So I just finished Eli Stone...

POSTED BY: BigRichard
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 18:17
VIEWED: 6288
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BIGRICHARD

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 7:02 AM

Right...so...I know this is coming very late. Hell, when I found out Eli Stone got cancelled, I was still insanely mad, but I hadn't watched the 2nd season yet (being in Australia and all...) but I just watched it in the last 3 days. and oh my god.

WHY DID THIS SHOW GET CANCELLED!

Season 2 was just as strong as the first, had plenty more laugh-out-loud moments as well as great song-visions and hey-everybody-look-at-the-stupid-grin-on-my-face moments! I just can't believe that I won't get to see these characters continue. I hate TV sometimes. This is probably one of my favourite shows of all time, up there with Firefly, Buffy, Lost and Chuck, and BAM. It's gone. Grr.

In other news, I just started watching Ed. That show with Tom Cavanaugh (he was Eli's dad, J.D's brother on Scrubs, is in that new show Trust Me?) and am really liking it so far.
He was amazing on Eli Stone, and really shined even in his all too brief scenes. Why isn't this guy in more?

SHINYGOODGUY

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 7:25 AM

Tell me about it......it was a really good idea for a TV show:

A guy with an inoperable brain tumor has wild visions and discovers some truths. This way you can throw in everything and (if done right) could not be questioned as unusual or wierd because he's not well in the head....PERFECT!

I loved this show and, of course, they cancel it.
It had one of my fav actors playing the father figure - Victor Garber (the dad from Alias).

Why, oh why did they cancel this show?

SGG

Tawabawho?

KWICKO

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:02 PM

Yeah, Eli was TV at some of its best. And if you see it in high definition, it's TV at its most gorgeous. I don't know how or why, but it always seemed to me that Eli Stone, more than any other show on TV, used the benefits of high-def to great effect. It was just beautifully shot, amazing cityscapes, TONS of intricate details in the interior shots... it just really popped off the screen.

Oh, and Tom Cavanaugh is one of my favorite actors, too. It's a damned shame he isn't in more. And "Trust Me", his new series, just got canceled. :(

Mike

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day...
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

"You're a idiot." -AuRaptor, RWED, May 27, 2009.

BIGRICHARD

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 1:19 PM

Yes, love Victor Garber too (this season he almost seemed to be slipping back into his Alias role with some of the father betrayal stuff!)

and Kwicko...I swear to god, if you are yanking my chain about Trust Me...I will hunt you down....are you SERIOUS that it just got cancelled?!?!?!

I am SO CLOSE to completely losing faith in ALL TELEVISION.

If Chuck, Castle and Dollhouse get cancelled next season, coupled with the end of Lost, I will have practically nothing left to watch on TV.

Just to change the topic slightly, is there anything either of you can suggest I might like, based on the fact that I like Eli Stone, Trust Me, Chuck, Castle, etc. I need some backups in case everything ends.

KWICKO

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 2:57 PM

Sorry, Rich - didn't mean to ruin your day. When it comes to bad news like this, though, I prefer to just go ahead and rip the band-aid off...

Do a quick Google search with keywords "trust me cancelled", and it'll confirm your worst fears. :(

Oh, and Reaper has shuffled off this mortal coil as well.

Now, as for shows you might like, I'd humbly suggest Gilmore Girls. I know, it sounds so girly (and it is), but it's really really FUN, and it's usually even uplifting, and there's more than just a little bit of snark involved. Oh, and you get to see Milo Ventimiglia pre-Heroes and Jared Padelecki pre-Supernatural. And a few Buffy alum thrown in.

I *NEVER* expected to like this show, but I ended up loving it. And there's seven seasons worth to watch, and it's almost always on sale somewhere for $20 a season or less...

I'll keep thinking and give you more suggestions.

ETA: Oh, one really quick and easy suggestion that I can pretty much offer a money-back guarantee on that you'll like it, is Burn Notice. Ask ChrisIsAll; he'll back me up on this one! It's fantastic summer viewing, it's FUN, it's smart-alecky, and there's usually some Bond-ish tension and hijinks afoot.

Now, if you like down-and-dirty, nitty-gritty, never make you feel good TV, try The Shield or The Wire. They're nasty, but in a good way. You'll root for the bad guys, and you'll love it. But it's not feel-good TV by any means. The Wire is probably the most reality-based drama I've ever witnessed.

ETA: Oooohh - Just thought of another one. If you like those other shows you listed, and you like Ed and you like Tom Cavanaugh, see if you can track down "Love Monkey". It aired a few episodes on CBS before it got cancelled, and I really liked it. Cavanaugh stars as a record company A&R guy who's trying to steer his record company from mega-hit machines into a more nurturing environment for artists. Needless to say, he runs into a little opposition... Jason Priestley co-stars, if I remember right.

Mike

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day...
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

"You're a idiot." -AuRaptor, RWED, May 27, 2009.

BIGRICHARD

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:08 PM

Thanks Kwicko..but...believe it or not...I've already seen all of Gilmore Girls...

I know, I know, i didn't expect to like it either, but I have two sisters, and I just sat down with them one day when they were watching it. It's not one of my favourite shows ever, it was no Eli Stone or Firefly (in my opinion) but it was pretty consistently entertaining through all 7 seasons, which is no easy feat.

I also quite enjoyed the OC, although mainly for the Seth/nerd side to it (always love a good Journey reference).

I suppose along with Ed I have 9 seasons of X-Files to finally watch, and a few other things (Witchblade, Dark Angel, Stargate Atlantis) so all in all I should be ok for a while.

Problem is I just hit holidays, 2 months worth or so, and I always watch a lot of TV during holidays, so who know what I'll be left with afterward!

In regards to Trust Me...at least I found out from you Kwicko, better than waiting and waiting for it, then finding out from some news site after it never starts up again. Doesn't mean I'm happy about the decision, although, as much as I loved Trust Me, I can't wait to see what Tom does next. I hope it gives him a chance to really shine, and show his range, (for example the drama of his Eli Stone appearances to the comedy of his Ed days).

ETA: Also seen Burn Notice. Love that too! As for The Shield/The Wire, I'm game, haven't seen either, although I often don't like those shows if:
A. They try to focus on too many characters.
B. They don't focus on characters at all, it's simply case/crime/whatever.
So am I likely to still enjoy them?

EDited to add again: Haven't seen Love Monkey!! But if it's Tom, I'm there. I'll see if I can track it down.
ALSO, for those wondering, yes, I had to 'acquire' Ed in an interesting way, but I absolutely promise that I will purchase the thing as soon as it's released to DVD. I don't like 'acquiring' these things in this manner, but I've been left with no choice!

RIPWASH

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 4:08 PM

I'm with Kwicko on recommending "Burn Notice." All around fun TV. Action/Drama/Comedy rolled neatly into one package. To give you an idea how good it is, the first season ended rather abruptly IMHO. We were unaware it was the season finale. It was only September I think. At the end of the show, the announcement came that new episodes would return next summer. I literally banged my fists on the floor and yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Long wait for season 2, but it was well worth it. Season 3 is off to a good start as well.

I would also recommend "Monk." That's been a family favorite for quite some time. Sadly, this summer is it's last season We heard that and my wife and I looked at each other and simultaneously said "AWWW!"

A couple new shows to be on the lookout for are "The Mentalist" and "Lie to Me."

*********************************************

"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
"What does that mean?!?!?!"

KWICKO

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:10 PM

The Shield/The Wire - The Shield focuses primarily on "the Strike Team" - a close-knit group of four detectives tasked with going after gang leaders and narco-traffickers. That's the set-up for it. It sprawls a bit from there, but once you know who the players are, it's fascinating.

The Wire is far more sprawling and complex from the start. I've just re-watched it from beginning to end (5 seasons worth!), and actually got a lot more out of it the second time around. Lots less of "okay, now WHO is this character? WHERE does he fit in again?"

Neither of them are your standard police-procedurals, by any stretch of the imagination. Both tend to deal more with the politics involved, both at the systemic level and the personal level - and both dealing with it inside the police system AND inside the gangs themselves.

And both involve police and criminals doing some utterly shocking things. The police often do some really bad stuff, and the criminals sometimes to some really good stuff. And both have moments of good snarky fun, although it can be in quite cynical ways...

Mike

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day...
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

"You're a idiot." -AuRaptor, RWED, May 27, 2009.

SHINYGOODGUY

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:29 PM

Hey Big R:

Of the recommended shows by Kwicko and Ripwash -

Burn Notice: saw a couple of eps and really liked it, like the lead character, pace and style. My work schedule has been unpredictable of late so I haven't been able to keep up. I will catch up with DVD viewings.

The Wire: I don't have HBO (beyond my budget) but everyone I've talked to swears by this show.

The Shield: My all-time fav cop show. I know, that's saying a lot, but it's that good. Like Kwicko said, gritty, real and dynamic. A friend at my ex-job turned me onto it mid-season 1 and I was hooked. They just wrapped Season 7 (out on DVD this week) it's final season (sigh*). IT IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL COP SHOW. It will keep you on your toes.

New shows:

If you can get your hands on this show - GLEE. The pilot is on Hulu. I won't say anything more...if you love our BDH and Eli Stone you will love GLEE. It is pure fun.

The Unusuals - Cop show, quirky fun. Comedy-drama done right.

Lie to Me - it's on Hulu. somewhat procedural, but with a twist. Tim Roth is worth the price of admission. Good solid cast, believable stories.

Fringe - sci-fi, like Dollhouse it takes a couple of eps to get going, but oh what a ride. On Hulu.
May be out on DVD soon.

If I can think of more, I will let you know.

SGG

Tawabawho?

SHINYGOODGUY

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:40 PM

Hey Kwicko - you are absolutely dead on about Eli Stone...........

Yeah, Eli was TV at some of its best. And if you see it in high definition, it's TV at its most gorgeous. I don't know how or why, but it always seemed to me that Eli Stone, more than any other show on TV, used the benefits of high-def to great effect. It was just beautifully shot, amazing cityscapes, TONS of intricate details in the interior shots... it just really popped off the screen.

It seemed to me that they used cinema-style filming in both their execution and production values. Vivid and vibrant, like you said, it popped off the screen (much like Pushing Daisies).
Jonny Lee Miller was perfectly cast as Eli.
Shame it didn't catch on.

SGG

Tawabawho?

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