It’s been a while. And there’s been a surge of new readers. And there’s a lot of shows out there, and books and wine and whatever. Have at it and thanks for all the support. Ask me anything. I’ll be in and out of the comments through Sunday.
Not a paid subscriber yet? Give it a think and then hopefully you can come on board. Loads more content. Thanks for keeping the Machine going.
Great job, folks. Some really entertaining and thoughtful questions. I'm going to do a before-sunset dog walk and then watch "Succession." I'll make sure I don't wait as long to do another of these.
Omg, Mark, THE FALL. I fell hard for it (see what I did there?) when it came out in part because it reignited my long standing crush on Gillian Anderson. It is so weird and brooding and dangerous. Top pick in that genre... and I think maybe Tim taught that show in his old Visual Studies class at CCA?
Do you listen to the Smartless podcast? I know how much of a champion you were for Arrested Development, and two of the three hosts (Jason Bateman and Will Arnette) are from Arrested (along with Sean Hayes). It's hilarious! If you haven't listened yet, give the episode with Dana Carvey a listen to see if it's your jam or not.
I'm a lifelong PNW/PDX area resident, save for a year of college in LA and a couple years teaching in the bay area about 20 years ago (which is when I started following you when you were writing for the Chronicle). Any chance you'd be up for a glass of wine in the pearl sometime this summer when you're in the area? Bonus points for outdoor seating.
I feel that my wife and I are the only two people who watched The Offer. We thought it was a blast...jumped on each new episode when it dropped. Matthew Goode rocked as Robert Evans and it was very well cast overall. Veracity considerations were not of consequence. Was it ever on your radar Tim?
Hi Tim...now that you’re on the Britbox train, have you seen Mum? Such good characters and great acting especially from Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan.
Hey, Tim - As a grateful Bay Area native, I’ve always felt I belonged in the PNW. I’m gearing up for another long reconnoitering trek to investigate places to land, especially now that my closest friends are all moving out of the BA (including some to PDX). I never really considered building/high rise living, but in some ways it makes sense. How are you adjusting?
I'm going to assume you're somewhat familiar with Space 1999. Do you think it would be possible to remake the series at a high level of quality and retain the core concept (Earth's Moon leaves the solar system and the people living on the Moon struggle to survive, either by returning to Earth or by finding a new place to live)?
Tim, how does the relative home-grown programming on YouTube complicate the picture of what could be considered television? We rightfully look at streaming platforms as the purveyors of content, but there are a ton of shows on YouTube that remind me of the sort of filler programming TV stations used to broadcast before primetime kicked in (cooking shows, lifestyle shows, celebrity talk shows, cartoons, etc.). Not to be reductive, but it seems as if the major streamers are what could be seen as the providers of the, say, made-for-TV-movies, miniseries, cool new series, etc., and YouTube the home of everything else that once populated the airwaves when there were only 13 channels to choose from.
Have you ever taken design or architecture-type courses at a college level? If not, is that something you can see doing one day just for fun? You seem to enjoy that field so much.
Related question - what is your favorite tv show in terms of art / production design?
I'm born in '57 and was devoted to EC from the debut through Mighty Like a Rose. (My wife of 32 years and I still sometimes call one another Sweet Pear.) As you are well acquainted, I assume, with his subsequent output would you name up to 3 albums that I ought to immerse myself in. Cheers.
Who wins in a death match between Omar from “The Wire” and Mike from “Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul” and why?
They are both dropped into functional urban environment (normal city infrastructure, civilians etc) they start with no weapons, $$$, or allies but are free to procure as many of each by whatever means at their disposal...
Has technology changed they way your write --e.g. many of us read content on small screens like our phones vs. large monitors, or hard copy. I find that for work (tech industry) I write formal communications very differently knowing content is absorbed via tiny device screens.
how amazing is this time we are living? it used to be so hard to figure out how to binge watch shows involving much in the way of tivo and dvr programming and juggling - now everythings out there at all times which is just crazy (and overwhelming)!
So glad you posted this and my memory is fresh! Can you please explain what natural wine is and a good place to read up on it? I know you swear by your local wine guy. don’t live in the Bay Area anymore and will have to wait until my next visit out there to check out his store. In the meantime, I want to educate myself.
AMA: Ask Me Anything.
Great job, folks. Some really entertaining and thoughtful questions. I'm going to do a before-sunset dog walk and then watch "Succession." I'll make sure I don't wait as long to do another of these.
Omg, Mark, THE FALL. I fell hard for it (see what I did there?) when it came out in part because it reignited my long standing crush on Gillian Anderson. It is so weird and brooding and dangerous. Top pick in that genre... and I think maybe Tim taught that show in his old Visual Studies class at CCA?
Who is your favorite brooding/angsty detective, foreign or domestic? I admit I’m a sucker for the genre
What country music artist was the best actor? Who was the worst?
Do you listen to the Smartless podcast? I know how much of a champion you were for Arrested Development, and two of the three hosts (Jason Bateman and Will Arnette) are from Arrested (along with Sean Hayes). It's hilarious! If you haven't listened yet, give the episode with Dana Carvey a listen to see if it's your jam or not.
I've got "Silo" lined up for the Two Episode Test tomorrow. I mean, it's lined up after a write it. Watched the first two already. I'm in.
I'm a lifelong PNW/PDX area resident, save for a year of college in LA and a couple years teaching in the bay area about 20 years ago (which is when I started following you when you were writing for the Chronicle). Any chance you'd be up for a glass of wine in the pearl sometime this summer when you're in the area? Bonus points for outdoor seating.
I feel that my wife and I are the only two people who watched The Offer. We thought it was a blast...jumped on each new episode when it dropped. Matthew Goode rocked as Robert Evans and it was very well cast overall. Veracity considerations were not of consequence. Was it ever on your radar Tim?
Dogs are the best. That's all.
Hi Tim...now that you’re on the Britbox train, have you seen Mum? Such good characters and great acting especially from Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan.
Just some pure crystal-ball gazing: how long do you think the writers' strike is going to last?
Hey, Tim - As a grateful Bay Area native, I’ve always felt I belonged in the PNW. I’m gearing up for another long reconnoitering trek to investigate places to land, especially now that my closest friends are all moving out of the BA (including some to PDX). I never really considered building/high rise living, but in some ways it makes sense. How are you adjusting?
I'm going to assume you're somewhat familiar with Space 1999. Do you think it would be possible to remake the series at a high level of quality and retain the core concept (Earth's Moon leaves the solar system and the people living on the Moon struggle to survive, either by returning to Earth or by finding a new place to live)?
Why did Janet Fucking Weiss get kicked out of Sleater-Kinney?
If I don't know what I don't even know, how do I even know that?
Tim, how does the relative home-grown programming on YouTube complicate the picture of what could be considered television? We rightfully look at streaming platforms as the purveyors of content, but there are a ton of shows on YouTube that remind me of the sort of filler programming TV stations used to broadcast before primetime kicked in (cooking shows, lifestyle shows, celebrity talk shows, cartoons, etc.). Not to be reductive, but it seems as if the major streamers are what could be seen as the providers of the, say, made-for-TV-movies, miniseries, cool new series, etc., and YouTube the home of everything else that once populated the airwaves when there were only 13 channels to choose from.
Have you ever taken design or architecture-type courses at a college level? If not, is that something you can see doing one day just for fun? You seem to enjoy that field so much.
Related question - what is your favorite tv show in terms of art / production design?
I'm born in '57 and was devoted to EC from the debut through Mighty Like a Rose. (My wife of 32 years and I still sometimes call one another Sweet Pear.) As you are well acquainted, I assume, with his subsequent output would you name up to 3 albums that I ought to immerse myself in. Cheers.
When are The Riches coming back?
Who wins in a death match between Omar from “The Wire” and Mike from “Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul” and why?
They are both dropped into functional urban environment (normal city infrastructure, civilians etc) they start with no weapons, $$$, or allies but are free to procure as many of each by whatever means at their disposal...
Has technology changed they way your write --e.g. many of us read content on small screens like our phones vs. large monitors, or hard copy. I find that for work (tech industry) I write formal communications very differently knowing content is absorbed via tiny device screens.
Question?? Request?? More TV Talk Machine! Thanks!!
how amazing is this time we are living? it used to be so hard to figure out how to binge watch shows involving much in the way of tivo and dvr programming and juggling - now everythings out there at all times which is just crazy (and overwhelming)!
Have you ever ranked your top series / seasons of all time? Such as "The Wire - Season 4".
What is the square root of Pi? Or Pie? Or do you think all streaming services are going to eventually have a free service that hosts ads?
Hi Tim!
So glad you posted this and my memory is fresh! Can you please explain what natural wine is and a good place to read up on it? I know you swear by your local wine guy. don’t live in the Bay Area anymore and will have to wait until my next visit out there to check out his store. In the meantime, I want to educate myself.
I usually get to Portland about once a year. Where are some of your favorite places to eat?