What Are You Watching

[jazzbo]

Person of Interest season 4 on Blu-ray

 

[A Lark Ascending]

The Arne Dahl series from Sweden currently in the Scandi spot on BBC4...though I'm four episodes behind. Watchable but not the best that has come from that direction. Apart from the inevitably messy personal lives they're all a bit goody two shoes. 

The God of Hell-Fire in free bus pass years.

Psychedelic Britannia BBC4

Nothing new but an enjoyable hour looking at 1965-70 with the usual suspects interviewed - Pete Brown, Arthur Brown, Joe Boyd, Robert Wyatt, Gary Brooker, Justin Hayward, Barry Miles and the very posh Emily Young who was supposed to be the inspiration behind 'See Emily Play'. Nice to see footage of the Pink Floyd and Soft Machine in their early days. 

[A Lark Ascending]

London Spy (BBC 2)

Another new thriller with Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent. Slow moving but kept my attention. 

The Guardian liked it; The Telegraph didn't.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/nov/10/london-spy-tv-review-thriller-love-story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11985109/London-Spy-episode-one-review.html

[Shawn]

Suits - Season 1

Enjoyable legal series (though they rarely set foot inside a courtroom), nothing groundbreaking but a good cast and a fast pace keep it entertaining.  Quite a few pretty ladies to look at as well.  

[jazzbo]

Watched last night's Gotham. That is the best of the comic book shows for me.

Agree about Suits! I'm a huge Gina Torres fan and she is great in this.

Just about to start Manhattan Season 1 on Blu-ray.

[kinuta]

On 2015/11/10 17:40:40, A Lark Ascending said:

London Spy (BBC 2)

Another new thriller with Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent. Slow moving but kept my attention. 

The Guardian liked it; The Telegraph didn't.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/nov/10/london-spy-tv-review-thriller-love-story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11985109/London-Spy-episode-one-review.html

The Telegraph has no idea about anything.

I thought it was great and not in the least slow.

[A Lark Ascending]

2 minutes ago, kinuta said:

The Telegraph has no idea about anything.

I thought it was great and not in the least slow.

The last couple of paragraphs betray a multitude of prejudices:

"Perhaps once the espionage plot has kicked in, London Spy will finally leap up off the treatment table. This was a first script by the novelist Tom Rob Smith (Child 44) who, it says here, lives with Ben Stephenson, until recently the controller of drama commissioning at the BBC.
I spy with my little eye. Something beginning with Q. (Quota.)"

To me it was slow until the last ten minutes; but in the good sense. Allowing an atmosphere and storyline to build. So many TV programmes seem to operate on fast forward. I think I first noticed it on 'Spooks' ten years back or so. The early series were normally paced and then it came back and everything was happening a mile a minute. 

I've only seen 'Downton Abbey' a couple of times (not looking for connoisseur points there!!!!) - everything seemed to fly by. A bit odd for something you'd have thought would bask in the landscape and life of the leisured classes. 

[mjazzg]

That Telegraph review is a disgrace, and would be laughable if not so obnoxiously snide, as it betrays so many prejudices in the reviewer's mind.

I enjoyed the first episode mainly because of the pacing. I was a little unconvinced by Wishaw's acting, not the character, but his interpretation thereof 

What concerned me much more was the very obvious parallels with the "spy in the bag" case from a few year's ago. It has to be the inspiration but I worry that it's too soon to be making entertainment from such a tragic case. I can't begin to think what family and friends of the victim in that case must be living through again because of this drama

[jazzbo]

I watched a few more episodes of Gigi Does It (IFC). Really funny.

[Scott Dolan]

Only show we currently watch (aside from sports) is The Walking Dead. 

And as bad as it was last year, I'm glad we gave it one more chance because this season has been as good as the show has ever been. 

[A Lark Ascending]

Lost track of this when away but caught up on episodes 2-4 this week. Really like it - a very unusual way of doing a detective programme. Interesting article here:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/06/bbc-drama-river-abi-morgan-explore-mental-health-issues

"BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore said the drama pushed the cop show genre “in surprising ways” and promised last month that every new commission on the channel would look to “break the mould”."

Well, the Tories' attack on the BBC on behalf of Murdoch and their other media mogul controllers has achieved one thing... 

***********************************************

Ended last night on ITV. Rather than an all fireworks crescendo, a lot of resolution and redemption (even Alan Sugar saw into his heart of darkness before hanging himself in prison).

There's to be another series. Not sure that's a good idea. But then there are strong character here so maybe that did not just want to waste them.  

 

 

Edited November 13, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

Episode 5 of River - constantly inventive. 

Programme 3: Summer

Breathtaking time-lapse photography. I can now see how the snails ruin my hostas. 

[jazzbo]

The 100, Season 2, on Blu-ray. This is a gritty and silly show that I find quite intriguing. On broadcast it looks awful, muddy and dark and "noisey." The Blu-ray has an image and sound that is exemplary.

[erwbol]

Ash vs Evil Dead season 1.

An book bound in human flesh and inked in blood that is a gateway to hell is used to summon a deadite plague and all sorts of demons. And, no, it's not on BBC News 24.

"The book itself is harmless, unless wielded by someone either very evil, or very stupid."

Edited November 15, 2015 by erwbol

[sidewinder]

The Jodrell Bank documentary is on BBC4 tonight I think - presumably the BBC NW thing was a teaser.

[Shawn]

Jessica Jones (Netflix)

Watched the first 3 episodes and so far it's an excellent adult dramatic series that just happens to have comic origins, but is as far removed from the other superhero stuff as you can get. 

I've been a fan of Krysten Ritter since I saw her in Veronica Mars years ago, I'm glad she finally got a worthy vehicle for her talent.  David Tennant was an inspired choice as the "big bad" for the season. 

 

Edited November 21, 2015 by Shawn

[kinuta]

6 hours ago, Shawn said:

Jessica Jones (Netflix)

Watched the first 3 episodes and so far it's an excellent adult dramatic series that just happens to have comic origins, but is as far removed from the other superhero stuff as you can get. 

I've been a fan of Krysten Ritter since I saw her in Veronica Mars years ago, I'm glad she finally got a worthy vehicle for her talent.  David Tennant was an inspired choice as the "big bad" for the season. 

 

I've watched the first two episodes and am hooked.

I thought we'd have a long wait until something as good as Daredevil came along but this is really good so far and, as you say, has zero in common with the usual pedestrian superhero tv stuff.

[A Lark Ascending]

The Bridge - Season 3 (the proper one)

No Martin, though constantly alluded to in prison. Thoroughly involving as ever but quite hard to follow - a lot of things going on that I couldn't yet piece together. 

[JohnS]

1 hour ago, A Lark Ascending said:

The Bridge - Season 3 (the proper one)

No Martin, though constantly alluded to in prison. Thoroughly involving as ever but quite hard to follow - a lot of things going on that I couldn't yet piece together. 

Recorded The Bridge.  I still haven't caught up with last week's Arne Dahl.  I still find that nothing compares to Spiral.

[A Lark Ascending]

I've only watched the first two couples of the Dahl so far. Yes, Spiral is special. 

[jazzbo]

Catching up on "Indian Summers," and started the first season of Manhattan on blu-ray.

[A Lark Ascending]

Not in the Barbican but in the Savoy Cinema in Worksop (not live either, a re-broadcast of a performance that went out a little while back). First time I've tried one of these theatre/ballet/opera in cinema experiences. I will do more.

Did not know Hamlet apart from a distant memory of watching a TV version when I was about 17. Mugged up on the plot in one of the Duffer's Guides to Shakespeare I've got and then settled in for the 3 1/2 hours. I've read all sorts of reviews about this but I was completely absorbed. Cumberbatch seems to be something of a front rank celebrity at present though I only recall seeing him in the TV adaptation of "Parade's End" (which was excellent). I thought he was brilliant here. Why, it even had Nat King Cole, Sidney Bechet and Frank Sinatra in it!

Have booked for 'The Winter's Tale' next month in the same situation. Another one I don't know.    

[A Lark Ascending]

Based on recommendations in this thread. Great film and very evocative of that era. I never lived in that social strata, but the kids I taught were very much from that world. Thomas Turgoose was great as the young lad. I loved the way it focussed on the camaraderie and loyalty within the group as well as the more menacing aspects. More sentimental than I expected but a compelling 90 minutes.

Will follow with the 3 TV series. 

[mjazzg]

40 minutes ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Based on recommendations in this thread. Great film and very evocative of that era. I never lived in that social strata, but the kids I taught were very much from that world. Thomas Turgoose was great as the young lad. I loved the way it focussed on the camaraderie and loyalty within the group as well as the more menacing aspects. More sentimental than I expected but a compelling 90 minutes.

Will follow with the 3 TV series. 

Glad you enjoyed it Bev. Meadows isn't afraid at pulling at the heart strings. He continues to do so through to the finale. 

[Shawn]

Finished up Jessica Jones, damn good series and man did it get intense in the last half of the season!  Hoping it gets renewed (and with the critical acclaim it's almost a guarantee).  

Now starting:  

The Man In The High Castle (Amazon)