The TV Thread

EricTheWeary

I watched the first episode of Stonehouse last night. ITV’s big drama for the new year. I’m a bit undecided, Harold Wilson being played as an impression of Michael Parkinson didn’t help and I find some of the period detail a bit cutesy. Still, it’s nice to be reminded that once upon a time politicians cared about what people thought of them. 

Snap

Dark Money - BBC drama, now on Netflix. Good
Two episodes into Devil's Hour - pretty good.
Echoes -Netflix, gave up after two episodes, ludicrous BS.

Dead To Me - finished and enjoyed.

Moon Knight - not bad, ish.

Daredevil S3 - enjoying it, and I have enjoyed all related hardcore Marvel spinoffs that have involved violence and sweariness.

Happy Valley - quality TV

There is a lot of shit on though, everywhere.

Philly_Q

EricTheWeary said:

I watched the first episode of Stonehouse last night. ITV’s big drama for the new year. I’m a bit undecided, Harold Wilson being played as an impression of Michael Parkinson didn’t help and I find some of the period detail a bit cutesy. Still, it’s nice to be reminded that once upon a time politicians cared about what people thought of them. 

I can only really remember him as portrayed by Mike Yarwood.  Which may not have been 100% accurate.

AlbertC

Snap said:

Happy Valley - quality TV

It is
But it looks like the BBC are going to drip feed this series so I think I'll hold off watching so I don't have to endure waiting a week between episodes

EricTheWeary

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

I watched the first episode of Stonehouse last night. ITV’s big drama for the new year. I’m a bit undecided, Harold Wilson being played as an impression of Michael Parkinson didn’t help and I find some of the period detail a bit cutesy. Still, it’s nice to be reminded that once upon a time politicians cared about what people thought of them. 

I can only really remember him as portrayed by Mike Yarwood.  Which may not have been 100% accurate.

To be fair maybe Wilson did sound exactly like Parkinson, vague memories of Mike Yarwood also being my main reference point. Betty Boothroyd has popped up, not really sure what she actually sounded like although I may look up pictures of her from the period to see if she really did wear quite that much blue eye shadow. 

I have watched 2 out of the 3 episodes now. Interesting to realise that it is written by John Prescott. It is all a bit camp with Keeley Hawes in the middle of it all trying to turn in a serious dramatic performance as if no one told her it was being played for laughs. Australian viewers may find depictions of them as angry, dim, closet homosexuals not especially flattering either. 

Also started on The Chestnut Man on Netflix. Danish scandi noir, not (yet anyway) filmed in any of the bits of Denmark I’ve been to. Grim and gripping thus far. 

Philly_Q

EricTheWeary said:

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

I watched the first episode of Stonehouse last night. ITV’s big drama for the new year. I’m a bit undecided, Harold Wilson being played as an impression of Michael Parkinson didn’t help and I find some of the period detail a bit cutesy. Still, it’s nice to be reminded that once upon a time politicians cared about what people thought of them. 

I can only really remember him as portrayed by Mike Yarwood.  Which may not have been 100% accurate.

To be fair maybe Wilson did sound exactly like Parkinson, vague memories of Mike Yarwood also being my main reference point. 

I think the only difference between Yarwood's Wilson and Yarwood's Parky was the pipe. 

Incidentally, I saw the other day that  Yarwood now lives at Brinsworth House, the retirement home for showbiz/theatrical types where Richard O'Sullivan is a resident.  Surely there's material for a downbeat sitcom there...

EricTheWeary said:

Also started on The Chestnut Man on Netflix. Danish scandi noir, not (yet anyway) filmed in any of the bits of Denmark I’ve been to. Grim and gripping thus far. 

I think I put that on my list a couple of years ago.  I'll probably never get round to it.

Jalapeno

The Witcher origins thingy on Netflix is pretty dire, even with the excellent Michelle Yeoh, sooo hammy !

LastMantra

I watched the ghosts Christmas special followed by the last series, which I didn't even know existed, then noticed the ghosts US. 

It's not bad actually. I wasn't sure about the casting, still not entirely plus wasn't sure about the politician guy being basically a jock but I suppose British politicians are kind of a unique breed.

Apart from that I think it works quite well. 


Also started watching a show called search party and have got totally hooked. Was up to silly o'clock last night! 
Rich millennials/hipsters are the worst (I realise this is telly but still    O.M.G., am I right?!) 

JEM

We finally got round the watching the Detectorists Christmas Special and while it was still very enjoyable I was a bit disappointed that all the loose ends that were nicely tied up at the end of the previous series were all just undone to allow the story to continue.

Not to go into details to avoid spoilers but it just leaves things that were previously resolved, unresolved. I sort of wish I hadn't bothered watching it to be honest.

EricTheWeary

Finished Stonehouse. I thought it was a good third and final episode, maybe all trilogies have a poor middle episode. I watched a bit of the ITV documentary about him, the actual Mrs Stonehouse had such a ridiculous RP accent that the dramatisation was possibly less camp than it might have been. 

Philly_Q

Started watching the new series of The Apprentice last night.... I usually think they're all complete arseholes for the first couple of episodes, but this lot don't seem so bad.  Maybe they're just very average.  Or maybe I was feeling unusually benevolent.

Danny1969

Alfie Odd Job  -  You Tube

Documentary from Aaron Dunleavy  .... just great and an example of how to do a decent job of the subject while letting the humour shine through

Deadliest journeys  - Best documentary series - You Tube 

This is set in various places like Africa, Haiti, Somaliland etc and is a fly on the wall doc filming the struggle people have getting from A to B in places with no proper roads and no money to buy anything roadworthy. Anyone will enjoy this series but anyone with a mechanical knowledge will smile more at their ingenuity in roadside repairs.  

EricTheWeary

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

Philly_Q said:

EricTheWeary said:

I watched the first episode of Stonehouse last night. ITV’s big drama for the new year. I’m a bit undecided, Harold Wilson being played as an impression of Michael Parkinson didn’t help and I find some of the period detail a bit cutesy. Still, it’s nice to be reminded that once upon a time politicians cared about what people thought of them. 

I can only really remember him as portrayed by Mike Yarwood.  Which may not have been 100% accurate.

To be fair maybe Wilson did sound exactly like Parkinson, vague memories of Mike Yarwood also being my main reference point. 

I think the only difference between Yarwood's Wilson and Yarwood's Parky was the pipe. 

Incidentally, I saw the other day that  Yarwood now lives at Brinsworth House, the retirement home for showbiz/theatrical types where Richard O'Sullivan is a resident.  Surely there's material for a downbeat sitcom there...

EricTheWeary said:

Also started on The Chestnut Man on Netflix. Danish scandi noir, not (yet anyway) filmed in any of the bits of Denmark I’ve been to. Grim and gripping thus far. 

I think I put that on my list a couple of years ago.  I'll probably never get round to it.

@Philly_Q we have finished The Chestnut Man now and it remained gripping throughout. Not exactly cheery but well paced drama. 

stufisher

Like @Philly_Q I watched e1 the of new series of The Apprentice. I've seen every series ... I love it.

Can't help but notice some things though ... preponderance of threaded eyebrows, pouty lips and blonde/lightened hair. The girls are just as bad.

I think the behaviours are getting worse and the cat-fighting is appalling ... yes, I know it's all in the hands of the cutting room splicers but c'mon, do we need SO much of it?

I also think 18 participants is too many ... unless Al's gonna do a boardroom triple-fire (or is that something else  ) for the extra shock dimension.

I tried to get my buddy to watch this on Thursday but within 10 mins he was a beaten man whereas I was just laughing me cap off. He's public sector through and through and I'm private sector, particularly ex-corporate land, so I am familiar with such ostentation, delusion and incredulity.

Love it love it love it ... roll on R2  

Philly_Q

I've just starting watching Inside Job on Netflix.... then found out the second season was cancelled just days ago.

CavemanGrogg

Madoff is an interesting watch

goldtop

We're watching Copenhagen Cowboy (Netflix). It's ... weird, very weird, but we can't stop watching. Serbian/Chinese immigrants in Denmark, and one weirdo who might be an angel or alien. But I really have no clue what's really going on. The plot has direction, but throws curveballs all the time. The cinematography is excellent, the characters are great and the direction and visual style is superb. The music is also frequently fantastic (especially if you like modern synth-based soundtracks). 

I can't imagine it's very popular with Netflix' mass market, so it's a bit of a surprising gem.

Snap

Started Treason on Netflix - like it.

Maternal - against all predictions I am enjoying it. ITV as well.

Real Housewives of New York S2 - awful, but compelling in a weird way.

breakstuff

My wife and I have been working our way through Ghosts on BBC iPlayer since Christmas. Now I was a bit sniffy about this previously, thinking it looked a bit naff, but now I'm absolutely smitten. It's just brilliant. Great, lovable characters and gentle, innocent humour with the odd saucy joke thrown in here and there. I've only got a couple of series four to watch and then the Christmas specials and will be gutted once there's no more to watch. Will probably have to watch them all again.

SteveRobinson

Truth be Told (Apple TV)

Blogger turned podcaster sets out to right the wrongs of a past false conviction she feels partially responsible for.

We've just watched the first series which was pretty good in a formulaic TV crime series kind of way.