What Are You Watching..?

[Bearsy]

I've been watching this old tv show i found on youtube called "Game On". It's about this dude what has got agrophobias and can't leave his flat. It's not as depressing as it sounds tho cos the main character is a dude and he's renting rooms to this ginger sap which he gets to bully and a Hot Chick whose knickers he wears while she's out. The main character is really cool! he's kind of arrogant which is funny but you can't help but like him.

 

Thing is tho i watched the first series, there's like six episodes, and then i was gonna eagerly start in on the second series... but they'd replaced the Cool Dude with this Utter ****! Totally ruined it, I couldn't even watch no more. Anyone ever heard of this series? Any idea what happened - did the actor die or something?

[trousers]

I've been watching this old tv show i found on youtube called "Game On". It's about this dude what has got agrophobias and can't leave his flat. It's not as depressing as it sounds tho cos the main character is a dude and he's renting rooms to this ginger sap which he gets to bully and a Hot Chick whose knickers he wears while she's out. The main character is really cool! he's kind of arrogant which is funny but you can't help but like him.

 

Thing is tho i watched the first series, there's like six episodes, and then i was gonna eagerly start in on the second series... but they'd replaced the Cool Dude with this Utter ****! Totally ruined it, I couldn't even watch no more. Anyone ever heard of this series? Any idea what happened - did the actor die or something?

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_On_(UK_TV_series)

[pap]

I've been watching this old tv show i found on youtube called "Game On". It's about this dude what has got agrophobias and can't leave his flat. It's not as depressing as it sounds tho cos the main character is a dude and he's renting rooms to this ginger sap which he gets to bully and a Hot Chick whose knickers he wears while she's out. The main character is really cool! he's kind of arrogant which is funny but you can't help but like him.

 

Thing is tho i watched the first series, there's like six episodes, and then i was gonna eagerly start in on the second series... but they'd replaced the Cool Dude with this Utter ****! Totally ruined it, I couldn't even watch no more. Anyone ever heard of this series? Any idea what happened - did the actor die or something?

 

Actor in the first series was Ben Chaplin, who wanted to leave the show to pursue other acting options. He has done ok, but personally, I think he'd have done well to stay on for a few years and establish an iconic character. Typecasting never did David Jason any harm. Nor did staying on Game On harm Samantha Womack's career.

 

Still, the key f*ck-up here belongs to the writers. They should have gone the Men Behaving Badly route and just created an entirely new character that performed a similar (or better) comedic function. Neil Stukes does a decent job, but he's undermined by a really crap creative decision. Did they have to have an agoraphobic for it all to work?

[Bearsy]

Dunno bout that pap, men behaving badly was wack! If he weren't agoraphobic i dont even think you've got a show. Is agoraphobic even the word i want - sounds like he's scared of wool!

 

Is Neil Stukes the guy what replaced him? He didn't do a decent job! He was wack! Wack is my new word, i read it in an old skateboarding magazine - it means "bad"!

[dubai_phil]

GoT Bewbs were back ( well sortta)

 

OK continues to build in intensity, the young girl is becoming as awesome a character as Tyrean the dwarf with acting skills to go with that.

 

But it is kinda going to need something to start to happen next week..

 

(Which is pretty darned likely)

[pap]

GoT Bewbs were back ( well sortta)

 

OK continues to build in intensity, the young girl is becoming as awesome a character as Tyrean the dwarf with acting skills to go with that.

 

But it is kinda going to need something to start to happen next week..

 

(Which is pretty darned likely)

 

Lord Phil of House Dubai.

 

Let me reassure you - the vast majority of this season's "wow budget" will be spunked in the next two episodes. There are three events in particular I'm thinking of, all ready to pop.

 

The second book is a bit of a transition book, which this series is based on. First book was all about the fall of honourable men. This one's more about the rise of characters with significantly fewer scruples, from the Lannisters to the iron-born (Theon's lot - the dudes on the islands).

 

Most of Daenerys' stuff is actually more boring in the book from a televisual perspective. She and her gang spend a considerable amount of time in a dead city, which doesn't really make for great TV.

 

Stick with it though - as next year is immense, especially for your favourite "dragon Khaleesi".

[Bearsy]

Thanks for updates Phils!

 

I'm still wading through the books, I've nearly finished the first one which is all about the first series, it takes ages cos they are pretty longs! I just read this bit and I wanted to share! It's about Sansa who I think is sposed to be like 15. She is the blonde droopy one off tv who's gonna marry the evil prince/king:

 

Grand Maester Pycelle came with a box of flasks and bottles, to ask if she was ill. He felt her brow, made her undress, and touched her all over while her bedmaid held her down.

 

Sweet! Why did they cut that bit from the TVs!

 

I think pap is right about the Dragon lady - i used to really look forwards to seeing her but her story thing this year is proper borings! Plus she is annoying! I don't know how dudes put up with her, she is playing them all for fools! First she is like "I want my throne" then she is like "I want my dragons" and then she is like "I want a ship" and now she is back to I want my ****ing dragons again! If I was one of her dudes I'd be like b!tch please! Stop ****ing asking for stuff all the time! If you want a ****ing boat go get it your ****ing self!

[pap]

Thanks for updates Phils!

 

I'm still wading through the books, I've nearly finished the first one which is all about the first series, it takes ages cos they are pretty longs! I just read this bit and I wanted to share! It's about Sansa who I think is sposed to be like 15. She is the blonde droopy one off tv who's gonna marry the evil prince/king:

 

The characters in the book are a lot younger. Ned Stark is 35 at the start of the books, Robb and Jon are about fourteen and Daenerys is thirteen when she marries the horse lord.

 

I guess the reason that they made the characters older was so they could call it "Game of Thrones" instead of "Paedos with Swords".

 

I think pap is right about the Dragon lady - i used to really look forwards to seeing her but her story thing this year is proper borings! Plus she is annoying! I don't know how dudes put up with her, she is playing them all for fools! First she is like "I want my throne" then she is like "I want my dragons" and then she is like "I want a ship" and now she is back to I want my ****ing dragons again! If I was one of her dudes I'd be like b!tch please! Stop ****ing asking for stuff all the time! If you want a ****ing boat go get it your ****ing self!

 

I think you are being slightly unfair, Bearsy. Girl's been sold by her brother, miscarried, lost a husband and her precious dragons. She does like to play the naive girl, though. No spoilers, but I reckon her story is probably the best in the third book.

[pap]

I'm being lazy. Season 1 seemed to follow book 1 closely, and from what I can tell, similar with book 2 and season 2. I really want to dive straight into book 3 when season 2 ends to be honest. Is this vaguely feasible?

 

There's a lot that won't make sense because this year has diverged quite a bit. They've merged quite a few characters together, changed up the timeline a little. Also, there's a big difference in Daenery's story. The TV show is based on the books, sure - and I'm sure they'll keep all the big beats of the story - but they're slightly different beasts now. Best to keep them in separate pens, I feel.

[dubai_phil]

Lord Phil of House Dubai.

 

Let me reassure you - the vast majority of this season's "wow budget" will be spunked in the next two episodes. There are three events in particular I'm thinking of, all ready to pop.

 

The second book is a bit of a transition book, which this series is based on. First book was all about the fall of honourable men. This one's more about the rise of characters with significantly fewer scruples, from the Lannisters to the iron-born (Theon's lot - the dudes on the islands).

 

Most of Daenerys' stuff is actually more boring in the book from a televisual perspective. She and her gang spend a considerable amount of time in a dead city, which doesn't really make for great TV.

 

Stick with it though - as next year is immense, especially for your favourite "dragon Khaleesi".

 

 

I had sortta worked that out.

 

In fact I think that is what has (by unanimous decision here) made these last couple of episodes feel to have been the strongest of the series. It is the obvious growth in the depth of the characters that makes you know "a storm is brewing" and this time around we are much closer to ALL the characters, whereas at the end of S1 it was "all about" Ned.

 

The Intensity is just growing all the time, it's like 5 or 6 totally different stories coming to a head all at once. Think that is the beauty of the show (I have the books for my holiday reading next week!)

Each "story" is now feeling that in a different Interpretation could have been almost a stand alone mini-series in a different (and not so good) interpretation. Think that is why it is so different from other shows, and the glue that holds that all together is the fantastic use of the clearly visually different location filming instead of too much "studio & CGI" work

 

This season you have felt a storm coming. Last season you felt winter coming. The great thing is that this storm (as seems clear) is nowt to do with the bigger Winter Storm.

 

Oh and on the Khaleesie turning into a dippy whining cow? Again I interpret that as almost deliberate, the other characters have strengthened and deepened, it is the CONTRAST that stands out, and it is pretty clear from the overall story line and the style of the show so far, that is not an accident, watching her this season is like having an 8 week long fore-play before sex. You KNOW it's going to happen, you WANT it to happen, but the longer it goes on you KNOW the more "explosive" it will be when "IT" finally happens

 

Ah oh yeah posted that then read this

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/game-of-thrones/9266973/Games-of-Thrones-interview-Emilia-Clarke.html

 

What's Daenerys's situation in the new series?

She's in a very frustrating place. At the end of the first season she had a kind of spiritual peak with the birth of her dragons, and now she's back down to earth, having to deal with the practicalities of everything to come. It's difficult for her.

Edited 24 May, 2012 by dubai_phil

[dubai_phil]

So yeah, it is more than just a cracking story

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/game-of-thrones/9280766/Game-of-Thrones-a-show-that-breaks-the-golden-rules-of-television.html

 

.......Yet there’s something else about Game of Thrones that I find especially fascinating: it breaks two of the most fundamental rules of television. The first is that George R R Martin, upon whose ongoing seven-book sequence the series is based, rejoices in doing horrible things to his characters, especially the ones you like. There’s no correlation between merit and reward, but plenty of abrupt reversals of fortune and sudden betrayals.......

 

.........More interesting than what the show does to the audience’s sympathies, however, is what it does to the structure of television itself...........

 

........At the start of the series, the reader/viewer is led to believe that he will be following the story of Ned and his children as they try to unite the kingdom against a terrible, mystical threat from the frozen north. Instead, the protagonists are separated, thrown about the map like pinballs in a machine. Kings are toppled with clockwork regularity; new characters constantly appear. And this is what makes the television show such a fascinating experiment.

 

Every other series, whether it’s a critical darling like The West Wing or lowbrow pap such as Made in Chelsea, has a central, consistent core. It’s about the same group of people, usually in the same place, doing the same thing. When you switch on a serial such as CSI or EastEnders, you know you’ll be getting a slice of a recognisable formula, a cleverly constructed variation on a familiar theme.

Even in more sophisticated shows, the characters might grow and develop, or even die, but the story will still be framed as essentially that of a single family, or office, or town. The Wire tried, by changing its setting every season, to tell the story of a city. But it still kept a core of characters, and made sure to have a few moments of cohesion and reflection when the police would gather in a bar to celebrate or mourn.

Heroes, like Game of Thrones, featured a variety of characters spread across a continent. But there was always the reassurance that every year, the goodies and baddies would come together for a ratings-grabbing, dramatically cathartic finale.

Beneath the fantasy trappings, Game of Thrones is something altogether more ambitious: an attempt to tell the story not of a family, or even a country, but a world. Its episodes are chunks of a sprawling story told across thousands of pages of text. In trying to transfer that to the screen, without running up against the viewer’s inbuilt sense of what a television series should actually be, its creators are doing something more ambitious than many realise.

 

It will be fascinating to see whether they can keep their new fans with them – and whether anyone else will have the courage to follow in their footsteps....

 

 

 

 

[Cestrian Saint]

Videos I shot on my phone at last night's Stone Roses gig in Warrington. What a night! Great to have them back and sounding better than they did 20 years ago.

[pap]

You're going to have fun on your holidays, Dubai Phil. I've started re-reading the books and am enjoying them immensely. They have a lot of detail about the war leading up to Robert becoming King, which I think is going to be crucial in the overall scheme of things.

 

The series maintains its ability to shock throughout. What's really cool about the re-read is seeing characters introduced for the first time and knowing what a big part they're going to play later on. I'm swimming in the details at the moment and am loving it.

 

There is a huge internet theory about one of the characters doing the rounds at the moment. There is plenty of evidence in the books to back it up too. If true, it's going to violate one of the fundamental truths of the series, and will be just about the coolest thing ever.

[dubai_phil]

Videos I shot on my phone at last night's Stone Roses gig in Warrington. What a night! Great to have them back and sounding better than they did 20 years ago.

 

Dude we would SO love to see the Vids... but you need to link them!

[dubai_phil]

Oh a mention in passing to Once Upon a Time. OK so it is one zillionth of the quality of GoT, but what the hell were the writers smoking to come up with the idea of Jiminy Cricket as a Shrink (amongst others)

 

It's decent fill in TV catching up between an awesome American Idol finale show (Chaka Khan, Neil Diamond, Rihanna, Joe Fogarty, J Lo, Aerosmith and an amazing duet between Jessica & Janet Holliday) & the next GoT

 

BUT...

 

I don't think I am the only male in the world watching it who bursts into fits of giggles every time a cast member mentions "There are no Happy Endings"

 

I just keep wanting to say

 

"Oh yes there are, just ask Avram"

[ecuk268]

"A Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England".

 

Following on from the previous one about medieval England, it's a fascinating read.

 

When I did history at school, it was all about Kings and Queens and battles. This book looks at the life of ordinary people. What they ate, how they dressed, what work they did, how they travelled, crime, sex, religion - it's all in there.

[ecuk268]

"A Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England".

 

Following on from the previous one about medieval England, it's a fascinating read.

 

When I did history at school, it was all about Kings and Queens and battles. This book looks at the life of ordinary people. What they ate, how they dressed, what work they did, how they travelled, crime, sex, religion - it's all in there.

 

Sorry. Wrong thread.

[dubai_phil]

OK so it is time for this week's review of GoT.

 

And here it is.

 

**** me

 

That is all, I'm shaking too much

[dubai_phil]

OK couple of slugs of Scotch and calming down.

 

OK it was clear in the previous few episodes that things were building to a pressure point and tonight we got that. (Yes Pap you were obviously mightily correct)

 

Let's start with "we get Bewbs in the first few minutes" (just for Bearsy) and a show down. (No spoilers from me)

 

The intensity, despair, cowardice, bravery and of course the effects just keep coming.

 

I wouldn't let any kids watch it, and certainly don't let them in the room when you're watching it, I found myself uttering far too many urrrghs and arrrrghs and barfs for anything other than me. In fact Hell, don't let anyone else in the room unless they have been following it or they'll just ask you "do you have to keep saying F** me", or even "why do they keep saying that on TV?"

 

Yeah it had some areas I could pick critical holes at but then I remember it's a TV show not a 100 minute Hollywood movie and the budget they blew on this episode could have no doubt paid for 10 sequels to The Great Escape.

 

This was proper Mens TV. This is what we want. The Exploding Head was awesome and then they did MORE.

 

Absolutely bloody marvellous and the line of the series for Tyrion "F**k Me"

 

(Oh and now I really HAVE to say that Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion has to be (SO FAR) one of the Strongest characters I have seen on TV in a very long time. That men deserves an Oscar even though it's a TV series

[dubai_phil]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/game-of-thrones/9295327/Game-of-Thrones-Blackwater-Sky-Atlantic-review.html

 

.........Right. Phew. On to tonight's episode, which was a grand spectacular in the truest sense. I don't mean to come over all gushing nerd-fanboy, but that's what I've become so that's what it will sound like. The whole series had been building to tonight, and the producers Dan Weiss and David Benioff wheeled out the artillery accordingly. George RR Martin himself wrote the script, and the British director Neil Marshall, who has Hollywood-budget-battle experience from Centurion, directed....

 

.......Just typing "season finale" has made me melancholic for the ten months we will have to wait, after next week, until Game of Thrones is back on our screens. By turns violent, funny, moving and visually astonishing: "Blackwater" was a Hollywood epic condensed into an hour, made by grown-ups, for grown-ups, with heart and intelligence.

 

Crikey, the reviewer called it a Hollywood Epic, & I thought I may have been too gushing in my praise.

 

But...

 

TEN MONTHS WITH NO GoT????

 

Arrrggghhh

[pap]

Blackwater

Got around to watching "Blackwater", the penultimate episode of this season's Game of Thrones. Very smart television.

 

First off, the whole thing is set in or around Kings Landing. Game of Thrones is usually quite the global traveller; keeping everything in one place really changed the show up and really added to the intensity of what is a very important episode. As suspected, a good portion of the budget went into doing a very decent battle. About time too. There are battles that the show could get away with depicting in the background. The Battle of the Blackwater wasn't among them.

 

Easily the best episode so far, doing a great job of reinforcing all the characters we've seen so far. Dubai Phil is right to highlight Peter Dinklage's performance, but as a fan of the books, I quite liked seeing Stannis in action. Definitely gets an A+ for effort.

 

Book deviation corner

The biggest difference from the book is what happens to Tyrion in the battle. In the book, half his nose is chopped off. Frankly, I don't think the audience or Peter Dinklage would have appreciated having a dwarf with no nose.

 

Next up

As previously indicated, the whole of this episode was set around Kings Landing. North of the wall, Jon Snow has been captured by the wildlings along with Qhorin Halfhand. The rest of the ranging party are camped out at the Fist of the First Men. On the other side of the world, a dragon-less Daenerys is about to visit the Hall of the Undying in an attempt to retrieve them.

 

Basically, we're getting two season finales this year

[dubai_phil]

Oh pap you bastard

 

SPOILER

 

The planet thinks that Tryion could be dead;)

 

FMDP watched it tonight, she HATES blood & gore

 

her only words after were

 

feck me

 

followed by

 

That bloke in the paper was right, that was a stand alone Hollywood epic in one show

[pap]

Tyrion is now the poster child for all small men with delusions of granduer He cannot be dead. (Plus the teasers for next week indicate he's probably going to get as much credit as he can write on his cock!).

 

Anyways, no (further) spoilers. The point-of-view chapters in the book often play with your expectations. Even back in the first book, it actually took chapters before you knew Ned was actually dead. I love the way that GRRM uses the inefficiency of communication in his world and individual points of view to blur the line on the mortal status of individuals.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I must say how much I enjoyed last nights episode of Silk - possibly because for a welcome change the story concentrated on the misadventures of bad boy barrister Clive Reader (a perfectly cast Rupert Penry-Jones) instead of (too good to be true) Martha Costello. Clive, taking his life in his hands, very rashly twice defied the formidable Chief Clark Billy Lamb (Neil Stuke). Firstly he decided to work for the CPS prosecuting a case, instead of the chambers normal defence work. He then compounded his 'crime' by also bedding a influential young solicitor he was firmly instructed to steer well clear of - "your upstairs needs to have a talk with your downstairs sir" as Billy ominously advised him.

 

The CPS case revolved around 3 obnoxious Oxford University posh boys who had sexually assaulted a poor 19 year old waitress as part of the initiation ceremony for some wretched club they were seeking to join. The usual ebb & flow of a well crafted courtroom drama followed, the most interesting element perhaps being that the accused wealthy youths were very much from the same upper class background as Clive. Our hero however (unlike the 3 accused) had reacted against his privileged background by at least trying to seek some form justice for others, while they behaved with a stereotypical level of arrogance towards those less fortunate than themselves.

 

Posh Clive won the case against the odds (hooray!) but in doing so he kept from the Court some vital evidence that came into his possession, and as is the way of things this serious non-disclosure of evidence came to light of course - which will doubtless keep the plot boiling along very nicely.

[LVSaint]

 

Basically, we're getting two season finales this year

 

Possibly the best 'non-season finale' episode of a show I can remember seeing. Roll on next week.

[pap]

Possibly the best 'non-season finale' episode of a show I can remember seeing. Roll on next week.

 

Yep, although special mention must go to the penultimate episode of Heroes S1, "Five Years Later".

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I was very pleased to see that much underestimated US police series 'The Closer' make a unheralded, but very welcome, return to our screens last night. Deputy Chief Brenda-Lee's Major Crimes Unit was back in the thick of the action investigating a brutal mass murder in LA's notorious gang/rap music sub couture, while simultaneously coping with the political fall-out of the new chiefs appointment.

 

The scene when Brenda manipulated a 'gang banger' into confessing to the murders was really quite something - the young black actor concerned delivering one of the best portrayals of sheer explosive rage this TV addict has ever seen. A truly 'gob smacking' ending to this episode as well.

 

So a great big Brenda style "thank you sooo much" to the lads and lasses at More 4 for continuing to broadcast this excellent series.

[swannymere]

Unfortunately the last series of The Closer, probably the best cop show (aside from Southlands) on TV. Burn Notice starts next month and is easily the most underrated programme on TV whilst Matthew Perry has a new show called Go On which had a great review in the Independent this week, not sure when its airing though.

[dubai_phil]

Tyrion is now the poster child for all small men with delusions of granduer He cannot be dead. (Plus the teasers for next week indicate he's probably going to get as much credit as he can write on his cock!).

 

Anyways, no (further) spoilers. The point-of-view chapters in the book often play with your expectations. Even back in the first book, it actually took chapters before you knew Ned was actually dead. I love the way that GRRM uses the inefficiency of communication in his world and individual points of view to blur the line on the mortal status of individuals.

 

Oh Praise the Lord, no power cuts or technical disasters while I was on vacation & I HAD managed to record the final episode of GoT S2.

 

Now, I have enjoyed many shows in my years, they have made me laugh, cry and entertained me, they have had innovative concepts (Life on Mars for one) they have had great characters (House) have changed my view on life & time (Dr Who) Innovative, gritty & realistic shows like The Wire (or hell even Bergerac & Shoestring ) or shows that have educated me (Masterchef, Mastermind).

 

BUT.

 

I honestly cannot think of any TV series I have ever watched that has such a broad brush, such stunning scenery/locations, such consistently high quality characterisation and acting and, such a damn gripping story as GoT.

 

Is it possible that we have been watching the one show that could change TV series forever? Is this really the time when technology, the Easyjet Age finally allows us to see TV series painted on a canvas that is not some disused open cast mine in Wales (Dr Who).

 

Finally are we getting TV that treats us as intelligent adults and works on that intelligence instead of insulting it (Sherlock?)

 

In amongst the repeats, has GoT really changed the game?

 

What a fantastic season finale, tying up many loose ends and leaving you wanting more from all 10 or more storylines.

 

So glad technology worked & my youngest didn't screw up the Digital recorder while I was away

[Saint J 77]

Red Dwarf Series 6. Episode 6 "Out of Time". Great show and in series 6 it had probably reached its peak . Worth noting its coming back for a new series on Dave this Autumn. I hope its not a disappointment.

[pedg]

Red Dwarf Series 6. Episode 6 "Out of Time". Great show and in series 6 it had probably reached its peak . Worth noting its coming back for a new series on Dave this Autumn. I hope its not a disappointment.

 

Back to being filmed mainly on set in front of a live audience so should definitely be better than the last specials (not too hard!).

[swannymere]

Watched the new Armando Iannucci written VEEP on Sky Atlantic last night, very good but can't help feeling it would have been better based in Britain.

[pap]

Red Dwarf Series 6. Episode 6 "Out of Time". Great show and in series 6 it had probably reached its peak . Worth noting its coming back for a new series on Dave this Autumn. I hope its not a disappointment.

 

My favourite all-time episode is Queeg, mainly 'cos it's Norman Lovett's final hour.

[dubai_phil]

My favourite all-time episode is Queeg, mainly 'cos it's Norman Lovett's final hour.

 

What? Better than Ace Rimmer "Smoke me a Kipper I'll be back for Breakfast" or Backwards?

[CB Fry]

My favourite all-time episode is Queeg, mainly 'cos it's Norman Lovett's final hour.

 

 

 

A thousand times this.

 

 

 

 

Wheeze of the week, mate.

 

So, you like a bit of chess then?

 

etc.

[View From The Top]

Last night I watched Henry IV Part I on BBC2HD & it was simply outstanding.

 

Part II on next Saturday.

 

The Beeb at its very, very best.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Among recent TV series I have enjoyed were the BBC's 'The Strange Case of the Law' which was a fascinating programme charting the long history of the English Common Law from its earliest Anglo-Saxon roots right up to the present day. Our guide was a (unknown to me) QC with the gloriously unlikely name of Harry Potter - but when you stopped giggling it very soon became apparent that this chap really knows his subject inside out. When our Mr Potter concluded that the story of our law is the story of England, he was so on the button that it almost sent a chill down the spine of this old History enthusiast.

 

I also much enjoyed 'Prophets of Science Fiction' on Quest at the weekend. Not groundbreaking programming perhaps but a informative enough look back at some of the most significant authors of the genre - for instance the first programme deals with the formidable body of work that Issac Asimov produced during his long working life. Like all good TV it leaves you wanting more. Recommended viewing for anyone interested in Sci Fi.

 

The same can't be said however for Sunday nights new series of 'Wallander'. Now I'll be the first to admit that I love the new wave of dark Scandinavian crime fiction more than most I guess, but this is just turgid nonsense that the BBC should have strangled at birth.

[SuperMikey]

Currently waiting up for the Premiere episode of Season 5 of Breaking Bad. Will write up about it after it finishes (4am GMT!).

[SuperMikey]

Currently waiting up for the Premiere episode of Season 5 of Breaking Bad. Will write up about it after it finishes (4am GMT!).

 

Wow, definitely did not disappoint! Answered lots of questions from the end of the last season (How did Walt poison Brock? What's his next move? Is Ted alive? Will he tell the police about everything?) and posed lots more.

 

If you haven't watched this show already, start watching from the beginning now so you can be finished in time to see the end of Season 5 (second half of this season airs in October).

[swannymere]

What channel is this being shown on or are you streaming it? The last episode i saw was with the aircraft explosion.

[pap]

Breaking Bad is back. Just seen the first episode. I don't want to spoil too much, but after the epic finale of last season - I was expecting a couple of episodes of gentle consolidation. Not a bit of it. The tension is up almost immediately, and the show does what it does best - put our protagonists knee-deep in the sh*t and have them exploit science to commit crime out of necessity.

 

Walt is scary at this point, in a way that would have seemed impossible in season one. A lot of credit to the writers for keeping it plausible and to Brian Cranston for breathing life into a character that will be seen as one of TV's finest.

[Jonnyboy]

Finally watching Dexter, loved the first two series!

[swannymere]

Burn Notice series 5 has started tonight, usually fantastic so looking forward to it. Also been watching Prime Suspect USA which whilst not being quite as good as the Helen Mirren version is easily up there with any current police programmes. Anyone else catch The Finder? It's by the same people as Bones so expect it will be entertaining if not ground breaking.

[SuperMikey]

What channel is this being shown on or are you streaming it? The last episode i saw was with the aircraft explosion.

 

I streamed it live over the net. You've got a while to go yet chum, keep going so you can watch the 5th Series with the rest of us

 

Breaking Bad is back. Just seen the first episode. I don't want to spoil too much, but after the epic finale of last season - I was expecting a couple of episodes of gentle consolidation. Not a bit of it. The tension is up almost immediately, and the show does what it does best - put our protagonists knee-deep in the sh*t and have them exploit science to commit crime out of necessity.

 

Walt is scary at this point, in a way that would have seemed impossible in season one. A lot of credit to the writers for keeping it plausible and to Brian Cranston for breathing life into a character that will be seen as one of TV's finest.

 

Agreed. I think it'll be this frenetic for the rest of the series, and i'm anticipating a huge cliffhanger for the mid-series break...

[LVSaint]

Among recent TV series I have enjoyed were the BBC's

The same can't be said however for Sunday nights new series of 'Wallander'. Now I'll be the first to admit that I love the new wave of dark Scandinavian crime fiction more than most I guess, but this is just turgid nonsense that the BBC should have strangled at birth.

 

Watched the first two episodes of season one recently and quite enjoyed them, although I'm more interested in the Swedish originals that i'll download some day. Same goes with the Danish series, The Killing, which I'd like to get my mitts on.

[pressingon]

Breaking Bad is back. Just seen the first episode. I don't want to spoil too much, but after the epic finale of last season - I was expecting a couple of episodes of gentle consolidation. Not a bit of it. The tension is up almost immediately, and the show does what it does best - put our protagonists knee-deep in the sh*t and have them exploit science to commit crime out of necessity.

 

This is another wonderful show following on from the likes of The Sheild,The Wire,24,The Corner etc.

I download the series once they are finished so please no spoilers on here for series 5.

Edited 18 July, 2012 by pressingon

[This Charming Man]

Started watching The Newsroom on Sky Atlantic. I highly recommend that.

 

Jeff Daniels is brilliant in it. Very sharp, quick witted script as well.

[mcjwills]

Started watching The Newsroom on Sky Atlantic. I highly recommend that.

 

Jeff Daniels is brilliant in it. Very sharp, quick witted script as well.

 

got it on series link not had a chance to start watching yet. Am watching series 2 of falling skies at the moment

[pap]

I watched a few episodes of "Line of Duty". Been in the mood to watch a British crime drama for a while now, and have enjoyed the three episodes I've watched so far. It focuses on AC12 - the anti-corruption unit, but also has a wider canvas of a police station to draw on. I'm enjoying it a lot. Like The Killing, the whole series is focused on one case. They're going after the copper of the year, who they suspect is "laddering" ( creating multiple charges out of easily solvable crimes and silently putting the harder cases on the back burner).

 

The series delves quite a bit into the bureaucracy associated with police-work, stuff like rapid response teams filling out risk assessments on the way to an operation. I'd actually be quite interested in the views of our resident coppers on this; it's clear that the writing staff feel coppers waste a lot of their time on bolox tasks. Have any of you seen it? How "on the money" is it?

 

For everyone else though, I'd recommend it - especially if you enjoy immersing yourself in a nice slow burning drama. Certainly doesn't hurt that Vicky McClure of This Is England fame is in it

[Bearsy]

Never heard of dat one paps!

 

I was watching Black Mirror on 4od last night, I'd seen the first one before where the Prime Minister gets blackmailed so he has to **** an actual pig live on tv and it was pretty loools so I went on to watch the other 2.

 

The second one in the series was bout this future world where you has to pedal on excercise bikes the whole time to earn credit things which you need to get stuff, but the stuff you can get is all not-real like new shoes for your avatar or the ability to fast forward adverts. It was probably a satire bout Facebook or something, I'm not really sure.

 

The third one was bout this future world where you has a chip in your head which records everything you see and hear so you can watch it again laters. That was pretty sweet! This one dude was using it to replay his best bonings to spank off over later. This other dude though was using it to overanalyse stuff his wife said to try and figure out if she's cheating or whatever. He was pretty bummed about it, and I think at the end he tried to cut the chip out his head but I had to turn it off at that point cos I'm squeemish. Squeemish bout blood anyways, I had no problem whatsoever watching the Prime Minister **** a pig!