What Are You Watching

[kinuta]

Happy Valley finale.

Great stuff, Sarah Lancashire knocks it out of the ball park.

Give that woman an Oscar.

[A Lark Ascending]

8 hours ago, kinuta said:

Happy Valley finale.

Great stuff, Sarah Lancashire knocks it out of the ball park.

Give that woman an Oscar.

I think you mean that she scores a succession of sixes (or even better, gives it one with the nipsy stick). Come on, get a grip! 

[kinuta]

3 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

I think you mean that she scores a succession of sixes (or even better, gives it one with the nipsy stick). Come on, get a grip! 

Baseball being the national sport in Japan I plead innocent m'lud.

BTW, I suppose you know that baseball was very popular in prewar Sheffield.

My granddad was a Sheffield Don's fan and used to take my mum when she was a little girl.

[kinuta]

18 hours ago, Shawn said:

It's already on Netflix.  

 

It was good, although it did feel like an incredibly calculated "prestige picture".  

I actually prefer the highly-fictionalized film "Enigma" from 2001, sure, it takes a lot of liberties with the story but I think it's a more successful film.  

 

I agree. That was the brain child of Mick Jagger, right ?

[A Lark Ascending]

9 hours ago, kinuta said:

Baseball being the national sport in Japan I plead innocent m'lud.

BTW, I suppose you know that baseball was very popular in prewar Sheffield.

My granddad was a Sheffield Don's fan and used to take my mum when she was a little girl.

Never knew that. I withdraw my complaint.

Excellent. Did this for 'O' Level. Haven't touched it in 45 years. Amazed at how much I'd remembered of the language. 

[page]

On 17-3-2016 at 8:12 AM, A Lark Ascending said:

Sarah Lancashire came to fame via soaps. She then did a number of rather weepy type hard luck story series. I never paid any attention to her until 'Happy Valley'. Completely changed my view on her. Have you seen 'Last Tango in Halifax', also with Lancashire and written by Sally Wainwright (and set in a similar part of Yorkshire)? Unpromising premise - two retired people rekindle an old flame in late life (Lancashire plays a daughter). I ignored it until Happy Valley, then tried it and got gripped. More of a comedy than HV but has that same down-to-earth grittiness (I'm sounding like a spokesperson for the Yorkshire tourist board). Also has Nicola Walker in it in a wonderful role. 

No I haven't yet, thanks for the recommendation. She's a remarkable actress. I will pay attention to her. You will be pleased to hear I now am following "Unforgotten" with that other favourite actress of yours. I like what I've seen so far.

[erwbol]

On 16 Mar 2016 at 7:21 PM, erwbol said:

Ófærð (Trapped). Ten part Icelandic crime series through the BBC broadcast.

Was fairly good.

Now, Daredevil season 2, introduces The Punisher. 

[Shawn]

14 hours ago, kinuta said:

I agree. That was the brain child of Mick Jagger, right ?

Yes, he was the executive producer and he also owns one of the original Enigma machines which they used in the film.  

 

[A Lark Ascending]

7 hours ago, page said:

No I haven't yet, thanks for the recommendation. She's a remarkable actress. I will pay attention to her. You will be pleased to hear I now am following "Unforgotten" with that other favourite actress of yours. I like what I've seen so far.

There's an article in the current Radio Times where a commentator says he doesn't remember a stronger time for TV drama. I'm inclined to agree (though my impression is distorted as I only watched the occasional thing during my working life). There were lots of superb shows across the years but they seem to be coming thick and fast now. Maybe there's been a realisation that man and woman cannot live by fly-on-the-wall documentaries and game shows alone. 

We've a tendency to idolise the past and the 'classic' and feel the best is behind us but I sense we're actually living in a bit of a golden age (I'd say the same about British folk music).  

[A Lark Ascending]

Or 'Spin' as it was retitled in the UK came to an end  on Friday after two series broadcast since New Year. Really enjoyed both series and I believe a third is in production.

I now need to catch up on the recent Icelandic series; and there's a new Danish political one just started plus a Swedish one called Blue Eyes starting next week. Great to see all these non-English language series appearing. They get dismissed by some as affectations for the sub-title loving middle classes but I just like the completely different scenery and political contexts from London, Oxford, New York or L.A. 

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

This afternoon: 

Never seen this before. Fascinated by the Hermann soundtrack - oozes old Europe right down to the Wagnerian leitmotifs. There's even a bit of tremolo strings that sounds like a cousin of Verklarte Nacht. Intriguing story though it could never be made today, Kim Novak compliantly being manipulated by two men.    

Edited March 20, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[erwbol]

On 18 Mar 2016 at 0:10 AM, erwbol said:

Now, Daredevil season 2, introduces The Punisher. 

The first four episodes have been somewhat underwhelming.

[A Lark Ascending]

'The Night Manager' has built up to a cracking pitch of tension. Grand finale next week. 

[A Lark Ascending]

Brendan O'Carroll: My Family at War

I don't know O'Carroll as a comedian though his Mrs Brown series is very successful. Here he explores The Easter Rising with a particular focus on his three uncles who took part. Really excellent programme - a subject I had an obsession with many years back. Summarises the causes, some of the key actions and consequences clearly and in an involving manner. Shot mainly in and around Dublin (with a quick trip to Wales where one post-Rising internment camp was). 

Most Brits only see Irish history in terms of British lads being shot 'over there.' This programme conveyed the Irish perspective well whilst retaining great sympathy for the English soldiers who lost their lives that week. 

[Shawn]

Bosch - season 2 on Amazon Prime streaming.  

The second season featuring Michael Connelly's L.A. detective Harry "Hieronymus" Bosch took the promise of season 1 and delivered on it.  An excellent 10 episode series perfect for binge-watching.  Titus Welliver and Lance Reddick put in note-perfect performances and Jeri Ryan is an entertaining femme fatale this season.  

Highly recommended.  

 

 

[kinuta]

Finished off season two of Daredevil.

Dark and very violent but gripping from start to finish.

 

Better Call Saul.

I'll be honest and say I'm not at all impressed with season two. Slow and frankly boring with whole reams of dull filler.

I can see that they are looking for a long story arc but I think the pacing is dreadfuly ponderous. Just my opinion.

[jazzbo]

I can't get to see Daredevil until/if the seasons come out on disc. Darn. I really like this season of Better Call Saul so far, great stuff for me, I like the slow, deliberate story unfolding.

I thought this week's Elementary was pretty darned good and slightly funny (the hero dying in mortal combat with his nemesis falling down a waterfall mirroring Doyle's unsuccessful kill off of Sherlock, "I was bitten by a radioactive detective").

[kinuta]

33 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

I can't get to see Daredevil until/if the seasons come out on disc. Darn. I really like this season of Better Call Saul so far, great stuff for me, I like the slow, deliberate story unfolding.

I thought this week's Elementary was pretty darned good and slightly funny (the hero dying in mortal combat with his nemesis falling down a waterfall mirroring Doyle's unsuccessful kill off of Sherlock, "I was bitten by a radioactive detective").

Elmentary's strength is it's consistency. It reminds me of The Good Wife in maintaining  a decent level of writing and plots.

The pairing of the two leads seemed implausible at first but they have grown into the roles and I think they compliment each other quite well.

Holme's eccentricities are nicely balanced by Watson's no nonsense common sense. ( Sounds like me and the missus!)

I much prefer it to the Cumberbatch version.

[jlhoots]

The Fall - season 2

[A Lark Ascending]

Shetland - Series 3 (BBC2)

Programmes 1 + 2. I really like this cop series - grim doings in a place where in reality haggis snatching is probably the major crime. The main character is, as one of his friends commented. 'a surly bugger'. The landscape and the dreadful weather deserve the TV equivalent to Oscars. Can't recall if they did this in series 1 or 2 but there were some great aerial shots, swooping in from the sea over Lerwick or along the cliffs. Helicopter or drone? Not sure.  

[jazzbo]

A great series, Shetland. My wife loves it, though she often has a hard time deciphering what people are mumbling! Somehow I can manage.

Edited March 24, 2016 by jazzbo

[A Lark Ascending]

I use the subtitles! 

[alankin]

Orange Is The New Black, Season 2.

[Chuck Nessa]

Carol.

[A Lark Ascending]

Line of Duty Series 3

Cracking start. The whole narrative changed complete direction in the last few minutes. 

[jazzbo]

Manhattan, Season 2, continuing on, Blu-ray. Man, this is the only show that really rivals Better Call Saul for me this year.