# Series you've recently watched, are now watching or have given up on **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [July 9, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108 "2021-07-09T17:50:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 248
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4948 "2024-10-24T14:14:10Z")
NCIS would occasionally have flashbacks to Gibbs early days. His early day partnership with senior Agent Franks. There was one episode during a power blackout. The younger agents were lost. Gibbs pulled out a typewriter, Fax, paper maps etc. Showing how it was done when he started. The NCIS backstory is a gold mine for a prequel series. I’m curious if a young Gibbs will be played similiar to Tony. Wise-cracking, lots of dating, and a little irresponsible. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4949 "2024-10-24T21:58:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > _NCIS Origins_ may be good. I will watch tonight I have now watched a 2nd epi, and - no more. Gibbs boss is a complete jerk and asshole. Lots of smoking. and they mention over and over that Gibbs “failed his psych exam”. If you fail that, you do NOT get a Law enforcement job, period. Not to mention the acting is wooden and the plots are bad. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4950 "2024-10-25T00:18:10Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Currently re-watching the _Newhart_ show (the series set around the Vermont inn, not the older one where Newhart was a Chicago psychologist). For some reason most of the episodes were very familiar even though it had been a long time since I’d seen them, maybe because they didn’t have as much depth as some other series, but there were still some pretty funny scenes. > > I haven’t changed my mind about Seasons 1 and 2, which I mostly didn’t watch except for a couple of episodes to remind myself why I didn’t like them. It’s mostly the Kirk Devane character. The comedic conceit is supposed to be that he’s a habitual liar, but that and his other mannerisms just make me want to punch him in the face. It’s not remotely funny. And the original Stephanie Vanderkellen (Season 1 only) was unobjectionable but basically just kinda boring. > > When Julia Duffy arrived as the new Stephanie, along with the late Peter Scolari as boyfriend and local TV producer Michael Harris, the series really took off. Sure, both were portrayed as shallow and completely self-centered, but they were so over-the-top and lovable you just had to forgive them! And of course the new owners of the Minuteman Cafe and constant visitors to the inn, Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl! A few followup comments on this. I discovered that my avoidance of Seasons 1 and 2 could be mitigated by the fact that Season 2 is actually pretty good, as Julia Duffy comes on board right in Episode 1 as the self-absorbed Stephanie. I still hate the Kirk Devane character but have managed to tolerate him. Peter Scolari as the ebullient Michael Harris finally appears in Season 3. As an aside, watching Season 2 I’m struck by how different and younger both Bob Newhart and Mary Frann look in those early episodes than in the later ones. Some of those great actors were lost to us too soon – Peter Scolari (Michael Harris) of leukemia at the age of 66, and Mary Fran of a totally out-of-the-blue heart attack in her sleep at just 55. Bob Newhart himself lived on to a ripe old age of 94. They all brightened our lives with comedic joy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4951 "2024-10-25T01:06:43Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Currently re-watching the _Newhart_ show (the series set around the Vermont inn, Yeah, that one was too stupid for me, especially with Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4952 "2024-10-25T04:10:54Z")
I finished watching _Wednesday_ (I’m a bit late to the party) and I thought it was fairly entertaining, if a bit silly. Jenna Ortega definitely did most of the heavy lifting in order to make it something more than just a weak parody of Twilight-meets-Harry-Pottter-meets-Nancy-Drew. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4953 "2024-10-25T06:30:15Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Twilight-meets-Harry-Pottter-meets-Nancy-Drew If it was just one of those, fair enough, but when you combine all three that’s a new idea. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4954 "2024-10-25T06:45:39Z")
_[Nancy Drew](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew_(2019_TV_series))_ was _Twilight_ meets _Harry Potter_ meets _Nancy Drew_. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4955 "2024-10-25T21:06:49Z")
Just watched the first episode of Matlock and I love it. First of all Kathy Bates, but second it is just a well done show. It’s not just a rehash of the original show but something different which I thought Hollywood often tries to avoid. I really hope the following episodes/seasons can keep this up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4956 "2024-10-25T21:12:36Z")
I would have been happy if the new Matlock show was just an episodic legal drama but they included this underlying storyline that’s going to span the entire season if not the entire series run. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4957 "2024-10-25T22:23:18Z")
I’m watching **Disclaimer** on Apple TV because my wife has developed a sudden taste for horrible shows. I made it as far as episode 3 because there is an intriguing mystery that somehow overcame by hatred of _every single one_ of the characters. The power dynamics in the scenes of an older woman seducing a teenage boy were so disturbing, I suspect my wife will have to finish this show on her own. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4958 "2024-10-26T23:24:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > Currently re-watching the _Newhart_ show (the series set around the Vermont inn, > > Yeah, that one was too stupid for me, especially with Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl. I assume you don’t like _Monty Python_, either. Sometimes absurdity can be funny. There’s actually some pretty good writing on _Newhart_. It was nominated for two Emmys for outstanding writing, and about 23 others in various categories including outstanding comedy series and in the acting category, particularly Julia Duffy and Newhart himself. I’m glad I decided to watch Season 2. I had been avoiding it believing that Julia Duffy (Stephanie) and Peter Scolari (Michael Harris) didn’t appear until Season 3. So I was seeing many of the episodes for the first time. Not only is Stephanie present throughout, but Michael Harris appears around halfway through the season as a producer for the local TV station, and from there it settles into the familiar format of the next six years. Among other things, we see in Season 2 how Michael persuades Dick Loudon to agree to host _Vermont Today_ by promising him intellectual guests to establish the caliber of show that Dick wants, kicking off the premiere episode with the president of the University of Vermont. Michael, however, has his own ideas about what constitutes “quality” entertainment, as he will for the rest of the series, and bumps the university president in favour of some yokel showing off the world’s smallest horse. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4959 "2024-10-27T02:17:37Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I assume you don’t like _Monty Python_, either. Sometimes absurdity can be funny. There is absurdity and then there is stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4960 "2024-10-27T02:44:59Z")
My point in mentioning various TV series is just to say that I’ve enjoyed them, not to get into a silly argument about it. You’re entitled to your opinion and this sort of bickering is pointless, but I’ll just say that the majority of critics and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences disagrees with you. ---
**Author:** ![Ahill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Ahill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ahill)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4961 "2024-10-28T05:22:53Z")
Sex Education. Last time I had watched the penultimate season was 3 years ago… So I found it sillier than I would when younger, jokes weren’t as funny to me, maybe not because of getting older even, maybe mood as well. But it still managed to catch me on until the end. I started to watch The Crown but gave up. Dunno, I felt a little unsettling when watching it. I hope I could watch Breaking Bad with no knowledge of it… So good. True Detective Season I as well. Ppl always talk about Better Caul Saul… I dunno exactly why I haven’t watched it yet, but I think I associate it with too many hit man jobs, too much action with pursuing and pursuers, while BB had always a drama that distanced from action-packed things in heavy reflective moments a lot. But I think that’s just a perception I have of BCS with no basis… So am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4962 "2024-10-28T08:48:54Z")
> [@Ahill](#): > > So am I wrong? Yes, I think your perception is wrong. Give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4963 "2024-10-28T08:51:32Z")
There is more character driven stuff in BCS than in BB and less action (at least, for the first few years if memory serves). I think your perception is more or less back to front to how I would describe them. Both are absolutely brilliant though. ---
**Author:** ![Ahill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Ahill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ahill)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4964 "2024-10-28T09:59:40Z")
Nice! Thanks for the insight, now I’m gonna watch it. I’d have asked it someone years ago tbh, but ever since college it’s not been easy at all to keep up with hobbies (or even have the motivation to lol) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4965 "2024-10-28T11:13:58Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > I think your perception is more or less back to front to how I would describe them. Both are absolutely brilliant though. I agree that the Saul/Jimmy parts of Better Call Saul have basically no violence or action in them (for the first few seasons anyway). But I’m in the minority of people who think that Better Call Saul is much less interesting, although still not bad. I guess I didn’t find the Jimmy vs. Chuck conflict very compelling. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4966 "2024-10-30T11:45:53Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Just started watching _The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh_. The first episode reminds me a bit of _The Detour_. I finished it. I liked it and it did indeed remind me of _The Detour_. One thing I found a bit awkward was that the teenage daughter was dealing drugs like benzodiazepine to her classmates and they played that for laughs. I also thought it was kind of lame that they didn’t resolve anything by the time they reached the final episode. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/4967 "2024-10-30T16:03:15Z")
Started watching the aforementioned _Nobody Wants This_. The first episode was sort of funnyish. But the second episode was definitely quite good. Will watch more. The big cloud hovering over it are the obvious comparisons to _Sex and the City_. Columnists now do podcasts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108.md?page=247) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108.md?page=249)