Sopranos is the best tv program ever?

[badlands]

Hill Street was excellent. But it is pure television. It couldn't be transferred to film like Twin Peaks.

Bochco made his whole career in tv. But even he couldn't stop NBC changing the end of the first ep of HSB. Bochco wanted Hill and Renko to die, NBC didn't. NBC won.

Lynch didn't have to change a thing. He had complete artistic control. No-one dared challenge him. They wouldn't would they?

In tv they very rarely deal with film directors. They get awe struck. Lynch played them.

In short, HSB was brilliant television, Twin Peaks was brilliant art.

 

[London_Calling]

I didn't read it on the internet you twat

Charmed, I'm sure. Probably a coincidence then: One

In fact the very concept of the modern 'ensemble' drama can probably be traced back to Hill Street Blues.

and Two:

blazed the trail for later ensemble hits such as NYPD Blue and L.A. Law

etc, etc.

 

[Reno]

Hill Street was excellent. But it is pure television. It couldn't be transferred to film like Twin Peaks.

Bochco made his whole career in tv. But even he couldn't stop NBC changing the end of the first ep of HSB. Bochco wanted Hill and Renko to die, NBC didn't. NBC won.

Lynch didn't have to change a thing. He had complete artistic control. No-one dared challenge him. They wouldn't would they?

In tv they very rarely deal with film directors. They get awe struck. Lynch played them.

In short, HSB was brilliant television, Twin Peaks was brilliant art.

Unlike with Bochco they just ended up pulling the plug on Lynch and Twin Peaks not far into the run and he never got another successful TV project off the ground. I agree that Twin Peaks introduced a cinematic quality hitherto unseen in a weekly US ( better add US otherwise London Calling will call me up on some highly cinematic British TV show from 1963) TV show and as such was very influential. I just didn't agree with your point that something like The Wire would be unthinkable without Twin Peaks. It was an influential show, but not the only one that had a major influence on US TV.

 

[Orang Utan]

just been watching Homicide and can't believe the TV company got rid of John Polito just cos he wasn't photogenic. He was one of the best characters in the show!

 

[Orang Utan]

Did anyone ever watch Wild Palms? I missed it

 

[Reno]

Did anyone ever watch Wild Palms? I missed it

Yes it was a much hyped, but fairly rubbish Twin Peaks rip-off.

 

[badlands]

Did anyone ever watch Wild Palms? I missed it

No. But I just looked it up on IMDB and its keywords were;

Virtual Reality, Rhinoceros, Refrigerator, Tattoo and Corporation.

Kinda wished I'd seen it now.

 

[Reno]

Charmed, I'm sure. Probably a coincidence then: One

and Two:


etc, etc.

Yup, its an universally known fact. Doesn't mean that when I watched Hill Street Blues and then LA Law, ER etc. I wasn't able two figure out myself that one show had influenced another and that the thing snowballed into radically changing US TV drama.

What's your point by now apart from pathologically trying to pick every word of mine apart in a neurotic need to proof me wrong, while completely ignoring the context within things are being said.

 

[London_Calling]

You don't like being wrong much, do you ?

 

[Calva dosser]

Seppoe stuff.

Too confusing.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Seppoe stuff.

Too confusing.

Yes, better to dig out the old Upstairs Downstairs dvds.

 

[Detroit City]

Is Sopranos the best tv program ever? In the last couple of weeks I've watched seasons 1-3 again and I've been stunned by quite how good it is.

I'm waiting for the fanatical islamist version of the Sopranos. It will be set somewhere in mideast (Iraq ??) and will follow a muslim terrorist as he goes about his business running a gang of terrorists who make car bombs and plan suicide missions. In addition, the show will also follow his home life that revolves around his five loving wives and 18 children.

 

[1927]

I cant belive that in a discussion on US TV imports noone has mentioned Law and Order. Imho the best programme currently available on UK tv. I am addicted to Hallmark channel since I had my Virgin fitted as they have 4hours every night of L&L in its various guises, SVU for me personally!

 

[Calva dosser]

Yes, better to dig out the old Upstairs Downstairs dvds.

Probably.

The theme tune pissed me off as much as the accents

"Woke up this morning kicked shit out of my girl, chased the dragon

My mummy told me, you'd never tell right from hell."

 

[stavros]

I said yes, it's definitely the best drama I've ever seen. It's hard to compare The Sopranos with something like Father Ted though.

 

[brahaminda]

You're all wrong

Great as Sopranos is,
(just watched season 5 on dvd. Twice)

It has to be nudged out by this






And The Mighty Boosh