Burn Notice

Seriously my fav show right now besides John From Cincinnati. Bourne + Magnum P.I. + MacGyver + mommy issues

I caught this last week and it definitely has potential. Is anyone else watching though?

It was number 9 in cable ratings for the pilot, 8 for the second week.

Advertising the fuck out of it and showing replays after perpetual top fiver WWE Raw must be helping.

Finale was good, now I wish I'd watched the whole season.

hm. i haven't watched eps 10 or 11. but was into this show. but i guess not enough into it to dl these eps. i like the tough talkin and the sunshine and the macgyver tricks. and sam, obv. but i don't know.

So I go home for a visit these past few days and in between all the Olympics stuff I find out about this series as my mom's a fan. Bruce Campbell! (Stole the episode I saw, unsurprisingly, but I was all 'whuh?' at how he looks now.)

Bourne + Magnum P.I. + MacGyver + mommy issues

Yeah, pretty much. The light tone and Miami setting go well together. (I could imagine David Caruso wandering around in the background and Campbell giving him a look.)

Oh and double 'whuh?' at special guest star Robin Givens as cold-blooded assassin!

What was that Bruce Campbell show about the U.S. revolutionary war, and tits? I liked the theme song a lot but the show was just so-so.

tricia helfer lolz

xp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VNsjjYRgjc

Hahaha, what the hell. Briscoe County meets Pirates of the Caribbean meets Wild Wild West.

thx Kenan! :D

You guys have got to be kidding

Not that I've ever seen this, or anything -- I'm just surprised, because the first time I saw an ad for this, I couldn't believe anyone had seriously decided to make a spy show about a developmentally disabled guy

He is? (I mean, if you mean the guy playing him is making him seem that way, fine.)

lol!

Abbottoir, did you just call me kenan?

haha
also ahhaha developmentally disabled - yeah dude does keep his mouth hanging open a lot, and with the vacant eyes... i'm gonna say it's part of his cover.

i have only watched the first ep of this season and kinda got bored after several eps last season. i guess i wish it were funnier.

i am watching no tv shows right now :/

Sorry Kerm!

what about kenan?

Didn;'t see this thread the first time, but this is one of the few shows I'm watching full time.

i caught up on hulu - it is possibly better if you watch it all at once, i'm guessing... that way you feel the longer story arc a little more.

dude was pretty good on the USA version of 'touching evil'

A little googling suggests he was playing a detective recovering from a "near-fatal gunshot wound to the head," which sounds like pretty easy casting for him

On writing a 'Burn Notice' tie-in book. Fun little piece.

I've been hit-or-miss on the Carla storyline, but at least now it feels like we're getting somewhere. Last night's episode was full of awesome though.

"You'll have a lot of trouble if you stay here. Plus, your place is on fire."

Haven't got round to finding the second season yet, but once Gabrielle Anwar ditched the Irish accent and I got over being creeped out by her weirdy skinniness, this was pretty good stuff. Will probably wait until it comes back on TV over here, it's not must-see-RIGHT-NOW or anything, but it's very likeable.

Apparently BN is now a home for Galactica actors. Romo Lampkin as a bank robber who's having a very bad day.

For such a stock episode (it's the bank hostage plot) last week's episode was pretty great...

Isn't every episode of this show kind of a stock episode? I say that in the best way possible, honestly, it's a really fun show. One thing I did like was that it packed in way more spy stuff than usual (the liquid nitrogen thing, cell phone to ethernet, etc.) and it was a good excuse plotwise to pack that in.

Isn't every episode of this show kind of a stock episode? I say that in the best way possible, honestly, it's a really fun show.

True enough, but I was thinking of the stock plots you see in every show ever: bank hostages, an episode on a plane, jury trial, etc. Burn Notice's great strength is that it picks up all these cliches and kicks them sideways enough so you don't feel like Michael & co. are 100% invincible. Even though you abstractly know that they'll win in the end.

Terrific season finale. Bonus points for not ending on a cliffhanger, resolving the season arc, and providing just enough clues as to what will happen next season.

I'm trying to get into this show. There are things I like about it, but I find it pretty lacking all in all. I'm seven episodes in, and it seems like they just can't figure out what kind of guy they want the main character to be. I find myself thinking the show would be about 20x better if it was about Bruce Campbell's character. I really despise the IRA ex-gf whose terrible accent disappeared by episode 3.

Love the McGyver type stuff, though.

Came back for season 3 tonight. Still good and fun as usual. Happy to see Moon Bloodgood coming on as a recurring character.

"It's always best to have a business argument unarmed..."

Sam's face after he shoots a round into the ground = priceless!

The voiceover grew on me in an alarmingly short span of time. I enjoy the contrast between the color correction settings of BN vs CSI:M, flipping back and forth between the two is a lesson in post-production tech; also consider that the staff of BN vs. CSI:M exhibit an opposite contrast, quirky and semi-fleshed-out combatants played by b-movie vets vs. the procedurally-obsessed soap opera science team

gabrielle anwar could really stand to stick to the fake irish all the time, imo, I mean, this is teevee, just do whatever but don't be boring

xpost but all the CSI shows look absolutely horrible imo, while Burn Notice (w/the exception of those unnecessary jarring transition/location shots) is quite pleasant

I saw the network advertising these Ask a Spy videos and didn't pay any mind, but they're actually pretty damn funny (check out "How Do I Break Out Of Prison In Say, Turkmenistan").

I am up to s2ep10 and loving this! I wish more shows let themselves have fun.

Just watched S03E04 - think that season 3 might just be my favorite season so far. I laughed very hard at "Detective Paxson: The Client"

I'm not feeling this at all. But I only watched 2 eps so far, so maybe I should give it anotehr chance? Gabrielle Anwar bugs the shit out of me.

I think the show got better as it went along (I wasn't really hooked until towards the end of season 1) but Anwar will probably still bug you regardless.

also tonight: lol krycek and ted, brothers

lol krycek

haha, yes

Bruce Campbell at Comic-Con:

Average folk may not place the name, but Campbell knows how to whip the Comic-Con faithful into a lather. When the lantern-jawed actor -- beloved by horror fans through his work in Sam Raimi's campy "Evil Dead" series -- strode onstage at a panel for USA's spy drama "Burn Notice," an audience of 4,000 or so erupted in thunderous cheers.

"I love you, Bruce!" one man screamed after the applause died down. Campbell, who plays a comic supporting role as the womanizing private eye Sam Axe on "Burn Notice," promptly strode to the lip of the stage and beckoned the fan to accept a couple of dollar bills in mock payment -- a shtick he repeated with several other well-wishers, including one who suggested that the show needs more Campbell.

Campbell lovers may soon have their prayers answered. According to network insiders, USA is talking with Fox, which makes the series, about producing a straight-to-DVD prequel that would cover Axe's adventures before his attempts to help his best friend, blacklisted spy Michael Westen (played by Jeffrey Donovan, who did not appear on the panel and was, as it happens, arrested earlier this week on suspicion of DUI). No deal has closed yet but it could happen this year, these people say.

Creator Matt Nix and other panelists were asked about the possibility of a "Burn Notice" feature film.

"We've entertained the idea," Nix said. "We all start thinking, 'Wow, we should crash two helicopters into each other. Maybe we need a movie budget.' "

Campbell promised that anything with the "Burn Notice" brand would never rely on CGI effects. "Matt just blows (things) up," the actor said. More cheers from the crowd. Alluding to his "Evil Dead" past, Campbell predicted that the writers would create a spinoff called "Dead Notice." This drew more huzzahs and whistles from the crowd. In fact, Campbell drew applause and laughter for virtually every word he uttered, sometimes just for arching an eyebrow. Not surprisingly, this left fellow panelists groping for attention.

Deep into Season 2 and loving it. Michael's stupid accents are good fun to see...and I love any episode with Seymour the crazy arms dealer. Good stuff.

Really should get round to watching season 2 since FX UK keep re-running season 1 and never showing season 2. Bruce Campbell is awesome.

S2 Bruce has lost the grey stubble, and a few pounds to boot. About as handsome as a washed up ex Navy SEAL gets. I mean, he's not RAWR but just a tiny bit more dashing. If Sam Axe could be dashing, that is.

i really like this show a lot. but i was a little flummoxed when Mike approached the Polish diplomat as a Russian businessman. as sharp as Mike is supposed to be, it was almost as if he was ignorant of traditional Polish hostility to Russians (and it wasn't part of his plan). a rare false-note AFAIC.

Big ol' interview with showrunner Matt Nix, well worth a read.

Renewed for seasons five and six - pretty good, even not considering season four hasn't aired yet!

i really like this show a lot. but i was a little flummoxed when Mike approached the Polish diplomat as a Russian businessman. as sharp as Mike is supposed to be, it was almost as if he was ignorant of traditional Polish hostility to Russians (and it wasn't part of his plan). a rare false-note AFAIC.

― there can be only but steam that smells of shit and weaklingness (Eisbaer)

The logic in the episode was that a) Michael could speak Russian and therefore could pass as Russian b) it would follow that an enemy of the Polish would want the secrets and c) the guy's background made it look as if he would be desperate enough to comply.

I just started watching this show, devoured all three seasons in the last week. It's a lot smarter than I would have given it credit for initially - plots are tight (albeit events always hinging on near perfect timing from everyone), characters are well written and there's a degree of verisimilitude that helps it transcend the whole "USA Network espionage drama" thing, I hate that CSI-technical magic crap and there's very little of it on Burn Notice.

btw I spend most of each episode staring at Jeffrey Donovan trying to figure out if he's hot or not, can't say I've figured it out yet, would appreciate arguments pro/con. He was 100% hot when he was on Touching Evil though, will vouch for that.

so, did anyone watch the season premiere?

I did, but I was only sort of half paying attention.

I can't stop calling it What Is Burn Notice.

I like the idea that Michael burned another spy, and I'm guessing that will tie in heavily to the season arc (though maybe not). It was amusing how he dropped into the main plot of the episode without really knowing what was going on - almost felt like this was the writer's excuse for doing this sort of setup yet again - you know, Michael gets kidnapped/mysteriously wooshed away for a season or mid-season finale, returns again like nothing's changed, back to Robin Hood stuff. The other times everybody was a lot more worried about him. Nice to see Robert Wisdom and (blink) Michael Ironside.

Maybe the show's just wearing thinner on me over time, but the major story arc stuff has felt a little iffy lately. I still appreciate that they do try to have each half-season revolve around a central idea/plot, for a show that's such an intentional throwback to cheesy action shows with no real continuity.

(still can't believe that SNL sketch made it to air!)

I call the other USA shows What Is In Plain SIght, What Is Royal Pains, What Is Criminal Intent, etc.

it really is true - there are millions of people watching this show!
http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/06/burn-notice-royal-pains-premieres-up.html

Enjoyed the opener, but was a little disappointed to go straight back into Robin Hood mode...thought his kidnapping/black site situation would have played out longer or differently.

But yeah, loved him dropping in the middle of the biker standoff with his Mack10's.. and that awesome beat afterwards "...so who is this guy again?"

Sharon Gless is so, so great. Her scenes with Michael in that ep killed me.

Yeah, I'm often impressed with her, actually - a lot of times, including this episode, the material they write for Madeleine is repetitive, she's always upset with Michael for not doing some trivial errand or angry because he won't give her more details about his spy life, but her performances usually make up for this.

I liked when they had Tyne Daly as a guest star.

That was glorious! Loved that ep!!

Sharon Gless distills the 'tv mom' so well, and manages not to be a stereotype...simple but so studied, she just knocks me out. So damn glad to see her on tv.

The promo for this show makes it look like a giant advert for sunglasses.

Is it?

Well, yes. And tiny bikinis and mend sportswear. But it has spies and guns and real good explosions!

Men's. Mend? Ugh.

Nabisco should get some kind of award for this. Still makes me giggle.

nabisco
Posted: August 18, 2008 7:27:01 PM
...the first time I saw an ad for this, I couldn't believe anyone had seriously decided to make a spy show about a developmentally disabled guy

Jeffrey Donovan hot or not...can we compromise and say hottest mouth-breather?

he does have Miley Cyrus mouth doesn't he

premieres after a cliffhanger finale are always a bit off-kilter but I thought the premiere was particularly oddly paced. Not sure how I feel about adding a new main character to the mix but I feel the main arc is promising.

had to be the worst Michael accent in the history of the show. i don't even know what it was supposed to be!

Prequel movie is a go

EXCLUSIVE: USA has given a formal green light to the Burn Notice movie prequel starring Bruce Campbell, which will be directed by Burn Notice star Jeffrey Donovan. The two will also executive produce with Burn Notice creator Matt Nix, who wrote the movie, and the series exec producer Mikkel Bondesen. The untitled two-hour film, which was announced at this year's Comic-Con, will begin shooting in January on location in Bogota, Columbia for a premiere in Spring 2011. Burn Notice has wrapped production on Season 4, and filming on Season 5 is slated to begin shortly after the movie finishes shooting.

Here are more details about the Fox TV Studios-produced prequel. It is set in late 2005 and focuses on Sam Axe's (Campbell) last mission as a Navy SEAL. It begins after a faction of Colombian rebels makes trouble for the locally stationed military platoon, with Lieutenant Commander Axe (APA-repped Campbell) being sent down to investigate. As the mission unfolds, Sam begins to uncover the dark secrets of the area, learning the truth about sacrifice, deception, and ultimately what’s worth fighting for.

The idea to do a Campbell-centered Burn Notice movie offshoot originated a year and a half ago when Burn Notice made its Comic-Con debut. "We saw Bruce Campbell as the Bruce Springsteen of Comic Con," USA's president of original programming Jeff Wachtel said. "We saw the spectacular explosive fan reaction and realized that, in Bruce, we had not only a great actor but also a pop culture icon." USA executives decided to take advantage of that, and Nix quickly came up with the basic outline for a movie about Axe's back story that had not been explored on the series. The idea was put on the back burner while Nix was busy with Burn Notice and The Good Guys until Wachtel made the surprising informal announcement at Comic-Con in July. Donovan got the directing gig on the movie after impressing USA executives with his directorial debut on the Made Man episode of Burn Notice, which aired this summer.

Could the Burn Notice film spawn a series of a movies or a spinoff series starring Campbell? "It is a one-off," Wachtel said. "We’ll see how it goes."

Would it keep the same tone of the series, I wonder.

It would have to... if it does this will be the greatest thing <3

Really liked the new episode...band's back together & finally warming to Jesse. The last "team stunt" in the final moments was COOL

Great finale. Loved that they pulled out all the stops w/the guest stars. It seems like they've been running certain aspects on autopilot for a couple seasons now, but I'm glad Jesse wasn't ceremoniously sacrificed. Wonder how they're going to proceed next year, now...

Yeah, finale was intense!

Watching Burn Notice: The Fall Of Sam Axe now. More or less the same tone as the series, and Campbell rules whatever he's doing.

"VERY GROOVY"

it was cool once I settled into it being more Burn Notice but without Michael & Fiona. I kind of expected something set further back, and maybe funnier, idk...but it was okay. Bruce got himself trimmed down pretty nice, ole Sam was looking good.

The chainsaw throw and the "very groovy" were worth it though, lololol

Actually it made me miss Briscoe County, seeing Bruce fly solo on tv again.

LOL at hippie CIA nerds

And it restarts tomorrow.

WAHOOOOOOOO

watching on netflix streaming. this show is really good! it's basically a better version of a-team (to some extent) with a compelling serial story bookending and interspersed with the "story of the week." i think the show really gets by on the main cast, since they're all likable and have astonishingly good chemistry. really funny, too!

jeffrey donovan looks like one of those anonymous actors who front half the basic cable shows that are not "meaningful" enough to be considered "reputable" or "deserving of merit", but he's good. i love bruce campbell's single "chuck finley" alias (charles for the classier identities.)

Supporting cast is A+. Sharon Gless ftw!!!

still bitter that they cancelled donovan and vera farmiga in 'touching evil' for this.

I'm glad other people still like this! Apart from the fairly poor Sam Axe prequel film, which didn't really work (though this thread appears to disagree with me), this has been pretty consistently good from the start. Agree with love for Sharon Gless, she's totally amazing in this.

The one about three seasons in where they scam the guys into "killing" them and then confuse the hell out of them by pretending none of it ever happened, dressing up as priests and whatever, is one A++ good episode. And all the introductory captions still show signs of invention which is good after however many episodes.

is it a reality show about...sunglasses?

and tanning, shooting guns in heels, and hawaiian shirts.

Apart from the fairly poor Sam Axe prequel film, which didn't really work

I agree. It wasn't as good as it could have been. Sam was too nice. I was hoping he'd be a little sleazier.

Jeffrey Donovan shows up as a bad guy in the latest Jason Statham movie (Wrath Of Man) and it logically seems like Michael Westen gave up and decided to live a life of high-tech armored car robbery with his special forces friends. Skip the movie though.

:(

rewatching s1 … this show was the best

Aw yeah. I should do this...

sharon gless has the most terrible wig in episode 1 & then you never see it again lol