Do you agree that TV dramas are the best they have ever been today?

Hermy

Tinker Tailor with Alec Guinness anyone?

Ash.J.Williams

you could also say TV shows are more cynical nowadays and are designed to appeal to the masses lowest common denominator, and that this is actually the worst tv drama era of all time. Most start off promising but lose the plot once s2.3.4.5 get commisioned. Changing your plot to fit into another few series is probably the biggest two fingers to art an artist can do.

Beefy78

Disappointed in the lack of mentions of 24.

bnt

There are some great TV series from the past that could use a re-run, in my opinion, or addition to Netflix. I've heard all kinds of good things about St. Elsewhere and thirtysomething, for example, though I never got to see any of them in their time.

desertcircus

Of the big hitters, I've watched Breaking Bad, The Wire and Battlestar Galactica. Breaking Bad was a distant third to the other two. Not sure which was better between Baltimore and the Battlestar, but I'd be much more likely to rewatch the latter; it pushed at all sorts of uncomfortable questions and even though it lost shape right at the end, it was very rarely anything less than utterly gripping. Didn't really get into Breaking Bad until season three, and I thought season five lost consistency in an effort to finish the story.

Lenin Skynard

Sunglasses Ron wrote: »

You clearly never watched Cracker, from early to mid 90's.

The Wire et al ain't bad, but it can't touch this.

Next you'll be telling us that The Bill is the best thing since Star Wars. Cracker indeed.

ClovenHoof

Interesting how American violence is considered great television.

It's all bullets and gee at the end of the day. I see no depth or substance without the violence and shagging.

The Backwards Man

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

Next you'll be telling us that The Bill is the best thing since Star Wars. Cracker indeed.

PC Polly was very similar to Princess Leia, in fairness.

Paulie Gualtieri

pqdvdplayer wrote: »

No Television show prior to the 00's had the power to completely blow people away. We are now in an era where Tv shows have intricate storylines and each episode leaves people unable to wait for the next. A perfect example is Breaking Bad. We have never met such high standards in television with shows like breaking bad, dexter, the wire, game of thrones.

People always complain that Television is getting worse and worse, and I agree with this statement when it comes to traditional tv channels. But the idea that TV channels are the only way to measure standards is absurd, streaming is the future. Trust me, if you haven't watched Breaking Bad, watch it. You may think that "back in your day" there was actually decent stuff on tv but trust me on this... The best tv shows right now are better than anything we have ever witnessed in human history.

I agree totally , if you were to go by what's on saorview you would be extremely dissapointed. The only thing I thought was half decent was Revenge its gone downhill since the first season now its just like a dragged out soap. Still watching it just to see it out . Breaking Bad was excellent, I quite liked Lilyhammer too although it seems to have gotten a bad rap. Orange is the new black another good one. Haven't started watching House of Cards yet. Don't know if it'll be my cup O' tea.

Beefy78

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Interesting how American violence is considered great television.

It's all bullets and gee at the end of the day. I see no depth or substance without the violence and shagging.

I think the last thing you could accuse The Wire of is lacking "depth or substance".

Irish Guitarist

I thought overall The Wire was incredibly boring and slow paced. It had its moments but they were few and far between.

numorouno

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I thought overall The Wire was incredibly boring and slow paced. It had its moments but they were few and far between.

art imitating life imitating art.

life is pretty boring most of the time and I suppose it accurately (?) depicts the life of these gangsters in baltimore

snausages

The last two seasons of Breaking Bad were ****e. Emperor's new clothes

Beefy78

Beefy78 wrote: »

Disappointed in the lack of mentions of 24.

Disappointed in the lack of mentions of Six Feet Under. Right up there with The Sopranos, The West Wing and Breaking Bad in the list of modern classics imo. (Have only seen first seasons of The Wire and Mad Men yet so can't judge them properly).

Twin Peaks is the only pre-00's drama I've ever gotten into thus far. I did like ER but only started watching it around 2001/02 (when I was around 11 or 12) so never saw the nineties episodes.

I'm a bit too young to remember the X-Files but I remember my sister used love it.

mariaalice

I am not a big telly watcher, but really getting in to the Vikings, there are lots of cheeesy 70s and 80s stuff that I loved.

V
Kojac
Salem's lot

Lots of them.

Conall Cernach

While production values have certainly benefited more recent drama shows there were certainly many programmes in the past that could stand up to them story wise and in terms of cast.

Boys from the Black Stuff
Harry's Game
Roots
North & South (the Patrick Swayze one)
The Billy Trilogy
The Price
Brideshead Revisited (Jeremy Irons version)
Threads

While the likes of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones are undoubtedly great shows have they had as great a cultural impact as Boys from the Black Stuff or Roots?

Adamantium

BSG is my favourite thing ever. I agree with the poster who mentioned the "uncomfortable questions posed" part. A saga so good that is hard to believe it got made, and seemed bigger than the medium it was created for. Like reading a 20 part book series that barely let up. It was never anything less than incredibly human and often inspiring,yet tragic. Plus the godly music. A real one off.

Honestly Breaking Bad devolved in to the

"cult of Walt

", a show seemed to only show the worst parts of human nature and was more desperational , than aspirational. I had waning sympathy for **** ups that had little self awareness to keep themselves from causing **** ups again and again

Unlike the BSG the situations were caused by them, it didn't HAPPEN to them. There was no solace in watching a pack of horrible people devolve further, just 100% tragedy

(One of the moving parts of the story arc with Jane's dad, a man who trying to help his daughter, amazing actor) He was one of the only characters who I felt didn't live in a bubble.

That been said, I watched to the end where it did indeed pick up! Finally showing consequences.

Friday Night Lights and Six Feet Under are also astonishing.

All the above shows are not incredibly cynical except Breaking Bad despite dealing with depressing topics in general (or treat human life either as something not worth living)

It's wonderful to able to watch 60 hour, 5 year movies at your own desire.

Nerdlingr

Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren was a great show too.

Badly Drunk Boy

IvaBigWun wrote: »

A HBO drama about two tennis pros in 50s who are secretly CIA agents?


How did I miss this?

HBO didn't make I Spy, which starred Bill Cosby and Roberts Culp. And Cosby was only Culp's tennis coach, not a pro himself. And it was in the 60's.

pundy

American Horror Story is amazingly well written - every single episode leaves you wanting to watch the next. i've watched all season one, and 12 eps of season two in now and it's getting only better each episode. fantastic show.... quite gory though.

thegreatgonzo

bnt wrote: »

I've heard all kinds of good things about St. Elsewhere and thirtysomething, for example, though I never got to see any of them in their time.

I loved St Elsewhere when I was a teenager. It was kind of off beat, it was set in a hospital but it wasn't like ER which I never got into. I'd like to see it again to see if it's as good as I remember.

Mr Viking

Muise... wrote: »

Twin Peaks

where I come from the birds sing a pretty song.

/thread

Loved Twin Peaks probably the most weird but gripping saga that has ever been written. Brilliant acting from Kyle Mac Lachlan who strangely didn't go on to bigger and better things

thegreatgonzo

Mr Viking wrote: »

Loved Twin Peaks probably the most weird but gripping saga that has ever been written. Brilliant acting from Kyle Mac Lachlan who strangely didn't go on to bigger and better things

Well there was Showgirls.

gugleguy

Earlier Seasons of Magnum P. I. He killed a villain once when he tracked him down, unchallenged. (Tom Selleck).

losthorizon

The Boat, Twin Peaks, Heimat, The Singing Detective - Great Shows.

And as for comedy - the 80s and 90s were by far the best.

losthorizon

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Well there was Showgirls.

and Blue Velvet one hell of a weird movie

IvaBigWun

snausages wrote: »

The last two seasons of Breaking Bad were ****e. Emperor's new clothes

http://seemslegit.com/_images/3f203b9d55b430ffa396a3b35069f489/41%20-%20gtfo%20kindly-leave%20picard%20star-trek%20theres-the-door.jpg

ohnooo

its hit and miss to be honest

WoollyRedHat

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Sixties I meant, sorry.

I was frothing at the mouth typing that, didn't realise my mistake.

Pretty sure there wasn't any dramas been shot live in the 60s, the 50s yes, when the first "Golden Age" exsited.. the likes of I Love Lucy set off the trend of taping the shows as the technlogy and camera equipment got better.


For todays new Golden Age of television, shows like BTVS were a game changer and would set in motion the great shows that would follow

JR IRELAND

I have to say House of Cards; although incredible (as in not believable) in places is overall an excellent bit of TV.