Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing I can’t believe is how production companies apparently think the American public still wants almost every TV show & movie to be set in NYC.

Enough already! How about a story about Milwaukee or Memphis?

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight
shlemiel, schlemazel,
Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

That totally explains Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Yellowstone, Fargo, and a lot of other shows. But lots of times when the location is part of the story they screw things up. I was reading about some show set around Yosemite National Park and everyone who knows Yosemite is really pissed about the inaccuracies (apparently an elk herd was a big faux pas--good example of slip ups. Breaking Bad never stooped to that.

Anyone remember Northern Exposure? (Alaska, although I think filmed in Washington State). I was a grad student then and it was always a tug of war between grading algebra and calculus quizzes for my TA job and watching that Sunday night.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full disclosure: I am a Boomer, so maybe that's the problem.

Not so much plots, maybe, but scenes or even moments in a show can really, really irritate me. Awkward writing. Character reactions to something that are off base. Going overboard when stereotyping 50s male chauvinism or any other particular stereotype. Errors about ordinary facts--the equivalent, say, of incorrectly stating the boiling temperature of water. Anachronisms (I swear I saw a post-it note on a prop in a show taking place in the 1950s).

Is this an age thing? Obviously, age affects recognition of anachronisms, but is being more and more irritated over the other stuff a symptom of age or of high expectations/standards? The books/video entertainment that pleases me the most has none of these potholes.

Boomer as in your parents were WW2 vets, ie born in the late 40s to early 60s?

Or the tiktok definition of boomers of any adult older than a millenial?

True boomers were in grade school during the 50s, watching Howdy Doody and acting out real life Stand By Me adventures, then teens and college age during Vietnam and the hippie years. I know that the definition of boomer extends to kids born into the mid-60s, but those aren't real boomers, they're closer to Gen X.

Boomer birth cohort went to 1964. I'm OP, born in 1954, so I was a kindergartener in 1960. We lived in a small town built in the 50s and populated by young families, and the babies kept coming, the 1965 birth cohort ended up being the peak h.s. graduating class. Gen X kids grew up after large numbers of women entered the workforce and everyone was getting divorced, so they were the latchkey kids. Gen X started with the babies born in 1965, who by the time they were adults faced a tough job market and in particular massive loss of union jobs--although at the same time the well-paid union members and skilled trades workers from the baby boom did all they could to get their kids educated for white collar jobs. When I graduated i 72, every boy who wasn't enrolling in post-secondary education was guaranteed a union job where our dads worked. By the mid-80s, those jobs were disappearing and breadwinners were getting laid off for extended periods. So also women HAD to work to keep family afloat. But unlike 1972, they weren't restricted to where they could work. (As seniors we were required to take "senior sosh" which was sociology, econ, poli sci, and we had to cut out newspaper help wanted ads. I still remember vividly there were two sections: Help wanted--women and Help wanted--men.

One difference in TV: Moms on TV were married, except for Timmy (Lassie)'s mother who was widowed. I don't think there was a divorced mom lead until One Day At A Time in 1975--reflecting the rising divorce rate. Divorce rate peaked in 1980--and the Gen X kids were the latchkey kids.

My mom's brothers and her sisters' husbands and my dad all served in WWII and had children born through 1963. They were also baby boomers by definition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing I can’t believe is how production companies apparently think the American public still wants almost every TV show & movie to be set in NYC.

Enough already! How about a story about Milwaukee or Memphis?

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight
shlemiel, schlemazel,
Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

Right. I’m trying to think of the last thing I watched that was set in NY….

Anonymous wrote:The thing I can’t believe is how production companies apparently think the American public still wants almost every TV show & movie to be set in NYC.

Enough already! How about a story about Milwaukee or Memphis?

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight
shlemiel, schlemazel,
Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

Anonymous wrote:Just watch higher quality stuff. Watch less. Most movies and television shows are bad, especially the mainstream stuff. Try watching older shows (movies and TV) that are more critically acclaimed. Rewatch stuff you loved the first time.

You don't have to waste your time watching whatever is new to the market when so much of it is mediocre. Liberate yourself. It's okay to be picky.

This.

Anonymous wrote:TV shows are not that deep. Most people who "watch tv" aren't doing it for the awesome acting and surprising plot twists. It' more for zoning out at the end of a long work day or background chatter while you scroll on your phone during down-time in the evening.

If you're still feeling discouraged then get a premium service like a Netflix where language, nudity, graphic scenes, and characters aren't amateurs.

I think we can assume by ‘tv’, op meant to include streaming as well

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just watch higher quality stuff. Watch less. Most movies and television shows are bad, especially the mainstream stuff. Try watching older shows (movies and TV) that are more critically acclaimed. Rewatch stuff you loved the first time.

You don't have to waste your time watching whatever is new to the market when so much of it is mediocre. Liberate yourself. It's okay to be picky.

+1 quality matters, but I'd say the older shows are worse. I can't watch anything with a laugh track ever again.
I just stick to Netflix and apple programming and quality foreign items.

By older I meant that if you've never seen the Sopranos, watch the Sopranos. I wasn't suggesting you go catch up on Malcolm in the Middle.

A lot of current streaming shows are trash with high production values. They throw lots of money at things but it's not really good. There are some exceptions but most of it's very mid. I would skip it and instead watch things that have stood the test of time. What that is depends on your preferences -- maybe it's Mad Men, maybe it's 30 Rock, maybe it's M.A.S.H. I don't really care. But you aren't required to watch something that just came out and I would stop watching anything that is aggravating you with bad dialogue, cheesy acting, etc.

Over all I think British TV is most likely to have decent quality. American TV quality is much more hit and miss.

US Network TV? Sure, maybe. But overall US production including streaming etc? US has very high quality production.

Anonymous wrote:I never understand the whole “that was out of character for her.” We all act out of character at points. It depends on so many factors.

Now that I think of it, it must be a pet peeve because it really irks me. I think it shows limited understanding of the human experience. Take that fwiw, or ignore entirely.

Ditto. This bothers me. I see it a lot on reddit

Anonymous wrote:Full disclosure: I am a Boomer, so maybe that's the problem.

Not so much plots, maybe, but scenes or even moments in a show can really, really irritate me. Awkward writing. Character reactions to something that are off base. Going overboard when stereotyping 50s male chauvinism or any other particular stereotype. Errors about ordinary facts--the equivalent, say, of incorrectly stating the boiling temperature of water. Anachronisms (I swear I saw a post-it note on a prop in a show taking place in the 1950s).

Is this an age thing? Obviously, age affects recognition of anachronisms, but is being more and more irritated over the other stuff a symptom of age or of high expectations/standards? The books/video entertainment that pleases me the most has none of these potholes.

I think there’s a lot of great tv on but yes, some duds too.

Can you give us examples, op?

I’m pp. I tend toward the negative, but am much more forgiving of stories than you are. But, if I’m frustrated with myself when I’m overly negative I remind myself to look for the good and let the little things go (like a post it note). It also just adds to the negativity, which I find helpful to note.

I never understand the whole “that was out of character for her.” We all act out of character at points. It depends on so many factors.

Now that I think of it, it must be a pet peeve because it really irks me. I think it shows limited understanding of the human experience. Take that fwiw, or ignore entirely.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just watch higher quality stuff. Watch less. Most movies and television shows are bad, especially the mainstream stuff. Try watching older shows (movies and TV) that are more critically acclaimed. Rewatch stuff you loved the first time.

You don't have to waste your time watching whatever is new to the market when so much of it is mediocre. Liberate yourself. It's okay to be picky.

+1 quality matters, but I'd say the older shows are worse. I can't watch anything with a laugh track ever again.
I just stick to Netflix and apple programming and quality foreign items.

By older I meant that if you've never seen the Sopranos, watch the Sopranos. I wasn't suggesting you go catch up on Malcolm in the Middle.

A lot of current streaming shows are trash with high production values. They throw lots of money at things but it's not really good. There are some exceptions but most of it's very mid. I would skip it and instead watch things that have stood the test of time. What that is depends on your preferences -- maybe it's Mad Men, maybe it's 30 Rock, maybe it's M.A.S.H. I don't really care. But you aren't required to watch something that just came out and I would stop watching anything that is aggravating you with bad dialogue, cheesy acting, etc.

Over all I think British TV is most likely to have decent quality. American TV quality is much more hit and miss.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just watch higher quality stuff. Watch less. Most movies and television shows are bad, especially the mainstream stuff. Try watching older shows (movies and TV) that are more critically acclaimed. Rewatch stuff you loved the first time.

You don't have to waste your time watching whatever is new to the market when so much of it is mediocre. Liberate yourself. It's okay to be picky.

+1 quality matters, but I'd say the older shows are worse. I can't watch anything with a laugh track ever again.
I just stick to Netflix and apple programming and quality foreign items.

By older I meant that if you've never seen the Sopranos, watch the Sopranos. I wasn't suggesting you go catch up on Malcolm in the Middle.

A lot of current streaming shows are trash with high production values. They throw lots of money at things but it's not really good. There are some exceptions but most of it's very mid. I would skip it and instead watch things that have stood the test of time. What that is depends on your preferences -- maybe it's Mad Men, maybe it's 30 Rock, maybe it's M.A.S.H. I don't really care. But you aren't required to watch something that just came out and I would stop watching anything that is aggravating you with bad dialogue, cheesy acting, etc.

Well, back again. Just started watching Gentleman Jack on HBO.

Now this is good TV. Not just Ann Lister's story but everything about it seems very, very well done, very realistic in all ways. Bummer they only did 2 seasons.

TV shows are not that deep. Most people who "watch tv" aren't doing it for the awesome acting and surprising plot twists. It' more for zoning out at the end of a long work day or background chatter while you scroll on your phone during down-time in the evening.

If you're still feeling discouraged then get a premium service like a Netflix where language, nudity, graphic scenes, and characters aren't amateurs.