The TV show "Lost"
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My wife has been watching it, I have not. But I caught an episode recently and thought the acting, dialog, characters were all terrific. As to the plot, I had no idea what was going on. I like TV that is done in serial episodes, where a long-term story plan exists and small pieces are developed along with the characters, so this looks like my type of show. The problem is that I feel like I have to get the first three seasons on DVD and watch them all to understand what is going on here in season 4. So my question - for those who are already fans of this show - are the individual episodes worth it in and of themselves to go back and watch them all? (meaning: are the direction, dialog, acting, staging, and character development outstanding in most episodes and worth watching for their own sake) or am I just as well off to read episode synopses and pick up in the middle of season 4?
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My wife has been watching it, I have not. But I caught an episode recently and thought the acting, dialog, characters were all terrific. As to the plot, I had no idea what was going on. I like TV that is done in serial episodes, where a long-term story plan exists and small pieces are developed along with the characters, so this looks like my type of show. The problem is that I feel like I have to get the first three seasons on DVD and watch them all to understand what is going on here in season 4. So my question - for those who are already fans of this show - are the individual episodes worth it in and of themselves to go back and watch them all? (meaning: are the direction, dialog, acting, staging, and character development outstanding in most episodes and worth watching for their own sake) or am I just as well off to read episode synopses and pick up in the middle of season 4?
Thanks, for info, will que it up on Netflix
MrPlankton
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My wife has been watching it, I have not. But I caught an episode recently and thought the acting, dialog, characters were all terrific. As to the plot, I had no idea what was going on. I like TV that is done in serial episodes, where a long-term story plan exists and small pieces are developed along with the characters, so this looks like my type of show. The problem is that I feel like I have to get the first three seasons on DVD and watch them all to understand what is going on here in season 4. So my question - for those who are already fans of this show - are the individual episodes worth it in and of themselves to go back and watch them all? (meaning: are the direction, dialog, acting, staging, and character development outstanding in most episodes and worth watching for their own sake) or am I just as well off to read episode synopses and pick up in the middle of season 4?
My experience with Lost has been frustrating. It is very well done, but after three series (here in Italy we're a season behind) you still know nearly nothing about what the hell is going on. Every time an episode ends I feel the need to immediately watch the following one. This means that the director is really good at his job, but ultimately is frustrating. Once, I read that the full Lost experience will be of seven series, so I decided to stop watching it until all seven series are produced. Still, it's worth watching.
Luca The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance. -- Wing Commander IV En Það Besta Sem Guð Hefur Skapað, Er Nýr Dagur. (But the best thing God has created, is a New Day.) -- Sigur Ròs - Viðrar vel til loftárása
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My wife has been watching it, I have not. But I caught an episode recently and thought the acting, dialog, characters were all terrific. As to the plot, I had no idea what was going on. I like TV that is done in serial episodes, where a long-term story plan exists and small pieces are developed along with the characters, so this looks like my type of show. The problem is that I feel like I have to get the first three seasons on DVD and watch them all to understand what is going on here in season 4. So my question - for those who are already fans of this show - are the individual episodes worth it in and of themselves to go back and watch them all? (meaning: are the direction, dialog, acting, staging, and character development outstanding in most episodes and worth watching for their own sake) or am I just as well off to read episode synopses and pick up in the middle of season 4?
I tried watching it, I really did, but ended up giving up on it. It reminded me of Twin Peaks in many ways as that also had a script-writing-by-the-seat-of-your-pants feel about it. I also think that a lot of US television shows would benefit from having fewer episodes. Last year I enjoyed Heroes, however I felt that they added far too much padding to stretch to the (24?) episodes; I can't help but feel that 12 episodes would have produced a tighter, pacier and better flowing story.
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I tried watching it, I really did, but ended up giving up on it. It reminded me of Twin Peaks in many ways as that also had a script-writing-by-the-seat-of-your-pants feel about it. I also think that a lot of US television shows would benefit from having fewer episodes. Last year I enjoyed Heroes, however I felt that they added far too much padding to stretch to the (24?) episodes; I can't help but feel that 12 episodes would have produced a tighter, pacier and better flowing story.
martin_hughes wrote:
I can't help but feel that 12 episodes would have produced a tighter, pacier and better flowing story.
Maybe, but it might not have attracted the same calibre cast. Would you rather work 12 episodes or 24, assuming you were paid by the episode.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
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I tried watching it, I really did, but ended up giving up on it. It reminded me of Twin Peaks in many ways as that also had a script-writing-by-the-seat-of-your-pants feel about it. I also think that a lot of US television shows would benefit from having fewer episodes. Last year I enjoyed Heroes, however I felt that they added far too much padding to stretch to the (24?) episodes; I can't help but feel that 12 episodes would have produced a tighter, pacier and better flowing story.
Yeah actually now that you mention it, it does remind me of Twin Peaks, that's ok though I loved Twin Peaks and to be fair it's not as seat of the pants as Twin Peaks ever was, plus it's sci-fiy which makes it way cooler. :) The Heroes producers publicly acknowledged exactly the problem you speak of and have promised it won't happen again, but by the time the next season rolls around they'll have a lot of catching up to do for new viewers so I don't expect it to really take off the first few episodes.
"The pursuit of excellence is less profitable than the pursuit of bigness, but it can be more satisfying." - David Ogilvy
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martin_hughes wrote:
I can't help but feel that 12 episodes would have produced a tighter, pacier and better flowing story.
Maybe, but it might not have attracted the same calibre cast. Would you rather work 12 episodes or 24, assuming you were paid by the episode.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
Probably the 24 episodes... unless I was a particularly well know/successful actor, in which case I'd go for 6 for $1m a piece and free up my schedule for the next project :)
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Probably the 24 episodes... unless I was a particularly well know/successful actor, in which case I'd go for 6 for $1m a piece and free up my schedule for the next project :)
martin_hughes wrote:
unless I was a particularly well know/successful actor, in which case I'd go for 6 for $1m a piece
Well, for actors the upfront money is important, but it is how many episodes are produced that really counts - even when you are someone as well known as Keifer Sutherland, the magic number is a total of 100 episodes. Thats when it really becomes economical for indies and cable stations to buy the show's entire archive (usually at a few hundred thousand per play and strip (run 5 nights @ week) them. Marisa Hargitay, for instance, is set for life, even though (to the best of my knowledge) she never did major work before and may never do it again. Sometimes I think she is appearing on TV (and getting paid for it)somewhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
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martin_hughes wrote:
unless I was a particularly well know/successful actor, in which case I'd go for 6 for $1m a piece
Well, for actors the upfront money is important, but it is how many episodes are produced that really counts - even when you are someone as well known as Keifer Sutherland, the magic number is a total of 100 episodes. Thats when it really becomes economical for indies and cable stations to buy the show's entire archive (usually at a few hundred thousand per play and strip (run 5 nights @ week) them. Marisa Hargitay, for instance, is set for life, even though (to the best of my knowledge) she never did major work before and may never do it again. Sometimes I think she is appearing on TV (and getting paid for it)somewhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
Well good luck to her. I've seen a couple of episodes of Law & Order and for what it's worth, it's probably a show more suited to long series runs because each episode is different but linked with some continuity of an overall scope. By the time Heroes drew to end I was becoming increasingly fatigued, and 24 I just couldn't get on with at all.
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My wife has been watching it, I have not. But I caught an episode recently and thought the acting, dialog, characters were all terrific. As to the plot, I had no idea what was going on. I like TV that is done in serial episodes, where a long-term story plan exists and small pieces are developed along with the characters, so this looks like my type of show. The problem is that I feel like I have to get the first three seasons on DVD and watch them all to understand what is going on here in season 4. So my question - for those who are already fans of this show - are the individual episodes worth it in and of themselves to go back and watch them all? (meaning: are the direction, dialog, acting, staging, and character development outstanding in most episodes and worth watching for their own sake) or am I just as well off to read episode synopses and pick up in the middle of season 4?
There are lots of good shows out there like that. If you're into science fiction, there's Babylon 5, Battlestar Galatica (the new one), Stargate SG-1, and Stargate Atlantis. I've got DVD sets of all of them, and they're a lot of fun.
Software Zen:
delete this;
Fold With Us![^] -
My wife has been watching it, I have not. But I caught an episode recently and thought the acting, dialog, characters were all terrific. As to the plot, I had no idea what was going on. I like TV that is done in serial episodes, where a long-term story plan exists and small pieces are developed along with the characters, so this looks like my type of show. The problem is that I feel like I have to get the first three seasons on DVD and watch them all to understand what is going on here in season 4. So my question - for those who are already fans of this show - are the individual episodes worth it in and of themselves to go back and watch them all? (meaning: are the direction, dialog, acting, staging, and character development outstanding in most episodes and worth watching for their own sake) or am I just as well off to read episode synopses and pick up in the middle of season 4?
A large group of intelligent people are still lost after 3 series? They deserve to be stuck there for ever! Even Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean escaped from his island by riding on 2 sea turtles, and he was on his own! :)
I still remember having to write your own code in FORTRAN rather than be a cut and paste merchant being pampered by colour coded Intellisense - ahh proper programming - those were the days :)