EvenBob
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February 19th, 2019 at 3:46:05 PM permalink
Anybody here a Downton Abby fan? Best
show ever on TV, I've seen all 6 seasons
a dozen times. The star of the show is
Highclere Castle in England.

The best period piece ever made. The
attention to detail is astounding. The
production values are so high, each
episode looks like it was made for a movie
theater.

I've never been hooked on a TV show. I've
watched an episode every day for a year and
a half.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
EvenBob
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November 27th, 2019 at 10:40:49 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Anybody here a Downton Abby fan? Best
show ever on TV, I've seen all 6 seasons
a dozen times. The star of the show is
Highclere Castle in England.



I've found the runner up to Downton,
perhaps an equal. The Crown on Nflix.
It's wonderful, splendid, it blows my
socks off.

The high production values, the attention
to detail, the locations, the cinematography,
the quality of the acting and writing. It's
an almost perfect production. And it's
a Nflix original, which is astounding because
Netflix produces mostly garbage as far
as I'm concerned.

Each episode of The Crown is a trip back in
time 60 years. I look at the expense of some
of the scenes and how much trouble they
went to, and am awed. I will watch this again
and again, just like I did with Downton. There
is so much to see and so much going on, it's
not possible to take it in with just one viewing.

It's been renewed for a 4th season. I hope there
are 10 of them.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
ChumpChange
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November 27th, 2019 at 11:03:01 PM permalink
I live nowhere near TV stations so Spectrum had better step up with the upgrading, which it won't.

ATSC 3.0 is free 4K over the air
Free 4K TV with an antenna is almost here - CNET https://www.cnet.com/news/free-4k-tv-with-an-antenna-is-almost-here/
gordonm888
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November 28th, 2019 at 7:52:04 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

I've found the runner up to Downton,
perhaps an equal. The Crown on Nflix.
It's wonderful, splendid, it blows my
socks off.

The high production values, the attention
to detail, the locations, the cinematography,
the quality of the acting and writing. It's
an almost perfect production. And it's
a Nflix original, which is astounding because
Netflix produces mostly garbage as far
as I'm concerned.



I agree that the Crown is superb and compelling TV.

But Netflix also produces other amazing series. Check out The Last Kingdom and The Umbrella Academy. I also enjoyed Gallivant -a satirical musical series.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
beachbumbabs
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November 28th, 2019 at 11:05:40 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

I've found the runner up to Downton,
perhaps an equal. The Crown on Nflix.
It's wonderful, splendid, it blows my
socks off.

The high production values, the attention
to detail, the locations, the cinematography,
the quality of the acting and writing. It's
an almost perfect production. And it's
a Nflix original, which is astounding because
Netflix produces mostly garbage as far
as I'm concerned.

Each episode of The Crown is a trip back in
time 60 years. I look at the expense of some
of the scenes and how much trouble they
went to, and am awed. I will watch this again
and again, just like I did with Downton. There
is so much to see and so much going on, it's
not possible to take it in with just one viewing.

It's been renewed for a 4th season. I hope there
are 10 of them.



I saw a production schedule when it started. They have 3 actresses lined up to represent Elizabeth during different times of her life, for I think a total of 9 seasons planned. I'm glad the viewership is supporting it. It's excellent, as you say, and winning some awards. Still seems a bit awkward for them to show some of the things they have about real and living people, but that's part of what makes it interesting.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
EvenBob
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November 28th, 2019 at 11:57:11 AM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

I saw a production schedule when it started.



Small things, like the switchboard room
in the ministry in 1953. With the place
having all male operators, most of
them old, 10 of them. It had to cost
a fortune just to set that up. And
them listening in to all the calls
the queen makes. I love it.

The difference between this and
Downton, the servants in Crown
have no names or speaking lines
so far. They are totally ignored
by the royal family. In Downton
they are half the show.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
Rigondeaux
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November 28th, 2019 at 3:06:32 PM permalink
I mentioned it in Miscellaneous Discussion. However,

I mostly just watch light TV shows for a few hours a week. I was fishing for suggestions and a friend brought up The IT Crowd, which I'd watched years ago and 90% forgotten.

Better than I remembered. It's about 2 IT Nerds and the normie woman who gets stuck managing them. Very funny and I think a lot of people here would enjoy it, since it is about culture clash between nerds and normies.

A lot has to do with the characters finding themselves in preposterous social predicaments, a bit like Seinfeld. One character gets caught using the handicapped bathroom and has to pretend to be disabled. Then there are layers of things that happen on top of that and it winds up being one of the funniest things I've seen in a TV show.

In brief, I'd say it's sort of the premise of big bang. But the comedy and sensibility is more like Curb/Seinfeld. So it is hilarious instead of agonizingly painful.
Face
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November 28th, 2019 at 4:27:53 PM permalink
Quote: ChumpChange

...Spectrum...



Just waiting for "corporations are people" to manifest itself, then I'm murdering this mf'er yesterday.
The opinions of this moderator are for entertainment purposes only.
ChumpChange
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November 28th, 2019 at 5:10:20 PM permalink
Spectrum Cable | Monster Poker Night - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wsimE8Sks
EvenBob
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November 28th, 2019 at 10:56:14 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

I saw a production schedule when it started. They have 3 actresses lined up to represent Elizabeth during different times of her life, for I think a total of 9 seasons planned



Nflix has renewed thru the 5th
season. It will be set in the 80's,
so Diana will play a prominent
role. Its a huge hit here, but
a monster hit in Britain. I don't
see how it can go 9 seasons
if season 5 is up to the 90's
already. Unless they stretch
the 80's over 2 seasons, a
lot happened for the royal
family in the 80's.

I'm fascinated by them like
everybody else. Go back 400
years to Henry the 8th and
even then the pomp and
circumstance was amazing.

Elizabeth was quite attractive
when she was young. She might
live to 100, her mother made
it to 102.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
beachbumbabs
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November 29th, 2019 at 12:09:23 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Nflix has renewed thru the 5th
season. It will be set in the 80's,
so Diana will play a prominent
role. Its a huge hit here, but
a monster hit in Britain. I don't
see how it can go 9 seasons
if season 5 is up to the 90's
already. Unless they stretch
the 80's over 2 seasons, a
lot happened for the royal
family in the 80's.

I'm fascinated by them like
everybody else. Go back 400
years to Henry the 8th and
even then the pomp and
circumstance was amazing.

Elizabeth was quite attractive
when she was young. She might
live to 100, her mother made
it to 102.



Lovely. Still, too.

Might be just 8 seasons. I think the intention was 1 season per decade or so. Was during season 1, so a couple of years ago I saw the production story.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
Rigondeaux
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November 29th, 2019 at 6:47:53 AM permalink
If you like Brit/Royal history, you'll probably enjoy Lucy Worsley. Many of her shows are on youtube.

gordonm888
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November 29th, 2019 at 9:08:53 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Geez, what a bunch of yapping about nothing.
The point is, US shows are mega hits in GB
without changing them a whit. But no Brit
shows are ever mega hits here. DownTown
Abby, is that about a hooker/stripper? Never
seen it, barely heard of it. It's a hit here?
No it's not, not really..



I don't get it. In the post above, amongst other posts of yours, you were sneering at Downton Abby and denying its excellence and proclaiming you have never heard of it.

Quote: EvenBob

Anybody here a Downton Abby fan? Best
show ever on TV, I've seen all 6 seasons
a dozen times. The star of the show is
Highclere Castle in England.

The best period piece ever made. The
attention to detail is astounding. The
production values are so high, each
episode looks like it was made for a movie
theater.

I've never been hooked on a TV show. I've
watched an episode every day for a year and
a half.



In this more recent post you are raving about Downton Abby. Are there two different people posting as EvenBob?
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
EvenBob
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November 29th, 2019 at 10:11:54 AM permalink
Quote: gordonm888

In this more recent post you are raving about Downton Abby. Are there two different people posting as EvenBob?



Seriously? You can't figure this out.
Really?
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
gordonm888
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November 29th, 2019 at 12:03:26 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Seriously? You can't figure this out.
Really?



Explanation #1: The first comment was in 2015. You tried watching Downton Abby and found that you were utterly and profoundly wrong. You fell in love with Downton Abbey and now, in 2019, watch the show one episode a week. You have done this for a year and a half, repeating the entire series over and over.

For this explanation to be true, it requires that EvenBob was utterly and profoundly wrong. So, this seems implausible.

Explanation #2: You are like the movie Sybil, you have multiple personalities each of which is not aware of the other personalities.

Your denial of this scenario will carry no weight, since by definition you would not be aware of your other Downton-Abby-hating personality.

Explanation #3: You are in a long-standing relationship -You are Even and your partner is Bob, or vice versa. You both share the EvenBob identity on WOV - which explains the enormous number of posts. One of you has never heard of Downton Abby and the other is obsessed with it and covertly watches the show as if it is a secret lover. This may be why you questioned whether Downton Abby was a hooker. What a tangled web you weave.
Last edited by: gordonm888 on Nov 29, 2019
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
TigerWu
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November 29th, 2019 at 12:57:05 PM permalink
Explanation #4: EvenBob will say whatever he thinks will get a rise out of people at any given time.
EvenBob
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November 29th, 2019 at 10:25:51 PM permalink
Watched episode 9 of the first
season. A lot of it was about
the painting of the Sutherland
portrait of Churchill that was
later destroyed by Lady Churchill.

John Lithgow's portrayal of
Churchill has been spot on
throughout the series. But
in this episode his acting was
over the top outstanding.
I was mesmerized, I kept saying
'Holy crap this good.'

When it ended I looked it up and
sure enough he won the Emmy
for Best Supporting Actor for
that episode. You think he actually
is Winston Churchill, I've never
seen anything quite like it.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
AxelWolf
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November 30th, 2019 at 3:23:19 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Watched episode 9 of the first
season. A lot of it was about
the painting of the Sutherland
portrait of Churchill that was
later destroyed by Lady Churchill.

John Lithgow's portrayal of
Churchill has been spot on
throughout the series. But
in this episode his acting was
over the top outstanding.
I was mesmerized, I kept saying
'Holy crap this good.'

When it ended I looked it up and
sure enough he won the Emmy
for Best Supporting Actor for
that episode. You think he actually
is Winston Churchill, I've never
seen anything quite like it.

last 2-4 episodes of The Crown were very boring and very disappointing(perhaps the entire season). I agree the first 2 seasons were good.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
TigerWu
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November 30th, 2019 at 8:09:07 AM permalink
Anybody else watching The Mandalorian? Good stuff...
Rigondeaux
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December 1st, 2019 at 8:17:05 AM permalink
Trip down memory lane.... well, several years prior to my existence.

I don't think I've ever seen this Carson set before.

Some, uh, interesting fashion going on at the time.

Ueker is funnier than many professional comedians. It's really impressive. Think of all the jocks who've gone on SNL. Some were good for amateurs. but I can't really think of another athlete who could pull this off. This was probably the biggest stage on comedy at the time. If I didn't know who he was, I'd think he was a comedian and the baseball player thing was a bit.

And on top of all that, still funny almost 50 years later.

EvenBob
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December 1st, 2019 at 11:08:38 AM permalink
Quote: Rigondeaux



Ueker is funnier than many professional comedians.



Ueker was always a welcome
guest on Carson. He was a
sports commentator and former
player who wrote his own comedy
material. He's still around at
85..
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
EvenBob
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December 3rd, 2019 at 9:43:11 PM permalink
Season 2 of The Crown is as good
as season 1. I never knew Philip
was such a jerk. I didn't know he
had to force his wife to make him
a prince so he would be an official
member of the royal family. I liked
the scene at the end of ep 3, where
his best friend has to leave his
employ. Their parting was so
male, so British. There was so much
they wanted to say, but society
prevented it. Sad..

They're talking about having a 3rd
child. That would be Andrew, who is
now in the middle of the Epstein
scandal. It's so bad there is talk
of Andrew being stripped of his
title and rights to the family fortune.
It would also take away his daughters
rights, their title of princess will be
removed as well as their privilege.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
beachbumbabs
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December 3rd, 2019 at 10:11:23 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Season 2 of The Crown is as good
as season 1. I never knew Philip
was such a jerk. I didn't know he
had to force his wife to make him
a prince so he would be an official
member of the royal family. I liked
the scene at the end of ep 3, where
his best friend has to leave his
employ. Their parting was so
male, so British. There was so much
they wanted to say, but society
prevented it. Sad..

They're talking about having a 3rd
child. That would be Andrew, who is
now in the middle of the Epstein
scandal. It's so bad there is talk
of Andrew being stripped of his
title and rights to the family fortune.
It would also take away his daughters
rights, their title of princess will be
removed as well as their privilege.



Meh. Talk. They're of the blood royal. I don't see anything like that happening. Someone who married in, maybe.

Charles cheated on Diana, they had tapes of him wanting to be Camilla's tampon. Andrew himself stepped out with Koo Stark back in the day, a porn star. And no one has ever believed Charles was Harry's biological dad.

Not a chance Andrew will be stripped or thrown out of the line.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
EvenBob
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December 3rd, 2019 at 11:12:45 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs



Not a chance Andrew will be stripped or thrown out of the line.



That would be a bit drastic. There was
a line spoken by Philip's fallen best
friend that Elizabeth is cold to Charles
and mostly ignores him. I know the
royal kids have hardly been in this
at all so far. Philip seems closer to
the kids than the queen. The real
Philip in the 50's was as good looking
as the actor portraying him.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
EvenBob
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December 4th, 2019 at 10:43:48 PM permalink
I heard the name Anthony Armstrong
Jones all the time in the 60's and 70's
and had no idea who he was.

The long seduction scene between
him and Margaret in his studio was an
amazing job of acting. The slowly
warming up to each other, her realizing
this was not an ordinary man, she had
better be careful not to act like a
spoiled princess brat or he would drop
her in an instant.

I'm loving this series, in Britain they must
be cock-a-hoop over it. A word I learned
on Downton, look it up. Jones is played
by another Downton alum, the 4th one
I've seen. Matthew Goode played Lady
Mary's 2nd husband in the 6th season.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
AxelWolf
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December 5th, 2019 at 12:08:11 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

Anybody else watching The Mandalorian? Good stuff...

I never even heard of it until now.

Thanks, I just watched the trailer, it looks interesting and it has great sound effects for sure(I just got a new sound bar "theater system".

I'm certainly no super fan of Star Wars but it's definitely something I like. I always love the bar scenes when they have all the crazy unique different aliens, or whatever you call them.

I can't seem to find it anywhere free, as of yet. Perhaps. Disney has that stuff on lockdown or I just need to look harder.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
unJon
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December 5th, 2019 at 4:58:57 AM permalink
Quote: AxelWolf

I never even heard of it until now.

Thanks, I just watched the trailer, it looks interesting and it has great sound effects for sure(I just got a new sound bar "theater system".

I'm certainly no super fan of Star Wars but it's definitely something I like. I always love the bar scenes when they have all the crazy unique different aliens, or whatever you call them.

I can't seem to find it anywhere free, as of yet. Perhaps. Disney has that stuff on lockdown or I just need to look harder.



If you are a Verizon customer you might be eligible for a year free of Disney+. Also they were running a one week free intro period. You can wait until all the episodes drop and sign up in January to binge it if the free week is still available.
The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but that is the way to bet.
beachbumbabs
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December 5th, 2019 at 6:41:20 AM permalink
Quote: AxelWolf

I never even heard of it until now.

Thanks, I just watched the trailer, it looks interesting and it has great sound effects for sure(I just got a new sound bar "theater system".

I'm certainly no super fan of Star Wars but it's definitely something I like. I always love the bar scenes when they have all the crazy unique different aliens, or whatever you call them.

I can't seem to find it anywhere free, as of yet. Perhaps. Disney has that stuff on lockdown or I just need to look harder.



No, it's new, part of Disney+ content. It will be exclusive to them for as long as they run the streaming service, not licensed out. They also withdrew a lot of quality content from Netflix, Hulu, etc. when they started this service last month.

All the Disney and Pixar movies and TV series, all the Marvel Comic movies, all the Star Wars series and movies, all National Geographic content. Probably a lot of ABC properties will go there also, since they're part of the same company.

There is some stuff out there that has external licensing still running, but it will continue to be withdrawn into their library.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
gordonm888
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December 5th, 2019 at 9:36:58 AM permalink
The belt over the shirt on Bob Uecker is wild. I don't remember that.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
EvenBob
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December 6th, 2019 at 10:31:07 PM permalink
The Crown should be mandatory for
students of the history of the 20th
century, along with The House of
Windsor on Nflix, a documentary.
I had no idea Windsor was adopted
after WW1 as the name of the royal
family. I thought it was far older.

I had heard about David, the man
who gave up the throne to marry
that awful Wallace Simpson, all
my young life. I remember reading
in the 80's, after he'd been dead
10 years, that they were the most
boring couple on the planet. They
were always invited to the best
parties, and always sat alone because
nobody would go near them.

I knew he had dealings with Hitler
in the late 30's I had no idea he
was plotting with the Nazi's to
overthrow his own country and
have himself made king again,
this time with his wife as queen.
What an awful, stupid man. Many
who knew him say he used his
wife as an excuse to quit, he knew
he was far too stupid and selfish
to be king without mucking it up.

"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
TigerWu
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December 7th, 2019 at 8:02:07 AM permalink
There's a TV station that will rerun old Johnny Carson episodes of The Tonight Show. Everyone always talks about how great Carson was, and how much better he was than Leno or Fallon or whoever, but man, if you just watch some random episode and not a "best of" compilation or anything, some of it is just downright terrible. I can't even watch most of it, it's so bad. The monologues are unfunny, very little laughter in the audience, the guest interviews are awkward, skits are dumb.... I mean, of all the thousands of episodes he did, they obviously can't all be gems, but people are definitely looking at Johnny with rose colored glasses, that's for dang sure.
Rigondeaux
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December 7th, 2019 at 9:13:05 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

There's a TV station that will rerun old Johnny Carson episodes of The Tonight Show. Everyone always talks about how great Carson was, and how much better he was than Leno or Fallon or whoever, but man, if you just watch some random episode and not a "best of" compilation or anything, some of it is just downright terrible. I can't even watch most of it, it's so bad. The monologues are unfunny, very little laughter in the audience, the guest interviews are awkward, skits are dumb.... I mean, of all the thousands of episodes he did, they obviously can't all be gems, but people are definitely looking at Johnny with rose colored glasses, that's for dang sure.



Too soon.
beachbumbabs
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December 7th, 2019 at 9:34:42 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

There's a TV station that will rerun old Johnny Carson episodes of The Tonight Show. Everyone always talks about how great Carson was, and how much better he was than Leno or Fallon or whoever, but man, if you just watch some random episode and not a "best of" compilation or anything, some of it is just downright terrible. I can't even watch most of it, it's so bad. The monologues are unfunny, very little laughter in the audience, the guest interviews are awkward, skits are dumb.... I mean, of all the thousands of episodes he did, they obviously can't all be gems, but people are definitely looking at Johnny with rose colored glasses, that's for dang sure.



He was very much a product and a reflection of his times. And he had 90 minutes to fill for the first (about) 20 years he was on. It was also a show meant to be watched from bed, so it was somewhat soporific by design. All the loud or funny stuff was usually front-loaded.

But in the 60s and a lot of the 70s, and especially for comedians, you had not "made it" until you were invited on his show.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
EvenBob
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December 7th, 2019 at 10:03:36 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

There's a TV station that will rerun old Johnny Carson episodes of The Tonight Show. Everyone always talks about how great Carson was, and how much better he was than Leno or Fallon or whoever, but man, if you just watch some random episode and not a "best of" compilation or anything, some of it is just downright terrible. I can't even watch most of it, it's so bad. The monologues are unfunny, very little laughter in the audience, the guest interviews are awkward, skits are dumb.... I mean, of all the thousands of episodes he did, they obviously can't all be gems, but people are definitely looking at Johnny with rose colored glasses, that's for dang sure.



You mean the culture of the 60's and 70's
was in a different place than today? Wow,
you're onto something, better write that
down.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
TigerWu
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December 7th, 2019 at 10:37:13 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

You mean the culture of the 60's and 70's
was in a different place than today? Wow,
you're onto something, better write that
down.



That has absolutely nothing to do with what I said.
EvenBob
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December 7th, 2019 at 10:57:33 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

That has absolutely nothing to do with what I said.



Sure it does. Carson was never not
funny and boring, it's the times that
have changed. His humor isn't funny
anymore.
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TigerWu
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December 7th, 2019 at 11:04:39 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Sure it does. Carson was never not
funny and boring, it's the times that
have changed. His humor isn't funny
anymore.



You can watch some of his old stuff now and it's still funny. My point was that people only remember the good Carson bits, ignore the 75% of it that was crap, and try to put him up on some pedestal. That's all regardless of cultural changes; 75% of late night talk shows nowadays are crap, too.
GWAE
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December 7th, 2019 at 11:19:32 AM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

No, it's new, part of Disney+ content. It will be exclusive to them for as long as they run the streaming service, not licensed out. They also withdrew a lot of quality content from Netflix, Hulu, etc. when they started this service last month.

All the Disney and Pixar movies and TV series, all the Marvel Comic movies, all the Star Wars series and movies, all National Geographic content. Probably a lot of ABC properties will go there also, since they're part of the same company.

There is some stuff out there that has external licensing still running, but it will continue to be withdrawn into their library.



I heard they were going to do that months ago but it does t seem like they did. I wonder if they plan on it still or if they have enough subscribers that they are ok with not pulling from hulu. I
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beachbumbabs
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December 7th, 2019 at 6:05:08 PM permalink
Quote: GWAE

I heard they were going to do that months ago but it does t seem like they did. I wonder if they plan on it still or if they have enough subscribers that they are ok with not pulling from hulu. I



They have contracts with a lot of people for their properties. Not all those contracts have ended, but as they do, Disney says they're not renewing them.
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Boz
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December 7th, 2019 at 8:00:54 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

He was very much a product and a reflection of his times. And he had 90 minutes to fill for the first (about) 20 years he was on. It was also a show meant to be watched from bed, so it was somewhat soporific by design. All the loud or funny stuff was usually front-loaded.

But in the 60s and a lot of the 70s, and especially for comedians, you had not "made it" until you were invited on his show.



The channel “Decades” has him on at night. It’s one of those digital channels you get on cable Tier packages and supposedly over the air with a digital TV.

Recently watched Jim Carrey’s first appearance, shaky to say the least and wasn’t an indication of how huge he would become.
EvenBob
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December 8th, 2019 at 2:28:02 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

My point was that people only remember the good Carson bits, ignore the 75% of it that was crap,



I watched Carson religiously in the
70's and 80's, he didn't make his
huge salary by delivering 'crap'.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
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December 8th, 2019 at 6:28:36 AM permalink
I don't remember any entertainment celebrity being as important to American culture/society/life as Johnny Carson.
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AZDuffman
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December 8th, 2019 at 6:48:50 AM permalink
Quote: TigerWu

There's a TV station that will rerun old Johnny Carson episodes of The Tonight Show. Everyone always talks about how great Carson was, and how much better he was than Leno or Fallon or whoever, but man, if you just watch some random episode and not a "best of" compilation or anything, some of it is just downright terrible. I can't even watch most of it, it's so bad. The monologues are unfunny, very little laughter in the audience, the guest interviews are awkward, skits are dumb.... I mean, of all the thousands of episodes he did, they obviously can't all be gems, but people are definitely looking at Johnny with rose colored glasses, that's for dang sure.



Were you around in the 70s and 80s?

The monologue was then and remained at least untit Leno, event driven and topical. (I have not seen one episode since Leno left and could not tell you the host of format of the show today.) So yeah, a joke about Lee Iacocca and the mess he was facing at Chrysler will not be funny to you. But it was then. Political jokes were far less dominant then. And yeah, he had a style that was even older , an example would be the "Boy is he X.......................HOW X is he..............................punchline." Writers put more effort into the set-up thaan today,

As to guests, it was guests of the time. Carson leaned more towards having "Hollywood Royalty" who just do not exist today. Charles Nelson Riley was on all the time because he would always, without fail, show up if he got a last minute call when the first choice canceled. I do not remember ever seeing a politician as a guest. Might have been, but I do not remember it. Guests were from the entertainment industry. Mix of Hollywood Royalty and someone topical to give them push.

Here is something most people do not know. Carson for the monologue was barely visible to much of the studio as he did it off to the side, and his set was further from the audience. Took the tour and they stressed how much Leno preferred to be right there with the audience coming from his days in stand-up. Carson liked a buffer. So the Carson show will always seem less intimate than the Leno version. Leno also made the show "harder" with a more brash band and set.

The Leno change was half by accident. For years it called for McMahon to hang around six months to give some transition. Leno decided to tear it down and make it *his* show. New set and the way the transition worked really worked well, Carson and his crew said goodbye and Leno took over the next night, a generational shift. My only gripe there was the plan was for Carson to carry the mic over to Leno (studios are across and down the hall a touch) to "pass the torch." I think it was Carson that refused there.
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EvenBob
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December 8th, 2019 at 10:49:03 AM permalink
Quote: AZDuffman



As to guests, it was guests of the time. Carson leaned more towards having "Hollywood Royalty" w



Carson was always joking about his
lawyer, and it turns out the guy was
real. And his best friend. The lawyer
wrote a book a few years ago, after
Johnny died. Turns out he was a real
asshat, thought he himself was
Hollywood Royalty. Carried a gun,
was extremely moody, was a jerk
half the time. That affable guy we
saw on the show was a total act.

Ed McMahon alluded to that many
times over the years. People assumed
him and Johnny hung out together,
and McMahon says Carson barely
spoke to him off the set, let alone
wanted to be friends and hang out.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
AZDuffman
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December 8th, 2019 at 5:45:30 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Carson was always joking about his
lawyer, and it turns out the guy was
real. And his best friend. The lawyer
wrote a book a few years ago, after
Johnny died. Turns out he was a real
asshat, thought he himself was
Hollywood Royalty. Carried a gun,
was extremely moody, was a jerk
half the time. That affable guy we
saw on the show was a total act.



I would not call him Hollywood Royalty for the simple reason he did TV not movies. Sort of just because you have Jesse James on your show does not make you Jesse James. Leno always seemed more authentic. Looking at both I would rather hang out with Leno for an afternoon. Carson may have seemed affable, but he did not seem approachable.

For the last 10 or so years Carson was down to only working 3 days a week. He wanted out but had alimony to pay.

Quote:

Ed McMahon alluded to that many
times over the years. People assumed
him and Johnny hung out together,
and McMahon says Carson barely
spoke to him off the set, let alone
wanted to be friends and hang out.



I think that is way more common in that kind of thing than people think. Even in business when you have a couple guys running an outfit that look close but hate each other.
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EvenBob
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December 8th, 2019 at 11:51:49 PM permalink
Quote: AZDuffman


I think that is way more common in that kind of thing than people think. Even in business when you have a couple guys running an outfit that look close but hate each other.



Carson didn't have any real friends.
In his last years he played poker
once a month with Steve Martin,
Chevy Chase, Martin Short,
Carl Reiner and Neil Simon. Martin
claims Carson was a great friend,
but in show biz that could mean
anything.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
rxwine
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December 9th, 2019 at 1:00:09 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Ed McMahon alluded to that many
times over the years. People assumed
him and Johnny hung out together,
and McMahon says Carson barely
spoke to him off the set, let alone
wanted to be friends and hang out.



I heard they did hang out in the early days at least. Visited with the ladies. It was later Carson was known to be more anti-social. He stayed married, but not to the same woman.
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AZDuffman
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December 9th, 2019 at 5:03:12 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Carson didn't have any real friends.
In his last years he played poker
once a month with Steve Martin,
Chevy Chase, Martin Short,
Carl Reiner and Neil Simon. Martin
claims Carson was a great friend,
but in show biz that could mean
anything.



That is common with men, though. Women pick up differing sets of girlfriends thru life. The friends change, but women far more do things with other women outside the reason for the friendship. For example, women work together and make friends where they actually call each other and do things. This probably stems from women rarely want to go somewhere new alone.

Men don't make friends much after college age. Seinfeld explained it well. "When you are a kid you see another kid and it's like, 'wanna be friends?' But as an adult it's like, 'be friends? Sorry, not taking applications at this time.'" Men over 60 start to make friends, and that is kind of about survival.

I can see this being a reason a guy like Carson had few friends. He had enough money he did not need friends for survival. By "survival" I mean things as simple as a ride back home after a medical visit where they dope you. A ride to the garage to get the car. Carson had that covered. 3 nights a week most of the year doing a show he had all the social interaction any normal person would want.

Carson would be what I consider a normal adult male. Maybe 1-2 "old friends" and the rest of life filled with people you are friendly with but a bare few there you can ask a serious favor of. That's the downside of being male. Upside is unlike women, men do not get catty with each other and drive weaker males into eating disorders.
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TigerWu
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December 9th, 2019 at 10:32:16 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

I watched Carson religiously in the
70's and 80's, he didn't make his
huge salary by delivering 'crap'.



Plenty of people make huge salaries delivering crap.
EvenBob
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December 9th, 2019 at 11:26:02 AM permalink
Quote: AZDuffman


Men don't make friends much after college age. Seinfeld explained it well. "When you are a kid you see another kid and it's like, 'wanna be friends?' But as an adult it's like, 'be friends? Sorry, not taking applications at this time.'" Men over 60 start to make friends, and that is kind of about survival.



I have people I talk to online,
but in real life I haven't had
friends in years. Having friends
30 years ago was a form of
communication, which isn't
needed so much now. We
have lots of ways to communicate.

When you see people with lots
of friends on TV or movies, it's
always young guys of college
age. You see married people
with married friends, but that's
always the women who arrange
that. It's seems like you need lots
of friends when your young so
you can figure things out. As you
get older the need for friends
drops away if you're a male.

I just exchanged weather info
with an online friend in Iowa.
Known him for years, never met,
never will. Way easier than having
in person friends that take up
my time.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
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