The Shrine

Having never had HBO (or Showtime, but that will be a different topic in the future) as a young chap i've been cycling through their library of shows on Netflix for the last few years and have been blown away by just about everything i've seen. I know we have touched on a lot of these shows already, but i'm going to go through all the ones i've watched. Most people (including myself) have watched The Sopranos, or atleast heard of it, but you are doing yourself a huge disservice if you have also not seen the following: (for you homophobes, i will also rate how much of each show has the gay).

The Wire: Perhaps the best drama that has ever graced television. It takes place in Baltimore and is about its drug market. Whats interesting is how it touches on the politics and the police force (for better or worse) that our tax dollars pay to fix it. Each season takes a different approach and view of the 'problem'. I like how the writers are never afraid to mix up the cast with death, incarceration, or whatever else they want. There is a gay character who mugs drug dealers, he is probably the most likeable cast member. 5/5

Six Feet Under: From the writer of American Beauty is a show about a family who owns and operates a funeral home. Everyone is fucked up in their own weird California way, which makes for awesome storylines and very real emotional moments. Great writing gives birth to amazing characters and development. I feel like this show had the best ending out of any show that has ever ended, ever. Lots of gay in this one as one of the main characters is in fact... a gay. 5/5

Rome: A short series that follows 2 soldiers in the Roman army and all their subsequent debaucles. I wish this series ran longer, but when it got the axe they atleast wrapped things up to make you feel happy. I heard it was expensive to shoot and that it not surprising as everything seems genuinely Cesarian. If a good twist on the rise and fall of Julius Ceasar is your goblet of wine, then you can steam roll these 2 seasons pretty easily. I cant really remember too much gay, but this is Roman times we speak of, so i think there was some boy touching. 5/5

Deadwood: Another show i wish ran longer than only 3 seasons. HBO likes to pull the plug early sometimes. I like westerns and thought this was grittier and more real than any western style movie i had ever seen. Only TV shows can give you more depth on characters then you could ever want. Movie characters all seem so shallow in comparison... Anyways, this gem is worth watching and they say fuck a alot during Deadwood's growth from camp to town. Zero gay, because real cowboys arent. 5/5

True Blood: In a world... where vampires live in modern society like humans due to the invention of synthtic blood called True Blood, all hell breaks loose! The only one on this list that is still running, i just saw season 1 and cant wait for the next one to get released. A pretty awesome side cousin character may swing both ways, but they never really tell you for sure... 5/5

Flight of the Conchords: A funny one for a change, FotC is about two New Zealand musicians who move to NYC to pursue their dream. Hiliarious in its non-emotional way, they also mix in funny songs into the plot. There are only 2 seasons so far, but both are genius. I dont think a 3rd has been announced, so it may be done for, but thats only because the real band only has so many songs before they need to write new material. I saw them live in DC a few months ago and it was awesome. Zippy gay. 5/5

Carnivale: This show was not what i expected, but was pretty decent before it also got chopped after 2 seasons. I thought it would be more about 1920 carnivale life, and while it is something like that, the main plot is really a good vs evil paranormal struggle between the protag and antagonist. The obligatory token gay characters pop in and out of this show, but it isnt a focal point. 4/5

John From Cincinatti: Well, i liked this show, but it was done after only one season. John is a doofus who might be Jesus who follows around a dysfunctional surfing family. Ed O'Neil, Luke Perry, and Zach Morris have parts in it, how could it have failed!? At one point the other characters are afraid John might be gay, but it turns out he is just the savior reborn. 4/5

Man, there are still a lot of good ones left to rent. I need to get more involved in Entourage and i havent even started Oz. If not for TV on DVD, i would have given up Netflix looong ago. Movie suck my balls next to a really good show. I'm also starting in on FX's Nip/Tuck and have seen some good Showtime original shows, too. I cant remember the last time ive seen a good network TV show... they should all go bankrupt so there is more money to HBO, FX, and Showtime to do things right.

I enjoy Real Time with Bill Maher too.

Flip wrote:Deadwood: Another show i wish ran longer than only 3 seasons. HBO likes to pull the plug early sometimes. I like westerns and thought this was grittier and more real than any western style movie i had ever seen. Only TV shows can give you more depth on characters then you could ever want. Movie characters all seem so shallow in comparison... Anyways, this gem is worth watching and they say fuck a alot during Deadwood's growth from camp to town. Zero gay, because real cowboys arent. 5/5

Also known as "Cocksucker Motherfucker".

Flip wrote:True Blood: In a world... where vampires live in modern society like humans due to the invention of synthtic blood called True Blood, all hell breaks loose! The only one on this list that is still running, i just saw season 1 and cant wait for the next one to get released. A pretty awesome side cousin character may swing both ways, but they never really tell you for sure... 5/5

The first few episodes just didn't sound like anything special with this whole "vampire marriage law" think that seems to be comparing it to gay rights. But, the second season is actually interesting, since they have actual enemies, instead of legal politics. Shellie watched the whole series up to the current one, and I'm diving into the middle of it.

Flip wrote:Carnivale: This show was not what i expected, but was pretty decent before it also got chopped after 2 seasons. I thought it would be more about 1920 carnivale life, and while it is something like that, the main plot is really a good vs evil paranormal struggle between the protag and antagonist. The obligatory token gay characters pop in and out of this show, but it isnt a focal point. 4/5

I was really disappointed that they cancelled this series. It was really good. The same guys did Rome, and they cancelled that one, too. These guys just can't get any breaks.

Flip wrote: The Wire: Perhaps the best drama that has ever graced television. It takes place in Baltimore and is about its drug market. Whats interesting is how it touches on the politics and the police force (for better or worse) that our tax dollars pay to fix it. Each season takes a different approach and view of the 'problem'. I like how the writers are never afraid to mix up the cast with death, incarceration, or whatever else they want. There is a gay character who mugs drug dealers, he is probably the most likeable cast member. 5/5

This is a show I want to watch, especially since Anthony Bourdain said it was his favorite show.

Flip wrote: Six Feet Under: From the writer of American Beauty is a show about a family who owns and operates a funeral home. Everyone is fucked up in their own weird California way, which makes for awesome storylines and very real emotional moments. Great writing gives birth to amazing characters and development. I feel like this show had the best ending out of any show that has ever ended, ever. Lots of gay in this one as one of the main characters is in fact... a gay. 5/5

I just recently bought the entire series on DVD. This is one of my favorite series of all time. The song from the series finale was our first song at our wedding.

Flip wrote: Rome: A short series that follows 2 soldiers in the Roman army and all their subsequent debaucles. I wish this series ran longer, but when it got the axe they atleast wrapped things up to make you feel happy. I heard it was expensive to shoot and that it not surprising as everything seems genuinely Cesarian. If a good twist on the rise and fall of Julius Ceasar is your goblet of wine, then you can steam roll these 2 seasons pretty easily. I cant really remember too much gay, but this is Roman times we speak of, so i think there was some boy touching. 5/5

I loved this series and wish it had ran on much longer.

Flip wrote: Deadwood: Another show i wish ran longer than only 3 seasons. HBO likes to pull the plug early sometimes. I like westerns and thought this was grittier and more real than any western style movie i had ever seen. Only TV shows can give you more depth on characters then you could ever want. Movie characters all seem so shallow in comparison... Anyways, this gem is worth watching and they say fuck a alot during Deadwood's growth from camp to town. Zero gay, because real cowboys arent. 5/5

I watched the first few episodes and never really got into it.

Flip wrote: True Blood: In a world... where vampires live in modern society like humans due to the invention of synthtic blood called True Blood, all hell breaks loose! The only one on this list that is still running, i just saw season 1 and cant wait for the next one to get released. A pretty awesome side cousin character may swing both ways, but they never really tell you for sure... 5/5

Like Sine said, I just got back into this series. I watched the first few episodes and didnt get into it because I was still pissed at the whole Twilight mania and this show seemed to be a ripoff of the fame. But the other day I happened to catch a recent episode from season 2 and it was really good, so I caught back up and Im enjoying it now. Its not great, and I cringe every time I see their teeth..that's just not right! But it's a good time waster. Id probably give it a 3.5/5

Flip wrote: Carnivale: This show was not what i expected, but was pretty decent before it also got chopped after 2 seasons. I thought it would be more about 1920 carnivale life, and while it is something like that, the main plot is really a good vs evil paranormal struggle between the protag and antagonist. The obligatory token gay characters pop in and out of this show, but it isnt a focal point. 4/5

We were big into this series when it was on. I SO wish it had continued on and I did not like how it ended. It was so different from anything out there.

Flip wrote: John From Cincinatti: Well, i liked this show, but it was done after only one season. John is a doofus who might be Jesus who follows around a dysfunctional surfing family. Ed O'Neil, Luke Perry, and Zach Morris have parts in it, how could it have failed!? At one point the other characters are afraid John might be gay, but it turns out he is just the savior reborn. 4/5

I really wanted to see where this one would go, but sadly it was cancelled

Showtime has been keeping most of my attention with their shows like Weeds, Californication, Nurse Jackie, and US of Tara (not great but it kept my interest for a little while). We're lucky that we get all the channels for free since we work for the cable company, and our OnDemand is excellent as you can usually get full seasons of all the series currently out for free. Also, torrents help fill any holes

Flip wrote: The Wire: Perhaps the best drama that has ever graced television. It takes place in Baltimore and is about its drug market. Whats interesting is how it touches on the politics and the police force (for better or worse) that our tax dollars pay to fix it. Each season takes a different approach and view of the 'problem'. I like how the writers are never afraid to mix up the cast with death, incarceration, or whatever else they want. There is a gay character who mugs drug dealers, he is probably the most likeable cast member. 5/5

The best show that ever was and will be.

Flip wrote: Six Feet Under: From the writer of American Beauty is a show about a family who owns and operates a funeral home. Everyone is fucked up in their own weird California way, which makes for awesome storylines and very real emotional moments. Great writing gives birth to amazing characters and development. I feel like this show had the best ending out of any show that has ever ended, ever. Lots of gay in this one as one of the main characters is in fact... a gay. 5/5

Also excellent and the best ending of anything ever. Oh, you already said that.

Flip wrote:

True Blood: In a world... where vampires live in modern society like humans due to the invention of synthtic blood called True Blood, all hell breaks loose! The only one on this list that is still running, i just saw season 1 and cant wait for the next one to get released. A pretty awesome side cousin character may swing both ways, but they never really tell you for sure... 5/5

It's a pretty rad show but it's got nothing on 6FU (both Allan Ball projects). Season two is also rad so far, but scenes between Sookie and Bill get progressively worse as the series goes on.

Flip wrote: Carnivale: This show was not what i expected, but was pretty decent before it also got chopped after 2 seasons. I thought it would be more about 1920 carnivale life, and while it is something like that, the main plot is really a good vs evil paranormal struggle between the protag and antagonist. The obligatory token gay characters pop in and out of this show, but it isnt a focal point. 4/5

I loved this one and was bummed it got cancelled. Been some time since I watched it so I think I'll do that again.


Reccommended: Californication, It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia, Breaking Bad.

I like the historical shows: Rome and Tudors. Rome's season 2 focussed on the rise of Augustus.

Tudors is a poor man's Rome. Ignore it, you know the story already, and there's not even any Elizabeth, who is the best Tudor.

Also, wasn't Henry FAT?

So in Tudors it makes the series a "Poor man's Rome" if I know what happens or if the actors don't look the same as their historical counterparts; but in Rome it is perfectly good if the historical looked nothing like the actors, and that I already know the story? =P

The Tudors doesn't obviously feature Elizabeth as the main character because she didn't really do anything until a later point in history. She was relatively quiet and was much less active than Henry or Mary.

Tupac Seekur wrote:So in Tudors it makes the series a "Poor man's Rome" if I know what happens or if the actors don't look the same as their historical counterparts; but in Rome it is perfectly good if the historical looked nothing like the actors, and that I already know the story? =P

Rome focused on side characters that were a smaller part of history. (Names of actual soldiers in the historical records, but a fictional story about these characters.) Yes, you knew that Caesar was murdered, but Caesar wasn't the main point of the story. It was about these two soldiers who crossed the paths of the famous in Rome several times.

So, no, you don't actually know the story in Rome. Which made it much more interesting.

In fact, after all was said and done, fans said the series would have been better if it had omitted the famous figures entirely--the gangland aspect of the two soldiers taking over the Roman underworld was a far richer story than the rise and fall of Cesar.

Though, since I get a gigantic fucking stiffy whenever somebody mentions Rome because it is SO FUCKING GOOD AND AWESOME, I say that they balanced both pretty well.

SineSwiper wrote:

Tupac Seekur wrote:So in Tudors it makes the series a "Poor man's Rome" if I know what happens or if the actors don't look the same as their historical counterparts; but in Rome it is perfectly good if the historical looked nothing like the actors, and that I already know the story? =P

Rome focused on side characters that were a smaller part of history. (Names of actual soldiers in the historical records, but a fictional story about these characters.) Yes, you knew that Caesar was murdered, but Caesar wasn't the main point of the story. It was about these two soldiers who crossed the paths of the famous in Rome several times.

So, no, you don't actually know the story in Rome. Which made it much more interesting.

No, I still knew the story of Rome. The main plot largely followed events that I already knew; Pullo and Vorenus were just another perspective on that story. Either way, neither Rome nor Tudors is exactly a series that depends at all on the 'you don't know what happens' factor.

What makes both shows interesting for me was the dramatization of the historical events of interesting time periods.

Flip wrote:
The Wire: Perhaps the best drama that has ever graced television. It takes place in Baltimore and is about its drug market. Whats interesting is how it touches on the politics and the police force (for better or worse) that our tax dollars pay to fix it. Each season takes a different approach and view of the 'problem'. I like how the writers are never afraid to mix up the cast with death, incarceration, or whatever else they want. There is a gay character who mugs drug dealers, he is probably the most likeable cast member. 5/5

Haven't seen it yet, but my heart in Baltimore always pointed to Homicide: Life on the Street as the best Baltimore cop drama. I'll need to check this out as you are like the 5th or 6th person to bring this series up.

Six Feet Under: From the writer of American Beauty is a show about a family who owns and operates a funeral home. Everyone is fucked up in their own weird California way, which makes for awesome storylines and very real emotional moments. Great writing gives birth to amazing characters and development. I feel like this show had the best ending out of any show that has ever ended, ever. Lots of gay in this one as one of the main characters is in fact... a gay. 5/5

I thought the first two seasons were amazing. Very well written, acted, directed...everything. The third season was such a let down. I couldn't bring myself to watch it as it felt like it was that bad of an accident.

Rome: A short series that follows 2 soldiers in the Roman army and all their subsequent debaucles. I wish this series ran longer, but when it got the axe they atleast wrapped things up to make you feel happy. I heard it was expensive to shoot and that it not surprising as everything seems genuinely Cesarian. If a good twist on the rise and fall of Julius Ceasar is your goblet of wine, then you can steam roll these 2 seasons pretty easily. I cant really remember too much gay, but this is Roman times we speak of, so i think there was some boy touching. 5/5

Haven't seen it.

Deadwood: Another show i wish ran longer than only 3 seasons. HBO likes to pull the plug early sometimes. I like westerns and thought this was grittier and more real than any western style movie i had ever seen. Only TV shows can give you more depth on characters then you could ever want. Movie characters all seem so shallow in comparison... Anyways, this gem is worth watching and they say fuck a alot during Deadwood's growth from camp to town. Zero gay, because real cowboys arent. 5/5

The Show started out really strong. The first 4 episodes were great. Then I felt like there was a lot of filler that all the sudden became plot points that seemed unnecessary. There were a lot of one dimensional characters that seemed out of place I think in town. I I think I got to caught up in some of those other plots too much to pay attention. I have to say though the acting was supurb.

True Blood: In a world... where vampires live in modern society like humans due to the invention of synthtic blood called True Blood, all hell breaks loose! The only one on this list that is still running, i just saw season 1 and cant wait for the next one to get released. A pretty awesome side cousin character may swing both ways, but they never really tell you for sure... 5/5

I felt the first couple episodes were rushed, but it developed nicely even if it was somewhat predictable. I stopped watching though and haven't been able to get back into it after about 5 episodes.

Flight of the Conchords: A funny one for a change, FotC is about two New Zealand musicians who move to NYC to pursue their dream. Hiliarious in its non-emotional way, they also mix in funny songs into the plot. There are only 2 seasons so far, but both are genius. I dont think a 3rd has been announced, so it may be done for, but thats only because the real band only has so many songs before they need to write new material. I saw them live in DC a few months ago and it was awesome. Zippy gay. 5/5

Heard a lot about it. Never watched an ep. Will check it out.

Carnivale: This show was not what i expected, but was pretty decent before it also got chopped after 2 seasons. I thought it would be more about 1920 carnivale life, and while it is something like that, the main plot is really a good vs evil paranormal struggle between the protag and antagonist. The obligatory token gay characters pop in and out of this show, but it isnt a focal point. 4/5

Never seen it.

John From Cincinatti: Well, i liked this show, but it was done after only one season. John is a doofus who might be Jesus who follows around a dysfunctional surfing family. Ed O'Neil, Luke Perry, and Zach Morris have parts in it, how could it have failed!? At one point the other characters are afraid John might be gay, but it turns out he is just the savior reborn. 4/5

Never even heard of this one.

I'd like to add, this season's Entourage isn't as Vince focused as last. This one seems to focus more on E. Which is nice for a change because I want him to bang the shit out of sloan again.

I'm surprised no one mentioned Hung yet. It's really quite funny and sad.

Man, there are still a lot of good ones left to rent. I need to get more involved in Entourage and i havent even started Oz. If not for TV on DVD, i would have given up Netflix looong ago. Movie suck my balls next to a really good show. I'm also starting in on FX's Nip/Tuck and have seen some good Showtime original shows, too. I cant remember the last time ive seen a good network TV show... they should all go bankrupt so there is more money to HBO, FX, and Showtime to do things right.[/quote]

Imakeholesinu wrote:Haven't seen it yet, but my heart in Baltimore always pointed to Homicide: Life on the Street as the best Baltimore cop drama.

It's developed by the same people.

Blotus wrote:

Imakeholesinu wrote:Haven't seen it yet, but my heart in Baltimore always pointed to Homicide: Life on the Street as the best Baltimore cop drama.

It's developed by the same people.

SOLD!

Alright so I've been debating heavily about picking up The Wire after watching how excellent a treat Treme has been. Only problem is.... the DVDs are all 4:3.

So do I wait for HBO to re-release this on Blu-ray or do I just buy it on DVD?

Ah thats shitty, i guess i never realized my DVD player was stretching it out. Not sure what to tell you, its a good show in any format.

It isn't the kind of show that's going to be even remotely ruined by video quality. A great deal of it is shot in dark basements, vacant and condemned corner houses, street corners, etc. This isn't a show with slow, majestic establishing shots with a booming epic sound track.

Oz should probably be in this thread. That is if you're secure enough with seeing almost constant male frontal nudity and anal rape. Still, it's a great series with much of the cast from The Wire doing cameo (or recurring) roles.

Missed the deal on amazon on thursday. The Wire was $90. Bought it at Best Buy for $150. FYE was sold out. I know why McNulty drinks.