What Are You Watching

[A Lark Ascending]

On 4/21/2016 at 8:12 PM, l p said:

 

i did a web search yesterday to see if maybe i can watch european subtitled tv shows on british tv websites (bbc, etc), but i came up with nothing.

 

You can pick up most BBC/ITV radio and TV on BBC/ITV websites for a period after broadcast (usually 30 days for TV, 7 for radio) but I don't think you can get these beyond Britain. They want to be able to sell the content they've invested in worldwide understandably (in the BBC's case it is paid for by a license all TV owners have to buy so making it free to the world would cause problems...well, is causing problems as I believe there are illegal ways of getting access and I don't think the issue of people watching on computers rather than by TV sets has been resolved within Britain. The current government would love to sweep away the license fee completely (which every TV owner pays even if they never watch BBC) and open it up to the 'discipline' of the commercial free market). 

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

Last night an absolutely edge of seat penultimate episode of 'Line of Duty' - had that 'do I have to wait a week?' feeling at the end.

I've also got back in to watching 'Question Time' - it was always on too late when I was working. Now I'm wide awake for it. Find myself turning into my dad, screaming at the Tories and Britexiteers. Great fun!    

Edited April 23, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

The O.C. (2003 - 2007)

Frothy, self-aware soap opera nonsense with an above-average cast.  The tone is similar to Veronica Mars which came out the following year.  

Trivia:  I'm almost finished with season 1 and I find it amusing that the only scenes actually filmed in Orange County are second-unit helicopter shots, everything else is filmed around Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Manhattan Beach and Brentwood...all firmly within L.A. county.  

[jazzbo]

I used to watch that on broadcast because Helen was a fan. It wasn't too bad. . . and that was the first place I saw Melinda Clarke, who isn't a bad TV villainess.

Watched last night's Scandal, The Catch and The 100 today before I got busy.. . hope to get to Vikings tonight.

[Shawn]

44 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

I used to watch that on broadcast because Helen was a fan. It wasn't too bad. . . and that was the first place I saw Melinda Clarke, who isn't a bad TV villainess.

Watched last night's Scandal, The Catch and The 100 today before I got busy.. . hope to get to Vikings tonight.

Alan Dale (Charles Widmore on LOST) is also a regular cast member.   

[jazzbo]

Yes, that's right, first time I saw him as well. And I like him.

[Shawn]

The first time I saw Melinda Clarke was in this...well...it's definitely not a gem...but she's hot.

 

 

 

[jazzbo]

Yes I know she'd done some work along those lines. Haven't seen them.

I'm watching "Spy" with Melissa McCartney, Jason Stratham and Rose Byrne. Nicely done.

[Shawn]

1 hour ago, jazzbo said:

Yes I know she'd done some work along those lines. Haven't seen them.

I'm watching "Spy" with Melissa McCartney, Jason Stratham and Rose Byrne. Nicely done.

Spy was cute, I enjoyed it.  Byrne has morphed into quite the comedienne.  

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, Shawn said:

Spy was cute, I enjoyed it.  Byrne has morphed into quite the comedienne.  

On a non-comedic note, she was very good in Damages.

[Shawn]

1 hour ago, jlhoots said:

On a non-comedic note, she was very good in Damages.

I'm a Byrne fanatic, I've watched everything she's done. 

[A Lark Ascending]

Henry V - bloody brilliant. 

Lay on the settee waving my union jack (or should that be flag?) throughout. 

The second series (Henry VI Pt 1, 2 & 3 and Richard III) is due in the next few weeks.

Edited April 23, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[page]

On 18-4-2016 at 7:31 PM, A Lark Ascending said:

I have 'Follow the Money' recording - too much else to see at present. Stored up for thinner times. Still haven't got round to the Icelandic one from a few weeks back. 

'Follow the money' is really, really good, I can tell you. This 'Icelandic' one is that the one with Christopher Eccleston? I've really enjoyed his acting in "Black out" and other series. Now he's in "the A word" too. I think he's a fine actor.

[kinuta]

On 2016/4/20 at 2:57 AM, l p said:

On 2016/4/22 at 3:11 PM, A Lark Ascending said:

You can pick up most BBC/ITV radio and TV on BBC/ITV websites for a period after broadcast (usually 30 days for TV, 7 for radio) but I don't think you can get these beyond Britain. They want to be able to sell the content they've invested in worldwide understandably (in the BBC's case it is paid for by a license all TV owners have to buy so making it free to the world would cause problems...well, is causing problems as I believe there are illegal ways of getting access and I don't think the issue of people watching on computers rather than by TV sets has been resolved within Britain. The current government would love to sweep away the license fee completely (which every TV owner pays even if they never watch BBC) and open it up to the 'discipline' of the commercial free market). 

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

Last night an absolutely edge of seat penultimate episode of 'Line of Duty' - had that 'do I have to wait a week?' feeling at the end.

I've also got back in to watching 'Question Time' - it was always on too late when I was working. Now I'm wide awake for it. Find myself turning into my dad, screaming at the Tories and Britexiteers. Great fun!    

in the u.s., it's impossible to find european tv shows with subtitles, unless they've had a u.s. dvd release - which almost never happens.

Also watched Line Of Duty.  Nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition.

This weeks Scandal, seldom has a major show fallen so quickly into ludicrous, painful absurdity

[A Lark Ascending]

10 hours ago, page said:

'Follow the money' is really, really good, I can tell you. This 'Icelandic' one is that the one with Christopher Eccleston? I've really enjoyed his acting in "Black out" and other series. Now he's in "the A word" too. I think he's a fine actor.

Most of current crop of Brit things finish next week so I'll get round to 'Follow the Money' then. The 'Icelandic' one is called 'Trapped' - it's in Icelandic so I doubt if Eccleston is on board...though given his default acting role is miserable Northerner he'd be a shoe-in for most Scandi-dramas (don't think Iceland is in Scandinavia but it has links).  

[page]

I don't think I know "Trapped". I've looked it up, I meant "Fortitude" which takes place at the Artic. Eccleston played a small part in that one. You mentioned the boy in "the A-word" earlier and his good acting. I thought the same boy played in "Safe House" but I'm mistaken. (Both had name "Joe" in the series and sometimes they use the child's own first name to make it easy.) His name is "Max Vento". The boy in "Safe House" is also a Max but than with last name "True". He has done more acting (since 2012), while Max Vento just has started it seems here in "the A-word".

[Shawn]

The Good Wife - Season 7

After being primarily annoyed by season 6 I didn't even bother to start this season when it began back in the fall.  But since all but the final episode has now aired I can binge-watch the season on the CBS streaming site.  Glad I waited, cause I don't do the week-by-week thing any longer, I want to watch entire seasons in a row on my schedule.  Happily the first 4 episodes have been very enjoyable and seem much more vibrant and alive than last year.  I'll of course hold final judgement until I finish the season, but so far it's got some of the old spark back. 

[jazzbo]

The Leftovers, Season 2, on Blu-ray. This is superb TV. Hope Season 3 airs soon.

[kinuta]

Finale of Scott & Bailey.

Adequately wrapped up but felt rushed and, for me, missing Gill.

Sad to hear this is the final outing for the girls.

Losing Rachel, Janet and Alicia in the same week is a real pity.

[A Lark Ascending]

13 hours ago, kinuta said:

Finale of Scott & Bailey.

Adequately wrapped up but felt rushed and, for me, missing Gill.

Sad to hear this is the final outing for the girls.

 

Just watched that this afternoon. Agree with you - lots of plot lines (apart from the main one) left unresolved. Strange really - TV programmes are usually guilty of stretching out to fill six episodes. This one was over-compressed. Enjoyed it though.

Very moving ending to 'The A Word' on Tuesday. 'Line of Duty' ending due in a couple of hours. Issues of police corruption a little to close to reality at present.  

[Shawn]

15 hours ago, kinuta said:

Finale of Scott & Bailey.

Adequately wrapped up but felt rushed and, for me, missing Gill.

Sad to hear this is the final outing for the girls.

Losing Rachel, Janet and Alicia in the same week is a real pity.

The actress on the left looks familiar, I'm trying figure out where I've seen her before....

 

[jazzbo]

One episode of Dr. Who maybe?
 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1013087/?ref_=tt_cl_t1

[Shawn]

1 hour ago, jazzbo said:

One episode of Dr. Who maybe?
 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1013087/?ref_=tt_cl_t1

That's it!  She played the Tardis in human form.  She was hysterical in that episode.  

 

[jazzbo]

Cool.

[A Lark Ascending]

Thrilling end to 'Line of Duty'. The first hour was electrifying - and it was largely people sat round desks asking and answering questions. The final chase scene got a bit Bruce Willis - Kate dangling from the lorry was over the top - but overall very exciting TV. And they announced that there would be another series in the future. 

[kinuta]

2 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Thrilling end to 'Line of Duty'. The first hour was electrifying - and it was largely people sat round desks asking and answering questions. The final chase scene got a bit Bruce Willis - Kate dangling from the lorry was over the top - but overall very exciting TV. And they announced that there would be another series in the future. 

Indeed, that's how to end a series in real style. 

Genuinely nail biting suspense like that is all too rare on tv. That it was generated almost entirely by questions and answers says a lot about the level of writing, acting and production. One of the best season ends I've seen in a long time, with the montage coda placing the final cherry on the cake .

Edited April 29, 2016 by kinuta