I find our current TV watching thread (lack of) system confusing. However, I have no suggestions on how to fix it or make it simpler.

if we decided to close Premium Cable, it would be more obvious that Flight of the Conchords would go in Comedy

And where would Dexter and The Tudors and In Treatment go? Putting them in Cable Drama drives people like me who watch on DVD right out of it.

I still don't see the problem with just deciding where Flight of the Conchords goes, and reminding people who forget. Every fix suggested so far doesn't make the bright lines any brighter, so questions aren't going to go away.

In an instance like SuziQ not knowing that it was a sff thread--there's only so much we as a board can do to provide that information. The question of what goes where comes up often enough, plus we said so in the relevant places, didn't we?

I think (and this is my pro-proliferation stance showing) that the more TV shows you try to put in one thread, the less useful it will be for the people who read it. Especially if they're grouped in a way that is not so much with the sense making to everyone.

Otherwise, you have people whitefonting all the time to protect from spoilers, and that to me seems a lot like you might as well just have a whitefont TV thread...

Can't we have a list of shows and what thread they are on located onthe board somewhere? When new shows start up, we have a discussion to agree on where they are best put, and then add them to the list. Most of the folks who are looking for show discussion tend to be regulars, it seems, and we can point them to the list if questions come up.

I realize this doesn't do a thing for those not comfortable with the whole Bucket thread thang, but it does solve the "where do I go to discuss...?" issue.

I have two thoughts (That's all? Right now, yes)

The first is that maybe it would be helpful to have a page (maybe a wiki?) for "here's where we're discussing what, if you happen to be looking for it", with the possibility for multiple answers for a given show.

I do not know if it is a helpful, stupid, or ire-inducing idea, but what about de-coupling some of Boxed Set, and spinning off a magical realism thread, or something like that?

I agree with Scrappy. Nods. Sits next to. The whole 9 yards.

If it's hard to distinguish sff from not, I can't imagine the hullabaloo involved by splitting off magic realism.

As for a page listing...well, we don't have a page listing the vote results, and the cheesebutt page seems to have died--we've had good intentions before. And if people won't click over to the folder and read the slugs, why would they read this document, probably linked to on the same TV page.

I guess I don't see the problem with either asking or starting a discussion where you stand. Are we judging each other that harshly.

I'm just chiming in briefly to say again that I am in the camp that gets bummed out that all SFF goes immediately into BS because those are my favorite shows and I'm never caught up enough to go in to discuss them without spoilage (which really and truly does matter to me--I get that not everyone understands the issue, but I honestly take most of my TV joy from being surprised). However, I accepted a while back that I was in the minority and that BS is a wonderful place for its denizens, and I don't want to upset those folks--community goodwill is a lot more important to me than TV talk. I wish there were a way for BS to have a one-week whitefont policy or something since then I'd at least have a chance to participate, but I know a lot of you hate whitefont, so I suspect that wouldn't work. On the few occasions I have been caught up, I've really loved reading BS.

I'm not confused generally about what qualifies as SFF, FWIW. I assume that any show with a fantastic or sci-fi premise will end up there.

In terms of the other bucket threads, I don't mind that they move slowly, but I don't find that they're useful for me personally. The only TV-related conversations I follow regularly (albeit often as a lurker a few days late) are the single show threads and Leverage in Natter (I end up threadsucking for it since I'm never caught up in Natter).

whilst I'd agree that Cupid doesn't look at all like Science Fiction, I'd certainly say it falls within the SFF genre, if it's about an Ancient Greek god being made mortal and whacky highjinks ensuing.

I use "SF" for speculative fiction -- so I'm including fantasy in there. And yeah, as Jessica said, he believes he's Cupid. Having a nutty religion doesn't make the show SF.

Every fix suggested so far doesn't make the bright lines any brighter, so questions aren't going to go away.

Let a 3rd party define the genres. Let Futon Critic or IMDb or EW decide what's a drama and what's a comedy and what's SF.

No, I'm not expecting that'll go over. But it's simple and clear and nobody here has to interpret or define anything.

nobody here has to interpret or define anything.

Oh, what's the fun in that?