Game Forum / Action Games / Half Life / April 2007
Ping Vis- The Wire on HBO
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Thad - 08 Dec 2006 15:24 GMT Have you seen this? I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show this good has flown under the radar for so long.
 Signature Thad
Ben Cottrell - 08 Dec 2006 20:30 GMT > Have you seen this? > I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show this > good has flown under the radar for so long. I haven't got HBO to watch anyway, but I've never actually heard of it, whats it about? I need some new viewing material now that i've finally caught up with the latest series of 24 (january feels like such a long way off.. sigh)
 Signature Ben Cottrell AKA Bench
Thad - 08 Dec 2006 22:10 GMT >> Have you seen this? >> I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show >> this good has flown under the radar for so long. > > I haven't got HBO to watch anyway, but I've never actually heard of it, > whats it about? Google is your friend. ;-)
http://tinyurl.com/y4j4n5
Wait, don't click that! Too many spoilers. Let me copy and paste something:
"One of the most critically acclaimed programs on air, the Peabody Award-winning drama series 'The Wire' continues to challenge viewers with a "cop show" unlike anything on television.
Season four of 'The Wire' centers on the lives of four young boys as they traverse adolescence in the drug-saturated streets of West Baltimore. The new episodes of the series examine their world through the theme of education, asking viewers to consider the world that awaits these boys, and to consider further the American commitment to equal opportunity.
"The American obsession with police procedural and crime drama usually only allows for villains - in large part, black and brown - who exist as foils, to be pursued and destroyed by cop heroes," says series creator and executive producer David Simon. "We're addressing ourselves to where the 'villains' actually come from, and whether we have any right to regard them as somehow less human than the rest of us."
This season of 'The Wire' is based in large part on the experiences of writer and producer Edward Burns, who taught social studies for seven years in the Baltimore school system after serving 20 years as a city police detective.
"If anything," says Burns, "our depiction of an inner-city school system, it problems and its unwillingness to fully address those problems, is a very generous one."
The first season of The Wire (2002) concentrated on the often-futile efforts of police to infiltrate a West Baltimore drug ring headed by Avon Barksdale and his lieutenant, Stringer Bell. In Seasons Two and Three, as the Barksdale investigation escalated, new storylines involving a longshoremen's union and the city's political leadership were introduced.
Now, the stories of Michael, Namond, DuQuan and Randy take place against the rise of a new narcotics empire in West Baltimore - replacing the fallen Barksdale organization - and the resulting struggle by Baltimore detectives to mount an investigation against this new power."
There are so many story lines and so many characters without ever getting cluttered or hard to follow. It's mesmerizing. There are stories set in City Hall, the police, school, and the street that all intertwine.
> I need some new viewing material now that i've finally > caught up with the latest series of 24 (january feels like such a long > way off.. sigh) It looks like I'm gonna have to re-subscribe to Netflix to see the first three seasons.
 Signature Thad
Thad - 10 Dec 2006 04:50 GMT > Have you seen this? > I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show this > good has flown under the radar for so long. Oh, and Steve Earle is in the season finale!
--- Thad
Lief - 11 Dec 2006 01:02 GMT > Have you seen this? > I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show > this good has flown under the radar for so long. Yar here an stuff....aghl is like....that funny smell that wont go no matter how much you wash...err...yer.
Just got Oblivion....playing it on lowest sux0r setting at the moment (though the setup was optimistic and chose the second crappest, 10fps, now thanks).
So my next purchase, teh fattest AGP VGA card money can buy.
Lief - 11 Dec 2006 10:21 GMT > > Have you seen this? > > I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > So my next purchase, teh fattest AGP VGA card money can buy. Hmm, wrong thread....oh wells
Neil Jones - 21 Dec 2006 16:22 GMT > Have you seen this? > I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show > this good has flown under the radar for so long. We watched the first few episodes, and I was well impressed. Unfortunately it was one of those programmes that Visette found too realistic and disturbing, and it slid off our viewing schedules. We don't get that much time to watch, and I've already got Sopranos backing up as a solo viewing experience and didn't want to commit to another lengthy series.
I've heard nothing but good about it, and the odd moments I've stumbled across it it's certainly looked excellent. Pity.
Ta for the thought :)
___ Neil aka HighVis
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Shawk - 23 Jan 2007 00:02 GMT > Have you seen this? > I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show this > good has flown under the radar for so long. Many thanks for the indirect recommendation Thad. Just finished watching season 1 and it really is an excellent show.
Looking out for season 2 (plus) now...
Thad - 23 Jan 2007 04:00 GMT >> Have you seen this? >> I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Looking out for season 2 (plus) now... Glad to be of service. It looks like I'm going to have to rejoin Netflix in order to see Seasons 1-3.
--- Thad
Shawk - 23 Jan 2007 18:15 GMT >>> Have you seen this? >>> I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > It looks like I'm going to have to rejoin Netflix in order to see > Seasons 1-3. You haven't seen season 1?? Damn
I see the seasons are now out to buy on DVD (less than £30 for 5 DVD boxsets). If the other seasons mirror the excellent quality of the first I'll be adding them to the collection...
Shawk - 08 Mar 2007 19:53 GMT >>> Have you seen this? >>> I just started watching it this season. I can't believe that a show [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > It looks like I'm going to have to rejoin Netflix in order to see > Seasons 1-3. Damn. Watched all 3 seasons of The Wire... excellent but what am I going to do for a fix now??!
To make it worse I'm also up to date on all seasons of Spooks and every episode of Lost.
Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says?
xyzsmith@mindspring.com - 08 Mar 2007 22:04 GMT "24" is the only series that will make me sit for an hour and forget about having a cigarette......
>Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? Shawk - 08 Mar 2007 22:38 GMT > "24" is the only series that will make me sit for an hour and forget > about having a cigarette...... Damn! An hour? It's 'that' good?
Guess I'll be trying series one shortly then - thanks.
(Though I doubt I'll be going without the cigarette)
;-)
Lief - 09 Mar 2007 01:17 GMT > Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? Hmm, tough question, I mean I like it, but am pretty sure I shouldnt...as its quite cheesy but it's addictive viewing...
Shawk - 09 Mar 2007 13:32 GMT >> Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? > > Hmm, tough question, I mean I like it, but am pretty sure I shouldnt...as > its quite cheesy but it's addictive viewing... Sounds damn near made for me ;-)
I do like the more serious drama's (Edge of Darkness, Traffic (not the film), State Within etc but occasionally 'cheese' is good.
Neil Jones - 09 Mar 2007 11:23 GMT > Damn. Watched all 3 seasons of The Wire... excellent but what am I > going to do for a fix now??! [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? First series was pretty unbelievable but staggeringly exciting. 2nd not so much. Third not so much again. etc etc. It's now turned into a farcical love song to the joys of torture.
Series you might like to check out:
Heroes Jericho DayBreak and of course the Sopranos.
(along with Lost, they're currently the only things to drag me out of WoW) :)
___ Neil aka HighVis
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Shawk - 09 Mar 2007 13:29 GMT >> Damn. Watched all 3 seasons of The Wire... excellent but what am I >> going to do for a fix now??! [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > (along with Lost, they're currently the only things to drag me out of > WoW) :) Been living in a TV shell for a while. Unbelievably I've never seen the Soprano's either!!
Thanks for the recommendations.
Thad - 19 Mar 2007 12:58 GMT > Unbelievably I've never seen the > Soprano's either!! > > Thanks for the recommendations. You are in for a treat, my friend! Just be sure to start the series at the beginning.
Hurry up, the final season starts next month!
== Thad
Shawk - 19 Mar 2007 13:25 GMT >> Unbelievably I've never seen the Soprano's either!! >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Hurry up, the final season starts next month! Working my way through catching up on Heroes first - another great series.
Andrew - 09 Mar 2007 11:27 GMT >Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? First and second series were excellent, third and fourth dodgy but still worth watching, fifth good again.
The only bit that winds me up is anything computer related, which is complete bollocks, but if you ignore that, there is some good drama and well worth getting on DVD (play.com do it cheaply).
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Shawk - 09 Mar 2007 13:30 GMT >> Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > complete bollocks, but if you ignore that, there is some good drama > and well worth getting on DVD (play.com do it cheaply). Yeah - noticed it's at a really good price on play.com - that's what set me thinking of trying 24 next. Ta.
Ben Cottrell - 09 Mar 2007 17:09 GMT > Damn. Watched all 3 seasons of The Wire... excellent but what am I > going to do for a fix now??! [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Hmmm... never seen '24'. Is it as good as everyone says? 24 is very addictive - Last year I ended up spending many, many unsociable hours sat in front of a TV screen, as I went through 5 seasons of the show in the space of 2 months :-)
Somewhat surprised noone's mentioned Battlestar Galactica (not the old 1978 show, the remake). I'm not a massive sci-fi fan, but the series is very well done so far IMHO.
I'm getting a little bored with Lost personally, there seem to be far too many mini-stories which fit in nowhere, and very little forward direction or explanation. Part of me is hoping that they find a good way to wrap the whole thing up at the end of this season (Yeah, right..)
 Signature Ben Cottrell AKA Bench
Shawk - 09 Mar 2007 18:51 GMT >> Damn. Watched all 3 seasons of The Wire... excellent but what am I >> going to do for a fix now??! [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > unsociable hours sat in front of a TV screen, as I went through 5 > seasons of the show in the space of 2 months :-) I did that with Spooks (4 seasons), Deadwood (3) and The Wire (3) in the last 4 months. Not bad going with the hours I work.
Season 1 of 24 has now been ordered.
> Somewhat surprised noone's mentioned Battlestar Galactica (not the old > 1978 show, the remake). I'm not a massive sci-fi fan, but the series > is very well done so far IMHO. Never saw the new series. Liked the old BG as a kid so this is a definite maybe. I'm a semi-Tv-sci-fi-fan. I like some shows but probably not enough of them to want to pay to subscribe to the sci-fi channel. I did enjoy Enterprise and loved Firefly but could never get into Farscape or Andromeda. OTOH I love sci-fi films.
> I'm getting a little bored with Lost personally, there seem to be far > too many mini-stories which fit in nowhere, and very little forward > direction or explanation. Part of me is hoping that they find a good > way to wrap the whole thing up at the end of this season (Yeah, right..) I'm up to ep10 of season 3 (thanks to d-loading) and am still enjoying it. This season has introduced new story arcs which intrigue again. I wasn't so engaged with season 2.
Read a little on Heroes and that intrigues me - episode 1 is now being d-loaded to see if it's my kind of thing.
Slightly OT but seeing as there's a few TV fans around ATM has anyone got a decent digital receiver for their PC that they'd recommend? I did use the Mega Sky USB which is cheap but very unimpressive. I'd like to receive decent channels and be able to record in decent quality too. Failing that I may look at BT Vision (in the UK). I use BT and have the required home hub so it wouldn't be a big upheaval. However that's a lounge option. I do tend to watch in the office while the wife watches crap reality TV in the lounge. The PC option is the preferred.
Neil Jones - 12 Mar 2007 11:41 GMT > I did that with Spooks (4 seasons), Deadwood (3) and The Wire (3) in the > last 4 months. Not bad going with the hours I work. Ah, Deadwood - outstandingly good, and I still can't believe they cancelled it.
> Season 1 of 24 has now been ordered. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure - the first episode has some ridiculously tense and exciting scenes. I stand by criticisms of more recent series, though... pick the most innocent-looking character in the series, and they'll find a way to have to torture them to get some information they didn't have in the first place. Then they sort of apologise and expect them to carry on - no sense of trauma whatsoever.
I gave up half way through the 'crooked president' series, but from what I read it's got even more single-minded in it's pursuit of torture-related kicks.
___ Neil aka HighVis
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Shawk - 12 Mar 2007 12:52 GMT >> I did that with Spooks (4 seasons), Deadwood (3) and The Wire (3) in the >> last 4 months. Not bad going with the hours I work. > > Ah, Deadwood - outstandingly good, and I still can't believe they > cancelled it. Yup. At least we have two 2hr movies concluding the series to look forward to. Unfortunately they seem to be a long way off...
http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2007/01/deadwood_movie_.html
>> Season 1 of 24 has now been ordered. >> > You'll enjoy it, I'm sure - the first episode has some ridiculously > tense and exciting scenes. Thanks. Trick now is to get the time to watch it.
Andrew - 12 Mar 2007 13:39 GMT >Thanks. Trick now is to get the time to watch it. Nah, once you have a series on DVD the trick is how to stop watching it!
 Signature Andrew, contact via http://interpleb.googlepages.com Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards, please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text. Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.
Shawk - 12 Mar 2007 13:55 GMT >> Thanks. Trick now is to get the time to watch it. > > Nah, once you have a series on DVD the trick is how to stop watching > it! I know!! I'm allowing for that in trying to find the time ;-)
WildStyle24_7 - 03 Apr 2007 15:26 GMT > Season 1 of 24 has now been ordered. I've liked most of them, tbh - set pieces are decent, but it does suffer from the law of diminishing returns, and hasn't figured out a way to make itself interesting over many seasons without going bigger and more shocking. My personal view is that going back to the more measured pace of Season 1 would be a good thing for the show, and including less of bloody James sodding Heller, who ruined Season 4 for me...
> Never saw the new series. Liked the old BG as a kid so this is a > definite maybe. I'm a semi-Tv-sci-fi-fan. I like some shows but > probably not enough of them to want to pay to subscribe to the sci-fi > channel. BSG is excellent - first series is good, the second is excellent, and I'm waiting with bated breath for the third to get a region two DVD release. One of the best pieces of intelligent sci-fi in recent years, pipped only by heroes, in my estimation. I preferred this to Firefly, tbh, the political dimension of the story is handled excellently, and is actually engaging, which I think quite unusual in TV SF.
> I'm up to ep10 of season 3 (thanks to d-loading) and am still enjoying > it. This season has introduced new story arcs which intrigue again. I > wasn't so engaged with season 2. I watch Lost on dvd, I'm part way through Season 2 now. I have to say, even in the original season, it's never really grabbed me. Good characters, but I don't like the mythology very much, tbh.
> Read a little on Heroes and that intrigues me - episode 1 is now being > d-loaded to see if it's my kind of thing. It's excellent. I believe Sci-Fi are showing it in the UK now, and it's worth catching - Heroes is easily my favourite thing from the year so far.
As for the Wire - good, but I got slightly annoyed by the dialogue from Simon's (excellent) book cropping up verbatim. I don't think I like this as much as the first seasons of "Homicide: Life on the Street" but it's still good.
- Wildy
Thad - 04 Apr 2007 01:09 GMT > - > Wildy 'Ere now, 'oo are you?
= Thad
Neil Jones - 04 Apr 2007 12:33 GMT > As for the Wire - good, but I got slightly annoyed by the dialogue > from Simon's (excellent) book cropping up verbatim. I don't think I > like this as much as the first seasons of "Homicide: Life on the > Street" but it's still good. First, second OR third series of Homicide - tough rules, comrade, although I guess since everyone raves about The Wire you should be comparing it to the best.
Lost seems to have picked up it's game with season 3 - lots more interaction with the 'others', and less polar bears and smoke monsters. If you're still in mid-season 2 I don't want to introduce spoilers, but I would say that there are some deaths coming that you'll cheer more than is seemly.
Heroes rocks, although I really can't put my finger on why. Acting is awful, and I was expecting much better special effects. It's just the spirit of it that carries you along, I think, plus Masi Oka completely steals the show as Hiro.
We're still enjoying Taye Diggs in DayBreak (on bravo), plus there's new series of House and now Shark - aaagh.. too much good tv. I'd love to see a House/Shark crossover episode - put Hugh Laurie up against James Woods and see who came out alive :)
Oh, and Life on Mars, of course. "It's 1973. Nearly dinner time. I'm havin' hoops." IMDB says there's plans (fortunately on hold) for a US version. I don't think so.
Good to see you around, comrade Wildski.
___ Neil aka HighVis
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Arthur Green - 04 Apr 2007 13:41 GMT [ ... ]
> Oh, and Life on Mars, of course. "It's 1973. Nearly dinner time. I'm > havin' hoops." IMDB says there's plans (fortunately on hold) for a US > version. I don't think so. Excellent stuff. My favourite quote so far: "I'm going to say this once and once only Gene, stay out of Camberwick Green!"
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- AG
WildStyle24_7 - 04 Apr 2007 14:29 GMT > In article <1175610360.660459.150...@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, > > First, second OR third series of Homicide - tough rules, comrade, > although I guess since everyone raves about The Wire you should be > comparing it to the best. It seems a natural comparison given David Simon's involvement in them both - I've watched seasons one and two so far, season three is in the queue at Lovefilm.com even as we speak.
> Lost seems to have picked up it's game with season 3 - lots more > interaction with the 'others', and less polar bears and smoke monsters. > If you're still in mid-season 2 I don't want to introduce spoilers, but > I would say that there are some deaths coming that you'll cheer more > than is seemly. It's diverting enough, just not something I'd watch over, say, (new) Battlestar Galactica. The intention at the moment is to persevere with it, I'm glad my patience will be rewarded :)
> Heroes rocks, although I really can't put my finger on why. Acting is > awful, and I was expecting much better special effects. It's just the > spirit of it that carries you along, I think, plus Masi Oka completely > steals the show as Hiro. Absolutely - I think you're right about the spirit being the driver - it's one of those shows that carries you along with its momentum, I think, wrapping you in its world and mythology.
> We're still enjoying Taye Diggs in DayBreak (on bravo), plus there's > new series of House and now Shark - aaagh.. too much good tv. I'd love > to see a House/Shark crossover episode - put Hugh Laurie up against > James Woods and see who came out alive :) Lol, tell me about it. I've not seen either of those, or Jericho as yet.
> Oh, and Life on Mars, of course. "It's 1973. Nearly dinner time. I'm > havin' hoops." IMDB says there's plans (fortunately on hold) for a US > version. I don't think so. One of the perks of working by BBC Manchester is seeing the cars, e.g.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/430645395/ (Austin Allegro Panda Car)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/178608721/ (Gene's Cortina)
> Good to see you around, comrade Wildski. Nice to be around - I'm glad there's some off topic stuff to post in still ;)
- Wildy
Thad - 05 Apr 2007 04:37 GMT > Nice to be around - I'm glad there's some off topic stuff to post in > still ;) It's difficult to maintain off topic-ness without your help. Start carrying your weight!
= Thad
Neil Jones - 05 Apr 2007 17:48 GMT > Nice to be around - I'm glad there's some off topic stuff to post in > still ;) You don't need an invite, comrade - just dive on in.
The most interesting part of your post, of course, isn't the well-thought out tv analysis, but the opportunity to cyber-stalk you. Is that the legendary TinyStyle in Prestatyn?
There's also a few I found that claimed to be self-portraits, but I couldn't see any ginger afro, so they may have been mis-tagged ;)
Also interesting to spot that one of your flickr buddies is the son of one of my oldest friends. Small world, etc
___ Neil aka HighVis
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