Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tv

Fictional duos with compelling, platonic relationships

Solon and Thanks — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:53:13 -0800

Recommend me some media featuring a duo with compelling yet platonic chemistry -- like Danes/Patinkin on Homeland or Cranston/Paul on Breaking Bad. Ignore Danes/Lewis for a second (though they are terrific) -- one thing I love about Breaking Bad and Homeland is their focus on 2 complex, interesting characters with amazing (yet platonic) chemistry. I don't even care what the plot is sometimes, I just enjoy seeing them interact.

What are some other shows I might like? I'm also open to suggestions for film/books if something seems particularly fitting. Both the shows I mention have a mentor/mentee/surrogate family thing going, but feel free to make suggestions outside of that box.

How do you find the press images of a reality show?

clockworkjoe — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:59:48 -0800

I'd like to find high resolution versions of publicity photos from certain reality shows: Buck Wild, Duck Dynasty, Call of the Wildman, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Moonshiners. Obviously, the press is given access to these images so I wonder if any of those high resolution images are available to the public. I know I can find web quality JPEGs on the websites of these shows, but I'd like to find high quality TIFFs or something like that.

commercial where woman steals bite of friend's cookie?

cmp4Meta — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:13:03 -0800

What is that commercial that's currently running where a woman steals a bite of her friend's cookie? They are standing at a fence and she steals a bite. Her friend says, "You just bit my cookie!" And she replies with her mouth full: "No way!"

TV shows for women?

DisreputableDog — Sun, 12 May 2013 01:57:09 -0800

I'm looking for TV shows featuring women... I like "The L Word". I have the first couple of "Sex and the City" seasons on order. I liked what few episodes of "The Dollhouse" that I saw. I'm bored with "Alias" by this point.

So, I like drama, "their lives", and sci-fi. I like spies/assassins and alternative lifestyles. What I don't want is where it supposedly features women and all she becomes is a foil for her male counterparts. Or that the show centers around women being shitty to each other (why I cant watch reality shows). I want the shows to pass the Bechdel Test or at least have really strong main female characters which the show centers around.

I don't need it to be award winning (I used to love "Birds of Prey"). I prefer live action but at this point I'll also accept anime. I'll accept shows which were supposedly marketed towards men (sexy spies, etc) but which seems to fit the criteria above.

Help?

Let me tell you a story about a horse while I diffuse this missile...

katyggls — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:41:37 -0800

I'm trying to find TV shows (or films) that contain a particular trope that I noticed while watching some old 1980's shows lately. Namely shows where the main character provides a sort of running narration throughout. I was watching the pilot episode of Macgyver on Netflix yesterday and noticed that during the beginning of the episode, the main character (Macgyver) was narrating a story about an encounter with a Palomino horse in voiceover while on screen he was diffusing a missile in central Asia (YT link of what I'm referring to). It made me realize -or recall- that this was a pretty commonly used trope in 1970's and 1980's TV, where the main character would narrate or provide voice over commentary while we watched whatever they were doing on screen. I know Quantum Leap did this a lot and if I recall correctly, I think Magnum P.I. did it too.

What I'm looking for are other examples of TV shows that did this (or films). Are there any current or more recent TV shows that do this? I haven't noticed any recent examples of it myself so I'm curious as to why it's a trope that has been largely abandoned (if it has). Do current TV viewers see it as breaking the fourth wall?

Buying electronics on Craigslist

triggerfinger — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:40:22 -0800

Should I buy a TV off of Craigslist? I am looking for a 40-50 inch newer TV. I don't care if it's plasma or LED. But I don't really want to spend more than $500, which puts TVs that size pretty much out of my price range. But there seem to be a ton of them on Craigslist - would it be a bad idea to buy one? If I were to buy one, what would I need to look for/be aware of when buying a TV from someone on Craigslist to minimize my chances of getting scammed? I assume that I would need to plug it in and try before I buy (and of course I would not go alone) and I would make sure they have the owners manual and all the parts that came with it.

What else would I need to look for? I know pretty much nothing about electronics or buying things off Craigslist so any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Please recommend movies!

to recite so charmingly — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:45:31 -0800

My boyfriend and I are having a hard time coming up with movies to watch. Brainstorming based off of movies, directors, and genres we tend to like has gotten us nowhere, so I'd like to see what the hivemind can come up with based off a list of our recent favourite tv shows. We'd appreciate your suggestions! Here's a list of the shows we have followed:

Kids in the Hall
Arrested Development
Chappelle's Show
South Park
Simpsons
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Parks and Recreation
The Office
Bored to Death
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Mighty Boosh
Flight of the Conchords
Less Than Kind

Thanks!

What's the lifespan of TV converter boxes?

noelpratt2nd — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:15:22 -0800

My converter box just all-of-a-sudden didn't work last night for my analog TV. I purchased one at Best Buy when the DC metro area was forced to go to digital TV. I *think* this was in 2010. The box sold retail for $80 and I had a 50% off coupon. Does anyone know how long these things last? I have it hooked to an analog television and it has been working fine, with its remote, and then last night I wasn't able to watch my favorite shows anymore. Tinkering around hasn't helped. I don't even know if the digital converter boxes are still sold. Any help? Thanks.

Why do we use "radio station" and "TV channel"?

Pastor of Muppets — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:20:49 -0800

I know that we have TV stations, actual buildings where the broadcast originates, and if you're not getting a clear signal on a radio frequency you might say "try another channel" on a walkie-talkie. But when it comes to the device in your home and you want to alter the signal coming in, you "change the channel" on the TV and you "change the station" on the radio. Why these terms for these devices?

Just hold this one glowing stick and it will solve all your problems

Arbac — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:58:07 -0800

I need recommendations for a universal remote control. Parents recently entered the HDTV/Cable TV world and are using 3 different remotes. It's driving them crazy. I'd like to get them the easiest most intuitive universal remote to control everything. They've used universal remotes in the past that required you to move the slider on the top to select each component. They'd never remember to change the slider and then be confused why the DVD player wouldn't work. Help! Their current setup is
TV: LGTV 47LV4400
Cable Box: Verizon FIOS 7232-2
DVD: Toshiba SD7300KU

What remote should I get them? I'd prefer to spend less than $100, but am willing to pay more if it'll get me something that blows everything else out of the water for ease of use.

Help me find this mysterious foreign film

emptythought — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:15:44 -0800

Several friends and myself were sitting around draining the worlds supply of beer at the end of last summer, and decided to cap off the night by flipping on netflix. We ended up appointing someone to just pick a completely random movie just by the cover after a bit of arguing of what to watch... The trouble is, now none of us can remember what it was called. I believe it was Spanish or French? Definitely European. The plot revolved around the afterlife, and everything was in sepia tones or black and white, or at the very least very muted colors. Everyone was going about their lives in this world where you could have anything you wanted. Opulent houses, fancy cars, etc. I don't remember if the premise was everything was free, or that everyone was rich. But the catch was that you couldn't derive any pleasure from anything, and there was absolutely no music, art, or anything creative in this universe. It demonstrated this pretty intensely by people who just had sex all day long desperate to feel something, and other little bits like that to really hammer in the fact that no one could get any enjoyment from anything.

Right before i got up and left, The main character had broken through the wall in his apartment in a rage, and behind the smashed bricks light was coming through, and the bricks inside the wall were in vivid color. Jazz music or something was coming out of the hole and he started climbing through to some sort of speakeasy, or something along those lines where people were actually doing pleasurable things and experiencing the joy, as opposed to feeling nothing.

My friends who watched more of the movie said it got even more interesting, but as i said, no one can remember what it was called. This has bugged all of us for months, and i've pretty much melted down google and any other site i can think of trying to find it.

Everyone i ask suggests Wristcutters or Pleasantville or something, but it's none of those. Ignoring the fact that neither of those are foreign, the premise is also quite different. I can't even find anything that sounds similar and it's killing me.

What do you actually do while eating alone?

neilb449 — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 11:50:03 -0800

Help me avoid the pitfall of watching trashy TV while I eat! I eat most of my meals alone. While eating breakfast and lunch I generally read Metafilter/check my emails but in the evenings I like to eat things which require a knife and fork so I've developed the habit of watching TV sitcoms (often of dubious quality) while I eat.

What are some better alternatives? (Bonus points if you used to watch TV too and can tell me how you made the transition)

I'm normally not very stimulation hungry - I can just sit and think to myself quite happily for half an hour or so but eating seems to be different.

How best to handle this TV repair scam

mad bomber what bombs at midnight — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:27:04 -0800

A family member took a TV into a repair shop and paid $125 cash up front. After several months of weekly excuses, we're certain the TV is never going to be repaired. How best can we handle this? The repair shop seems to be a one-man operation in a small poor town. My family member, Bob, called repeatedly for status updates. The repairman always put him off, promising to call the next week. Eventually, he stopped taking calls from Bob's phone altogether, so Bob started borrowing phones. It's been 5 or 6 months now. We've also found some reviews online of other customers saying the same thing -- he kept their money and their TV.

We have a receipt, but paid with cash, so there's no way to get a bank to help. I'm not convinced the BBB will help. What's next? Lawsuit? Is that worth it for a couple hundred dollars, and even if we win, how to compel payment?

How to stop voice overs.

archimago — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 06:28:27 -0800

ABC shows suddenly have annoying voice overs narrating. What gives? Modern Family, Suburgatory . . . I haven't changed any settings on my tv and my Dvr has been recording normally. It's annoying. How do I get it to stop?

How to get Comcast and Tivo to work together?

The corpse in the library — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:23:15 -0800

I have a Tivo Premiere. I have Comcast. How do I avoid throwing my TV out the window in frustration? About once a week I'll turn on HBO and see a message that that channel is not authorized. It is authorized, so I call Comcast, spend 10 minutes dealing with their customer service line, they send a signal to my Tivo's cable card, and within an hour HBO is working properly... for a while.

Last week I called Comcast and got it temporarily fixed through the phone menus. I dialed the usual Comcast number, followed the prompts, and was given an option along the lines of "If you are seeing an error message that the channel is not authorized, press 3." I pressed it, Comcast did something, and HBO clicked on immediately. I didn't have to deal with their customer service and the results were instant.

This happens with a few other channels, as well. Sometimes I sit down to watch several day's worth of shows and find that none of them have been recorded because of that issue. This is annoying.

My questions:
1. Who's fault is this? Tivo's? Comcast's? Mine?
2. How can I stop this from happening?
3. If I can't stop it, how can I get back to that phone menu? The customer service people couldn't help when I asked.

Name of old panel show

a47danger — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:25:18 -0800

I'm trying to find the name of an old panel-style game show that freaked me out as a kid. The show would have celebrity panelists, and at the end of the show they would squish the celebrities into discs so that could easily store them until they needed them again. This would have been mid-80s, most likely.

What is this half-remembered snippet about karaoke and "chick songs"?

mhum — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:13:10 -0800

I have a snippet of a movie or TV show (maybe a cartoon?) that's been rattling around my head for the past month or so and I can't pin down where it's from or if it was just a dream I once had.

A male character is singing karaoke and the audience is booing and heckling him. One of the hecklers mocks his song choice by yelling out, "That's a chick song." The male character retorts, "No it's not! It's a song to get chicks."

Does this ring a bell with anyone? Bonus internet points for a video clip (partial credit for just the song).

Share your favourite documentary films/series here

abbagoochie — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:36:01 -0800

I watched Nina Conti: A Ventriloquist's Story - Her Master's Voice yesterday and it was so amazing I forgot how long it's been since I saw a really good documentary. I've watched everything Herzog has done in the past 6-7, Being Elmo, Carl Sagan's Cosmos, the 7 Up films and Jarvis Cocker's Outsider Art series. What are your favourite documentary films/series? (except nature docs? I can never get into them). I'm happy to watch films from any english-speaking country - but will also give it a go if they're subtitled.

Ideas for a Friends-themed anniversary party?

chudmonkey — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:35:43 -0800

What tips or suggestions do you have for throwing an anniversary party themed after the sitcom Friends? Specifically, can you think of a suitable coffee-house or other venue in Calgary, AB? Hey Gang! This coming June, I'll be celebrating 10 years together with my awesome wife. Since we're both devotees of Friends, I have it in my head to surprise her with a small gathering of loved-ones and a Friends-themed party.

I'd love to know any ideas you might have about touches for such a party. Possible guest attire; items or decorations to have present; food or drink to serve; games to play; music to feature... all brainstorms will be very appreciated, and no reference to Friends is too obscure.

Special bonus points if you can think of the perfect venue for this party in Calgary, AB. I feel like a coffee-house is the obvious venue choice, but I don't know what my city offers in terms of Central Perk similarity. Ideas for a non-coffee-house venue will also be appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Y'know, the one with....

grateful — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:10:56 -0800

Help me ID an episode of the hit TV show Friends. I'm trying to find the episode where Joey remarks that he likes drinking sodas from small cans because it makes him feel like a giant. From what I remember, it's not part of the main storyline, but just a side joke. Bonus points for a video link.

I want to live in the 20s & 30s. What TV / movies should I watch?

mygothlaundry — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:44:54 -0800

I've been completely absorbed in British fiction from the 1920s & 30s lately - mostly of the snappy, witty detective variety: Georgette Heyer, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie. I've also read and adored the incomparable Wodehouse and Nancy Mitford. Now, the question is, what should I watch that will scratch this same itch for sparkling conversation, sophistication, romance and great clothes? I'm open both to original time period stuff and well done more contemporary versions of the period. If it's streaming on Netflix or Amazon, I can watch it. I'll go a couple decades up or down, too. For example, I love Edith Pargeter / Ellis Peters, even though she's more 40s - 60s and I completely loved Upstairs/Downstairs and Downton Abbey, although their focus is more the teens. And I'm not anti- American - if there's American fiction or movies out there that I'd like, by all means bring them on. It's just that all the stuff I've read from that period in the US tends to be so much darker and heavier - Hammett et. al. Dark is not what I want here. No, what I need is lightness, wit, the clink of glasses, dancing and maybe a dead body or two but nothing gory. Also, bonus points for more reading: are there other authors I should discover?

TV Commerical Search: People Yell "LAYUP"

unceman — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:13:26 -0800

Trying to find a commercial from the mid 90s (?). There's a guy talking about a basketball legend. The way he describes this legend goes something like this: "One day he was raining 3s from the sky" "He would pull up from 25 feet and people on the sidelines would be yelling LAYUP" My Google Fu has failed me, since I don't know what product was being advertised. Ideally, I'm looking for a video link, but would settle with knowing what was being advertised.

How do antenna TV channels "work" now? How do I find & add new ones?

Challahtronix — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:34:30 -0800

I've been cable-less for the past few years and have been using antennas with my HDTVs for TV reception and have been very content, except I really have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing. To wit: Adding Channels & Channel Scanning: In the analog world channels were whole numbers, now all channels are "tenths", one decimal place over- i.e. 50 vs 50.1, 50.2, 50.3, etc.... In the old regime I might not know if I could get channel 50, but I knew that I could just check it then 51, then 52, etc...
-How do I check for channels now? Do I have to roll through all of the 10th channels individually? Is there a way to do this without a channel scan?
-Doing a "channel scan" might detect new channels, but it also might purge any channels (especially manually tuned ones) that are not coming in well at that moment. Or do modern TVs auto-add & remove channels?
-One of my antennas requires fine tuning to receive various channels; when setting it up do I have to to a "channel scan" with the most "popular" setting and then go back and add all other channels individually, going through the different antenna settings?
-How do I know when & where new channels get added? Do I have to constantly check AntennaWeb?
-There are two analog stations that come in extremely poorly, one in Spanish. I thought all analog stations were forced to shut down under penalty of large fines?
-It seems that the tuner in the TV itself makes a huge difference for reception; when I swapped out an older higher-end Panasonic TV with a newer but cheaper Toshiba I went from having 18 channels to 7, even though they had the same antenna and setup otherwise. Is there a way to boost this?

And remember: external forces are never to blame.

kagredon — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:47:28 -0800

I've always thought King Missile's Failure was a pretty good depiction of the kind of intrusive, self-defeating thoughts that characterize depression. The recent FPP'd game Depression Quest does something similar. What are some other works that are reminiscent of the experience of having depression or another mental illness (as opposed to depicting characters with the illness?)

Can you recommend some fashion docs for lazy weekend watching?

bluefly — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:52:25 -0800

I'm interested in watching more documentaries or miniseries about the fashion/clothing industry. Three I've rented recently were Valentino:The Last Emperor, The September Issue, and Signé Chanel. I especially enjoyed the last two as they really showed a lot behind the scenes about how stuff is made (both the media and the couture dressmaking sides). I'd be interested in all levels of clothing and shoes, from mass market to haute couture and all aspects from designing to manufacturing to marketing. Also, I'd like it if the films or TV shows were easily available in the US (either can be ordered/streamed online or likely found in a local video store). Thanks!