It's a premium cable thing, I think, Shadow. I've read multiple mentions of a lot of the new HBO/Starz/Showtime shows doing lengthy opening credits.

Shadowlander, Haha! I enjoyed the opening credits... the first few times, after that it was just a lesson in patience. No, the credits weren't 5mins long but they were at least half that. The attention to detail was amazing and I appreciated the desire for historical accuracy. There were some famous Aussie actors and actresses taking part too. I didn't like Eugene much at the beginning but he grew on me and I really felt for him on the battlefields and after. I'm glad that God protected him too.

Viridian_hues, this isn't a series to enjoy, rather it's one you experience to appreciate the sacrifice of Americans, Japanese, Australians etc and the horrors and pointlessness of war. I don't know your age but I honestly wouldn't recommend the series to anyone under 17 years of age. Even then many shouldn't see it.

So i did a search, and found only one post referring to Leverage.

Seriously?

I caught a few episodes here and there on TV, but never got to watching it regularly (i don't really watch any show regularly). Then a couple days ago i bought seasons 1 and 2 on DVD, and my sister and i have been watching them.

Basically, it's about a team of high-tech Robin Hoods. My current avatar and signature pic are both references to it.

Definitely one of my new favorite shows.

Sounds interesting, I've never even heard of the series. Is it British or American?

Leverage is American, though i understand the British show Hustle is very similar; might even be considered to take place in the same universe, though i'm not certain of that, having never seen Hustle.

One of the things i like best about it is that it's very much an ensemble effort. Each character has their area of expertise, and while they can (and sometimes do) fill in for each other at times, it just doesn't work right if one of them can't do his or her job.

That, and it's pretty funny. It deals with serious issues at times, but for the most part, it's as much a comedy as a drama.

Okay, thanks. I found the series on my local library catalogue. I might check it out.

Just saw most of the season (or summer? Cable TV show schedules are weird) finale of Leverage - what else? heh.

Anyway, i really liked it. Unusually upbeat for a Leverage finale; season 1 ended with an important explosion and

, the second season ended with the return of a major character and another major character, and though i'm not sure yet what happened in the third season finale, i understand it was also dramatic.

There was still an explosion, but it didn't show up on screen.

**Drops in**
Recently, I've been picking up how to draw anime/manga characters, which leads to my interest in Anime. I've only seen My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Caslte, and Spirited Away. Totoro was...cute , the latter two were, alright, I suppose. I liked the style of them (LOVED the soundtrack for HMC), but yeah. I was wondering about Anime TV shows. Case Closed/Detective Conan looked interesting. But, I'm not a fan of romance, scary images or "spiritual content" (if you know what I mean) aren't favorites either, and overly violent images and content aren't too great... Yes, I know I'm rather picky.
But, I liked the feel that Case Closed has...
Some suggestions would be nice.

Spirited Away is a masterpiece. It's basically Alice in Wonderland immersed in the Japanese culture.
I don't know if I can recommend much anime to you as your choices are somewhat limited. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke and Ponyo are all very good to excellent. Most of these have elements of romance but none have it as the focal point of the story. Princess Mononoke is reasonably violent at times though and has some scarey imagery so you might want to skip that one. Metropolis is very good too (the only one that isn't a Studio Ghibli title). These are all anime movies though.

Last Exile:

I tend towards the darker and more odd anime so I'm probably not the best person to ask. That said, I can think of two series that aren't dark and violent. Last Exile is a great anime series, if you don't mind open-ended endings - it's steampunk adventure. Rahxephon is another good one. It's similar in some ways to Neon Genesis Evangelion but the complete antisthesis of that series. Rahxephon is a mecha series but the main theme is 'what does it mean to be human'. This is encapsulated in a story that draws on world mythologies and music theory. The series is full of hope and very well done.

Rahxephon:

Here's an excellent site for Christian fans of anime. I'm a member there.
They have reviews and forums, amongst other things. Enjoy.
http://www.christiananime.net/home.php

Thank-you for the suggestions!
Yes, I noticed that link in the SF for Anime and Manga. It is helpful.
I should probably elaborate (I don't think that's the word I'm looking for) on my choices--I liked Batman Begins. It had enough action, etc. to entertain me and become a favorite of mine. So.. yes.
The biggest "bars" for me is definitely romance (not like UP orWall-E [which are movies I love], but more... chick-flick through down-right inappropriate), scary images (frightening; the mask in Batman Begins wasn't scary), the "religion" (I'm sorry if it offends anyone, but if it's shrines, shrine worship, chanting, etc. it's a little creepy for me), and overly done violence (I love action done well, but not graphic violence).

No worries, mate.

Interesting. I found Scarecrow's mask in Batman Begins downright terrifying and I've watched some pretty creepy psychological horror movies.
As for your concerns about religion in anime, I don't think anyone will be offended, more likely they will be confused. Japanese culture was built on the Shinto/Buddhist religion. While many Japanese people don't follow any religion, most still stick to the superstitious traditions. Why do you find shrines creepy? Because they're honouring a false god? That's better than just accepting them at face value but you have to understand they're a large part of Japanese culture so you will find them in many anime. As for shrine worshipping, people don't worship shrines but worship at shrines. Chanting can be creepy at times but its very atmospheric. Still, not all chanting is religious or of pagan origins.

I don't know, I just find them a little creepy. Not like, "Ahh, that's terrifying! I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight." Yes, I know it's part of the Japanese culture, some of my family is Hindu, so I understand. There are Bollywood movies where they pray before the shrine, which isn't entirely "creepy", but scenes of people chanting before a shrine or something is not exactly my cup of tea.
**This is probably not part of a Television discussion thread. **

The Last Exile looks interesting.

I've been catching up on this season's episodes of Eureka. Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation) has a recurring role as a bit of a foil for some of the regulars as everyone tries for a slot on the upcoming flight to Titan (why Titan? why not Mars or Ganymede or some other place a little less hostile? I missed that explanation ).

And Wallace Shawn (Vizzini from The Princess Bride) has appeared in the last 2 episodes as a Department of Defense auditor. Always fun to see him around.

The latest episode included a reference to the Monty Python line "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition."

I don't think they ever have said why Titan. I thought it was strange too. I've really been enjoying this season though, with Wil Wheaton's character getting more screentime and Felicia Day joining the cast. They even had a Stan Lee cameo. Shame SyFy has cancelled the show. Just the rest of this season, something like 13 episodes next year, and they're done.

CSLewisNarnia, you should definitly watch Kiki's Delivery Service, it's sooo cute. I love that movie soo much! Castle in the Sky is really good too. there are action scenes but they're not graphic. Princess Mononoke, I think, is pretty graphic. I don't like those kind of movies either so yeah if you're like me you should skip it.

For any of you who like Law and Order:SVU did you know Christopher Meloni (Elliot) is leaving the cast? I'm a little like "wwhhhyyyy" but I also heard that they might change the cast a little too. So maybe a change could be good..or bad. What do you think about this?