Talia Lavin: in the streaming age i just only watch like truly excellent tv. and there's a pleasure in shlock.

im watching a very bad tv show that is an adaptation of a book i really enjoyed. and its been soooo long since i watched a bad tv show - clunky, soapy, bad dialogue. and its kind of pleasurable? like eating those powdered sugar donuts that taste like sweet cardboard.

in the streaming age i just only watch like truly excellent tv. and there's a pleasure in shlock.

(the show is Apples Don't Fall, a thunderously bad adaptation of Liane Moriarty's soapy, juicy, delicious novel)

I could tell it was a Liane Moriarty novel, even having never read them just based on the bits of dialogue that peeked through! It was sooo bad compared to the other adaptations and I loved it. My wife put it on and I was like, omg, I have to see the next one”

the book is such a delight though

That’s what my wife said! Is that the Liane Moriarty you’d suggest I start with?

so far ive read big little lies, apples never fall, and nine perfect strangers this week and i enjoyed all of them a great deal.

There is also a bad 9 Perfect Strangers adaptation on Hulu.

Sounds like a plan. Thanks!

I read the book just so I could watch the series and then heard the changes they made and decided to opt out. The book was great on audio.

I can’t recall if I’ve read that book yet but good to know that the show isn’t a must-see. So far only Big Little Lies has really caught my attention.

yeah its the only good one i think

I really enjoyed that book. I'll move this down my TBW (to be watched) list.

it's terrible!

My guilty pleasure TV is Son of the Beach. Yes, it's really stupid and often gross. But still. A higher-brow favorite is a short lived comedy series called "The Good Guys," set very obviously in Dallas and starring Colin Hanks (Tom Hanks Jr) as a cop for whom small cases always lead to big trouble.

as chuck klosterman once said, the term "guilty pleasure" should be for enjoying like, killing dogs. there's nothing wrong with liking dumb tv!

Thank you!

One issue I’m having is everything on my watch lists is stuff that’s good and requires my attention. I need more stuff I can put on in the background but that kind of stuff never merits saving

Something to be said for schlock, honestly

In the 90's I used to love to watch low budget sci-fi movies on Saturday and Sunday on antenna TV. I miss those days.

I think of Supernatural? Sometimes a dumb comfort show hits right

Any recommendations?

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