almost through season five of "house". 

without a doubt, the best television series i have ever seen (that said, i've never watched the sopranos).

any other fans here?


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

Hugh Laurie was on Craig Ferguson last night...hilarious guy...

[video=youtube;ZkgEczPICrY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkgEczPICrY[/video]


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

got bored of it a few seasons back.

if you think that show is great you're missing out on some fantastic series on HBO and AMC.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

There are shows that I just don't get into because because I don't like the main character/s. It's not that I have some pompous "It's immoral" attitude, but some characters are bad in a way that makes it hard to have any empathy for them, and once you don't have any empathy or even hope for a character, that's it, no reason to watch any more. While there is no denying the acting was excellent, I stopped watching The Sopranos, and was never able to get into House. I tried Dexter, but it couldn't sustain my attention. Can't get into either zombie or vampire shows either.

That's not to say I don't like any shows with anti-heros. I used to like that show _Buffalo Bill _with Dabney Coleman playing an absolute prick, similar to what he played in 9 to 5, only worse. Love _Curb Your Enthusiasm_, and Larry David is anything but lovable as a central character. The Ron Swanson character on _Park & Recreation _is played with absolutely delicious contempt.

We don't get HBO, but we get AMC and I quite enjoy _Breaking Bad_. Bryan Cranston has come a long way from playing Jerry Seinfeld's dentist-who-converted-in-order-to-tell-Jewish-jokes. I think some of his best acting moments on that show come when he wants to say something but can't. And, unlike Tony Soprano, he's a character whose descent we've witnessed as circumstances piled up. In Tony Soprano's case, we first get to know him as a bad guy, and little snippets of his "inner good guy" only leak out occasionally. Makes it harder to feel empathy than in Walter White's case.

incidentally, you folks DO know where the "bad hat, Harry" comment comes from, right?


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...thanks for the tips....is it mark?

there have been many times that i was tempted to bail on "house", escpecially during seasons two and three. some of the writing/episodes have been downright petty, petulant and banal. with seasons four and five, however, they seem to have hit their stride. and some of the subject matter they have tackled is nothing short of courageous.

i'm a huge curb your enthusiasm fan. i'll purchase the entire series one day. my partner, however, doesn't share my "enthusiasm".

a friend recommnded "in plain sight" for the writing and character development, so i purchased the first two seasons. i haven't gotten past the pilot, however. it seems to be aimed at the nancy grace crowd.

i'll rent a couple of episodes of "breaking bad" next weekend and give it a try.

i know where the "bad hat harry" quote originates, but i don't want to spoil the fun...



mhammer said:


> There are shows that I just don't get into because because I don't like the main character/s. It's not that I have some pompous "It's immoral" attitude, but some characters are bad in a way that makes it hard to have any empathy for them, and once you don't have any empathy or even hope for a character, that's it, no reason to watch any more. While there is no denying the acting was excellent, I stopped watching The Sopranos, and was never able to get into House. I tried Dexter, but it couldn't sustain my attention. Can't get into either zombie or vampire shows either.
> 
> That's not to say I don't like any shows with anti-heros. I used to like that show _Buffalo Bill _with Dabney Coleman playing an absolute prick, similar to what he played in 9 to 5, only worse. Love _Curb Your Enthusiasm_, and Larry David is anything but lovable as a central character. The Ron Swanson character on _Park & Recreation _is played with absolutely delicious contempt.
> 
> ...


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

I still watch it, but I always love Sherlock Holmes stories and I respect them for not trying to hide it. Self destructive and rude genius who is tolerated because he solves the mysteries no one else can, while his faithful and moral companion does his best to keep him from falling apart. Each story and the overall arc of the characters is carried on a case by case basis.

House = Holmes
Wilson = Watson

Not so subtle, but it works. And who doesn't love Sherlock Holmes?

Me personally, I'd throw Deadwood, The Twilight Zone, The Wire, and The Shield on the very top of the all time television heap.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...that is probably a huge part of my attraction to the show. the bbc sherlock holmes series with jeremy brett is another collection i intend to purchase. it is priceless. classic.

thanks for the other tips - i'm compiling a list of them to check out.




LowWatt said:


> I still watch it, but I always love Sherlock Holmes stories and I respect them for not trying to hide it. Self destructive and rude genius who is tolerated because he solves the mysteries no one else can, while his faithful and moral companion does his best to keep him from falling apart. Each story and the overall arc of the characters is carried on a case by case basis.
> 
> House = Holmes
> Wilson = Watson
> ...


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

yes, it's Mark.

One of the series I'd like to have the set of is not a TV show at all, and that's the radio drama "Afghanada" ( Afghanada ). Well written, well acted, good characters, and lots to think about. Actually, there have been a number of continuing radio dramas on CBC that I found myself engrossed in. "Midnight Cab" was a good one, and so was "Peggy Delaney".

A lot of folks hate _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ because of the unpleasantness of the main character, which I guess is similar to why I just don't like _House_. But what you have to like about _Curb_ is the story arc. Larry David spends a whole episode, and sometimes an entire season, engineering these wonderfully catastrophic coincidences. The season that led up to him debuting on Broadway as Max Bialystok in The Producers was as brilliant a story arc as they come. And of course, as unpleasant as he is, the general pattern is that he gets away with the most reprehensible aspects of his behaviour, yet always gets nailed for things that weren't really his fault.

We were gabbing in the living room the other day, and I suggested that there ought to be a schadenfreude channel - Wallow TV -. ( Schadenfreude - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) All misery to enjoy, 24/7. They'd show all those Gail Vaz-Oxlade shows where you see people desperately trying to climb out of debt holes. Wipeout and MXE re-runs. Maury Povich and Jerry Springer. Biggest Loser. C.O.P.S. and the various pawnshop shows. Selected episodes of Dragon's Den. BBC shows like Shameless. Anything where you can enjoy someone else's stupidity and misery. And movie night would have films about "successful" people who screw up royally, like the Kevin Spacey flick "Swimming with sharks", or the short-lived Jay Mohr show "Action", or huge Hollywood flops like Ishtar and Gigli, or any of the political scandal movies. It would be the feel-good channel where you just get to feel better than so many other people, all day long.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Curb is one of my all time favorite series. Larry David is a genius.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I watch very little TV, but I'm a huge Breaking Bad fan. I own the first 3 seasons, and recently re-watched the whole pile from end to end. The series *might* be something you can jump into the middle of, but I doubt it - will make much more sense to watch from the beginning. There are very few poor episodes, but if you did catch one of them, that doesn't really advance the plot at all (the fly in the lab anyone? I get that it's more a character study on the main character, but it REALLY did nothing for me or the plot), I'm pretty sure it would turn you off. So, go to season 1 episode 1, and if by episode 4 you're not hooked, well, it's probably not for you.

Mark, though I never really thought of it that way before, I think you are 100% 'nail on the head' about Cranston's comedic moments when he doesn't actually say anything. I am also a fan of Afghanada, though I probably haven't heard 25% of it overall. If it's on while I'm driving, I listen in.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

breaking bad is fantastic.

I'd also highly recommend "Shameless" (US version - although the british version is probably just as good or better)

some other gooders worth watching:
Dexter
Sons of Anarchy
Californication


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## ledfloyd (Apr 1, 2011)

Arrested Development hasn't been mentioned yet.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

When I subscribed to Netflix one of the first series I watched was "Huff". It only lasted two seasons, but it was probably one of the best shows ever, for my taste. I also found "Weeds" to be good for a chuckle.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

weeds went from a comedic drama to full out drama pretty quickly in the recent seasons... kind of disappointing, but still a good watch


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

ledfloyd said:


> Arrested Development hasn't been mentioned yet.


Oh ya, great call.


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## kenehdn (Mar 8, 2006)

I've always loved that "That's some bad hat, Harry!" closer vignette...and only now do I know why...it came from a blockbuster movie I stood in line for on the day it was released and proceeded to pay to watch it another 12 X...that was May 1975, I was 13....Sheriff Brody was listening to an oldtimer about the water and how the sheriff never goes in...funny how the subconscious is...
Oh yea, House is a pretty good series...brilliance humanized.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

A few years back, I got into House. I thought, "Wow, this show is great!" After a while though, I realized every episode is the same.

Weird sickness > House thinks it's something simple > Patient shows improvement > Patient suddenly takes a turn for the worse (usually at about the 25 minute mark) > House takes painkillers > The "team" guesses for a while > House suddenly has a epiphany based on some RANDOM thing that he sees or someone says and saves the day! (usually it's because of something the patient didn't mention or lied about - like they're allergic to cats or something).

Sprinkle in House being a dick to everyone and sexually harassing the woman who runs the hospital and you've got an episode. My wife and I were watching an episode and it was about halfway through and she suddenly says "beep! beep! beep! beep!" and 10 seconds later the life support machine on the TV starts beeping as the patient went into convulsions. That was the last episode we ever watched.


Arrested Development is one of the best shows ever made. The series actually gets better the more times you watch through it because you realize things you missed before and other very subtle hints and jokes tied to future episodes. The writing is absolutely brilliant.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

House is one of the few shows I watch on any sort of regular basis--but usually it's recorded and watched whenever.

It has had some stale periods, and some times they tried different stuff--some of it worked, some didn't.
I think pert of the appeal is to see how big a pig House can be.

Sometimes it's the guest stars.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

House is simply freaking good. There were a few episodes in season 3 and 4 that sucked..but they got back on the horse and kept riding high. it's one, if not THE most rated show right now. even at season 7. this guy is making SO MUCH MONEY each episode, you could'nt believe it..


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

My wife is a devoted _House_-watcher. She is also a devotee of the sci-fi show _Torchwood_. My soldering iron commits me to enough stuff that I don't set aside time for it, but the few moments I catch seem well done.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i agree that house has a sort of plot "formula" that everything else revolves around, and there was a middle period when, as "toast" suggests, it got a little _too_ predictable.

i sense that at some point they gave the writers carte blanche, and the series began to take on new dimensions. i'm two episodes away from the end of season five, and it seeems like each episode is more amazing than the last.

pretty hard to top the two-part bus accident episode, however...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Season 6 and 7 are ****ing awsome man...you'll love them. I don't watch them on TV myself..i wait for the season to be over..and then i watch then all..LOL

PS..if you like this kinda of humor..in case you never watched it...BOSTON LEGAL...i was also blow away by this show. No wonder Shatner won so many emmy



david henman said:


> ...i agree that house has a sort of plot "formula" that everything else revolves around, and there was a middle period when, as "toast" suggests, it got a little _too_ predictable.
> 
> i sense that at some point they gave the writers carte blanche, and the series began to take on new dimensions. i'm two episodes away from the end of season five, and it seeems like each episode is more amazing than the last.
> 
> pretty hard to top the two-part bus accident episode, however...


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## Jeff B. (Feb 20, 2010)

mhammer said:


> yes, it's Mark.
> 
> One of the series I'd like to have the set of is not a TV show at all, and that's the radio drama "Afghanada" ( Afghanada ). Well written, well acted, good characters, and lots to think about. Actually, there have been a number of continuing radio dramas on CBC that I found myself engrossed in. "Midnight Cab" was a good one, and so was "Peggy Delaney".


+1 on Afghanada. I follow more CBC radio shows than I do television shows. I liked Backbencher and hope it returns for a third season. The Vinyl Cafe is another good one.

I was a devoted House watcher but my interest dropped after they shuffled the team around a few years ago but I'm coming back around to it again.
Archer, Deadliest Catch, Mighty Ships, Man vs. Wild, The Daily Show and Nascar are about the only shows that I watch on a mostly regular basis.


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## ledfloyd (Apr 1, 2011)

Jeff B. said:


> +1 on Afghanada. I follow more CBC radio shows than I do television shows. I liked Backbencher and hope it returns for a third season. The Vinyl Cafe is another good one.
> 
> I was a devoted House watcher but my interest dropped after they shuffled the team around a few years ago but I'm coming back around to it again.
> Archer, Deadliest Catch, Mighty Ships, Man vs. Wild, The Daily Show and Nascar are about the only shows that I watch on a mostly regular basis.


Man vs. Wild ... Have you watched Survivorman?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Okay, cards on the table, fellas. The _real_ reason people like House is because of House's guitars and the fact that he plays (although from what my son tells me, Olivia Wilde may play a role there too).


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

david henman said:


> pretty hard to top the two-part bus accident episode, however...


Now that was a good one, and it's episodes like that one that draw me to the show.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

Actually, if it wasn't for live NASCAR rasces every weekend, I'd cut off my cable TV completely. I almost never watch it. Most of the series I feel like checking out aren't broadcast here or are older stuff that's even fallen out of syndication anyway so I download them. Streaming video from my computer to my PS3 is the greatest thing ever.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Really enjoyed House the first couple of seasons and then lost interest. Perhaps it has picked up in more recent years... 

The BBC Sherlock Holmes series is perhaps my all-time fav tv show. I need to get the DVD's if they have them out there.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Powdered Toast Man said:


> Actually, if it wasn't for live NASCAR rasces every weekend, I'd cut off my cable TV completely. I almost never watch it. Most of the series I feel like checking out aren't broadcast here or are older stuff that's even fallen out of syndication anyway so I download them. Streaming video from my computer to my PS3 is the greatest thing ever.


I'm not dissing it, but I honestly can't see what the attraction of watching NASCAR races on TV is. Our niece's husband is a guy named Bob Ellis who has some kind of high profile NASCAR blog, and a "shrine" to Dale Earnhardt in the basement. I can understand his interest in it, and he's gone on about it at length to me on several occasions, but there's gotta be a difference between watching the sport live, where you can feel the thrum in your chest, and watching cars go around and around and around on TV, without necessarily being able to follow the cars of principal interest to oneself. I'm missing something here. What is it?


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

bluesmostly said:


> Really enjoyed House the first couple of seasons and then lost interest. Perhaps it has picked up in more recent years...
> 
> The BBC Sherlock Holmes series is perhaps my all-time fav tv show. I need to get the DVD's if they have them out there.


Amazon.com: Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Edward Hardwicke: Movies & TV

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series 12 DVD: Amazon.ca: DVD, David Burke, Edward Hardwicke: DVD


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

zontar said:


> Now that was a good one, and it's episodes like that one that draw me to the show.


...last night we watched two-hour sixth season opener - absolutely astounding!

and even more compelling the the bus accident episode.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

mhammer said:


> I'm not dissing it, but I honestly can't see what the attraction of watching NASCAR races on TV is. Our niece's husband is a guy named Bob Ellis who has some kind of high profile NASCAR blog, and a "shrine" to Dale Earnhardt in the basement. I can understand his interest in it, and he's gone on about it at length to me on several occasions, but there's gotta be a difference between watching the sport live, where you can feel the thrum in your chest, and watching cars go around and around and around on TV, without necessarily being able to follow the cars of principal interest to oneself. I'm missing something here. What is it?


When you have no interest or connection to a sport, it's easy to dismiss it. Some people are hardcore baseball fans, but I find watching an MLB game on TV to be poke my eyes out boring. Golf is internationally televised (even has its own channel) and the players are considered athletes, despite there being no head to head competition or any real athleticism required.

Inevitably, you always run into those stick and ball sports people who say, "Nascar's stupid!" "It's dumb!" "That's not a sport!". 

Having been to two actual Nascar races, I can speak to the appeal of each. Live, the experience is unlike anything I've every experienced. It's not the same as going to a football or hockey game AT ALL. It's actually sort of sensory overload. You need to wear hearing protection, and the ground shakes when the cars go by. TV also actually makes the cars appear to be moving slower than they are. You really don't realize how banked the corners are until you've stood on the track and looked up at it. TV really distorts the perspectives in that regard. However, live you really don't know what's going on with the majority of the field. You focus on your driver, tune your scanner to his radio frequency, and pretty much just follow them.

The TV broadcast gives you the entire picture. You get a full understanding of how the race is unfolding, and the strategies being used by various teams. You know why cautions came out, you know who's having a good day, and who's having a bad day. There's just so much more detail. The TV package Nascar has actually sucks pretty bad because they split the season between three different broadcasters. That being said, even some of the race broadcasts are good, and others not so good. FOX is like watching "Hee Haw" with 850 horsepower. TNT's coverage is seriously lacking in on-air talent. ESPN does probably the best job at professionally covering a race.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Thanks. That brings it into perspective. Clearly, someone who has seen "the real thing" ends up seeing something different on TV than the person like me who channel flips to see if the game is on and just sees "guys driving loud cars around in ovals". Pretty much the same way my wife can't understand what I see in CFL football, and only sees a bunch of guys jumping onto each other, and not the strategy.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

Well exactly. A lot of people dismiss it as "turning left" or "going in circles". What they don't realize is the skill and endurance required to do it. The cars are literally on the knife edge of control. One former driver said that if one could walk up to one of those cars in the corner and touch the side with your finger, the car would spin out. The difference between 1st and 41st is a few tenths of a second per lap. Not to mention getting slammed into the side of your seat every few seconds when you enter a corner by a few G's of force.

Yes, anyone can drive a car. But anyone can throw a football around too. Just because I play a few recreational games with my buddies does not mean I think I can just walk onto the field at a CFL game and play QB.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i don't really watch television. i don't have it in my home. but i watched that video, and i thought both of those guys were pretty funny.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...last night we watched two-hour sixth season opener - absolutely astounding!
> 
> and even more compelling the the bus accident episode.


that was a good one too.

It's interestin in a way, that House Changes, but he doesn't.

All too often, TV shows take a character that starts off with negative traits and either expands them so the character parodies itself, or they "nice" them up.
Louie on Taxi was an example of a show not doing that, and House is also one--although they flirt with the idea, and kind of tease you about it.

but in the end, he's still House.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...has anyone watched "damages" or "the good wife"?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Yes. Both well-acted and well-written. Much like "House", I find that if I don't care for the main characters as people, I become disinterested in the show very quickly. "Damages" was one such show. There aren't very many nice people in it.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Yes. Both well-acted and well-written. Much like "House", I find that if I don't care for the main characters as people, I become disinterested in the show very quickly. "Damages" was one such show. There aren't very many nice people in it.


...aye, there's the rub - i'm not terribly fond of shows about "nice people" (evil grin)!

seriously that, to me, is what makes house endlessly fascinating. he is such a deeply flawed character.

(i do enjoy "positive" entertainment - i gave "up" to my mom for her 84th).


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Powdered Toast Man said:


> Well exactly. A lot of people dismiss it as "turning left" or "going in circles". What they don't realize is the skill and endurance required to do it. The cars are literally on the knife edge of control. One former driver said that if one could walk up to one of those cars in the corner and touch the side with your finger, the car would spin out. The difference between 1st and 41st is a few tenths of a second per lap. Not to mention getting slammed into the side of your seat every few seconds when you enter a corner by a few G's of force.
> 
> Yes, anyone can drive a car. But anyone can throw a football around too. Just because I play a few recreational games with my buddies does not mean I think I can just walk onto the field at a CFL game and play QB.


This part of the thread reminded me of a funny video from The Onion. I don't mean to discount what you say, just havin' some fun here....

[video=youtube;ZwikXZ9uVQQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwikXZ9uVQQ[/video]


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...aye, there's the rub - i'm not terribly fond of shows about "nice people" (evil grin)!
> 
> seriously that, to me, is what makes house endlessly fascinating. he is such a deeply flawed character.
> 
> (i do enjoy "positive" entertainment - i gave "up" to my mom for her 84th).


No harm there. I can respect such shows (and will certainly bow to the art in "Damages"), but unless there is a hint of redemption of characters, they just don't hold my interest for very long. I had mentioned the old show Buffalo Bill some time back. Dabney Coleman's character on that show was an out and out unrepentent prick. I suspect in due time I would have lost interest in that show too, but it was cancelled before I had the chance.

My older son is a big fan of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". I've seen several episodes, and I can see why he enjoys it. The main characters are such unethical putzes, but somewhere, much like the Trailer Park Boys, they have these good intentions buried underneath their childish egocentrism and greed. It's one of those shows that, just like Curb Your Enthusiasm, you can find yourself squirming in your seat while you watch it, eager for it to go to commercials and save you from the embarrassment you know is coming.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

mhammer said:


> No harm there. I can respect such shows (and will certainly bow to the art in "Damages"), but unless there is a hint of redemption of characters, they just don't hold my interest for very long. I had mentioned the old show Buffalo Bill some time back. Dabney Coleman's character on that show was an out and out unrepentent prick. I suspect in due time I would have lost interest in that show too, but it was cancelled before I had the chance.
> 
> My older son is a big fan of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". I've seen several episodes, and I can see why he enjoys it. The main characters are such unethical putzes, but somewhere, much like the Trailer Park Boys, they have these good intentions buried underneath their childish egocentrism and greed. It's one of those shows that, just like Curb Your Enthusiasm, you can find yourself squirming in your seat while you watch it, eager for it to go to commercials and save you from the embarrassment you know is coming.


....now THAT'S entertainment!

i do know what you mean by 'a hint of redemption', though. i look for that, as well. in season six they provide that for house, but i suspect it's too good to be true - i've heard that in season seven the real house comes, er, _shining_ through.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Hamstrung said:


> This part of the thread reminded me of a funny video from The Onion. I don't mean to discount what you say, just havin' some fun here....



...forwarded to my brother the car nut!


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

I dunno though, do you think House and Cuddy had any good chemistry as a couple? He must have steered that into the ditch by now I'm guessing... I haven't watched any of the last couple of seasons.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Multi talented as well



> Hugh Laurie has a serious case of the blues.
> No, life isn't imitating art for the star of the TV medical-mystery drama House. Quite the opposite. The 52-year-old actor, writer and amateur musician has just released his first album Let Them Talk, a celebration of his longtime passion for New Orleans blues, boogie- woogie and jazz.
> "This music has moved me ever since I first heard it at age 11 or 12,"
> says the erudite Brit down the line from House's Hollywood set. "I don't know how anybody can hear the music of that city and be unmoved by it, and not drawn to it like a moth to a flame." The 52-year-old singer, pianist and guitarist isn't flying solo on Let Them Talk: The authentic-sounding set of blues classics was produced by studio ace Joe Henry and features Louisiana legends Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas. But the real star of the show is Laurie, whose nimble fingers, decent vocals and obvious sincerity elevate the album beyond the usual actorly vanity project


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Read a review of the album the other day, and the reviewer was impressed.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...well, i watched the pilot for dexter over the long weekend. 

since the character of dexter is so completely explained in the pilot episode, i am having a very difficult time coming up with a reason to watch any other episodes.




blam said:


> breaking bad is fantastic.
> 
> I'd also highly recommend "Shameless" (US version - although the british version is probably just as good or better)
> 
> ...


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i just finished season three of 'the sopranos'. this show is every bit the equal of 'house', and then some. the soundtrack music is astounding.

and i just finished season one of 'madmen', another compelling series that explores the deeper and darker nooks and crannies of the human condition.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...now i want to check out 'damages' and 'the goodwife'.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Both reasonably well-written and acted series, though neither captured my attention (my viewing of _Damages_ involved intermittently looking up from whatever I was reading while my wife tended to her "Sunday Night Commitment"), _Good Wife _is more self-contained on an episodic basis, where _Damages _is a steadily-accumulating dossier of pieces of information.

The AMC series _Rubicon_ was a deep deep spy/intelligence thriller, providing a veritable Gordian knot of clues. Definitely a better viewing on DVD than weekly, given the linkages between the arcane tidbits of information. Pity it only went for one season. Maybe too smart for its own good.

We're big fans of _Burn Notice _at home. A clever, often funny, detective/spy show, whose best features, apart from the always-funny Bruce Campbell (who has accepted his age well, and does a nice job teetering between aging lothario/kept-man and capable operative), and Sharon Gless as a chain-smoking doting complaining mother of the protagonist, is the narration, explaining the logic underlying the tactics the protagonist is using. It's a bit like the narration Daniel Stern provided in _The Wonder Years_....but with more CIA/NSA content. The show is occasionally reminiscent of the old Edward Woodward show _The Equalizer, _except with less interpersonal violence and more witty repartee, and a little more _McGuyver_ thrown in. The bad guys always go down, which is comforting. The complicated relationship between the protagonist and his on/off-again girlfriend, played by the always-in-seduction-mode Gabrielle Anwar, is reminiscent of the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd on _Moonlighting_, Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist on _Remington Steele_, or Bogart and Bacall, for that matter. If you loved hearing Bacall ooze "You know how to whistle, don't you?", you'll like what Anwar gets to do in this role...only she gets to do it while working with C-4.


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## Chubba (Aug 23, 2009)

My wife and I watched the first season of 'The Walking Dead' over the last 2 nights on Netflix...a little gruesome and graphic at times, but some great characters...and a lot of moments of oh my gosh, what's going to happen, or how will they deal with this! and some real jaw-dropping stuff imo...what jumped out at me in this too was the filming is done in such a way that it puts you in the point of view of the situation...not so much of a specific character, but feeling Rick's disorientation waking up in the hospital was well-done, and some of the scenes in the camp really put you in the chaos of what has happened to the world...Season 2 just started, can't wait to start picking those up...


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