Do we live in a golden age of television?

[Giggles]

The trailer for series 2 Picard is pure cringe stuff.

[Kikó]

Not incredibly surprised, it was really struggling first season round.

[Lofty]

Never saw it but heard it tarnished his legacy.

[Giggles]

The two new ones have been dirt for the most part. I wish I could hold our more hope of Strange New Worlds being better.

[Manc]

Black to Front in full flow on Channel 4. Get involved.

[Yevrah]

This is a genuine question, but per % of the population (it's about 3%, no?), are black people actually under-represented on tv? I can think of some demographics that absolutely must be, but I'd be surprised if that's definitely one of them.

[Spikey M]

They were underrepresented, but that has been addressed and then some.

[Giggles]

They’ll be well over represented once you’re not allowed to hire anyone else anyway. Black bond my sack.

[Dquincy]

Quincy making best friends all over the place lately :wub:


https://c.tenor.com/he0KLHEhAOoAAAAC/who-wouldve-thought-not-me.gif

[Dquincy]

Watching 9 11 Life Under Attack on ITV hub.

It is both harrowing and amazing. The program takes you through the day from first thing in the morning. It really shows the utter chaos and how little they knew what was going on.

And a special mench for the video showing the 2nd plane hitting. Fucking horrific.

[Queenslander]

Paul Rudd is the type of good bloke I aspire to be.

[Spikey M]

Watching 9 11 Life Under Attack on ITV hub.

It is both harrowing and amazing. The program takes you through the day from first thing in the morning. It really shows the utter chaos and how little they knew what was going on.

And a special mench for the video showing the 2nd plane hitting. Fucking horrific.

Strongly recommend "102 Minutes That Changed America" if you haven't seen it. Annoyingly the one on Channel 4 on Demand has been updated with interviews which ruins it imo.

I'm sure you can find the original 2008 version though.

[Yevrah]

Watching 9 11 Life Under Attack on ITV hub.

It is both harrowing and amazing. The program takes you through the day from first thing in the morning. It really shows the utter chaos and how little they knew what was going on.

And a special mench for the video showing the 2nd plane hitting. Fucking horrific.

I watched a thing about the falling man and a journalist trying to find out who he was last night, it was interesting. Might give Life Under Attack and Surviving 9/11 (the Beeb's offering) a watch.

[Yevrah]

Oh and I also watched this, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4917224/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_6 which was indescribably bad. The elevator scene is an all time classic.

[Shindig]

Yeah, tomorrow might involve me looking at those. And 102 Minutes that Changed America. And then maybe Small Change for some light relief.

[Lofty]

Is the Nic Cage one any good? The 'best' 9/11 story is Ric Rescorla being an absolute machine :cool:

[Yevrah]

I thought the Nic Cage one was pretty shit too, albeit not as bad as Sheen's effort.

Worth on Netflix now is supposedly quite good, about the financial side of things afterwards.

[Yevrah]

Also, is there a good website that gives one a weekly heads up about what's coming onto tv and streaming services? Sky is brilliant, but I now have so many options it's hard to keep up.

[Dquincy]

Strongly recommend "102 Minutes That Changed America" if you haven't seen it. Annoyingly the one on Channel 4 on Demand has been updated with interviews which ruins it imo.

I'm sure you can find the original 2008 version though.

Think I've seen that one. Thought it was very good from memory. The one I watched tonight seemed to have a few clips that I've never seen.

[Dquincy]

I watched a thing about the falling man and a journalist trying to find out who he was last night, it was interesting. Might give Life Under Attack and Surviving 9/11 (the Beeb's offering) a watch.

Definitely give it a watch. It includes the actual recordings from the various air traffic control centres as it all unfolds and the planes start to disappear off the radars. It adds to the realness of it all and the utter confusion, understandably.

[Dquincy]

That Charlie Sheen one :D

Have been tempted to watch the Nicolas Cage one, but he's not really going to top Con Air for aeroplane themed disaster movies.

[Yevrah]

Definitely give it a watch. It includes the actual recordings from the various air traffic control centres as it all unfolds and the planes start to disappear off the radars. It adds to the realness of it all and the utter confusion, understandably.

Watching it now, it's absolutely fascinating. Very reminiscent of 102 minutes.

Also answered a question I had about whether anyone thought the towers would fall having been hit - "I'm an architect, it'll be almost impossible to knock that building over", can be heard in one of the clips.

[phonics]

I’m rewatching The Wire. Crazy seeing one of the biggest actors on the planet in here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I never knew whether he was brilliant in it, or just a straight-played version of Johnson from Peep Show. Probably a bit of both.

[Shindig]

Yeah, Stringer just struck me as a fairly boring character. At least compared to the rest of the cast.

[Lofty]

Watching it now, it's absolutely fascinating. Very reminiscent of 102 minutes.

Also answered a question I had about whether anyone thought the towers would fall having been hit - "I'm an architect, it'll be almost impossible to knock that building over", can be heard in one of the clips.

This was the flawed conventional wisdom at the time. Again, Rescorla called it early and saved thousands of people due to ignoring the Port Authority telling everyone to stay put: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla

Extremely long but good read: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/02/11/the-real-heroes-are-dead

[Manc]

Vigil is getting worse with each episode.

[Lofty]

As I suspected, going a bit ludicrous and the pacing being reliant on flashbacks isn't ideal either.

[Boydy]

Nah, it's still good. If it doesn't end in all out nuclear war I'm gonna be disappointed though.

[Baz]

I mean, it's on BBC, it's never gonna be that good. Just like Line of Duty.

I've not seen a single second of either.

[Dquincy]

Vigil is getting worse with each episode.

Was it the girl on girl kissing that offended you?

I liked it, and that Suranne Jones is tasty. I'm no dentist but I'd give her a filling.

[Lewis]

Is the Nic Cage one any good? The 'best' 9/11 story is Ric Rescorla being an absolute machine :cool:

Have you ever seen this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QoibEOZG-A) footage? You wot MATE.

[Lofty]

I mean, it's on BBC, it's never gonna be that good. Just like Line of Duty.

I've not seen a single second of either.

Line of Duty was excellent for a long time, the last series was a bit wobbly but I think it could be rescued.


Was it the girl on girl kissing that offended you?

I liked it, and that Suranne Jones is tasty. I'm no dentist but I'd give her a filling.

It is just dragging on, I think as soon as they changed the timescale from 3 days to 3 weeks it was always in danger of getting stale. There is a lot of nonsense going on, and I couldn't care less if Suranne Jones was fingerblasting Rose Leslie I just want a better put together story.


Have you ever seen this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QoibEOZG-A) footage? You wot MATE.

Man is the ultimate don. Apparently he used to do evacuation drills regularly at the WTC and pissed on all the execs chips by interrupting their bollocks. Mel Gibson will have been pissing blood when he omitted him from the film adaptation of the book We Were Soldiers, I mean why wouldn't you want the guy on the cover who was nicknamed 'Hardcore' in a war film? Oh yeah cos Mel hates the English.

[John Arne]

Man is the ultimate don. Apparently he used to do evacuation drills regularly at the WTC and pissed on all the execs chips by interrupting their bollocks. Mel Gibson will have been pissing blood when he omitted him from the film adaptation of the book We Were Soldiers, I mean why wouldn't you want the guy on the cover who was nicknamed 'Hardcore' in a war film? Oh yeah cos Mel hates the English.

Wasn't the death count for the company he worked for literally 0?

He was also pretty much spot on about Vietnam.

[niko_cee]

Nah, it's still good. If it doesn't end in all out nuclear war I'm gonna be disappointed though.

Aye, it's still alright although I struggle with Captain Johnson. Is that guy actually a decent actor or is he just Johnson in everything? Seems to me it might be the latter.

In terms of the ending, yeah, I'm hoping for something along the lines of the ending of Takeshi Miike's Dead or Alive, but I'm doubtful.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've seen him be alright as not Johnson. He's probably just a victim of having played Johnson so brilliantly.

[Lofty]

Wasn't the death count for the company he worked for literally 0?

He was also pretty much spot on about Vietnam.

Something like 11 (including him) out of over 2700.

There is a good quote from his best mate who served with him about why he went back in and his wife's grief (they met and married later in life):

“What she doesn’t understand is that she knew him for four or five years. She knew a sixty-two-year-old man with cancer. I knew him as a hundred-and-eighty-pound, six-foot-one piece of human machinery that would not quit, that did not know defeat, that would not back off one inch. In the middle of the greatest battle of Vietnam, he was singing to the troops, saying we’re going to rip them a new asshole, when everyone else was worrying about dying. If he had come out of that building and someone died who he hadn’t tried to save, he would have had to commit suicide."

[Dquincy]

This was the flawed conventional wisdom at the time. Again, Rescorla called it early and saved thousands of people due to ignoring the Port Authority telling everyone to stay put: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla

Extremely long but good read: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/02/11/the-real-heroes-are-dead

Good reads, thanks. Never knew about him.

[Bernanke]

Reservation Dogs is the best show so far this year.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POkrsNVkGNk&ab_channel=TVPromos

[Dquincy]

Looks absolutely terrible.

[Shindig]

That Wacky Tahiti bloke (I know that's not his name but it bloody should be) has to be in nonce territory. Everything he does involves kids.

[phonics]

After Michael k Williams died I started a The Wire rewatch. Got up to season 3 and was thinking about it.

The whole Hamsterdam storyline in The Wire is presented as a massive success story but if you look at it. Bunny legalises the entire drug trade and in return he gets… a 4% drop in rape, robbery and assaults in comparison to when there was heroin and cocaine dealers on every corner.

It seems a pretty bad return if you legalise but not tax the drug industry and all you get is 96 rapes,robberies and assaults instead of 100.

[Yevrah]

Why does Young Rock open with actual Rock running for president? That doesn't need to exist at all to tell the story of young Rock, is he testing the water and actually going to do it?

[Manc]

Vigil. :drool:

[phonics]

Why does Young Rock open with actual Rock running for president? That doesn't need to exist at all to tell the story of young Rock, is he testing the water and actually going to do it?
Yes.

[Yevrah]

Well, that would be absolutely brilliant.

[Giggles]

I stuck on the previously unknown Good Girls while browsing Netflix yesterday. It’s pretty shit but the main characters tits are a joy to behold.

[Lofty]

Another mixed episode for Vigil, going to finish over the top but hopefully sticks the landing.

[Manc]

I stuck on the previously unknown Good Girls while browsing Netflix yesterday. It’s pretty shit but the main characters tits are a joy to behold.

You'll love Mad Men.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Reservation Dogs is the best show so far this year.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POkrsNVkGNk&ab_channel=TVPromos

Just finished watching it all. It's brilliant.

[Spikey M]

Really? Because I'm with The Quince, it looks absolutely shite.

[Alex]

I started watching The North Water last night and it's quite good. The book I thought was really good when I read it and they seem to be doing an alright job. It's got a good cast and all the shots of them in the Arctic are great. I do like old-school nautical settings, for some reason. It's very reminiscent of the first season of The Terror actually, but it would take some doing to top that. That was class.

[Manc]

It's on the list.

Agree on The Terror. Tremendous tele.

[Manc]

Love on the Spectrum S2 is the one.

[Dquincy]

Vigil. :drool:
I like it, but I don't love it.

Reserve the right to change my mind next week though.

[Kikó]

Agree with that. It's got some of the right ingredients but it's also a bit meh.

[niko_cee]

It's all a bit contrived but the baldy jock Taggart guy holds it together.

[Lofty]

I have a theory it was originally a tightly scripted 2/3 parter but when they spunked all that money on the set they decided they needed to bulk it out a bit to justify the outlay.

[CJay]

Foundation out today on Apple TV+. First two episodes dropping today I think.

Hard to see how they can possibly work such a multi-era-spanning story, but I’m excited nonetheless. It’s got Jared Harris and Lee Pace. Initial reviews are generally positive, but I think it’ll take a lot of scene-setting to establish the plot, so it could be a slow burner.

[Kikó]

It's on the list.

Agree on The Terror. Tremendous tele.

Thanks for this. Started it last night and it's a welcome break from the drug fuelled world of LA.

[Alex]

Foundation out today on Apple TV+. First two episodes dropping today I think.

Hard to see how they can possibly work such a multi-era-spanning story, but I’m excited nonetheless. It’s got Jared Harris and Lee Pace. Initial reviews are generally positive, but I think it’ll take a lot of scene-setting to establish the plot, so it could be a slow burner.

I will definitely be giving this a go, but I do know what you mean in terms of the difficulty of adapting it. I've only read the first book, and it was a while ago now, but I recall quite a lot of it just being quite lengthly exposition. Like conversations between people in rooms talking about what was going on rather than much in the way of action.

I liked it a lot, don't get me wrong. The whole "Psychohistory" thing is cool and a really unique plot device. I just imagine they will have to build a fair bit into it for a successful TV adaptation. The cast is good though, as you say. As a general rule of thumb I will watch anything with Jared Harris in it.

[Lofty]

Squid Game on Netflix is good.

[Manc]

Sharks no longer doing it for you?

[igor_balis]

I think I've rewatched about half of the entire run of the wire in the last few weeks just by going down the rabbit hole of watching clips on youtube. I had convinced myself the sopranos was better, but I've gone back the other way now.

[Shindig]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58699058

Can't argue with that casting. I was thinking how they'd try to be authentic about the whole thing and then realised the BBC were making it.

[Manc]

Weak ending to Vigil.

[Yevrah]

Why would anyone want to go anywhere near that from Savile's perspective? He did exactly what he wanted his entire life and got away with every single aspect of it - I can't see how that makes for anything close to worthwhile viewing.

[Lofty]

Weak ending to Vigil.

6 hours of torturous flashbacks so Silvas 'arc' could be resolved, pure tosh. So many plot threads just dropped and ignored. Rose Leslie deserves a crack at one of these as the lead.

[Dquincy]

Weak ending to Vigil.

I liked it, but didn't realise it was the last episode until wife told me with 15 mins to go.

[Lewis]

Why would anyone want to go anywhere near that from Savile's perspective? He did exactly what he wanted his entire life and got away with every single aspect of it - I can't see how that makes for anything close to worthwhile viewing.

They could call it The Yorkshireman and tell his bullshit version of events with a voiceover. Rob Brydon as Gary Glitter.

[phonics]

Why would anyone want to go anywhere near that from Savile's perspective? He did exactly what he wanted his entire life and got away with every single aspect of it - I can't see how that makes for anything close to worthwhile viewing.

Who was that bloke from The Thick of It who claimed he only had a load of child porn on his hard drive as 'research for a role'.

Maybe just trying to build in an excuse for later.

[Lofty]

Who was that bloke from The Thick of It who claimed he only had a load of child porn on his hard drive as 'research for a role'.

Maybe just trying to build in an excuse for later.

Chris Langham.

[Yevrah]

I don't understand why Coogan wants to be in it or why the BBC want to make it.

There's some bullshit in that piece about a story that needs to be told - it has been already from the perspective of the victims over the years since he died. How do you portray it from his perspective anyway? Bit of light groping at the opticians, before moving onto raping mental patients at Broadmoor and finishing off with the corpses at the mortuary in Leeds general?

[Giggles]

In their minds it’s probably their own way of ‘getting’ him in retrospect seeing as the same organisation let him away with everything his whole life. Make themselves feel better.

[Spikey M]

I can hear the statement following it's predictably poor reception already.

"In hindsight, it was in error..."

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's true crime innit, apparently people love this shit.

[Shindig]

And Steve's been wanting to bring his Saville impressions back since Spitting Image.

[Yevrah]

It's true crime innit, apparently people love this shit.

They do, and I do myself, but where there's some sort of resolution. If ever there was an example of "people get what they deserve" being absolute horseshit, it's this.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, Vigil was pretty wank in the end for any number of reasons.

Spend 5 and 3/4 episodes desperately trying to avoid having to 'surface the boat' and then just do it on your own terms once the DRAMA was over.

Having some random rogue guy just going about merrily murdering people and undertaking massive acts of sabotage on a pretty casual "just need to duck out to vom guv" basis in what you would imagine would be a fairly secure environment generally.

Having about 4 million people per square inch until something nefarious was afoot when it was like Piggy's floor on Manhunt all of a sudden.

Then there's the broader question as to whether in geopolitical terms Russia would risk starting a nuclear war for lols, which seemed to be the plot device on offer.

[phonics]

I don't understand why Coogan wants to be in it or why the BBC want to make it.

There's some bullshit in that piece about a story that needs to be told - it has been already from the perspective of the victims over the years since he died. How do you portray it from his perspective anyway? Bit of light groping at the opticians, before moving onto raping mental patients at Broadmoor and finishing off with the corpses at the mortuary in Leeds general?

I joked about it earlier but Coogan did legit kick off about that Chris Langham being called a pedo so maybe its spite.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I am struggling to imagine the story arc for a Savile drama. It's not like making a thing about Levi Bellfield where a doughty cop catches him in the end. With Savile there are no heroes.

[Yevrah]

I am struggling to imagine the story arc for a Savile drama. It's not like making a thing about Levi Bellfield where a doughty cop catches him in the end. With Savile there are no heroes.

Indeed and the stuff he did is pretty much un-broadcastable in anything more than an implied sense, so no clue where there'll go with it.

[Spikey M]

I am struggling to imagine the story arc for a Savile drama. It's not like making a thing about Levi Bellfield where a doughty cop catches him in the end. With Savile there are no heroes.

Maybe that's the point though?

"Three Girls" was a bit like that, although th woman working st the Sexual Health Clinic kind if ticks the hero box, I guess.

They'd probably do the same here.

The "hero" is going to be Coleen fucking Nolan, isn't it?

[Spikey M]

Indeed and the stuff he did is pretty much un-broadcastable in anything more than an implied sense, so no clue where there'll go with it.

They will just imply it. Three Girls did that well too. It was pretty distressing despite not actually seeing anything.

[Yevrah]

I joked about it earlier but Coogan did legit kick off about that Chris Langham being called a pedo so maybe its spite.

Did he actually? Lol.

I mean, if you were doing that for research purposes you'd presumably realise it'd be good to tell/ask someone in authority first.

[Yevrah]

They will just imply it. Three Girls did that well too. It was pretty distressing despite not actually seeing anything.

I watched that and it was good, but imagine that with the scum involved doing what they did with impunity until the day they died.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They can imply what they like, but there has to be some kind of relatable protagonist and/or narrative arc for it to work. I would say if you were going to make a drama about the subject the only way you could do it would be to tell the story of the post-death whistleblowing and the effect on the victims, and to frame the man himself as a towering unseen menace from the past, rather than hiring Alan Partridge to play him.

[Shindig]

The only way you do it is by making everyone who watches it angry at how it was allowed to happen. Making a Murderer but with the alternative title 'Enabling a Nonce'.

[Dquincy]

It just sounds like complete and utter shit. I, for one, will not be watching it because I'm not a nonce.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's what a nonce would say.

[phonics]

Heres my angle on how you do it, you have Saville do Saville but the story is actually about those in power covering it up.

[Kikó]

Yeah, Vigil was pretty wank in the end for any number of reasons.

Spend 5 and 3/4 episodes desperately trying to avoid having to 'surface the boat' and then just do it on your own terms once the DRAMA was over.

Having some random rogue guy just going about merrily murdering people and undertaking massive acts of sabotage on a pretty casual "just need to duck out to vom guv" basis in what you would imagine would be a fairly secure environment generally.

Having about 4 million people per square inch until something nefarious was afoot when it was like Piggy's floor on Manhunt all of a sudden.

Then there's the broader question as to whether in geopolitical terms Russia would risk starting a nuclear war for lols, which seemed to be the plot device on offer.

Good summation. The Russia/anti trident angle never really sat right for me. It seemed to bail out of the Russia doing it for more than the political lols which seemed like a whole lot of effort for a bit of a chance vote ("they'll never vote for it now" o rly?)

I did like the Russian terminator at the end. Just needed him to melt into some molten lava.

Re Saville: I'm reading Ecstasy at the moment and the second novel inside it is just all about him. Shagging dead bodies in hospitals for fun. Irvine Welsh wrote that in 96 as well.

[Lofty]

Squid Game is excellent and should be watched by all.

[Don]

That has caught my eye. Will check it out.

[Baz]

Halfway through episode one of the new Taskmaster and it seems like it’s gonna be dreadful.

Tempted to rewatch series two of the NZ one.

[Spikey M]

Midnight Mass on Netflix is tedious beyond words. Don't bother.

[Spikey M]

Watching the last of Vigil tonight, I've avoided reading the posts on it but I've seen enough to expect a disappointing end to what has been a bit of an underwhelming show.

[Spikey M]

Midnight Mass on Netflix is tedious beyond words. Don't bother.

After 3 or 4 boring episodes I perserved with this and it picks up.

It's unnecessarily long but once it gets going it's pretty good. Great concept, execution... meh.

[Boydy]

I've been quite enjoying Shooter on Netflix. It's not great but it's fairly entertaining.

[Kikó]

At the end of S1 of the Terror. It's bloody brill.

[Manc]

You're welcome. S2 has me tempted though I've read it doesn't hit as hard.

[SvN]

It's alright, but not in the same league.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Squid Game is excellent and should be watched by all.
Watched 3 episodes tonight, it's fucking brilliant.

[Dark Soldier]

Squid Game is alright for the first 5 episodes then it nose-dives off a fucking cliff. Sub-Emmerdale shite.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just done the whole of The North Water in an evening (and what an evening it was, like a 5 hour Revenant extended cut, wall to wall icebergs and animal gore). The story was largely bollocks I thought, but the performances (especially Colin Farrell) and general atmosphere kept me in there.

I don't think I've ever seen so much gore in one production. Don't show it to PETA, that's for sure.

[Yevrah]

I do like Farrell. He's so charismatic he even makes the name Colin sound cool.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

After 3 or 4 boring episodes I perserved with this and it picks up.

It's unnecessarily long but once it gets going it's pretty good. Great concept, execution... meh.

Ending to episode 5 is pretty great but yeah, the first 3 were a bit of a slog.

Hoping the final 2 are episodes are good.

[Baz]

One of the people on a podcast I listen to is watching the Sopranos for the first time and now I kinda wanna give it another go. I watched season 1 about 10 years ago though and found it soooooooo boring.

[Raoul Duke]

I finished watching Agents Of Shield the other night. Great show overall, if you're into Marvel/sci-fi nonsense and a pretty satisfying overall ending. Not the best season but solid.

[Offshore Toon]

One of the people on a podcast I listen to is watching the Sopranos for the first time and now I kinda wanna give it another go. I watched season 1 about 10 years ago though and found it soooooooo boring.
It didn't hold up great when I rewatched recently. I think I abandoned in season 3. It just felt pretty cheesy and basic.

The Wire, on the other hand, is still incredible.

[Dquincy]

Watching Panic on Prime. Only 3 episodes in but really enjoying it. Have developed a crush on the main girl in the show, which is a worry as I'm far too old for her.

I mean, I wouldn't get arrested for it, but doubt I'd be welcome to the family BBQ.

[SvN]

Finished Squid Game yesterday, and really enjoyed it. I didn't really notice the dropoff that DS mentioned after episode 5.

[Yevrah]

I spent four hours watching Murder in the Outback last night, about Peter Falconio's disappearance in the Northern Territories.

It was really good.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Finished Squid Game yesterday, and really enjoyed it. I didn't really notice the dropoff that DS mentioned after episode 5.

Neither did I.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I also finished Midnight Mass last night. Pretty good but it's not as great as reviews have made out largely due to the slow start.

[Ian]

Having to stay at my parents for a bit and there aren't half a lot of shit-to-average police shows getting broadcast aren't there?

Wycliffe had a cracking theme tune though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epWNbEiD_2I

[Baz]

I've started watching Brassic. It's not particularly funny but it'll do.

[Lofty]

Sky really push that and it has got a third series so it can't be terrible but fuck watching it. Like the Sky Original Films, they have something about them that makes them the TV equivalent of off brand cola.

[Spikey M]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58838332

Sick of their dodgy remakes of our TV programmes.

[Boydy]

:D


Ha.

[Kikó]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58838332

Sick of their dodgy remakes of our TV programmes.

Looking forward to the new series of 守夜.

[Don]

Squid game was a cute distraction. Nothing memorable.

[Spikey M]

Can't say I understand the love for it either. It was enjoyable enough, but it's hardly groundbreaking.

[Don]

It's easy to consume and meme so I get why it kept people interested but I wonder how much of it going viral was manufactured by algorithms and bots. If it's genuinely impressed people to such a degree they're gonna blow a load when they come across that South Korean vengeance trilogy.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The masses have a hard on for Korean stuff generally at the moment. I might have to go on a lecture tour correcting them.

Everything produced in that country is simplistic, accessible crap because they don't have any cultural layering.

[Don]

I'll chuck that BTS/K-pop shit into my conspiracy theory.

[Pepe]

Almodovar was robbed of that Oscar.

[Yevrah]

Just flicked on Manhunt, an HBO documentary about the hunt for OBL that's been on my Sky Box for a while.

It started with an interviewee saying "Women make fantastic analysts, they have patience and perseverance", so I turned it off. Why is this divisive shit proliferating more and more of my viewing? When I watch something, for the most part I want to be entertained, not lectured to about the inequalities in the World. I wouldn't mind so much if it was an actual, genuine, copper bottomed issue in this case, but I'd surmise that if you work for the CIA and you're senior enough to be involved in the hunt for OBL, to the point you were able to play a key (or even leading) part in capturing him, you've probably done alright for yourself.

[Spikey M]

The masses have a hard on for Korean stuff generally at the moment. I might have to go on a lecture tour correcting them.

Everything produced in that country is simplistic, accessible crap because they don't have any cultural layering.

Everything Korean I've ever watched has just been:

Episode 1: Honour
Episode 2: More Honour
Episode 3: Deep Honour
Episode 4: DISHONOUR
Episode 5: Sadness
Episode 6: Revenge.

[Yevrah]

And yeah, Korean stuff is overrated wank for the most part.

This was brought to my attention when Oldboy was released and everyone was raving about it. I watched it and it's alright, with a good corridor hammer scene, but the plot and ending is absolute balls.

Parasite was shit and while Squid Game was alright, it was no better than much of the Saw franchise.

[Manc]

Parasite is tremendous.

[Lewis]

Koreans are the largest Asian minority in America whose mother country is sufficiently advanced and 'free' to produce worthwhile media exports. That gives them a foothold in the West, and then they see it as a blank canvas to project all of their political and racial obsessions onto, which enables it to take off.

[Baz]

Anyone watching this Wu Tang: An American Saga Hulu thing? :)

[Pepe]

Koreans are the largest Asian minority in America whose mother country is sufficiently advanced and 'free' to produce worthwhile media exports. That gives them a foothold in the West, and then they see it as a blank canvas to project all of their political and racial obsessions onto, which enables it to take off.

What about Japan?

[Lewis]

There are slightly more Koreans, and Japanese stuff has been around for longer and is more resistant/less suitable to serving as a vehicle for Western pathologies, what with it all revolving around paedophilia and computer games instead of skin whitening and social climbing.

[Alex]

Anyone watching this Wu Tang: An American Saga Hulu thing? :)

Yes!

I'm surprised by how good it is. I suppose having a big interest in the music itself helps though. My only main gripe with it at the moment is the guy who plays the RZA has dialled his "RZA voice" all the way up in season two and it's quite off-putting. :D

[Giggles]

Al Murray has obviously never heard of America or Russia.

[Spikey M]

What about Japan?

That's why we have so many nonces Anime fans these days. It's probably why Comic Conventions aren't seen as havens for freaks anymore too (wrongly).

[Jimmy Floyd]

There are weebs everywhere. Most of it is a 21st century western comfort complex about not wanting to leave childhood, I think, something that the Japanese never really do thanks to their seniority structures. I'll be expanding on that theory in my forthcoming book 'Things I think of mid-sentence while posting on an internet forum: profound but perhaps wrong'.

[Raoul Duke]

Anyone watching The Walking Dead?

Spoiler for the latest episode:

WTF was the idea of killing the bonkers army/Jesus guy before he'd even had a chance to do anything? Really abrupt and he was a pretty cool character

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I gave up years ago and I'm so happy I did.

[Raoul Duke]

Overall the last couple of seasons have been great-to-good. There was a massive dip at one point where they were fucking about with all the cosplay dickheads and tigers and shit though, but it's definitely bounced back a fair bit

[Manc]

I thought about rewatching recently. From memory I gave up when Morrissey came on the scene.

[phonics]

The best episode of the walking dead is the first episode and it was downhill from there.

[Ian]

Is it still the exact same story every season?

1 - New season but we're all still doing a sad
2 - Oh look we've heard of these new people
3 - Oh we've met the new people and everything's gonna be okay!
4 - Oh no they're awful
5 - ARE HUMANS THE REAL MONSTERS????
6 - Murder.
7 - Fin

[Raoul Duke]

Yes, but Daryl has a dog now

[Ian]

This changes everything.

10/10.

[wullie]

I watched the first few of the newest season and was enjoying it but nothing made we want to keep watching all the same. I'll see who's died in the rest of the episodes and watch the last one, got to stay match fit for the 14 spinoff series and films still to come.

[Spikey M]

I got up to the season after the Prison and left it there. No idea how it's still going, but I appreciate the staying power of anyone still watching.

[Ian]

So I watched up until midway through season 2 the first time and got bored by Little Apocalypse on the Prairie and my mate told me I'd basically given up just as it was getting good again.

Went back to it and got into it and then basically had the same as you, Wullie. I wasn't not enjoying it but I got to a point where I had about 8 episodes recorded that I hadn't watched and I just didn't care enough to binge.

Are they still planning to give Grimes his own film?

[phonics]

After the farm I realised the show was dead. Just a series of non meaningful shocking deaths.

[wullie]

I think there may be a few Grimes films, plus one at least one spinoff series of Daryl and Carol running about getting into scrapes which makes every episode where they're in danger all the less tense.

[Lofty]

So many crappy moments. Glen 'dying' only to impossibly escape. Red shirts like the only doctor randomly going on patrol and spouting exposition about themselves just before they die. Negan pepped it up a bit but I got bored around there.

[Ian]

After the farm I realised the show was dead. Just a series of non meaningful shocking deaths.

It definitely has the issue of one big character dying being shocking then they do it all the time and whereas I'm meant to go "OH MY GOD ANYBODY CAN DIE!!!!" I just think "Cool, don't get invested in any characters. Got it."

[CJay]

The show never showing any possibility for return to civilisation / a cure / even an explanation about what happened, means that there's nowhere for them to go other than to keep moving, meeting new groups, getting a few members killed off while picking up a few new good eggs, and then rinsing and repeating. I'd love to know if the writers have an ending planned.

The hyper-competent folk like Daryl accidentally getting themselves into sticky situations was always hard to believe too.

[SvN]

I can't remember when I gave up. I used to watch it every Monday on my second monitor while working from home. Then one week I missed it because I had a busy day, and before I knew it, I'd missed almost the entire season. And I didn't have it in me to catch up.

[Yevrah]

Setting something in a zombie apocalypse World only to major on 'are humans the real monsters' is so unbelievably lame. Yes they are, but we know this. Do something else.

[Shindig]

"Oh no! The zombies are civilising. That means we must kill them harder. Let's not explore the possibility of reconciliation."

[wullie]

It should end by revealing that only the US was affected and there's a giant wall at the border pinning everything in. Cut to Rick Grimes on the Champs Elysees sipping a coffee with that weird dump woman, little wink to camera and ooh la la

[Ian]

It should end by revealing that only the US was affected and there's a giant wall at the border pinning everything in. Cut to Rick Grimes on the Champs Elysees sipping a coffee with that weird dump woman, little wink to camera and ooh la la

I'd watch the finale if it turned out this was how it played out.

[Raoul Duke]

I'm still not entirely sure it isn't all a fever dream from a comatose Rick in his hospital bed.

There was a brief section early on when they started on some explanation of how it came about which had a guy (who I always think is Biff from BTTF but isn't) as a scientist in a bunker, and then he blew himself up.

[SvN]

Just had a look and saw that the viewing figures thesedays are 87% lower than their peak. How is it still going?

[Ian]

I'm still not entirely sure it isn't all a fever dream from a comatose Rick in his hospital bed.

There was a brief section early on when they started on some explanation of how it came about which had a guy (who I always think is Biff from BTTF but isn't) as a scientist in a bunker, and then he blew himself up.

Wasn't there this big cliffhanger where Rick was about to reveal what that lad had told him, they teased it for most of the next season and then he finally said the guy had told him "dunno mate lol" or something similarly shit?

[Spikey M]

Just had a look and saw that the viewing figures thesedays are 87% lower than their peak. How is it still going?

Shit like this pisses me off, especially when the likes of Mindhunter get canned to keep flogging a dead horse.

[Ian]

It is annoying but on the flipside I'm kind of at the point now where if something ends while it was still good I'll take that as a positive.

[Manc]

Shit like this pisses me off, especially when the likes of Mindhunter get canned to keep flogging a dead horse.

How does S2 compare to the first? Mindhunter that is.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just had a look and saw that the viewing figures thesedays are 87% lower than their peak. How is it still going?

This is their last season.

[Spikey M]

How does S2 compare to the first? Mindhunter that is.

I enjoyed it. They start developing the characters alot more. It will annoy you though, as the story isn't finished and is apparently staying that way.

[SvN]

They "might" revisit it in the future, apparently. A real shame, it was one of the best things I've watched in years.

[Spikey M]

Yep. Top 10 series for me. Baffles me why it didn't go viral considering how much the masses love true crime stuff at the moment.

[wullie]

Just had a look and saw that the viewing figures thesedays are 87% lower than their peak. How is it still going?

I'm surprised that they didn't end it sooner, but I really don't understand how that happens and they then decide to expand it into countless new series and films on top.

[SvN]

Fuck me, I had no idea that a film is planned :face:

[randomlegend]

The second season of Mindhunter was like a different program to the first. It was still good, but I much preferred the first season.

[Spikey M]

The second season of Mindhunter was like a different program to the first. It was still good, but I much preferred the first season.

I think they were trying to transition from what was initially a one off into a longer series, but then got canned so needn't have bothered. :moop:

[Pepe]

Re: Mindhunter

Watching shows before they have fully been completed has become such a fucking waste of time. Like watching only the first thirty minutes of a movie and then it just ending abruptly.

[Yevrah]

Bang on. I more or less stopped watching anything that hasn’t already been wrapped up years ago now.

[Shindig]

Yeah, it's the reason I fell off Mad Men. Watching it there and then meant losing interest between seasons. If I had the whole set with me, I'd have watched the lot.

[Kikó]

So many crappy moments. Glen 'dying' only to impossibly escape. Red shirts like the only doctor randomly going on patrol and spouting exposition about themselves just before they die. Negan pepped it up a bit but I got bored around there.

The Glen non death was the one for me. Watched a bit of Negan but it was needlessly brutal so I gave up. No end point or pay off. Shame as it was all exciting at the start.

[Spikey M]

I stopped watching unfinished stuff after Jericho and Flash Forward wasted my time, but I had MindHunter recommended to me by a mate at work and didn't know.

[Boydy]

Jericho. :(

[Don]

Mindhunter is hardly plot-driven so it really matters not if it's 'complete' or not. It's just all about appreciating the cars, my man's swagger and Lofty's acting ability :cool:

[Lofty]

I have been copping the Kemper nickname recently :moop:

[Raoul Duke]

Just had a look and saw that the viewing figures thesedays are 87% lower than their peak. How is it still going?

There's a couple of spin-off shows running already (Fear The WD and WD World Beyond, which is some thing with teenyboppers getting mauled by the undead). People love zombie shit I guess


Wasn't there this big cliffhanger where Rick was about to reveal what that lad had told him, they teased it for most of the next season and then he finally said the guy had told him "dunno mate lol" or something similarly shit?

No idea, but sounds likely

[Baz]

I've no TV for at least five days. I don't really watch it but knowing I can't has made me want to watch it. No idea how Disco copes.

[Raoul Duke]

Surely you have some sort of internet connected device with a screen?

[wullie]

I'm sure they addressed what the scientist told him at some point where Rick revealed everyone already had the zombie disease and they were the real walking dead or somethng equally clunky.

[Dquincy]

For anyone who has watched The Jinx.

An update of sorts: http://news.sky.com/story/real-estate-heir-robert-durst-jailed-for-murder-of-best-friend-12434065

[Spikey M]

He looks like he died some time ago and they've just propped him up in his wheelchair.

[Dquincy]

He looks like he died some time ago and they've just propped him up in his wheelchair.
Well, the plot has thickened. I think it's all part of a cunning escape plan.

http://news.sky.com/story/robert-durst-millionaire-on-ventilator-with-covid-days-after-being-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-12436088

[Ian]

I've watched Manhunt: The Night Stalker with Martin Clunes in it over the last few days. Didn't realise it was a second series and there was one for the Levi Bellfield case as well because it was actually the same copper who was involved in catching him too. Might need to go back and watch that one too. Martin Clunes is very watchable.

[Boydy]

Yeah, I quite liked that and had the same realisation as you. Also planning to go back and watch the first series at some point.

[Ian]

I like that there's very little of the actual crimes. They don't try and play off the unpleasant thrill of watching extended scenes of little old ladies getting monstered. I think there's only one attack you actually see and it's very restrained how they do it. It's all about the police and the hunt.

[Yevrah]

Clunes is properly good. I'd watch anything with him in and enjoyed both series of Manhunt.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I remember the real Colin Sutton being a bit of a Met legend circa the late 2000s. Used to get put on everything tricky.

[Ian]

I've no idea how much the Clunes portrayal reflects the real man but as a protagonist in a police drama he's very refreshing. Other than the mega-dedication he doesn't have many of the usual tropes. (i.e. being a dickhead loner with all sorts of hang-ups and personality issues.)

[Panda Bear]

Started watching Acapulco on Apple TV+. Not only is it pleasant, but Luca is excellent.

https://www.tvguide.com/a/img/catalog/provider/1/1/1-10584626467.jpg

[Luca]

:D

Those were the days.

[-james-]

Aye Manhunt was good. I googled the actual Colin Sutton after watching it and he must be chuffed with the glow-up they gave him.

https://www.nationalworld.com/jpim-static/image/2021/09/20/12/Colin-Sutton-1.jpg

[Lofty]

Avoided Midnight Mass when it came out due to the hype train, then saw a lot of people moaning about the lengthy monologues. I see their point but thoroughly enjoying it so far.

[Boydy]

The Chestnut Man is some good Scandi noir.

[Manc]

It's on the list. How many episodes are we looking at?

[Boydy]

Just six.

[Dquincy]

The documentary about the Trashers on Netflix is brilliant. It's part of the Untold series and is about an ice hockey team owned by a mafia boss who makes his 17 yr old son the general manager.

Worth a watch.

[mo]

Finished the final season of Goliath last night - glad they've decided to end it there as I think the premise had been worn out (down and out brilliant lawyer takes on and beats The Man despite personal demons of his own creation), but really enjoyed Billy Bob Thornton in that role. Nina Arianda was excellent as well, along with Ben's daughter from Lost.

[Raoul Duke]

Second series of Locke & Key has been pretty good. Not quite up there with the first but entertaining.

[Kikó]

The second season of The Morning Show is a mess. Maybe even a turd.

[Giggles]

Speaking of turds, when does Discovery kick off again?

[Kikó]

This (https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37916807/star-trek-discovery-season-4-release-date-new-trailer/)says November 18. I don't think I have seen season 3 actually.

[Alex]

The second season of The Morning Show is a mess. Maybe even a turd.

That's a shame. I felt like it was a bit all over the place for the first half of the first season but it really seemed like it had found it's feet by the end.

[Baz]

Yes!

I'm surprised by how good it is. I suppose having a big interest in the music itself helps though. My only main gripe with it at the moment is the guy who plays the RZA has dialled his "RZA voice" all the way up in season two and it's quite off-putting. :D

Forgot to reply to this but I'm only about four episodes into season one. It is properly good though.

[Alex]

Forgot to reply to this but I'm only about four episodes into season one. It is properly good though.

I've just finished season two and it stays mostly really good. I'm really hoping it gets a third.

[CJay]

Have you been watching Foundation Alex ?

I’ve enjoyed parts of it (4 episodes in), but so far the show feels like it’s struggling to pull it all together. Not enjoying the cloned emperors.

[Alex]

Have you been watching Foundation Alex ?

I’ve enjoyed parts of it (4 episodes in), but so far the show feels like it’s struggling to pull it all together. Not enjoying the cloned emperors.

I'm four episodes in too and I'm mostly enjoying it but I do agree that it still feels a bit disjointed. I guess the source material is really hard to adapt just based on the spread out nature of the story. They've obviously had to change a lot of it too, and add a lot of things in, to make it a film-able television show that will make sense as a series.

I think the main thing it has going for it is the world looks really fantastic. They have definitely spent the budget well. I actually quite like the concept of the cloned emperors they have come up with. I think it was a necessity just to have some sort of continuity in "bad guys" when the timeline jumps around so much. I'm never been the biggest Lee Pace fan though, so that is a bit of a struggle at times.

[Manc]

The Chestnut Man is well worth a watch. Very solid television.

[Yevrah]

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths is an appallingly made documentary. Avoid.

[Danny]

Anyone watching this BBC thing about 80's music? "The 80s: Music's Greatest Decade?"

I was browsing the subreddit that uploads various terrestrial TV shows and it caught my eye. Bit of a sucker for 80's music so going to have a look at some point.

[Shindig]

Is it taken with proper decorum or is it just some tosh Stuart Marconie rushes to talk on?

[Boydy]

Started watching The Blacklist the other night and enjoying it a lot so far. James Spader is great.

[Danny]

Is it taken with proper decorum or is it just some tosh Stuart Marconie rushes to talk on?

It seems like they are making a genuine effort to go into influences and how music evolved. Only watched the first so far.


Started watching The Blacklist the other night and enjoying it a lot so far. James Spader is great.

I got about 3/4 season in before packing it in. Spaders greatness could only hook me for so long.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I lasted until the fifth or sixth season.

I really liked it (well I like Spader) but it really shit the bed around then.

[wullie]

I liked the first episode of the 80s music thing but I caught the last part of the second one and it seemed to just be TOTP2 without the branding, here's Madonna and Wham miming while some trivia pops up on screen

[randomlegend]

Is Stath lets flats any good?

[randomlegend]

No.

[Lofty]

Could you not tell that by the ads?

[Baz]

Looks horse shit, aye.

Also, I'm not sure if my judgement is clouded by it coming off the back of NZ series 2 (the actual best series) but is this series of Taskmaster (Jonathan Creek, David Mitchell's wife, etc.) far and away the absolute worst one yet? Not just because of the lineup either, but the tasks are much lower quality than normal, often giving next to no room for manoeuvre to "do it their way" so you end up just watching 5 people do the same thing (the copy Alex's dance being some of the worst TV of 2021) and it's rubbish.

[Raoul Duke]

Started watching The Blacklist the other night and enjoying it a lot so far. James Spader is great.

It's good - some decent characters and twists. The worst thing is Liz, who's just an idiot/sociopath and they all fawn over her.

Dembe :cool:
Tom :wub:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Looks horse shit, aye.

Also, I'm not sure if my judgement is clouded by it coming off the back of NZ series 2 (the actual best series) but is this series of Taskmaster (Jonathan Creek, David Mitchell's wife, etc.) far and away the absolute worst one yet? Not just because of the lineup either, but the tasks are much lower quality than normal, often giving next to no room for manoeuvre to "do it their way" so you end up just watching 5 people do the same thing (the copy Alex's dance being some of the worst TV of 2021) and it's rubbish.
I actually think it's been really good. I wouldn't say it's one of the better ones but not too far off.

All of them are enjoyable and I think the live studio tasks (the balloon darts especially) have been the best in a while.

[Lofty]

I do enjoy Gus' expressions.

[randomlegend]

Yeah I'm only halfway through the second episode of the most recent Taskmaster series but it's good. The food in the bags task :D

Food tasks are always great.

[SvN]

Agreed, I'm enjoying this season much more than the last one. I actually like all of the contestents too, which might be a first.

[Baz]

Giving Squid game a go.

Anyone who watches it dubbed is a certified nonce and I’m aghast that that’s Netflix default setting.

[Lofty]

Apparently they are doing a new series of Gamesmaster on E4 :D

[Giggles]

They better bring Diamond back.

[Shindig]

Sir Trevor McDonald as the Gamesmaster sounds like it'll work.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I watched the first two seasons of Last Chance U over the last week and I thought it was great but the first season is so much better than the second.

They focused on too many boring players in the second (Kam in particular who was dull as fuck and incredibly irritating but they were clearly hoping he'd be a Ronald Ollie) when screen time should have gone to others. In particular I'd have liked to have seen more of DeAndre Johnson and Dakota Allen, both had the more serious troubles resulting in them getting kicked from their colleges and both of them seemed to have done the most to atone for what they did wrong. It's no surprise that Dakota Allen made it to the NFL and is still playing in the league.


Buddy was also so clearly being fake in an attempt to look better on camera which actually made him look even worse, absolute cunt of a man.

[Baz]

Giving Squid game a go.

Anyone who watches it dubbed is a certified nonce and I’m aghast that that’s Netflix default setting.
Just finished it. Very predictable but also very good.

[Dquincy]

I watched the first two seasons of Last Chance U over the last week and I thought it was great but the first season is so much better than the second.

They focused on too many boring players in the second (Kam in particular who was dull as fuck and incredibly irritating but they were clearly hoping he'd be a Ronald Ollie) when screen time should have gone to others. In particular I'd have liked to have seen more of DeAndre Johnson and Dakota Allen, both had the more serious troubles resulting in them getting kicked from their colleges and both of them seemed to have done the most to atone for what they did wrong. It's no surprise that Dakota Allen made it to the NFL and is still playing in the league.


Buddy was also so clearly being fake in an attempt to look better on camera which actually made him look even worse, absolute cunt of a man.

1st series was good, 2nd series not so much. 3rd series was so dire I only made it to 3 episodes in.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm liking the third series so far.

The head coach is a prick (there is a theme) and the QB is also a massive twat but a lot of the rest of the players are alright. The English teacher is the star of the show though.

[John Arne]

The new Stephen Merchant thing, The Outlaws, is a bit of a mess.

Starts off as a bit of a comedy, but then descends into some low-rent thriller, and the jokes just completely dry up by the 3rd episode.

I guess it doesn't have to be one or the other, but it's not funny enough for comedy, nor is the story good enough to carry it as a thriller or anything else really. Yeah, bit all over the place.

[Mike]

Tiger King season 2 tomorrow.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Tiger King season 2 tomorrow.
I'm 3 episodes in and it's a bit shit really. So far it feels like they shouldn't have bothered.

The clairvoyant psychic detective (lol) has been the one bright spot. When he was babbling about the empty chicken packet you could see the one woman realising they've just pissed their money away.

[Yevrah]

I got a bit into episode 2 last night and couldn't take much more. There's seemingly nothing to warrant even a follow up episode, let alone a five part series.

[Jeet]

Been watching Dopesick, really good and interesting considering it's based on true events about opioid addiction.

[Ian]

Blimey, it's Jeet.

[Spikey M]

When I was at the courts I had a Heroin Addict shout at me because the banning order he had received meant he couldn't go into town to get his Methadone. So now he was going to have to go back to the Heroin. No choice like.

I tried pointing out that pharmacists exist outside of the Town Centre. I also tried to explain that Boots may be a bit more welcoming if he didn't keep shoplifting from them. But no. I may as well have plunged the needle into his arm myself.

[Ian]

A pity you didn't plunge that post into the right thread.

[Boydy]

A pity you didn't plunge that post into the right thread.
Isn't it related to Dopesick?

[Spikey M]

I was responding to Jeets post. Is there a right thread for it anyway? I suppose I could have just PM'd it to all the Scottish lads.

[Shindig]

Maybe not Magic. He’s afraid of needles.

[Spikey M]

Likes tinfoil though.