What Are You Watching

[sidewinder]

On 4 January 2016 at 6:04 PM, A Lark Ascending said:

I'm going to start that tonight. Apparently it's about Operation Abel Archer, something I knew nothing about until I stumbled on it while teaching the Cold War. Major misinterpretation of a military exercise that had both sides in the Cold War on the highest alert...and we were totally unaware. Wish I'd asked by father about it - he was in the military in Germany at the time and might have known something. 

You might be thinking of:

Tony Palmer's film - it's a film about his wider life. The new BBC programme is specifically about the Leningrad Symphony and the siege of Leningrad.  

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

Watched the first of the new 'Endeavour' series last night (Morse prequel). As usual, convoluted and very nostalgic but a nice couple of hours. 

'Exercise Able Archer' - isn't that the one where paranoid commies (Andropov and co) totally misinterpreted a routine NATO exercise as evidence of war preparations - until someone got on the phone to calm them down and put them right.

Interesting program - just working my way through it. They overdo it a we bit with the 'Nena' music though.

Edited January 7, 2016 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

55 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

'Exercise Able Archer' - isn't that the one where paranoid commies (Andropov and co) totally misinterpreted a routine NATO exercise as evidence of war preparations - until someone got on the phone to calm them down and put them right.

Interesting program - just working my way through it. They overdo it a we bit with the 'Nena' music though.

That's the one. 

Tense year, 1983. Abel Archer, the Korean Airliner shot down, cruise missiles in Europe and a very old bunch running Russia. And yet a year later everything started to change. 

Can't remember if it was '83 or '84 when that film 'Threads' went out on TV about Sheffield in a nuclear attack. Gave me nightmares. I saw it again about 15 years ago and it looked much more like a 70s Dr. Who episode.  

[A Lark Ascending]

Arne Dahl second series

Was initially a bit unsure about this series - seemed a bit like a group of superheroes with special (investigative) powers. But it grew on me. Went out in the UK last October/November but I've eeked them out and finished last night. Not as all-involving as The Killing or The Bridge but very good TV nonetheless. 

My Swedish is no better, however. 

Edited January 8, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[Jazzjet]

9 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Arne Dahl second series

Was initially a bit unsure about this series - seemed a bit like a group of superheroes with special (investigative) powers. But it grew on me. Went out in the UK last October/November but I've eeked them out and finished last night. Not as all-involving as The Killing or The Bridge but very good TV nonetheless. 

My Swedish is no better, however. 

I quite like Arne Dahl. Halfway through the second series but still to catch up with the first. I agree, not as gripping as The Bridge or The Killing. There was another series either just before or after Arne Dahl was broadcast here - Beck. Downbeat (as usual) but good stories and characterisations. I enjoyed it more than Arne Dahl. 

The thing with these Swedish series is that you can't really temporarily switch off or catch up with you emails etc as you'll end up lost in just a few minutes. 

There's a new series on More 4 tonight (2200 UK time) called 'Spin' which seems to be from the same team as the excellent French series, 'Spiral'.

[jlhoots]

American Crime - season 2 , episode 1

[A Lark Ascending]

On 1/8/2016 at 6:02 PM, Jazzjet said:

There's a new series on More 4 tonight (2200 UK time) called 'Spin' which seems to be from the same team as the excellent French series, 'Spiral'.

Did you watch it? I saw it advertised and meant to set the recorder but forget. I'll have to see if it's on one of the replayers. 

[jazzbo]

Shetland, episode 1

[A Lark Ascending]

30 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Shetland, episode 1

Worth watching if only for the dreadful weather (assuming you mean the police series set in, well, Shetland). 

Third series starts here this Friday. I only caught up with it on rented DVD but really liked it. Didn't get a lot of attention here; but must have got enough to get commissioned for a third series. 

Edited January 10, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[jazzbo]

Yes, that's the series. My Irish heritage fiancee (Lucinda Elwin Dwyer) will watch anything set in Ireland it seems, and she has been enjoying this so far. This is the first season, just started on one of the PBS networks.

[Jazzjet]

10 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Did you watch it? I saw it advertised and meant to set the recorder but forget. I'll have to see if it's on one of the replayers. 

Not yet. I've got so much stacked up that I store up these series for future viewing.

[A Lark Ascending]

10 hours ago, Jazzjet said:

Not yet. I've got so much stacked up that I store up these series for future viewing.

I know what you mean. 

[sidewinder]

Anyone worked out what that Chinese waitress martial arts sub-plot was all about on 'Deutschland 83' ?

[sidewinder]

Thanks - I'm obviously taking it far too seriously ! 

[Jazzjet]

On 1/10/2016 at 11:22 AM, A Lark Ascending said:

Did you watch it? I saw it advertised and meant to set the recorder but forget. I'll have to see if it's on one of the replayers. 

I've caught up with 'Deutschland 83' - quite promising and it resonates with me as I was heavily involved with CND back in 1983 so some of the themes are very nostalgic. Of course, now you're a dangerous madman if you believe in that kind of thing.

The first episode of 'Spin' was very good. A slick political conspiracy thriller. Looks very promising.

[jazzbo]

Vikings Season 3 on Blu-ray

[A Lark Ascending]

21 hours ago, Jazzjet said:

I've caught up with 'Deutschland 83' - quite promising and it resonates with me as I was heavily involved with CND back in 1983 so some of the themes are very nostalgic. Of course, now you're a dangerous madman if you believe in that kind of thing.

The first episode of 'Spin' was very good. A slick political conspiracy thriller. Looks very promising.

I watched episode 2 of D83 last night. Involving enough but implausible. 

It reminds me of a German series a year or so back where a group of friends get called up to serve on the Eastern Front in WWII as soldiers and nurses. Same sort of implausibility - they somehow kept bumping into one another in Russia; stock characters and stock situations. 

Like sidewinder I was utterly confused in D83 by the brief intervention of the Kung Fu film. The situations tend to be very obviously signalled - you know there's a grand romance ahead for the hero and the hippy daughter of the general.   

[Shawn]

C.S.I. - season 2  

One of those series I saw bits and pieces of over the years but never really watched.  I always like having at least 1 police procedural/episodic series on the back burner when I feel the need to take a break from serialized.  As much as I love all the fine TV series that are coming out now I still think there is a need for series that tell a complete story in a single episode.   This show still feels fresh, it's very quickly paced and the editing is excellent, far-fetched to be sure but undeniably entertaining.  I've always liked William Peterson and Marg Helgenberger as well.  

The series has been on the air so long that going back and watching season 1 and 2 they are still using Pagers!  
 

[A Lark Ascending]

Very enjoyable American Dream fairy tale. Just the right number of upsets along the way to maintain the tension. And the strength of the leading character wasn't compromised by some unnecessary romance. 

[A Lark Ascending]

On 1/11/2016 at 9:31 PM, Jazzjet said:

The first episode of 'Spin' was very good. A slick political conspiracy thriller. Looks very promising.

Watched episode 1 of Spin (or "Les hommes de l'ombre"...a much more spooky title [Shadowmen?]) last night and enjoyed it. Another of those dastardly ambition in high places with unreliable friends series. But looks good.

Also episode 2 of War and Peace the night before - proving enjoyable if not one of BBC's great recreations of lit-er-a-tuh.  

Edited January 14, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

15 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Very enjoyable American Dream fairy tale. Just the right number of upsets along the way to maintain the tension. And the strength of the leading character wasn't compromised by some unnecessary romance. 

Glad to hear it, the reviews have been fairly bad here, but I think some of that is a backlash against the director using the same cast 3 films in a row.  I'm still looking forward to seeing it. 

[A Lark Ascending]

40 minutes ago, Shawn said:

Glad to hear it, the reviews have been fairly bad here, but I think some of that is a backlash against the director using the same cast 3 films in a row.  I'm still looking forward to seeing it. 

I'm no film buff - my cinema visits have been infrequent until recently. I didn't know what to expect in the film - the only actor I knew was De Niro (hadn't even noticed he was in it). It entertained me for 2 1/2 hours. I don't ask any more of a film. I know it's different for those who study films. 

[Shawn]

5 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

I'm no film buff - my cinema visits have been infrequent until recently. I didn't know what to expect in the film - the only actor I knew was De Niro (hadn't even noticed he was in it). It entertained me for 2 1/2 hours. I don't ask any more of a film. I know it's different for those who study films. 

Sounds like you need to see Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, the two previous films with the same cast, both excellent.  

And for the record, my primary prerequisite for film is entertainment, I'm a buff, but I'm not a snob.  

[A Lark Ascending]

2 hours ago, Shawn said:

Sounds like you need to see Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, the two previous films with the same cast, both excellent.  

And for the record, my primary prerequisite for film is entertainment, I'm a buff, but I'm not a snob.  

Thanks, Shawn - I'll look those out.

I know you're far from a snob. All I meant by saying I wasn't a film buff is that I've not spent a great deal of my life watching them. I only now have the time to indulge my primary interests and watch more films. I'm enjoying watching them.  

[Jazzjet]

11 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Watched episode 1 of Spin (or "Les hommes de l'ombre"...a much more spooky title [Shadowmen?]) last night and enjoyed it. Another of those dastardly ambition in high places with unreliable friends series. But looks good.

Also episode 2 of War and Peace the night before - proving enjoyable if not one of BBC's great recreations of lit-er-a-tuh.  

I'm sort of enjoying 'War and Peace' but I think it suffers by being squeezed into 6 one hour episodes. I've never read the book and it took me quite a while to get a grip on who the various characters were, without any of the usual exposition.

[Shawn]

2 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Thanks, Shawn - I'll look those out.

I know you're far from a snob. All I meant by saying I wasn't a film buff is that I've not spent a great deal of my life watching them. I only now have the time to indulge my primary interests and watch more films. I'm enjoying watching them.  

That's awesome.  Enjoy!