13 replies to this topic

[Boges]

Not sure how many of you people pay for HBO. It's not the Game of Thrones or True Blood type show someone would think to download but it's a pretty awesome show.

It's like 5 episodes in and I find it my 3rd favourite HBO show behind Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empires.

So who's seen it? It from Aaron Sorkin of West Wing fame.

If you're into the news it's pretty cool because it takes place in the recently past so they deal with real issues as they happen.

BP Oil Spill, Tea Party Uprising, Gabby Giffords Shooting, Arab Spring, Japan Earthquake etc.

Edited by Boges, 03 August 2012 - 10:55 AM.

[Canuckistani]

I do, despite myself. It's pretty obvious and broad, but since I'm sympathetic to his pov a lot of the time, I'm still happy to let myself be preached to. Certainly more watchable than Game of Throwup.

[wyly]

Not sure how many of you people pay for HBO. It's not the Game of Thrones or True Blood type show someone would think to download but it's a pretty awesome show.

It's like 5 episodes in and I find it my 3rd favourite HBO show behind Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empires.

So who's seen it? It from Aaron Sorkin of West Wing fame.

If you're into the news it's pretty cool because it takes place in the recently past so they deal with real issues as they happen.

BP Oil Spill, Tea Party Uprising, Gabby Giffords Shooting, Arab Spring, Japan Earthquake etc.

critics don't seem to like it but I LOVE IT!...fast paced dialogue, relevant topics, intelligent, funny, what's not to like, and there is the eye candy of Olivia Munn...okay it doesn't have the gratuitous nudity, sex and violence of G of T but but perfection is difficult to achieve...

Edited by wyly, 03 August 2012 - 11:11 AM.

[Boges]

Olivia Munn speaking Japanese is hawt!

[wyly]

Olivia Munn speaking Japanese is hawt!

that does it for me too...who would've guessed an ethnic chinese/german/irish american to be fluent in japanese...and she has a degree in journalism which fits the show perfectly...

[Boges]

I could do without the Love Triangle. It proves only to keep Don a main character as he's an EP of another show. Allison Pill's (From Toronto) is massive ditz. The fact that these two well read guys are jockeying for her affection is rather unbelievable. Mackenzie also comes off as socially awkward and annoying.

Munn, Waterson and Daniels make the show IMHO. Dev Patell's character has also come into his own even though a few episodes he had his co-workers watching a power-point dealing with the existence of Big Foot.

[wyly]

I could do without the Love Triangle. It proves only to keep Don a main character as he's an EP of another show. Allison Pill's (From Toronto) is massive ditz. The fact that these two well read guys are jockeying for her affection is rather unbelievable. Mackenzie also comes off as socially awkward and annoying.

that would be the "chick flick" part of the show, women are more into relationship stories than men, mrs wyly likes these parts much more than I do...ditzy people do exist in important positions and well read guys do boink ditzy women ...and successful people can also be socially awkward...as I said this part of the show was written more for women than men...

Munn, Waterson and Daniels make the show IMHO. Dev Patell's character has also come into his own even though a few episodes he had his co-workers watching a power-point dealing with the existence of Big Foot.

agreed, the strong backbone of this show..

[Derek L]

Not sure how many of you people pay for HBO. It's not the Game of Thrones or True Blood type show someone would think to download but it's a pretty awesome show.

It's like 5 episodes in and I find it my 3rd favourite HBO show behind Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empires.

So who's seen it? It from Aaron Sorkin of West Wing fame.

If you're into the news it's pretty cool because it takes place in the recently past so they deal with real issues as they happen.

BP Oil Spill, Tea Party Uprising, Gabby Giffords Shooting, Arab Spring, Japan Earthquake etc.

My wife and I started watching it through our Shaw VOD a couple of weeks ago……….It only took the first twenty minutes to sink the hook……………Before knowing it was Sorkin’s baby, we both felt it had the “West Wing feel”…………Great show. Always liked Sam Waterston

[Boges]

This most recent episode was good but still weird. Maggie is proving again what a neurotic chick she is. That brunette Jim is getting to know is very hot, why is she trying to push it? Oh yeah she has a crush on Jim.

You got Don there in the plane saying he's missing a story of a generation in the killing of bin Laden. Really Don? There was a different generation covering news in 2001?

Maybe being a Canadian I don't have proper perspective on this, but they treated the death of bin Laden as VE day. Wouldn't they know that in the case of international terrorism killing the head doesn't really end the problem? It's not like fundamentalist Islam had been defeated. Don't get me wrong, it was a big story but the writers made it seem like it was "THE" big story. I didn't get that from the media coverage I experienced when the event happened.

I heard just as much for accolades for Seal Team Six and the fact that Operation Geronimo is kind of racist.

Having Will get high was sort of a throwaway bit of comedy because he, of course, didn't act intoxicated when it mattered.

[Michael Hardner]

Wasn't there already a show called The Newsroom ? Answer: yes, there was.

I like that writer, but I'd rather have him explore something in a less portentous manner. I watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip... what a gaping wound of social self-flagellation that was. Don't preach to me - show me real life and maybe I'll learn my own lessons.

Also - please somebody tell me that a major theme of this show is how the relevance of network news is draining away to nothingness...

[Boges]

Also - please somebody tell me that a major theme of this show is how the relevance of network news is draining away to nothingness...

In the second episode the main character started the episode with a monologue about how Network Evening News was mandated by the government. The purpose was to inform the public and shouldn't have any advertising.

He contrasted that to ratings driven cable news.

It was a good scene.

[wyly]

Maybe being a Canadian I don't have proper perspective on this, but they treated the death of bin Laden as VE day.

ya, as you say being canadian we don't see it the same way...a significant event but I felt no urge to get up cheer and hug people when I heard it...

[Canuckistani]

In the second episode the main character started the episode with a monologue about how Network Evening News was mandated by the government. The purpose was to inform the public and shouldn't have any advertising.

He contrasted that to ratings driven cable news.

It was a good scene.

Totally agree.

[Boges]

I enjoyed the first season but for Sorkin to pretend Will Macavoy is a Republican is very unbelievable. No where does he criticize Obama, no where does he say where government should be cut. He just goes after the Tea Party.

I agree with a lot of what was said in this last RINO episode but if I was a Republican and Macavoy was real I'd agree with Jane Fonda and say it's fine to disagree with the teapartiers but don't make it the single driving force of your show.

Also this idea that the MSM ignored the Debt Ceiling issue is incorrect. I remember it being big news. I don't recall Casey Anthony and Anthony Weiner being the only thing discussed on the news while America's economy teetered on the edge.

So there's definitely hyperbole going on in this show, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining.

Maggie berating the Sex in the City Tour was hilarious, probably the one time of the season her character was actually somewhat interesting and/or likable. If I was Don, I'd dump her for Olivia Munn's character and if I was Jim, I'd stick with Lisa, she's more attractive and not nearly as neurotic.

Mackenzie is another bizarre character that seems like parody of a real international news person. Are we supposed to compare her to Christiane Amanpour? She comes off as socially awkward and weird. I wasn't a big West Wing fan but I've read that this is common in Sorkin's work. He tends to make the women characters on his shows headcases.

Anyway don't get me wrong, I'll certainly watch season 2. It's definitely a worthwhile hour of Premium Cable TV and another reason TMN/HBO is worth the $20/month.

Edited by Boges, 28 August 2012 - 07:53 AM.