What Are You Watching

[jlhoots]

7 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Line of Duty Series 3

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

Looking forward to that.

[A Lark Ascending]

Watched the first part of 'Blue Eyes', a Swedish drama set against skullduggery in high places. Based on episode 1, passes the time but it's no 'The Bridge' or 'The Killing'. 

 

Henry IV (Part 1) - brilliant. Tom Hiddleston is suddenly everywhere (tipped as the next James Bond). 

[A Lark Ascending]

'The A Word' BBC1

Touching first episode of a series about a dysfunctional family coming to terms with the young lad's diagnosis as being on the autistic spectrum. Set in the Lake District so spectacular scenery too.   

[A Lark Ascending]

Henry IV (Part II) - equally brilliant to part I. Ruminations on age and youth, the changing of the guard and the double edged sword of power. 

[A Lark Ascending]

The Night Manager - last episode (BBC1)

Thrilling conclusion to an excellent series. All ended well - the bad guys got taken down and the nice people survived.  

Good piece here on the programme:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/27/the-night-manager-britain-place-world-le-carre

(Health Warning: has a political second half) 

Edited March 28, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[erwbol]

On with season 2.

[jazzbo]

3 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

The Night Manager - last episode (BBC1)

Thrilling conclusion to an excellent series. All ended well - the bad guys got taken down and the nice people survived.  

Good piece here on the programme:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/27/the-night-manager-britain-place-world-le-carre

(Health Warning: has a political second half) 

This starts here soon.

[jlhoots]

I'm probably going to watch The Night Manager when it plays here in the US.

BTW, really going to miss The Good Wife. Good episode last night.

[A Lark Ascending]

The Night Manager is well worth 6 hours of your time. 

I'm 3 episodes from the end of Season 6 of 'The Good Wife' so I still have 7 to look forward to. Thoroughly enjoyed all of the seasons even if the mergers, leavings etc happen a bit too thick and fast to be believable. Really like the key characters. 

I just watched (as part of my post-retirement 4.00 p.m. documentary slot):

Stonehenge: A Timewatch Guide (BBC4) 

I had quite a thing about prehistory in the late-70s and early 80s but that interest drifted to the margins except when visiting sites on holiday. So it was nice to reacquaint myself with all the Stonehenge theories - this programme ran over the theories of Stonehenge by changing schools of archaeology since the 50s as documented on various BBC programmes. On this occasion I won't complain about the presenter (Professor Alice Roberts).  

[jlhoots]

FWIW, The Night Manager will be on AMC in the US.

[page]

On 26-3-2016 at 8:34 AM, A Lark Ascending said:

'The A Word' BBC1

Touching first episode of a series about a dysfunctional family coming to terms with the young lad's diagnosis as being on the autistic spectrum. Set in the Lake District so spectacular scenery too.   

I've watched it too. Somehow I directly knew it was about this subject. Probably because I was a teacher before. I've had a few pupils suffering this and it can be tough to deal with for the child as well as his surroundings. It can be handled though, I'll probably keep watching this since it is a subject of my interest.

[kinuta]

11 hours ago, jlhoots said:

I'm probably going to watch The Night Manager when it plays here in the US.

BTW, really going to miss The Good Wife. Good episode last night.

I've been watching TGW since it started and will miss it too. 

I'd rank it as one of the great tv serial dramas. 

[A Lark Ascending]

9 hours ago, page said:

I've watched it too. Somehow I directly knew it was about this subject. Probably because I was a teacher before. I've had a few pupils suffering this and it can be tough to deal with for the child as well as his surroundings. It can be handled though, I'll probably keep watching this since it is a subject of my interest.

I never had any training re: autism/asperger's. I got in a terrible fix with a student who had wound one of my staff up repeatedly, handled it wrong and ended up with the mother coming in looking for blood from the teacher, me and the school. Fortunately, we talked the situation down and I got my training from the mother who was able to explain what her son couldn't process and the best way of handling him when he became unresponsive. He was never easy - I spent many an hour talking him down after he'd been upset by teachers or students - but we got a relationship and steered him to success in his exams. 

There's lots of discussion in the UK press as to how realistic this portrayal is but if nothing else it widens general awareness of something that is not widely understood. Popular TV can be a powerful medium for that sort of education. 

[paul secor]

6 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

I never had any training re: autism/asperger's. I got in a terrible fix with a student who had wound one of my staff up repeatedly, handled it wrong and ended up with the mother coming in looking for blood from the teacher, me and the school. Fortunately, we talked the situation down and I got my training from the mother who was able to explain what her son couldn't process and the best way of handling him when he became unresponsive. He was never easy - I spent many an hour talking him down after he'd been upset by teachers or students - but we got a relationship and steered him to success in his exams. 

There's lots of discussion in the UK press as to how realistic this portrayal is but if nothing else it widens general awareness of something that is not widely understood. Popular TV can be a powerful medium for that sort of education. 

Good to hear that you and the mother were able to talk this out and work together. All too often, at least from what I read, parents and schools go to war with each other rather than working for the benefit of the children.

[A Lark Ascending]

In my experience parents and schools work well together 99% of the time; you get problems, disagreements, mutual misinterpretation but these can generally be ironed out by face to face meetings. Of course it's the 1% that interests the media. 

[erwbol]

I won't be watching this as I've been living it for over four decades.

[Shawn]

Currently watching 3 different series, alternating episodes to keep things interesting.  

Les Revenants (The Returned) - Season 2.  Just as wonderfully moody as the first series.  

Daredevil - Season 2. 

Elementary - Season 4.  Just started the current season (via the CBS streaming site) and loving the addition of John Noble as Sherlock's father.  

 

 

[A Lark Ascending]

Ballard had a strange way of looking at the world. Interesting film though I couldn't help but notice the irony of a satire on the dangers of social inequality being played by the cream of our public school educated actors. Quite disorienting to see Irons and Hiddleston together only a couple of days after watching them as Henry IV and Prince Hal.

[A Lark Ascending]

I recall seeing a few very good Chinese historical films many years ago. After watching Michael Wood's 'The Story of China' series I thought I'd investigate a little of what is out there.

This one is based around the mid 19thC Taiping Rebellion. Didn't really take to it - all a bit kung fu. Lots of lightning sword moves, indestructible heroes (until they turn on one another) and endless flash shots of gory puncture wounds. Heroes emerge unscathed apart from the central figure who wanders off one battlefield with a grin on his face and a bloody great spear in his shoulder. Thin plot of brotherly unity shattered by differing ambitions and mutual suspicion.

None of the complexity or depth of character you get in 'Ran' (I know, Japanese).   

Edited April 4, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

Good news for Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax) fans....a new Scott and Bailey starts next week! Only three episodes but better than now't. 

[page]

Ah, I'm almost afraid to ask which BBC channel? I might not be able to watch it when I don't have the channel. I did notice I can watch "Last tango in Halifax" now, but it is series 3, so would I be able to get into it while missing the first 2 series?
Happy Valley series 2 already on too, so I will be able to watch that episode I've missed last time. Scott & Bailey is on too, not a new series though, I've already seen it either on belgium tv or the BBC or it is a rerun I can't remember where I've seen it. So which series is it, 5?

Edited April 5, 2016 by page

[kinuta]

Great. Thanks for the heads up on the new season of Scott & Bailey. It's on ITV, page, starting this Saturday.

I enjoyed the first episode of Marcella very much. Another tough but flawed woman cop, stylishly photographed with multistranded plot.

Just my cup of tea.

[A Lark Ascending]

S&B goes out next Wednesday in the UK. It's series 5. 

 

20 hours ago, kinuta said:

Great. Thanks for the heads up on the new season of Scott & Bailey. It's on ITV, page, starting this Saturday.

I enjoyed the first episode of Marcella very much. Another tough but flawed woman cop, stylishly photographed with multistranded plot.

Just my cup of tea.

I have Marcella recording to watch later. There is so much good TV on at present I'm a bit swamped as I can't manage more than a couple of hours a day. 

Watched the third episode of 'The A Word' last night - I'm really touched by this series. The little boy who plays the key character is brilliant - it is beyond me how you get child actors to perform so naturally. Equally compelling - and recognisable from real family life! - are the tensions and jealousies of his family. A gently humorous series with more than one serious message.   

Edited April 6, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[page]

Thanks for the info guys. ITV, I don't think I have that one.

[kinuta]

Billions

 I was put off by the title but finally got round to giving it a try.

I think I made the correct decision as it's a very interesting, well filmed tale of a super rich investor, whose wealth seems to come from dubious business methods, and the driven public prosecutor out for his scalp. Greatly helped by a fine pair of lead actors and treated quite seriously, belying the slightly flippant title.

There seem to be so many excellent tv shows around recently. There might be some truth to the idea that we are in a golden age of sorts. I'm certainly spending as much time watching tv shows as films these days.

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by kinuta