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Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

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Re: Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

#81

Post by stevenwoo »

falsedan wrote: post #13
jimjimjim wrote: post #9

Maybe it's just that people only remember the good tv shows/films/music/things from those years and ignore the boring chaff. Maybe there are just as many good tv shows these days. but in my opinion the vast majority of current tv shows/films/music/webcontent is utter undiluted mind numbing banal drivel and there isn't a circle of hell worthy enough to hold those responsible.

> Maybe there are just as many good tv shows these days. Check out Top of the Lake , it's well-written, well-acted, & doesn't overstay its welcome. Season two just came out! I think modern shows are dominated by 'must-see' spectacles or sensationalist attention-grabbers, because people watch them in droves and advertises will pay for slots. Weirdly, the modern BBC only makes shows like this, even though they don't re…

In my opinion, season 2 of Top of the Lake is pretty mediocre compared to the first. The Guardian episode recap/reviews are pretty similar to my feelings.

Re: Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

#82

Post by stevenwoo »

_b8r0 wrote: post #62
coldtea wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but in my opinion the vast majority of current tv shows/films/music/webcontent is utter undiluted mind numbing banal drivel and there isn't a circle of hell worthy enough to hold those responsible. Well, for tv shows there was been a marked and well established uptick, if not in storytelling, surely in production values (huge, expensive productions) and acting (a-rate actors from movies). That's how we got shows li…

I get where you're coming from and mostly agree, but I had to chuckle. House of Cards is a remake of an 80s show of the same name :) It's also worth a watch if you enjoyed the remake.

In some ways the 80's show is even more over the top than House of Cards but I only watched season 1 of the US version where they changed the pivotal death scene. It seemed like they were planting the seeds to match the UK series finale, though.

Re: Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

#83

Post by coldtea »

_b8r0 wrote: post #62
coldtea wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but in my opinion the vast majority of current tv shows/films/music/webcontent is utter undiluted mind numbing banal drivel and there isn't a circle of hell worthy enough to hold those responsible. Well, for tv shows there was been a marked and well established uptick, if not in storytelling, surely in production values (huge, expensive productions) and acting (a-rate actors from movies). That's how we got shows li…

I get where you're coming from and mostly agree, but I had to chuckle. House of Cards is a remake of an 80s show of the same name :) It's also worth a watch if you enjoyed the remake.

I've seen the older version.

But it's a British one (and they always did some big quality work like Yes, Minister, Monty Pythons, Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, etc, content wise), but not representative in production values to the modern one.

Re: Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

#84

Post by Retric »

soundwave106 wrote: post #78
Retric wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Game of Thrones for example is somewhat popular, but IMO that's mostly because of how bad the average TV show is not how great it is. It's closest 70's show would probably be Dallas which had 350 million people worldwide watch an episode. That's a well done hook even if they could not show nudes etc. As to offending people, M A S*H had men in drag show up regularly which really would offend people. Yet, apparently 60…

Hmmm... When I pull up a random television network schedule from the 1970s -- let's pull up 1976-1977. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976%E2%80%9377_United_States_... ) I see some shows generally recognized as quality television. And, er, some television that isn't. No surprise. At least, I certainly don't think the variety shows count as "great" by most people's scope, of which 1970s television had a lot of. At le…

Yea, I don't think the average show from the 70's was good.

Though, if your going to compare the average show, then the competition is more like 'Pawn Stars', 'My Teen is Pregnant', 'Tiny House Hunters', etc. Or you could compare similar longer running shows like Three's company (8 seasons) vs. Two and a Half Men (12 seasons).

So, my guess is a random episode of 'Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour' was probably better than a random episode of a random cable TV show. Though, it's also very dated at this point. It's also likely worse than say the best south park episode or whatever show you actually like.

Anyway, I am not saying the 70's wins hands down, hell I was not even alive then. But, I do think people are confusing shows about things they like with actual quality. I might like 'How It's Made' but it's not exactly deep.

Re: Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

#85

Post by lobster_johnson »

falsedan wrote: post #14
Jun8 wrote: post #3

I had never heard of this show, but speaking about wacky British 70s series that still hold up, I think The Avengers should be up there, for similar reasons: great acting, out of this world plots, mixed with a quaint British attitude. The Emma Peel era was the best, you can check out all the episodes here: http://theavengers.tv/forever/peel.htm . Almost all episodes are gold, but my favorites are The Cybernauts and H…

I have heard of this show, and speaking of gritty late-Cold-War-era series that still hold up, I think Edge of Darkness should be up there. It was remade into a terrible action film in 2010, but the original TV series from 1985 is a masterpiece of plotting and pacing, and non-verbal storytelling.

Edge of Darkness is superb. As dark as anything in, say, Breaking Bad.

Re: Tinker, tailor, soldier, sandbagger: sometimes TV from the 70s holds up

#86

Post by triplesec »

stevekemp wrote: post #75
triplesec wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a place here for Blake's Seven, (esp the early episodes) and of course Tom Baker's Dr Who incarnation? Incidentally, for those who didn't know, Douglas Adams wrote some classic episodes and was script editor (head writer) on Dr Who for at least a season or so. And I think Dad's Army remains a classic, about the Home Guard in WWII, with some of the finest comic actors. There's even a case to be made for The S…

I feel compelled to add "Yes Minister" to your list, if only because of the excellent writing and characterisation of Sir Humphrey & Jim Hacker. (There was a recent remake; it is not worth watching.)

That's a great point. I have no idea why I also didn't mention Fawlty Towers, possibly the greatest sitcom ever made.
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