Travis McClain

Previously on DVD Talk TV on DVD* Challenge...


It's December, which means we're all trying to keep up with the demanding frenzy of the holiday season. Thankfully, at the end of all this we can look forward to the onset of bleak, isolating winter and no compelling reason to do anything except flake out with unhealthy, hours-long TV marathon viewings. We welcome, then, the DVD Talk TV on DVD* Challenge Sixth Season!


This is based on the 1 movie = 2 broadcast hours conversion formula. To meet the goal, you could watch:

• 200 one-hour episodes
• 400 half-hour episodes
• 800 quarter-hour episodes (think: [adult swim])
• Or any combination thereof

Guidelines/Rules

• This is not a challenge pitting your final view count against anyone else's. You're fighting your own schedule and capacity for gorging on TV content.
• Challenge begins at Dusk (your time) on Boxing Day, 26 December 2015, and concludes at Dawn (your time), 1 February 2016. Why? I dunno. Something about the Oscar Challenge starting at the end of January and people being antsy to start gorging on TV earlier.
• Eligible content is anything originally produced for television broadcast, including television series, mini-series, made-for-TV movies and specials (including, but not limited to, stand-up specials and music performances).
• Also eligible are movies that are directly part of the continuity of eligible content. For example, you could count Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, because it is part of the Batman: The Animated Series continuity, but you couldn't count The Dark Knight, because that trilogy is self-contained and does not connect with any Batman TV continuities.
• Remember also that 26 December through 1 January overlaps with the Holiday Challenge, so if you've got any Holiday-themed TV content you want to squeeze in, it counts for both challenges during the overlap period!
• * The emphasis of this challenge should be to explore the impact that the DVD format has had on how we view TV content, but you are not restricted to the DVD format. You may watch your content on VHS, Blu-ray, over-the-air broadcast, digital download, online streaming; whatever format suits you.

The final days of the TV on DVD* Challenge will overlap with the beginning of the 2015 Oscar Challenge. There are a few selections that qualify for both challenges:

• Disneyland "Man in Space"
• Fanny and Alexander - Television Cut
• Star Trek
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• The Twilight Zone "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge"

Don't forget to check out the TV Talk sub-forum, where you may very well find other fans of the shows you choose to watch during the challenge!

• At the end of the challenge, the host will create a randomized numeric list, ranging from the lowest eligible List Thread post number to the highest. The first number drawn will be given the first chance to select the prize of his or her choosing, then the second number drawn, etc., until all prizes have been awarded.
  
• Prize winners will be notified in the Discussion Thread and through Private Message by the host. Prize winners have 48 hours to respond, or their prize will be forfeit. This is to ensure that prizes are all awarded and distributed in a timely fashion.
  
• To be eligible, you must have one (1) post in the forthcoming List Thread. Your post number will be your entry number in the randomized drawing.
  
• A challenge participant may only win one prize. If you create more than one post in the List Thread, only your first post's number will count; subsequent post numbers, if drawn, will be ineligible to win. This is to ensure that no one has greater odds of winning than anyone else.
  
• A List Thread post that does not contain any logged viewings will be ineligible to win. This is to ensure that prizes are awarded to active participants.
  
• Prizes can only be shipped to residents of the United States.
  
• * Indicates that this prize has been marked for promotional purposes

shadokitty

I can't wait. I hope you're still doing okay Travis. . I have a lot of TV shows I look forward to gorging on, and we even have a new channel on Dish, since the Smithsonian Channel was recently added.

Travis McClain

I've been holding steady for the last month-ish, though I've had some spikes of anxiety and I'm definitely concerned how rough winter is going to be for me. This past week was a bit low for me health-wise, both physical and mental. One of the bright spots, though, is that I finally turned to Hulu and got caught up on The Muppets. I haven't laughed this hard at anything on TV in a very long time! I've actually had to rewind a few times because I was laughing over the TV. I'm not very good about keeping up with currently produced TV shows, but I hope to remember to check for new episodes of this each week. It felt good to actually be distracted and laugh for 20 minutes at a time. And really, isn't that one of the most important things TV can do for us?

Favorite moment so far: Fozzie, being mocked for shaking off water like a dog when he gets out of the shower, turns to Bobo for some support since he's also a bear.

Bobo: "Uh, I have an associate's degree. I use a towel."

I seriously laughed for a solid two minutes at that. Hell, I'm chuckling now just having typed that.

shadokitty

Good to hear. I know that's why I enjoy TV myself. I even decided this morning that I'm going to spend less time on video games, to focus on stuff like TV that I really enjoy. Some games hurt my depression. Played Battlefield last night, and while it distracted me at the time, woke up in a worse mood than before.

Trevor

800 Adult Swim episodes in one month? That sounds like something I would try. Not next month mind you, but some year when I'm retired maybe.....

Travis McClain

I am possibly the single worst video game player of my generation.

If you do, first contact some nearby universities. They may pay you money to monitor the effects and publish their findings.

shadokitty

I plan to take a day today to do just TV, with maybe the occasional holiday movie thrown in.

Trevor

I think there are a couple super hero origin stories that begin with the hero subjecting themselves to a similar marathon.

shadokitty

Cartoon Man?

I just watched the last half hour of New Day Saturday on CNN. It was mostly talking about San Bernardino.

Cardsfan111

Already have plenty of eligible content ready to go.

I hope to finish up Batman (starting season 2) & The Twilight Zone (1 season left) on BD. I have a few other things I'd like to get to, but those will be my main goals.

shadokitty

Glad to see I'm not the only one who seems to be excited about the challenge coming up. Starting early is great too. Thinking of buying season 2 of Battlestar Galactica, and maybe Buck Rogers. I finished my Blu Ray of Yellowstone: Battle For Life this morning, and renewed my subscription to Sling TV as well.

shadokitty

I decided what I want to work on first. Right now I'm working on Season 1 of Ancient Aliens. Watching the first episode right now. I don't work on whole shows, just seasons at a time, peppered with random stuff on Dish. I own Seasons 1 - 4, but have no plans to buy anymore, as I get the rest on TV multiple times a week, on H2.

Surfinhank

Thanks for hosting again this year, Travis. Looking forward to it. I tend to watch mostly movies throughout the year, so this challenge is great at "forcing" me to deal with the mountain of unwatched season sets I manage to collect every year.

Trevor

I think I'm finally going to watch some Arrow and Flash and Gotham next month. DC Comic addict since the 1970s, and I've never seen a minute of any of these; I don't get me.

malazar

I kinda crapped out on this challenge last year between being in the hospital and then staying with my parents while I was recovering, so looking forward to having a good bounce back this time around.

BobO'Link

I do... Being another DC reader, especially the Superman and Batman titles, since 1960 I have much the same issue. I've not seen a second of any of those, even so far as never seeing previews of the shows (I no longer watch "live" TV), only knowing about them from ads in the single DC title I now purchase (Martian Manhunter).

I've been generally underwhelmed with the majority of DC's theatrical and TV product, far preferring Marvel films, in spite of them having what I feel are generally weaker books. I've read some Marvel over the past 10 years, with the best one being Bendis' "Ultimate Spiderman," a non-main universe title, but have dropped all of those as Marvel seemingly reboots and/or rewrights their entire universe every three years or so.

What's kept *me* away from the latest DC TV fare is Smallville, a series I really tried to like but just couldn't get into. It's not "my" Superboy and just doesn't feel "right." I know that's not fair but that's the way it is...

Part of me really wants to sample Arrow as I like Ollie, at least in the comics.

I have the earlier Flash TV series(1990) but it was purchased because I got it really cheap (~$5) or I might not have bothered as I'm just not a huge fan of Flash. For me he's always been "just a guy who runs fast."

I can't decide about Gotham as it sounds like yet another revamp of Batman's origin story, a large part of my dislike for the latest Batman movie trilogy, well... that, the idiotic "car," and Bale's horrible take on Batman, which I feel is the worst on film. I have the third film but can't make myself watch it as I really disliked the first two.

I have *no* idea what I'll start with this time. I have so much unopened product that it's become difficult to select the next season/show to watch. I'm kind of leaning towards *finally* pulling out The Man from U.N.C.L.E., or The Saint, or Kung Fu, or Rumpole of the Bailey, or It Takes a Thief, or In Search Of..., or The Fugitive, or Robin of Sherwood, or The Adventures of Jim Bowie, or...

Trevor

For your sake, I hope you don't (get me) Bob. Your reasons there are logical and valid, those conditions rarely apply to me.

I love Smallville, though I just started it last year and am only at season 4 or 5 right now. I really enjoy all the DC movies, though the new Marvel ones are better. I know for a fact that I'll absolutely love Arrow and Flash and Supergirl for sure, and probably Gotham too. My reasons are just a lack of time, combined with a stupid 'save the best for last' philosophy and a slaveishness to the Challenges. So while I know I'll love them, there are only a few months a year where I'd even consider watching them, I have mountains of lesser material to get to first, and I generally only spend an hour in front of the TV a day. I probably have enough material for the next 15 years at my current rate, if I quit buying cold turkey now.

shadokitty

I think I'm coming down with the flu, as I haven't felt good for the last two days. Today seems like a good day to veg in bed and watch TV.

shadokitty

I wonder if anyone else started gorging on TV yet, or I'm the only one who likes it enough to start early?

lisadoris

I just started re-watching Daria since I forgot when this challenge started. I planned on watching the Trek franchise in 2016 so this challenge will keep me on track.

shadokitty

I was in the mood for some Netflix, so I turned on my PS3, and after browsing, decided on an episode of Built For the Kill, a National Geographic nature documentary about predators that I started a while back. It's a good show.

BobO'Link

Any time I'm not fully involved with a challenge that's my normal state - TV show marathoning. The Holiday Challenge is one in which I participate but not with the same fervor as others. For that one I tend to watch just my favorites with the occasional new film, the "specials" the grandkids select for viewing, and one or two holiday films I like but not enough to make it a annual selection. As a result, lots of TV series get watched during December.

Just last night I watched Series (aka season) 2 of Coupling, a BBC program I recently "discovered" and purchased.

shadokitty

Note to self, when you want something done right, customer service on the phone is the way to go. I had a question regarding my free year of Prime, since it was said to end tomorrow, and I was supposed to get another free year. Chat actually ended the chat on me after 3 transfers. I called, got it straightened out in just a few minutes with one man. My new year won't show till my first year is up.

Dimension X

Just when I decide you and I have completely opposite tastes...
...you go and like something I like.

You'll probably hate it when
I liked Smallville overall, but I can definitely see why others didn't. I'm behind on all the comic book shows right now (and have never seen Supergirl or the Marvel ones), but I'm planning on playing catch up on the DC shows and The Walking Dead later this month (I think they're all on hiatus, or will be soon). Then maybe I'll watch some of the Marvel ones on Netflix during the Action Challenge, or in May.

I usually watch something from the '70s that I own on disc and at least one modern rental during this challenge. I know I'll be continuing with Charlie's Angels.

BobO'Link

Don't get me wrong... I *do* enjoy many of the DC movies, just not the "Superman" or "Batman" ones of the past 20 years.

I absolutely *love* Superman: The Motion Picture and like Superman II and, bad as they are, enjoy III and IV more than the recent attempts at putting the character on film, although Henry Cavill does make a very good Clark/Superman, he's just been given "meh" type product.

I also, surprisingly, love the two Tim Burton "Batman" films. Going into those I felt the selection of Michael Keaton as Bruce/Batman was a huge mistake but was floored to discover he pulled it off very well. Much better than anyone who's been put in the suit since those films. Like the "Superman" films I like Batman and Robin and Batman Forever better than the Nolan films, but not by much. I keep wishing someone would option Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" a live action film.

I'm one of a very small handful of people who admit to liking Supergirl (1984) and Green Lantern (2011).

I generally like newer DC animated product much better than their live action work. Batman: The Animated Series is one of the absolutely best takes on the character I've seen. Due to reviews of and the strength of that Batman series I blind purchased Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League. I've watched some of Justice League and find it just as strong as BTAS. I haven't yet viewed any of the Superman episodes but, if the reveiws are any indication, I expect to enjoy it as well.

That said, I *do* want to see some episodes of Supergirl, as she's a favorite, *IF* she's the original Kara Zor-El, cousin of Kal-El. It would be a *huge* bonus if she actually came from Kandor as in the Silver Age stories.

I'd probably sample the current DC live action series but, due to some modifications in my entertainment center coupled with changes by the cable company, no longer have the ability to time-shift material. Add to that the huge backlog (rough guess of at least 3 years worth if watching ~3 hours per day) of TVonDVD product I have unopened and there's little incentive to seek out streaming choices.