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Current TV Boxset Addiction

Started by radiator, 20 November, 2012, 02:23:29 PM

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Theblazeuk

I always thought Margot Kidder's Lois was the best characterisation, alongside the sublme Dini/Timm-verse of course.

Tiplodocus

Teri Hatcher was awful. Pretty but awful.  One of those cases where they don't bother writing a plausible romance because everybody knows they are meant to love each other.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Professor Bear

I'd say that's fair.  There's never anything onscreen that justifies Clark's interest in Lois beyond the name of the show itself, but the sad thing is that the then-current comics that were being stripmined for ideas - the Byrne/Jurgens/Wolman years that created the dystopian Krypton, businessman Lex Luthor, studly Clark Kent, etc - created a pretty good Lois whose assholery and competitiveness stemmed from a childhood as a transient army brat, so there was an in-built rationale for her defensiveness and lack of roots or long-term friendships that didn't preclude her being a decent person, but L&C instead makes her a middle class kid who's just tired of not getting her way and blames other people constantly for her own failings - she is just a horrible human being, and that's before you even get to Hatcher's unconvincing delivery.

If I remember right, the dreadful Smallville appropriated the army-brat version of Lois and she was one of the few good things about that show.

Theblazeuk

I hated Lois in Smallville. All the brat, none of the resourcefulness or integrity. The made-for-tv Chloe character was the Lois stand-in and a much nicer, funnier and interesting person than her cousin from Metropolis. When Lois appeared they really started scraping the barrel and completely disconnected from the idea that Clark from Smallville would eventually be Superman a la comics.



Professor Bear

While it would have been great if she stopped using cultural references from before she was even born, the Smallville version of Lois was the only castmember who was an active instigator of events rather than just waiting around for things to happen like Clark and the gang did.  She espoused a moral and social responsibility that had until her introduction been absent from the series, whose cast - with the exception of villains - were entirely reactive - worse, through awful characters like Clark's dad, the show was espousing the kind of discredited and dangerous know-your-role parochialism that was antithetical to the core concepts of Superman.  When Lois came along, obnoxious as she was, she pushed a truly dreadful character into being something better.

Tiplodocus

It was Lois and Jimmy Olsen that helped me through many a bad episode of Smallville. Often the best things in it.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Professor Bear


Theblazeuk

Quote from: Allah Akbark on 15 December, 2014, 02:36:26 PM
While it would have been great if she stopped using cultural references from before she was even born, the Smallville version of Lois was the only castmember who was an active instigator of events rather than just waiting around for things to happen like Clark and the gang did.  She espoused a moral and social responsibility that had until her introduction been absent from the series, whose cast - with the exception of villains - were entirely reactive - worse, through awful characters like Clark's dad, the show was espousing the kind of discredited and dangerous know-your-role parochialism that was antithetical to the core concepts of Superman.  When Lois came along, obnoxious as she was, she pushed a truly dreadful character into being something better.

You clearly watched more Smallville than me :)

You know who was really good in Lois & Clark? Ma and Pa Kent. Though I didn't dislike the Hazzard lad as Clark's dad, thought he did a better job than Martin Sheen. Don't really remember much 'know your role' beyond the whole tired 'farm is going under' theme.

Tiplodocus

Quote from: Allah Akbark on 15 December, 2014, 08:02:58 PM
You mean Henry Olsen.

I was trying to avoid [spoiler]a spoiler[/spoiler].
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Professor Bear

It's been literally years since it's been on TV.

Quote from: Theblazeuk on 16 December, 2014, 01:11:20 PM
Don't really remember much 'know your role' beyond the whole tired 'farm is going under' theme.

Clark is constantly told by his dad to keep his head down, never reveal himself, and never help others.  When Clark (accidentally) helps others, his dad always says something along the lines of "I know you saved those people, son, BUT--"
Selfless altruism is seen as weakness by Clark's dad, and when you factor in his instinctive dislike of Lex Luther even when the show's writers have gone to great lengths to make it clear he isn't evil, Clark's dad just looks like someone warning his son off hanging around with someone because of who their dad is, the end result of which is that after years of Clark lying to Lex (who is often motivated by altruism and friendship, and often comes a cropper because of Clark's lies and omissions), Lex is corrupted by the only other moral influence in his life - his evil and eventually-barmy father - and slides into corruption, all because Clark is an ineffective hero, a coward, and a terrible friend.
By elevating Johnathan Kent - whose character is indistinguishable from that of a domineering homophobic bully - to being a yardstick of outstanding morality rather than an example of everything that's wrong with America, Smallville's main character takes over a decade to become Superman, and even then he is both forced into the role, and is so thoroughly ashamed of it that Superman doesn't even appear onscreen.

Theblazeuk

Fair point if I think a slightly stronger interpretation than I remember :) Homophobic though? And on a side note, Lex Luthor was the best thing about that show. Almost as good as when he played the Flash on JLU (and then played the Flash playing Lex Luthor, which was a great episode).

Though I still think nothing beats Sheen-Kent making Clark cry because he rescued a bus of schoolchildren. At least Smallville Kent just told him to be careful and worried alot.

HdE

While you guys are watching credible drama about a guy who wears his underpants over his tights, I'm watching Japanese cartoons.

...

Wait. That wasn't NEARLY as clever a smart-ass comment as I thought it would be. Oh, well...

After hearing good things about the manga series it's based on, I picked up the DVD of the BTOOOM! anime. Flippin' HECK, this is good stuff!

It's one of those shows that starts of with a simple - you could even say silly - premise, but adds layers as it goes. Basically, a bunch of people arrive on an island where they're charged with killing each other to escape. Their only weapons are tiny bombs called BIMs, which appear to be unique to each 'player' and have ther own specific effects. Each of the island's new inhabitants also has a crystal implanted in their left hand which functions as a radar, and must be taken as a trophy once they've been killed. All of the above bears an uncanny resemblance to a hit video game in the 'real' world called BTOOOM!, which several of the characters on the island are aware of to one degree or another.

What makes it interesting is that NONE of the players are there by choice, and all of them seem to have been 'voted in' by somebody with a grudge against them. The real guts of the story lies in these backstories as they unfold, and the enmities and alliances that are formed on the island. I won't lie - it reminds me at times of the TV show 'Lost' in terms of its execution... but so for it's been much more satisfying and it's a hell of a lot gnarlier!   

I'm about halfway through, and it's a short series at 12 episodes. I've been trating myself to a couple of episodes every night when I'm done with work, and it's real 'can't wait to watch it' stuff.
Check out my DA page! Point! Laugh!
http://hde2009.deviantart.com/

Colin YNWA

Well just finished The Wire season 4 and SHEEEE-TEH that's some hard stuff completely gutted that [spoiler]Bodie[/spoiler] cops it and the fate of the kids was as depressing as I assume it was realistic.

While I still tink Season 2 might edge it I completely can't wait for Season 5 and much as I'd like to see Marlo get some compence I have no idea if that's the sort show this is, or the kinda ending they think is in anyway right.Which is why its so damned good!

Dandontdare

I've been collecting classic Dr Who for a while as I've not seen most of these since the first time around when I was a  kid.

Finally got to watch The War Games last night - this was before my time and I've never seen it before. I knew the basic story as it was Troughton's last, but was surprised by how good it was. many of the old b/w eps are distinctly ropey but this was quality - and a 10 parter too!

Hawkmumbler

War Games in great. The Troughton era is all round solid and has my favourite double act in 2nd and Jamie. Great times.

I re-watched Rememberance of the Daleks the other day and it's still a seriously awesome series. Thinking I should listen to some of the stories set atter it by Big Finish featuring Davros.