The TV thread

[Spartan Squad]

Tatiana Maslany is (as usual) really good in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. The villain is good. Cop is good. The problem is the show hinges on Maslany’s character making the worst decisions. Yesterday’s episode might have been the most egregious yet. Still watching because the rest of the story is good, but it is really lazy.

 

[Here me roar]

Despite these shows still being some of the most popular to watch in reruns:

So I love Friends. It's my comfort show, because it's always on TBS so I often have it on his background in the day. I love it and I find it funny, but it is incredibly homophobic. There is certainly some dialogue that would never be written today. But as a whole the show was not offensive. It's a story of friends.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Just read that story and it's hilarious Mindy Kaling is on there lamenting The Office couldn't be made today a few years after she guested on an episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia in which she noted one of the main characters banged a mannequin.



Thank goodness nobody from Sunny ever says dumb **** like this. (Yet, please don't start saying dumb **** like this)

Sunny has pulled multiple shows pulled from syndication or streaming, though.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Jim Burrows died.

James Burrows, ‘Cheers’ Co-Creator and Prolific TV Director, Dies at 85

 

[mpcincal]

Jim Burrows died.

James Burrows, ‘Cheers’ Co-Creator and Prolific TV Director, Dies at 85

Well, damn. RIP and a toast to him and his work. His resume of shows is pretty incredible. "Taxi," "Cheers," "Mary Tyler Moore," and a lot of others conveniently wrapped up in a paragraph near the end of the link above:
“The Bob Newhart Show,” “Rhoda,” “The Betty White Show,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Lou Grant,” “The Tony Randall Show,” “The Associates,” “The Stockard Channing Show,” “The Hogan Family,” “Night Court,” “Dear John,” “Ladies Man,” “Wings,” “Frasier,” “NewsRadio,” “Third Rock from the Sun,” “Pearl,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Caroline in the City,” “George & Leo,” “The Class,” “Courting Alex,” “Back to You,” “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Hank,” “Up All Night,” “Better with You,” “$#*! My Dad Says,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Partners,” “Mike & Molly” and “The Millers.”

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Sad news. A giant of the business.

It's always sort of fascinating to me to see a list like that, and realize the guy that brought us "Taxi," The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show" and "NewsRadio" also unfurled ****e like "Two and a Half Men" and "2 Broke Girls."

 

[Batman]

So I love Friends. It's my comfort show, because it's always on TBS so I often have it on his background in the day. I love it and I find it funny, but it is incredibly homophobic. There is certainly some dialogue that would never be written today. But as a whole the show was not offensive. It's a story of friends.

I know they often played it for laughs — it was a comedy featuring guys in their 20s, after all — but I think they were also way ahead of their time in how they presented certain things. There was a lesbian wedding in Season 1, for crying out loud, and then there was a whole arc of Ross, Carol and Susan coming to terms with and eventually accepting the relationship. Plus the lesbian couple having a baby.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I know they often played it for laughs — it was a comedy featuring guys in their 20s, after all — but I think they were also way ahead of their time in how they presented certain things. There was a lesbian wedding in Season 1, for crying out loud, and then there was a whole arc of Ross, Carol and Susan coming to terms with and eventually accepting the relationship. Plus the lesbian couple having a baby.

I was thinking this too. They were making fun of Newt Gingrich for being a homophobe in 1994 for crying out loud! That said, they almost undid all that progress with the Monica used to be fat jokes. Over and over and over again with the fatshaming.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Sad news. A giant of the business.

It's always sort of fascinating to me to see a list like that, and realize the guy that brought us "Taxi," The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show" and "NewsRadio" also unfurled ****e like "Two and a Half Men" and "2 Broke Girls."

He had different levels of involvement in those shows. Could have been he directed a bunch of shows. The asshole Chuck Lorre deserves the blame for Two and half men.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

He had different levels of involvement in those shows. Could have been he directed a bunch of shows. The asshole Chuck Lorre deserves the blame for Two and half men.

This will probably get me roasted (no, not me!) but I thought Big Bang Theory and Mom developed into really good shows out of mostly cliched beginnings. BBT was a great ensemble show by the end. So was Mom, which didn't even HAVE Anna Faris for the final season.

 

[Here me roar]

I know they often played it for laughs — it was a comedy featuring guys in their 20s, after all — but I think they were also way ahead of their time in how they presented certain things. There was a lesbian wedding in Season 1, for crying out loud, and then there was a whole arc of Ross, Carol and Susan coming to terms with and eventually accepting the relationship. Plus the lesbian couple having a baby.

That's true. I guess I'm thinking more of the stuff they did with the guys. But you're right in terms of how they presented. Susan and Carol, they were ahead of the curve.

 

[Here me roar]

I was thinking this too. They were making fun of Newt Gingrich for being a homophobe in 1994 for crying out loud! That said, they almost undid all that progress with the Monica used to be fat jokes. Over and over and over again with the fatshaming.

Yeah the fat stuff was bad

 

[lakefront]

I know they often played it for laughs — it was a comedy featuring guys in their 20s, after all — but I think they were also way ahead of their time in how they presented certain things. There was a lesbian wedding in Season 1, for crying out loud, and then there was a whole arc of Ross, Carol and Susan coming to terms with and eventually accepting the relationship. Plus the lesbian couple having a baby.

We have to look at shows and the times that they were created in. It's not fair to judge them with the standards of today.

 

[Here me roar]

We have to look at shows and the times that they were created in. It's not fair to judge them with the standards of today.

Hence the wondering If it could be made now the way it was made then.

 

[qtlaw]

Well, damn. RIP and a toast to him and his work. His resume of shows is pretty incredible. "Taxi," "Cheers," "Mary Tyler Moore," and a lot of others conveniently wrapped up in a paragraph near the end of the link above:
“The Bob Newhart Show,” “Rhoda,” “The Betty White Show,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Lou Grant,” “The Tony Randall Show,” “The Associates,” “The Stockard Channing Show,” “The Hogan Family,” “Night Court,” “Dear John,” “Ladies Man,” “Wings,” “Frasier,” “NewsRadio,” “Third Rock from the Sun,” “Pearl,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Caroline in the City,” “George & Leo,” “The Class,” “Courting Alex,” “Back to You,” “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Hank,” “Up All Night,” “Better with You,” “$#*! My Dad Says,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Partners,” “Mike & Molly” and “The Millers.”

The soundtrack/playlist of a great part of my life.

 

[lakefront]

Hence the wondering If it could be made now the way it was made then.

I think a lot of things getting made now are way worse than past shows, but my point was about judging them by todays standards and not the time period that they were made.

 

[garrow]

RIP to the former standup comic and omnipresent 60s actor.

Ronnie Schell Dead: 'Gomer Pyle: USMC' Actor Was 94

 

[Webster]

Ridiculous that The Bear is a binge drop. It’s among the most popular podcast/recap darlings and now it’s hard to avoid spoilers.

 

[Bubbler]

I was thinking this too. They were making fun of Newt Gingrich for being a homophobe in 1994 for crying out loud! That said, they almost undid all that progress with the Monica used to be fat jokes. Over and over and over again with the fatshaming.

I’m old fashioned. I disliked “Friends” not because it was politically incorrect (gimme a ****ing break), but because it was wildly mediocre.

What I think is fascinating is how some of these allegedly can’t-do-that-anymore shows and movies still populate the zeitgeist as much as they ever have.

I don’t see any lack of “Revenge Of The Nerds” airings when there’s a dead to rights rape in it. Or “Sixteen Candles” for arguably the same thing. We still want our 80s movie marathons! Badly aged tropes and all!

The 70s shows that were edgier still air aplenty too.

 

[outofplace]

I was thinking this too. They were making fun of Newt Gingrich for being a homophobe in 1994 for crying out loud! That said, they almost undid all that progress with the Monica used to be fat jokes. Over and over and over again with the fatshaming.

They also turned being transgender into a punchline with Kathleen Turner's character.