So .. What Do You Watch On TV?

[Toast 16,132]

I have successfully persuaded him next door to add Starzplay to his Amazon Prime sub (there was an offer of 99p a month for 3 months).

So I am now indulging in the triple whammy of historical dramas The White Queen, The White Princess and The Spanish Princess.

And will be dipping into Stephen King (The Stand, Castle Rock).

Just for starters.

[Great Uncle Bulgaria 1,282]

Don't`Look Up (Netflix) is worth a watch, Meryl Streep and Leonardo di Caprio are good. Jennifer Lawrence is less wooden than usual.

 

I know it's naff and belongs in the 1970s but usually watch Blankety Blank, Christmas edition was OK apart from Tom Allen's constant attention-seeking

[time 8,596]

On 14/12/2021 at 21:56, time said:

Starting on 'Succession'; I've been reading so many good things about it, its bound to be a disappointment.

Finished with Succession; verdict pretty good. A minor criticism - sometimes there seemed to be too much filler, strangely the third season seemed most affected despite being an episode shorted than the first 2 seasons. There's also the usual disappearance of characters with no explanation (though perhaps understandable for the enforced gap due to Covid, speaking of which the child characters had noticeably aged beyond the timeline!).

Of the main cast, not a bad performance amongst them.

 

ETA: It would be remiss of me not to mention the music; the incidental/background music is as good as I've heard anywhere.

 

Next up, Your Honor, which was recommended to me months ago but as its on Sky I mistakenly thought I didn't have access to it, but I have found (thanks to watching Succession)  its available on Sky Atlantic via Now TV

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

Snow Leopard is Gloria Hunniford.

Just sayin, like.

[MrSpud42 30]

As I've recently subscribed to a streaming service, various shows involving James May. And Morgan Spurlocks inside man.

[TQR 14,386]

13 minutes ago, MrSpud42 said:

As I've recently subscribed to a streaming service, various shows involving James May.

I did enjoy his cooking show. Been meaning to watch his show about Japan for a while now.

[TQR 14,386]

Four Lives on the BBC; the story of the young men killed by Stephen Port and their families having to fight for justice in the face of utterly abysmal police work.

 

Truly heartbreaking, but very well portrayed and written.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,688]

I'll grant that Matt Berry is a Marmite sort of chap and his advert voiceovers are annoying, but I like Toast of London and its new offshoot Toast of Tinseltown, which even snagged a guest appearance from Larry David. I can imagine that many people will hate it, especially Americans (if they ever get to see it).

[Charlotte's Controller 195]

On 20/11/2021 at 13:06, Charlotte's Controller said:

Just watched Hellbound on Netflix. A blatant marketing vehicle for big soft cuddly toys. I quite enjoyed this.

 

[time 8,596]

On 28/12/2021 at 14:26, time said:

Next up, Your Honor, which was recommended to me months ago but as its on Sky I mistakenly thought I didn't have access to it, but I have found (thanks to watching Succession)  its available on Sky Atlantic via Now TV

I was disappointed with this (Your Honor -shouldn't it be Yor Honor?), given the recommendation I had; my opinion - good in parts but not good enough overall. Maybe Succession spoiled me.

 

Might be Britannia next; watched the first series, never got around to the second (and now there's a third).

[The Great Cornholio 902]

Anyone planning on watching Afterlife tomorrow?

[Toast 16,132]

1 hour ago, time said:

Might be Britannia next; watched the first series, never got around to the second (and now there's a third).

 

I love Britannia!  Totally wacky and not for those seeking historical accuracy

Sadly I no longer have NowTV, so haven't seen S3.

 

I've just finished an old series (2010), The Pillars of the Earth, based on the Ken Follett novel which I read and enjoyed back in about 1990.

This I enjoyed not so much, not because of any departures from the book but because on screen the characters were so one-dimensional.  The bad people were irredeemably bad to the point where it got a bit ridiculous, and the good people were all boringly good. 

Top quality cast though, with a few poor choices.   Eddie Redmayne really does not have the face for a romantic lead!

Ken Follett has a cameo in one episode which is on the same level of distractingness as Ed Sheeran in Game of Thrones.

[time 8,596]

13 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

I love Britannia!  Totally wacky and not for those seeking historical accuracy

Sadly I no longer have NowTV, so haven't seen S3.

 

I've just finished an old series (2010), The Pillars of the Earth, based on the Ken Follett novel which I read and enjoyed back in about 1990.

This I enjoyed not so much, not because of any departures from the book but because on screen the characters were so one-dimensional.  The bad people were irredeemably bad to the point where it got a bit ridiculous, and the good people were all boringly good. 

Top quality cast though, with a few poor choices.   Eddie Redmayne really does not have the face for a romantic lead!

I wasn't aware they'd done a TV adaptation of Pillars..., but I doubt I'd have watched it as I also read the book back in the day, and I'm generally disappointed by any TV adaptation of books I've read as the characterisation is never as I imagine it, (Ken Stott, while I loved in him in The Vice & Messiah (which I recommend), was in my  opinion a poor choice to play Rebus). I do often buy books based on having seen a TV programme or film though.

[Toast 16,132]

44 minutes ago, time said:

I wasn't aware they'd done a TV adaptation of Pillars..., but I doubt I'd have watched it as I also read the book back in the day, and I'm generally disappointed by any TV adaptation of books I've read as the characterisation is never as I imagine it, (Ken Stott, while I loved in him in The Vice & Messiah (which I recommend), was in my  opinion a poor choice to play Rebus). I do often buy books based on having seen a TV programme or film though.

 

I came upon a mention of it by chance, and tracked it down on My5.  It's only available until 20 January so if you are curious, lose no time.  There's only 8 episodes.

Wasn't looking forward to adverts, but there were mercifully few, and those were confined to the first couple of episodes.  After that there were just "empty" ad breaks.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,337]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/17558378/neighbours-axed-kylie-minogue-return/

 

 

 

Well people won't be watching long running aussie soap Neighbours for much longer- well at least not new episodes. 

Neighbours has been axed after channel 5 which largely funds the soaps production costs, could no longer justify the expenditure after a fall in ratings. 

Rumours  suggest they will try to lure back former cast member  Kylie Minogue  to briefly reprise her role as Charlene Robinson in a bid to help send the show off in style. 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Finally plowed through all 6 seasons of Downton Abbey. In a row.

 

 

[TQR 14,386]

7 hours ago, Sir Creep said:

Finally plowed through all 6 seasons of Downton Abbey. In a row.

 

 

I’m very sorry to hear that.

[TQR 14,386]

This Is Going To Hurt, BBC drama set in a hospital, based on Dr Adam Kay’s experience working in an NHS hospital, in gynaecology and obstetrics (brats and twats, as he puts it).
 

I absolutely loved it. A glorious balance of drama, comedy and heartbreak. Not a bad soundtrack either.

[grobler 35]

1 minute ago, TQR said:

This Is Going To Hurt, BBC drama set in a hospital, based on Dr Adam Kay’s experience working in an NHS hospital, in gynaecology and obstetrics (brats and twats, as he puts it).
 

I absolutely loved it. A glorious balance of drama, comedy and heartbreak. Not a bad soundtrack either.

The book is brilliant (gets a bit cry baby political at the end...."oh...how bad are the Tories...its all Thatchers fault etc etc  " ) , but I think the TV series could have been better . I thought the gay TV storyline (which isn't in the book) simply got in the way of an otherwise potential comic masterpiece . 

[msc 18,438]

11 minutes ago, TQR said:

This Is Going To Hurt, BBC drama set in a hospital, based on Dr Adam Kay’s experience working in an NHS hospital, in gynaecology and obstetrics (brats and twats, as he puts it).
 

I absolutely loved it. A glorious balance of drama, comedy and heartbreak. Not a bad soundtrack either.

 

About 20 years ago, Adam Kay had a Tom Lehrer inspired comedy band called The Amateur Transplants, which produced a few good songs (and a number of misses tbf). The NHS Song and Paracetamoxyfrusebendroneomycin were their better tracks, but their loving tribute to Coldplay stands as a potential DDP anthem imo.

 

 

[Toast 16,132]

18 minutes ago, TQR said:

This Is Going To Hurt, BBC drama set in a hospital, based on Dr Adam Kay’s experience working in an NHS hospital, in gynaecology and obstetrics (brats and twats, as he puts it).
 

I absolutely loved it. A glorious balance of drama, comedy and heartbreak. Not a bad soundtrack either.

 

How does it compare with the early Jed Mercurio ones, Bodies and the earlier one whose title has slipped my mind?

[TQR 14,386]

21 minutes ago, grobler said:

The book is brilliant (gets a bit cry baby political at the end...."oh...how bad are the Tories...its all Thatchers fault etc etc  " ) , but I think the TV series could have been better . I thought the gay TV storyline (which isn't in the book) simply got in the way of an otherwise potential comic masterpiece . 

Be fair, this is about his experience.

 

Politics is bound to be in his mind, and whilst it’s pretty likely I’ll find his observations both enlightening and agreeable, I’m glad it kept out of the TV series.

 

And I’m glad the, as you put it, “gay storyline” did feature. Again, he’s telling his story, and it didn’t get in the way in the slightest. Also, it’s not so much about his sexuality as it is about portraying how difficult a personal and social life can be when you’re in a traumatic job for almost every waking hour.

[TQR 14,386]

17 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

How does it compare with the early Jed Mercurio ones, Bodies and the earlier one whose title has slipped my mind?

I must be honest, I haven’t seen Bodies, but I should definitely seek it out, being a big fan of both Mercurio and This Is Going To Hurt.

[Toast 16,132]

26 minutes ago, TQR said:

I must be honest, I haven’t seen Bodies, but I should definitely seek it out, being a big fan of both Mercurio and This Is Going To Hurt.

 

I think the other one was Cardiac Arrest but I'm too lazy to look it up.

[msc 18,438]

16 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

I think the other one was Cardiac Arrest but I'm too lazy to look it up.

 

Cardiac Arrest, aye.

 

Bodies is on Iplayer: BBC iPlayer - Bodies

 

Cardiac Arrest is on YouTube in bit parts, Series 1 is here:  Cardiac Arrest Series 1 - YouTube