Travis McClain

We've still got a month to go, but I wanted to get the discussion thread live while I'm thinking about it. I've given a lot of thought to how brilliantly Chad orchestrates the Horror Challenge, with daily theme nights as well as specific films. What would y'all think about us designating some specific shows to highlight? This wouldn't be "mandatory" or anything, but rather just something to get groups of us going back and forth about the same shows throughout the month. I was thinking maybe four mini-series, short runners, or new shows that haven't got many episodes yet that we could highlight each week of the challenge. We'd also feature one or two longer series for the whole month. They'd still be manageable to complete within the month, so we might do the original Star Trek (79 episodes) but not TNG (178). This would put six shows in play. For example:

Week 1: Band of Brothers (10 1-hour-ish episodes)
Week 2: Firefly (14 1-hour episodes and 1 movie)
Week 3: Roots (8 1-hour episodes, 2 of them 90 minutes)
Week 4: Scenes From a Marriage (1973) (6 1-hour episodes)
Month A: Twin Peaks (47 1-hour episodes, 1 90-minute episode, 1 movie, and an alternate movie)
Month B: The Sopranos (98 1-hour episodes)

Does this idea appeal to you? If so, what shows would you suggest? Do you have any other ideas of what we might do?

LJG765

I'm in! I think that could give structure for when you want to watch something, but aren't sure what. I would say that out of your examples, I'd only be slightly interested in one of them. I know it'd be impossible to make everyone happy, but maybe after getting a list of titles from interested people, we could vote and the top 4/6 will be chosen? Or maybe make sure the genres are a bit more diversified? A comedy, sci-fi/fantasy, drama, classic or history based...and so on. That way if someone wanted just light fair, they could participate in comedy week or they really like documentaries, they could participate that week.

I would say Star Trek would definitely be something that a lot of people would be interested in and have access to, so maybe a really good first time series to start with?

Suggestions: Star Trek (You could easily just designate a season or two rather than the whole series). Bones, M*A*S*H, Marvel shows (though this would be tougher since they are a Disney+ offering for the most part). I'm sure I could think of more if you give me time.

coyoteblue

Consider British TV. The average season is 6-10 episodes. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to be the older shows, like The Avengers, Danger Man, The Saint, etc... Some fun ones to consider might be Yonderland, Quatermass and the Pit, Dirk Gently (2010)/Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016), Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Mighty Boosh, Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, Danger 5, etc...

Travis McClain

Oh, I wasn't necessarily pitching those exact series. Just using them to illustrate what I'm proposing. I definitely like the idea of doing different genres. I did not illustrate that particularly well with my examples. I agree that the original Star Trek is a good fit since it seems in any given year at least one or two participants go through it and I think all the regulars have done it at least once, so conversation about that should be doable for a lot of us. My only apprehension is this becoming a de facto Star Trek thread, but I'm fine with going along with it if there's a consensus.

I favor picking series that can be reasonably finished throughout one month, if only for the tidiness for participants who will want to shift to the Musical/Romance challenge in February and leave TV binging behind. Again, though, I'll gladly defer to consensus.

Accessibility is a primary concern I have about doing specific series, which is a key reason I wanted to get this discussion going now. It should give us enough time for anyone who wants to watch a specific show to work out how they want to do it. That reminds me, I want to put together a list of free (legal) streaming services. Offhand, I know of the following:

Crackle
IMDb
Peacock (free tier)
Plex
Pluto TV
The Roku Channel
Tubi
Vudu (limited selection primarily of first seasons)

I think it would be favorable to designate our featured series from those pools, so as to avoid putting anyone in the situation of having to take on a subscription, even if only for the month.

BobO'Link

I like all of those suggestions - the idea and ones Travis picked, LJG765's voting on a group (likely get more participation that way), and coyoteblue's inclusion of British TV as they really lend themselves well to daily/weekly type themes.

coyoteblue

ShoutFactoryTv.com

BobO'Link

I'd be absolutely OK with it becoming The Star Trek Challenge this year and allow *any* of the various series. I can talk about any of them and have seen all but the newest ones on CBS's subscription tier. BUT - if that means some folks just wouldn't participate then absolutely not! Even with the longer running shows you could pick a single season that was the turning point for the series (like S3 w/TNG) or was/is just an overall stellar season. Most of them, even when in the middle of a longer arc, have enough bottle episodes to make them interesting outside the main story.

I generally don't mess with streaming (I find all of the interfaces to be huge kludges and a pain to navigate) but my daughter's work recently gave her *three* Roku devices so she tossed one my way and I got it set up last week. That means I can actually sample more things (I'd been limited to web based or whatever apps were on the X-Box 360 - most of those no longer work) and use the TV rather than the computer (I just don't like watching TV on the computer unless I *really* want to see the program).

Travis McClain

You're absolutely right. British TV is ideal for this kind of thing! Tubi has a collection here. Alas, the only one you named that I found was Danger 5, which is apparently also on Shout! TV.

coyoteblue

What we're going to find on free to stream is mostly older stuff (that's not bad), and hit or miss, but it is something to keep in mind.

Travis McClain

Well, just to reiterate; anyone can watch and discuss whatever they like! If the group doesn't settle on any Trek for the featured series and you want to discuss it anyway, that's perfectly fine. I can talk Star Trek all day long. I may not even watch any of it during the challenge whether the group decides to feature it or not, but I'm sure I'll chime in whenever it comes up in the discussion thread. Believe me, I can go all the way down that rabbit hole. For all I care, we can just make the whole month a Star Trek challenge and dispense with all other TV altogether. I'd be cool with that.

Travis McClain

True, but it's still the same as with currently active shows: Either you've seen it or you haven't. Even then, if it's something you've already seen, you can still participate in the discussion.

shadokitty

Seeing as following theme weeks isn't mandatory, I don't see any problem with adding them.

Travis McClain

Does it interest you, though? If so, do you have any shows to nominate?

shadokitty

It does interest me, yes. But as far as any shows to nominate, I need to think.

On another note, if anyone enjoys the old black and white sci fi series, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Mill Creek Sci Fi TV set. I've been watching Flash Gordon for the past few days.

BobO'Link

I looked at the offerings on Tubi, have seen and would recommend these:

Mr. Bean
Doc. Martin
Robin Hood
Father Ted
Whose Line is it Anyway? (far superior to the US version/remake)
Black Books
The Protectors
Men Behaving Badly
Spaced

There are several others I've either heard of or own physical copies of but just haven't yet seen.

Shout TV also has some good British series:

Sapphire & Steel
The Prisoner
Space 1999
Hammer House of Horror
The Saint
Secret Agent

lisadoris

I'm cool with a bit of option structure. I'm gonna start by Babylon 5 re-watch during this challenge but there's room to watch other stuff.

Travis McClain

Ironically, despite being the one to propose the optional structure addition to the challenge, I've also already settled on a large viewing project. Over the last year, I've taken advantage of one sale or another and finally assembled the complete series box sets of the key cartoons of my childhood: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe; G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero; The Transformers; She-Ra, Princess of Power; ThunderCats; and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My plan is to go through all of them, episode by episode in their original air date order. I was unaware just how long TMNT ran after I stopped keeping up with it. There are episodes in that box set as late as 1996! There is absolutely no way I'll finish all this within the challenge month, of course, so I may want to watch whatever we settle on as the featured series just to cleanse my palate as I go.

shadokitty

I applaud your plan Travis. I'm already doing something similar myself. I have the complete G1 Transformers, including all three Japanese series, Voltron, GI Joe, both Sunbow and DiC series, MASK, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Seasons 1 of both He Man and She Ra, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs and other anime series.

Mr Awesome

it interests me, however I would suggest one be a comedy or a show of comedic tone.

Darkgod

I like the structure, I don't know if i'd participate, unless it was something I am trying to watch currently as I have way toooooooo many shows sitting in rotation.

Travis McClain

I think perhaps my original proposal was overly ambitious. Maybe let's scale it back and designate two or three series that we'll feature for the duration of the challenge. I'd like to do more than one just so there's some choice involved for participants. What viewing projects are you planning? We can start by seeing what everyone else wants to do, and find consensus of shared interests that way.

My Childhood Cartoon Craze Cycle will include:

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
The Transformers
She-Ra: Princess of Power
ThunderCats
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I'll be watching them collectively in air date order, so realistically, I expect I'll only get as far as the first three.

BobO'Link

I've not really given any thought to what I might watch this year. I have so much in the unopened pile that I'm pretty much open for almost anything.

Here are a few possible contenders for me this year:

Downton Abbey
Mission Impossible
Wonder Woman
The Andy Griffith Show
Farscape
Space 1999
The Flintstones
Doctor Who
Batman: TAS
Have Gun Will Travel
The Rifleman
Parks & Recreation
Steptoe and Son
Porridge
Rumpole of the Bailey

Darkgod

My plans:

Supernatural
Kolchek (Original)
Invaders

LJG765

I have a couple thoughts of what to watch, but so far focusing on Holiday fare for right now. Facts of Life has been on my list for a while. I've been thinking about re-watching M*A*S*H. I'm sure my list will expand more. Maybe add in some of the Marvel stuff on Disney+ to catch up on.

Travis McClain

Two things. One: So far, no two participants seem to be even considering the same shows so I think we'll abandon the featured series concept, this year anyway. Two: I only just realized there is an extraneous "s" in the word discussion in the title of this thread and now I must go into exile, never to communicate with humanity the rest of my banished days.