Amazon Prime Video, what gems have you found? (NO SPOILERS)
Discussion
Black Sails = Lightweight Hollywood nonsense. Which is a shame because it's such a rich source of material. A gritty, dare I say, British interpretation where the 'Pirates' aren't all sporting perfect teeth and makeup(!) and the backdrop was one of mere survival would be excellent.
American Gods = Much better. Cinematically stunning, excellently cast and being outright fantasy is something La La land produces well. I suspect the second series will lose it's way as they realise they're onto a good 'un and start trying to spin it out needlessly. Hope I'm wrong.
American Gods = Much better. Cinematically stunning, excellently cast and being outright fantasy is something La La land produces well. I suspect the second series will lose it's way as they realise they're onto a good 'un and start trying to spin it out needlessly. Hope I'm wrong.
Geninely nothing. I haven't found a single thing on Amazon that was worth more than one episode.
I am willing to watch a variety of genres, so it's not that I lack the imaginaton. Except superheroes. They can all f
k right off.
Everything I've tried just seems to be style over substance, and a bit too bloody pleased with itself.
I am willing to watch a variety of genres, so it's not that I lack the imaginaton. Except superheroes. They can all f
k right off.Everything I've tried just seems to be style over substance, and a bit too bloody pleased with itself.
Doofus said:
Geninely nothing. I haven't found a single thing on Amazon that was worth more than one episode.
I am willing to watch a variety of genres, so it's not that I lack the imaginaton. Except superheroes. They can all fk right off.
Everything I've tried just seems to be style over substance, and a bit too bloody pleased with itself.
Have you tried Bosch? I am willing to watch a variety of genres, so it's not that I lack the imaginaton. Except superheroes. They can all f
k right off.Everything I've tried just seems to be style over substance, and a bit too bloody pleased with itself.
I really don't think you could include that in your description.
My problem is that I want to be entertained, and for me, so many shows require a significant investment of time, and the entertainment is slow to arrive. They may be 'slow burners', but I usually can't be arsed.
When I'm buying novels, I will often read the first three or four pages, and if it doesn't grab me, Ill put it back on the shelf. Telly is the same, and I find that with so much Amazon stuff, there are no characters with which the viewer (me, at least) can find empathy. I don't expect 'goodies' and 'baddies', but when everybody is a tosser, I give up.
My missus watched a thing where Billy Bob Thornton was a lawyer. Now, I like him, but that programme was so relentlessly miserable that I just couldn't face it. I don't need comedy all the time, but a bit of relief wouldn't go amiss.
I am heartily sick of protagonists with drink/drug/ex-wife/mental problems, and if I never watch another "troubled cop solves rape/murder/evisceration/fraud/gawd knows what else, it'll not be a day too soon.
I tried Preacher, and the first episode had promise, but then it turned into Twin Peaks / Under The Dome. ie, the writers just kept going in the hope a story would emerge from the page.
I tried that thing with Phil Glenister being a(nother) preacher. Why the fk did the sun never come out? Figuratively and literally.
Outlander. Don't get me started. Mills and Boon.
Halt And Catch Fire. Was this the one about the start of the PC? A bit too smug, and largely unfathomable to a non computer geek..
That thing with Lovejoy in it. Too much like superheroes.
That other thing with Lovejoy in it about cowboys. Tits and swearing becomes tiresome after a while.
The Man In The High Castle. KMN. A case in point: Relentlessly miserable. Unbearably slow. Interminably Long.
Mr Robot (I keep calling this Mr Creosote). Aaaaarrrggghhhhh! WTF?
Brain Dead. You said it.
The Handmaids Tale. Apparently very good. I just couldn't watch it. I'm a poofter or something, according to my missus.
The Leftovers. Apparently the final series was one of the best pieces of telly anywhere, ever in the whole wide world. You just had to wade through all the previous (relentlessly miserable, directionless, unfathomable) series to get to it.
It goes on. I am sure you'll tell me this is just hyperbole, and none of the above represents genuine critique, and you'd probably be correct.
I wonder if decent story telling has been lost to 'atmosphere' and effects.
As a comparison, let's take Billions. The story was bonkers, in general, but it was well written, and engaging. I wanted to know what happened next. People got angry, and shouty, yes; but sometimes it was daytime, and they went outside. And at night when they went into a room, they often turned the lights on. People smiled sometimes. They acted like real people (except Paul Giamatti, whose motives were generally nonsensical). At the end of each episode, I went on my my life. So much telly these days (and this is not exclusive to Amazon) infects me with its own misery.
tldr:
Harrumph.
When I'm buying novels, I will often read the first three or four pages, and if it doesn't grab me, Ill put it back on the shelf. Telly is the same, and I find that with so much Amazon stuff, there are no characters with which the viewer (me, at least) can find empathy. I don't expect 'goodies' and 'baddies', but when everybody is a tosser, I give up.
My missus watched a thing where Billy Bob Thornton was a lawyer. Now, I like him, but that programme was so relentlessly miserable that I just couldn't face it. I don't need comedy all the time, but a bit of relief wouldn't go amiss.
I am heartily sick of protagonists with drink/drug/ex-wife/mental problems, and if I never watch another "troubled cop solves rape/murder/evisceration/fraud/gawd knows what else, it'll not be a day too soon.
I tried Preacher, and the first episode had promise, but then it turned into Twin Peaks / Under The Dome. ie, the writers just kept going in the hope a story would emerge from the page.
I tried that thing with Phil Glenister being a(nother) preacher. Why the f
k did the sun never come out? Figuratively and literally.Outlander. Don't get me started. Mills and Boon.
Halt And Catch Fire. Was this the one about the start of the PC? A bit too smug, and largely unfathomable to a non computer geek..
That thing with Lovejoy in it. Too much like superheroes.
That other thing with Lovejoy in it about cowboys. Tits and swearing becomes tiresome after a while.
The Man In The High Castle. KMN. A case in point: Relentlessly miserable. Unbearably slow. Interminably Long.
Mr Robot (I keep calling this Mr Creosote). Aaaaarrrggghhhhh! WTF?
Brain Dead. You said it.
The Handmaids Tale. Apparently very good. I just couldn't watch it. I'm a poofter or something, according to my missus.
The Leftovers. Apparently the final series was one of the best pieces of telly anywhere, ever in the whole wide world. You just had to wade through all the previous (relentlessly miserable, directionless, unfathomable) series to get to it.
It goes on. I am sure you'll tell me this is just hyperbole, and none of the above represents genuine critique, and you'd probably be correct.
I wonder if decent story telling has been lost to 'atmosphere' and effects.
As a comparison, let's take Billions. The story was bonkers, in general, but it was well written, and engaging. I wanted to know what happened next. People got angry, and shouty, yes; but sometimes it was daytime, and they went outside. And at night when they went into a room, they often turned the lights on. People smiled sometimes. They acted like real people (except Paul Giamatti, whose motives were generally nonsensical). At the end of each episode, I went on my my life. So much telly these days (and this is not exclusive to Amazon) infects me with its own misery.
tldr:
Harrumph.
I think you have just covered about every type of genre out there 
. Character development is helpful in making an investment in a show worthwhile but yes that can make a series slow to start. Usually worth the patience though.
Maybe try the Tick! Short, weird, some laughs and doesn't take itself seriously. Think that would suit your demands
Oh and Firefly is an older series but was missed by many, one series only and a great watch as is the film Serenity!
. Character development is helpful in making an investment in a show worthwhile but yes that can make a series slow to start. Usually worth the patience though. Maybe try the Tick! Short, weird, some laughs and doesn't take itself seriously. Think that would suit your demands
Oh and Firefly is an older series but was missed by many, one series only and a great watch as is the film Serenity!
Doofus said:
I tried Preacher, and the first episode had promise, but then it turned into Twin Peaks / Under The Dome. ie, the writers just kept going in the hope a story would emerge from the page.
I tried that thing with Phil Glenister being a(nother) preacher. Why the fk did the sun never come out? Figuratively and literally.
Halt And Catch Fire. Was this the one about the start of the PC? A bit too smug, and largely unfathomable to a non computer geek..
That thing with Lovejoy in it. Too much like superheroes.
The Man In The High Castle. KMN. A case in point: Relentlessly miserable. Unbearably slow. Interminably Long.
Mr Robot (I keep calling this Mr Creosote).
Agree with all the above, have you watched Prison Break?I tried that thing with Phil Glenister being a(nother) preacher. Why the f
k did the sun never come out? Figuratively and literally.Halt And Catch Fire. Was this the one about the start of the PC? A bit too smug, and largely unfathomable to a non computer geek..
That thing with Lovejoy in it. Too much like superheroes.
The Man In The High Castle. KMN. A case in point: Relentlessly miserable. Unbearably slow. Interminably Long.
Mr Robot (I keep calling this Mr Creosote).
I managed to get into that.
Prison Break looked OK, but by the time I was able to watch it, there was too much to catch up on. For the same reason, I've never seen Breaking Bad or, consequently, Better Call Saul.
I watched the first episode of The Tick, and it was OK, but I really, really don't like superheroes. I suspect that when I was a baby, one of them tipped me out of my pram during a fight with a giant snail robot or something.
I watched the first episode of The Tick, and it was OK, but I really, really don't like superheroes. I suspect that when I was a baby, one of them tipped me out of my pram during a fight with a giant snail robot or something.
Doofus said:
Prison Break looked OK, but by the time I was able to watch it, there was too much to catch up on. For the same reason, I've never seen Breaking Bad or, consequently, Better Call Saul.
I watched the first episode of The Tick, and it was OK, but I really, really don't like superheroes. I suspect that when I was a baby, one of them tipped me out of my pram during a fight with a giant snail robot or something.
Give Lucifer a go? Don't expect highbrow, or in depth story telling though. Bit of fun fluff really. S3 just started on Amazon. He has a nice car I watched the first episode of The Tick, and it was OK, but I really, really don't like superheroes. I suspect that when I was a baby, one of them tipped me out of my pram during a fight with a giant snail robot or something.
Ace-T said:
Give Lucifer a go? Don't expect highbrow, or in depth story telling though. Bit of fun fluff really. S3 just started on Amazon. He has a nice car
loved series one and two looking forward to seeing this series its a nice easy watch with some lovely tongue in cheek humour...not to mention women in leather.Doofus said:
Prison Break looked OK, but by the time I was able to watch it, there was too much to catch up on.
Im the other way. I love knowing if I get into something that I have 4/5 seasons to watch. Hate getting into something that gets cancelled in the first season.You might like Haven. Its a bit like Xfiles in that paranormal things happen and people figure out how to fix things. It get a little silly in the last season but you get closure. Great chemistry between the cast.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Welcome-to-Haven/dp/B00F4...
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