So what have you guys been watching lately?

[REPO Man]

Yeah, it seems there's been a big-ass boom in true crime content lately.

[marurun]

Yeah, I have noticed this. They seem big with casual female TV watchers. Murder mysteries, HGTV shows, and whatever is on the Hallmark Channels (one of them even focuses completely on murder mysteries)

Personally, I find real life murder stuff far more interesting. I watch certain youtube channels that discuss real life murders, serial killers, unsolved murders, etc. Mr Ballen and Wendigoon are just two youtubers I watch that cover these things, but there are others too. I NEVER watch murder mystery shows on TV though. As a TV genre, I found them boring, but the real life stuff is compelling.

Oh heck, I didn't even mention any of that, did I! 60 Minutes and Dateline often also focus on those real-life murder cases. Then there's Forensic Files which ran for darn near forever. Our penchant for murder sure isn't limited to fiction!

[REPO Man]

Aside from a brief(ish) affinity for the 2003 docudrama Party Monster, the 1998 documentary it was based on and the Dahmer film starring a pre-Hawkeye Jeremy Renner, I've never really gotten into true crime.

[stickem]

History channel, Toys that Built America. The nes, saving video games story, i mostly knew but didn't know playstation approached sega with the cd idea. Another episode targeting atari, fairchild, pong, and Odyssey was interesting but knew most if it. Didn't know odyssey was named after the space movie though. I can see that.

[marurun]

Did you know the Odyssey tanked Activision?

[stickem]

Did you know the Odyssey tanked Activision?

Nope, just they quit atari and won a lawsuit with the help of fairchild dude.

[marurun]

Magnavox sued everyone making video games off what would under more modern circumstances probably be considered an invalid patent. Activision, some time after they became Mediagenic, kept pushing appeals after everyone else had settled, keeping then in court and on the hook for massive costs when they lost. And ultimately they had to sell what remained of the company to Kotick, Wynn, and some other investors to broker a deal with Magnavox to save the company. Ultimately Mediagenic entered bankruptcy and was almost entirely recreated, renamed back to Activision, and the rest is modern history.

[REPO Man]

I started the new season of Creepshow last night and this morning I noticed that they FINALLY dumped the next batch of American Dad onto Hulu. Fucked up they don't just put the new episodes up the day after they air.

[Markies]

I just finished watching Season 1 of The Simpsons.

"Marge, sometimes I think we are the worst family in town." "Maybe we should move to a larger community."

It is hard to imagine my life without The Simpsons. I was one of the early adopters as it became regular viewing to watch the new episodes every Sunday evening. Eventually, that began to fade away, but I still remember watching reruns every evening before dinner while living at home. After moving out, that was when Simpsons moved to FX and I began to rewatch the episodes once again. A few years ago when I bought my house, it was the first time in a very long time that I was without the Simpsons and I began to miss them. Since I eat lunch at home everyday, I watch my DVD collection and buy a new one when I am finished and I recently purchased the first Season of the Simpsons.

I was afraid that the first season would not hold up as well or that I should go straight into the best Seasons, starting with Season 3. But, after looking at the Episodes in Season 1, I couldn't pass them up. Something about Homer holding Santa's Little Helper and saying, "But he's a loser! He's pathetic! He's... A Simpson.", just tug at my heart strings.

And that is what the first season is all about. It is much more heartfelt and grounded instead of finding excuses for more jokes. The jokes are there, but you have to dig for them and they are not constant like in later seasons. Also, seeing the original incarnations of the characters compared to what they become is quite interesting. For example, seeing Lisa defend Homer as her Father in front of Patty and Selma is very different from later episodes. Having Homer care about the family first compared to his more physical comedy is also more endearing. Each character feels more fleshed out and less of a caricature of what they will become.

Overall, I'm really glad that I purchased the first Season and not start at another season. Later seasons are better overall, but I think it was worthwhile and important to watch where it all started.

"Lord help me, I am just not that bright."

[Ziggy]

Every once in a while, I too like to go back to The Simpsons. It always bugged me that the animation and voices of season 1 aren't consistent with the rest of the series, but those episodes definitely still hold up. And I'm a big fan of season 2. I've been purchasing the seasons on DVD every once in a while over the years. I think I have the first 9 right now.