Support NeoGAF

[Drew1440]

TV will get worse, and shows that are looked down on today will be remembered fondly in the next decade. There are a few shows that I dropped mid season because I just couldn't commit to the plot or the style or writing, no point in hate watching just for the sake of it.

 

[Branded]

(Three years for this shit?)

That's hilarious. Is the shot on the right the actual final cut used for the show?

Madflavor take a long break then fix your algorithm when you return.

Don't let Stranger Things of all shows be the one to break you.

Also don't bother following trending shows anymore. I know it's a scary thing to jump in blind, but you'll be better off in finding hidden gems that way.

Only 2 out of my top ten TV shows this year were actually discussed at large on social media sites and GAF, and even then I'd argue the two more popular ones were quickly drowned out by other, larger, releases.

ZeroZeroZero comes to mind.

Such a quality show that was.

 

[Teslerum]

The past few years have really tested my patience, and I'm finally throwing in the towel. I'm done. The only television I'll watch is older shows I love (Breaking Bad/Saul, Sopranos, True Detective S1, etc), or I'm just going to wait until a show is completed and I hear that all seasons were good.

Don't.

First of all because shows that were actually good over its entire lifespan are very, very rare even in the past. Secondly there's a lot of shows that actually have REALLY good jumping off points, where most of it is resolved and is left in a decent state and the show should have ended.

That by far not only applies to tv, but its just something I live by. I'm done letting shitty decisions ruin what I actually did enjoy. I've learned to embrace the headcanon and I'm happier for it. Got enough imagination for it anyway.

 

[Sticks]

God this thread is depressing

 

[calico]

It's true that even the best shows often had a dip in quality, but there's a world of difference between this and a show unravelling so badly (or just stopping with no conclusion) that it retroactively ruins the whole thing.

If someone asked me whether they should start watching (or reading) GoT now, I would absolutely say don't bother.

 

[Quasicat]

Most of the TV shows I watch are pre 2010 and are super cheap on DVD/Bluray. I then upload them onto my Plex server and throw them in a box in the closet. I'm always seeing something from my childhood or something I missed that came out before I was born and picking it up under $20.
If I don't like the show, then I delete it and move on.

 

[Fbh]

I mostly like limited/mini series these days.
Stuff like Chernobyl, ZeroZeroZero, Midnight Mass, Fargo S1/2, True Detective S1, etc.
Better paced and more concise stories that don't get stretched to oblivion with endless seasons that seem to take longer and longer to come out.

I'm mostly done with this modern format of "well the season is done, hope you enjoyed that cliffhanger. See you in 4 fucking years with a season that will likely disappoint". Even though I still get caught by some of them every now and then (like Severance and Pluribus).

For these longer shows, now I mostly wait until they are all done, even if it takes 10 years, and if by the end the consensus is still that it's great I'll just binge watch it.

 

[6502]

Television is now intended to be background noise (mostly a subliminal hum of woke messaging) while you're on social media or whatever. It's very unlikely to be consistently good if you actively pay attention to it, as this is well beyond what is expected or required of it.

Tried watching some old shows over Christmas, it was difficult.. I had to put my phone down to keep up because every shot served a purpose! They simply don't make it worth paying attention to today.

One change i'd love to see is an innovation from the porn industry... a straight, gay, trans option when the app loads up.

I was watching a new bbc mini series the other night and two episodes in it was gay sex, gay star, gay drama. In one scene two disabled people working the tech... cuz you know one wheelchair is a token, two is brave! Of course it mattered not for the story or characters one jot, but we must slap a few dicks in families faces and tick boxes or it just aint right. I expect Netflix rewriting history and making a tornado disaster documentory about someones personal battle with their sexuality but I can choose to cancel that shit.

If these priority themes could be categorised I could have avoided this and watch something with good writing and those who get a kick out of it could have got straight to it. At present talentless perverts are earning a living and getting a thrill out of ruining everything.

 

[HRK69]

I get it 100%. Nothing kills the hype faster than a massive cliffhanger that leaves you screaming at the screen... only for the next season to take 3 years to drop, and then it lands with a whimper. The buildup dies, you barely remember the stakes, the actors have visibly aged and suddenly the payoff feels flat or straight-up disappointing. 100% a legit complaint.

That said, there's another side worth hearing: a lot of these long gaps come from chasing actual quality in a post prestige era. Shows are way more ambitious now: movie-level VFX (dragons, Upside Down horrors), tighter serialized writing, bigger sets and bigger-name talent who juggle multiple projects

Back in the 2000s, networks cranked out 22+ episodes a year with formulaic stuff, but today's 8-10 episode "prestige" seasons take serious time to polish. Creators often say they need extra months (or years) to top the last one without rushing and tanking it (hello, some late GoT seasons). Strikes, COVID fallout, and data driven execs waiting for metrics haven't helped either

So yeah it sucks when it disappoints (House of the Dragon S2 felt slow/underwhelming after its 2 year wait), but when the long game delivers? It can feel earned.

Still, I think most of us would trade some of that "perfectionism" for not getting blue-balled for years

 

[EverydayBeast]

What's the problem? Make an opinion?