Your Current Viewing Choices/Recommendations

Zoltar wrote:I've never watched any of the spin-off, doesn't pass muster?

It's as polished and professional as you'd expect from something from the Bellisario stable - but it lacks the character chemistry and dynamics of its parent show. Plus, there's precious little of the Navy centric crimes, so basically it's just another generic procedural with an added clandestine "under cover" slant.

Zoltar wrote:I think I made it to the fourth episode of that and just gave up, it seemed like a poor Lost/24 mash-up.

Yep, I made it slightly passed the fourth episode and decided to ditch it for the same reasons. Which reminds me - off the list it goes.

Fear not, Sid, Season 2 of Justified starts this coming week, I believe.

Here's a little teaser ad we've been getting to see: CLICK

Thanks Patrick. The show has been showing on Five USA over here and the reaction has been highly positive. I'm mighty pleased to see it returning so soon.

So soon? Season 1 ended nine months ago. And in the interim, Olyphant was a little busy shooting a movie called "I Am Number Four".

well, considering it arrived relatively late to these shores and it's enjoyed a rerun since it, it feels as if it really hasn't been away all the long at all.

I'm currently watching and enjoying One Born Every Minute. Mrs more cries during it but doesn't like the look of forceps. Phew. And Being Human, where I cried during the baby-related events of the most recent episode.

HOORAY!

I've just discovered that one of my favourite Australian shows has returned. So, Packed To The Rafters is hereby reinstated on my active viewing list. *

*Very happy bunny.

And add an intriguing new show to my list. This time it's a comedy/drama series from New Zealand called The Almighty Johnsons". The series tells the story of a young guy who discovers on his 21st birthday that he, along with his three older brothers, and a cousin who turns out to actually be his grandfather), are in reality the living incarnations of Norse Gods. They even have their own super-God-powers. It’s just that at the moment their powers aren’t actually all that powerful. But that could all change soon - providing they don't find themselves getting killed first.

I've just watched the first episode. It's smart, earthy and dryly funny with very engaging performances and a very, very strong "Being Human" sensibility to it. I heard it's been very well received by the NZ viewers and critics - so it definitely enters my list.

Okay, so my newly revised list curently consists of:

Australia:
Rake (a wonderful new comedy/drama starring Richard Roxburgh, and featuring the likes of Hugo Weaving, Sam Neil and Rachel Griffiths as guest stars. Current season ended)
East West 101 (A superb police procedural detailing the struggles of being an Arab Muslim detective). in modern day Australia. Current season ended)
City Homicide (A superior police procedural - returned for it's fifth season)
Rush (Police action drama. Current season ended)
Sea Patrol (Navel set action adventure series - recently wrapped its 4th season)
Rescue Special Ops (Action/Adventure - recently wrapped its 2nd season)
Packed to the Rafters (comedy/drama - just returned for its 4th season)
Bed of Roses (Comedy/drama - just started its 3rd season)
Neighbours (Wanna' make somethin' of it)?
Home and Away (Ditto)

Denmark:
Forbrydelsen (The Killing) (A wonderful moody and atmospheric Euro crime thriller)

New Zealand:
The Almighty Johnsons (Very promising fantasy series with a fine line in humour)

US:
Men of a Certain Age (Classy and very polished comedy drama)
Hawaii Five-0 (New version - excellent example of how to do a remake right)
Bones
House
Batman The Brave and the Bold (2nd season recently finished)
Burn Notice
Boardwalk Empire (1st season just completed).
The Walking Dead (ditto)
Castle
NCIS (But not its spin-off)
Leverage
Warehouse 13 (Season currently finished)
Nikita
No Ordinary Family (Nice little superhero family comedy/drama)
The Big Bang Theory
Smallville (Cos it's it's final season and the big bad is "Darkseid")
Stargate Universe (current half season finished. Cancelled before it's time)
The Event (It lost me by playing the Lost "explain nothing" card - so it's bye, bye The Event)
True Blood (When it returns)
The Mentalist
The Cape (Fun, superhero drama)
Blue Bloods (New police procedural - great cast headed by Tom Selleck)
Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2nd season beginning soon - gory, violent and filled with profane language and beautiful naked girls. In other words - a winner)
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Six episode "prequel" mini-series. Contains all of the above - only more of it. In other words - a mega winner)
30 Rock (I'm a late arrival to this - but better late than never)
Justified (For all the reasons that Patrick put forth - Plus it successfully managed to retain it's original Elmore Leonard feel)

And just to let you know, Sid, Justified's second season premieres tonight on FX. I'll report back on it tomorrow morning.

Excellent. I'll await your report with keen interest.

YAY! My favourite police procedural, City Homicide has returned to screens in Oz for it's fifth {and rumoured to be it's final season).

*does happy dance*

*won't continue happy dancing if this does prove to be its final season**

I wave a teary-eyed goodbye to the superb Spartacus: Gods of the Arena as it leaves trailing the coveted wooden sword of freedom. So my revised list currently consists of:

Australia:
Rake (a wonderful new comedy/drama starring Richard Roxburgh, and featuring the likes of Hugo Weaving, Sam Neil and Rachel Griffiths as guest stars. Current season ended)
East West 101 (A superb police procedural detailing the struggles of being an Arab Muslim detective). in modern day Australia. Current season ended)
City Homicide (A superior police procedural - returned for it's fifth season)
Rush (Police action drama. Current season ended)
Sea Patrol (Navel set action adventure series - recently wrapped its 4th season)
Rescue Special Ops (Action/Adventure - recently wrapped its 2nd season)
Packed to the Rafters (comedy/drama - just returned for its 4th season)
Bed of Roses (Comedy/drama - just started its 3rd season)
Neighbours (Wanna' make somethin' of it)?
Home and Away (Ditto)

Denmark:
Forbrydelsen (The Killing) (A wonderful moody and atmospheric Euro crime thriller)

New Zealand:
The Almighty Johnsons (Very promising fantasy series with a fine line in humour)

US:
Men of a Certain Age (Classy and very polished comedy drama)
Hawaii Five-0 (New version - excellent example of how to do a remake right)
Bones
House
Batman The Brave and the Bold (2nd season recently finished)
Burn Notice
Boardwalk Empire (1st season just completed).
The Walking Dead (ditto)
Castle
NCIS (But not its spin-off)
Leverage
Warehouse 13 (Season currently finished)
Nikita
No Ordinary Family (Nice little superhero family comedy/drama)
The Big Bang Theory
Smallville (Cos it's it's final season and the big bad is "Darkseid")
Stargate Universe (current half season finished. Cancelled before it's time)
True Blood (When it returns)
The Mentalist
The Cape (Fun, superhero drama)
Blue Bloods (New police procedural - great cast headed by Tom Selleck)
Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2nd season beginning soon - gory, violent and filled with profane language and beautiful naked girls. In other words - a winner)
30 Rock (I'm a late arrival to this - but better late than never)
Justified (For all the reasons that Patrick put forth - Plus it successfully managed to retain it's original Elmore Leonard feel)