6.16.2014

Television: Those Computer Shows

So I tried Silicon Valley and I tried Halt and Catch Fire and . . . Nah.

Silicon Valley just wasn't funny. I'm sure it is to some people—it's been renewed for another season and seems to be doing well—but its humor didn't appeal to me. Maybe it got funnier? I only watched one and a half episodes. I get the idea that people want to see the underdogs win. It's a "revenge of the nerds" kind of thing, and in the tech world it's funny to think there's still a sense of the "jock" techies versus the nerdy ones, but . . . Whatever. It felt to me like HBO was trying to find a new Entourage, the problem being Silicon Valley's niche is much smaller than the vicarious wish fulfillment of running around and having adventures with a movie star.

And Halt and Catch Fire, well, I just don't find the characters at all engaging. And watching people scrabble for funding and try and find ways to cram more computer into less space . . . If I wanted to watch people struggle to problem solve, I'd go back to working in an office. Halt and Catch Fire really needs better characterization and more interesting interactions. But as of now, I've cut it from my DVR.

Things I'll be trying soon: The Leftovers (though I'm sick to death of the ads) and Tyrant.

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