TV obsessions—come on, admit it!

[Primula Baggins]

You're absolutely right, Maria. The reason they don't try to make the gravity look lower is that it would be a special effect that would have to be done in every single scene, and it would cost too much. The Coriolis effect on pouring liquids would be a real thing in that environment; I think they went to the trouble as sort of a cover for not being able to make everything look low-gravity. I haven't seen The Martian in a while, but I believe there were a couple of moments where they made the gravity look low when he was falling, and for that explosion, and it was probably a similar reason; the rest of the time they didn't try.

They did an amazing job on zero gravity in 2001: A Space Odyssey—I had a book on the shooting of the film that explained how it was all done. (When Hal was being shut down, the astronaut was suspended from a long cable and was shot from below, so he "floated" in a realistic way.) But when they went to make Apollo 13, where much of the story takes place in zero gravity, it turned out to be cheaper and easier just to rent the Vomit Comet and take the actors up in it so they really were in microgravity for short periods. They used that to shoot a few key moments and used them to sell the illusion of zero gee for the rest of the film.

[Maria]

I figured it was a budget thing.

I left out terminal velocity in my numbers before. I don't know how to account for that, but falling time might well be slower than I guessed at in my previous post. With lower gravity, the drag factor of the air would be more significant, I think.

[Maria]

My husband really wanted to try an episode of "Supergirl" the other day when it aired on broadcast TV.
After she picked up a downed, sparking electric line and kinked it to stop the electricity from flowing, we turned it off.

[Frelga]

I saw one episode of it. It wasn't as bad as the trailer had suggested, but it didn't grab my interest.

[Jude]

So I'm always about 5 years behind everyone else, and I'm just now working my way through Parks and Recreation, and I have to ask:

Are the Langmans a very unsubtle take-off on Michelle and Markus Bachmann?

[Lalaith]

I don't know who those people are, and I don't have time to google it this morning.

(But I do think Parks & Rec is very funny.)

[Alatar]

Sooo, where am I now...

Season 3 of House of Cards and Season 3 of Sons of Anarchy with Clare
Season 2 of Daredevil with Conor
Season 2 of The 100 with Clio and Clare
Season 3 of The Walking Dead with Clio and Conor
Just finished Supergirl with Aoife
Finished Agent Carter, last season of Agents of SHIELD and last season of Gotham with the whole family
Season 3 of Vikings for when I'm on my own!

TV Scheduling is complicated in my house!

[Jude]

Besides Parks and Recreation, I've just gotten into Community. Any other fans here?

[Lalaith]

I liked it when I was able to watch it on TV. Is it on Netflix now? Or are you getting it from the library?

[Frelga]

I can't remember if I ever heard of it.

I just found a trailer for American Gods, and it looks fantastic!
https://twitter.com/AmericanGodsSTZ/sta ... 5889488896

Edit: ooooo, and how about this tweet?

Tim Goodman ‏@BastardMachine Aug 1

“If you loved it in the book it will show up in the series.” Exec producer Michael Green. #AmericanGods.

[Jude]

Lali, I just bought the season 1 DVD when it was cheap.

It's got John Oliver in it!

[Jude]

Anyone seen Superstore? Is it any good?

Amazon thinks that because I like Parks & Rec, I should like Superstore.

[Inanna]

I can't remember if I ever heard of it.

I just found a trailer for American Gods, and it looks fantastic!
https://twitter.com/AmericanGodsSTZ/sta ... 5889488896

Edit: ooooo, and how about this tweet?

Tim Goodman ‏@BastardMachine Aug 1

“If you loved it in the book it will show up in the series.” Exec producer Michael Green. #AmericanGods.

What if you didn't love it in the book?

[axordil]

I am enjoying "Luke Cage" in three-episode chunks, which isn't so much bingeing as having an extra slice.

[Maria]

We watched one or two episodes per day until done.
I liked it, but the show did nothing to easy my urban-phobia.

[Alatar]

Waiting till I've seen Jessica Jones. Just finished S2 or Daredevil!

[Maria]

Yeah, Jessica Jones is a prerequisite.

[axordil]

I know characters cross in from DD and JJ, but I don't think I've missed much by not watching them first. It's like they (and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, represented mostly by references to "the Incident") exist but don't impinge.

[Maria]

Luke Cage isn't a crossover character in Jessica Jones, he's a supporting cast member (if that's the right term).

[axordil]

Right--but his own show is written such that you aren't missing anything vital about the character if you don't see JJ.