Cable shows that are better than almost everything on the networks

Yeah, I think that part was in the commercial. I love darker stories, but sometimes it gets to the point that it is no longer entertaining at all.

 

Not to me. I'm always fascinated with that show. Every week.

 

That story about Criminal Minds is funnier if you read the "You will be" with Yoda voice in your head.

 

That it is. Few things are not funnier with a Yoda voice and/or speech pattern.

 

Is Royal Pains still on? I liked that one.

 

Royal Pains was my favorite new show of the summer. It's not coming back til August, I think.

 

For one thing, the cable shows should not be in the Emmys. They play by a freer set of rules and have an unfair edge over network shows. The Cable ACE Awards were a good thing and now would have more prestige than the Emmys.

And Criminal Minds is just way too creepy for me. Those killers make Dexter look like a Sunday school teacher. Royal Pains was real good, until the last episode, where they turned everybody's situation into crap. A major WTF? moment.

And Nurse Jackie, assuming it's coming back, needs to get a lot tighter for me to stick with it.

 

Saw the thread title and my first answer was "yes."

It's interesting though that a lot of the "great" shows on cable wouldn't last a month on network because of low viewership. But I do think they are better able to target their audience.

Agree with the thought that network television has improved because of competition with cable. I'm surprised networks haven't adopted the short staggered season philosophy. Do a 13-episode season to tell a story, similar to some BBC programming.

 

I figure there's too much advertising money in a 22+ episode season schedule for the networks to ever adopt 13-ep runs on a wide scale, particularly for the standard-bearing shows. Still, I think it'd do a lot to boost show quality. I was watching Season 4 of "Lost" on DVD last weekend, which was squished short due to the writer's strike, and the I was struck by what a notable upswing it was over Season 3. Might tighter writing, much better pace.

 

Let me add True Blood to the list. Watching season one and loving it. Heard the funniest line in ages from a character who drinks too much vampire blood and can't get his dick to shrink: "I've got GOUT of the DICK!!!"

Of course, it could have been six levels of suck, and a nekked Anna Paquin would have made up for all of it. That it's a good show on top of that is just a nice bonus.

 

Your mileage may vary, but that show starts out awesome and just slowly gets worse.

 

I think it is about the same all the way through. Entertaining enough, but never quite making it to my must-watch list.

But they did seem to have Anna Paquin naked just about every episode of Season 2.