One of the few car shows I´m still watching. Yeah, it´s not the best thing in TV land but it is still entertaining and the short format helps.
Really loved The Pretender,still do. I think this was one of the best shows. Sadly they blew the chance to end the plot properly with the movies.
One of the all time classic cartoons. Funny and intelligent - timeless entertainment.
If you are about my age then chances are you have seen Captain Future in the past. Maybe he was one of your childhood heroes. Although originally aimed at teenagers and/or adults the show became very popular with kids.
Some things that didn´t bother me as a child: Every story had four parts. In Germany, with one exception, they took the four parts and made it a three parter with a lot of content ending on the cutting room floor. When I watch it now, as an adult, I notice that huge parts of the story are missing, there are gaping holes in the continuity of the plots.
I still love the show. After all - how do you abandon a childhood hero?
The words cult and classic doesn`t even begin to describe this. It´s amazing it premiered over 75 years ago. I have seen this so many times and it still makes me laugh every time. Although I feel for poor old Tom much more with every time I watch it.
I prefer the original Hanna/Barbera cartoons. The later ones are OK but never quite reached the quality in terms of animation and script.
I have seen a lot of those shorts multiple times already but I never grow tired of them. The old ones are great, not a big fan of the newer style of animation. Donald's my absolute favorite.
I wasn´t much into cop shows at the time the show aired. My wife watched it and I went along. After a couple episodes it grew on me. I liked the past/present take which was kind of different to other police dramas. And I loved the period music. Sadly, the same music is the reason this show hasn`t made a DVD release yet.
And there was something about Kathryn Morris. No - not the hair. I actually always liked that.
Another TV classic. But even at the time it originally aired it was much better than other shows. It was, first and foremost, good crime TV. The scripts were good and oftentimes meaningful. What sets this apart was that it involved social issues of the period, and tough ones at that. They wrote stories around those topics that hold up a mirror to society. It wasn´t always the easy entertainment. For a show of the late 70s to early 80s that was groundbraking. And watching it now you realise that a lot of those issues are true even today. Yes, the work of the M.E. was pushed a bit into the back but the show as a whole never suffered because of it. And amazingly, with some rare exceptions, they kept up the quality throughout the whole 8 years.
How do you make a fair assessment for a TV show that premiered more than half a century ago?
From todays point of view you could easily say it´s naive, the scripts are repetitive and you could also say the show is antagonistic to women. You would be right on all this. But those were the times and those were the shows. You have to accept this and then enjoy one of TVs all time classics
Tatort has been around for as long as I live and I have seen many over the years. Some multiple times. Individual episodes can be really good. Overall, subject to ones personal taste, they rate from completely awful to absolutely great. All of the episodes are closed stories. Within the individual teams there is sometimes kind of a thread and some form of character developement. The more modern episodes try to do experiments with the format that often backfires.
When I saw the first trailer for Rebels I immediately dismissed this a goofy kids show. And even now, before starting this, I was sceptical regarding this show. I will admit I was wrong on both accounts.
There is some of the feared goofyness in it but even in it's early stages it was not that bad. And it got better with every season. It took my some time to get used to the new characters, especially Ezra whom I didn't like until probably to the final episodes. But while watching it I began to like Kanan, Hera, Sabine and even Chopper. It was interesting to follow their individual arcs. Bringing in known characters from the franchise and the whole world building further helped me connecting.
A kids show ? Hardly. Ther are indicators that put this into that category but the story telling is as complex as it gets. Like Clone Wars before, this show adds so much great content and it shows the potential that the whole SW story has. This is made by people who understand what they are working with. I can care for the fate of an animated character as much as for a "real" one. I applaud the writer as well as the actor voicing it for giving them a soul. I really don't make a difference between animated and live action any more.
I care for the story. It does not need to be loud and spectacular all the time. And Rebels finds this balance between action and character plots that keeps you wanting for more.
OK, I might be a bit biased here because the 80s were my teenage years so I grew up with those shows but I think that decade produced some of the most memorable. Shows you don't just watch and forget about but shows you never forget and that you want to watch again. Like Moonlighting.
They had actors that could act, writers that could write - they were great with dialogue. They created characters not two-dimensional look-alikes.
This was my first contact with a SciFi show and my favorite as a kid. I had an Eagle model and build myself a Comlock and a Stun Gun out of Lego. I must have been 8 or 9 years old.
The production value, thanks to the Andersons, was really good. It looked absolutly believable. Yeah, the science isn´t waterproof but this was the 70s. You got away with a lot. The second season was not as good as the first (I remember some really ridiculous space monsters). They tried to americanise it by implementing tons of changes that just didn´t work out with the established facts of the first season. And those changes were also not explained during the shows second year. It became a different show.
All things considered this show is called a classic for a reason. As a fan of sci-fi you should have watched this at least once.
After beeing fairly dissapointed with a lot of post 2010 shows I dug into my collection and re discoverd The Rockford Files. I do like a lot of the 70s shows, the look and feel of the times. And I had fond memories of this one but never watched it completely. So it was time to change that.
Of course not all 70s shows were great but The Rockford Files is a true classic and one of TVs landmarks. Here was a P.I. like no one before. For starters he is a paroled ex-con. That alone would have been worth a first look into the show. He is afraid of guns althought he uses one occasionally. Always seemed a bit reluctant to take on clients. Shies away from violence and is not afraid to admit to chicken. Always seems to be doing things for money and not because they are the right thing to do. This kind of character traits usualy went along with the guys on the other side of the law in TV land. Yet Rockfords moral compass is very strong and he has a very keen sense of wrong or right. Which made him a unique and, due to Garners great portrayal, very likeable guy.
Althought at first glance you get the usual detective stories the wrinting was phantastic, there are hardly any bad episodes. And back then a lot of the story ideas were rather new and had not been used too much. The dialogues were crisp and had a smart humor and witt. The main and recuring characters were, with one exception, likeable. The exception beeing low life Angel. He never contributed anything for a story, he was mostly a nuisance. He was like stuff on your shoe you try to get of but sticks to you no matter what. The scripts would have worked fine without him or any other doing his part. With Angel you always knew what would come which was why I always let out a groan when reading the name in the opening credits and that never changed throughout the whole run. But that´s my personal opionion. I´m not blaming Margolin as I am sure he played him like he was written. I would have rather seen more out of Beth then the usual getting Rockford out of prison. Both, the actors and the characters, had good chemistry. I really liked Gretchen Corbett who totally disapeared later on. When I think about it that cop Lt. Chapman who always tried to pin every crime in the vicinity on Rockford: that wore out fast, too. Those thing never work if used often.
Towards the end of its run there were some scripts that lacked quality but that wasn´t the reason for the show to end. It was Garners health, the toll the show took on him, and I remember something about a lawsuit against NBC, that ended the show midway through the sixth season. They came back in the mid 90s with some TV movies but for me they lacked somewhat in quality. It was the typical made-for-TV movie of the time that stretched the content of a one hour script into a two hour format. Now, I am not saying they should be avoided but unless you are one of the guys who wants to see everything there is really no need to do so.
Finally one nother thing that never occured to me while watching this way back is how many later shows had similarities to The Rockford Files. Think about the A-Team, another Cannell show, when Rockford was doing a con. And Magnum p.i. seemed to be another take on Rockford altogether.
This is how Overhaulin used to be in the early seasons. Bringing back cars for people who REALLY deserve it. Love it.
It's difficult if your're younger and don't know the guests but the humor is still awesome. I can watch Muppets anytime and still get my laughs. A true classic.
This was the first time I watched the whole show (BluRay looks amazing). I was literally smiling for all of the 120 episodes. Yes, I remembered a somewhat borderline silly show (part of that might be because up to now I only knew the German dubbed version) but re-discovered a true TV gem of old .
It is understandable that people who only know the modern day superhero shows are laughing this off. Batman is not without flaws, it has highs and lows. And you can feel, even today, over the course of the three seasons they made, the quality dripping away. But if you take the analytical approach here, you probably won't understand this show.
This show was a street sweeper in 1966. A must see for kids and adults alike. It had something for everyone. The dialogue was great and you got a lot of puns and double meanings (which didn't work all that well today). It was part comedy, part satire, but always presented in a serious manner.
You can see the standing this show had if you look at the array of guest villains. Which in itself was genious not calling them guest stars like every other show did. They were special, household Hollywood names, who lined up for a chance to do an episode. Granted, some villains were better than others but most of them were fun.
I love how everything was labeled, even things like a secret chamber had a sign saying "secret chamber". There was a bat-thingy for everything. Positively hilarious.
Give it a go, but don't take it to serious. It's entertainment. To quote the late Adam West: "Always grotesque but never bizarre"
To the Bat-poles !
Here´s another one from the "Memorable Shows of the 70s" list.
But there are more reasons to watch this than the lovely ladies. The scripts were actually really good detective/crime stories without the goofy stuff that oftentimes goes along with shows from that period. Yes, there are the usual shows that represented period trends (disco, roller skates and stuff) but those were the times. On the other hand there were, as I said, good scripts that at times even reminded me of the A-Team albeit softer and less dysfunctional. Towards the end the stories became a bit repetitive, again that´s something I expereinced a lot in other shows from that time.
If you consider what went on behind the scenes with the constant changes of the lead cast one might wonder the show went 100+ episodes. It was number 1 at one point. Personally, I hadn´t seen anything past the 3rd season until now and I must admit I can see why the show dropped in ratings. Shelley Hack was a miscast in my eyes. She couldn´t produce a decent smile even if her life depended on it. She never seemed the gel with the other two and looked uneasy and out of place most of the times. It got better towards the end of the season but she was gone then and I didn´t mind at all. In came Tanya Roberts and althought here back story was weak she was an improvement over Hack. But she couldn´t turn things around as season 5 had some of the weakest scripts. So the ratings dropped lower and lower and they got cancelled.
This was way cooler when I watched this as a teenager. While the earlier episodes are still really good some of the later ones are downright ridicolous.
One of the best, if not THE best, action-criminal-spy-show of the late 70s.
I think the final season was weak. The plot was constructed just to fit some needs. It had strong moments but they should not have started another arc.
Nevertheless I really liked this show. Has a bit of everything, Action, drama, lovestory, fun.
It's a bit like Thomas Magnum, Jack Bauer and a bit of McGyver.
Just finished watching it and, like some, I´m a bit on the fence. It´s a good show that has a lot going for it, most of all the cast. The acting is outstanding at times and gives you some really beautiful moments between the characters. John Nobles performance is among the best I´ve ever seen on TV. And I became very fond of Anna Torv. And despite the fact that a lot of the scientific background is borderline at best the show never feels silly.
But like some others mentioned I too think the plot went south during the later parts. The first two season got me hooked pretty fast, the third I think was at times to much to fast. But with the forth came the nosedive. It deteriorated to a point where I simply didn´t cared anymore for the plot and just went on watching to see how it ends. Not to mention that the conclusion has huge logical problems.
I´m not regretting watching it but I don't want to watch it again.
When this originally aired I thouht this was really funny. I loved the concept and the execution. I even made little bets with friends on the fights. Today it is kind of a filler that you can watch while doing something else. And since the fights are based on things that happened between the real people in the past, if you haven´t seen it already I don´t think it is a must see today.
I love 70s TV shows - the look, the feel, the whole vibe. Plus, most of the shows were still on when I came into TV age at the beginning of the 80s.
Starsky and Hutch is one of the memorable ones. It has great humor, car chases, shooting - everything you´d want in a cop show. And of course pretty women. But what made it stand out is the chemistry between Glaser and Soul who really bring the characters to live. Another thing I find remarkable for a 70s show is that they had episodes where there were dealing with social topics, child abuse, mental inabilitys in a way that they not only use it as a background but asking questions and pointing fingers. Yeah, there were some weak scripts too and of course your weirdo 70s plot that look quite ridiculous today. And personally I think the first two third of the show is the better one.
But all in all Starsky and Hutch is absolutely worth seeing and if you haven´t done it I suggest you do. It´s an icon.
I am a little late to the whole animated superhero thing. I always dismissed it as kids stuff. Well it is and it isn´t. It is pretty brutal at times for a kids show. I like the animation not being CG. That is a plus. Maybe I shouldn´t have started with such a late show because there seems to be some continuity between all the shows in this universe. In general it was entertaining but in this particular case I have to seperate JL and JLU.
I liked JL. The writing is pretty good for an animated show. But I think The Flash is too goofy. All in all it´s OK. Some of the episodes really are deep. With JLU a lot changed. It started with the new soundtrack which rocking guitars that for me was totally wrong. And all of a sudden everyone seems to be a superhero and some of them are really stupid. And talking of stupid: I´m not even starting with the villains and their silly names. The writing diminished. At times I found it ludicrous even for animation. There are some good stories but mostly it was just beating the crap out of each other. The double part stories of JL had much more content. The only thing that kept it interesting was the overall arc. Some of the later episodes were good but JLU never reached JL in my eyes.
I would give JL 8/10 and JLU 5/10
This is really a gem of classic cartoon television. I've watched this as a teenager but it is only now that I appreciated all the wit in the dialogue. It also has a certain Bond vibe. Granted, not every episode is a great one and it is quite repetetive. But the positives outweight the negatives.
To be honest I like his Youtube-Show more. This isn´t bad but it feels to much like a scripted show whereas the other one is more natural. Still a good one for the car nut from a car nut.
Downgraded to a "6" as the later seasons become more and more commercial.
I watched this when it originally aired but never finished it. And I couldn´t remember why. So I decided to re-watch and it came back why I quit.
That Jack plot already became very boring somewhere in the middle of the second season, it just wasn´t going anywhere. And catching him was to easy a task in the end if you consider what kind of complexity they wrote into the character in the first place. It didn´t help that the actor playing Jack in the third was different from the one who did it the first two years. The first Jack was a genius, obsessed maniac. The one we finally see is a sad excuse of that and reminds me more a poor mans Dr. Lecter. (Suplement: After further watching I should withdraw that part of the comment, it is premature - if you´ve watched you know why. This may explain some things but it didn´t helped the show from where I stand because now all of a sudden it seems "Jack" has been a group of people.)
Than there is Dr. Waters - the know-it-all. Everytime someone is making a suggestion on a case, with here it´s always "No, that´s not it" and then comes the lecture-like explanation why they are wrong. I never felt any sympathy for her and her situation as I never felt drawn to any character of the show.
They also tried a lot of different sub-plots in the second season f.e. Baileys daughter or his relationship with the ex-wife of a colleague (or his own ex for that matter) but they too went nowhere because they were either closed out to fast or never really developed further.
The other characters in the show never got much of a background so they appear unintertesting. I´m writing this while I´m a quarter into the third and maybe some of the things mentioned above will change. I will go through the end this time but for me this is at best an average crime show. I´ve already had a couple of episodes that couldn´t grap my attention and just played in the back.
After the conclusion of the Jack-plot I decided not to go along with the show any longer. There just isn´t anything in it that interests me.
One of the better car shows. There isn´t that much stuff going on aside the build/repair. Yes, there are the usual hickups and bumps in the road but at least this is the only show I know off that doesn´t pretend to do a complete resto in 5 days time.
I am about half way through this show and it is getting more and more difficult to keep my attention up.
It started really good with interesting and understandable topics that were well presented. During the course of the second season it already became repetetive. Repetition can be a good thing in terms of learning but it can also become very boring. How often do you need to hear what killed the dinosaurs or that asteroids do collide in the solar system? You get the feeling they didn't know what to talk about which is hard to believe if you have The Universe as your title.
Graphics and CGI are used over and over again serving different topics. It was literally the same footage with a different commentary. It drifts more and more towards fictionous content with a strong tendency towards sensationalism and dramatization. Episode intros are edited out of context to amp up the dramatic effect. Attention grapping voice overs that repeatedly descride doomsday scenarios, and footage of cities being destroyed. Than you learn in the episode that those scenarios, while likely, are not a given, and anyway hundreds of thousands if not millions of years in the future. Who knows if humanity is still around. Is it not possible to explain science without turning everything into apocalypse? The educational aspect takes a backseat in later seasons. A lot of things become countdowns like "the biggest this" and "the greatest that". While I don't doubt the expertise of the scientist experts, it seems they were choosen more by their looks than anything else. And if you watch similar documentaries you know a lot of them allready and it seems they are making a living from appearing on TV. Which is OK, after all it's a profession that may not be paying huge sums of money.
I am now into S7 and there were some interesting episodes but a lot of times it's scientist performing dramatic looking experiments and said countdown shows.
It degrades more and more the further it went along. By season 8 it has basically become a kind of ancient mystery show. In fact in says in the subtitle to that season "Ancient Mysteries Solved" which it does not. It makes the same old hypothesis you've probably heard elsewhere and not adding anything new. A lot of that being guesswork. And while science is by definition forming a theory and than proofing it, the part where they are trying to proof it is where it lacks.
In the end there are many different documentaries about astronomy and I would not count this among the better ones.
