What Are You Watching

[catesta]

I've always been lukewarm on the Leftovers. I've seen every episode and will watch the third season but I've found it to be frustrating in a Three's Company kind of way at times.

And is it just me or does Justin Theroux look like a younger John Slattery?

[JSngry]

Don't tell me that Regina King doesn't need to play Abbey Lincoln ASAP.

Nora Durst, please move to Plano.

And there is not a real Jarden, Texas - but there is a real Jardin, Texas: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnj04

[jazzbo]

The Leftovers certainly doesn't frustrate me, I think it's one of the best shows on TV. Yeah, I can see the resemblance between those two. Slattery is only nine years older.

[A Lark Ascending]

Wonderful. Last time I came across this was in 1969 as a reluctant 13 year old at school. Marvellous performance by an all male cast (which made the plot even harder to follow - woman disguised as a man is actually a bloke!). My teacher must have done a better job than I thought because I remembered a lot of this.

[paul secor]

Just finished watching Vera series two

[A Lark Ascending]

Never seen this before (though I read the book around the time it came out...must have had some rating that stopped me going to see it as a 13-14 year old). Very impressive...recall all the discussion about what it all means. Bugger if I know (though it did solve the mystery of what happened to Reginald Perrin).

Interesting to see how some things in it have subsequently come to pass - Skype, voice recognition technology. Though, mercifully, the Habitat decor of the space stations have gone out-of-fashion, BBC presenters no longer have obligatory public school accents and we don't have to eat our food through straws (until our latter days).

No explosions and no-one got shot. Would it get made today?    

[jazzbo]

The very first episode of "X-Files" ever. The Blu-rays of the X-Files seasons look and sound very very good.

[A Lark Ascending]

Episode 2 of both "The Night Manager" and "One Child", both very enjoyable, though the latter had one of the most uncomfortable scenes I've seen on TV in a long time. 

"The Renaissance Unchained" Very enjoyable first episode. Waldemar Januszczak sets out to demonstrate how the idea of The Renaissance was Italian propaganda - absolutely fascinating look at the Flemish painting that preceded it. I like his bonkers uncle presentation style.   

[Shawn]

Elementary - Season 3.  After a clunky beginning to the season it got into a groove.  

 

[jlhoots]

Girls, Major Crimes, Vinyl, Better Call Saul

[paul secor]

Vera - Series Three

[A Lark Ascending]

At the local cinema (audience of 3! It was a Wednesday afternoon.). Absolutely wonderful. Remember seeing the BBC TV version sometime around the late 70s and being smitten. Minimalist staging - opens in a modern office - then all the furniture gets hauled on rope into the air and with lighting and appropriate noises becomes the Forest of Arden. Being a sucker for mythical arcadias this had me bewitched for three hours. Lots of famous faces including the bloke who did the annoying Nationwide Building Society add (Mark Benton) - he was very funny as Touchstone. 

Hope the low audience turnout doesn't see this sort of thing disappear from the cinema - it was a re-broadcast; the live evening broadcast last week was apparently well-attended.   

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

 

At the local cinema (audience of 3! 

Reminds me of skiving off school (1st and only time) back in the mid 1970s to see a Monty Python movie. There were four of us in the audience - and one of them was the archetypical old guy in a dirty mac sat at the back..

Edited March 2, 2016 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

11 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Reminds me of skiving off school (1st and only time) back in the mid 1970s to see a Monty Python movie. There were four of us in the audience - and one of them was the archetypical old guy in a dirty mac sat at the back..

No macs yesterday. Just sensible pensioner clothes. 

A few weeks back I was the only one in the cinema for a film. That was weird.

The advantage with these afternoon codger sessions is you don't get overwhelmed with the smell of popcorn.  

[I never skived off school (or 'wagged it' as kids in west Notts would put it)...even as a teacher! (the Daily Mail would say otherwise re: all those long holidays, strikes etc)]

Edited March 3, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[jazzbo]

"Suits." What a season!

[paul secor]

Wallander Season 2

[kinuta]

14 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

No macs yesterday. Just sensible pensioner clothes. 

A few weeks back I was the only one in the cinema for a film. That was weird.

The advantage with these afternoon codger sessions is you don't get overwhelmed with the smell of popcorn.  

[I never skived off school (or 'wagged it' as kids in west Notts would put it)...even as a teacher! (the Daily Mail would say otherwise re: all those long holidays, strikes etc)]

A bit of vernacular that's survived more than 50 years of usage. We used to 'wag school' back in the dark ages of the late fifties.

[A Lark Ascending]

9 hours ago, kinuta said:

A bit of vernacular that's survived more than 50 years of usage. We used to 'wag school' back in the dark ages of the late fifties.

But quite localised. I knew someone who taught in Eastwood, about ten miles away from my school, and he'd never heard the term. Must have drifted down from Sheffield. 

Watched the last 'One Child' last night. Some improbable plot lines but it avoided the easy ending.

And I'm loving "The Renaissance Unchained" - not having any training in the world of painting I'm often not sure what I'm looking at, especially with pre-19thC pictures. This is a wonderful primer, drawing you into the details and explaining some of the symbolism. Never knew that all the story lines attributed to Mary Magdalene aren't in the Bible - she's a portmanteau of a bunch of different Marys.  Waldemar Januszczak's blokish delivery will drive some people nuts...but I prefer it to the usual cut-glass Oxbridge type they usually employ for such things. I love this quote from him: 

“The BBC has a lot to answer for,” Januszczak told Radio Times. “They’ve helped create this image that art is a kind of homework, that needs to do you good.” He added: “I hate that art isn’t really popular on television, it really annoys me. You get some bloke talking about frogs in the Amazon and there will be a million and a half watching every time. People would rather see frogs shagging in the Amazon than a great Raphael. Why is that?”

I think he's being a bit harsh there...I've seen a fair few 'art' programmes in recent years done by down-to-earth chaps and chapesses. Just as long as its not bloody Portillo (I'm dreading Ian Duncan Smith's 'World of Art' in a few years, though perhaps 'Boris stands in front of Paintings' is more likely!). 

Oh, and very good news...'Line of Duty' series three is due very soon...the Beeb are starting to plug it between programmes. One of the best police series of recent years. 

 

Edited March 4, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[jazzbo]

The Americans, Season 3--re-watching the season on DVD. No idea why this show doesn't get awards, it's quality TV.

The 100, latest episode. Weird show, "teenybopper" in a lot of ways but hardcore science fiction, and I like it.

[jlhoots]

36 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

The Americans, Season 3--re-watching the season on DVD. No idea why this show doesn't get awards, it's quality TV.

The 100, latest episode. Weird show, "teenybopper" in a lot of ways but hardcore science fiction, and I like it.

I like The Americans too. Just watched the 1st 2 episodes of season 3.

[Jazzjet]

10 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

 

I think he's being a bit harsh there...I've seen a fair few 'art' programmes in recent years done by down-to-earth chaps and chapesses. Just as long as its not bloody Portillo (I'm dreading Ian Duncan Smith's 'World of Art' in a few years, though perhaps 'Boris stands in front of Paintings' is more likely!). 

 

 

I think 'Boris stands in front of Paintings' would be counter-productive as the size of his privileged, over-fed body would obscure the view. Even the bigger canvases.

[A Lark Ascending]

25 minutes ago, Jazzjet said:

I think 'Boris stands in front of Paintings' would be counter-productive as the size of his privileged, over-fed body would obscure the view. Even the bigger canvases.

I don't think the paintings would be the point. 

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

Just watched this:

Very interesting. Relieved to know that what I used to teach A Level kids wasn't that far from the mark. 

[A Lark Ascending]

Richard II. Superb production. Whishaw is brilliant as the rather fey king. The play is heavy on the English nationalism. 

[kinuta]

House Of Cards Season 4

Marathon binge over two days. Bum firmly glued to sofa, meals at the coffee table.

Gripping and more-ish, splendid entertainment.

[jazzbo]

A double "Tuco" viewing: Better Call Saul, Major Crimes.