Friday 17 June 2011

Facebook - 30 Day TV Challenge - 21-30

Technically I should have finished this list about two weeks ago but I can't imagine any of my few readers were waiting with bated breath to see how many times The West Wing would appear in this particular section of the challenge (place your bets now)


Day 21: Favourite cliffhanger in TV
Choice: Adama gets shot - BSG season 1 finale 
BSG had long finished its run on tv before I stumbled upon the dvd box sets. It was an impulse buy of a series I didn't know if I could warm to as I am not a huge watcher of sci-fi on tv but I gave it a whirl. I absolutely love the first season and the final scene when Adama gets shot was a real WTF moment as it was completely unexpected.  Needless to say I made it all the way to the finale of season two but the time jump put me off, I disembarked the ship and seasons 3 and 4 will forever remain unwatched.

Day 22: Favourite scary scene from TV 
Choice:  Hush - Buffy The Vampire Slayer
For a cult classic that I watched faithfully this is Buffy's only appearance on the list.  Only three seasons made it into my dvd collection and to be honest it's become a forgotten show.  That being said when Buffy was on form it was great fun and with the episode Hush it went down the road of full horror and managed to create one of the scariest 40mins in tv history.  Most of the episode takes place in complete silence and although the opportunity for humour isn't wasted the notion of not being able to call for help never fails to be scary.  I remember watching this episode for the first time when I was home alone in the dark.  Every light in the house was on until my family returned and my mother started complaining about the electricity bill.   

Day 23: Favourite comedy TV moment
Choice:  Niles Crane - Three Valentines - Frasier
Niles Crane is one of the best comedy characters ever created and although the wit of Frasier is generally a lot more intelligent than this clip there is something about Niles' section of a Valentines Day episodes that never gets old.

Day 24:  TV scene that made you cry 
Choice: In Excelsis Deo - The West Wing
The West Wing will go down in history of one of the greatest shows ever written - Aaron Sorkin again proves his brilliance with this episode.  Toby gets a call from the police after a homeless War Vet is found dead wearing his old coat and he arranges a military funeral which is attended only by Toby, the soldiers homeless brother and Mrs Landingham whose twin sons were killed in the Korean war.  The funeral is woven into the rest of the cast lining up to watch the choir sing.  
It is a brilliant piece of television - I never fail to be crying buckets by the closing credits.  Amazing.

Day 25:  Favourite TV series ending 
Choice:  Friends 
Friends is probably one of few shows I will have watched practically every episode of and I don't feel overly embarrassed about that fact.  The quality of the show rose and fell many times during its ten year run with Joey, Chandler and Phoebe becoming exaggerated caricatures of their former selves.  Ross and Monica were the only two who have stood the test of time well and I do not acknowledge Rachel's existence.  Regardless of the quality of certain seasons Friends coming to an end was a major event when it first aired and it was hard not to feel emotional that the show had finally come to and end.  The rumours of a film will never go away and it is a question of when rather than if but I don't care either way.  Friends was a show of its time and should remain gone.

Day 26: Most disappointing TV series ending
Choice:  Supernatural - Season 5 finale
The first two seasons of Supernatural were great tv - two brothers, classic rock and bucket loads of mythology.  Supernatural was always treading on dangerous grounds when it left the monsters and ghosts and shifted its focus to heaven and hell.  This arc introduced us to the fan favourite Castiel and the kooky Misha Collins but is it the shows downfall?  I'd say yes - it was clear watching season five that they had no idea what they were doing or how they wanted the story to end.  The season peaked at episode eighteen then gave us several filler episodes before the grand (and I use the term so loosely I am lying to you) finale.  This was to be the final episode ever until it was renewed for a sixth season.  The current episodes cannot compare with early mythology based "monsters of the week" and this is coming from a fan who actually prefers story arc in her shows.  Gutted.

Day 27:  TV world you wish you could live in 
Choice:  The Walking Dead
For those of you who don't know me - I like zombies and I like to think (regardless of what you or Max Brooks says) I have a plan that will see me ride out the zombie apocalypse with the greatest of ease.  You may frown and that and call me an idiot and you can - but we both know that if you are not equal parts scared and excited at the prospect of zombies roaming the earth then you my friend, are already dead.

Day 28: Guilty pleasure
Choice:  The A Team 
The A Team first aired during the decade I was born in and even though it has aged greatly it also manages to stand the test of time quite well.  It is very formulaic - someone needs help, the A Team show up,  The A Team lose the first fight, The A Team build something, there is a shoot out were no one gets shot (although the general rule was at least one member got shot per season), The A Team wins and the little guy can go back to sowing his crops of spreading the word of the Lord in peace.  It is a ridiculous show but it has a charm that carries it through.  Wish the film did better at the box office.   

Day 29: TV show you first remember enjoying 
Choice:  The Queen's Nose
If you are a child of the 90's you would have watched this show and every time you got a 50p you would be compelled to wish upon it just in case it turned out to be a magical coin.  This was the generation of kids tv I grew up with.  I suppose it isn't a surprise that kids tv declined as I got older - my cousins watch crap like I-Carly which is like listening to nails on a chalk board or the Black Eyed Peas.  

Day 30:  TV Show I am Watching At The Minute
Choice 1:  Justified
Day 30 is tied between Justified and Game of Thrones and as per usual I am behind with the masses on both shows.  
Justified follows the story of a sarcastic, cowboy hat wearing US Marshall who always shoots first played by Timothy Olyphant. It is fantastic tv that needs to be watched for yourself to see just how great the show is.  As great as Timothy Olyphant is he is matched by Walter Goggins who plays Boyd Crowder.  I am midway through season one on dvd and will hopefully go straight onto season 2.

Choice 2:  Game of Thrones 
I watched episode one expecting cheesy fun along the lines of the 300 and was completely thrown by what I was seeing.  I had to go back and rewatch the first couple of  episodes in order to understand what was going on but from then onwards I have been completely in love with it.  Game of Thrones is  shot about 20mins from where I live makes it homey and there is a great Celtic vibe about the show which resonates into the score, which of course I also love.  I don't know the books.  I don't know what is happening and I don't want to.  This is a tv experience which will reward those who go in blind. 


If you bet once for The West Wing congratulations you win the grand prize of absolutely nothing at all.


3 comments:

  1. A shame you gave up on BSG then again I'm fairly biased as it's one of my favorite shows ever.

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  2. The time jump put me right off the show which is a pity as I loved season 1.

    I can't see me ever going back to it though

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  3. Oh well, if you ever do, I think you'll be surprised at how well it works.

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