The TV Thread

RobDavies

ewal said:

I've watched alot of Scandi/Euro dramas on various channels and being over the novelty it takes a good one to impress me. A Nearly Normal Family on Netflix is just that. It's as much a family drama as it is a crime drama, is extremely well acted, edited and shot, seamlessly jumping about the timeline without being confusing.

Maybe it's just me and the mood I'm in, but I think it's a significant cut above the usual.

Same.  I thought it was a great series.  

Kilgore

Philly_Q said:

I've just started Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix.

It's extraordinary how much it feels like the (fictional) TV series.  The games, so far, are identical... nobody actually dies, of course (not in the first two episodes, at least), but it's still surprisingly tense and already there's that backstabbing element where people are plotting against others they see as competition.

The contestants are mostly Americans, with a few Brits, Australians and at least one Italian, and there are a lot of away-from-the-game interviews with people saying why they're there, what they want to achieve etc - which is a little irritating at first but you soon get used to it.

The producers have done a very good job of focusing on people who may (or may not) emerge as significant players in the game, and you quickly get an idea of who many of them are, even though they started with 456 contestants.  It's good stuff.

I'm enjoying this immensely. The tension is palpable in the various games.  Great fun watching the changing alliances and back stabbing.  Compulsive viewing.

AlbertC

Murder Is Easy - BBC

The standard of Agatha Christie adaptations seems to be getting worse and worse in recent years but this really was a new low. 
I really don’t want to sound like a Daily Mail reader but poorly written nonsense like this shows the BBC have lost it. 

I’ve no issue at all with having a diverse cast or bringing in our dubious colonial past into a story but it’s the totally unsubtle, patronising and completely hammy way they’ve done it in this. 

It’s like the BBC are so blinkered in putting across an agenda that they pay little attention to the more important elements of a production, like the script. 

CavemanGrogg

Since the girlfriend and I have been feeling as rough as a badgers arse after a seriously bad curry, we decided, much against my better judgement I might add, to give Person Of Interest another try after so many people on here said it was a good series.  I have to say, despite having some truly great actors in it, that have been in a lot of truly great TV series, that Person Of Interest is utter tripe, and not just a badly written show with serious continuity issue - the ''rules'' of how ''the machine'' works and communicates constantly changes despite Harold's insistence that it can't be changed and that the hood so to speak could never be opened again once he closes it , but more importantly a waste of electricity.

Timcito

I recently watched Ricky Gervais' 'Armageddon' on Netflix. I really don't get him at all. He seems like an unfunny and charmless version of Jimmy Carr, or perhaps better to say that Jimmy Carr is a funnier and more appealing version of him. Both have the trademark of saying the unsayable, but Carr manages to create humour out of it whereas Gervais just comes across as an unsavoury old guy making flat, tasteless remarks to show how fringe he is. There's an unpleasant arrogance about him as well, as though he's his own biggest fan.

He did put the shakes up the Hollywood establishment some years back, which was good stuff, but otherwise ...

Brio

After Slow Horses S3 (brilliant) and Obliterated (highly stupid and very watchable) I indulged in a little competence porn by rewatching The Newsroom S1. Episode One is simply perfection to me creating the basis for the story lines to come but also being gripping in its own right. Worth watching for the opening scene alone...

EricTheWeary

Timcito said:

I recently watched Ricky Gervais' 'Performance' on Netflix. I really don't get him at all. He seems like an unfunny and charmless version of Jimmy Carr, or perhaps better to say that Jimmy Carr is a funnier and more appealing version of him. Both have the trademark of saying the unsayable, but Carr manages to create humour out of it whereas Gervais just comes across as an unsavoury old guy making flat, tasteless remarks to show how fringe he is. There's an unpleasant arrogance about him as well, as though he's his own biggest fan.

He did put the shakes up the Hollywood establishment some years back, which was good stuff, but otherwise ...

Much as I loved The Office and Extras it does seem like the less Gervais collaborates the worse he gets. 


I did start watching Ghosts from the beginning and then thought I wouldn't bother but then got poorly and it's been as much as I can cope with. I don't find it incredibly funny (although lying in bed sweating probably isn't the best way to view anything) but there's a lovely sense of structure. Each episode has its own structure but then the whole thing builds to various natural conclusions across the five (?) series and the Christmas specials. Some lovely performances as well. Old fashioned sitcom really but without the need to be old fashioned. 

stufisher

Last night me'n Mrs F gave up searching for something decent to watch on TV and started watching Line of Duty from the beginning.

I think it's a testament to how good it is that after the first 20 mins we're hooked again. We watched 3 episodes last night.

I'm still noticing little clues and plot lines that are highly relevant to the big picture ... things I didn't notice in previous viewings. The attention to detail and quality of writing are superb  

sinbaadi

stufisher said:

Last night me'n Mrs F gave up searching for something decent to watch on TV and started watching Line of Duty from the beginning.

I think it's a testament to how good it is that after the first 20 mins we're hooked again. We watched 3 episodes last night.

I'm still noticing little clues and plot lines that are highly relevant to the big picture ... things I didn't notice in previous viewings. The attention to detail and quality of writing are superb  

It really is excellent rubbish.  

bertie

started "The Winter King"  on ITV-X,   two episodes in,  "Last Kingdom" it aint, (we enjoyed it so neeh)  but watchable 

TBH,  with our lives revolving around Wifly, his meds,  storms/rain and the fucking racket from the scaffolding next door............. Im not sure what day it is 

EricTheWeary

stufisher said:

Last night me'n Mrs F gave up searching for something decent to watch on TV and started watching Line of Duty from the beginning.

I think it's a testament to how good it is that after the first 20 mins we're hooked again. We watched 3 episodes last night.

I'm still noticing little clues and plot lines that are highly relevant to the big picture ... things I didn't notice in previous viewings. The attention to detail and quality of writing are superb  

The first series was filmed in Birmingham and therefore the best. 

Jfingers

Men Up

Iplayer

''Five ordinary Welshmen embark on one of the world's first medical trials for the drug that would become Viagra. In the process, the trial takes them to some very unexpected places and forces them to reassess their lives.''

9/10

MrTee

Jfingers said:

Men Up

Iplayer

''Five ordinary Welshmen embark on one of the world's first medical trials for the drug that would become Viagra. In the process, the trial takes them to some very unexpected places and forces them to reassess their lives.''

9/10

I really enjoyed this show, highly recommended 

Lodious

Watched a couple of episodes of Schitt's Creek last night....seemed pretty funny.

EricTheWeary

EricTheWeary said:

We have started on A Murder at the End of the World on Disney. I think the idea is a Gen Z Sherlock Holmes figure. I'm vacillating between ooh that's clever and ooh that's convoluted and slow. 

As part of our slightly dull NYE finished this off. Stayed convoluted but sped up. If you like your detective stories with high production values one for you. 

fretmeister

Finished ‘Only murders in the building’

Series 1 was way better than the others, but I enjoyed all of it. Excellent and charming script.

I’m now rewatching “The West Wing” as it’s some of the best telly ever.

NothingOnTheTele

Having recently lost access to my in-laws' Netflix account, I bought a TV licence hoping there'd be some decent stuff on BBC iPlayer. Nope - not a single programme I'd like to watch. Just loads of rubbish. Really disappointing. I've cancelled the licence and am expecting a refund.

DefaultM

Watched season 3 of Fargo and really enjoyed it. Not sure about season 4 so far.

boogieman

bertie said:

started "The Winter King"  on ITV-X,   two episodes in,  "Last Kingdom" it aint, (we enjoyed it so neeh)  but watchable 

TBH,  with our lives revolving around Wifly, his meds,  storms/rain and the fucking racket from the scaffolding next door............. Im not sure what day it is 

Been watching that too, I think we’re up to Episode 5. I agree, it’s ok but not exactly riveting, although it’s just about decent enough to see through to the end. 

rze99

AlbertC said:

Murder Is Easy - BBC

The standard of Agatha Christie adaptations seems to be getting worse and worse in recent years but this really was a new low. 
I really don’t want to sound like a Daily Mail reader but poorly written nonsense like this shows the BBC have lost it. 

I’ve no issue at all with having a diverse cast or bringing in our dubious colonial past into a story but it’s the totally unsubtle, patronising and completely hammy way they’ve done it in this. 

It’s like the BBC are so blinkered in putting across an agenda that they pay little attention to the more important elements of a production, like the script. 

I thought this was a particularly bad production., Watched it with a bunch of different ages. Forget all the right-on casting and poor rewriting for a moment, the dialogue was like some cut up simplistic job and the acting was absolute wooden stagy hammy crap across most of the cast. However, I thought that Penelope Wilton was good and would make an excellent Miss Marple.