Halt and Catch Fire

...By a Brit ;) Sure it had some minor flaws and cliches, but it had a very important message about failure and finding inner strength to continue trying to find the next big thing.. and finding solace if not. Those of us who happen to work in startups especially in the tech arena can well relate to the characters and story lines, and for those that don't - it's all very much like that. Whether it's scrounging a lift to a conference to demo something because your company is in dire straits (or because the board doesn't approve) or seeing key people being asked to leave having inadvertently almost destroyed the thing they started to create...Halt tells the stories and is gripping start to end in a job well done. Farewell, great ride whilst it lasted.

Back in the day. I used to think that was the wire, but I gained an audience and a cultural moment. Then I'd say it was the Americans, but while not enough people watched it, you can and will find those that saw it and / or at least people sort of remember the "Felicity is a Russia Spy" show.

This truly is it. The very best show no one really watched. I was one of them and no longer am. Due to life/kids/not being able to DL the episodes on Netflix, it just took me a while to get to it. But boy, when I did..

I've watched all the great peak TV shows. I'm not going to name them all. We all know them. I probably can't say this one was the absolute best.. but it's up there. Its the one I enjoyed the most and am saddest now that I've seen the last one and the journey is over. I will miss these guys.

Well done to those of you who created and acted in it. I will miss watching you in this world very much and now root for you in the other projects you endeavor in.

Man. what a great show. Thanks you,

Yes, any score of 8 & above on IMDB usually means it's a damn good movie/show, but with this show, an 8 is just simply not good enough. Where were the critics with when this show was on the air? After finishing Better Call Saul on AMC, which we all know is one of the greatest shows on television, it got me thinking about what other great shows there are out there that I may have missed out on during their original run time. That's when a friend suggested this series, which also aired on AMC, way back in 2014, and man am I glad he did. To my surprise, I was stuck watching the whole first season in one sitting because I simply could not wait to see what happened next. In my opinion, that's what makes a really good show. One that you simply can not 'put down' like a good book, you have to keep reading to find out what happens because you are THAT hooked. It's like a drug in a sense. Well, needless to say this show did that to me Pretty instantly. I fell in love with all the characters, especially Joe, the Jason Bateman of the computer world. I love all the characters. I love this show. I can't believe how underrated & under the radar it is. What a special show. It should have gotten way more credit. If you shows like The Americans, BCS, Mad Men etc. this show is for you. It deserves your attention.

I am in awe of the writing and the acting. This show epitomises the idea of character-driven. The emotional truth of the script and the actors is on a different plane to anything you might have seen. Comparisons with Mad Men and other shows are irrelevant. There is no comparison. These people are as real as fictional characters can get. The show is a deeply spiritual experience. Transcendental. Thank you.

This is an incredibly intelligent drama on AMC, which in my opinion is better than Mad Men, and equal to some of the best dramas on this or any other network (including HBO).

The acting is A+. The characters come off as real people, with real feelings, and complicated motivations. Again, these characters really "pop" with the same clarity as any of the other great dramatic TV shows.

The sets (early 80s) are right on the money, and the writing is intelligent and clearly benefits from knowledge of those who lived and breathed the computer industry in the early 80s. But just like any of the great dramas, the show isn't really about computers (any more than Mad Men is about advertising, Friday Night Lights football, and so on). This is an original drama that really delivers, folks.

I am incredibly upset at the lack of ratings. I feel that AMC perhaps didn't promote the show properly, or maybe launching in the summer was a miss. If AMC will give this show real legs with a season 2 renewal, without a doubt this will climb the ranks as one of the next great TV shows and will have a healthy run. Please give it a chance!

*****

UPDATE - much to my surprise and joy, the show shall return next summer for Season 2! Maybe there is a god after all ...

*****

UPDATE #2 - unbelievable; Season 3 has been ordered! THANK YOU AMC! I am a believer in the AMC network; they have the balls and bills to keep an excellent show going, despite viewership that is not exactly strong (but the passion of the viewers that turn in is quite high). Can't wait!