Movies vs. TV series: Which side are you on?

Rebecca Peterson3 said:Honestly, I am counting down the days until the next season. Even the basic premise hooked me—that character who is physically free but mentally shackled... there’s just something about that slow, deliberate pacing that really works for me.
It possesses everything a truly great series should have, though I suppose in an era where standards have plummeted so low that people mistake absolute garbage for prestige television, it’s a different story entirely.

I can barely stand to watch Game of Thrones, and as for Breaking Bad, I actually tapped out after the second season; it was decent enough, but I just couldn't find the motivation to keep going.
The Fall is also incredibly, incredibly solid... Scully is mature, sharp, and doesn't take anyone's nonsense. Highly recommended.

I haven't started The Fall yet, but all I hear is praise. Scully and The X Files are top tier! At least those first six seasons are masterpieces of modern television.

Rebecca Peterson3 said:Honestly, I am counting down the days until the next season. Even the basic premise hooked me—that character who is physically free but mentally shackled... there’s just something about that slow, deliberate pacing that really works for me.
It possesses everything a truly great series should have, though I suppose in an era where standards have plummeted so low that people mistake absolute garbage for prestige television, it’s a different story entirely.

I can barely stand to watch Game of Thrones, and as for Breaking Bad, I actually tapped out after the second season; it was decent enough, but I just couldn't find the motivation to keep going.
The Fall is also incredibly, incredibly solid... Scully is mature, sharp, and doesn't take anyone's nonsense. Highly recommended.

I agree that watching a series is a bigger thrill, but only if it actually holds up. You need consistency. The Wire is the gold standard. The Sopranos too, and even Homicide—even if season seven was a mess, I could watch the debates between Bayliss and Pembleton for days. No show today can replicate that.

electricbison21 said:Get your head in the game and pick up the right hammer! We could spend all day fighting over subjective opinions and pushing our own agendas.
Shameless is just freaking fun. Seriously, can you name one show that doesn't moralize its characters as much as that one does?

In my book, it's just your run-of-the-mill trashy TV. They basically just aim for maximum chaos and call it a day. The main selling point seems to be that the oldest sister—Fiona, I think—gets laid in basically every single episode. I used to be a fan myself, but honestly, the quality just tanks with every passing season, so I don't think it belongs in any conversation about truly great television... Macy is a decent actor, sure, but that's about it. Everything else is just "let's see how shocking we can make this."

Movies are my thing. I simply lack the discipline required for series. There is certainly high quality to be found there, but it demands either an almost obsessive level of commitment to follow a specific TV schedule or a manic habit of binge-watching for several hours every single day. Since I tend to overindulge in films, I just can't find the time to keep up with television shows.

I’d like to pivot to another point here. When everyone starts parroting this idea of the "golden age of television"—something our journalists and audiences (and really, the whole World) just repeat like a script—it ends up being incredibly American-centric. It’s almost exclusively about US shows. Sure, people might mention that British series are on par, but let’s be real: the Brits established their quality standards decades ago; it’s hardly news to them. Maybe you'll see some Frenchmen or Scandinavians trying to keep up with the trends, but they just don't have the production budgets to actually compete at that level.

Small-scale cinema can still reach a global audience, but it happens strictly through movies. And even though Americans set the trends that everyone else follows, I don't see that changing anytime soon. Just tell me how many Romanian series you've actually sat through lately, and I'll tell you how many recent Romanian films I've watched. 😉

Do you honestly think anyone outside their own borders has heard of Mad, confused, normal or Return to the Roots, or No Man's Land, Grbavica, etc.?

Movies that require absolutely zero brainpower. Look, film is art; TV series are entertainment—provided they actually have substance. Otherwise, they're just a way to kill time.

There’s something that bridges both worlds here

The Knick

It’s shot like a feature film. Absolutely top-tier 😍

I’m torn on this one. There are incredible movies and there are incredible series, and honestly, I don't want to pick a side.

Angela Kern69 said:Movies that require absolutely zero brainpower. Look, film is art; TV series are entertainment—provided they actually have substance. Otherwise, they're just a way to kill time.

👍

And why on earth does it have to be one or the other? Honestly... I love sitting down to a high-quality movie just as much as I love bingeing a great series. Sure, you can find absolute garbage in both formats—don't get me wrong there—but that's just how it goes.

Andrew Roberts3 said:And why on earth does it have to be one or the other? Honestly... I love sitting down to a high-quality movie just as much as I love bingeing a great series. Sure, you can find absolute garbage in both formats—don't get me wrong there—but that's just how it goes.

Because that's the whole point of the thread.

The original post lays out the argument that people are constantly claiming "TV series have overtaken movies"—so this is our space to tear that thesis apart or back it up with our own takes. If you don't have a horse in the race, just say you're neutral.

A series has to be genuinely top-tier for me to even bother watching it, though I definitely have a soft spot for dark comedy.
As for movies, honestly, just throw anything my way. 🙏 Just don't give me horror; I've pretty much checked out of that genre entirely.

Honestly, TV shows are just crushing movies right now, I guess.

I’m firmly in the movie camp. Think about it—you could probably squeeze in three or four really solid films in the time it takes to get through one decent TV season. To me, that just makes more sense economically. 😁 Though, I have to admit, when I actually stumble upon a series that hits the mark, it’s such a massive win. The problem is that shows almost always seem to lose their spark after the first season or two—shout out to the rare exceptions, of course—so I usually just give up on them. With a movie, even if it starts off shaky, I’ll usually push through to the end. But with a series? If I’m not hooked within the first couple of episodes, there's absolutely no way I'm sticking around.

Rebecca Peterson3 said:We’ve actually already had a thread dedicated to this topic over on the film board.
To me, cinema is true art, whereas TV series often feel like mass-produced commodities... though I find myself watching both regardless.

It’s classic overestimation.
Rectify is a Solid series, certainly, but it's just one among many and nothing more than that...

I can agree with you regarding sitcoms.

Everyone’s agreeing on sitcoms, but that's not the point. The question isn't about whether we're in some "golden age of sitcoms," it's whether they actually beat out the comedies from that same era.😉

Which comedies are actually better than 30 Rock during that stretch?

I'm talking even compared to The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother.

So, yeah, even those light, commercialized sitcoms—are there five comedies out there that genuinely top them?

I’m honestly a fan of both movies and shows equally. For me, it all really boils down to the plot—if the story grabs me, I’m in, regardless of whether it's a two-hour movie or a multi-season series.
If I'm streaming online or watching downloaded stuff, I tend to lean toward movies just because they're quicker. To get through an entire season of a show, you have to commit way more time than you would for a single film. But when I'm just flipping through cable on TV, I watch them both about the same amount.
As for which format is "better," it really depends. There are absolute gems in both categories, and there's plenty of junk too. It's just about what you're watching, not how long it lasts.

Richard Wilson4 said:Everyone’s agreeing on sitcoms, but that's not the point. The question isn't about whether we're in some "golden age of sitcoms," it's whether they actually beat out the comedies from that same era.😉

Which comedies are actually better than 30 Rock during that stretch?

I'm talking even compared to The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother.

So, yeah, even those light, commercialized sitcoms—are there five comedies out there that genuinely top them?

Sure, but you have to understand that those shows aren't anything special to me. I don't care for shows that just throw jokes at the wall. 30 Rock is better written than those two I can't stand, but it's still nothing groundbreaking. Even though it isn't strictly a comedy, I find Louie funnier than all three of those combined. I prefer intelligent humor mixed with a decent dose of drama.

Bottom line: Louie was an excellent series during that period.

Now, regarding movies. Last year's What We Do in the Shadows was hilarious. With the American version of The Intouchables, I was laughing constantly, yet it had plenty of dramatic weight.

I also enjoy Alan Partridge. To me, The Trip and Alpha Papa are top-tier comedies. Since you aren't a fan of Brit humor, you probably won't dig this style.😁

As for American films, last year's The Grand Budapest Hotel was outstanding. It blends comedy and drama, but the drama doesn't overwhelm because of the absurd situations. Wes Anderson isn't for everyone, but I appreciate his style.

Chef was good too.

Generally, I prefer a mix of comedy and drama about 90% of the time; pure comedies only appeal to me about 10% of the time. M*A*S*H did a great job blending the two, especially in the later seasons.

That's why I dislike comedies that just try too hard to be funny by tossing out one-liners. It doesn't work for me. Have you seen M*A*S*H? The characters were caricatures throwing out jokes, but when the dramatic moments hit, it was the most emotional show I've ever watched. That's why their jokes actually landed.

Richard Wilson4 said:Everyone’s agreeing on sitcoms, but that's not the point. The question isn't about whether we're in some "golden age of sitcoms," it's whether they actually beat out the comedies from that same era.😉

Which comedies are actually better than 30 Rock during that stretch?

I'm talking even compared to The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother.

So, yeah, even those light, commercialized sitcoms—are there five comedies out there that genuinely top them?

I haven't really sat down with 30 Rock—looks decent enough—but honestly, any movie by Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen is funnier than TBBT (which is fine, I guess) or HIMYM (which feels overrated just because there isn't much better out there). And those are just standard, grounded movies. For them, The Guard is basically their version of Amarcord.

frozenraven39 said:I haven't really sat down with 30 Rock—looks decent enough—but honestly, any movie by Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen is funnier than TBBT (which is fine, I guess) or HIMYM (which feels overrated just because there isn't much better out there). And those are just standard, grounded movies. For them, The Guard is basically their version of Amarcord.

Look, I'm gonna have to disagree.

A top-tier episode of HIMYM or TBBT—let's say through the first three seasons of both—is actually several notches higher than even This Is the End by Rogen. Meanwhile, Pineapple Express or Superbad are way, way weaker by comparison.

bluenomad2 said:Sure, but you have to understand that those shows aren't anything special to me. I don't care for shows that just throw jokes at the wall. 30 Rock is better written than those two I can't stand, but it's still nothing groundbreaking. Even though it isn't strictly a comedy, I find Louie funnier than all three of those combined. I prefer intelligent humor mixed with a decent dose of drama.

Bottom line: Louie was an excellent series during that period.

Now, regarding movies. Last year's What We Do in the Shadows was hilarious. With the American version of The Intouchables, I was laughing constantly, yet it had plenty of dramatic weight.

I also enjoy Alan Partridge. To me, The Trip and Alpha Papa are top-tier comedies. Since you aren't a fan of Brit humor, you probably won't dig this style.😁

As for American films, last year's The Grand Budapest Hotel was outstanding. It blends comedy and drama, but the drama doesn't overwhelm because of the absurd situations. Wes Anderson isn't for everyone, but I appreciate his style.

Chef was good too.

Generally, I prefer a mix of comedy and drama about 90% of the time; pure comedies only appeal to me about 10% of the time. M*A*S*H did a great job blending the two, especially in the later seasons.

That's why I dislike comedies that just try too hard to be funny by tossing out one-liners. It doesn't work for me. Have you seen M*A*S*H? The characters were caricatures throwing out jokes, but when the dramatic moments hit, it was the most emotional show I've ever watched. That's why their jokes actually landed.

You can see for yourself that besides The Big Bang Theory, none of the stuff you listed are massive mainstream hits.

Real blockbusters are things like Sex Tape, most of Sandler's movies, and that kind of crap.😉

Even something more Solid like 21 Jump Street? To me, that's still not quite hitting the level of How I Met Your Mother.

frozenraven39 said:I haven't really sat down with 30 Rock—looks decent enough—but honestly, any movie by Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen is funnier than TBBT (which is fine, I guess) or HIMYM (which feels overrated just because there isn't much better out there). And those are just standard, grounded movies. For them, The Guard is basically their version of Amarcord.

Man, this movie is actually solid. Seriously. 👍