Topic: Never Ending TV Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 2 (2008-2009) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
The time: today. The stakes: all our tomorrows. A nascent AI, assisted by deadly cyborgs, continues to edge toward world domination and the ruin of humankind. It accepts no limits. It fears no one. Except John Connor. The machines know John, now 16, is the future leader of the human resistance. They know he is growing in abilities. They must find and terminate him. But Sarah Connor is there, protecting and instructing her son as he becomes the man he's destined to be.
The hunt is on in a season of powerfull revelations, breathless pursuits and bravura effects. A mysterious 3-dot symbol (do UFOs provide a clue?), a girlfriend for John (is Cameron jealous?), a mysterious tech company ZeiraCorp (can it master the renegade software the Turk?) — Season 2's 6-disc action arsenal is locked, loaded, ready to amaze.

My Thoughts:
Finally finished up the second season and it was every bit as good as the first. I really enjoyed the direction it took and found Shirley Manson's Catherine and Leven Rambin's Riley to be two of the best supporting characters in the show's run. I also enjoyed seeing Charley re-appear towards the end, aswell as the priest and even Sabrina Perez as Chola made another small, low-on-dialogue, high-on-impact appearance. One thing I wasn't overly keen on was how Ellison's characteristics changed in the latter half of the season as he became 'head of security' for Catherine and the show seemed to lose the impact of his moralistic sentiments (they were still there, but not in as big a way). Shame the show ended here, as it looked like it was gearing up for an exciting third season. Recommended viewing though. 4/5

[goodguy]

In case you're interested, Achim and I did a marathon with episode reviews for S2 here. There was also one for S1 with a couple of other participants, but I don't have the link.

[samuelrichardscott]

Thanks for the link. Just read the last few pages (will read the rest later) and it seems that Achim hated the the one bit I did in the final episode:

(click to show/hide)

"I love you".

I have to say that my favourite episode was actually 21, and I loved the end of that episode a lot.

(click to show/hide)

Savannah singing over the end, with Paul Henry... perfect song for that moment.

Overall, it really was a good show and at least it did end well, unlike say... Tru Calling. I do wish a third season had materialised though.

[goodguy]

It really was a good great series and, as I said a couple of times already, it surpasses even the first two movies for me. I didn't really hate that bit you mention, but it certainly was worth an eye-roll. And I agree, that song at the end of 2x21 was quite something. There were a couple of episodes throughout were the use of music really was inspired in a way that went far beyond the usual montage thingie you often find on lesser shows.

[samuelrichardscott]

I think I would rate them: T2, T1, Sarah Connor Chronicles, T4, T3.

[Jimmy]

Edward Furlong is too annoying in T2 in my book to have this film is my collection (also too childish for my taste) whatever the fact the special effects are ok. Nothing can beat the original

Surprisingly Furlong is now a good actor, I wouldn't have bet on this years ago

[samuelrichardscott]

The Simpsons: Season 8 (1996-1997) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
The Simpsons is an animated sitcom about the antics of a dysfunctional family called the Simpsons (surprise surprise). Homer is the oafish unhealthy beer loving father, Marge is the hardworking homemaker wife, Bart is the ten year old underachiever (and proud of it), Lisa is the unappreciated eight year old genius, and Maggie is the cute, pacifier loving silent infant.

My Thoughts:
This was probably the best season of The Simpsons made (so far...) and includes many favourite episodes of mine including You Only Move Twice where Homer goes to work for a Bond villain type character called Hank Scorpio. It also has some of the best cameos in the shows history including Jack Lemmon as Mr. Burns' son and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as their X-Files characters Mulder and Scully. Even the Halloween episode, which is normally the one I find a chore each year, was at least better than previous Halloween episodes, and I really enjoyed the first segment which took a lot from Basketcase. Overall, if you're a Simpsons fan, this is highly recommended. 5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Cold Feet: Series 5 (2003) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Britain's favourite 30-somethings are reunited for this hugely popular series, which follows the trials and tribulations of marriage, sex, friendship and parenthood, with both hilarious and poignant results.
The new series opens with the aftermath of series four's tear-jerking climax in Australia. Rachel gave birth to a healthy baby boy after months of turmoil for her and Adam. Pete and Joe tied the knot after convincing everyone - including themselves - that they were meant for each other and David was left reeling after Karen was forced to confess her affair.
We pick up six months later on their return from Sydney. Adam and Rachel embark on family life with their little boy Matt, with realisation downing on Adam that baby definitely makes three. Pete and Joe return from Australia to find life with mother-in-law is not quite as sunny as Sydney. David and Karen discover that an amicable divorce is not as easy as it might seem, and Ramona is taking a few siestas with a local lifeguard.

My Thoughts:
Cold Feet is one of the better comedy dramas to have come from ITV in more recent years, with a great cast including James Nesbitt, John Thomson, Fay Ripley and Helen Baxendale. The script writing is of a consistent high standard with the main story archs running the full five series and the mix between drama and comedy is just right. Unlike some shows, Cold Feet finishes its final season by wrapping everything up reasonably well and the second to last episode is among the best of the entire run. Whilst it does feel as though it is getting a little stale after previous series, series five is a satisfying end. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Frasier: Season 5 (1997-1998) R1 America

Overview:
Emmy® Award-winner Kelsey Grammer is Frasier - the hilarious psychiatrist first seen on TV's Cheers and subsequently the star of this smash-hit comedy series. Sibling rivalry between Frasier and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) leads to some riotous cases of one-upmanship in Season Five. Which of the two will find their father Martin (John Mahoney) the better birthday gift? Have an actual day named after them? And come out the winner as they vie for the same attractive woman? Meanwhile, Daphne (Jane Leeves) finds her favorite pub invaded by a familiar (and unwelcome) interloper; Roz (Peri Gilpin) is expecting a visit from the stork; and KACL's abrasive Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe becomes the hero of the day to all - all except Frasier, who knows the untold story! It's the fifth side-splitting season of Frasier - yours to enjoy in this 24-episode, four-disc collection.

My Thoughts:
Frasier is one of the few US comedies that manages to make me laugh consistently, not only thanks to its clever writing, but also due to the quality of the main cast members Kelsey Grammar, David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, John Mahoney and Peri Gilpin. This season is full of great episodes, my favourite being The Ski Lodge which had me in stitches of laughter throughout as the group go on a weekend away that Daphne has won. Other great moments in this season include Frasier Crane Day, Niles accidentally getting into bed with his marriage counseller, Frasier trying to get Bulldog to admit publicly about not being a 'real' hero and Frasier enjoying a British pub. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

I think I'm going to go by disc now in this thread rather than by full set.

[samuelrichardscott]

The Big Bang Theory: Season 1 - Disc 1 (2007)

Overview:
Physicists Leonard and Sheldon understand everything from the inescapable gravitational pull of a black hole to the intricate structure of the atom. But take those atoms and assemble them into a woman, and their comprehension comes to a grinding halt. And when Penny, a woman with all those atoms in all the right places, moves in across the hall, Leonard and Sheldon's universe beings to expand in ways they never could have imagined.
When series creators Chuck Lorre [Two and a Half Men] and Bill Prady [Dharma & Greg] combine equal parts science, superheroes and sex and add stars Johnny Galecki [Roseanne] and Jim Parsons [Judging Amy], the result is an explosively funny comedy for the nerd in all of us.

My Thoughts:
I had previously seen just a couple of episodes before diving into this show, buying it based on recommendations and the very low price I managed to get. I was previously a fan of Kaley Cuoco in 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, but she always played second fiddle to John Ritter in the early episodes before his sad death. Here, she is on level terms as far as funny lines are concerned with the four nerds, and provides a good dynamic to the proceedings. Strong points in this opening disc of the first season include Sheldon talking about how Lois Lane would've died in the first Superman movie, all four of the nerds dressing like Flash and Leonard and Sheldon trying to get a heavy box up the stairs of the apartment building. So far, so good. Surprised this has come from the same wazzock who has given us Two and a Half Men. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Big Bang Theory: Season 1 - Disc 2 (2007-2008) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Physicists Leonard and Sheldon understand everything from the inescapable gravitational pull of a black hole to the intricate structure of the atom. But take those atoms and assemble them into a woman, and their comprehension comes to a grinding halt. And when Penny, a woman with all those atoms in all the right places, moves in across the hall, Leonard and Sheldon's universe beings to expand in ways they never could have imagined.
When series creators Chuck Lorre [Two and a Half Men] and Bill Prady [Dharma & Greg] combine equal parts science, superheroes and sex and add stars Johnny Galecki [Roseanne] and Jim Parsons [Judging Amy], the result is an explosively funny comedy for the nerd in all of us.

My Thoughts:
The second disc consists of episodes 7-12 and the characters are all slowly starting to come into their own. Some more funny moments on this disc include Halo night, arguing over paintball tactics, Rajnesh's parents talking to the gang via webcam and a great little cameo by DJ Qualls. I have decided that the character I don't like in the show is definately Howard... I just find his characteristics annoying compared to Rajnesh, Leonard and Sheldon and I'm not keen on the way the character is acted by Simon Helberg. Still, the show is funny and the funniest bits seem to be small discussions about sci-fi pop culture, the best on this disc being a quick discussion between Leonard and Sheldon about Terminator. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Big Bang Theory: Season 1 - Disc 3 (2008) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Physicists Leonard and Sheldon understand everything from the inescapable gravitational pull of a black hole to the intricate structure of the atom. But take those atoms and assemble them into a woman, and their comprehension comes to a grinding halt. And when Penny, a woman with all those atoms in all the right places, moves in across the hall, Leonard and Sheldon's universe beings to expand in ways they never could have imagined.
When series creators Chuck Lorre [Two and a Half Men] and Bill Prady [Dharma & Greg] combine equal parts science, superheroes and sex and add stars Johnny Galecki [Roseanne] and Jim Parsons [Judging Amy], the result is an explosively funny comedy for the nerd in all of us.

My Thoughts:
The final disc of this first season contains episodes 13-17 which continues at the same pace as episodes 1-12. The best episode in this batch was for me, "The Nerdvana Annihilation" in which the guys buy the time machine prop that featured in the 1960 classic film adaptation The Time Machine. The writers managed to avoid being lazy and didn't use the time machine to put the characters elsewhere in time via dream sequences, though did use it for Sheldon to have Time Machine related nightmares. The final episode leaves us on a nice little cliffhanger as to whether or not Leonard and Penny will become an item. All in all, the first season was enjoyable and well written, and I look forward to checking out season two in the near future. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Phoenix Nights: Series 1 (2001) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Legendary social club owner Brian Potter and his hapless band of staff and regulars are determined to make the Phoenix Club a success no matter what. Not even a racist folk band, an unforeseeable psychic or a drunken horse will get in the way of thier dream that 'Clubland will never die'.

My Thoughts:
If you're a fan of Peter Kay's/Dave Spikey's stand-up then you will undoubtedly love Phoenix Nights, a comedy about a social club in Bolton. Peter Kay plays disabled club owner Brian Potter (and bouncer Max, and more) and Dave Spikey plays club worker Jerry Sinclair in what is an extremely well written comedy that caters more for the Northern sense of humour. There are some great little cameos, such as Roy Walker, and some very funny supporting characters that get some brilliant lines like Ray Vohn. This first series isn't as funny or as polished as the second, but it's one of the best to come from Channel 4 in recent memory, right up there with Spaced. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Big Bang Theory: Season 2 (2008-2009) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
The science of funny is back! At work, physicist Leonard and Sheldon and their geek pals conquer the cosmos. At home, real life - from dating to driving - conquers them. This season, Leonard gets a girl. So does Sheldon. (Sheldon?!) Howard drives the Mars Rover into a ditch. Raj woos a terminator. Gorgeous girl-next-door Penny falls under the spell of Age of Conan. And super-smart, überconfident Leslie Winkler reduces mere men to spineless jellyfish. Twenty-two laugh-filled episodes from series creators Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (Gilmore Girls) and a talented cast with astronomical comedy IQs shows why Big Bang is such a big hit.

My Thoughts:
For me, the second season was more enjoyable than the first. The characters are really starting to come into their own now and I found that I didn't dislike Howard Wolowitz this time around. Sheldon is the character of choice for me, with the majority of the best lines, in particular those between himself and Penny. There's some good cameo's in this season, including Sara Rue and Charlie Sheen, but most importantly from Summer Glau (Cameron in The Sarah Vonnor Chronicles). Some of the finer moments this season include Sheldon going to the renaissance fair as Spock from Star Trek, Rajesh making People Magazines Best 30 Under 30 List, Penny becoming addicted to a Conan MMO and Leonard's mother coming to visit. Also, the season ends on a great note, setting up nicely for season three. 4.5/5