The Omnibox: all things television

[Town Heretic]

Programming, Technology and more...


When I was a teenager and an avid reader I called television the mind sucking omnibox. Years later, with a revised appreciation, I started a blog under the Omnibox title, but let it fall away. I prefer conversation.

Anyway, I thought there being a lot on tv worth talking about and not being the sort to start a hundred small fires over individual programs, I'd start it up here.

So, from commercials to recommendations to talk about televisions, this can be the thread for it.

What's on my HD DVR subscribe list at present:

Elementary, Longmire, Justified, Percpetion, The Mentalist, Archer, The Blacklist, Doctor Who, Person of Interest, The Strain, Welcome to Sweden.

I'll probably talk about some of those as time permits. Justified will open with it's last season soon, so if you've missed one of the best written, clever and modern westerns to hit the small screen do yourself a favor and find the whole thing when its run is over.

More to follow. Feel free.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

What's on my HD DVR subscribe list at present:

Elementary, Longmire, Justified, Percpetion, The Mentalist, Archer, The Blacklist, Doctor Who, Person of Interest, The Strain, Welcome to Sweden.

On my TiVo:

The Strain
Dominion
Suits
Covert Affairs
Perception
Rizzoli and Isles
Royal Pains
Longmire
Falling Skies
The Last Ship
Haven
Revolution (season now cancelled)
Grimm
Homeland
Justified

Other TiVo Season Passes:

Elementary
Person of Interest
The Mentalist
Hannibal
The Blacklist
The Good Wife
Once Upon a Time
NCIS
Blue Bloods
The Following
Supernatural
Dracula
666 Park Avenue (if it ever returns)
Bones
Body of Proof
Chicago Fire
Castle
White Collar
Rookie Blue
Motive
Resurrection
Crossbones
Extant
Crossing Lines
The Neighbors
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hawaii Five-O
Unforgettable
Under the Dome
Masterpiece Mystery
Arrow
NCIS: Los Angeles
Sleepy Hollow
Chicago PD
Hell's Kitchen
Master Chef
Kitchen Nightmares
NY Med
Rawhide
Perry Mason
DCI Banks
Hotel Hell


Justified and Longmire are my very favorite must see shows. The Strain is one of the more scary shows that have me jumping around in my seat.

AMR

 

[Eeset]

I seldom watch TV. But I will tune in NCIS New Orleans this fall.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

When I first saw the thread title I assumed it was about the Chrome Browser's Omnibox and access to television. Go figure.

AMR

 

[Town Heretic]

On my TiVo:

Worst thing Directv did was get out of bed with TiVo. I like our Dish receiver all right, but it's still not TiVo.

Suits

My wife loves it. I think the legal part is goofy, but the leads have good chemistry.

Rizzoli and Isles

Caught part of one episode. Looks interesting. Same chemistry comment.

Royal Pains

Forgot this one. It's on our list too. A light bit of fun.

Hannibal

Forgot this one too. Great cast, but it's gotten so dark I feel like watching it by a fire.

Castle

I'll own up. This is my guilty pleasure. I have no idea why, but I can't help it.

Resurrection

Watched the original. This looks less grim, but too similar to follow.

Extant

Watching it, but I'm not sure about it yet.

Justified and Longmire are my very favorite must see shows.

I'd put Person of Interest right behind those and Blacklist too, but agreed.

The Strain is one of the more scary shows that have me jumping around in my seat.

Just about to watch tonight's episode.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Blacklist should also be on my list of must sees. Just the best villain I have seen on TV in a long time.

I watch Royal Pains (as I did House) to satisfy my "academic doctor" hobby. I am running at about 60% in determining the diagnosis and the McGuyvering fixes used in RP. For House it was about 45% given the esoteric maladies used as plot devices.

For my 12th birthday and dreams of being a doctor, I got what I wanted: Harrison's Internal Medicine and have replaced it every few years since then with the new editions. My doc gave me access to his Medscape.com account and I have lots of fun competing with him in the guess the internal medicine diagnosis case presentation sections. Over the years he has been winning by a steadily decreasing margin.

I cut the cable cord two years ago and went strictly over the air with TiVo combined with Amazon Prime, Hulu+, and Netflix. Which reminds me, Hemlock Grove is also on my list.

AMR

 

[Lighthouse]

In no particular order, except at some point I'm reading off my list so it will become alphabetical:

Elementary
Perception
Archer
Doctor Who
Orphan Black
The Strain
True Blood
The Newsroom
Grimm
Homeland
Hannibal
Once Upon a Time
Supernatural
Castle
White Collar
Extant
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Sherlock
Arrow
Sleepy Hollow
Girl Meets World*
@midnight
2 Broke Girls
American Horror Story
America's Got Talent
Halt & Catch Fire
Adventure Time
Regular Show
Clarence
Steven Universe
Teen Titans Go!
Gravity Falls
Fairly Odd Parents
Bates Motel
Ben 10
Brain Games
Comic Book Men
Defiance
Fargo
Game of Thrones
Heroes of Cosplay
House of Lies [not to be confused with House of Cards]

I have too many to continue on. This is certainly not all of them; not even all the ones that are currently running seasons. I don't even have time to reduce it to that. I'm a little behind on some of my shows.

Dracula and 666 Park Avenue were both cancelled, AMR. I think Body of Proof was, as well. I watched Dracula.

 

[quip]

What's 'omni' about it? My granddad used to call it an idiot box....me (and TV) being all growed up, I now tend to agree.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Dracula and 666 Park Avenue were both cancelled, AMR. I think Body of Proof was, as well. I watched Dracula.

Yes. At least my TiVo will capture repeats and I can watch the again.

Sherlock is also on my list. Good TV!
Just finished binge session of True Blood last month. Will wait for the final season to become available online next year.

American Horror Story is hit and miss with me. Last season with the witches theme left me unimpressed.

Could not get into House of Lies after the first season.

Watched the first two episodes of Defiance and have it on my "maybe" list.

Dracula...love the song each time he looks longingly at his past love:

Adagio in D Minor

AMR

 

[Town Heretic]

Complaints, admissions, begrudging nods...

2 Broke Girls...everything crass, objectionable and vacuous about television trends is wrapped nicely in that particular. I watched one episode and part of another. Couldn't believe it was on in what was once the family hour. Just depressing on so many levels.

So, not a great success as a comedy with me.

Game of Thrones. recorded a season of that during a trial week leading up to this season. After the murder of the pregnant girl I did my level best to forget I ever invested a minute of time on it.

The only reality programming I watch is Project Runway, because my wife loves it and I have to admit it's engaging on a creative level.

The Big Bang...there's a lot of trash in the writing but also a great deal of humor. I have to admit it's grown on me.

 

[glorydaz]

Elementary, Longmire, Justified, Percpetion, The Mentalist, Archer, The Blacklist, Doctor Who, Person of Interest, The Strain, Welcome to Sweden.

On my TiVo:

The Strain
Dominion
Suits
Covert Affairs
Perception
Rizzoli and Isles
Royal Pains
Longmire
Falling Skies
The Last Ship
Haven
Revolution (season now cancelled)
Grimm
Homeland
Justified

Other TiVo Season Passes:

Elementary
Person of Interest
The Mentalist
Hannibal
The Blacklist
The Good Wife
Once Upon a Time
NCIS
Blue Bloods
The Following
Supernatural
Dracula
666 Park Avenue (if it ever returns)
Bones
Body of Proof
Chicago Fire
Castle
White Collar
Rookie Blue
Motive
Resurrection
Crossbones
Extant
Crossing Lines
The Neighbors
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hawaii Five-O
Unforgettable
Under the Dome
Masterpiece Mystery
Arrow
NCIS: Los Angeles
Sleepy Hollow
Chicago PD
Hell's Kitchen
Master Chef
Kitchen Nightmares
NY Med
Rawhide
Perry Mason
DCI Banks
Hotel Hell

Hmm....I've never even heard of any of those except the three in yellow. Guess I'm out of the loop for what I always call the "Idiot Box." :chuckle:

 

[Town Heretic]

Hmm....I've never even heard of any of those except the three in yellow. Guess I'm out of the loop for what I always call the "Idiot Box." :chuckle:

Elementary is a well done reinvention of a modern Sherlock Holmes. It's entertaining.

Longmire and Justified are modern westerns, essentially, with Justified being funnier and having more action and Longmire being more of a slow character study that resembles the terrain it takes place in. Excellent shows.

Percpetion...light but enjoyable series about a professor who suffers from mental illness and whose hallucinations help him solve crime. It was already attempted more dramatically by Jeff Goldblum in an abbreviated cop show. This one works. Good cast.

The Mentalist...long running show with a once fake psychic tracking and eventually catching the man who murdered his family.

Archer...for adults only animated take on the James Bond bit, with the first season or two being particularly chuckle worthy. But not for the easily offended.

The Blacklist...worth it to see one of the more likable and complicated villains in a long while, played brilliantly by James Spader.

Doctor Who...BBC America. The Doctor has been around for ages. Every few years he respawns in another form and the show continues. So you're in luck. The new Doctor is about to start his run. Perfect time to give it a look and no, I can't explain it to you. It's just very good serial science fiction.

Person of Interest...the fellow who played Christ in The Passion plays a man in search of redemption by helping a scientist protect people in danger with the help of a semi reformed bad cop, a sociopathic femme fatale or two and a computer with its own ideas.

The Strain...as per my earlier nod, well acted and produced serial/limited run horror/vampire story, sort of.

Welcome to Sweden...an accountant gives up his job and follows his heart and his girlfriend to Sweden. What could be funnier? lain: I mean other than most of AB's term papers.

 

[Lighthouse]

2 Broke Girls...everything crass, objectionable and vacuous about television trends is wrapped nicely in that particular. I watched one episode and part of another. Couldn't believe it was on in what was once the family hour. Just depressing on so many levels.

If it weren't for Kat Dennings I would have given up on it long ago. But now Beth Behrs has grown on me.

Hmm....I've never even heard of any of those except the three in yellow. Guess I'm out of the loop for what I always call the "Idiot Box." :chuckle:

There's a remake of Hawaii Five-O on TV now. Quite different from the original I imagine, though they did a remake of a classic episode while back. I don't watch most cop shows anymore; this is one I quit watching. They're just so formulaic.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

I don't watch most cop shows anymore; this is one I quit watching. They're just so formulaic.

Law and Order Criminal Intent was a fine show with the Eames and Goren (the sniffer). Especially the story arc with his female nemesis Nicole Wallace who always referred to him as "Bowbee". He has not done anything memorable afterwards, "Gus" in Crackers notwithstanding.

AMR

 

[Town Heretic]

Highly Questionable: Ah, the Easter Egg of ESPN...find it on the schedule and you get something special. If you want a light hearted, odd angled and often very funny review of sports this is the best thing Bristol has going for it. Miami sports writer Dan Le Betard banters with frequent radio guest Bomani Jones and both live in the shadow of Dan's "Papi", a Latin version of Charles Barkley sans anything like a discernible sports background. To watch this odd concoction work is often magic.

The only real trick is finding it on the schedule. Despite that it posts strong ratings whenever it settles in for a bit. The next new show is slated for Monday.

Jeeze, come on Disney, someone, give this show a consistent slot. It's more interesting and entertaining than most of what passes through ESPN these days, from Pardon the Interrupted Nap to Numbers Rarely Interest.... The only thing truly questionable is the thinking that has it sidelined so often.

 

[Lighthouse]

Highly Questionable: Ah, the Easter Egg of ESPN...find it on the schedule and you get something special. If you want a light hearted, odd angled and often very funny review of sports this is the best thing Bristol has going for it. Miami sports writer Dan Le Betard banters with frequent radio guest Bomani Jones and both live in the shadow of Dan's "Papi", a Latin version of Charles Barkley sans anything like a discernible sports background. To watch this odd concoction work is often magic.

The only real trick is finding it on the schedule. Despite that it posts strong ratings whenever it settles in for a bit. The next new show is slated for Monday.

Jeeze, come on Disney, someone, give this show a consistent slot. It's more interesting and entertaining than most of what passes through ESPN these days, from Pardon the Interrupted Nap to Numbers Rarely Interest.... The only thing truly questionable is the thinking that has it sidelined so often.

I think this is Jefferson's favorite show.

 

[Town Heretic]

I think this is Jefferson's favorite show.

It's a great show. But it's poorly used by ESPN.


Longmire had its season three finale Monday and left so much on the table I'm really hoping it gets renewed for a fourth season. Looks like we finally know who is at the heart of the death of Longmire's wife and it would be one heck of a reckoning season to be cheated of...

 

[Lighthouse]

Longmire had its season three finale Monday and left so much on the table I'm really hoping it gets renewed for a fourth season. Looks like we finally know who is at the heart of the death of Longmire's wife and it would be one heck of a reckoning season to be cheated of...

Did you watch The Glades? I can't believe we got cheated out of a resolution to that finale.

 

[Town Heretic]

Did you watch The Glades? I can't believe we got cheated out of a resolution to that finale.

Yeah. That irked me almost as much as Deadwood. Maybe more given the way it ended. I guess that means he died.

And it was doing good with ratings too. I don't get it. The lead has already moved on to a trashy piece of cable tv on another network. Too bad. It was a good show.

 

[Town Heretic]

I wonder how many of you out there are Dish or Directv or cable subscribers and how that breaks down. I know some of you may be over the air and Netflix or Hulu folks. I'm considering my options in the coming year.

I was with Directv for a long while, but the quality kept declining as the price continued to rise. I've been with Dish a little over a year and have to say their DVR and pricing leaves Direct in the rear view, but I'm considering buying my own Tivo and using over the air and subscription to augment, given it appears I can get just about everything I'm getting now and for considerably less outlay, except for the start up. :think:

Anyone else thinking about that sort of thing or have experience with it they'd like to share?