New TV Series to watch

[Jack Brickman]

I listen to the audio books of game of thrones and George R R Martin is extremely detailed in everything he writes. Adapting it to a script had to be extremely easy. It's pretty clear when Benioff and Weiss didn't have the books to write from, that the detail and pace changed for the show. They had to make it up almost from scratch, whatever conversations and notes Martin gave wasn't going to be anywhere close to the books.

I don't think it was that so much as that they didn't really plan the show properly from the outset. Realistically, Game of Thrones would probably need ten to twelve seasons to properly adapt the books, and blockbuster, expensive shows like Game of Thrones don't get ten seasons because, at a certain point, they have to do contract renewals with their actors. And if a show is a blockbuster hit, those actors are gonna expect to get paid like the now-famous people they are.

You also have to factor in the fatigue of making a show like this. Most of the actors have spoken about how miserable filming the show is, at least the ones involved in the battles. That's probably doubly true for the showrunners.

By adapting the books at such a rigid book per season pace early, though, they unwittingly screwed themselves later, because at some point they realized this thing had to actually end but they were nowhere fucking near the end point, which meant they had to fast-track it.

 

[inliner311]

I don't think it was that so much as that they didn't really plan the show properly from the outset. Realistically, Game of Thrones would probably need ten to twelve seasons to properly adapt the books, and blockbuster, expensive shows like Game of Thrones don't get ten seasons because, at a certain point, they have to do contract renewals with their actors. And if a show is a blockbuster hit, those actors are gonna expect to get paid like the now-famous people they are.

You also have to factor in the fatigue of making a show like this. Most of the actors have spoken about how miserable filming the show is, at least the ones involved in the battles. That's probably doubly true for the showrunners.

By adapting the books at such a rigid book per season pace early, though, they unwittingly screwed themselves later, because at some point they realized this thing had to actually end but they were nowhere fucking near the end point, which meant they had to fast-track it.

I don't think it's a lack of planning. I think there is a big different between deciding what to cut from the books and adapting the books to TV vs having to break the story themselves.

I've listened to alot of podcasts with Benioff and Weiss. They basically wrote the scripts themselves without a writers room and then split up the production between location between the two of them. When they had to create the story themselves without any source material, they just weren't able to recreate George RR Martin's pace and detail. Martin took years and alot of redrafts to write the books, it would be impossible to recreate that in 12-18 months.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I don't think it's a lack of planning. I think there is a big different between deciding what to cut from the books and adapting the books to TV vs having to break the story themselves.

I've listened to alot of podcasts with Benioff and Weiss. They basically wrote the scripts themselves and then split up the production between location between the two of them. When they had to create the story themselves without any source material, they just weren't able to recreate George RR Martin's pace and detail. Martin took years and alot of redrafts to write the books, it would be impossible to recreate that in 12-18 months.

Well, I say it was poor planning because they suddenly found themselves in a position where they only had four seasons left (two of which were later shortened) to essentially adapt what will be three massive books (Dance, Winds, Dream) and one shorter one (Feast). Given that they basically took two seasons to adapt the third book, which is roughly the same length as Dance, there just wasn't a way to do this properly without seriously fast-tracking things.

If they had planned things better, they could have sped up the early seasons a bit so they were left with more time to tie everything together toward the end instead of just jamming it all into a dozen episodes.

 

[inliner311]

Well, I say it was poor planning because they suddenly found themselves in a position where they only had four seasons left (two of which were later shortened) to essentially adapt what will be three massive books (Dance, Winds, Dream) and one shorter one (Feast). Given that they basically took two seasons to adapt the third book, which is roughly the same length as Dance, there just wasn't a way to do this properly without seriously fast-tracking things.

If they had planned things better, they could have sped up the early seasons a bit so they were left with more time to tie everything together toward the end instead of just jamming it all into a dozen episodes.

I think they thought they would have the books from George RR Martin to finish off the series. He hasn't put out a book since 2011. He has been promising the 6th book since the show started.

They probably have details from Martin on how he would end the series but to actually write and do all the production has to be crazy. I actually think that's why the season were shorten, they couldn't make enough scripts and also do production.

It's kind of like how Lord of the Rings movies were so good because the source material was so good and detailed. When Peter Jackson decided to take the Hobbit and extend it to 3 movies from a book that was shorter than any of the 3 Lord of the Rings books, it definitely took a hit.

I think the poor planning came from HBO deciding to make a TV series from books that weren't a complete series.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I think they thought they would have the books from George RR Martin to finish off the series. He hasn't put out a book since 2011. He has been promising the 6th book since the show started.

But even if Martin had gotten the books out, they would have had to be streamlined considerably, because the show was always going to end after about eight seasons based on the fatigue of everyone involved. Can't imagine these people signing on for two more seasons.

 

[inliner311]

But even if Martin had gotten the books out, they would have had to be streamlined considerably, because the show was always going to end after about eight seasons based on the fatigue of everyone involved. Can't imagine these people signing on for two more seasons.

I'm not sure they would have had to sign on for much more if Martin had the books to them, maybe one more season than it currently is. They wouldn't have shorten the season and they might have extended the episodes run times to get everything in.

 

[Sebastian]

Well, I'll take "This Fucking Sucks" for $2000.

Pancreatic cancer has very low survival rates (5%) as it is usually only caught when the disease is well advanced due to the pancreas having few pain receptors. Once one does start experiencing pain, it is due to the cancer having grown and expanded to other areas of the abdomen.

However, there are new treatments and there is hope if it hasn't spread too much. The guy who played Ser Ilyan Payne, the King's Justice in Game of Thrones, Wilko Johnson, was Dx'd with pancreatic cancer in the fourth stage nine years ago, given 9 months to live, but is still alive and kicking. There are several different types of pancreatic cancer and not all of them are as lethal as the adenocarcinoma that most get. Johnson developed a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor which is far less aggressive.


'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek says he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer

By Elizabeth Zwirz | Fox News
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek revealed in a YouTube video Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek, 78, learned of his condition this week, he said in the video.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cInGyxCY9k&feature=youtu.be


"Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working," he said. "And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease."

Taking a lighter note, Trebek then quipped that he'd have to recover in order to fulfill his hosting duties. "Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host 'Jeopardy!' for three more years!" he said. "So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you." He offered the update on his health, he said, to be "open and transparent" with fans of the TV show.

Trebek's plan at this point is to at least work through and complete the show's ongoing season, TMZ reported. The season typically runs through the end of July. He has hosted the show since 1984.

"Jeopardy!" alum Ken Jennings, who won more consecutive games than any other contestant on the show, tweeted after the news surfaced.

"I’ve said this before but Alex Trebek is in a way the last Cronkite: authoritative, reassuring TV voice you hear every night, almost to the point of ritual."

 

[The Voice]

Well, I say it was poor planning because they suddenly found themselves in a position where they only had four seasons left (two of which were later shortened) to essentially adapt what will be three massive books (Dance, Winds, Dream) and one shorter one (Feast). Given that they basically took two seasons to adapt the third book, which is roughly the same length as Dance, there just wasn't a way to do this properly without seriously fast-tracking things.

If they had planned things better, they could have sped up the early seasons a bit so they were left with more time to tie everything together toward the end instead of just jamming it all into a dozen episodes.

Yeah and three of those four (most likely all four) are better then anything that has ever hit television, including the wire. The best show of all time is Game of Thrones.

 

[BMAN]

View: https://twitter.com/lotronprime/status/1103656946509344768?s=21


This gets me going.....if you know what I mean.

 

[Ohio]

View: https://twitter.com/lotronprime/status/1103656946509344768?s=21


This gets me going.....if you know what I mean.

Oh hell yeah! Pumped for this.

Hope they are able to bring back the elven actors/actresses from the movies.

 

[Mike Manifesto]

Within the last 2 weeks, we finished:

-R Kelly lifetime doc
-Abducted in Plain Sight
-Ted Bundy Tapes

Just started "You" last night. Got me hooked.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I don't think it was that so much as that they didn't really plan the show properly from the outset. Realistically, Game of Thrones would probably need ten to twelve seasons to properly adapt the books, and blockbuster, expensive shows like Game of Thrones don't get ten seasons because, at a certain point, they have to do contract renewals with their actors. And if a show is a blockbuster hit, those actors are gonna expect to get paid like the now-famous people they are.

It's really tough to say because the perspective of readers and viewers can be so different. Hell, even readers can have very different perspectives.

I read AGOT a few months after it was published, and I thought the quality of A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords was outstanding. But I thought the quality dropped after that, especially with the addition of a bunch of subplots that I personally found very tedious. I've never really given two shits about most of what went on in Essos from that point on, including Arya's story. I thought Meereen in particular dragged like hell, and the whole Quentyn Martell story seemed utterly pointless. And I don't care about Jon Connington, or fake Aeron...or any of the that. Bleh. I don't even think Martin himself cared about a lot of that -- he wrote himself into a corner, got timelines out of sync, so added a bunch of different shit to make it work.

The show obviously streamlined some of that, along with some other things. The real question is whether they did that purely because of time constraints, or was it really just editing to tell a better narrative story? Because obviously, they knew by the time they hit Season 3 and knew that they were splitting ASOS into two full seasons that they'd have to shorten the last few books.

I generally prefer the choices they've made over the ones Martin made after A Storm of Swords, and I'm glad as hell they didn't try to include all that stuff and stretch it to 10-12 seasons.

 

[David.]

Leaving never land anyone?

 

[Ohio]

Leaving never land anyone?

Watched the first one and half the second one before falling asleep.

Pretty much confirms what I've always thought.

 

[Coyote850]

If you have Amazon Prime watch the first episode of "Tom Clancy's : Jack Ryan" Its good.