I started watching the new season of Game of Thrones, on Sunday night.  Has anyone else been following it over the years?  A good fantasy drama, with interesting characters, and outlandish situations! Fun to watch, if you just sit back and enjoy,  and try not to be to be too critical of some of the preposterous storylines.  That's the whole point of fantasy and science fiction!

Hi Marilyne
I prefer History programmes.

Fantasy programmes are just that fantasy, I rather the ups and downs of real life.

Kelly

Kelly - We pay quite a bit for the premium channels like HBO, Showtime, Encore, etc., so we like to sample most of the programs that are available to us. We only get interested in a very few of the ongoing series.  Neither AJ or  I have ever been big fans of fantasy, (We've never read the Harry Potter books, or seen any of the movies), but seemed like all of our friends and relatives liked Game of Thrones, so we went to On Demand and watched the first couple of seasons, and then started following it. Now we are hooked! 

Hi Marilyne
I think there is too much reality television nowadays and celebrity based programmes.  And comedians are ruder than they used to be and don't tell jokes, but stories that usually have swear words in them.

As for fantasy as I said I rather programmes that deal with history or about what's happens in real life these days. 

I notice on quizzes on the BBC the younger people do not know much about history of the UK or the world.  But can tell you about television, modern music and who is dating who in the film industry!!

Kelly

Kelly - that is NOT the type of reality programming that I was talking about when I said I prefer reality to fantasy!  What I meant was, "Game of Thrones" or "Harry Potter" , are fantasy entertainment, available on the Premium Channels.  Shows like "Homeland" (drama involving agents in the Middle East), "Boardwalk Empire",  "True Detective", "Newsroom", et al, are shows I can relate to.  Fictional, but about people coping with events and situations in their lives.

Hi Marilyne
I did know what you meant, I was just saying what I and others find is a change from television from years ago.

Not an improvement, so much so that the lelevision here is only in about a few hours a day.

Kelly

Kelly - Sorry! I misunderstood you. I agree with you 100% on the so called "Reality" based TV programming. 
The day I find myself watching The Kardashians, will be the day I know I've slipped into senility!

Television Today is quickly becoming
history,   at least in my family. 

I am the only one who watches "TV"...  My
kids and grand kids stream movies and shows
on their I phones or I pads.   They don't
bother with standard commercial TV  or "Cable"..

Apparently it is just us "Old Birds"  who
got hook on the tube from the beginning back
in the 1900's ....   Now at the begining of the
21st century,  most young people have moved
on ....   

Funny,  eh?

I am sure that I will eventually move on
to streaming myself.      Just not right away.

I am from the TV Junkie Generation!       
Sandy

I never watched Games of thrones but the Library have the prev. Seasons on DvD now so will watch it that way.

Sandy, I do some streaming, i.e., Netflix and Amazon.  But I watch those programs on my TV.  I don't want to watch things on the little screens of my laptop, iPad, or (absolutely not) my phone.  Maybe it is an age thing, though. 

Yes,  Maryz,  me too..   

I play everything I watch from Netflix and Prime,
on my larger flat screen TV.    That i will
never get rid of !

It is the paid for cable tv box that my family doesn't
have.      They have some huge hdtv screens to
for their streaming pleasure!
 

Hi Marilyne
Never watched 'The Kardashians'.   

I agree with you we will have slipped into senility if we watched that programme.

kelly

Hi Sandy
I think many people are giving most of todays television a miss.

As I said reality TV, celebrity based programmes and repeat programmes.

Kelly

I'm another one who can't imagine watching a movie, or anything else on an iPhone, tablet, or even my desktop computer.  Not my idea of comfort . . . especially if you have a perfectly good TV. 

Besides the premium channels and TCM, we also have Netflix and Amazon streaming.  Once you start watching entire shows and movies without commercials, it's really hard to go back to network programming or basic cable.  However, there are always news stories I want to see on the news channels like CNN.  I don't think I could give that up.  Lots of news on the computer all the time, but I like to see it happening and hear people talking about it.

Hi Marilyne
Do you think we watch too much television?

Kelly

By the way

Fastyr Mie Marilyne

Kelly

Kelly - we don't turn the TV on at all during the day, unless there is a breaking news story, or some event of interest like a parade, ball game, etc.  We start watching at precisely 5:00 pm (creatures of habit!), when the local news comes on, and then keep it on, until about 11:00 pm.  If AJ has a hockey game to watch, I will usually go to the smaller TV in the bedroom, or just do computer stuff.  I don't think that's "too much" TV watching, but others might think so?  What about you?

Hi Marilyne
The television tonight was on for 45 minutes.

On average maybe three hours a day, someday less.

kelly

I'm wondering if anyone else watched the show Longmire?  It originally ran for four seasons on AMC, and is now on Netflix streaming.  We've been watching it, and liking it, and just finished the final Season . . #4.  Unfortunately, the different storylines were not wrapped up.  Lots of situations were left unresolved. I'm curious if there are others who feel disappointed also?  Does anyone know if it will be returning?

I google it and "Longmire will return to Netflix for Season 5.”

Not sure just when  but if you google around you will
find it.

I also get very very attached to Series !
Sandy

Thank you Sandy!  It's good to know that there will be a Season #5.  I become very fond of some of the characters on the series shows, and I want to see their situations resolved, one way or the other.  I was lukewarm on "Longmire" at first, but I really grew to love the show, once I became acquainted with all the characters. 

Now you have peeked my
curiosity...    I may give it a try ... 
(until it grabs me!)

I love Longmire - TV and the books.  I haven't watched any of the new ones yet.  We watched all the ones on cable.  But I subscribed to Netflix primarily to watch Longmire.  I started back at the beginning and, with rationing, I'm just about to finish Season 1. Glad to know there's still more out there for me to watch.

I like Longmire very much.  It was a slow starter with me but I grew to like it more and more.  The actor that plays Longmire is unknown to me but I think he does a very good job with the part.  I'm looking forward to season 5 and hope it comes back soon.

I watched A Star is Born with Judy Garland and James Mason last night.  Kind of enjoyed it but, gosh, it was really dated. 

Hi Everyone
What is Longmire?

Must be an American programme

Kelly

Kelly, yes, it's an American program based on a series of books by Craig Johnson.  The protagonist, Walt Longmire, is the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, in today's world.  You can find lots about the books and the series on various web sites.

Hi Maryz
It seems to have a good write up by the TV critics.

I doubt we will see it on the UK channels.

I did like Roots when it was shown in the UK.

Kelly

I'm really pleased that so many of you also like Longmire! I don't recall where I heard about the show, or who recommended it, but it must have been in this discussion?  I've never read the books, but now I would like to.

I love Walt's honorable and taciturn personality . . . a man of few words, but lots of integrity and determination.   Henry Standing Bear, is probably my favorite.  I didn't like him all that much at first, but he grew on me over the course of the first season. The actor who plays Jacob Night Horse, looked so familiar to me, but I couldn't place him?  Finally I saw his name in the credits, and recognized it from a daytime soap, about thirty+ years ago!  Much older obviously, but still looks the same.

All the other characters are excellent as well.  Overall, a good quality show. 

In my f2f Mystery Club, we started with the first Longmire book, and it just avalanched from there.  AS soon as a TV series was announced, we could barely wait.  We have been loyal fans, of books and TV ever since.  When they switched from AMC to Netflix, we all were kind of upset.  But I have managed to get the DVD's from Netflix, up to the last season.  It is a quality show, and I am a great fan of ensemble TV, movies.  Remember the great ensemble cast of The West Wing?  Wow!!!

I think there should be an Ensemble Award at the Oscars.  A current movie, "Spotlight"
would have qualified.  Has anyone seen it?