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[ZeroFate]

Just watched this is one sitting. Good god that was an amazing 6 hours! I went in knowing absolutely nothing about the story and I'm thankful for it. That ending. ;_;

I think Mary had the most natural character progression. Only David Simon can make a loony old racist woman into a likable character in 6 hours.

Can't wait for this guy's next work! I'm thinking he should REALLY stick to miniseries though. This and Generation Kill are top tier TV.

 

[Moff]

had no idea the same guy did this who did generation kill
needless to say, both miniseries were fantastic, completely different topics, but the same strength, they manage to do great drama without ever feeling out of place, dumb or shoehorned in. everything feels very close to reality.

 

[Helmholtz]

Just watched this over the past two days. It was amazing. A bit of a slow burn at times but the payoff is something else.
Oscar Isaac deserves awards.

 

[Guzim]

Just watched this over the past two days. It was amazing. A bit of a slow burn at times but the payoff is something else.
Oscar Isaac deserves awards.

Oscar Isaac was nominated for a Golden Globe for this. He really was fantastic in it.

 

[Currygan]

just started watching this, currently up to episode 3. Top quality show; solid, uncompromising writing and stellar cast. Oscar Isaac is immensely good, but I have to say, whevener Alfred Molina steps under the limelight he devours that scenery like a goddamned world eater. What a sublime actor

 

[lednerg]

More people should watch this 1988 news show that Dan Rather hosted called 48 Hours: Not on My Street. It aired right when the situation was starting to blow up in Yonkers. Show Me a Hero masterfully copied some of the scenes in it verbatim. It's a really well produced piece, done back when the news desks weren't filled with entertainment reporters.

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l27X9CZz9Vw&list=PLIwT3Ccq2SFA8LuOMNID3nvASOKr0m5Yx

 

[blainethemono]

pretty great essay posted by David Simon today about the writer-director-actor dynamic:

http://davidsimon.com/whats-my-line/

I wrote this up some months ago, at the time that the “Show Me A Hero” miniseries was broadcast on HBO, but then held the essay back for the simple reason that viewers were still acquiring the narrative. After all, nothing is more distracting to the viewing of any edifice than to stumble through a side door and be confronted by all the interior scaffolding, if not evidence of an architect’s early mistakes and lesser intentions. But as the miniseries has now been airing for six months — and as the DVD release of “Show Me A Hero” is slated for tomorrow — I’m guessing that any little extra attention to detail can only be a good thing. And, oh yeah, SPOILERS:

Filmed narrative is intensely collaborative. And the script is just a script; until you film the sonofabitch, it doesn’t actually exist in a form that matters to anyone. So it makes sense to stay reasonable, and to open one’s ears to any actor who is thinking carefully about character, or perhaps even story, especially when the questions are selfless, and sincere and in service of the greater whole. Every now and then, the actor is right.

It’s quite annoying when this happens.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Show Me a Hero was completely snubbed by the Emmys.

 

[Weckum]

Show Me a Hero was completely snubbed by the Emmys.

Insane, was such a good show.

 

[CopperPuppy]

Show Me a Hero was completely snubbed by the Emmys.

It was tragically overlooked from the day it aired. The same was true for the The Wire. Simon's work appears to only be embraced after the fact, if at all. It's a damn shame.

 

[afternoon delight]

What an incredible six hours, should've known Simon and Zorsi would slay- evidently Zorsi is one of the major writing sources behind all the political stuff in The Wire's 4th and 5th seasons.

I'm so glad they included the residents in this, so many other shows would write them off into smaller sections to prop up "the hero".

What a hard story to hear.

 

[Charles Alan Ratliff]

pretty great essay posted by David Simon today about the writer-director-actor dynamic:

http://davidsimon.com/whats-my-line/

Just read this. That's a great story. That scene in the house he mentions broke my heart. An incredible performance by Oscar Isaac.

 

[gdt]

Ignored as every Simon project ever.



In a few years people will talk about this, amazed it barely got any buzz as it aired.

 

[GitarooMan]

pretty great essay posted by David Simon today about the writer-director-actor dynamic:

http://davidsimon.com/whats-my-line/

Great read. Show Me a Hero was a tremendous mini-series that seemed to be forgotten as soon as it aired. It truly deserves far more attention.

 

[kingocfs]

Ignored as every Simon project ever.



In a few years people will talk about this, amazed it barely got any buzz as it aired.

For real. Watched this a second time as soon as I finished it, something I never do. Beautiful series.

 

[afternoon delight]

Ignored as every Simon project ever.

In a few years people will talk about this, amazed it barely got any buzz as it aired.

My guess? He focuses on the very real, often at the expense of eschewing the "public relations" version of events.

The Corner, The Wire, Treme, Generation Kill, and this series all present counter narratives to flag fucking truth, justice, and the American Way.

I can't get this show out of my head.

 

[Fatalah]

So I just started watching this over the weekend -- it's been on my must-watch list since last year.

It's too bad this series didn't debut this autumn, because it's perfectly speaks to what's happening right now in American culture and politics.

I'm halfway through this 6 episode series, and I'm enthralled. Great acting, great story, great cinematography. Man, oh man. Highly recommended.

 

[Socreges]

Didn't have HBO when this first aired so I only just finished it tonight. Had no idea it was Simon (until the credits rolled after Part 2) but his DNA was all over this. Fantastic show. Somehow managed to cover several years, multiple elections and various families without feeling like they were putting in too much.

Wasicsko packed Common Ground into a box as he was leaving office. Thought that was a nice touch. I wonder if Common Ground inspired the original book.

The music was great. Maybe a little too much Springsteen, but every song was well used.

I was a bit anxious that he might commit suicide (didn't know the actual Yonkers history) and then there was a shot of him sitting in front of the tombstone, where the empty slot was next to his father. Not subtle but still excellent imagery.

His suicide bugs me a lot. If he was innocent, why would that drive him to kill himself. Even the investigators said they had no reason to believe he was corrupt, and I don't see why they would lie. Seems like there might be more to the story, or maybe it's just that simple and he was concerned about his reputation being ruined. At least I thought the show did a very good job showing his descent.

I think it's a perfect show for people against desegregation to watch. Simon actually makes the opponents fairly sympathetic. At least to start. It's a slow burn, so people would get roped in before they realize they're being subtly educated on why their worldview is kind of fucked.