Streaming Recommendations (Netflix, HBO, Amazon, etc.)

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April 5th, 2015 at 11:20:23 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Pacomartin
pump up a bigger audience with Netflix so that large numbers finally start watching the new shows.


This might be the plan with Better Call Saul.
He must have a 2 year deal because the first
season has a slow start, lots of back story.
He's depending on more and more people
seeing BB and taking an interest in Saul.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 5th, 2015 at 11:44:59 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Evenbob
Well, yes. That line was the crux of the
whole series. In just about every other
episode for the seasons past, Walt always
maintained he was doing everything for
'the family', when it was apparent to
everybody but him it was for purely
selfish reasons. The whole show was
about getting Walt to that point.


It wasn't clear until Walt said, "I'm in the empire building business!" Walt's whole idea of the drug business is how it would be run if it was run by white, suburban males. Here's the product, I want "x" for it, pay me, see you next week. Some character on "The Wire" said it was "no fun chasing white boys in the suburbs because they don't use codes, they don't hold each other up, they just say 'here's the drugs, where's the money?'"

Think about it. From "Miami Vice" to seeing the drug shootout on the local news, how many times do you wonder why with all the money everyone is making why can't they just do a deal and walk away? From the beginning Walt wanted that kind of business. Sell a good product at a price the market will accept and build an empire.

Quote:
That's what makes the series so outstanding.
The creator knew where it was going
before he filmed the pilot. All that was left
was to fill in the rest of the space around
the central story of Walt. With crap like
Marie shoplifting, a new baby, a special
needs kid, and all the rest.


I did hear that they outlined the story from day one and followed it, so they never wrote the story into a corner as often happens. Maybe more creators will realize 5-6 years is the limit for most shows and just write them for that amount of time.


Quote:
Walt's first
really self centered action was when he let
the girl die in her sleep instead of helping
her, in season 2. If you didn't hate him for
that, something is wrong with you.


Either I knew it was just a TV show or I have something wrong with me, because I didn't hate him. I liked him more. Money-grubbing junkie threatening him, extorting him, destroying his partner, and I am supposed to feel sorry for her? But I never really hated Walt. Though I liked Mike the best, Walt was always pragmatic. When Todd shot the kid, Walt went into crisis-management mode and coldly looked at all options, choosing he best and realizing he could not bring the kid back. This showed Walt could be a CEO.
The President is a fink.
April 5th, 2015 at 12:01:57 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: AZDuffman
Money-grubbing junkie threatening him, extorting him, destroying his partner, and I am supposed to feel sorry for her? But I never really hated Walt. .


I wanted to see where it would go, but
I was really cheering for Walt to get his
in the end. I never 'liked him' but I did
enjoy watching him pound more nails
into his eventual coffin, so I liked him
in that way. The Jesse character drove
me nuts, him and his stupid friends.
But that was real, there are lots of
people who are really that dumb.

It bothered me that Walt was selling
addiction and misery and it never bothered
him. I never heard him say he would quit
for that reason. He only wanted to stop
when he or his family was threatened.
I thought it odd that his lack of morality
didn't bother him with making drugs.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 5th, 2015 at 12:23:15 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: AZDuffman
I did hear that they outlined the story from day one and followed it, so they never wrote the story into a corner as often happens. Maybe more creators will realize 5-6 years is the limit for most shows and just write them for that amount of time.


I think that is more likely for cable TV series (which are mostly dramas). The cable network can show and reshow each episode, and the more people get invested in the show the better it is for them. Ultimately cable networks have to think about the day when cable may be more ala-carte. They want people to think I can't give up TNT because "The Closer" or "Major Crimes" is my favorite show. Viewers don't build brand loyalty over reruns. Also it helps in when negotiating fees from cable companies.

Broadcast is a different animal, as each year the network gets 2 and only 2 showings of each episode to make as much money as possible. Perhaps that is why broadcast sitcoms are vanishing, because it takes longer for viewers to get attached to the characters.

The youth oriented CW network only tries to program 10 hours a week, and relies mostly on fantasy or super hero shows. But even NBC doesn't program 10 hours of scripted series per week anymore.
April 5th, 2015 at 5:20:17 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Evenbob

It bothered me that Walt was selling
addiction and misery and it never bothered
him. I never heard him say he would quit
for that reason. He only wanted to stop
when he or his family was threatened.
I thought it odd that his lack of morality
didn't bother him with making drugs.


I used to think it was bad to supply drugs. That you were a "merchant of death" and such. But after about 2-3 years ago my views have shifted to sell the junkies whatever they want. I can't buy lye, blue-tip matches, cold medicine, and any other number of things because junkies need to get their high.

The question is, can there be a "crime" if there is no victim? Better for them to get their product from Walt who keeps a sanitary workstation and pure product vs. the crap Tuco was putting on the street. Now, this is coming from a person who has seen marijuana just destroy more than one person, turning intelligent people to classic "stoners."

But now I am more of the lines of skip chasing and arresting for the dope itself. If the addict is stealing to support their habit then arrest for that. Test for drugs to be sure people are not doped up on the job. But we are now in a society where nearly 1 in 5 people use a mind-altering drug legal or not on a daily basis. Morality really does not come into it anymore, people need to find their own way.

NOTE: nothing personal to anyone here, it is just that as I have said, I have given up on the direction of society in many ways.
The President is a fink.
April 5th, 2015 at 5:25:54 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Pacomartin
I think that is more likely for cable TV series (which are mostly dramas). The cable network can show and reshow each episode, and the more people get invested in the show the better it is for them. Ultimately cable networks have to think about the day when cable may be more ala-carte. They want people to think I can't give up TNT because "The Closer" or "Major Crimes" is my favorite show. Viewers don't build brand loyalty over reruns. Also it helps in when negotiating fees from cable companies.


Agreed, plus cable can play with the number of episodes per season and start seasons at will. They can have "marathons" and really pump the reruns. In a few years cable will be streaming their shows ala-carte. It is inevitable. Food Network, TNT, Spike, and others will have streaming services. And more and more shows will be on Netflix.
The President is a fink.
April 5th, 2015 at 5:38:21 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: AZDuffman
I used to think it was bad to supply drugs. That you were a "merchant of death" and such. .


It's better to be part of the solution
than part of the problem. Not being
against drugs is being part of the
problem. We are where we are today
because enough people got behind
what was wrong with society.

Most people have no idea how bad
it was in 1900. Any drug could be
bought legally, addiction was out of
control. No food laws, thousands died
every year from food poisoning. Big
business dumped all their industrial
waste directly into the rivers. On and
on. It was when people got behind
solutions that things changed.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 6th, 2015 at 2:31:56 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Evenbob
It's better to be part of the solution
than part of the problem. Not being
against drugs is being part of the
problem. We are where we are today
because enough people got behind
what was wrong with society.


But the problem is no matter what you do you have this 20% who cannot handle life as an adult and are going to keep finding new ways to get high. Drink it, sniff it, shoot it, they will do it. The modern drug culture goes to the mid-1960s. "War" on drugs to the early 1970s. Some cop show got it right when one cop said to the other that "the war on drugs was lost a decade before the term was coined."

I do not think there is a "solution." Not in our societal structure.
The President is a fink.
April 6th, 2015 at 3:23:15 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: AZDuffman
Agreed, plus cable can play with the number of episodes per season and start seasons at will. They can have "marathons" and really pump the reruns. In a few years cable will be streaming their shows ala-carte.


Meanwhile more and more broadcast channels are being developed to give us endless choices for watching old television.



April 6th, 2015 at 4:35:49 AM permalink
terapined
Member since: Aug 6, 2014
Threads: 73
Posts: 11786
Quote: AZDuffman
But the problem is no matter what you do you have this 20% who cannot handle life as an adult and are going to keep finding new ways to get high. Drink it, sniff it, shoot it, they will do it. The modern drug culture goes to the mid-1960s. "War" on drugs to the early 1970s. Some cop show got it right when one cop said to the other that "the war on drugs was lost a decade before the term was coined."

I do not think there is a "solution." Not in our societal structure.


All the back and forth on this show just sold me.
Just signed up for Netflix.
Watched episode 1 Breaking Bad last nite.
Enjoyed it.
Looks like a fun ride, will be watching episode 2 tonight :-)
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World"
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