#long running tv shows

[kbade]

I recently watched the first episode of NCIS (Yankee White) and all throughout the episode I couldn't help but wonder what all the other agents from later seasons were doing at that moment. And then I started thinking about the ages of those agents.

Yankee White premiered September 23, 2003

Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Age: 52

Nick Torres

Age: 23

Tim McGee

Age: 26

Ellie Bishop

Age: 19

Tony DiNozzo

Age: 35

Jenny Shepard

Age: 40

Kasie Hines

Age: 11 what??

Jessica Knight

Age: 19

Jimmy Palmer

Age: 26

Abbie Sciuto

Age: 34

Ziva David

Age: 24

Leon Vance

Age: 40

Alden Parker

Age: 47

Kate Todd

Age: 30

Clayton Reeves

Age: 18

Jack Sloane

Age: 36

Alex Quinn

Age: 30

Donald Mallard

Age: 70

[manny-jacinto]

i’m actually grateful for apple tv+ who seems to be able to believe in their tv shows despite ‘low’ ratings.

based on wikipedia, they have 76 ongoing shows (drama + comedy):

- 27 of them were ended but 13 of them had at least 2 seasons which brings us to a 18% cancellation rate after their first season

- 18 of them (23%) were miniseries so their end is justified

- 21 of them are renewed but if if you add the 13 series that had at least 2 seasons, this brings us to a total of 35 shows that were renewed which is a 46% ratio renewal rate

apple tv+ renews half of their shows and i think we should be thankful for them in a time where netflix and amazon cancels 90% of their shows

[tiredandoptimistic]

Fresh off a rewatch of Geothermal Escapism and feeling emotions (this turned into an overlong Troy Barnes analysis post and I'm inviting you on the journey)

The thing that really sticks with me, especially when you consider the rest of season five (and also the show as a whole), is how truly I'm convinced that Troy did need to go on that voyage. He went from a guy who wore his letterman jacket to college and bragged about being prom king, to somebody who was unapologetically himself and content with being judged for it. Despite all this growth, Troy still wasn't his own person; not entirely.

I keep thinking about the bit in Repilot, where Jeff argues that Troy's life was ruined by Greendale because he now revolves entirely around "another man." Putting aside the blatant homophobia, Jeff is kinda right. When asked what he's doing with his life, Troy excitedly talks about what Abed is up to. Now, there's nothing wrong with being supportive and it's clear that Troy feels content with putting Abed's goals first, but it is concerning when you think in context of his arc. In season three, there was the pillow and blanket war as an extension of Troy's frustration with always being the sidekick. Even though they work through a lot of their issues and have an honest discussion about how Abed never saw Troy as lesser, there's still clearly some level of fear that one day he will. We see this in season four, during Inspecticon, when Troy is genuinely afraid that Abed will leave him for someone who (in Troy's mind) is a better match for his intellect. Once again Abed proves that he wouldn't want anybody else, but that's not the end of it. By the start of season five it's great that Troy is comfortable playing support to Abed's goals, but he still hasn't fully resolved the base issues. Yes, he's confident in his worth as a supporter rather than a leader, but he's still never figured out who he is alone.

Looking back at Troy's season one characterization, it's clear that his main struggle as a person is not knowing who he is or what he wants. He defines himself entirely as a quarterback and prom king, even when it's clear that nobody else actually takes that seriously. Even Annie, who knew Troy as the untouchable king of the popular kids and is seriously crushing on him (in a comphet way but that's another post), sees his jock identity as something that's holding him back. In the pilot, Troy has a chat with Jeff about his letterman jacket; expressing how insecure all the jokes make him. It's clear from this that he has no confidence in his own identity. He wears the letterman jacket because he's Troy The Quarterback, doesn't know how to handle that being seen as a bad thing, and goes to Jeff for advice because he needs someone else to tell him what version of himself to become. Whatever choice Troy makes for how to dress, it's about finding the quickest way to balance likeability with the illusion of his own convictions. Like Jeff tells him, "either way, it's for them."

Throughout season one, Troy struggles with his own identity through his friendships with the entire study group, most notably Abed. Despite his meathead persona, Troy's silly side starts to come out in the very second episode, when he and Abed do their iconic Spanish rap during the end card. After that, we see their friendship gradually develop through these short comedic bits. During this time, in "Football, Feminism, and You," we see Troy caught in a conflict between Jeff (who wants him to go back to football) and Annie (who wants him to become more academic). In the end, Jeff and Annie both feel bad for trying to warp Troy to fit thier ideals, and Troy settles on playing football purely because he enjoys the game. After that, Troy and Abed's friendship finally comes out of the end cards and into the show itself. The example I wanna talk about is "Environmental Science," when Troy is once again forced to choose between what he wants to do and how he wants to be seen. At the start of the episode, he embarrases himself in front of his science class by freaking out from fear of Fievel the rat. For the rest of the episode, Troy is unwilling to commit to helping Abed find Fievel by singing their romantic duet because he's already admitted weakness and that highlights his insecurities. He's been getting more comfortable goofing off with Abed, but suddenly he feels all the ways in which his expressions of his actual personality have opened him up to ridicule. Of course the episode ends with Troy joining Abed in their duet to save Fievel, and he even faces his fear of touching the rat to get him back to his cage. From that point onwards, Troy and Abed's friendship is more or less firmly established. I could go into all the ups and downs, but this post is long as hell already and I've still got more to say.

During seasons two and three, Troy almost entirely gives up the tough guy act and accepts that he's a big softie who thinks Abed is the coolest guy in the world for being so unapologetically himself at all times. He's always denied his interests for the sake of appearing likeable and tough, so meeting Abed and seeing that it's possible to be happy and loved a weirdo who never pretends to be anything else is kinda groundbreaking for him. He still has his ups and downs (like when he ditches their matching costumes for the sake of attracting girls in "Epidemiology"), but for the most part he's found a comfortable new role as Abed's Best Friend. Hell, during Shirley's wedding in "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts," Troy is the one who decides it's not worth trying to be normal when they can be themselves. In "Early 21st Century Romanticism," Troy gives up a date with a girl (something he supposedly really wants) because she won't accept Abed's weirdness. What I'm getting at here is that Troy has given up his high school identity and adopted a new one, but that brings with it some of the same old problems.

By the time season five rolls around, Troy is not an individual. He is one half of a pair: TroyandAbed. This isn't an inherently bad thing; we are a communal species and it's normal and healthy to embrace the fact that you can't function independantly of others. The problem is that he transitioned so smoothly from Prom King Troy to Abed's Best Friend Troy that he never had time in the middle as just Troy. It's wonderful that Abed helped Troy discover one way to express himself and be genuinely happy, but he still only really learned how to do that on Abed's terms. The only thing we see Troy do without Abed is build a blanket fort, which is still fundamentally about Abed. He also dates Britta, but that feels more like Troy trying to prove that he can have an adult relationship and Britta trying to prove that she can stay with a guy who isn't the fucking worst (I love you Britta but your taste in men is rancid). It's clear that both of them are more in love with the idea of a stable relationship than with each other. For their entire relationship Troy is more invested in Abed and Britta is fine with that. He may be sleeping in a separate bedroom, but he's still living in the blanket fort, y'know?

This brings me back to Pierce's will, and his final gift to Troy; a chance to become his own man. Pierce may have the worst opinions on everything, but I still think this opportunity is what Troy needed at that point in his life. He finally gets a chance to explore everything the world has to offer, entirely detached from other people who can warp his opinions. Troy is a mirror, he reflects what's around him. He needs some time on his own to figure out what it is he really wants for himself. Plus, getting to dock in places all over the world gives Troy the chance to be whoever he wants without fear of meeting expectations. He can do anything, try anything; comfortable in the knowledge that he's not impressing anyone. And, at the end, he is able to look back on everything he's experienced and decide once and for all what his happiness looks like. I choose to believe that it's going home to Abed, fully informed of the alternatives and aware that playing support doesn't mean giving up your own identity.

[ourg0dsal]

I love Zombie shows with my whole heart but god damn do the first episodes always piss me off, cause every character has a bad case of dumb bitch disease©️.

Like you just watched your son run over a man TWICE and he still didn't die, you are trying to actively leave the city to avoid the oncoming apocalypse, AND YET, you see your boss covered in blood and growling and it can't possibly be the same for him right?

Anyways enjoying Fear The Walking Dead so far.

[reminiscentrainclouds]

I am a guy who can get So emotionally attached to fictional characters.

[dindjarindiaries]

I use to get sad thinking about the Mandalorian ending, and I still do to an extent, but it’s mostly…relief? Happiness? Season three just…. I don’t know. Changed the tone of everything and I hope the movie can “fix” some of the disaster that was season 3.

No seriously like... this is how I'm feeling in the sense of... I'm also just ready to stop seeing people trash this show/these characters all the time. I'm exhausted like sldkjsdlkfj I'm so tired of seeing all the hate and if ending the show will end that, too, then so be it 😭

[thoughtsofthegirlwiththecurl]

"You have to trust the writers!" "The writers know what they're doing!" "Television is a long-form medium; you need to be patient!"

*Me, swimming in an Olympic-sized pool of dropped plot threads from 30 years of TV I've personally watched*: "Sure babe whatever you say"

[confusionmeisss]

okay, but seriously fuck netflix for never committing to more than 1-2 seasons of a show, especially when it comes to book adaptations!

[carebooks]

i only have one thing to say about episode three of percy jackson: i am obsessed with jessica parker kennedy’s portrayal of medusa.

the minute she stepped out and started talking i would’ve gone running in for those cheeseburgers, will i be turned to stone? will i become a friend? who knows, all i know is jessica parker kennedy.

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Star Trek: Discovery ending after five seasons is not a victory for the trolls that hated it. They didn't make it happen. They didn't want the show to live beyond one season let alone five. They didn't bring it down, they just annoyingly happened to still be here when it ended.

[sherlock-is-ace]

We shouldn't assume people's sexualities or gender. You don't know anyone's identity until they tell it to you, yes.

But also queer people just know, we can sense the queerness. It's not the same

[stacy-fakename]

Rat Grinders:Don’t do anything to the Bad Kids until antagonized, and it’s later revealed that their bad actions were a result of being groomed by one of their teachers for years and then murdered and possessed.

Intrepid Heroes:Fuck you, sending you to hell and you can’t be revived.

[mariocki]

Shadows of Fear: Did You Lock Up? (1.1, Thames, 1970)

"And they didn't make much mess?"

"No, not really. They forced that door. Smashed the cabinet, slashed a sofa. And kicked a hole in the bedroom door."

"Ah. Big mistake."

"What is?"

"Never lock inside doors. Anything you can to keep them out - but when they're in, let 'em get on with it."

"I'll remember."

[arachnidiots]

so anyways how are we gonna celebrate thread 300? im thinking we gotta go all out for this one. group thread with the whole following list

[1-7776]

the hbomberguy vid is good i think i should check out his other stuff. it seems like actually quality essays which is lacking in the youtube space

[niconebula]

leave it to the owl house fandom to get offended over the most mundane things ever. I’m running to dana’s house right now telling her never to reveal that amity was also conceived with the goal of filling the love interest role.