My Top TV Tips!

I watch a lot more TV now than I used to. You can blame that both on my TV binging wife and the fact that there are now so many more extremely well made SF, Fantasy and Thriller TV shows coming from over the pond. So as the current seasons finish up on UK TV, here are my current top 10 with some SPOILERS just so you are warned.

10. The Flash
Well it was an interesting 2nd season, with a (literally) world changing cliffhanger, but I don’t think I’ll be watching season 3. This season definitely succumbed to the “soap opera-isation” effect that once plagued Arrow, with characters having sudden emotional moments for reasons of forcing the plot in a certain direction even if it goes against character. Not only that, I think I only have enough space in my life for one of these shows, and since Arrow picked up in season 4, I’ll be sticking with those guys instead.

Anyway, I’m glad you’ve got your mum back Barry, but you’ve lost a friend… *emotional face* *sad music* *cut to: contrived science deus ex machina*

9. The Walking Dead
The final episode, with the introduction of Negan, throws everything awry. Even so, I’m finding it increasingly hard to care about this show. My wife loves it still, so I think this will be one for her. I might catch the start of the next season, but it’s really grinding me down now. I find it more like ‘work’ than ‘pleasure’ watching this, and really have to motivate myself to engage with it. Thing is, I couldn’t really tell you why I feel this way. Maybe it’s just fatigue after six seasons of the same thing?

8. Arrow
A decent, if slightly over-the-top, ending to season 4, which was a good one. Well, ignoring the flashback stuff on the island which went downhill halfway through. Some great new characters in Curtis, The Calculator (Felicity’s dad) and Damien Darhk (played with relish by Neal McDonough). Thankfully this season was a return to form after the super-soapy season 2 and dreary League of Assassins plot-stretched season 3. I mean, it still has its soapy moments, but the action is really well done, and after 4 seasons I still care about the characters. I think it’s because they try to be emotionally consistent and have a lot of history, unlike the characters in The Flash, who I mostly find boring (with the exception of Dr./Prof. Wells, played by another great actor Tom Cavanagh).

Sorry, I’m having a go at The Flash again aren’t I? Right, moving on…

7. Game of Thrones
No spoilers here as I haven’t reached Season 4 yet! Enjoyed it all so far. Seen some and avoided other spoilers for later seasons, but now have S4 on DVD, so once the current TV show seasons have all finished, I’ll have time to catch up on this.

6. Marvel’s Agents of Shield
Still funny and fun, but can be deadly serious when it wants to be. Has been consistent all the way through, with well-defined characters and some great dramatic moments.

5. Gotham
Both me and my wife love this show, and it’s all because of the characters. Seriously, the relationships between them are the best thing about this show: Harvey and Jim, Bruce and Alfred, Bruce and Selina, Ed and Jim, Ed and Oswald, Oswald and whoever he’s killing this time. Sure, it went very strange and super-villainy towards the end of this season, but it hung together because everyone played themselves and played it straight. Can’t wait for season 3!

4. Mad Men
Yes, I know this one has finished now, but we’ve yet to catch the final season. Brilliant, deep character writing. I get why some people find it boring, but I find it a mesmerising combination of office politics, period setting and an examination of what really makes people tick.

3. The Blacklist

This is number three on my list mainly for James Spader’s portrayal of Raymond Reddington. But Haram and Tom Keen are also well played. What the heck, everyone does a great job on this show (even though some characters were sidelined a bit this series), and the writing, the twists and turns, are as great as they always have been.

Raymond “Red” Reddington is a former US Naval Intelligence officer turned renowned underworld fixer and trader who suddenly hands himself in. It turns out he wants to help the FBI track down people on his ‘Blacklist’, a list of dangerous criminals he has encountered over the last twenty years, that even the FBI know nothing about. The catch is that he will only deal with Agent Elizabeth Keen, a newly graduated profiler for the FBI. Nobody knows why, and they are naturally very suspicious of his motives, but when they start getting results it seems to be a worthwhile partnership. But just remember, Reddington always has an ulterior motive, even if you can’t see it!

2. Blindspot

Wow! This show came out of nowhere like a shotgun blast and I love it. Jaimie Alexander (Lady Sif in the Thor movies) plays Jane Doe, a woman found naked in Times Square, with every inch of her body tattooed in strange symbols and lettering. One tattoo links her to FBI agent Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton) and from that point on, they discover that each tattoo points to a major threat or secret program or problem that is yet to happen. Nobody has any idea how anyone could have known about these events, especially Jane Doe, who has had her mind wiped by an experimental drug and doesn’t even know her own identity.

Superb acting, amazing action scenes, and a slow, but natural unravelling of the central mystery, all keep you hooked each episode. Really can’t want to see how they push it in season 2.

1. Person of Interest

Just finished watching Season 4. Apparently Season 5 is the final one, and is about to finish in the US. The basic premise is that computer programmer Harold Finch built an AI system that was sold to the US Government for use in intelligence gathering. Knowing, however, that they are only interested in terrorist attacks and not everyday threats on innocent people, he builds a backdoor that allows The Machine to send him the social security numbers of those in danger. With the help of ex-CIA agent John Reese (and many others as the show progresses), he tracks down these people in the knowledge that they only have a limited amount of time to work out what the threat is, and prevent it.

I can’t praise this show enough. It’s sad that it’s coming to an end, but I am glad I’ve been able to see it from the start. Do yourself a favour – book some time off, grab this on DVD and start watching. You will not be disappointed!

Just FYI, my wife’s shows (the ones she watches on her own) are The Good Wife, Madam Secretary and Colony. Colony actually looked OK from the first episode, but I couldn’t face watching another series featuring Josh Holloway after Intelligence insulted mine 🙂

As for shows I am not watching, they include Arrow/The Flash spinoff Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl (which is moving to the same network as Arrow/The Flash for season 2, fact fans). The main reason being I already watch enough superhero stuff, and even two of those shows are too many for me. I am also not watching anything on Netflix, since we don’t have it – so that’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, House of Cards and many others off the plate before the meal has even started. Also I need to finish off the final series of Hannibal, but that’s a tough watch – you have to be in the mood to see that.

As for new shows, I’m recording Outcast, based on the comic book from Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead). The comic is dark and creepy and hopefully the show will pick up that vibe and run with it. Other than that, I’m pretty glad most of these shows have finished their UK runs, as it gives me more time to myself in the evenings!

Anyhow – do you agree/disagree with my list? Any other recommendations? And don’t say ‘Get Netflix’, we’ve already got far too much to watch!

Tony.