I’ll be a snob and say, “You HAVE to watch the BBC version. The USA shows are poor copies at best.”
Life On Mars was the same way. I couldn’t even watch the USA version after two eps, the BBC version was some of the best TV I’ve ever seen.
Sorry for the snobby hijack
I watched the first series of the British version in a weekend marathon about six or seven years ago and enjoyed them a lot, but after trying to watch the American version, I tried rewatching the British version to get the taste out of my mouth, and found it too uncomfortable.
Incidentally, since these types of discussions usually elicit the “what do you watch?” question to gauge general taste, the only still-in-production series I watch, in approximate order, are:
Parks & Recreation is *that *good.
Disagree. The UK Office was just unpleasant to watch. Both Life on Mars versions were good (with Ashes to Ashes being even better).
Coupling, well, let’s just stick with the limey version.
-Joe
In case you haven’t already checked it out, your tastes in shows (Dexter, Weeds) make me think you’d love Breaking Bad. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It’s currently my favorite television show, perhaps of all time. I think it sets the gold standard for ‘sympathetic bad people’ shows.
And yes, Parks and Rec is fantastic. Especially seasons 2 & 3, when it comes into its own.
On the renewals list, I watch:
30 Rock (NBC)*
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox) — after trying the first episode, I was too hooked to wait it out
Community (NBC)*
Fringe (Fox)*
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)*
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)*
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
Back when I asked how P & R got renewed after season 1, nobody else seemed to know either. When I asked after season 2, some people say it was a 1000x improvement over season 1, but I still thought it sucked. Now I’m asking again and people are telling me it’s the best damn show on TV?? Are Amy Poehler and that guy with the mustache not on the show anymore? Either way, there’s a lesson here somewhere…I still think that Amy has some kind of dirt on the high-ups at NBC though.
Is this still the final season of Breaking Bad, or are they gonna run the show into the ground after-all?
Nick Offerman (that guy with the moustache, or Ron) is usually the highlight of any individual episode. If you don’t like him or Poehler, the show’s just not going to be for you. Personally, I love them both, as well as Ansari, Lowe, and Scott.
I’m not really a big fan of Plaza or Pratt, though.
Agreed! Well, except that I’d put it above even Community. First season wasn’t great except the finale but it’s just got better and better and better. Keep it coming!
The Chicago Code, gone. HAH!!
What does this even mean? “Tricked by the mocumentary format”? Does this mean that people who enjoy shows like Parks and Rec, the Office, Arrested Development or Modern Family have been fooled by the mockumentary hype? Deep down they don’t really like the show, but they read the critical praise, hear friends say they like it, see the high ratings and then force laughs throughout episodes? Critics are so hyped up they tell everyone to watch the show, even though they have never seen it. They simply have heard it was a mockumentary and that must mean it is good.
If you don’t enjoy that style of show that’s fine. But, to think other people have been tricked into liking it is really weird. I cannot begin to wrap my head around that line of thought.
Anyway. Yeah. Parks and Rec leaped ahead from the first season into the second season, and then when Adam Scott and Rob Lowe joined the cast the showed really got awesome. It has great writing, an excellent cast and constant humor. It’s a highlight of the Thursday night lineup.
After the first season’s the low ratings and the lukewarm critical reaction I remember reading it was able to make the cut for a second season because Parks and Rec shares producers with The Office. Since the Office was such a success they were given leeway with the show and allowed them to find their legs. I am glad they did.
They don’t fool me. Parks & Rec is crap. And yes, I’ve watched about 20 episodes from all 3 seasons just to try to figure out what all the hype is. The only actual hype is Rashida Jones, and she plays a completely dull and pointless role on the show anyway. Because that’s what every P&R office needs hanging around it all day - a hottie in a nurse’s uniform.
Then again, I consider 30 Rock, The Office (at least the non Will Ferrell episodes) and Community to be the highlight of Thursday night. Not because of the hype, but because they make me laugh and I won’t miss anything with Tina.
So…Outsourced, anyone?
I don’t see anyone telling you that you need to watch it, or “hyping” it beyond directly answering your incredulity at it being renewed again. Why don’t you try toning it down a bit?
Thanks! I just watched the first episode, and liked it. I’ll watch the rest soon.
I mean that some people are predisposed to rate mockumentaries highly even when they aren’t very well written or well executed. Maybe they enjoyed a genuinely good mockumentary in the past and a new (but lackluster) mockumentary reminds them of that good show; not because of the comedy, but because of the style.
My dislike for Parks and Rec isn’t because of the style per se; it’s because when I watch it, nothing ever happens. Each character seems to spend most of their screen time reminding the audience of their particular quirk, and it gets boring fast. It’s lazy writing, and I think that the format is an enabler for lazy writers. A more standard single-camera comedy format would force the writers to adhere to a proper narrative structure and pay attention how much time is devoted to plot, exposition, jokes, and so forth. As it is Parks and Rec strikes me as, for lack of a better word, amorphous; nothing really holds together and what good jokes they do come up with just kind sit there. It’s like getting a cluster of puddles when you’re expecting a skating rink.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a terrible show. I wouldn’t have said anything if people were just saying that they think it’s okay. But it’s very jarring to see people raving about it or even comparing it favorably to a tightly scripted comedy like Community.
“The hype”? Dude, P&R is probably the least watched show of the 4.
And so this post isn’t completely off-topic, I’ll mention that I’m glad BBT, 30 Rock, and Modern Family got renewed. I knew they would get renewed, but it’s still nice to have an official confirmation. I’m positively ecstatic over American Dad’s and (of course) P&R’s renewals.
Not a network show, but HBO has just ordered a third season of “Tremè” which makes me very very happy.
Also, if someone tells me they don’t like “Parks & Rec”, I just assume its because they’re still upset that “According to Jim” is off the air.
American Dad. Now THERE’s a show that started off terrible, and finally got its footing a couple seasons in. I used to refer to it as American BAD, but I watched the episode with My Morning Jacket a couple years back and have been a watcher ever since. I’m hearing that The Cleveland Show is finally getting good too. I might try watching a new episode and see…It’s amazing the way the politics at FOX work - you have to either be very powerful or have a show that gets amazing ratings in order to get renewed, or in cases like Lone Star or Paul Reiser, survive into the second month without getting shut down. NBC, on the other hand, let Chase last a full season!
I remember a season or two back, Big Bang Theory almost didn’t get renewed, despite getting great reviews and ratings. That had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the news. The big one this year was Fringe, which got its good news a couple weeks ago!
Never watched According to Jim, but I’ve seen about 50 Conan O’brien jokes about the show.
According to Jim was amazingly bad. I like both stars, so I have watched a couple, but decided in the end that life it too short.
Paul Reiser’s show was on NBC not Fox.
Plus it has the funniest man on TV right now: Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson. How have we been subjected to his shrill wife for years on Will and Grace but he’s been in the shadows, building boats and whittiling!? Can anyone name a funner man on TV right now? Rob Lowe is excellent as well and Adam Scott easy on the eyes. I like that nothing ever happens: it’s government fer chrissakes. I’d much rather see their antics between one another than any story line plodded out.
I think the only reason I liked Outsourced was because of the first-generation-born-in-America/Canada-to-Indian-parents angle. I would routinely laugh out loud at things my SO didn’t and we always laugh at the same stuff.
Is it worth watching Bob’s Burgers?
You assume poorly. According to Jim was never even on my radar as a show that people watch.
It seems like all of the praise given to Parks and Rec is as vague as can be, along the lines of “it’s funny” or “it’s the second-best comedy on the air”, which don’t tell me anything. Perhaps it would be helpful if people were even a little bit specific about what they like about the show. Something along the lines of “I like Community because it’s good at subverting and playing with standard sitcom tropes, but doesn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” or “I like 30 Rock because even its exposition scenes are filled with clever jokes about the absurd version of the world that the characters inhabit.”