Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

General discussion on Twin Peaks not related to the series, film, books, music, photos, or collectors merchandise.

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Jonah
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Jonah »

Out of curiosity, why are later series of Prime Suspect not as good? I see there are seven of them in total, the first five airing from 1991-1996, then one in 2003 and another in 2006. Is Series 1 the only one really worth watching? I might check them out at some stage.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Agent Earle »

Some of my general thoughts on what is being discussed on this thread lately:

- I've recently seen Sharp Objects upon hearing great things about it and went in fully expecting another winner in the Golden-Age-of-TV tradition, but ended up hating it: that was one story that would probably benefit from being told as an hour-and-half long, down-and-dirty horror flick, but to package it as a serious long-form HBO drama ruined it in my opinion. Super-bloated, slow as hell, the same points being reiterated over and over and over again, full of repetitive melodrama, and an incredulous-bordering-on-stupid denouement, it's one show I want to forget I've ever wasted some 7 hours on it. I appreciated Amy Adams as the lead but her character should've occupied a different flick altogether.

- I've also had high hopes for Hannibal series based on the word of mouth, but that was also an instance of my own views radically departing from the general consensus: convoluted plotting, confused storylines, flashy "Serial Murderer of the Week" approach, cheap shock-for-shock's-sake tactics, overpopulated cast of characters, and the treatment of the central protagonist and antagonist as these larger-than-life supergeniouses (most of that is admittedly down to the way they were envisioned by Thomas Harris, I guess, and I can't say I've ever been a fan of that particular cinematic universe - I generally don't appreciate the "Hollywoodised", ie. bombastic treatment of serial killers and their pursuers, and appreciate the realistic, unpompous way of portraying them, such as it can be found in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer or the fantastic David Fincher series Mindhunter) really, REALLY didn't gel with me, so I abandoned the show midway through season 1 and I can't see myself ever getting back to it.

- I very much loved the first two parts (haven't seen the third one yet) of the Brittish TV trilogy Red Riding that someone mentioned however: it's what I'd clasify as a classy, gritty, adult drama that only Brits know how to pull off, a terrific commentary on crime-fighting scene of the day and larger societal issues plus an excellent period piece (picturing late 70s and early 80s). And it treats the subject of serial killing in the level-headed way I described in the previous paragraph.
Last edited by Agent Earle on Sun May 23, 2021 9:40 am, edited 6 times in total.
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JackwithOneEye
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by JackwithOneEye »

The first Prime Suspect was about Jane Tennison breaking the glass ceiling, it was satisfying to see her fight misogny and sexism at the same time as solve the case, I found.

Prime Suspect 2 had a black cop, Prime Suspect 3 had a gay cop... they had a bit of a template, but they were still compelling stories
4 and 5 were really bad.

6 was Masterpiece, as good as 1. I like the stuff where she fights police beaurocracy.
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JackwithOneEye
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by JackwithOneEye »

Red Reding Trilogy is good, David Peace books are masterpiece. They adapted 1974, 1980, and 1983, but there's a 1977 book they left out and didnt film.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by LateReg »

Agent Earle wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 5:40 am Some of my general thoughts on what is being discussed on this thread lately:

- I've also had high hopes for Hannibal series based on the word of mouth, but that was also an instance of my own views radically departing from the general consensus: convoluted plotting, confused storylines, flashy "Serial Murderer of the Week" approach, cheap shock-for-shock's-sake tactics, overpopulated cast of characters, and the treatment of the central protagonist and antagonist as these larger-than-life supergeniouses (most of that is admittedly down to the way they were envisioned by Thomas Harris, I guess, and I can't say I've ever been a fan of that particular cinematic universe - I generally don't appreciate the "Hollywoodised", ie. bombastic treatment of serial killers and their pursuers, and appreciate the realistic, unpompous way of portraying them, such as it can be found in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer or the fantastic David Fincher series Mindhunter) really, REALLY didn't gel with me, so I abandoned the show midway through season 1 and I can't see myself ever getting back to it.
Earle - Hannibal isn't for everyone, but there's some very interesting stuff going on in that paragraph there, some of which might be the result of going against advice you've given to others in the thread. Namely, you HAVE to stick with it as the patient, longform work that it reveals itself to be. I know you've already admirably devoted yourself to half a season, but what you've seen so far paints it as something more typical (in some of the ways you describe including murder of the week episodes), and those are its weakest episodes (which don't appear weak on a rewatch after knowing the entire trajectory), and it is building blocks of its central overarching story in plain sight. It's truly unique and while what you're saying about its opening stretch isn't untrue, your perspective on it could likely change when you see what the series' goal becomes and the heightened, fully psychological and emotional realm it occupies. No, it's not a realistic Mindhunteresque program, but that's not because it's stupid, but fully by design of its heightened sensory, hellish world. At any rate Seasons 2 and 3 are total stunners, and, even more so than Mindhunter, it's the decade's great aesthetic masterpiece (if you saw it all I don't think you'd really challenge that point). If it helps you decide to go back to it (or not to, lol), I'd gladly PM you a three-paragraph piece I recently wrote on it that doesn't give much away while also painting a fuller picture of what it's striving toward.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Stavrogyn »

You are really selling Hannibal to me, LateReg. I didn't even consider it, but now feel like I might start watching it sometime soon. And I always liked Mads Mikkelsen, but admire him even more now, having seen Druk.

I also have a thing for serial killers :wink:
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Agent Earle »

Thanks very much, LateReg, for your kind offer. You don't have to PM me your text, I think you sold it with your elaboration just now. How can I not go back if I take my previous words seriously and stretch my patience little more, particularly in light of such payoff that you indicate it's coming. I will have to brace myself and start from the very beginning, tho', 'cause I've pretty much forgotten the details by now.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Agent Earle wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 12:07 pm Thanks very much, LateReg, for your kind offer. You don't have to PM me your text, I think you sold it with your elaboration just now. How can I not go back if I take my previous words seriously and stretch my patience little more, particularly in light of such payoff that you indicate it's coming. I will have to brace myself and start from the very beginning, tho', 'cause I've pretty much forgotten the details by now.
This is why we love you, Earle! You’re opinionated yet open-minded, as we all should be. I won’t guarantee that you’ll like Hannibal, but what I will say is that the “killer of the week” format was a deliberate Trojan horse to get NBC to program the series in the first season, and the show becomes more and more serialized (and weird and moody) as it goes along, until it becomes something totally unique and atmospheric in the third season. Again, not promising that you will like it, but you can’t judge it on the first few episodes. I know you’re a Deadwood fan. That might be a good way to look at Hannibal...it’s a “serial killer” show the same way Deadwood is a “Western.” It has certain genre trappings, but it’s elevated into something entirely its own stylistically and linguistically.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Agent Earle »

Mr. Reindeer wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 12:14 pm
Agent Earle wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 12:07 pm Thanks very much, LateReg, for your kind offer. You don't have to PM me your text, I think you sold it with your elaboration just now. How can I not go back if I take my previous words seriously and stretch my patience little more, particularly in light of such payoff that you indicate it's coming. I will have to brace myself and start from the very beginning, tho', 'cause I've pretty much forgotten the details by now.
This is why we love you, Earle! You’re opinionated yet open-minded, as we all should be. I won’t guarantee that you’ll like Hannibal, but what I will say is that the “killer of the week” format was a deliberate Trojan horse to get NBC to program the series in the first season, and the show becomes more and more serialized (and weird and moody) as it goes along, until it becomes something totally unique and atmospheric in the third season. Again, not promising that you will like it, but you can’t judge it on the first few episodes. I know you’re a Deadwood fan. That might be a good way to look at Hannibal...it’s a “serial killer” show the same way Deadwood is a “Western.” It has certain genre trappings, but it’s elevated into something entirely its own stylistically and linguistically.

So, basically, we're talking Millennium here? I never watched that, on account of not being that big on The X-Files and the prejudices about the serial killer subgenre that I mentioned, but the set-up that I keep hearing about (namely, how it uses its killer-of-the-week template to blossom into something totally off-the-wall in a majestic sort of way) intrigues me more and more!

And thanks for your commendation, of course. It feels good to be here, let me tell you :)
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by David Lich »

TWIN PEAKS
THE WIRE
THE SOPRANOS
REN & STIMPY
THE PRISONER
SEINFELD
ADVENTURE TIME
ATLANTA
TRUE DETECTIVE (Season 1)
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
MAD MEN
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by hopesfall »

JackwithOneEye wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 8:40 pm also, the Red Riding TV-Movies based on David Peace's books, pretty good mystery-thriller fare.
These were indeed fantastic. Highly recommended. Whilst not much like Peaks itself, i remember it evoking similar reactions from people who were expecting the usual run-of-the-mill whodunnit programme, only to be met by experimental directing, and a claustrophobic, dark atmosphere. Truly haunting television.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by JackwithOneEye »

I felt the Red Riding tv movies only captured like 10% of how great the books were. But a lot of great casting with Sean Bean and Jim Carter from Dowton Abbey as the police superintendent was very imposing.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Agent Earle »

Not to mention Andrew Garfield and Paddy Considine - can't go wrong with these guys. And a plethora of other brilliant British thesps with instantly regonizable features.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by JackwithOneEye »

yeah, Peter Mullan also in it. great whatever he is in. Westworld, Ken Loach films, et all.
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Re: Peaks Fans Top 10 TV shows

Post by Agent Earle »

Good call! Mullan scored in everything he was in! I'm still shaking to this day when I think of his character from Tyrannosaur (Considine's directing debut).
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