What Are You Watching..?

[dubai_phil]

Oh wow, hey gang there's this really cool new TV series just started up over here.

 

HBO so it kinda had bewbs in it quite early on.

 

Anyway it seems to be like really kind of deep. Almost the sort of thing that was a movie in the days when they wrote Original stories for movies or didn't send Sandra & George up to the ISS to make films.

 

So anyway you guys should keep an eye open for it. I've googled the stars and they could go on to be quite big actors.

 

Apparently from the name it's a true story about Detectives.

 

True Detectives or something.

 

Well worth keeping an eye open for.

[SuperMikey]

Minor spoilers for Walking Dead ahead.

 

A lot of people who've only ever watched the TV show moan a lot when the Walking Dead goes on the road (ms pap's reaction was "no-one got killed", FFS). I think they've got different expectations about what the show is supposed to be about, and miss the point entirely. It allows the show to narrow its focus to develop characters and their relationships; Michonne becoming a surrogate mother/big sister to Carl is a good example of this.

 

I really enjoyed this season. For me, it was all about condensing the show into a leaner, more hardened group of survivors. Apart from the sisters that sheltered the governor, no human survivor we saw in this episode is what you could call innocent. Walkers aren't really a threat unless they have the advantage of numbers and/or surprise. Other humans are the real danger; I don't think any season has managed to convey that with quite as much darkness as this one. It is now on a par with the source material in terms of the moral quandaries it presents. Carol in particular was excellent.

 

***AVAST YE ALL WHO DON'T WANT SHOW/COMIC SPOILERS***

 

I enjoyed them condensing the group down a bit as well, and the fact that we've had time to spend with characters in ones, twos or threes as opposed to a big group has given them some much needed development. They're less like mewling meals-to-be and more like a pretty realistic group of post-apocalyptic survivors now with some of the sh!t they've had to go through. My favourite characters are probably Carol, Bob and Tyreese now. Didn't particularly like any of them at the start of this season either (well, we hadn't met Bob before this season, but y'know). Will be interesting to see how S5 pans out, but like you say I can't see the new storyline lasting particularly long. Think they might leave it a bit until introducing the Free Zone though, I think the show works really well when they're on the road.

 

Oh wow, hey gang there's this really cool new TV series just started up over here.

 

HBO so it kinda had bewbs in it quite early on.

 

Anyway it seems to be like really kind of deep. Almost the sort of thing that was a movie in the days when they wrote Original stories for movies or didn't send Sandra & George up to the ISS to make films.

 

So anyway you guys should keep an eye open for it. I've googled the stars and they could go on to be quite big actors.

 

Apparently from the name it's a true story about Detectives.

 

True Detectives or something.

 

Well worth keeping an eye open for.

 

It'll never catch on.

[swannymere]

I have to say that i'm disappointed with True Detective, it's not living up to the hype for me and i can't put my finger on exactly why. It should tick every box for me - decent cast, slow paced build and great cinematography but i'm finding the script is weak in significant areas and the sub plot is almost predictable. Is it just me?

[Jonnyboy]

Did I read something about Game of Tits being back on tomorrow?

[Batman]

Watch a series called Hung. Fairly funny

[Smirking_Saint]

Did I read something about Game of Tits being back on tomorrow?

 

2am 7/4/14

[Bearsy]

Little Girl: Lots of people name their swords.

Hound: Lots of c*nts.

 

 

Edit: SPOILERSSSS

[norwaysaint]

I liked the statue.

[Whitey Grandad]

After recommendations from here and on the advice of my programmatic advisor I have ordered the BluRay box set of Game of Thrones series 1-3. I may be some time.

[dubai_phil]

After recommendations from here and on the advice of my programmatic advisor I have ordered the BluRay box set of Game of Thrones series 1-3. I may be some time.

 

And bloody well record S4 or you'll be behind the curve for ages waiting for the next Boxed set to come out around Xmas!

[Whitey Grandad]

And bloody well record S4 or you'll be behind the curve for ages waiting for the next Boxed set to come out around Xmas!

 

I might not like it By the time I've watched this lot it'll be Chistmas anyway.

[dubai_phil]

I might not like it By the time I've watched this lot it'll be Chistmas anyway.

 

 

THAT ain't gonna happen....

 

You'll be like everyone else on the planet, you'll put the DVD on Friday night and suddenly it'll be Monday morning!

[norwaysaint]

Honest trailer for Game of Thrones, contains spoilers for series 1-3 and I don't just mean the black bars:

 

 

If you haven't seen them before, the honest trailer series is pretty good. There are links to other ones on that page.

[pap]

It's another wedding in Game of Thrones, this time with a much happier conclusion. Just sat and watched the first two episodes of this season with ms pap. It's good to have some Thrones back.

 

I don't want to get too spoilery now that Whitey G is heading into Game of Thrones territory, but very much enjoyed them. Nice to have such a quality show take up the reins of Walking Dead.

 

The acting remains superb. Charles Dance is owning most of the scenes he's in, as is Diana Rigg. I still remain amazed that one half of Robson & Jerome could ever attain the cool tag, yet it has happened.

 

I don't think that anyone can really moan that nothing happens in the first couple of episodes. Some big moments which have large repercussions down the line.

[Bearsy]

omg i watched it last night, i did not see that coming! I want to discuss bout it really, but is v.spoilers!

 

I don't reckon it was dwarf. I don't reckon it was wife. I don't reckon it was that visiting lannister hater. I reckon it was old lady. Old lady struck me as v.suspicious. I have my eyes on old lady!

[Bearsy]

Robson & Jerome

 

bronn! i had not noticed that!

[norwaysaint]

I've just started watching Walking Dead after avoiding it because of general zombie/infected fatigue.

 

I was amazed to see the star is none other than Egg out of This Life. Do they Americans not produce any actors these days capapbleof leading a decentTV series?

 

We've had The Wire with Idris Elba and Dominic West in the main roles, Damien Lewis and David Harewood leading in Homeland, Hugh Laurie in House, Ian McShane in Deadwood, isn't David Morrissey in this series too?

 

Seems okay, but is also very similar to sooooo many other post-disaster, back to chaos, avoiding/killing zombies American things these days. I suppose it's the soap opera side of it that draws people in, because we've all seen the rest before.

 

 

As for GoT, thought they handled that episode very well, lots of sequences of events set smoothly in motion. Not actually sure what they'll use as the climax for this series. Also, they're doing a decent job, but TV cannot really give you the full nastiness and horror of the whole "Reek" situation, especially as the book never even told you it was Theon, but just had chapters narrated by Reek and it slowly dawned on you that this was what cheerful, cocky (not so much now) Theon had become. His inner dialogue from those chapters was way more affecting than just seeing his nervous scared face. It actually made me feel a bit sick reading it.

[Jonnyboy]

I've just started watching Walking Dead after avoiding it because of general zombie/infected fatigue.

 

I was amazed to see the star is none other than Egg out of This Life. Do they Americans not produce any actors these days capapbleof leading a decentTV series?

 

We've had The Wire with Idris Elba and Dominic West in the main roles, Damien Lewis and David Harewood leading in Homeland, Hugh Laurie in House, Ian McShane in Deadwood, isn't David Morrissey in this series too?

 

Seems okay, but is also very similar to sooooo many other post-disaster, back to chaos, avoiding/killing zombies American things these days. I suppose it's the soap opera side of it that draws people in, because we've all seen the rest before.

 

 

As for GoT, thought they handled that episode very well, lots of sequences of events set smoothly in motion. Not actually sure what they'll use as the climax for this series. Also, they're doing a decent job, but TV cannot really give you the full nastiness and horror of the whole "Reek" situation, especially as the book never even told you it was Theon, but just had chapters narrated by Reek and it slowly dawned on you that this was what cheerful, cocky (not so much now) Theon had become. His inner dialogue from those chapters was way more affecting than just seeing his nervous scared face. It actually made me feel a bit sick reading it.

 

Was pretty sick watching it too to be fair.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Endeavour (ITV Sunday)

 

An admirable series this that succeeds brilliantly in resurrecting that old 'Morse' magic where ITV's earlier effort 'Lewis' failed so miserably. Shaun Evans's performance as the young Morse is of course central to everything, and although this talented young actor bares no real physical resemblance to the late/great John Thaw, he has I think managed to capture the essence of what makes Morse 'tick'. You might say that Morse in his twenties is a noticeably less irascible (and tight fisted) detective than he was to become, but any man's personality does change as he ages does it not?

 

However, two members of the supporting cast deliver such 'stand out' performances they play a significant part in making this series the success it undoutably is. Indeed they threaten to overshadow the star on occasion.

Roger Allam as Detective Inspector Thursday is quite superb here to the extent that I can think of no other actor who could play the role better than he does. DI Thursday in other hands might be a somewhat dull, mild mannered and very domesticated policeman, but Allam's wonderfully subtle performance adds so much to this part that he somehow comes alive in a way that it is hard to explain to anybody who has not seen the series. Even though he does not get all that much screen time, and the part is not at all a sympathetic one, Anton Lessor as Chief Superintendent Bright is also hugely impressive in a nicely understated way. More of Lessor please.

 

If I had one complaint it is about the plot. Right from Colin Dexter's 'Last Bus to Woodstock' all those years ago I have much enjoyed the demands of watching these slow paced and densely plotted stories. But however hard you concentrated on it, no one could possibly have guessed who the killer was in the last episode. It almost felt like the audience were being cheated by the script somehow if you know what I mean.

 

Never mind, this is still one of the best series on TV at the moment I think.

Edited 16 April, 2014 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Endeavour update:

 

This series concluded on Sunday night with a undeniably dramatic, but highly 'un Morse like' shoot out. Although the resulting drama was quite exciting in a over familiar kind of way, the cliche ridden script (a murderous conspiracy attempting to cover up child abuse) left something to be desired in terms of originality I must say.

 

Believe it or not the script writers actually had Morse saying "you can't hope to get away with this" at one point, which is a clichéd old line so hackneyed they wouldn't dare use it on 'Scooby Doo' any more. To compound this crime the villain of the piece was himself shot a split second before he intended to pull the trigger on young Morse - but only after carefully explaining his dastardly plot for no obvious reason of course. Hands up anybody who has not seen this exact scene enacted a hundred times before.

 

The production values of this series make it - at its best - a beautiful thing to watch and 'Endeavour' also benefits from some of the very best acting talent this nation has to offer. However some of those responsible for writing it need sacking if you ask me.

[Monk]

Anybody else watching NBC's The Blacklist?

[swannymere]

Yes, can't decide if the skirt is worth a dabble. James Spader is great, would make a great Bond villain.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Three good, one (very) bad.

 

Classic Car Rescue - Channel 5

I like old cars and I also enjoy programmes about the process of restoration. So as you can imagine a series about restoring old cars is 'right up my street' if you will forgive the pun. In this type of cheap 'reality' TV the formula demands that someone behaves like a utter d1ck in order to inject some tension and 'Human Interest' into proceedings that might otherwise become rather too technical for some. The d1ck role here is fulfilled by a slaphead Cockney motor dealer called Bernie who appears to be constantly on the verge of a coronary. Although he does make quite a convincing lunatic I'm not really sure I believe it.

Never mind, this is still a consistently entertaining series for car fans.

 

Salvage Hunters - Quest

There is something compulsively watchable about this series, indeed it fascinates me. A guy called Drew and his mate drive around the country in a Transit van buying up a wide variety of old stuff from sheds, much of which to the uninitiated appears to be virtually worthless old junk fit for the skip. They haul it back to their saleroom in North Wales, tart it up a bit, put it on the internet and then sell it on - making a very tidy profit in the process.

If you remember that old Harry Enfield sketch set in a Notting Hill antiques shop 'but I saw you coming' ... well it turns out you can actually make a decent living now doing just that.

 

The Making of QI - BBC1

Anyone who doesn't love QI has something wrong with them if you ask me. This look behind the scenes at the history of the series and how John Lloyd (and his QI elf's) put it together proved quite as entertaining as the programme invariably is. Although it seems utterly inconceivable now, it turns out that Steven Fry (blessings and peace be upon him) was not actually the first choice to be QI host - that honour befalling Michael Palin who refused to do it, This was news that I certainly found quite interesting.

This programme also provided yet another opportunity/excuse to show clips from some of the QI's funniest moments - Dave will be furious.

 

Jamaica Inn - BBC1

I settled down to watch over the Easter weekend this 3 hour long adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's novel having both read the book and seen the old Alfred Hitchcock film version in the past. However, after 45 minutes I'd come to the conclusion that I just didn't give a tinkers cuss anymore about what happened to any of the characters and by the time I'd forced myself to endure it to the half way point I was starting to lose the will to live frankly.

If the Revenue Men had hanged the lot of them after 15 minutes that would have been a act of mercy.

Edited 27 April, 2014 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[Monk]

Transcendence:

 

Went to see last night, was a little disappointed. Depp is his usual dark, clever self and Paul Bettany was very good. As for the storyline, a tad predictable. More of a film to watch on DVD as opposed to go out of your way to see.

 

6.5/10

[norwaysaint]

OK GoT this week, not a lot of action, but the ending's a pretty odd departure from the books that will fuel speculation about what's going on.

[pap]

OK GoT this week, not a lot of action, but the ending's a pretty odd departure from the books that will fuel speculation about what's going on.

 

The final scene isn't necessarily a departure, just might not have happened in the books yet. The capture is a departure though, I believe.

 

I read the books and haven't really got a problem with the way they're adapting the source material, nor do I have much of an issue with a bit of deviation. I can hold both Walking Dead universes in my head; one of the best things about the Walking Dead TV show is not knowing how things are going to play out. Most stuff is the same; some themes drop in at different times or in a different order.

 

I s'pose the only problem is when these things are left too open to interpretation. I really don't get what last week's controversial deviation got us, apart from a ham-fisted attempt at humanising Cersei. In general though, I love the adaptation. This week's episode looked gorgeous. I'm looking forward to seeing the return to the Eyrie.

[Halo Stickman]

Endeavour (ITV Sunday)

 

An admirable series this that succeeds brilliantly in resurrecting that old 'Morse' magic where ITV's earlier effort 'Lewis' failed so miserably. Shaun Evans's performance as the young Morse is of course central to everything, and although this talented young actor bares no real physical resemblance to the late/great John Thaw, he has I think managed to capture the essence of what makes Morse 'tick'. You might say that Morse in his twenties is a noticeably less irascible (and tight fisted) detective than he was to become, but any man's personality does change as he ages does it not?

 

However, two members of the supporting cast deliver such 'stand out' performances they play a significant part in making this series the success it undoutably is. Indeed they threaten to overshadow the star on occasion.

Roger Allam as Detective Inspector Thursday is quite superb here to the extent that I can think of no other actor who could play the role better than he does. DI Thursday in other hands might be a somewhat dull, mild mannered and very domesticated policeman, but Allam's wonderfully subtle performance adds so much to this part that he somehow comes alive in a way that it is hard to explain to anybody who has not seen the series. Even though he does not get all that much screen time, and the part is not at all a sympathetic one, Anton Lessor as Chief Superintendent Bright is also hugely impressive in a nicely understated way. More of Lessor please.

 

If I had one complaint it is about the plot. Right from Colin Dexter's 'Last Bus to Woodstock' all those years ago I have much enjoyed the demands of watching these slow paced and densely plotted stories. But however hard you concentrated on it, no one could possibly have guessed who the killer was in the last episode. It almost felt like the audience were being cheated by the script somehow if you know what I mean.

 

Never mind, this is still one of the best series on TV at the moment I think.

 

Endeavour update:

 

This series concluded on Sunday night with a undeniably dramatic, but highly 'un Morse like' shoot out. Although the resulting drama was quite exciting in a over familiar kind of way, the cliche ridden script (a murderous conspiracy attempting to cover up child abuse) left something to be desired in terms of originality I must say.

 

Believe it or not the script writers actually had Morse saying "you can't hope to get away with this" at one point, which is a clichéd old line so hackneyed they wouldn't dare use it on 'Scooby Doo' any more. To compound this crime the villain of the piece was himself shot a split second before he intended to pull the trigger on young Morse - but only after carefully explaining his dastardly plot for no obvious reason of course. Hands up anybody who has not seen this exact scene enacted a hundred times before.

 

The production values of this series make it - at its best - a beautiful thing to watch and 'Endeavour' also benefits from some of the very best acting talent this nation has to offer. However some of those responsible for writing it need sacking if you ask me.

 

Charlie, I don’t wander into this sub-section of the forum too often, but, before I find my way out again, I just want to say how much I’ve enjoyed your reviews of Endeavour; I concur with almost everything you’ve said, especially the excellent performances of the three actors you’ve mentioned. The only issue on which we differ is that I actually enjoyed Lewis more than it seems you did.

 

Regarding plot lines, as much as I greatly enjoyed everything about Morse – script, actors, location, music, everything – I found that if I thought too hard about the plot line the next day, then, invariably, I’d be left thinking to myself: ‘nah, that wouldn’t have happened like that’ or ‘she would never have done that’ etc. But this never detracted from my enjoyment of watching every episode.

[Convict Colony]

Currently, game of thrones, house of cards, house of lies (book is awesome) parks and rec, workaholics, Jonah from tonga, Vikings, Fat Tony, and modern family plus black sails which is wicked

[Bearsy]

what use is ice baby gonna be in upcoming zombie invasion? I would of thought ice baby would be more hindrance than help? I mean zombies are gonna have tough time fighting fire dragons anyway, even if they've not got prams full of ice babies to cart around. I spose, maybe, an ice baby or perhaps a gang of ice babies could take Tyrion, but nothing more than that.

 

pap, explain pls. No book spoilers tho pls. Just reassurance bout importance of ice babies in upcoming westoros conflicts.

[Essruu]

Suits.

 

I'm just approaching the end of Season 3. Season 4 airs next month in the US. Great show.

[norwaysaint]

what use is ice baby gonna be in upcoming zombie invasion? I would of thought ice baby would be more hindrance than help? I mean zombies are gonna have tough time fighting fire dragons anyway, even if they've not got prams full of ice babies to cart around. I spose, maybe, an ice baby or perhaps a gang of ice babies could take Tyrion, but nothing more than that.

 

pap, explain pls. No book spoilers tho pls. Just reassurance bout importance of ice babies in upcoming westoros conflicts.

 

The fate of the babies hasn't been shown in the books, Bearsy. I'm guessing they grow up to be the walkers, meaning the walkers are an in-bred bunch. Funnily enough there are a lot of people called Walker in and around the Southampton area who could be described the same way. I like the idea of a gang of White Toddlers though, perhaps with baby walkers, or skeletal hobby horses.

 

The main bloke at the end was credited as the Night's King, who has been mentioned in the books in old stories/myths. It comes up in Storm of Swords and you can read this info without any real spoilers:

 

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Night's_King

 

He hasn't actually appeared in any of the books at all, so it was quite a jump to stick him in there.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Charlie, I don’t wander into this sub-section of the forum too often, but, before I find my way out again, I just want to say how much I’ve enjoyed your reviews of Endeavour; I concur with almost everything you’ve said, especially the excellent performances of the three actors you’ve mentioned. The only issue on which we differ is that I actually enjoyed Lewis more than it seems you did.

 

Regarding plot lines, as much as I greatly enjoyed everything about Morse – script, actors, location, music, everything – I found that if I thought too hard about the plot line the next day, then, invariably, I’d be left thinking to myself: ‘nah, that wouldn’t have happened like that’ or ‘she would never have done that’ etc. But this never detracted from my enjoyment of watching every episode.

 

You know what Halo, you're right, I may have been rather unfair with regard to 'Lewis'. To be frank about it I've only ever seen a couple of 'Lewis' stories and being in state of pseudo mourning for JT at the time I may not have been able to watch it without prejudice and give this series a fair chance. The next time it is repeated I'll 'endeavour' to watch it without the handicap of preconception and unrealistic expectations.

 

Last week they showed what is perhaps my favourite 'Morse' - Deadly Slumber - a story in which our hero investigated a wealthy book-maker suspected of murdering a doctor who was implicated in a surgical accident that left his young daughter in a permanent coma. I suspect you will comprehend my meaning when I say that the final scene of this heart breaking story is as profoundly moving a moment as anything I have ever seen broadcast on a television screen.

 

What a fantastic bloody effort that series was.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I was at first somewhat wary of the new 'mini series' version of Fargo (Channel 4 Saturday) because the original Coen Brothers film is in my opinion little short of a masterpiece - and just like overpainting the Mona Lisa you don't mess with perfection do you? However, after watching just the first two instalments I've already been forced to the conclusion that it's bloody brilliant.

 

Any attempt to explain all that is going on here would take me the rest of the day, so I'll restrict myself to saying that although that same unique 'sense of place' has been faithfully recreated here and most of the characters will be instantly recognisable to fans of the film, the actual plot itself has been substantially changed and much expanded. Coen fans can rest assured however that the film's wonderful head-on collision between the banal, and the extreme (this is the core of its appeal I think) has been recaptured quite superbly. You know that utterly pointless scene-by-scene recreation of Hitchcock's 'Psycho' that some fool made in 1998 ... well this is the polar opposite of that feeble effort.

 

Any good series will require a good cast of course and Fargo is no exception to that rule. There are many excellent performances on offer (Billy Bob Thornton in particular) but there is perhaps one actor who does kind of stand out from the rest. That actor is not from Minnesota, he's not even a American, it is our very own Martin Freeman. The role is of course a absolute gift to any actor, but I had thought it would be impossible that anyone could possibly match William H Macy's towering achievement in the film. Remarkably Martin Freeman has somehow come perilously close to doing just that. Those with a taste for this type of (painful) thing can watch again a repressed and inadequate man gradually steer his pitiful life towards what must be its inevitable destruction, all the consequence of his own folly.

 

If you haven't seen Fargo yet then get yourself down to that 4OD site and catch up, because if there is a better series on TV at the moment then I haven't seen it.

 

Edited 7 May, 2014 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[The Cat]

Yep, Fargo has been superb so far.

[Bearsy]

I'm starting to get annoyed with game of thrones. All my favourite bros is disconnected. I want to see all the best characters in the same place, interacting with each other, not hanging out with minor characters in far flung places & hardly advancing plot whatsoever!

 

Address this pls, game of thrones.

[norwaysaint]

" I bet he had hair greasier than Joffrey's ****."

[skintsaint]

I don't watch too much TV but been watching Fargo and all for episodes so far have had me hooked which is unusual for me.

 

Like how they have linked the film and the TV show.

[LVSaint]

Fargo's been great.

 

Has anyone seen the first episode of Penny Dreadful? Started at the weekend on Showtime. Not seen yet but on the Tivo. Victorian gothic horror. Looks good.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I'm much enjoying the new motoring series 'Cars That Rock' (QUEST Thursday) staring AC/DC legend Brian Johnson. First up was the Mini and although some might say that particular car has had more than enough TV worship lavished on it, Brian's natural enthusiasm and his keen sense of humour resulted in a most entertaining programme.

 

Moving swiftly on from fish 'n' chips to caviar, this week our man treated us to a visit to the Bugatti factory in France where he got to see (and drive) some of the finest and most exclusive motor cars ever crafted by the hand of man. Indeed these cars are more than mere transportation, a Bugatti (old or new) is a veritable 'work of art' on wheels. Seeing Brian violently brake a mighty Veyron from over 200mph to a standstill with both hands lifted off the steering wheel was a truly remarkable sight.

 

I wonder if perhaps his (v funny) guest appearance on Top Gear a little while ago was the spark that led to this series? Be that as it may, Brian is a natural at this type of thing, and although the two men obviously have very different personalities, in his genuine working class style and lack of artifice there is something of the Fred Dibnah about him I think.

 

If you knew what I thought of Fred Dibnah then you'd also know that the comparison is intended as high praise indeed.

 

Edited 16 May, 2014 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[pap]

It'd be remiss of me not to mention the return of 24, or Jack Bauer's Power Hour as it is known in the trade. This series pours scorn on something I've often said - "you could never do a show like 24 in the UK", because they've gone and done a series of 24 in the UK.

 

Mercifully, they're actually on location, which means that when accents are swapped, it's the likes of Colin Salmon adopting his best 'murican instead of our colonial cousins trying to yam their way their way through "how now, brown cow".

 

It stacks up okay, but we certainly haven't seen some of the whizz-bang that accompanied some of the seasons set in the US. CTU is swapped out for a UK CIA station and, well, other locations. Plot-wise, it seems very much like similar seasons. Grave threat to the life of the President, world in peril.

 

Interestingly, the "hot-button" political issues the show is pushing is the use of drones. 24 has long been my hawkish guilty pleasure, so it'll be interesting to see how the show-runners develop the concept.

 

Can't help feeling like this season needs to step up. A lot of it feels like a re-tread; 24 in London can't just be a location change. Episode 4 lands this week.

 

(btw, look out for Stephen Fry as PM!)

Edited 19 May, 2014 by pap

[dubai_phil]

It'd be remiss of me not to mention the return of 24, or Jack Bauer's Power Hour as it is known in the trade. This series pours scorn on something I've often said - "you could never do a show like 24 in the UK", because they've gone and done a series of 24 in the UK.

 

Mercifully, they're actually on location, which means that when accents are swapped, it's the likes of Colin Salmon adopting his best 'murican instead of our colonial cousins trying to yam their way their way through "how now, brown cow".

 

It stacks up okay, but we certainly haven't seen some of the whizz-bang that accompanied some of the seasons set in the US. CTU is swapped out for a UK CIA station and, well, other locations. Plot-wise, it seems very much like similar seasons. Grave threat to the life of the President, world in peril.

 

Interestingly, the "hot-button" political issues the show is pushing is the use of drones. 24 has long been my hawkish guilty pleasure, so it'll be interesting to see how the show-runners develop the concept.

 

Can't help feeling like this season needs to step up. A lot of it feels like a re-tread; 24 in London can't just be a location change. Episode 4 lands this week.

 

(btw, look out for Stephen Fry as PM!)

 

It simply does NOT work. It is a disaster.

 

I mean REALLY.

 

Let's face it, swapping a Chevy Suburban for a beaten up old Ford Transit simply ISN'T 24 FFS.

 

Seriously, Mrs D_P power watched season 6, 7 & 8 in preparation for this. I got bored at S3 with the circular Drug Cartel crap. Anyway the Mrs loved the new stuff so last night I power watched the 1st 3 episodes.

 

I enjoyed it. Things I liked.

People look as if they actually smell in this series.

Far less people talk in hushed tones with serious faces.

We do not have that annoying Cisco ring tone on phones.

Hoodies.

There are moments when the situation or the script actually takes the p1ss out of Americans running round London with Guns.

The Blonde CIA chick with brains.

 

Things that are very wrong.

 

There are far less Chevy Suburbans. The CIA debarking from a Honda 4X4 just ain't got the same gravitas.

NOBODY, in the history of HUMANITY has got from the side entrance to Waterloo Station to an Underground platform in less than 10 minutes EVER.

Equally, NOBODY has 1) Found a parking spot outside Charing Cross Station or 2) Been able to DRIVE faster than an Underground train between two stations.

 

I actually like it, just for once it has some rough edges to it. Will enjoy watching how it all pans out.

 

Stephen Fry in 24? What IS the world coming to?

 

Brilliant piece of casting

[swannymere]

24 went downhill after the first series.

[pap]

24 went downhill after the first series.

 

Amnesia season? Nah.

[swannymere]

Amnesia season? Nah.

 

I couldn't take it seriously with Agustin Delgado as the soon to be President - Senator David Palmer

 

Separated at Birth?

 

[Bearsy]

Amnesia season? Nah.

 

i don't remember that one.

 

i like the one where the terrorists gas attack ctu on american soil + everyone goes in the glass safety room and they're like phew that was close one! And then they look out window and the fat guy, Edgar Styles wanders back into CTU with a sandwich and he's like where is everyone gone? Why is you all cram in that little room? Why am i having difficulty breath-

 

Such feels

 

Edit: i don't know what season it was tho

 

Edit2: WARNING: Above post contains spoilers!

[pap]

Harry and Paul's Story of the Twos

 

The history of BBC2, as rendered through the medium of Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse sketches. Extremely amusing show which somehow manages to give a sense of how BBC2 changed over the years. They recreate some of the channels most famous shows, so the more you've seen, the funnier it is. I'm a big fan of Harry and Paul and something of an apologist for their later work, which can be a little patchy. This seems perfectly suited to their talents. They're both excellent impressionists (ably supported by a familiar supporting cast) and they've always been skilled at knowing exactly what to take the píss out of. This is probably the best single episode they've done since 1994.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Having an abiding interest in all things related to the sea and shipping I much enjoyed the first instalment of BBC4's new series 'Clydebuilt: The Ships That Made The Commonwealth' broadcast last week. The first programme dealt the famous 19th century tea clipper 'Cutty Sark' and her surprising eventful history. An informative and unusually well researched programme this, but I was left more than a little irritated by the BBC choosing to employ the term 'Commonwealth' when surely the correct term to be employed in this context would have been 'Empire'.

 

Now please understand I'm not attempting to argue here that the British Empire was a institution with a record unblemished by racism or what we would now call Human Rights abuses - far from it. But whatever we happen to think about the pros and cons of imperialism the very existence of the British Empire as a historical fact cannot be denied. However, it would seem the BBC - in their desire not to cause offence presumably - have seemingly become so afraid now of our history that they dare not even employ the word 'empire' any longer.

 

Now I'm rather less fearful of language than the faceless numpty in BBC management who made this cowardly decision is, so the word I would choose to describe this attitude is 'pathetic'.

[SuperMikey]

I've tried something a bit different recently - an anime called Attack on Titan (or Shingeki no Kyojin for those Japanese-speakers among us).

 

 

Not really watched any anime before, so I was really pleasantly surprised by this. Inventive and interesting story-line, compelling and also doesn't hold back on the violence. Normally I would say to give the first episode a watch to see if you like it, but as soon as you watch the first episode you'll have the second one loading in the background already! Looking forward to Season 2, but we have to wait nearly 2 years for that now

[Jonnyboy]

I've tried something a bit different recently - an anime called Attack on Titan (or Shingeki no Kyojin for those Japanese-speakers among us).

 

 

Not really watched any anime before, so I was really pleasantly surprised by this. Inventive and interesting story-line, compelling and also doesn't hold back on the violence. Normally I would say to give the first episode a watch to see if you like it, but as soon as you watch the first episode you'll have the second one loading in the background already! Looking forward to Season 2, but we have to wait nearly 2 years for that now

 

Check out Legend of the Overfiend.

[SuperMikey]

Check out Legend of the Overfiend.

 

Had a look last night, seems a bit tentacle-rapey for me! I'll watch the thing during the week though, seems like an interesting premise.