Sex and the City

[Larinda McRaven]

ok...so I was never a huge fan of this show but really in the past 6 months or so I became enthralled. And now it is over. Did anyone watch the last episode tonight and what do you think??

[DanceMentor]

Yes, what an awesome show!
I just finished watching it...but I don't know if I should give anything away.

One thing..we finally find out Big's real name.

[Larinda McRaven]

yup...I am glad I caught his name, nice way to sneak it in.

[pygmalion]

Can't find the recent thread where we were talking about this. While I was at Blockbuster this week, I picked up a random SATC DVD -- season 4, I think -- and watched six episodes in one sitting. Love it! I think luh was mentioning in another thread that he finds it a waste of time. I can see why he sees it that way. It's definitely lightweight entertainment.

But I can also see why tens of millions of people love it. It's witty, silly, sarcastic, and real enough for me to totally relate. I have girlfriends like that. The sexual exploits are a bit much, IMO. But then, what do you expect from a show called "Sex and the City?" What a hoot.

I read the synopsis of the final episode on tv.com (Yeah. I know. I wimped out.)

Anyway. Loved it. :D It's kinda nice to discover a TV show after the early seasons are already on DVD. Now I can watch a ton of episodes within a couple weeks. And I plan to. Nice. :D

[deewoman]

I loved this show! My divorce started when I started watching this show, so it really touched me--I was becoming a single girl 30s then. I was so sad to see it end. I loved seeing the characters talk the way women actually talk.

[pygmalion]

Exactly. These girls are real -- a little weird, in some ways -- but vulnerable, funny, quirky. Two thumbs up, IMO.

[DWise1]

Not having had HBO for decades (my x2b didn't believe in having movie channels and now for me it's a time and cost thing), I've only been able to follow it since being on TBS. Yes, I'm sure that it's edited to clean it up (eg, Miranda saying she's so "messed up" when her mouth was definitely forming an initial "f"), but the stories and character development are still the same.

Anyway, the last they showed on TBS and the last that an on-line episode guide listed was Carrie in Paris with Barishnokov's artist character and Charlotte's dog having her puppies (hey, I'm a dog person). Were there more episodes on HBO after that? And now it's ended?

[ratherbdancing]

Yes that was the last episode they made. I think Sex and the City is now going to be on the wb and fox every weeknight. They were also considering a movie but couldn't get all the actresses to agree.

[mamboqueen]

It wasn't long after that Paris episode that it ended. I am glad the way it ended, but for the character's sake -- it didn't really surprise anyone.

I enjoyed it, too. The fashions were always really interesting (some rather bizarre). And some of their exploits were a little far fetched, but I always got some good laughs over it.

[Katarzyna]

It was the only show I ever watched on TV. Usually, I don't watch much TV, and if I do, it's usually a movie....

[pygmalion]

Not having had HBO for decades (my x2b didn't believe in having movie channels and now for me it's a time and cost thing), I've only been able to follow it since being on TBS. Yes, I'm sure that it's edited to clean it up (eg, Miranda saying she's so "messed up" when her mouth was definitely forming an initial "f"), but the stories and character development are still the same.


Hmm... didn't know it was on TBS. :idea: I'll probably stick with the DVD rentals, though. It's pretty inexpensive, and I can watch a ton of episodes at once, when I get a block of time. Besides, dubbed out curse words can be a little distracting. :lol: :lol:

Ironically, my ex didn't believe in paid movie channels, either. So, just to be contrary, I insisted that we get the premium package -- every movie channel known to man -- and I never watched anything except free TV. Just goes to show that knee-jerk contrariness happens to us all. :oops: :roll: :wink:

[Larinda McRaven]

happens to the best of us. :wink:

[lynn]

Consider how little time i now spend with my tv - i opted for basic cable (same with my phone package!)...... now i feel like trading in my once very expensive but now probably depreciated to not worth a penny flat screen tv so i can get more dance lessons!

[pygmalion]

happens to the best of us. :wink:

Thanks, Larinda. :D I'm glad to know it's not just me. :lol: :lol:

Seriously, I'm going to go rent at least two or three DVDs this week, to try to get caught up on the show. I can't believeI missed it all those years. :? Maybe it's 'cause I remember Sarah Jessica Parker from some ridiculous live action cartoon show, when she was a teeny-weeny little girl. Something Rankin and Bass? No... Who did Puff n Stuff? Those folks. 8)

Sarah Jessica Parker's been around forever. So it never occurred to me she's be in a good show, now that she's all grown up and then some. Married to Matthew Broderick, no less. :)

[lynn]

i don't think the show was very popular in vancouver - @ least no where near as popular as 'friends', i wonder why?? maybe b/c it's one of the premium channels and not that many people are willing to pay the extras for just one show??

[pygmalion]

It's also a very American show, IMO. Lots of jokes and cultural references that wouldn't make sense outside of American culture. :? 8)

[lynn]

One of my friends who lived in Boston told me that the show was over dramatized. She said Friends was much realistic in comparison - but of course, that didn't stop her buying loads of stiletto heels!

[pygmalion]

It's a comedy. Of course it's overdone. :lol: :lol:

But still, I have girlfriends who are just that cavalier about their relationships with men-in-passing. My friends are just not nearly so funny. :lol:

[lynn]

speaking of comedies, now that there are no more friends, i wonder what's the reigning "king of comedies"??? Joey wasn't doing as well as expected and none of the other shows are nearly as funny. Oh, that 70s show isn't too bad, but i have a feeling it's geared towards mostly teens??

[pygmalion]

Is there a top-rated comedy show that everybody likes, these days? :? I have no idea. :( :?

[lynn]

There really isn't a comedy that i watch faithfully every week. Most of them are re-runs - maybe there will be new shows in september

[DWise1]

TBS has been running "Sex and the City" for about a year now. Two episodes a week, Tues and repeated on Wed. They've run them all the way through to Paris (as I described above) and started over again. This week they showed "Ex and the City".

Except for "Malcolm in the Middle" (OK, and The Simpsons), we would just never watch sitcoms in prime time. Just never could make the time. Then we'd find out about them when the earlier episodes would show up at odd hours (eg, after the news) in syndication. I still operate in that mode since I'm out every evening of the week with dance classes. And there's only so much time on weekends to watch taped shows (I also have to tape Friday night Scifi Channel).

[lynn]

i'm kind of hoping there would be some new (& hopefully better) sitcoms in september, i saw previews for a couple of new shows, but they're more drama than comedy...

[pygmalion]

And there's only so much time on weekends to watch taped shows (I also have to tape Friday night Scifi Channel).

What's the Friday night Sci-Fi Channel line-up? I used to watch the Sci-Fi Channel faithfully when Dark Shadows, the silly, old vampire soap opera, was being broadcast during my lunch hour. But that's a long time ago, now, and I've lost track.

Anything new? 8) :)

[pygmalion]

Ooooh! They have the old Rod Serling Twilight zones! Yipppeee! :banana: :D

Oh yeah and Stargate? (Friday nights) Hmm. I never got into that, much. Probably worth setting the recorder once or twice, just to see. 8)

[lynn]

I was a faithful Stargate fan once - except now i completely lose track of what time the show's on!!

[pygmalion]

I just googled the Sci Fi Channel -- scifi.com, I think, and searched their schedule on the website. If you get the same cable channels in Canada as the US (I have no idea :? ) that's one way to find out. Or you google the show itself. A lot of fan sites have the TV schedules posted. 8)

[DWise1]

And there's only so much time on weekends to watch taped shows (I also have to tape Friday night Scifi Channel).

What's the Friday night Sci-Fi Channel line-up? I used to watch the Sci-Fi Channel faithfully when Dark Shadows, the silly, old vampire soap opera, was being broadcast during my lunch hour. But that's a long time ago, now, and I've lost track.

Anything new? 8) :)

Starting at 6PM PDT on cable (DirecTV beams it in eastern time, so you will have to adjust for your own time zone):
6 Stargate SG-1 -- rerun of old show from a previous season
7 Firefly -- excellent show that Fox dropped (apparently, they could not understand it). The movie, "Serenity", is coming out 30 Sep.
8 Stargate SG-1 -- current season
9 Stargate Atlantis
10 Battlestar Galactica
11 prime time repeats with the 8PM Stargate SG-1

[pygmalion]

Cool. I'm going to check it out. Hope I remember this Friday, since I have somewhat new VCRs (since last year's hurricane season) and never figured out how to set the timer to program them in advance. :oops: :lol:

[Larinda McRaven]

I like "Malcom"! Very very funny.
On occassions when I run across "Scrubs" I enjoy that too.

[lynn]

oh, i love to watch firefly - really loved the show, a bit overly violent and bloody, but it was really good. I was a little sad that they cancelled it after one season (much like dark angel)..... hey, i heard serenity's going to be a great movie (well, hopefully it'll be great, the producer promised that he's going to wrap up all the loose ends)

[DWise1]

Fox cancelled it after only a few months, far less than a season. I got the DVD set and there were about three episodes that never even got to air. That's one thing that Sci-Fi channel is really good for, airing the short-lived shows that otherwise would never be seen again.

I saw JMS posting on CompuServe when he was planning out "Babylon 5". He stated that he had planned out a five-year story arc in the hope of being able to get at least three years of episodes. He based this on the "Star Trek effect" (I just now made that term up), which was that what had spawned the Star Trek empire was that third season for the original series. It was in syndication that Star Trek had built its largest following, but if NBC had not bowed to viewer pressure and had instead carried through with cancelling the show at the end of the second season, then none of that would have ever happened. JMS stated that three seasons is the minimum needed to have enough episodes to sell to syndication -- you need enough to show every day without repeating them again too soon. Two seasons and Star Trek would just be a distant memory of the fortunate few; three seasons and we built a following that spawned ten movies and four more series (just working from memory there, so double-check my figures).

But with Sci-Fi channel's format, they don't have to follow the old-school rules of syndication and so they can bring back an old series for a short run.

In the case of Firefly, one friend I informed keeps thanking me in every email. And we have a date for "Serenity".

[lynn]

i was quite sad when they cancelled firefly - it was one of the better shows back then, i wonder why it got axed?? i didn't think the ratings were that bad.... i really don't like how the shows that are just continued with no reason - it gives a feeling of too many loose ends...

one of the sci-fi shows that i really liked was mutant x - i kind of felt it was going downhill after the major plot twist after the end of second season....

[DWise1]

i was quite sad when they cancelled firefly - it was one of the better shows back then, i wonder why it got axed?? i didn't think the ratings were that bad.... i really don't like how the shows that are just continued with no reason - it gives a feeling of too many loose ends...

My understanding is that the executives at Fox couldn't understand it, they didn't get it. Cowboys in Space? And what's with the Chinese? (so that they can curse freely on the air and get it past the censors) And I talked with an associate I hadn't seen in a long time and who's a really big sci-fi fan and he didn't like it. I think they discuss it a bit in the special features part of the DVD set; I just don't remember what they said. But it did get a large enough fan base for them to be able to produce a feature film and after such a short run on TV that's saying a lot.

It's ironic that the TV executives couldn't understand a space Western. Gene Roddenberry's story is that the only way for the TV executives back then to understand Star Trek was for him to pitch it to them as a "'Wagon Train' to the stars". And they held him to that pitch when what he actually produced was way too good for us stupid slobs (how he would introduce the first pilot film, "The Cage", to the audience -- I saw him at UC Irvine).

Release date for "Serenity": 30 Sep.

[lynn]

Star Trek was probably one of the most successful series in the history of sci-fi television (star trek original, next generation....etc). The latest one is Star Trek enterprise - sad, but i never truly fall in love with this one, i've heard rumors that it's going to be off the air after 1 more season, not sure if it's true....

Hmm, i wonder if Andromeda was supposed to be a spin-off for Star Trek???

[pygmalion]

Dropped by the library this afternoon. Holy cow! They have a wonderful selection of sci-fi TV on video. Not sure why I never checked out their videos before. Think I'll start with Babylon 5. 8)

[tacad]

I enjoyed that series. 8)

[tacad]

Star Trek was probably one of the most successful series in the history of sci-fi television (star trek original, next generation....etc). The latest one is Star Trek enterprise - sad, but i never truly fall in love with this one, i've heard rumors that it's going to be off the air after 1 more season, not sure if it's true....

Hmm, i wonder if Andromeda was supposed to be a spin-off for Star Trek???
Star Trek Enterprise is gone. It had it's last season.

[DWise1]

Dropped by the library this afternoon. Holy cow! They have a wonderful selection of sci-fi TV on video. Not sure why I never checked out their videos before. Think I'll start with Babylon 5. 8)

And so it begins.


------------------------
The most comprehensive Babylon 5 site is "The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5" at http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/lurker.html. Not only background info and complete episode guide, but JMS also contributed to it, particularly with extensive notes about each episode (many of which he wrote himself), so it could pretty much be considered the "official" site. Also has news, including the recent death of the actor who played Dr. Franklin.

BTW, you will recall that the homeless people living down-below in the station were called "lurkers". This was kind of a tribute to the people on CompuServe (online, a "lurker" is someone who just reads the posts on a forum but doesn't contribute any posts himself; hence a lurker takes in the discussion largely invisible to the active participants), where JMS had several pre-B5 discussions about his idea for a series and drumming up interest in the idea. When the pilot, "The Gathering", aired, I was ready for it!

[pygmalion]

Oh yeah. The thing is I'm completely nuts, once I get hooked on a series. So yes. It begins. :lol: :lol:

[DWise1]

Oh yeah. The thing is I'm completely nuts, once I get hooked on a series. So yes. It begins. :lol: :lol:

I just added; reread.

Also, I trust that you had recognized the Kosh quote.

[tacad]

Dropped by the library this afternoon. Holy cow! They have a wonderful selection of sci-fi TV on video. Not sure why I never checked out their videos before. Think I'll start with Babylon 5. 8)

And so it begins.

:lol:

[cocodrilo]

Getting back to the topic(I've just found this thread!)-
Sex and the City was aired over here for 3 years and I saw most of the episodes. Loved the fashion and the frivolousness of the show! What happened at the end? I think I was out of town during the last few episodes. Anyone care to fill me in?

[DWise1]

Getting back to the topic(I've just found this thread!)-
Sex and the City was aired over here for 3 years and I saw most of the episodes. Loved the fashion and the frivolousness of the show! What happened at the end? I think I was out of town during the last few episodes. Anyone care to fill me in?

I'm not completely sure, having seen them during one year's time on TBS instead of on the original HBO schedule, but I think the show's been on for about 6 or 7 years. And I have gathered that US TV shows being aired in other countries are not normally on the same schedule, but rather can be delayed even by months. So in order to answer your question, it would help to know where you are in the show. Could you please describe the last events that you remember? Also, there are a number of episode guides online, some with synopses.

In the most recent episodes on TBS (they then started showing them over again from the start), Carrie went to Paris with her older Russian artist boyfriend played by Mikhail Barishnikov and has just broken up with him, Miranda is married to Steve and living in Brooklyn ("Cabs don't even go to Brooklyn!"), and Charlotte and her second husband celebrate the birth of their dog's puppies (like I said, I'm a dog person). Then after that is, I think, one more season on HBO which is the last; for that, I'll have to wait until it makes it to TBS or Fox or WB.

[pygmalion]

Also, there are a number of episode guides online, some with synopses.



A big thumbs up for this option. There are some very well-maintained websites out there. My fave used to be called tvtome.com, although I think t he name has been changed to tv.com I'm not sure if SATC is there, but I know all my other fave shows are there, so it's probably worth a look. 8)

[lynn]

i love websites that give detailed synopsis - granted, it might ruin the ending for some fans, but it's great if i missed an episode or so that i can still catch up. Too bad most of the site give too short of a summary, many in the form of a one-liner, but i guess they just don't want to leak out that much information without the viewer spending the time to watch their hard-worked product!

[cocodrilo]

In the most recent episodes on TBS (they then started showing them over again from the start), Carrie went to Paris with her older Russian artist boyfriend played by Mikhail Barishnikov and has just broken up with him, Miranda is married to Steve and living in Brooklyn ("Cabs don't even go to Brooklyn!"), and Charlotte and her second husband celebrate the birth of their dog's puppies (like I said, I'm a dog person). Then after that is, I think, one more season on HBO which is the last; for that, I'll have to wait until it makes it to TBS or Fox or WB.
Yes, I saw the above. I guess I'll wait for the Japanese cable TV stations to get it, then I can see it. They're showing re-runs here at the moment.

We had "The Sopranos" as well, which was pretty entertaining and had a great cast.

[pygmalion]

Ha! I just finished watching the last episode (An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux) Loved it. The cashier girl at Blockbuster (a teenager -- not sure it's pertinent, but why not mention it?) hated Carrie's destiny. But I loved it. Loved it. Tra la la! Romance rocks. :D

[ratherbdancing]

Ha! I just finished watching the last episode (An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux) Loved it. The cashier girl at Blockbuster (a teenager -- not sure it's pertinent, but why not mention it?) hated Carrie's destiny. But I loved it. Loved it. Tra la la! Romance rocks. :D

I loved it too! It was the way it was supposed to be!!!!

[Katarzyna]

The ending was cheesy.. .but I liked it anyway..

[pygmalion]

The ending was cheesy.. .but I liked it anyway..

Totally cheesy. But I loved it. :D

[peachexploration]

Okay, so I'm just watching this show. At first I thought it was okay, not great, but okay. The last season is what got me. Now, I want to take back the $$ from the writer who wrote the story line for Aiden and Carrie. Ugh! Why mess that up :?: The guy was handy around the house (knocked out the wall for that extra room. Think about it, a 3000 square foot apartment in NY is hard to come by.), had is own cash, he built furniture for heaven sake (I need a sofa!), ate KFC (but could easily fit into the Beef Wellington crowd), Fell in love with Carrie deeply (TWICE! Unfortunate for him!), had a great sense of humor and was drop dead gorgeous even after short hair and the preventative Rogaine slip. Mr. Big. Well...a very small jerk. :grin: I guess I'm just a sappy romantic. Yeah, I know. It's just a TV show. ;)

[pygmalion]

I was really ticked off when she messed up the Aidan thing, too. And yes, I keep having to remind myself it's just a show. :oops: The characters are a lot like some of my girlfriends, so it's easy to get absorbed. :cool:

[pygmalion]

Still thinking about this. (See how obsessed I am? :oops: :lol:)

Doesn't everybody (or at least a lot of people) have an Aidan in their past? You know. The one that got away. The really nice guy/girl they met and, for whatever reason, blew it. I know I have one. :cool:

[peachexploration]

Not really as intense as an "Aidan" but there is that one "What if I, then maybe I wouldn't have been as devastated as I was when.." Sort of like I can't because I'm loyal to "what's is face". :roll: I have seen that Mr. Big err mr. small behavior one time too many. :?

[pygmalion]

Yeah. Mr. Big was a total jerk. But something in me can't help believing that he changed, right there at the end. (probably the same thing that keeps getting my heart broken. :oops: :lol:)

And no, my "Aidan" experience wasn't nearly as intense, either. But, every once in a while, I wonder where and how he is. It's been a long time -- long enough for me to acknowledge that he's the nicest man I've ever dated. It was just bad timing and bad behavior on my part (No -- not infidelity. Just immaturity. :?)

[peachexploration]

The whole marriage thing with Mr. Big really got under my skin. At first, he was okay as far as her being just someone he could be "with" from time to time but not okay to marry. :? He had real committment issues. During their realationship at first, he couldn't even say I love you or even call her his girlfriend. Eventually, when it got to heavy, he married someone else. When Carrie asked him "Why not her?" I think he said some to the affect that "It was too difficult!" Then to really confuse her, he has an affair with her after he's married someone else. I know she was a willing party also but I don't know if I could forgive something like that. Then after she get's Aidan back after begging forgiveness and he asks to marry her, with two rings I might add (first one was just not her! :roll:), she catches a ride with mr. small and he tells her after the knowledge of her engagement, "Honey, you're not the marrying kind!" :headwall: . People do change but I don't know if I could be as forgiving in real life.


[Peach reminding herself, it's just a TV Show!] :lol:

[pygmalion]

Yup. You summed it up just right. The affair, when Carrie was in a committed relationship and Big was married, was just too much for me. Aidan was such a keeper. *shakes head in disappointment*

And I have to say no, it's not just a TV show anymore. Not to me. But then, I'm sure it's been clear for a while that I have issues. :lol:

[peachexploration]

Yes, my poor Aidan. Hey Aidan, if you're reading this, I'll take the first ring! That one IS me. Heck, I'll take a rubber band if he gave it to me. :lol:

Okay, The Charlotte marriage to Trey. That was just wierd in the beginning but I was cheering for them at the end. I wished they had found a happy medium about having children. I haven't seen the next espisodes with husband to be, Harry but have read the synopsis. Going to be interesting. :)

[DWise1]

Noticing in the TV previews for "Little Manhattan" that the mom looked like Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), I Google'd, found that it is her, and followed the link to her filmography on imdb.

I found that in 2000, she was in a spoof of both "Sex and the City" and "The Matrix" that used most of the original actors. It was reportedly created for the 2000 MTV Movie Awards.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274085/

It can be viewed here at MetaCafe: http://www.metacafe.com/item794

First site I've seen that I couldn't view the source on (handy for finding a video clip's URL). Bummer.

[HF]

Since I've read about the series in this forum I tried to give it another chance. I really tried, honestly. ;-)

But neither me nor my girl friend have been able to watch one full episode.

Maybe it is the quality of the synchronisation. They speak it here with a voice melody that is very exaggerated, almost hysterical. Maybe what they consder to be "american" (not my experience with americans though ...).

Or I am too old ... (shrug)

Or too happy with my girl friend ...

[DWise1]

Watching something that's been dubbed is always prone to problems, partially due to such voice mismatches. I remember seeing a Woody Allen movie that had been dubbed into German. They gave him a deep masculine voice, which ruined half of his comedic effect.

I've also seen where dubbing ruins the effect of a character switching from one language to another. Years ago I saw a European movie (originally in French, I think) which was dubbed into English. In one scene, the main character was with a tutor for an English lesson, which made that whole dialog confusing for the audience. When I saw Caberet in Germany, there's the scene where he first meets Sally, who cannot speak German. In the original, after she tries to stumble through some German with him, she suddenly gives up and breaks into English. In the dubbed version, she stumbles through the German making it obvious that she can' t speak it, but then breaks into fluent German, which I'm sure must have confused the German audience.

If you don't mind, may I ask where "here" is for you?

[Pacion]

Yes, my poor Aidan. Hey Aidan, if you're reading this, I'll take the first ring! That one IS me. Heck, I'll take a rubber band if he gave it to me. :lol:

Do you have any idea how expensive "rubber" is!?!?!!!! :tongue: Aidan, I will take the pull ring from the coke can you got at KFC! If it wasn't a coke can, I will take the straw, cut to my finger size and twisted into a circle! :lol:

Yes, Aidan was lovely. I loved the house he had in the country or where ever it was... sigh, just think of all those romantic evenings, far from civilisation, and sharing living space with racoons :lol:

[HF]

@ DWise1

I live in Germany. Since many hollywood movies are dubbed we have a very experienced synchronisation industry with charismatic voices, and in movies the quality is high. But series seem to be another category. The dubbing sounds like nobody would speak in real life. And sound is quite essential to me, I can't help it.

[Pacion]

As a child, I grew up in an environment of subtitles. I have been to the cinema (and watched movies on television) in both Germany and Norway and of course the UK. In Germany, as HF said, the movies are dubbed; in Norway, the movie was subtitled. It was a bit strange for me to hear english and see Norwegian subtitles - normally I am hearing the foreign languague and reading engish! :lol: I have to admit that I have a preference for subtitles rather than dubbing . Nothing to do with the synchronisation which really has improved since I first experienced it in 1922 ;), just a preference for the subtitles.

I was also told that the other Scandinavian countries use subtitles rather than dub, which was one of the reasons where Scandinavians speak such good english :?

[DWise1]

I also prefer subtitles, not only in order to hear the original inflections and intonations of the actor, but also in order to hear the language itself. As a former foreign language student living in an essentially monolingual environment (the US), that was one of my main opportunities to hear the language being spoken by native speakers. Then by extension, hearing a language related to one that I had studied (eg, Dutch being related to both German and English, and Italian being related to Spanish and French) gave me the opportunity to work with those languages.

The only thing I don't like about subtitles is when I rent a movie that's subtitled. I like to be able to work on my computer while watching a movie, being able to divide my attention such that I can hear what's going on while looking at the computer screen. But when it's subtitled, I have to devote my full attention to the movie.

I have heard of one great advantage to the Norwegians (or was it the Swedish?) subtitling all foreign fare. By watching television the kids learn to read at an earlier age, as well as learning to read quickly. Plus, they are exposed to foreign languages from a very early age.


As for the low quality of dubbing on German TV as compared to films, two thoughts come to mind:
1. The voices need to learn their craft somewhere.
2. There's so much more to dub for TV than in the film industry and there's less time to prepare it. So they have to work faster, more rushed, and with less quality.

Maybe it is the quality of the synchronisation. They speak it here with a voice melody that is very exaggerated, almost hysterical. Maybe what they consder to be "american" (not my experience with americans though ...).

That reminded me of an observation we made of British TV crime shows. It seemed that when they had an actor portraying an American, they had him, or her, use a lot of profanity, especially "f**k" (British characters in Bridget Jones and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" notwithstanding).

I remember especially one night we were watching Morse and one of the characters, a youngish American woman, used a form of "f**k". I remarked quite calmly in my best mock British accent: "Oh. She must be an American." (think of the delivery of the dying words of a British agent in Hitchcock's original "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (not the remake with Jimmy Stewart): [shot mortally in the chest, he looks down] "Oh. I'm sorry.").

Nothing to do with the synchronisation which really has improved since I first experienced it in 1922 , just a preference for the subtitles.

Even I know better than to bite on that bait.

[Rosa]

As a child, I grew up in an environment of subtitles. I have been to the cinema (and watched movies on television) in both Germany and Norway and of course the UK. In Germany, as HF said, the movies are dubbed; in Norway, the movie was subtitled. It was a bit strange for me to hear english and see Norwegian subtitles - normally I am hearing the foreign languague and reading engish!

I don't often go to the cinema abroad, but I remember watching ET in France in 1982. There had been so much hype about it before it came out, and I just happened to be in Paris, where it was showing, the week before it opened in Britain. (It had already been released in the US.)

Naturally I couldn't resist going. But what a weird experience. It was showing in English with French subtitles, but the subtitles always seemed to be slightly behind the original, so that I was responding to what was being said on screen, laughing at jokes etc, before the rest of the (mainly French) audience. I could see some of the people in my row looking at me as if I was bonkers!

And as I left the cinema, there was a TV crew stopping people to ask them their opinion of the film. So I was interviewed and appeared on French television! :cool:

Rosa :)

[peachexploration]

Do you have any idea how expensive "rubber" is!?!?!!!! :tongue: Aidan, I will take the pull ring from the coke can you got at KFC! If it wasn't a coke can, I will take the straw, cut to my finger size and twisted into a circle! :lol:
:lol: Yup, expensive rubber bands, straws and pull rings from coke cans. Who needs a diamond when you're that dreamy and a house in the country with friendly racoons. :)

[DWise1]

At least you were also able to hear the English. There are a few US movies that I have only seen the German-dubbed version of. No idea what the English is like.

I've also been caught in the situation of my knowledge of the language allowing me to get the joke/plot twist before the rest of the audience.

In the early 70's, I befriended a girl from Yugoslavia. One day I was visiting with her, she was ironing while I was watching the British show, "Doctor in the House". Medical student Michael Upton Sinclair was trying to talk to an old patient who answered in some foreign language. At that moment, Lidia's head suddenly snapped up from her ironing and she stared at the TV. I was asking her what was wrong when the old man held up a sign that said, "Yugoslavia".

The only Serbo-Croat I know is "Je Lidia tamo?" ("Is Lidia there?"), which I was taught to say when she was staying with a Yugoslavian family and the mother didn't speak any English. So I called and the mother answered and I used my only line. Apparently I had spoken it so well the mother started a conversation with me.

One more story (sorry, but I have nobody else to tell them to). Both our boys grew up with years of Spanish thanks to their grandparents providing after-school day-care. The wife and kids were out one evening and there wasn't anything on TV except for Ghostbusters dubbed in Spanish. So I was watching it to practice my Spanish when they came home and our older son saw what was on and sat down to watch it with me. After a full five or ten minutes of dialog, he suddenly got this puzzled look on his face. "Hey! Is this in Spanish?" I was proud of his aural comprehension.

[Rosa]

... The wife and kids were out one evening and there wasn't anything on TV except for Ghostbusters dubbed in Spanish. So I was watching it to practice my Spanish when they came home and our older son saw what was on and sat down to watch it with me. After a full five or ten minutes of dialog, he suddenly got this puzzled look on his face. "Hey! Is this in Spanish?" I was proud of his aural comprehension.

Spanish had become so automatic to him that he didn't even realise he was listening to a foreign language. That's fantastic! :D

And don't worry about telling us your stories, DW1. We all have a lot of listening to do.

Rosa :)

[cocodrilo]

A personal hobby of mine is to watch the DVDs we get here(or the cable movie channel) and find all the mistakes in translation. No, not LOST in translation, totally being INEPT intranslating Americanisms, etc. It totally clues you out of the film! Feel sorry for the Japanese who have to shell out $20 to see a movie, and the translation sucks!

[amrimi]

They came up with a german version of SATC. I think it is a little to obvious that they are just copying the show although the caracters are little bit younger than the original ones.

[Rosa]

I liked SATC, though I don't know why SJP always got the lion's share of the credit. It was very much an ensemble production, and I thought Kim Cattrall, in particular, was amazing. There have been reports in the press that she resented the fact that SJP was hogging the limelight, and if that's true, I have to say I don't blame her.

They're both good actresses but when it comes to charisma, I'd say Kim has the edge over SJP.

As for men, give me Big any day... ;)

Rosa :)

[Pacion]

I liked SATC, though I don't know why SJP always got the lion's share of the credit.

Hmm, wasn't that how the piece was originally written, ie. one "central" character? Wasn't SJP's character loosely (very loosely) based on the writer's life?

I thought Kim Cattrall, in particular, was amazing.

Yes, I think so too. Didn't see much of SATC but I saw some reruns recently. I used to think Kim Cattrall's character was a bedhopping one, which it was (!) but Kim Cattrall went up several notches in my book when I saw the storyline where she was going out with an African American guy and the guy's sister (who also happened to be a friend of her's I think) told her to stop seeing her brother. I thought Kim Cattrall was great! (SJP's character was then wimping on about something...)

Originally Posted by Pacion
Nothing to do with the synchronisation which really has improved since I first experienced it in 1922 , just a preference for the subtitles.
Even I know better than to bite on that bait.

And what bait might that be :bandit: ;) :lol:

[pygmalion]

I think it was a fantastic ensemble show. I think it might've survived the loss of one of the four characters, maybe. But no one character would, IMO, have been able to carry the show alone. To me, the show was as much about the dynamics of adult female friendship as anything else. Maybe more.

[pygmalion]

Oh my goodness! Did anybody besides me see this on CNN Headline News? Harvard now offers a course on SATC. How about that? The girls have made the big time. :D

[Katarzyna]

sounds great, I am sure it will be enjoyable

[pygmalion]

In the CNN blurb, they were analyzing the episode where Samantha dates the very, very short, successful lawyer (?) guy.

Pretty cool.

[Katarzyna]

In the CNN blurb, they were analyzing the episode where Samantha dates the very, very short, successful lawyer (?) guy.

Pretty cool.I would like to see the blurb...

[DWise1]

Oh my goodness! Did anybody besides me see this on CNN Headline News? Harvard now offers a course on SATC. How about that? The girls have made the big time. :D

I heard "MIT".

But yeah, now they're right up there in academia with Homer Simpson.

WOO HOO!

[gusmahler]

I had read one analysis of the show that says that Carrie's friends are just her id, ego, and super ego.

[Twilight_Elena]

I had read one analysis of the show that says that Carrie's friends are just her id, ego, and super ego.

Interesting analysis! Which one is which and where can we find the analysis? URL?

Twilight Elena

[gusmahler]

Interesting analysis! Which one is which and where can we find the analysis? URL?

Twilight Elena

I don't actually where I read it.

I've never studied psychiatry, so my understanding of those terms is not very advanced. But I believe that Samantha would be the id, the one who acts upn "our most primitive, need-gratification impulses."

I don't know about how exactly Charlotte and Miranda relate to ego and superego.

[pygmalion]

Isn't the super-ego supposed to a parental type figure that seeks to control? If so, I'm not sure whether to vote for super-repressed Charlotte or judgmental Miranda. Both of them seem pretty parental to me at times. :lol:

(The last time I read any unfiltered Freud was my freshman year, so I may be remembering the super-ego term wrongly.)

[gusmahler]

While I'm thinking about, I thought I'd post about an episode that made me really hate Carrie.

There's been some talk here about how badly Carrie treated Aiden. One of the later episodes had Carrie meeting a friend of Aiden's ex. The person made a face at Carrie. Carrie was upset. But not because she realized how badly she treated Aiden. She was upset because a complete stranger thought Carrie handled the Aiden situation badly.

Let's see, she cheated on "the perfect guy", breaking his heart. He somehow finds it in him to forgive her and they start dating again. Carrie again has committment issues and ends up driving him away, again breaking his heart. Yet she thinks she did nothing wrong? Does she have any morals at all?

Even Samantha felt bad when she cheated on Smith. Yet Carrie feels that she did nothing wrong with Aiden!

[pygmalion]

Oh man! I posted a long reply and somehow lost my mind. I hit back instead of submit. :(

Anyway. Yes and Yes.

The episode with Samantha and Richard and Smith at the club was awful. *shudder* In that episode, Samantha's carefree sexuality seemed sordid. Every other time, it seemed like she was being true to herself. That time, it seemed like she was being untrue to Smith, and even she knew it. :(

And yes. Carrie's behavior toward Aidan was, in a word, shallow. She seemed more concerned with saving face than with the fact that she'd behaved inexcusably and destroyed a good man's feelings ... multiple times. I was disgusted with her.

But, in a weird way, doesn't that make the show more real? Who of us has never been disgusted with ourselves? :?

[gusmahler]

But, in a weird way, doesn't that make the show more real? Who of us has never been disgusted with ourselves? :?

That's the thing. Carrie wasn't disgusted with herself. She never said, "Damn, I was 100% in the wrong with Aiden, not just once but twice." She never felt bad about how she treated Aiden. She felt bad about how Aiden talking about her made her seem to strangers. She never had the slightest bit of remorse about Aiden. And that particular episode really made that clear. What's worse is that the B story in that episode (Samantha buying a vibrator and babysitting Miranda's kid) was actually pretty funny. But the A story just disgusted me. And none of her friends ever said, "well, you did treat Aiden like crap. Maybe that's why she made a face at you."

When Samantha cheated on Smith, she knew it was wrong even as she was doing it, which is what made it uncomfortable for us as the viewer. Carrie just didn't care about how her actions affected anyone.

[gusmahler]

Another weird thing about the show is that some think the show is anti-male. But if you look at the main recurring characters, who are the only one portrayed positively all the time? The Men! Smith, Aiden, and Miranda's boyfriend were never at fault in any of their dealing with Samantha, Carrie, or Miranda.

Even Charlotte's husband was portrayed positively, being more the victim of an overbearing mother than being a bad person. While Charlotte's bald boyfriend was portrayed as a joke at first, he became a very sympathetic character rather quickly.

Big is obviously an exception. And it is odd that the only recurring male character with huge flaws turns out to be the one true love of Carrie.

[pygmalion]

Good points. All of them. Now you have me thinking that maybe Carrie ended up with Big, not because she deserved true love and happiness, but because Big was the best she deserved ... in a flawed sorta way.

I'd never thought about all the other guys being basically good guys. Everybody -- even Charlotte's first husband. Did you see the episode where she was fighting the soon-to-be-ex mother-in-law over the Park Avenue Apartment?

Charlotte was a good wife. Stop. She didn't do anything wrong. Stop. Honestly Mother. Stop. :lol:

Trey stuck up for Charlotte even in the end, when it mattered the most.

You're right about that. The guys were the most consistently sympathetic characters. Except for Big, that is. :?

[DWise1]

Considering what I've been going through with the x2b and the awful things she's done and the deliberately cruel and horrible way she had treated me and how she acts and talks as if she has done absolutely nothing wrong, I am sorely tempted to write off Carrie's lack of remorse over her mistreatment of Aiden as being typical behavior. But I will not do that.

Viewing it pragmatically and realize that a number of the story-arc plot developments have been necessary. Drama needs conflict. You don't have resolution of conflict until the end of the drama. If Carrie settled down with a good guy, happily ever-after, then there would go the show, it would be over. Carrie wouldn't be writing her column nor asking her questions anymore, because she'd have found her answers. Or at least her questions would now be of a different kind which would be inconsistent with her old column and the premise of the show.

Also, the character is flawed and a good part of the show comes from how her flaws have been directing the course of her life.

The comment that in the end she got what she deserved reminded me of the end of "The Wedding Date", when they're describing what the future had in store for the various characters, ending with the remark that one character had learned absolutely nothing. Maybe that's part of Carrie's flaw, not being able to learn from her mistakes.

[pygmalion]

Maybe that's why I find Carrie sympathetic. I haven't learned from my mistakes, either. :wink: :lol:

[pygmalion]

Of yeah. And you're right. The writers had to create some long-term unresolved conflicts, as long as they were planning to keep the show running. Maybe that was Carrie's primary function. *shrug*

[DWise1]

Maybe that's why I find Carrie sympathetic. I haven't learned from my mistakes, either. :wink: :lol:

Creating characters that the audience can readily identify with. [grin]

[pygmalion]

Exactly. :oops: [grin right back]

[DWise1]

Of yeah. And you're right. The writers had to create some long-term unresolved conflicts, as long as they were planning to keep the show running. Maybe that was Carrie's primary function. *shrug*

Ever see "Miami Rhapsody", I think it's called. Very Woody-Allen-esque. SJ Parker seemed to embody New York neurotic about relationships, like Carrie.

[pygmalion]

No. I haven't seen it. I'll check it out tomorrow, when I go to Blockbuster, though. Thanks for the recommendation. :D

[DWise1]

Watching the beginning of tonight's second TBS episode, Sam refers to her boss/boyfriend Richard as a "jerk", though her mouth was saying something else. I suddenly realized that the actors had an automatic second career redubbing their own voices with cleaned-up dialog for syndication.

Then I realized that even if I see every single episode on TBS, it'll feel to me like I still haven't seen it, because of the feeling that something's missing. Kind of like drinking low-fat milk.

[pygmalion]

Watching the beginning of tonight's second TBS episode, Sam refers to her boss/boyfriend Richard as a "jerk", though her mouth was saying something else. I suddenly realized that the actors had an automatic second career redubbing their own voices with cleaned-up dialog for syndication.

Then I realized that even if I see every single episode on TBS, it'll feel to me like I still haven't seen it, because of the feeling that something's missing. Kind of like drinking low-fat milk.

I borrowed seasons one, two and three on video from the public library and rented seasons four, five and six on DVD from Blockbuster. No dubbing there. :wink: :)

[DWise1]

OK, what gives? TBS is billing the two episodes next week "American Girl in Paris" partes Un and Deux (I think they're titled) as the "Series Finale". Furthermore, all the episode guides I've checked on-line, only talk about six seasons, which end with AGIP Un et Deux.

However, didn't members here report and talk about a seventh season? Apparently with Carrie and Big ending up together at the end. Didn't that seventh season actually happen? Or are we living a Dallas rerun in which that entire season is just a dream (ie, that we're just dreaming that it happened)?


PS
There was a radio report on efforts by Dallas to get the new Dallas movie to be filmed in Dallas and not elsewhere. One of the t-shirt and bumper sticker slogans is "Shoot J.R. in Dallas".

[pygmalion]

As far as I know, there were only six seasons, culminating in the American Girl episodes. Once Big realized that Carrie was "the one" and rescued her from Petrovsky in Paris, anything else would've been anticlimactic, for me. *shrug*

[mamboqueen]

I think I heard that on the DVD for the 6th season, they were going to show the other outcome(s). I'm glad it ended the way it did...even if it was a little predictible. I just LOVE Big!

[pygmalion]

I just LOVE Big!

Abso *&%+%$#)*& lutely!

I'll have to check out the DVDs again. I didn't watch the special features on any of them. Maybe I missed something. (Yay! More SATC to watch. :D )

[RIdancer82]

absolutely love this show!!!!!.... unfortunately I got into in a bit late....and I still have to finish watching seasons 5 and 6!!!

....better get out of this thread before I read about what happens!

[SPratt74]

absolutely love this show!!!!!.... unfortunately I got into in a bit late....and I still have to finish watching seasons 5 and 6!!!

....better get out of this thread before I read about what happens!

Oh I own all of the seasons shows unfortunately on VCR, but that's all I had at the time lol! The funny thing was is that it was my mom that got us girls to watch the show lol. So, all of us girls now own the show on tape or CD's! And has anyone noticed that Desperate Housewives is a lot like Sex and the City? I don't like Desperate Housewives personally, but to me it's like they took the characters from Sex and the City, but made them housewives instead. I don't know. That's what I think though!

[africana]

i finally saw a complete episode last week and frankly I don't kow what all the hoopla was about. a bunch of a dried up desperate but frontin' somewhat-hot has-beens

[pygmalion]

That is what the show is about, IMO. And that's the target demographic, too, IMO. (Omitting the dried-up part and excluding present company, of course. :lol: :wink: )

[pygmalion]

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more shows about "dried up" folks in the future -- using your terminology, africana. There's a reason the term "the aging of America" is a cliche, these days. Not everybody in his/her late thirties to early forties is ready to consider him/herself too dried up to stay in the game. :cool:

[SPratt74]

i finally saw a complete episode last week and frankly I don't kow what all the hoopla was about. a bunch of a dried up desperate but frontin' somewhat-hot has-beens

I think that it was a great show, because they finally showed single women trying to get their lives going in this world. I'm so tired of everyone having to be married already lol. Not that I don't want to become married, but still... for once there was a good show about single women that didn't need a man in their lives to help them. That's what I think anyways! :D

[africana]

I think that it was a great show, because they finally showed single women trying to get their lives going in this world. I'm so tired of everyone having to be married already lol. Not that I don't want to become married, but still... for once there was a good show about single women that didn't need a man in their lives to help them. That's what I think anyways! :D ok i see, somewhat empowering? but that oversexed samantha character was so fake and overacted yuck. i just remember hearig a lot about how bold/great/outrageous she was, eh. probably the only likeable character is carrie, but still...i guess everyone has their button ;)

[RIdancer82]

ok i see, somewhat empowering? but that oversexed samantha character was so fake and overacted yuck. i just remember hearig a lot about how bold/great/outrageous she was, eh. probably the only likeable character is carrie, but still...i guess everyone has their button ;)

but wasn't that the point.....? to portray over-exagerated versions of people women tend to be friends with or people you meet everyday? Or even just to show the 4 very different personalities which are part of all of us, only in different amounts. Many women like to compare themselves to sex and the city characters, but to do so would usually be highly inaccurate since very very few of us are as extreme in any of those personalities as they portray on the show. I would tend to think that they are just giving us a look at each of the individual personalities, that when combined in different proportions, make us all the individuals we are.

[pygmalion]

I thought that as well, RI. The characters are like my girlfriends to the nth power lol.

[SPratt74]

ok i see, somewhat empowering? but that oversexed samantha character was so fake and overacted yuck. i just remember hearig a lot about how bold/great/outrageous she was, eh. probably the only likeable character is carrie, but still...i guess everyone has their button ;)

Well, I think that we all have characters that we can relate to and those that we don't relate to on Sex and the City. I could relate to all of them, but I come from a big family and I'm used to the different personalities. I am very much like Charlotte, so I've been told lol. I guess there are certain things that I say according to my friends that she would say etc., but that doesn't mean that I'm like her completely. For instance, I think my youngest sister is very much like Carrie! But only certain parts of her personality though, not the whole person lol. So, only take things with a grain of salt, because yeah it's only a television show and not the real people, but I know you know this lol! ;)

[Twilight_Elena]

I told one of my friends she's like Samantha and she said indignantly "Me? No way!" I really held my tongue there.

Twilight Elena

[pygmalion]

Nobody wants to be like Samantha... except those of us who do lol. It must be nice to be as ... proficient and totally uninhibited as she. Samantha rocks, IMO. She knows who she is and who she's not. That's good stuff. Healthy stuff. How many of us (real, non-televised women) can say the same?