# 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:** 485
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9688 "2026-09-23T14:01:07Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The unborn baby absorbing radiation, **the bridge of death** , the suicide divers… all didn’t happen. (Bolding mine) This news just caused me to have an uncomfortable mental flip-- I also was really moved by this series, and the scene where the townsfolk are on the bridge, frolicking in the falling ash as if it’s snow, knowing they’re all doomed, is one of the most poignant and affecting scenes in the entire show. Learning just now that it didn’t happen made me feel kind of disappointed and cheated… …then I realized I’m feeling disappointed upon learning that some innocent townsfolk did _not_ die, after all 😬 I tell myself it’s just my disappointment at learning I was misled, never mind the reason, but I still feel dirty now. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9689 "2026-09-23T15:36:44Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The show relied heavily on a book that was basically an oral history compiled by a journalist. What it ignored was science and actual studies of the effects of the incident on people. The unborn baby absorbing radiation, the bridge of death, the suicide divers… all didn’t happen. But they were stories that were spread by others. Made for great drama but not accurate. There are other articles refuting the accuracy of the portrayals especially the “bad guys” but this goes into the science issues. > > It’s funny that in a different thread about a different topic I brought up the issues of relying on oral history books. Interesting that they agreed with Inna - they got the cultural look and feel down pat. Good thing to know about the actual science of it. Appreciate the citation! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9690 "2026-09-24T18:17:27Z")
I don’t know if anyone else is still keeping up with Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, but the current season is based on Lizzie Bordon. Charlie Hunnam is in this season as Lizzie’s dad (he was Ed Gein in the previous season). I’m only two episodes in, but so far, so good. Also, I remember someone upthread dropping out of the Ed Gein season because of how dark/intense it got. At least where I am it’s not nearly as dark or intense as the Ed Gein season, but her parent’s are still alive, so I’m sure it’s going to take a turn at some point. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9691 "2026-09-24T20:28:37Z")
Continuing with my Apple TV blitz: Finished **Slow Horses** through season 5. The scenes between Taverner and Roddy as she begins to realize that he really _is_ that self-absorbed, stupid and delusional were amazing. Also hats off to Christopher Chung that plays Roddy. I was dreading that character being central to the storyline this season but he did a good job with it. I’ve seen both seasons of **Severance**. What a delightfully weird show! I can’t believe it takes 2-3 years between seasons though, and I’m afraid I will have forgotten too much by the time season 3 comes out hopefully later next year. I’m also through the first four episodes of **For All Mankind** and am really loving it. I enjoy alternate history stories anyway, but this is exceptionally well done. I’m also realizing how much about the space race I’m sure I learned in school but have since forgotten. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2026, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9692 "2026-09-25T02:30:26Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I don’t know if anyone else is still keeping up with Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, but the current season is based on Lizzie Bordon. The teaser showing how horrible Lizzie’s step-mom is has me hooked but my wife isn’t on board. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2026, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9693 "2026-09-25T03:36:36Z")
Didn’t last 10 minutes into the continuation of _A Different World_. It isn’t _quite_ as dramatic and as dramatically different as _Bel-Air_ vs _The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_, but it is close. It had a few moments of what was apparently meant to be humor, but they fell flat. And the filming style is very obnoxious, done single-camera with a handheld camera with constant panning and zooming. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9694 "2026-09-25T15:22:37Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > The unborn baby absorbing radiation, **the bridge of death** , the suicide divers… all didn’t happen. > > (Bolding mine) > > This news just caused me to have an uncomfortable mental flip-- I also was really moved by this series, and the scene where the townsfolk are on the bridge, frolicking in the falling ash as if it’s snow, knowing they’re all doomed, is one of the most poignant and affecting scenes in the entire show. Learning just now that it didn’t happen made me feel kind of disappointed and cheated… > > …then I realized I’m feeling disappointed upon learning that some innocent townsfolk did _not_ die, after all 😬 > > I tell myself it’s just my disappointment at learning I was misled, never mind the reason, but I still feel dirty now. That encapsulates how I feel about it. Still a great show. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9695 "2026-09-26T00:58:44Z")
We watched a few episodes of **St. Denis Medica** l on Peacock, thinking that it might be a funny medical show along the lines of **Scrubs** or even something like **St. Elsewhere** , a drama with quirky characters and occasionally funny moments. It’s not. It’s awful. The characters in a show like this can be obnoxious and unappealing but still be funny. These people are not. This sitcom commits the worst possible sin: It’s UNFUNNY. Who greenlighted this one? ---
**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:** [September 26, 2026, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9696 "2026-09-26T10:21:30Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I don’t know if anyone else is still keeping up with Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, but the current season is based on Lizzie Bordon We’ve seen the first four episodes. Weird doesn’t do it justice. But interesting enough to keep us going. I suspect it is taking a LOT of liberties with the historical record though. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9697 "2026-09-26T15:48:10Z")
Late to this game, but I gave _Alien: Earth_ a try (on Hulu) and gave up after 3 episodes. It’s not that it’s bad - it’s a fairly interesting take on the _Alien_ universe and the lead actress is compelling to watch. I would have liked to finish it, but: 1. I think they missed a fundamental aspect of what works best about _Alien_, which is the build up of tension over time, where we barely catch glimpses of something really scary out there somewhere. It’s coming, but we don’t know exactly where and when, and even when it attacks it’s too fast and violent to see it clearly. The “not knowing” really ratchets up the tension. Until the end, of course. But this show goes “full frontal” (as it were) much too early - we’re seeing full body, well-lit and even slo-mo shots of the aliens by the third episode. Where’s the tension? There’s almost no build. I think it was a real mis-read about what makes the films so effective. 2. It was too gory for me. Normally I have a fairly high tolerance for fake gore, but this was so over the top it became campy and kind of stupid. 3. There was way too much “rule of cool” shot-making, with the alien doing stupid shit just because the director thought the shot looked good. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9698 "2026-09-26T17:08:36Z")
**The Staircase** Highly recommended. Documentary. Mike Peterson was drinking wine by the pool with his wife when she went in for bed. When he entered the house some time later, she was dying at the foot of the stairs. He called 9-1-1 and she sadly died in his arms. He was accused of her murder, authorities claiming he hit her in the head multiple times while on the stairs. I won’t go into details as this story contains many twists. My wife and I enjoyed it a lot, though. Is he a murderer? I won’t give thoughts here as it would spoil the show. But we are all pretty much left with a big question. Did she really fall on the stairs and died in an accident? Was there a violent attack? Check it out. Netflix. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9699 "2026-09-26T18:33:57Z")
Some interesting theories out there about The Staircase! > **[The Owl Theory Will Change How You Watch 'The Staircase'](https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a21343954/the-staircase-netflix-owl-theory-true-crime-doc/)** > > But you won't hear about it in the documentary ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9700 "2026-09-26T19:19:28Z")
Came across “Roadworthy Rescues” on the Discovery Turbo (formerly MotorTrend TV) channel. If the mechanic here isn’t an [honorary member of Possum Lodge,](https://hawkenhorse.com/blogs/hh-blog/honorary-member-of-the-possum-lodge) he should be; he’s like a somewhat competent Red Green. Turns out he has a YouTube channel. > **[Vice Grip Garage](https://www.youtube.com/@ViceGripGarage/videos)** > > Welcome to the ORIGINAL "Run and Drive" Show! Here we find Classic Autos, motorcycles, tractors and more hiding in barns, garages, and tree rows all across the country. We Get them running, and put them back on the road! Please enjoy Budget... ---
**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:** [September 27, 2026, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9701 "2026-09-27T06:37:08Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > The Staircase I am guessing this is the documentary, not the drama with (I think) Colin Firth? I saw the doc years ago on the BBC, it is pretty compelling isn’t it. I know Netflix added some extra episodes years later. Well worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9702 "2026-09-27T16:36:59Z")
I’m still watching “SEAL Team” on NFLX. It’s managed to hold my interest throughout, although I could do without some of the soul searching scenes. The action is good. The language is definitely PG, and there are no sexually explicit scenes, as it was a CBS series. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9703 "2026-09-27T17:36:24Z")
For the last few months, I’ve been cranking up vintage sitcoms (“vintage” to varying degrees, but all have wrapped it up) to run continuously as background noise while I do stuff around the house. A few quick reactions: **Barney Miller**. I’ll say this one has held up very well over time, mainly because of the focus on characters and the various dynamics between them. You don’t really notice that they don’t have computers or cell phones. Well, that is to say, _I_ don’t notice. **Bewitched**. Surprisingly watchable. **That Girl**. Marlo Thomas is delightful. **The Partridge Family**. One episode, and I’m prepared to declare it absolute dreck. **The Dick Van Dyke Show**. No reflection on Van Dyke himself or any of his costars, but sometimes it doesn’t seem clear whether they wanted it to be a sitcom or a variety show. And they sure as heck didn’t know what to do with Richie except, seemingly, just to have him turn up occasionally to acknowledge that a married couple like this one should, as a matter of course (in the network’s view), have a kid. But at its best, great stuff. **Frasier**. Pretty solid. **Man with a Plan**. A post-_Friends_ Matt LeBlanc vehicle. _Reeeeeasonably_ good, but there’s nothing that makes it stand out. **Two Broke Girls**. Objectively bad, with dull, uninspired writing and dialogue that consists mostly of cheap shots and awkward pop culture references shoehorned into the conversation (or so it seems), but I’m ashamed to admit that for some reason I can’t define, I like it. Well, all right, I like looking at Kat Dennings. Okay, there it is. Don’t judge me. **Mike and Molly**. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9704 "2026-09-27T18:45:08Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > I am guessing this is the documentary, not the drama with (I think) Colin Firth? I saw the doc years ago on the BBC, it is pretty compelling isn’t it. I know Netflix added some extra episodes years later. Well worth watching Yes, I have zero interest in a dramatization. One thing I’ve never seen in one of these is the judge from the trial agreeing to sit for an interview and give his opinion. I was stunned. The very final moment of the whole thing, the judge gives his thoughts and says:; I think I could find reasonable doubt. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2026, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9705 "2026-09-27T19:21:39Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > You don’t really notice that they don’t have computers or cell phones. Well, that is to say, _I_ don’t notice. If you don’t notice, how are you pointing it out? ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9706 "2026-09-27T19:45:14Z")
Really? Was that necessary? ---
**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:** [September 27, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108/9707 "2026-09-27T19:48:52Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If you don’t notice, how are you pointing it out? If you know when the show came out, that’s the only thing you need to deduce that fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108.md?page=484) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/series-youve-recently-watched-are-now-watching-or-have-given-up-on/946108.md?page=486)