I don't think The Bear's loss had as much to do with "category fraud" as it did the underwhelmed response to season 3 (see also: Liza Colón-Zayas' win, which is most likely *really* for her incredible season 3 showcase). I find this whole argument so exhausting.
Totally! And similarly, comedies often make me think, cry, feel incredibly moved. But so much of the conversation I've been hearing about The Bear has been people saying it's just not funny. Which doesn't seem like a good-faith assessment in my book.
I would have to agree that The Bear is not a comedy at all and its ridiculous to keep nominating it there but if the Academy is going to allow that (and the more egregious stuff with categories like mini-series, etc), then it's going to be up to voters to decide. I've never considered The West Wing a comedy and that show was infinitely funnier than The Bear. The Bear has humor but it's not driven by jokes.
Regarding the Emmy's: Stage sound was pretty bad this year. Noises from microphone all evening, mic being adjusted while the speaker/winner was on stage, etc. I was soo happy for newcomer Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada! This man has been playing quality roles for a long time, glad to see the recognition.
The Bear was never really on my watchlist, saw the synopsis, watched the trailers, but didn't really resonate with me. This week I finally decided to give it a chance and holy cannoli!!! I just finished season 1 and episode seven "Review" is a masterpiece! I think it's the 1st time since "Ozymandias" that I had panic inducing feelings while watching TV. 10/10. I'm planning to watch seasons 2 & 3 this weekend. Wish me luck.
Also, although I haven't yet watched the rest of it, I think it's pretty safe to say that The Bear will have its own chapter on TV: The Book Vol.2, right? Right? :D
Just finished the third episode of s4 of Slow Horses and although Gary Oldman and Kristen Scott Thomas grab most of the attention I think Jonathan Pryce is knocking it out of the park this year. Having read the books it was pretty obvious that this book/season was probably the primary reason they got Pryce to play what has been pretty much a bit part for the first 3 seasons.
Emmys had better choices that i expected. Did a good job giving awards to Fargo, Ripley, Slow Horses. Also, Morning Show and The Crown final season were not awards worthy, but the awards did go to the best part of both shows. Baby Reindeer, Shogun and Hacks is a strong 3. Just very surprised they gave Hacks 3 awards, including the big one, but Hannah lost, this is the part that makes no sense for me.
Alan, have you watched My Brilliant Friend final season? I don't think you've talked about it yet, sorry if i'm wrong, and i know you were a fan before. Also, keeping on HBO, Industry?
I'm a whole season behind on MBF. My goal is to catch up before the finale drops, but I'm not sure I'll make it.
Industry, I watched the first season and mostly liked it, and for whatever reason did not feel compelled to pick it up when it returned. I know it has some very passionate fans.
"With traditional TV drama in general being in a slump right now, the drama field could be The Bear’s for the taking if it decided to recategorize itself."
My take is slightly different - I think completely new dramas premiering are in a slump, but there will be many returning in this tv season that'll dominate the field (Andor, Squid Game, Severance, Bad Sisters, Pachinko, Stranger Things, & the various HBO shows). Even with a polarized non-comedic S3, The Bear would probably still win more awards in comedy categories (less crowded right now with only Abbott, Hacks, Murders, Shadows) than if it switched to what looks like a very competitive drama field. I think it'll only change if forced by the TV Academy.
I can't say that the story of "Agatha All Along" is going to be all that interesting, but I'm enjoying watching it, which more that I can say about the overwhelming majority of the Marvel and D+ output over the last few years.
Having an engaging, entertaining lead and letting them do the things they do best can make up for a multitude of sins, an observation I can also make about Vince Vaughn in Bad Monkey.
I was mentioning to a friend how neat it was that we got not only umbrellas and the (perhaps too overt) reference to Burgess Meredith with that jewelry store near Oz’s apartment but also, in Victor Aguilar, a nod to how Penguin’s henchmen on the ’60s show had bird names. He pointed out the serendipity in the family he’s opposing being named the Falcones. (Penguin doesn’t have anything to do with them in the introductions of Carmine, Alberto, & Sofia in the ‘Year One’ and ‘The Long Halloween’ comics.)
We love Pachinko, but can anyone explain the rules for subtitles vs dubbing on the show? The older brother is always subtitles while the younger brother is dubbed with that annoying "child" voice that reminds me of old Godzilla movies.
Had a friend in college who was from Binghamton. Once I learned that, I asked him if I were to drive up from DC in the summer to visit him whether he would show me around to all the Rod Serling spots. He had no idea what I was talking about, but politely agreed. A few months later, I rolled up with a list of about a half dozen addresses including that park and his childhood home which I had culled from Gordon F. Sander's book and whatever I could dig up on Lexis Nexis. It was a fun half-day that concluded at the AppleBee's which had a small exhibit dedicated to him. Glad to see they have expanded his footprint in the city in the 20+ years since I went. Looking forward to the boook.
I checked out The Penguin last night. While it’s too early to tell and certainly not perfect, it was quite watchable. Pachinko, on the other hand, still leaves me cold.
Love the "Well, I think I need to go deal with this" anecdote. As a big fan of both Serling and you, I'm really looking forward to the book!
That anecdote would've made my morning even if it were going much better than it actually is.
I don't think The Bear's loss had as much to do with "category fraud" as it did the underwhelmed response to season 3 (see also: Liza Colón-Zayas' win, which is most likely *really* for her incredible season 3 showcase). I find this whole argument so exhausting.
Yeah, exhausting is right. I laugh plenty at The Bear. The whole argument is just boring to me.
And I laughed more at The Sopranos when it was on than most sitcoms of its era. Dramas can have funny jokes and still be dramas.
Totally! And similarly, comedies often make me think, cry, feel incredibly moved. But so much of the conversation I've been hearing about The Bear has been people saying it's just not funny. Which doesn't seem like a good-faith assessment in my book.
It just seems absurd to see Jeremy Allen White beat Larry David, Matt Berry, Steve Martin, and Martin Short in a comedy category.
I would have to agree that The Bear is not a comedy at all and its ridiculous to keep nominating it there but if the Academy is going to allow that (and the more egregious stuff with categories like mini-series, etc), then it's going to be up to voters to decide. I've never considered The West Wing a comedy and that show was infinitely funnier than The Bear. The Bear has humor but it's not driven by jokes.
Regarding the Emmy's: Stage sound was pretty bad this year. Noises from microphone all evening, mic being adjusted while the speaker/winner was on stage, etc. I was soo happy for newcomer Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada! This man has been playing quality roles for a long time, glad to see the recognition.
The Bear was never really on my watchlist, saw the synopsis, watched the trailers, but didn't really resonate with me. This week I finally decided to give it a chance and holy cannoli!!! I just finished season 1 and episode seven "Review" is a masterpiece! I think it's the 1st time since "Ozymandias" that I had panic inducing feelings while watching TV. 10/10. I'm planning to watch seasons 2 & 3 this weekend. Wish me luck.
Also, although I haven't yet watched the rest of it, I think it's pretty safe to say that The Bear will have its own chapter on TV: The Book Vol.2, right? Right? :D
Just finished the third episode of s4 of Slow Horses and although Gary Oldman and Kristen Scott Thomas grab most of the attention I think Jonathan Pryce is knocking it out of the park this year. Having read the books it was pretty obvious that this book/season was probably the primary reason they got Pryce to play what has been pretty much a bit part for the first 3 seasons.
Ha - love to find out someone is an unexpected CBB fan...heynongman!
Emmys had better choices that i expected. Did a good job giving awards to Fargo, Ripley, Slow Horses. Also, Morning Show and The Crown final season were not awards worthy, but the awards did go to the best part of both shows. Baby Reindeer, Shogun and Hacks is a strong 3. Just very surprised they gave Hacks 3 awards, including the big one, but Hannah lost, this is the part that makes no sense for me.
Alan, have you watched My Brilliant Friend final season? I don't think you've talked about it yet, sorry if i'm wrong, and i know you were a fan before. Also, keeping on HBO, Industry?
I'm a whole season behind on MBF. My goal is to catch up before the finale drops, but I'm not sure I'll make it.
Industry, I watched the first season and mostly liked it, and for whatever reason did not feel compelled to pick it up when it returned. I know it has some very passionate fans.
"With traditional TV drama in general being in a slump right now, the drama field could be The Bear’s for the taking if it decided to recategorize itself."
My take is slightly different - I think completely new dramas premiering are in a slump, but there will be many returning in this tv season that'll dominate the field (Andor, Squid Game, Severance, Bad Sisters, Pachinko, Stranger Things, & the various HBO shows). Even with a polarized non-comedic S3, The Bear would probably still win more awards in comedy categories (less crowded right now with only Abbott, Hacks, Murders, Shadows) than if it switched to what looks like a very competitive drama field. I think it'll only change if forced by the TV Academy.
A good point. I hadn't done the math on how many past nominees would be back this year after taking one or more years off.
I can't say that the story of "Agatha All Along" is going to be all that interesting, but I'm enjoying watching it, which more that I can say about the overwhelming majority of the Marvel and D+ output over the last few years.
Having an engaging, entertaining lead and letting them do the things they do best can make up for a multitude of sins, an observation I can also make about Vince Vaughn in Bad Monkey.
I was mentioning to a friend how neat it was that we got not only umbrellas and the (perhaps too overt) reference to Burgess Meredith with that jewelry store near Oz’s apartment but also, in Victor Aguilar, a nod to how Penguin’s henchmen on the ’60s show had bird names. He pointed out the serendipity in the family he’s opposing being named the Falcones. (Penguin doesn’t have anything to do with them in the introductions of Carmine, Alberto, & Sofia in the ‘Year One’ and ‘The Long Halloween’ comics.)
I just want to post this as it was ER's 30th Anniversary. The pilot still rocks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdY_LS__eq0
We love Pachinko, but can anyone explain the rules for subtitles vs dubbing on the show? The older brother is always subtitles while the younger brother is dubbed with that annoying "child" voice that reminds me of old Godzilla movies.
Had a friend in college who was from Binghamton. Once I learned that, I asked him if I were to drive up from DC in the summer to visit him whether he would show me around to all the Rod Serling spots. He had no idea what I was talking about, but politely agreed. A few months later, I rolled up with a list of about a half dozen addresses including that park and his childhood home which I had culled from Gordon F. Sander's book and whatever I could dig up on Lexis Nexis. It was a fun half-day that concluded at the AppleBee's which had a small exhibit dedicated to him. Glad to see they have expanded his footprint in the city in the 20+ years since I went. Looking forward to the boook.
I checked out The Penguin last night. While it’s too early to tell and certainly not perfect, it was quite watchable. Pachinko, on the other hand, still leaves me cold.