Filling Show Holes

[Inferno]

So, we've just filled our show hole with the amazing Stranger Things on Netflix.

No spoilers...

I love this show and I'm only on episode two. It's 1980's Stephen King meets 1980's Steven Spielberg, so of course it begins with kids playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Great retro credit sequence, a John Carpenter-inspired soundtrack, fun, smart, nostalgic, and Winona Ryder to boot. Can't recommend it enough.

What are you watching and, more importantly, what can you recommend?

[OGRE MAGE]

I just started watching that myself. Lots of old school gaming nostalgia and all that, but I'm not really enamored with some of the younger actors just yet. I hope that gets better.

It takes me a while to catch up on shows though because I'm in too many games on here.

Great thread! I look forward to hearing others favorites too.

[dmw71]

I am historically late to watching shows. I just finished watching The Walking Dead last month, and am now just starting season three of Lost.

I love Netflix.

[Inferno]

If you're late to shows, then may I recommend Breaking Bad? It's probably the greatest TV show ever.

[dmw71]

If you're late to shows, then may I recommend Breaking Bad? It's probably the greatest TV show ever.

Agreed on Breaking Bad (one of the last shows I streamed before moving on to The Walking Dead).

[Inferno]

I wish I could say the same for Better Call Saul. Almost every time I watch it, I regret it and grouse, "That hour would have been better spent re-watching any episode of Breaking Bad!"

[dmw71]

I wish I could say the same for Better Call Saul. Almost every time I watch it, I regret it and grouse, "That hour would have been better spent re-watching any episode of Breaking Bad!"

Hmm... I have that show in my list to watch at some point. It's not good?

[Inferno]

My opinion is...

... that the show should be about that amazing character, Saul Goodman. It's his exploits I want to see more of.

Instead, the creators are following the same arc as Walter White. We watch the adventures of the man who will one day become Saul Goodman, long before he is Saul Goodman. And this guy is a lot less interesting than Saul. The stakes aren't life and death. Most times, it's: will Saul have a good career as a lawyer? Will Saul get the girl? I often feel like I'm watching an episode of L.A. Law. And, honestly, even if it was life and death, the show still doesn't work. We know Saul lives to met Jessie and Walt.

The hope is one day he'll become Saul Goodman and then I'll enjoy the show, but I've been waiting 2 seasons so far.
The silver lining is Mike Ehrmantraut is a supporting character, so for every hour of show you get an average of 10 minutes of interesting.

[ToniXX]

I just finished watching Stranger Things last night. I really liked it too and liked the D&D references. I, also, took a little time to warm up to the kids, but I think they're great. I also thought that Winona Ryder was slightly annoying in the first episode, but then I thought she really did a great job as the show progressed.

I just read what season 2 would be like, and they're calling it a sequel. IMO, I think season 1 could stand on its own. Call it a mini-series and end it there.

I also just finished Penny Dreadful. I really liked it too... bringing together all the Victorian age villains/heroes under one 'roof' worked well, I thought. Eva Green is a truly amazing actress.

And then The Goldbergs starts up again this fall. Season four will open (I think) with an homage to The Breakfast Club.

[dmw71]

I just finished watching Stranger Things last night.

I will definitely need to check this one out. After Lost (or, after I lose interest in Lost because I hear the later seasons are... well, disjointed is putting it nicely).

Eva Green is a truly amazing actress.

Agreed.

And then The Goldbergs starts up again this fall. Season four will open (I think) with an homage to The Breakfast Club.

What is this The Goldbergs show you speak of?

Breakfast Club is such an 80's classic, it was only a matter of time.

[onlyme]

I love period dramas. So, Madmen and Downton Abbey were great. I spent a lot of time pausing so I could look up the historic references... Same as Rome and The Tudors, though those two are much more R rated.
I am almost finished with Hell On Wheels. I am 2.5 episodes short, and havent had time to watch those final couple episodes.
All of those were great.

Lost I watched "live" every week. I think that added to the enjoyment, as I was able to read theories without spoilers in between episodes. The suspense also lingered a week instead of the 15 seconds to load the next episode. That is one flaw in Netflix binging.

I cant get myself interested in watching the Sopranos or Breaking Bad. I know it is supposed to be great TV, but I dont care about the subject matter surrounding the drama. Truth be told, I am the same way about The Walking Dead. Even in D&D games, I am not a big fan of the undead. I'd much rather fight against "real" monsters like Orcs and Ogres

[dmw71]

I was able to read theories without spoilers in between episodes. The suspense also lingered a week instead of the 15 seconds to load the next episode. That is one flaw in Netflix binging.

Thankfully I've been able to resist checking out the various sites to read discussions about the episodes, or seasons... yet. There's some odd stuff that's happening, and I'm wondering what the heck is going on, but I actually find myself more interested in the characters, and their backgrounds, and less interested in the overall plot, which is where the confusion lies.

I cant get myself interested in watching the Sopranos or Breaking Bad. I know it is supposed to be great TV, but I dont care about the subject matter surrounding the drama.

I haven't seen a second of The Sopranos, either. And now that I have HBO, I can. I just have been drawn to other shows first.

As for Breaking Bad... that show was fantastic. The whole way. I would probably watch it again before watching The Sopranos, truth be told. I did notice, when I re-watched the pilot episode a second time (after finishing the show), I caught a few things I missed originally, and I'm sure there's a lot that I missed throughout the series that I'd catch by watching it again.

It is so much more than just "teacher turns drug dealer," so it would be worth at least taking a chance on at some point.

I am the same way about The Walking Dead. Even in D&D games, I am not a big fan of the undead. I'd much rather fight against "real" monsters like Orcs and Ogres.

I really liked the first season or two of The Walking Dead, and kind of lost interest in the show after season three... but watched the whole thing through current. I'll tune in again when the next season starts because of the cliffhanger the last season ended with, but I can't guarantee I'll stick with it. Though, the latest situation left me with a renewed interest in the show again, so we'll see.

I was never really a zombie fan, but I felt a twinge to actually try to run a current-time zombie survival game here on the US. It would be an interesting change for me, as I've never really played any other RPG except D&D (I did create characters for a game called Top Secret, and a James Bond role-playing game, but never really played either).

There's something exciting about plugging in a real address into using Google Maps and using Street View as THE map to a game you'll run your characters through. I'm still intrigued by this possibility, so... maybe much, much later.

[Inferno]

Goldbergs is really funny.

I think Sopranos is almost as great as Breaking Bad. Especially seasons 1 and 2, which could arguably stand alone. Sopranos pioneered the long form TV drama. Breaking Bad eventually mastered that format by mapping out the last season when they wrote the first one (unlike Sopranos, Lost, Twin Peaks, etc. who either meandered or wrote themselves into corners they had trouble getting out of).

[onlyme]

There's something exciting about plugging in a real address into using Google Maps and using Street View as THE map to a game you'll run your characters through. I'm still intrigued by this possibility, so... maybe much, much later.

Unrelated...
With all the Pokemon Go craze, I have been waiting for a world of warcraft version, where people can walk down their street swiping their phone like a sword at imaginary goblins.

Related...
A couple of documentaries were good quick watches. How to make a murderer was fascinating. 10 hours. Also, more kid friendly, is How we got to Now. 6 episodes about technological advances around a thing... (Sound, Light, Cold, Clean, Glass, Time) Very cool history on how random inventions caused another industry to grow, which sparked an invention which created another industry, etc...

[Inferno]

Yeah, I second 'Making Of A Murderer.' Riveting, harrowing stuff.

I also enjoyed 'OJ Simpson: Made in America' for a different and intriguing look at that well trod ground. You can watch it here, for free: http://espn.go.com/30for30/ojsimpsonmadeinamerica/

There's something exciting about plugging in a real address into using Google Maps and using Street View as THE map to a game you'll run your characters through.

True! I did that for a PBEM Villains and Vigilantes game. That, and Wikipedia, were amazing GM resources.

[dmw71]

There's something exciting about plugging in a real address into using Google Maps and using Street View as THE map to a game you'll run your characters through.

True! I did that for a PBEM Villains and Vigilantes game. That, and Wikipedia, were amazing GM resources.

I know, right? I'm still really intrigued by the idea of it.

[AleBelly]

The sandbox I'm running is based off of a true geographical location too. Makes tracking weather and mapping a snap!

[dmw71]

The sandbox I'm running is based off of a true geographical location too. Makes tracking weather and mapping a snap!

You suggested that to me a while ago, when I borrowed the 'signature' that you post at the bottom of all your updates, and it's a really good idea. I pick a random world city at the start if a game, then use that location for weather changes if there's ever a significant passing of time in the game.

[Keehnelf]

Going back to the topic of TV show streaming for a moment, there's a slightly older and wildly underappreciated TV show called "Pushing Daisies" that you can stream on Netflix, though it only lasted two short seasons.

It has the amazing distinction of being the major-network television debut of Lee "Ronan/Thranduil" Pace.

[Scott308]

I loved Pushing Daisies! Unfortunately, the fact that it was so quirky and offbeat was what drew me to it, but kept the general public away. I highly recommend checking it out if you have never seen it.