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End of Year TV in Review (or, what did you watch the past year?) (1 Viewer)

DaveF

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Shows 2024
Would Recommend to Most Anyone

  • Drops of God
  • The Diplomat
  • Dark Matter
  • Shrinking
  • A Man on the Inside
  • Silo
  • Only Murders in the Building
  • Slow Horses
  • Hacks
  • The Bear (albeit based on S1 & 2)
Shows I Loved
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks
  • Sweet Tooth
  • The Umbrella Academy
  • Nobody Wants This
  • Resident Alien
  • Arcane
Sci-Fi
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks
  • Star Trek: Discovery
  • Dark Matter
  • Silo
  • For All Mankind
  • Scavengers Reign
  • Fallout
  • Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
  • The Peripheral (canceled after one season)
I Like Off-Kilter
  • The Decameron
  • Our Flag Means Death (Ted Lasso but with pan-sexual pirates)
  • Invincible
  • Blue Eye Samurai
  • Big Door Prize
  • I’m a Virgo
One-Season Excellence
  • Drops of God
  • Black Cake
  • Beef
Animated
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks (best Trek in 30 years?)
  • X-Men ‘97 (how was this that good?!?!)
  • Gravity Falls
  • What If…?
  • Invincible (S3 coming soon! Caveat ultra-violence)
  • Arcane (love it but not for everyone)
  • The Dragon Prince (high fantasy for kids but written for adults to enjoy)
  • ARK: The Animated Series (promising but waiting for S2)
  • Blue Eye Samurai (WOW!)
Easy and Fun
  • Abbott Elementary
  • Ghosts (USA and UK)
  • Loot
  • The Rookie
  • Elsbeth
  • Is it Cake?
  • The Last Thing He Said to Me
  • Unstable (2 seasons & canceled)
  • Starstruck (3 seasons finished)
  • Not Dead Yet (canceled too soon)
  • So You Think You Can Dance
  • Parks and Recreation
Started, Will Eventually Probably Watch More
  • Reservation Dogs
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender
  • Fleabag
Didn’t Work for Me (Best to Worst)
  • Sunny (ambitious and lost its way)
  • Mr. And Mrs. Smith (promising but so slow and aimless)
  • Constellation (ambitious but so frustrating)
  • Halo (gave up after 3 eps)
  • Echo
 

JohnRice

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Holy smokes.

Did you actually watch all those shows?
 

JohnRice

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Well, of those I’ve seen The Bear, For All Mankind, Fallout, and The Peripheral.
 

DaveF

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Loved The Peripheral! Was disappointed it was canceled amidst writers strike and post-pandemic production retraction.
 

TravisR

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Fifteen years ago, I saw everything on TV worth a darn so I knew my stuff. Nowadays, there's so many shows and they're all "the best show ever" so I don't even know where to begin and I end up watching almost nothing new on TV anymore.

Currently, I only watch The Simpsons and all The Walking Dead spinoffs. The Simpsons' glory days are long gone but I still get a good laugh or two out of each episode. And I'm watching The Walking Dead shows purely out of habit. The only streaming shows that I watch are the various Star Wars series which I generally enjoy. Even when I kinda had a life in college :laugh:, I saw more shows than I see now.
 

Walter Kittel

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My television viewing is definitely down from prior years. As I've posted before it can be a bit too passive whereas gaming tends to take me out of myself. Some of the programs that I have viewed (roughly in order of preference) and enjoyed include...

Shogun - The best show of 2024. Close to perfect with incredible production values and superior acting and writing. Highly, highly recommended.

Fallout - Probably my second favorite show of 2024. Been playing the Fallout franchise for a lot of years and while the series provides a lot of fan service, it is in support of the show and does not feel gratuitous. Great production design that really captures the FO aesthetic.

Blue Eye Samurai - While I enjoyed all aspects of the show, the real attraction of this series for me was the visual aesthetic which was incredibly beautiful. It has often been observed of great visual film making that screen shots could be framed and hung on the wall. This absolutely applies to this series. Strong writing and visual choreography in addition made this one of my favorite shows of the past year.

The Penguin - Set in the same universe as the HBO production of The Batman. Imagine a Tony Soprano-esque character as a villan in Gotham. Colin Farrell does a terrific job of inhabiting the title character. This was a very engaging series that worked on multiple levels and was one of the better shows I saw in 2024.

Presumed Innocent: S1 - Solid dramatic series with fine acting. While watching the series I was always curious as to how the show would differentiate itself from the Harrison Ford film. The series does a good job of standing on its own two feet and having knowledge of the film will not degrade the experience of viewing the show. Quite good.

Turning Point: The Bomb and The Cold War - This was a captivating documentary series that chronicles the history of the cold War starting during the development of the atomic bomb and concluding with contemporary times. I am not sure that I learned a lot of new information, but it was well presented and there was new (to me) archival footage. Fans of documentary series should give this a look. (Netflix, BTW.)

House of the Dragon: S2 - Continues developing the story line established in season one. There are some great moments in this series and I thought that season two stepped up the stakes quite a bit. Recommended for fans of dragons. :)

Star Trek: Lower Decks - Simply lots of fun.

Masters of the Air - Series that chronicles the air war of Europe in WWII. Very enjoyable, with a strong cast and involving air sequences. It doesn't quite live up to Band of Brothers (which is the Gold Standard) but it is still compelling and worth watching.

Slow Horses - Still very engaging.

Silo - I've been taking a break from season two, but plan to get back into it. Enjoy the acting, production design, and the mystery at the heart of the series.

Under The Bridge - Crime series base on true events two decades ago. Pretty solid series with strong writing and acting. Lilly Gladstone, Riley Keough, and a cast of younger stars all turn in solid performances. Idiosyncratic at times this was one of the better dramatics series I viewed this year. (Hulu)

Terminator Zero - S1 : More stories from the Terminator universe. What's not to like? Interestingly enough it falls inline with the timeline established in T2, but it takes place in Japan whether others are taking actions to prevent the coming apocalypse. Some of the action sequences are well choreographed and fans of the Terminator films would probably enjoy this entry into the world of Skynet.

Dark Matter - Enjoyed the setup and the premise of the series. The denouement was kind of weak, but otherwise a pretty solid series.

For All Mankind - Been watching this over the years and while it isn't quite as strong as seasons one and two it is something I still enjoy. On board for this series until its finale.

The Acolyte - Solid production values and fight choreography. The plotting and writing of the series held it back a bit but it was enjoyable as a D+ Star Wars series. Would have turned in for season two, but not going to happen.

- Walter.
 

Robert Crawford

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Unfortunately, I don't watch TV shows any longer. I tried to watch a few on Disney that were Star Wars-related but never finished them. The noticeable exception TV series I did watch until it completed its season, was Reacher which I enjoy quite a bit. I think I get bored with weekly shows. I rather watch movies and sports.
 

DaveF

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My television viewing is definitely down from prior years. As I've posted before it can be a bit too passive whereas gaming tends to take me out of myself. Some of the programs that I have viewed (roughly in order of preference) and enjoyed include...

Shogun - The best show of 2024. Close to perfect with incredible production values and superior acting and writing. Highly, highly recommended.

Fallout - Probably my second favorite show of 2024. Been playing the Fallout franchise for a lot of years and while the series provides a lot of fan service, it is in support of the show and does not feel gratuitous. Great production design that really captures the FO aesthetic.

Blue Eye Samurai - While I enjoyed all aspects of the show, the real attraction of this series for me was the visual aesthetic which was incredibly beautiful. It has often been observed of great visual film making that screen shots could be framed and hung on the wall. This absolutely applies to this series. Strong writing and visual choreography in addition made this one of my favorite shows of the past year.

The Penguin - Set in the same universe as the HBO production of The Batman. Imagine a Tony Soprano-esque character as a villan in Gotham. Colin Farrell does a terrific job of inhabiting the title character. This was a very engaging series that worked on multiple levels and was one of the better shows I saw in 2024.

Presumed Innocent: S1 - Solid dramatic series with fine acting. While watching the series I was always curious as to how the show would differentiate itself from the Harrison Ford film. The series does a good job of standing on its own two feet and having knowledge of the film will not degrade the experience of viewing the show. Quite good.

Turning Point: The Bomb and The Cold War - This was a captivating documentary series that chronicles the history of the cold War starting during the development of the atomic bomb and concluding with contemporary times. I am not sure that I learned a lot of new information, but it was well presented and there was new (to me) archival footage. Fans of documentary series should give this a look. (Netflix, BTW.)

House of the Dragon: S2 - Continues developing the story line established in season one. There are some great moments in this series and I thought that season two stepped up the stakes quite a bit. Recommended for fans of dragons. :)

Star Trek: Lower Decks - Simply lots of fun.

Masters of the Air - Series that chronicles the air war of Europe in WWII. Very enjoyable, with a strong cast and involving air sequences. It doesn't quite live up to Band of Brothers (which is the Gold Standard) but it is still compelling and worth watching.

Slow Horses - Still very engaging.

Silo - I've been taking a break from season two, but plan to get back into it. Enjoy the acting, production design, and the mystery at the heart of the series.

Under The Bridge - Crime series base on true events two decades ago. Pretty solid series with strong writing and acting. Lilly Gladstone, Riley Keough, and a cast of younger stars all turn in solid performances. Idiosyncratic at times this was one of the better dramatics series I viewed this year. (Hulu)

Terminator Zero - S1 : More stories from the Terminator universe. What's not to like? Interestingly enough it falls inline with the timeline established in T2, but it takes place in Japan whether others are taking actions to prevent the coming apocalypse. Some of the action sequences are well choreographed and fans of the Terminator films would probably enjoy this entry into the world of Skynet.

Dark Matter - Enjoyed the setup and the premise of the series. The denouement was kind of weak, but otherwise a pretty solid series.

For All Mankind - Been watching this over the years and while it isn't quite as strong as seasons one and two it is something I still enjoy. On board for this series until its finale.

The Acolyte - Solid production values and fight choreography. The plotting and writing of the series held it back a bit but it was enjoyable as a D+ Star Wars series. Would have turned in for season two, but not going to happen.

- Walter.
That’s a great list! I intend to watch Shogun in 2025 — just didn’t get to it the past year. I’ve got some franchise fatigue with the mainstream superheroes, but I’ve heard enough that I need to check out The Penguin. But I’m uncertain if I’ll ever get to The Acolyte for similar reason.

Blue Eye Samurai I heard about on podcasts, so I checked it out. And while not perfect, it was good to great throughout. And with all sincerity, as a casual viewer of the art, but this is the best kung fu I’ve seen since Kung Fu Panda! And the most nudity since Altered Carbon! :D

Presumed Innocent was also on my list; but got lost in the shuffle. Maybe 2025?

And agree completely about Lower Decks and For All Mankind. These are top favorites of mine (though the most recent FOM season was a bit uneven for me.) And I’m looking forward to its spinoff, Star City.
 

JohnRice

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Loved The Peripheral! Was disappointed it was canceled amidst writers strike and post-pandemic production retraction.
I enjoyed The Peripheral quite a bit as well. It's dense enough that I really need to watch it again. It is a shame it won't continue.

FWIW, I just started Silo yesterday.

I'm trying to remember when I watched I Am Not OK With This, which was a lot of fun. Just one short season, that adds up to no more than a long movie. So, an easy, one day binge.

Sorry for my random comments. I'll try to put a list together. It'll be fairly short, since my mind has been kind of fractured lately. I don't think I've seen a dozen new movies all year, and only a few short series.
 
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Walter Kittel

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That’s a great list! I intend to watch Shogun in 2025 — just didn’t get to it the past year. I’ve got some franchise fatigue with the mainstream superheroes, but I’ve heard enough that I need to check out The Penguin. But I’m uncertain if I’ll ever get to The Acolyte for similar reason.

Blue Eye Samurai I heard about on podcasts, so I checked it out. And while not perfect, it was good to great throughout. And with all sincerity, as a casual viewer of the art, but this is the best kung fu I’ve seen since Kung Fu Panda! And the most nudity since Altered Carbon! :D

Presumed Innocent was also on my list; but got lost in the shuffle. Maybe 2025?

And agree completely about Lower Decks and For All Mankind. These are top favorites of mine (though the most recent FOM season was a bit uneven for me.) And I’m looking forward to its spinoff, Star City.

Thanks! Obviously I cannot recommend Shogun highly enough. If you only have time for one series I mentioned, this is the one.

I certainly understand mainstream superhero fatigue, but The Penguin is much more of a crime drama / character studio vs. the typical comic genre feature. If you are on the fence, watch episode one and you will get a good idea of the series' approach. The show is very consistent in tone across an eight episode run.

I heard about Blue Eye Samurai via one of the You Tube reactors that I watch regularly. I was immediately drawn in by the artistry of the animation. I was a bit surprised at the level of adult content, particularly the nudity. I agree it wasn't perfect, but it was very entertaining and the level of abstraction in the writing was very strong at times. I thought that episode five, The Tale of the Ronin and The Bride was masterfully animated and presented.

Presumed Innocent is a strong dramatic series and worth watching for the acting.

I am on board for whatever Ron Moore provides in the For All Mankind universe. Looking forward to Star City.

- Walter.
 

Joe Wong

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For those interested in something that may have gone under the radar, Ripley (Netflix) was great. And if you appreciate the artistic side of the film and TV business, the cinematography is a highlight.
 

Bryan^H

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Dexter: Original Sin
Feels much like the early original series including music score and “look”.


Probably all I will watch going into 2025.
In the TV landscape nothing much interests me at all anymore
 

DaveF

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I enjoyed The Peripheral quite a bit as well. It's dense enough that I really need to watch it again. It is a shame it won't continue.

FWIW, I just started Silo yesterday.

I'm trying to remember when I watched I Am Not OK With This, which was a lot of fun. Just one short season, that adds up to no more than a long movie. So, an easy, one day binge.

Sorry for my random comments. I'll try to put a list together. It'll be fairly short, since my mind has been kind of fractured lately. I don't think I've seen a dozen new movies all year, and only a few short series.
I started I Am Not Ok With This, probably in 2021, based on the positive commentary. But I struggled to connect with the first episode. And since it was canceled after just the one season, I didn’t continue.

I’m looking forward to getting back from holiday travel and finishing Silo S2; I’m about five episodes in. I think this is a show that’s as good or better than the books.

For those interested in something that may have gone under the radar, Ripley (Netflix) was great. And if you appreciate the artistic side of the film and TV business, the cinematography is a highlight.
On my “wishlist” to watch.
 

JohnRice

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I may just have to add shows as I remember them...

Hello Tomorrow - Funky, odd, almost Tim Burton-ish revisionist Sci-Fi. In the end it was actually pretty intriguing, for me at least. It's actually more Wizard of Oz in theme than you might expect. Like The Peripheral and I Am Not OK With This, it doesn't appear it will be continuing past the first season.

The Good Place - I watched about 2/3 of this and stopped for a while, not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I wanted to ration it. You know, save some for later, rather than just watch it all and then wish there was more.

Glee - Late this year I needed something distracting, silly, happy, and so on, and a show where everyone constantly and inexplicably breaks into song was what the doctor ordered. Glee is actually kind of a mess, which is also a big part of its charm. Characters appear and disappear, often without explanation. I mean, Melissa Benoist became a major character, then disappeared, then reappeared in the background, then disappeared for good. And, how did I never know that Finneas O'Connoll was in it? OK, only four of the last five episodes, but still.

Presumed Innocent - I started by watching the movie, which I hadn't seen in probably 15 years or more. For those who wonder, yes, it very much distinguishes itself from the movie. More than anyone would expect, in fact. I mean, big time. Excellent thriller, and I'm so glad it is one of the "Single Season" shows that is staying that way, as it should.

Fallout - Such a weirdly fun show, that is similar in theme to Silo, yet absolutely nothing like it. I never game, so I have no idea what the source is, but I will definitely be watching it going forward.

The Handmaid's Tale - I read the novel and have seen the original movie. I think the series is often outstanding, and occasionally a little stagnant. I haven't caught up on the latest season, because I simply haven't been in the state of mind where I think it would be a good idea. I mean, this is the most hard-hitting and grim series I've ever seen, but it also resonates, for me at least.

I bought some more obscure, fairly recent full series collections on disc this year. Hopefully I will get to some of them next year. Including The Last Kingdom, Orphan Black, Penny Dreadful, Mr, Robot, Spartacus.
 

DaveF

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I may just have to add shows as I remember them...

Hello Tomorrow - Funky, odd, almost Tim Burton-ish revisionist Sci-Fi. In the end it was actually pretty intriguing, for me at least. It's actually more Wizard of Oz in theme than you might expect. Like The Peripheral and I Am Not OK With This, it doesn't appear it will be continuing past the first season.

The Good Place - I watched about 2/3 of this and stopped for a while, not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I wanted to ration it. You know, save some for later, rather than just watch it all and then wish there was more.

Glee - Late this year I needed something distracting, silly, happy, and so on, and a show where everyone constantly and inexplicably breaks into song was what the doctor ordered. Glee is actually kind of a mess, which is also a big part of its charm. Characters appear and disappear, often without explanation. I mean, Melissa Benoist became a major character, then disappeared, then reappeared in the background, then disappeared for good. And, how did I never know that Finneas O'Connoll was in it? OK, only four of the last five episodes, but still.

Presumed Innocent - I started by watching the movie, which I hadn't seen in probably 15 years or more. For those who wonder, yes, it very much distinguishes itself from the movie. More than anyone would expect, in fact. I mean, big time. Excellent thriller, and I'm so glad it is one of the "Single Season" shows that is staying that way, as it should.

Fallout - Such a weirdly fun show, that is similar in theme to Silo, yet absolutely nothing like it. I never game, so I have no idea what the source is, but I will definitely be watching it going forward.

The Handmaid's Tale - I read the novel and have seen the original movie. I think the series is often outstanding, and occasionally a little stagnant. I haven't caught up on the latest season, because I simply haven't been in the state of mind where I think it would be a good idea. I mean, this is the most hard-hitting and grim series I've ever seen, but it also resonates, for me at least.

I bought some more obscure, fairly recent full series collections on disc this year. Hopefully I will get to some of them next year. Including The Last Kingdom, Orphan Black, Penny Dreadful, Mr, Robot, Spartacus.
I loved Hello, Tomorrow. Looking forward to presumed second season. The Good Place is an all-time top favorite show. I need to rewatch. Glee, we watched during original run, through the first three or so seasons. I still listen to its cover of Don’t Stop Believin’. Fallout was about as good as I hoped it would be; and surprisingly my wife enjoyed it despite its ultra-violence. And The Handmaids Tale: when is the next season here?!?!?

Mr. Robot S1 is perfect. I’ve watched it twice. It’s possibly better the second time through because you know what to watch for, and it’s all there. The show doesn’t cheat. The rest of the season is uneven, but I think it’s stayed with it and enjoyed the entire series.

Orphan Black is a favorite: We dressed as Allison and Donnie one year for Halloween.
 

Walter Kittel

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I may just have to add shows as I remember them...

Glee - Late this year I needed something distracting, silly, happy, and so on, and a show where everyone constantly and inexplicably breaks into song was what the doctor ordered. Glee is actually kind of a mess, which is also a big part of its charm. Characters appear and disappear, often without explanation. I mean, Melissa Benoist became a major character, then disappeared, then reappeared in the background, then disappeared for good. And, how did I never know that Finneas O'Connoll was in it? OK, only four of the last five episodes, but still.

I absolutely loved season one of Glee, but drifted away from the series in season two. One of those series from way back that I have considered trying again, but given the number of series that are on that list; probably not.

Presumed Innocent - I started by watching the movie, which I hadn't seen in probably 15 years or more. For those who wonder, yes, it very much distinguishes itself from the movie. More than anyone would expect, in fact. I mean, big time. Excellent thriller, and I'm so glad it is one of the "Single Season" shows that is staying that way, as it should.

100% agree. The series was perfectly suited for one season.

Fallout - Such a weirdly fun show, that is similar in theme to Silo, yet absolutely nothing like it. I never game, so I have no idea what the source is, but I will definitely be watching it going forward.

The series is absolutely faithful to the Fallout franchise. The weirdness and the kitsch of the Vault environments on display in the show perfectly reflects the game. This series and The Last of Us are the two best adaptations of video games to television series that I have ever viewed.

I bought some more obscure, fairly recent full series collections on disc this year. Hopefully I will get to some of them next year. Including The Last Kingdom, Orphan Black, Penny Dreadful, Mr, Robot, Spartacus.

I need to get back into Orphan Black (as I loved Tatiana Maslany in She-Hulk, which is of course a totally different vibe.) Was really enjoying the series and kind of got side-tracked.

Spartacus will definitely fulfill your needs for violent entertainment. :) It was pretty rousing series and something I wouldn't mind revisiting. (John Hannah was pretty terrific in this series.)

- Walter.
 

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Very little appeals to me, I watched Outlander. Didn't realise The Diplomat had a second season so will watch that (for Rufus Sewell). Otherwise it's reruns of favourite shows of the past, Billions, House of Cards (aka Macbeth!).
 

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If you're talking "new" series, it's easy:

Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - 1 season of each.

For "Classic" TV:

The Real McCoys - 1 season
I Love Lucy - complete
The Time Tunnel - complete
Battlestar Galactica - original - complete
Caroline in the City - complete
Northern Exposure - complete
Star Trek: TOS - complete
Robson Arms - 2 seasons
Alias Smith & Jones - complete
As Time Goes By - complete
Charmed - 4 seasons
Scrubs - complete
Doc Martin - complete
Monty Python's Flying Circus - complete
The Adventure of Ozzie and Harriet - 3 seasons

Several more - that's all I remember off the top of my head...
 

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