What Are You Watching

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, kinuta said:

I'm simply curious but I wondered if you found the dialect at all difficult to follow ?

 

I'm sure I missed some words, but not enough to interfere with enjoying the series.

Thanks to Bev for reassuring me.

[A Lark Ascending]

Gripping first episode. I've not read the book so am not going to be affected by the story changes. There's an excellent (and very humble) piece here from Le Carre about his experience of being adapted - http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/20/john-le-carre-the-night-manager-television-adaptation (I only skimmed that...didn't want to read any plot spoilers!).

Apart from the tense storyline, the location shots were utterly beautiful. 

We seem to be in a bit of a golden age for TV drama (or maybe I'm just watching more of it). 

4 hours ago, jlhoots said:

I'm sure I missed some words, but not enough to interfere with enjoying the series.

Thanks to Bev for reassuring me.

I knew you'd have no problem...I'm from the South (though I've lived in my castle in the tense borderlands for nearly 40 years) and rarely have too much trouble deciphering Northerners

Edited February 22, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

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On 19-2-2016 at 11:20 PM, jlhoots said:

London Spy - finale

So, what did you think of it. I guess there is going to be a sequel.

7 hours ago, jlhoots said:

I'm sure I missed some words, but not enough to interfere with enjoying the series.

Thanks to Bev for reassuring me.

When I watch series on the BBC I usually put on the subtitles since I do miss a lot other wise. When I can read along in English it is easier for me. You do get the big picture but I tend to prefer to read along when possible so I won't miss anything. Maybe that's silly. I do learn new words and expressions that way too.

[jlhoots]

I found the London Spy finale perplexing. Some characters appeared earlier in the series & then were never seen again. I wasn't sure what to make of the demise of the Broadbent character. The ending with Rampling in the car was nice. The lie detecting method was goofy.

Overall I preferred Happy Valley.

 

[A Lark Ascending]

6 hours ago, page said:

When I watch series on the BBC I usually put on the subtitles since I do miss a lot other wise. 

So do I...on the English programmes as well as those in another language ! I don't have a hearing problem (yet!) but I find it helps me concentrate. 

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2 hours ago, jlhoots said:

I found the London Spy finale perplexing. Some characters appeared earlier in the series & then were never seen again. I wasn't sure what to make of the demise of the Broadbent character. The ending with Rampling in the car was nice. The lie detecting method was goofy.

Overall I preferred Happy Valley.

I agree with you. At first I thought I was really curious how it would develop. I prefer Happy Valley as well, although I hope season 2 won't be as violent as the first season was. It probably will get there. I do like Catherine and some other actors.
 

23 minutes ago, A Lark Ascending said:

So do I...on the English programmes as well as those in another language ! I don't have a hearing problem (yet!) but I find it helps me concentrate. 

I understand. I don't have a hearing problem either, well not that kind anyway, I am what we call "noise deaf" which means that you have trouble concentrating when there is more than one sound at the time f.e. when there is music in a bar and you are talking to people. I've had lack of concentration for a number of years which came along with health problems. Due to that I have trouble reading which is tough since reading used to be one of my favourite things to do. I'm training my concentration though f.e. reading here at the forums for one to expand it a bit. Funny thing is that in music I can concentrate much longer than I can with other activities.

[A Lark Ascending]

I thought London Spy was one of those brilliantly unusual and superbly acted series that didn't quite hang together in the end. The denouement (I think that's the correct term) didn't live up to all the expectation. The soppy driving off into the sunset didn't seem to fit either. A classic 'better to travel than arrive' series. 

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I started to watch "Le bureau des Legendes" a few weeks ago which seemed really good. I missed one episode though since I had to go somewhere and couldn't watch. After that I couldn't follow it any more. That was a pity. It is a french series about a secret service like MI5 or 6 in France

[jlhoots]

30 minutes ago, A Lark Ascending said:

I thought London Spy was one of those brilliantly unusual and superbly acted series that didn't quite hang together in the end. The denouement (I think that's the correct term) didn't live up to all the expectation. The soppy driving off into the sunset didn't seem to fit either. A classic 'better to travel than arrive' series. 

Thelma & Louise??? Rampling is scary.

Whishaw is coming to the US to play opposite Saoirse Ronan in The Crucible.

BTW, I'll have to try that subtitle trick.

Edited February 22, 2016 by jlhoots

[A Lark Ascending]

24 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

BTW, I'll have to try that subtitle trick.

My mum was hard of hearing in her latter days so the subtitles were always on. I realised I quite liked having them on. 

I like the way that once you've set your TV up they come up on programmes recorded on the digibox recorder as well as in real time.  

[paul secor]

I always keep the subtitles on when I'm watching a British TV show, simply because with the accents I occasionally can miss something if I'm just hearing the dialogue. I imagine that folks in Britain might have the same problem with American accents, and people for whom English is a second language would have even more of a problem with accents.

[catesta]

Is anybody here watching the new HBO series Vinyl?

[paul secor]

Vera - Season 1

[A Lark Ascending]

Happy Valley (episode 3) was brilliant last night. Apart from the storyline(s) there are so many clever touches. The sequence where Catherine tries to wheedle her nickname in the office and then under the hanging man was priceless. The prison visiting scene with Tommy and the obsessed girl was incredibly disturbing, superbly acted. It also had a classic 'don't do it moment' when the young woman PC accepts the offer of a drink with the middle aged letch. Sarah Lancashire just amazes as the tough but deeply troubled main character. 

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1 hour ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Happy Valley (episode 3) was brilliant last night. Apart from the storyline(s) there are so many clever touches. The sequence where Catherine tries to wheedle her nickname in the office and then under the hanging man was priceless. The prison visiting scene with Tommy and the obsessed girl was incredibly disturbing, superbly acted. It also had a classic 'don't do it moment' when the young woman PC accepts the offer of a drink with the middle aged letch. Sarah Lancashire just amazes as the tough but deeply troubled main character. 

Aw, I forgot to watch last night. Is there a time they will broadcast that episode again by any chance?

Vera is one of my favourites!

Edited February 24, 2016 by page

[A Lark Ascending]

23 minutes ago, page said:

Aw, I forgot to watch last night. Is there a time they will broadcast that episode again by any chance?

Vera is one of my favourites!

I don't think so. You can see it for 30 days on the BBC iPlayer but I don't know if that has any reach beyond the UK. 

I've not watched the current series yet (stored on the digibox for leaner times) but another good one is "Shetland". Nice, distinct location with odd customs. The starring role is played by the weather which is usually awful.  

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No, I don't think that can be done outside of the U.K.

[A Lark Ascending]

Should be out on DVD in a few weeks - the Beeb are very quick off the mark there. I was late to series 1 and only managed to watch episode 1 before the entire series vanished. However, I was able to rent the DVD from the place I use immediately.

I'll let you know if I spot a rebroadcast.  

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Thank you ALA, I appreciate that very much!

[kinuta]

4 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Happy Valley (episode 3) was brilliant last night. Apart from the storyline(s) there are so many clever touches. The sequence where Catherine tries to wheedle her nickname in the office and then under the hanging man was priceless. The prison visiting scene with Tommy and the obsessed girl was incredibly disturbing, superbly acted. It also had a classic 'don't do it moment' when the young woman PC accepts the offer of a drink with the middle aged letch. Sarah Lancashire just amazes as the tough but deeply troubled main character. 

 The super realistic dialogue is spot on and the level of acting as good as we'll ever see .

I'd say a word of praise for Catherine's sister, her take on alcoholism is chillingly real and completely convincing. The scenes with the police shrink were also quite superb.

[A Lark Ascending]

10 hours ago, kinuta said:

 The super realistic dialogue is spot on and the level of acting as good as we'll ever see .

I'd say a word of praise for Catherine's sister, her take on alcoholism is chillingly real and completely convincing. The scenes with the police shrink were also quite superb.

Yes, the more you think about it, there is so much going on it's hard to take in at the time. I rarely re-watch films or TV but these two series I'll return to in a year or two.  

Edited February 25, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[JSngry]

Finished a binge-ing of The Leftovers Seasons 1 & 2, began when the wife started on Season 2 because it was free on On Demand. She got more than halfway into it, said "I just don't get this", so I watched and asked here if there was a Season 1, and she said yeah, on amazon Prime, but it costs. So I said, wellllll.....looks like if this is going to make any real sense, we need to start from the beginnings. And so we did.

What a wonderfully oblique tale this series tells. Interesting to me that neither season was written with the knowledge that there would be one to follow.

My "takeaways", such as they are, are pretty simple - "safety" is an illusion, don't confuse something not happening with something happening, family and love are fragile, perhaps illusory, but the choices you have are to hold on the them or else be broken, and even that might not be a "choice" as much as it is one of those things that you confuse something bad not happening with something good happening. Then again, it's all a choice, really, whatever happens has nothing to do with you, but how you respond to it has everything to do with you. At least that's what I get. Many different interpretations, no doubt. Although I did find it interesting that when the GR finally got into Jarden, all they did was sit around in their same group, smoke, and mock the tourist video. Like, that's your triumph? 

Like I said, a wonderful story, very moving at times, and definitely as "contemporary" in its message as anything I've seen in a good while. What they'll do with Season 3, I couldn't begin to guess.

[A Lark Ascending]

'One Child' (BBC2) - first episode of this engaging drama about a Chinese orphan brought up in a loving middle class family in England, suddenly having to confront the country of her birth.

Think this went out in 2013. Watched all three programmes over the last few days. Initially thought it might be a bit dull but it turned out to be gripping - an intriguing take on British maritime and imperial history, seen through shipping disasters. Traces the impact they had on changing practices. The section in the last episode on the ship owners (and their parliamentary protectors) tooth and nail opposition to Samuel Plimsol on the grounds that it would adversely affect profitability and competitiveness rang many a bell (not just the Lloyds one!) with today's world (of course we can't possibly pay a living wage!).   

Edited February 25, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[kinuta]

I liked The Leftovers very much.

Didn't like One Child, it started quite well but quickly became predictable and very silly.

[jazzbo]

Man, the Leftovers is great TV. Looking forward to the third and final season.

Speaking of third and final seasons, I'm now watching Da Vinci's Demons third and final season on Blu-ray.