TV meme days 11 and 12

[fleetfootmike]

Day 11 - A show that disappointed you

Without a question (and both Anne and I agree), the new Battlestar Galactica, which we both gave up on halfway through season 1, being generally fed up of the glacially slow pacing and the nymphomanic hallucinatory Cylon.

Day 12 - An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times

For me? Believe it or not, the Ashes to Ashes series finale. For which BBC's iPlayer is entirely to blame, but damn that was a good finale.

Anne claims never to have watched anything that many times - i have a /sneaky/ suspicion that the MASH series finale might fall into that category, since she watches it if it happens to be on :D

Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best t.v show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First t.v show obsession
Day 29 - Current t.v show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death

Comments

[demoneyes.livejournal.com]

As we speak, having been largely immobilised in front of the TV for the last 6 days (following the foot op I really ought to blog about!) I've been reworking through my Battlestar Galactica DVDs. Previously I'd watched as far as just before the end of season 2, stopping there to avoid the cliffhangar until season 3 came out on DVD. But then didn't get around to buying season 3 for a year or more by which time I'd forgotten the details of what had been happening...

Anyway, as of last night I'm caught up on where I was, and now 4 eps into season 3. And I'm still enjoying it, and I still think it's superbly done and awesome television. But man, is it DARK. I can't say the pacing ever worried me (and this may be less of an issue if watching 8 eps in a day!), nor the "nymphomanic hallucinatory Cylon" but if I had to say whay I like least about the show it'd be the near-unrelieved darkness. Even their big triumphs tend to be bittersweet, and whilst I can't argue that it's inappropriate or indeed that it doesn't make for great drama, I wish they'd lightten up the gloom a bit occasionally.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Thank you! When I posted about that (on uk.people.sf-fans, IIRC) I got blasted that it was war, they wouldn't feel like joking, it was all serious, etc. Evidently none of them had ever known real soldiers, or even watched M*A*S*H, because the original BG is probably a lot more like the actual reactions -- lots of crying but also lots of humour to keep living.

I must admit that I found watching it in order was not bad, but I did get rather fed up with even the Cylons having angst. I'v got just onto the start of S3, and then I stopped in favour of other shows, I will probably go back to BG at some point but will make sure it's well interleaved with other shows which are lighter.

[demoneyes.livejournal.com]

I don't know. Thinking about it I'm not sure I have a problem with the attitudes of say the Viper pilots - there is lots of joshing, lots of good-natured teasing, lots of cheerful gambling - pretty much what one would probably expect from real soldiers. No, the problem is more the tone of expectation and foreboding created by the show; that any happiness is only a lull before the next storm; that everything good will always end badly; that everyone is screwed up inside somehow; and that there's never a right answer to a dilemma, only a choice between the least wrong path. And yes, much of that makes for great drama, for characters pushed to the edge, and for moral dilemmas where both sides can plausibly claim to be "doing the best thing". But man, it's dark!

As for Cylon angst, I think it's a good thing for the enemy to have a face, to have his own motivations and doubts. But what I will say as of about 3.08 is that every time I see "And they [the Cylons] have a plan" I'm starting to think that it's a very confused one! Are they trying to exterminate humanity, avoid humanity or live in peace with humanity? Any of these are defensible objectives but they don't seem to be able to either make their minds up from one moment to the next which one they're following or to adopt strategies which seem likely to achieve them!