TV and Movies

[VaBelle35]

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@Oznell wrote:

@NAES1, you bring up L.A. Law--- yes!   That was clever and well done, at least the early years of it when I watched.

@VaBelle35, I was just thinking of Robert Urich in connection with this topic, and how much I liked him.  Never got to see "Vegas",  but am sure he was good in it.  Sad that such a talent went too soon...

Have always liked Efrem Zimbalest Jr., and his throaty, patrician voice.  I wish one of the retro channels would pick up "The FBI Story",  since I somehow missed it...

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@Oznell

There are so many great shows not airing for some reason.  I can buy Vegas on DVD.  Not sure about the others.

[GingerPeach]

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@Oznell wrote:

@cimeranrose, I've been wondering if Wikipedia or someone had a comprehensive list, and behold!   This one isn't perfect, but I tried to stump it by seeing if it omitted some really obscure series, and so far, I haven't been able to!

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:American_crime_television_series&pageuntil=Polic...

The earlier shows, that I tend to be drawn to, are of course a matter of taste, (mine is usually retro by default of course), but also of world view, I think.

Vintage crime and detective shows tend to have a vision of the world in which there is an objective truth, that can often be discerned, and there is right and wrong.  Even the best film noir, while it showed decadence, most often had a point of view that succumbing to that toxicity was wrong.  That might be putting it too simply, but essentially true, I think.  Where some of the more recent TV crime shows go off the tracks, in my view, is the glorying in the dark side for the sake of the darkness, for example...

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I agree with that statement, @Oznell.  Shows such as Criminal Minds.  I actually liked the early seasons but stopped watching probably for a similar reason that Mandy Patinkin left the show altogether.

A real favorite, although 1960s not 70s, was The Avengers, with Diana Rigg.  She was my idol back then; maybe she still is.

[Oznell]

Oh, yes, @GingerPeach, what a cool and stylish example!   I also like some of the even earlier British crime shows, like "The Saint", and  "Secret Agent" or "Danger Man" with Patrick McGoohan...

[cimeranrose]

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@Oznell wrote:

... the glorying in the dark side for the sake of the darkness, for example.

You took the words out of my mouth @Oznell. You are so right. I see this in the movies of today also - DH and I rarely go to the movies anymore. (I think one of the reasons I like old movies and old TV shows is that there wasn't that "darkness" that there is today. I don't think the "darkness" is a coincidence either, but, that's another discussion and one we probably couldn't have on these boards). When my kids were still in high school and we'd go see a movie together as a family (for example, a Batman movie) I would come out of the movie theater complaining about the movie being so dark. My kids and DH have heard me complain many times about the darkness of movies today.

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[Highlands72]

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@Oznell wrote:

. . .

The earlier shows, that I tend to be drawn to, are of course a matter of taste, (mine is usually retro by default of course), but also of world view, I think.

Vintage crime and detective shows tend to have a vision of the world in which there is an objective truth, that can often be discerned, and there is right and wrong.  Even the best film noir, while it showed decadence, most often had a point of view that succumbing to that toxicity was wrong.  That might be putting it too simply, but essentially true, I think.  Where some of the more recent TV crime shows go off the tracks, in my view, is the glorying in the dark side for the sake of the darkness, for example...

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That bolded sequence sounds like one of the pillars of the production code.

I am not disagreeing with you as much as agreeing that different people have different opinions/preferences on how much "darkness" they can tolerate in the name of entertainment, and what purpose it serves.

I enjoy watching the reruns of  the Law and Order series and its various iterations, but, even though I really like some of the actors, I just cannot watch the SVU version. I know it is very popular, but it just isn't for me.

[NAES1]

@Oznell

   I was trying to remember one show that I tried never to miss. I believe it had a huge pinnacle of detective intervention and plenty of suspense. Called: 'Mission Impossible'. 

  I had to watch that show with someone so if I missed something, the friend could clue me in. 

Again, guessing what year THIS was done; I loved the intriguing next scene....may be that they caught the bad guys. Yes, I am sure. More sophisticated and  enveloped around International conspiracies.

I know that Barbara Bains and Martin Landau were in it, along with Peter Graves.

Now! That was well done.  Excuse any misspellings. 

Bains and Landau were married in real life. I didn't know that until 3 years ago. "did not know if her last name had a  [s] on the end, so left it as is".   ?????  Whoops.

[Oznell]

In complete agreement, @cimeranrose, including that it is not accidental!

Yes, @Highlands72, I've discovered for myself what i will seek and not seek in art or entertainment.  it's very important to me not to feel like i'm succumbing to values that are antithetical to my own code (as it were.)  There's a sort of "nihlistic" spirit that animates some art. Anything that kind of "revels" in what is evil, rather than merely acknowledges it, is something I want to turn away from.  It is loathsome to me that there have actually been shows that present somewhat sympathetic portrayals of serial killers.  That's one example i can think of.  By the way, what is the SVU version of "Law and Order"-- I'm not familiar with that?

@NAES1,  "Mission Impossible",  the TV series had such a fun energy!   Who can resist that opening theme music, complete with random bongos!  I'm smiling just thinking of it, and now I want to watch it....

[GingerPeach]

@Oznell

Law and Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) is the one with Mariska Hargitay.  The focus is on s*xual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.

On a related note, I find a big difference between violence and cruelty.  I typically illustrate this using The Walking Dead's violence toward either the undead or living humans as contrasted with the character Negan's outright cruelty toward both.

[Oznell]

In honor of you, @NAES1, the "Mission Impossible" theme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7alss3sDJdg

I like all the iterations of "Mission: Impossible".    Barbara Bain was such a cool, Grace Kelly-esque character.  I think Greg Morris' son also became an actor of note...

[Yahooey]

I was just saying to a girlfriend that many comedies from yesterday were now on oldies TV. I want to see Moonlighting and Remington Steele. Thought both leading men were hunks. They still are.

added bonus -  Doris Roberts was the assistant before her Everybody loves Raymond days.

I don't think these 2 shows ever made the repeat rounds on any channel.