Television I'm Not Watching (Yet)

[butterfly]

I haven't watched any of S2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures yet or the second season of Secret Diaries of a Call Girl. In both cases, with the first series, I got to watch it completely at my own pace, because I had all the episodes before I started into the series.

And I remember how it felt to go from racing through S1 of Doctor Who to feeling a bit like I was being tortured while watching S2 (not because of the actual episodes but because my general flist attitude and commentators at that time were tending to be less and less pro-Rose even as I was very strongly attached to her and only growing more so) and spending far too much time comparing my opinions of the show with other people's and feeling like I was going crazy because I couldn't understand how they were getting 'Rose is going to choose to leave' out of what was being shown on screen (again, it's not about whether or not I agreed with them, it was because I was completely baffled as to how they came up with these particular theories, given what the text of the show was very clearly showing me about Rose's character arc and purpose).

So, I think that I might want to wait on both SJA and SDoaCG so that I can watch the second series of each show in the same personal way that I watched the first series.

(apparently, I wasn't worried about this with Torchwood. I'm not sure what that says)

Comments

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

Maybe because Torchwood is so much on crack it's hard to take seriously? EXCEPT WHEN IT BREAKS YOU'RE HEART AND YOU KNOW IF YOU DIDN'T CRY IN THE S2 FINALE YOU HAVE NO HEART.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hee. I *heart* Torchwood and its crack. *pets TW*

And the finale was so heartbreaking. Tosh! Owen! Tosh!

I loved the shout-out to Tosh's awesomeness in the DW finale.

[arclevel.livejournal.com]

Tosh's awesomeness is generally undeniable. I mean, how could they bring up Torchwood and *not* have a shout-out to Tosh's awesomeness??

I have a tendency to get interested in shows when they aren't actually on the air, or at least not in their first-run, so I tend to watch things in large bunches at a time, then read people's analyses later. Or, I find as much fanfic as I can while generally ignoring actual discussions and stuff - which pretty much describes what I'm currently doing with Doctor Who.

It does mean that for certain shows, I'm basically dependent on YouTube -- which brings me to: Where did you find Sarah Jane Adventures?? I tried desparately to find it on You Tube, and all I came up with was a few stray clips or fanvids. I actually found one person who had uploaded all of Series 1 of SDoaCG (and it says something about British TV series that I watched the whole season on a whim one day), and I watched the bulk of Torchwood that way, too.

If it's actually on TV somewhere, then that would be even better, but if so, it's doing a good job of hiding from my DVR.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Tosh's awesomeness is generally undeniable. I mean, how could they bring up Torchwood and *not* have a shout-out to Tosh's awesomeness??

So, so true. I mean, she can save people from beyond the grave. How awesome is that?

I have a tendency to get interested in shows when they aren't actually on the air, or at least not in their first-run, so I tend to watch things in large bunches at a time, then read people's analyses later. Or, I find as much fanfic as I can while generally ignoring actual discussions and stuff - which pretty much describes what I'm currently doing with Doctor Who.

I'm much more willing to enjoy competitive analysis much more when it's backed up by quotes and text from the show -- and so many of the people who were talking about Who seemed to be completely ignoring the text, which struck me as very bizarre.

It can definitely sometimes be much more enjoyable to catch up on a whole bunch of shows at a time -- whether or not I do that depends largely on my patient. I couldn't possibly have ever been patient enough to wait on watching DW S4, but apparently I can with SJA and SDoaCG.

It does mean that for certain shows, I'm basically dependent on YouTube -- which brings me to: Where did you find Sarah Jane Adventures?? I tried desparately to find it on You Tube, and all I came up with was a few stray clips or fanvids. I actually found one person who had uploaded all of Series 1 of SDoaCG (and it says something about British TV series that I watched the whole season on a whim one day), and I watched the bulk of Torchwood that way, too.

Hmm. 'Covert means' is possibly the best way of putting it. I'm going to see if I can't post something flocked a bit later with more information.

[sexyfemalealien.livejournal.com]

Oh Tosh!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

She is so much love.

*hearts Tosh*

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

And then all through S4, there was a certain line of thought that Rose would come back only to leave again because she'd moved on.

There probably is something to be said for avoiding fandom - it can make anyone go a little nutty.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It really is such an odd fandom. It seems like so many people decide what the storyline they're about to watch is about and then refuse to budge even if the text doesn't support it at all.

[sexyfemalealien.livejournal.com]

I find I enjoy most shows more if I watch them without all the fandom baggage. I had a couple of exceptions to this: Torchwood, in which I took great pleasure reading all sorts of conflicting opinions, and the 4th season of Doctor Who, in which I limited my fandom interactions pretty carefully -- this journal being one of the few places I trusted. I don't like encountering character-bashing and other unpleasant things, and I don't want the things I enjoy tainted by that sort of thing.

Incidentally, I'm doing a little experiment with Smallville, so when I finally sit down and watch it, I should have an interesting perspective. I've seen the pilot episode, and nothing beyond that. But I've read fanfic, watched fanvids, read meta, watched fan discussions, etc. -- I'm going to see how all of this fandom bias impacts my views of the characters and various plotlines once I finally do watch it, which I plan to do when the current season ends.

-- Spiletta42, using a RPG journal due to account-theft and trollish hijinks. (You should probably defriend me if you haven't already.)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I definitely limited my circle much more during S4 of DW than I had in the previous two series and it was a much more pleasant experience, much as I dislike that I had to do that in the first place.

Incidentally, I'm doing a little experiment with Smallville, so when I finally sit down and watch it, I should have an interesting perspective. I've seen the pilot episode, and nothing beyond that. But I've read fanfic, watched fanvids, read meta, watched fan discussions, etc. -- I'm going to see how all of this fandom bias impacts my views of the characters and various plotlines once I finally do watch it, which I plan to do when the current season ends.

Ooo! That sounds very interesting.

Spiletta42, using a RPG journal due to account-theft and trollish hijinks. (You should probably defriend me if you haven't already.)

*hugs*

I'm sorry that all this is happening to you.

[arabian.livejournal.com]

Well, I watched the first three and a half series of DW in a row without any fandom activity, and honestly the last half of series 4 of DW involved within the fandom (although, it was strictly within the Doctor/Rose fandom) was so, so, sooooooooo much more fun, so much better. I really enjoyed being able to interact with, enjoy, squee, rant, etc. over what was happening WHILE it was happening. All of my thoughts during the first three and a half were so after the fact.

I even sat down and dissected my emotions re: Doctor Who. As mentioned above I watched the first three and half series in a fell swoop, give or take and then I started season four -- even though it was in the midst of airing. And somewhere along the way, I got hooked. Obsessed. Bowled over. Consumed. Pick a term. I was there. And I spent a few weeks bemoaning the fact that I hadn't just waited until season four was over before diving back in. That way there would have been no torturous wait, I could watch it all in one fell swoop again and not suffer the agonizing frustration of waiting a FULL SEVEN DAYS!! before seeing the next episode.

But then something hit me as I was reading post after post on the current episode airing at the time (maybe "Midnight") and reading and discussing the after-episode reactions from all of the lovely new people in the Who-verse I've friended. Had I waited and jumped in after the series was over, sure I would have been able to watch it all together; I would have lovely, wonderful instant gratification. But, but, but ... I wouldn't have the experience of being a part of the fun, the agony, the frustration, the squee and the joy with all of my fellow addictees.

So, if the option is instant gratification or torturous wait ... as long as the wait comes along with a wonderful fandom with whom to share that torture, I pick the wait. (But only with shows I'm completely obsessed with, LOL!)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Well, I watched the first three and a half series of DW in a row without any fandom activity, and honestly the last half of series 4 of DW involved within the fandom (although, it was strictly within the Doctor/Rose fandom) was so, so, sooooooooo much more fun, so much better. I really enjoyed being able to interact with, enjoy, squee, rant, etc. over what was happening WHILE it was happening. All of my thoughts during the first three and a half were so after the fact.

Oh, yeah. I couldn't have stopped myself from watching DW S4 as it happened. I'm too invested in the characters. But I definitely restricted my reading to journals that wouldn't, you know, make me roll my eyes hard enough for them to fall out.

It's the people who help make the experience either enjoyable or frustrating. And after two experiences with 'frustrating' (S6 Buffy the Vampire Slayer and S2 Doctor Who)... if my only choices were 'watch alone' or 'watch with people who make me wonder where they left their brains', I'll choose the first option. But if I've got 'watch with other people who are having thoughtful and enjoyable discussion', yeah, I'm all over that!

[lookatmoiye7.livejournal.com]

There's not all that long to wait for SDOACG, at least. (Not that I could wait [OMGSOGOODSOSOSOSOSOGOODSORRYNOTHELPING]. I'm far too impatient - and besides, it doesn't have too much of a fandom, and all the people I do know that watch it think the same as me. So it's like being a nice little protective bubble of squee. *grins*) Only 3 more episodes to go!

I'll never understand the attitudes that people had towards Rose in S2. Thankfully, I came into the fandom between seasons 2 and 3, so I didn't have to get all upset and annoyed at the, erm, theories expressed (to put it nicely), but still. I still read some people's comments and thoughts and I really have to force myself to understand their thought processes. Because what they seem to see and what I see measure on two completely different ends of the scale.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

There's not all that long to wait for SDOACG, at least. (Not that I could wait [OMGSOGOODSOSOSOSOSOGOODSORRYNOTHELPING]. I'm far too impatient - and besides, it doesn't have too much of a fandom, and all the people I do know that watch it think the same as me. So it's like being a nice little protective bubble of squee. *grins*) Only 3 more episodes to go!

Hee! I'm really enjoying selected reading of SDoaCG reactions. I know that it's more character-based (makes sense, considering Billie's pregnancy) and that there's a doctor named Alex (I think) that she likes as more than just sex. But I'm looking forward to watching all the episodes together.

I'll never understand the attitudes that people had towards Rose in S2. Thankfully, I came into the fandom between seasons 2 and 3, so I didn't have to get all upset and annoyed at the, erm, theories expressed (to put it nicely), but still. I still read some people's comments and thoughts and I really have to force myself to understand their thought processes. Because what they seem to see and what I see measure on two completely different ends of the scale.

Yeah. It's... it's tough because so often they say things that really make no sense at all given a) the show text, b) the themes of the show, and c) the secondary text of the actors, writers, and everyone else involved in making the show. So, yeah, it's a puzzler for me. I also try to check out some of that stuff and it's... odd.

[bell]

I think that's a pretty wise policy, actually-- I'm starting to wish I'd done that myself with SDoaCG, simply because I enjoy the series so much and I'm always sad when I finish an episode and I HAVE TO WAIT OMG for another one!

Plus, I've found that I enjoy the experience more, somehow, when I'm coming to the episodes of *any* series once it's all aired. Of course, I miss out on the fandom element, but sometimes that's a good thing as well-- don't have to be so opiniated on every little detail, y'know? :)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It seems to cause less stress, anyway! There are certain shows that are actually stress-free enough for me that it doesn't matter (most shows, really), but apparently SDoaCG and SJA are shows where I have a higher level of investment.

And I really loved, with SDoaCG, being able to hop right to the next episode of S1.

[bell]

SDOaCG has a higher level of investment for you? Funny, because of the lack of fandom-- unless there is one and I'm missing out on it?!-- it's kind of one of the low-stress ones for me. To each their own approach, I suppose. :) I'll be curious to see what you have to say on the season once you've watched it. ♥

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I have a very high level of investment in Billie Piper's acting career. I want so much for her to be in high-quality projects because I think she is amazing and I want to see her do cool things. So, that particular one is not so much a fandom thing as an acting thing (the SJA one is fandom, though, because I know a couple of casting-related spoilers, so I want to wait until it all shakes out before I watch it).

[thehornedgod.livejournal.com]

Heh, s2 was when I realised just how much of a mess fandom was in. You can engage with people who have a different reading of the story. You can engage with people who dislike the story and would rather make up their own version. You can't meaningfully engage with people who have decided that their own version is in fact the original story and that they're going to pretend to be oblivious to all the evidence to the contrary, and it's pointless to try.


I've skipped SJA so far, may watch the last couple or not, dunno yet.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

You can't meaningfully engage with people who have decided that their own version is in fact the original story and that they're going to pretend to be oblivious to all the evidence to the contrary, and it's pointless to try.

Yes, exactly. There's absolutely no talking to someone who completely refuses to admit that what's happening in front of their eyes is, in fact, happening right in front of their eyes.