Do we live in a golden age of television?

[Yevrah]

Didn't the lack of CGI and Autistic blue haired non-binary disabled dwarfs leading the charge at Normandy not give it away that it wasn't made this decade?

[John Arne]

Didn't the lack of CGI and Autistic blue haired non-binary disabled dwarfs leading the charge at Normandy not give it away that it wasn't made this decade?

:D

I'm only 20 minutes into it... but now you mention it, there is a peculiar lack of dwarves.

[Spikey M]

Didn't the lack of CGI and Autistic blue haired non-binary disabled dwarfs leading the charge at Normandy not give it away that it wasn't made this decade?

:lol:

[hfswjyr]

How I envy you watching BoB for the first time.

And yes, a quick google search tells me unfortunately no veterans of easy company are still alive .

[Giggles]

Didn't the lack of CGI and Autistic blue haired non-binary disabled dwarfs leading the charge at Normandy not give it away that it wasn't made this decade?

Wait for the Channel 4 remake.

[Baz]

I’ve got a code for 12 months of Disney plus for new subscribers only, if anyone wants it?

[Spikey M]

As in free for 12 months? Yes please if so.

[Baz]

As in free for 12 months? Yes please if so.

Yeah. Check your PMs

[Spikey M]

What a hero. :cool:

[Baz]

That I am.

Enjoy rewatching Malcolm in the Middle.

[Dark Soldier]

Started The Boys, having avoided it due to superheroes

Fucking hell its so good. Had me priper lolling at times.

[phonics]

The first couple of seasons are very good. The last season before this one was absolute binfest.

[Pepe]

Where does one download shows these days?

[Magic]

Pirate Proxy. Never fails.

[Pepe]

Will take a look. It's been a while.

[Baz]

I’ve got way into the 1982 cartoon series of The Incredible Hulk (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Incredible_Hulk_(1982_animated_series)#Season_1) recently.

Anyone know if there’s a similar series that includes more super heroes, like a classic cartoon version of the avengers or whatever the likes of iron man and spider man call themselves.

Watched some of the Spiderman cartoon from when I was a kid but a) season 1 episode 1 goes straight into spider man fighting the lizard, with zero explanation of why he’s spider man and b) it just seemed to be spider man + baddies.

[Kikó]

Into the first couple of episodes of season 3 of the bear and hmm. First one is just a dream episode, second one is just everyone shouting at each other (at least so far). Not great.

[Waffdon]

A couple of the episodes bored me from this season. John Cena cameo was great though

[Waffdon]

Presumed Innocent. Tres bien

[Magic]

Nearly finished Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.

Not sure I can watch anything after this combined greatness. :(

[randomlegend]

Nearly finished Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.

Not sure I can watch anything after this combined greatness. :(

Watch Mr Inbetween if you haven't already

[Magic]

Watch Mr Inbetween if you haven't already

Similar to those?

[randomlegend]

Dunno, it's just fucking good.

[hfswjyr]

Watched Mr Inbetween after seeing the recommendations in this thread. Good show.
Has anyone managed to watch the movie version? The Magician.

[mo]

“Forks” in season 2 of The Bear may be the pinnacle. Flawless television, had Taylor Swift in my head all day.

Just started watching The Bear a few days ago, watched this episode last night and drew the same conclusion. No surprise I wasn't alone!

Also agree with whoever said watching TV shouldn't be this stressful.

[Baz]

Season 6 of malcolm in the middle is outstanding.

[Baz]

Started season seven and reckon I’ve laughed at every episode so far, six episodes in. So good. Reese is brilliant.

Apparently it’s coming back too. :huhu:

[Magic]

Started watching Severance (like the idea but it's quite slow) and Curb your Enthusiasm.

[Baz]

Started season seven and reckon I’ve laughed at every episode so far, six episodes in. So good. Reese is brilliant.

Apparently it’s coming back too. :huhu:
I keep thinking about what probably felt like a throwaway gag at the time, where Reese eats soup, and laughing to myself.

[Magic]

It's good, we get it.

Cool fact, I was neighbours with the guy in They Might Be Giants parents-in-laws.

[Baz]

The Inbetweeners is set for a shock return as show star Joe Thomas reveals talks for a reboot are underway and ALL of the main cast are involved.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Slow Horses is back this week apparently. Vamos.

[Ben]

Tomorrow in fact.

[Lofty]

Apple TV coaxing more cash out of me.

Terminator Zero is worth a go if you are a fan of the franchise.

[Boydy]

Is Slow Horses out weekly? I think that's how Apple normally do it, isn't it?

Anyone watched any of the second series of Sherwood yet?

[Waffdon]

I turned it off after the second episode. First series was far better

[Magic]

Started watching Severance (like the idea but it's quite slow) and Curb your Enthusiasm.

Severance was so slow. Canned it. Started watching Dexter instead because of Michael C Hall. It's pretty fun but no idea how it's got such a high rating.

[Ben]

Stop Dexter after season four. Much better ending that way.

[Manc]

I turned it off after the second episode. First series was far better

Fair play for making it that far. I lost interest after a dismal first episode.

BBC don't have a great track record when it comes to second seasons.

[niko_cee]

Just watched an episode of Keeping Up Appearances having stumbled onto BBC4 and left it running in my linear TV existence. Was probably better than 95% of modern made stuff, properly densely, skillfully crafted work.

[Magic]

Just watched an episode of Keeping Up Appearances having stumbled onto BBC4 and left it running in my linear TV existence. Was probably better than 95% of modern made stuff, properly densely, skillfully crafted work.

Yes. We watched One Foot and it was delicious as well. All the oldies are sublime.

Except Del Boy. Fuck that hasn't aged well.

[niko_cee]

It made me think of One Foot in the Grave, another peculiarly British classic.

[Baz]

Someone is upscaling old comedies to 4K: https://hotkarl.co.uk/

He's done a load of Reeves & Mortimer, the pedogeddon episode of Brass Eye and is now working on Phoenix Nights.

Not keen on how he's handed the 4:3 ratio, and they're still getting to grips with syncing the audio correctly, but it's a nice idea nonetheless.


Also my daughter has introduced me to a sketch show on CBBC called Big Fat Like (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000pqw6/big-fat-like) and it's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Don't let the cover image put you off:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTYxOWEzNGEtNjE4Yy00YjUyLWI1MTktNGFmMDY4NDQ0Yz JhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzMjQ2MTQ5._V1_.jpg

I haven't lolled out loud so much at a TV show for a while. Any other sad dads seen it?

[Spikey M]

I haven't, but I showed my son and daughter Dick and Dom playing Bogies a while back and my sense of humour clearly hasn't changed since I was about 14 because it still made me lol.

[Ben]

Someone is upscaling old comedies to 4K: https://hotkarl.co.uk/

He's done a load of Reeves & Mortimer, the pedogeddon episode of Brass Eye and is now working on Phoenix Nights.

I hope he makes it through Phoenix Nights before getting deleted from the internet.

Eight grand?!

[Magic]

Binned Dexter and started on Gomorrah and Yellowstone.

Gomorrah is fucking brutal, absolutely nothing like the Sopranos.

[Baz]

Started watching Things You Should Have Done. I can imagine it might start to grate on me after a while, but it is quite funny. People Just Do Nothing / This Country style of daft.

[Dquincy]

2nd half of the new season of Emily in Paris out soon, ladies.

[CJay]

5 minutes in and Rosie Jones on Taskmaster is so much worse than I thought she’d be. How do people sit through her stand up?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

5 minutes in and Rosie Jones on Taskmaster is so much worse than I thought she’d be. How do people sit through her stand up?

Weirdly she got the loudest applause when they were all introduced.

[CJay]

Weirdly she got the loudest applause when they were all introduced.

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

Surely it’s just people going overboard to try to seem inclusive. Deep down they must be cringing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Zaltzman, who I had never hard of, seems like great value.

[niko_cee]

I saw he was on it [TMS stats legend] but having him on the same one as R Jones is cruel.

In other terrestrial news I clicked BBC1 on earlier and celebrity masterchef was on and I thought fucking hell how have the BBC got Steven Seagal on it, but it turns out it's his Turkish/Laaandan doppleganger.

[hfswjyr]

It's hard to tell if Jack Dee is genuinely unamused by Rosie, or if its just his act.

[Yevrah]

2nd half of the new season of Emily in Paris out soon, ladies.

With a smug sense of virtue I’d imagine.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Emily in Paris[a] is an American romantic comedy drama television series created by Darren Star for Netflix. The series stars Lily Collins as aspiring marketing executive Emily Cooper, an American who moves to Paris to provide an American point of view to a French marketing firm. In Paris, she tries to overcome challenges in her work, love life, and friendships.

I can't imagine a synopsis less likely to draw me in than that. Maybe if she worked for a fashion magazine.


Lily Jane Collins (born 18 March 1989) is an English and American actress. Born in Guildford and raised in Los Angeles, she began performing on screen at the age of two in the BBC sitcom Growing Pains.

Fucking hell. Born in Guildford and raised in Los Angeles. Doesn't get any worse than that.

[Yevrah]

I actually meant to quote the post asking how people watch Rosie Jones there, but seems it still works.

[Luke Emia]

Without wanting to go all old man shouting at cloud it definitely does feel TM has gotten much more 'Woke' with the contestants since Channel 4 took over. That's not to say all of those contestants have been bad either some of the best people on the show are often the people I have never heard of. But, Rosie Jones has the potential to make this unwatchable for me as there is just nothing about her that I have ever found funny.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'll go more direct and say that it's possible she is funny, but I don't know because I can't understand a word she says.

[Yevrah]

Not funny is one thing, her being borderline incomprehensible is the real issue.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I think she is funny (and I can understand her) but her timing is obviously horrendous.

Also, she did co-write Sex Education which is a quality show so she's clearly skilled at that.

[Spikey M]

Then crack on with writing and stop ruining every panel show going.

[Lofty]

I can't imagine a synopsis less likely to draw me in than that. Maybe if she worked for a fashion magazine.



Fucking hell. Born in Guildford and raised in Los Angeles. Doesn't get any worse than that.
Phil Collins' daughter so she gets to do the Sarah Jessica Parker Sex and the City move of being in a show about shagging without ever doing nudity.

[Manc]

I've got Disney free with my mobile contract. Any absolute musts? I'm thinking Shogun to start.

[Mike]

The Bear

[Raoul Duke]

I'm enjoying Only Murders In The Building at the moment

[randomlegend]

Finished the second season of Sherwood last night and Monica Dolan is a truly brilliant actress. She makes you absolutely hate that character, and then realising where it was I recognised her from blew my mind a bit ("The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe" and "Appropriate Adult").

[Manc]

The Bear


I'm enjoying Only Murders In The Building at the moment

I'll add them to the list.

If anyone is looking for something to watch with the Mrs. You can't go wrong with The Perfect Couple. The plot is a little wishy-washy, but the cast is very strong.

[Boydy]

I turned it off after the second episode. First series was far better


Fair play for making it that far. I lost interest after a dismal first episode.

BBC don't have a great track record when it comes to second seasons.
Dunno what's wrong with you two. I've watched the first two episodes now and it's brilliant. That second episode was so tense.

[Dquincy]

Emily in Paris has been good so far. She's broken up with the French bloke, but an Italian bloke has now turned up. Can sene there's drama afoot.

[Lofty]

Having half watched it when looking up from my steam deck when any nudity is on screen as the wife marathoned it, the whole show seems to be trapped in the idea of her and and the French bloke being starcrossed lovers but whenever they get together they split within 2 episodes.

The three French people she works with are far better characters, Luc :cool:

[wullie]

The video that popped up on Netflix showed her in Rome. Is her name even Emily?

[Dquincy]

Having half watched it when looking up from my steam deck when any nudity is on screen as the wife marathoned it, the whole show seems to be trapped in the idea of her and and the French bloke being starcrossed lovers but whenever they get together they split within 2 episodes.

The three French people she works with are far better characters, Luc :cool:

Yeah, it is a bit far fetched with that French fella. But her saucy American Asian friend makes up.

And Luc :cool:

[Alex]

In an effort to just find something to watch I've taken a punt on The Strain recently and I can't decide whether I like it or not. Sometimes it's pretty well done, flat out horror with a pretty compelling set-up. Sometimes it's unintentionally hilarious nonsense.

It does have David Bradley as a grizzled old bastard lopping vampire heads off with a sword disguised as a walking stick though, so I'm sticking with it for now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The Strain is class.

Bradley is clearly the standout but I thought all characters were great.

[Alex]

The Strain is class.

Bradley is clearly the standout but I thought all characters were great.

I'm only four episodes in but that one ends with Eph and the girl doctor in the house with the infected little girl and Dad about to get killed, and Bradley just rocks up out of nowhere tells the vampires to get fucked in some cool Eastern European sounding language and then lops both their heads clean off. What a lad.

So I'm now looking forward to them getting fully on board with his "kill the lot of them and burn everything" plan. :cool:

[randomlegend]

Watching Celebrity Catchphrase and Bradley Wiggins is on.

He's absolutely shit and he's clearly seething, he's barely even trying to hide it :D

[phonics]

Can’t tell whether this years slow horses is worse than the other ones or watching it week to week makes it worse.

[Ben]

Started The Bureau. It's French language but if that doesn't bother you, it's absolutely tremendous.

[Kikó]

Can’t tell whether this years slow horses is worse than the other ones or watching it week to week makes it worse.

No it's definitely worse. Characters are further exaggerated, writing lazy. It has been going steadily downhill for a while.

[Spikey M]

I haven't watched it for years, but still :(

1838835829348930027?t=DABCXZaZd7MYSKFDx8JWfA&s=19

[Manc]

Ken Barlow still going strong.

[wullie]

I couldn't get back into it when it came back, the time jump was just too much for me. He's aged remarkably well considering his initial character was basically ugly fat lad.

[Shindig]

Meanwhile we get Tyrone Battersby.

[Kikó]

Recently finished a couple of series, both different ends of the serious spectrum. Monsieur Spade is the semi retirement of Private Detective Sam Spade (Clive Owen) in a picturesque, sleepy town in France at the height of Algerian independence. It's a joint venture with Canal+ and AMC so the French actors are all well cast. The story just falls down because it hinges on a kid basically being the most important thing ever. Decent enough watch. 6/10. Second, The Perfect Couple is a new version of how the very rich are disconnected from reality and covers a murder at a beach house. Similar to The White Lotus so relatively brain dead fun. 6.5/10.

Back to Slow Horses.

[Magic]

Back in to the Shield. So good. :drool:

[randomlegend]

Watching the Chase and Eamonn Holmes has got so much makeup on he looks AI generated.

[Dquincy]

Watching This Time with Alan Partridge, again. Some real gems in it. Definitely worth a re-watch.

[Yevrah]

Lucan, a documentary about Lord Lucan on BBC is pretty good.

[Lewis]

I watched the first two episodes last night and it all sounded reasonably convincing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Decided to give Seinfeld a go the other day.

Some of the jokes are a little dated but it's still pretty damn good and George is an all time great character.

[Pepe]

Yes Seinfeld is still excellent.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There will never be a better sitcom of that type made. One of the key devices in it is Jerry and the others always having to call their dates/parents on landlines. Brilliant for pacing.

[Giggles]

I want to watch that Jackal thing, looks very Bondy but I'm paying for enough of this shit without Sky Atlantic too.

[niko_cee]

Just watch the original Day of the Jackal [again?], which I'm sure will be infinitely better.

[Giggles]

Is that why I keep calling it Day of the Jackal? Been corrected a couple of times. Never seen whatever that is but it must be in my head.

[Pepe]

There will never be a better sitcom of that type made. One of the key devices in it is Jerry and the others always having to call their dates/parents on landlines. Brilliant for pacing.

Any show where they show you the little screen where you can see what the characters are texting each other is guaranteed to be bad.

[Giggles]

I enjoy shrinking. It's harmless as fuck but nobody needs to have a bone sticking out of their eye.

[niko_cee]

Is that why I keep calling it Day of the Jackal? Been corrected a couple of times. Never seen whatever that is but it must be in my head.

T'was a book [Forsythe? Not read it] and then a broody film with Edward Fox which probably doesn't have enough pay-off for the modern viewer, so they remade it with Bruce Willis, in 1997 fucking hell, which was fairly lol, and now they have this new thing. I suppose at least Eddie Redmayne is probably closer to Edward Fox than Willis was, but then, it would be hard not to be.

I eagerly await Robert Pattinson in The Heart of Darkness or some such when they don't feel Coppola really did justice to Conrad's vision.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watching the Lucan thing. It's really well made, but after 1 ep I'm on the side of Taki / bodies of water. See if I can be convinced otherwise.

[Ben]

The Day of the Jackal seems to have good reviews so far. It’s next on my list when I finish The Bureau (which is tremendous by the way).

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watching the Lucan thing. It's really well made, but after 1 ep I'm on the side of Taki / bodies of water. See if I can be convinced otherwise.

Not going to answer this having watched the rest, but it's a super documentary, one of the best I've seen in a long time. About something much bigger than what it purports to be about.

[wullie]

Lt Bookman in the library episode of Seinfeld is right up there in all-timers list of one-off characters in TV.

[Yevrah]

Not going to answer this having watched the rest, but it's a super documentary, one of the best I've seen in a long time. About something much bigger than what it purports to be about.

Didn’t want to spoil how good it was for those interested in watching it when I recommended it so avoided saying this before, but I agree completely, it’s brilliant.

[Lewis]

The reveal was incredible, and I feel like Neil is a proper wrong'un all things considered. Alright mate, you miss your adopted - actual - mum, but don't think ruining your family's life on some wank goose chase and harassing some demented old man makes you look like anything other than a mental case.

[Lofty]

I saw an article railing against converting a slick film into a 10 hour series for the content mines and I probably agree. I don't need to know the Jackal's life in detail, I just need to see he is a master of disguise and deadly assassin. They even swapped it from a political assassination to a tech baron.

What really turned me against it though was the cunts at Sky using half time coverage of Arsenal v Liverpool to air a full length trailer for the series, fuck off.

[Ben]

I’ve just realised I’ve seen the original remake called “Carlos” with Edgar Ramirez playing the role. It was excellent.

[Waffdon]

The Day of the Jackal seems to have good reviews so far. It’s next on my list when I finish The Bureau (which is tremendous by the way).

Is it normal for 5 episodes to be released at once and then weekly thereafter? V annoying

Patiently waiting for The Penguin and Tulsa king to finish up

[Ben]

It’s a stupid HBO thing I think. I don’t watch a lot of HBO stuff but I recall being pissed off by something like this in the past.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They're all at some form of dickheadishness right now.

Disney+ and Prime seem to release 2 or 3 episodes before going weekly and Netflix are splitting the final season of Cobra Kai into three fucking parts.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The reveal was incredible, and I feel like Neil is a proper wrong'un all things considered. Alright mate, you miss your adopted - actual - mum, but don't think ruining your family's life on some wank goose chase and harassing some demented old man makes you look like anything other than a mental case.

I've seen some people say that they think Neil likes the limelight, but I'm not sure about that - I just think that he (like a lot of people) is just far too credulous and gullible about things that he wants to be true, and that that has been exploited by his journo mate who is probably the biggest villain of the piece other than Lucan himself.

[Shindig]

Aye, you can tell his wife is royally annoyed by it. He's too nervous to be chasing the limelight but, without a body, he'll not give it up.

It's quite a good bit of television but there's the sense everyone's stringing someone else along for the ride.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lt Bookman in the library episode of Seinfeld is right up there in all-timers list of one-off characters in TV.

Cracking shout, he was amazing.

[Kikó]

Not going to answer this having watched the rest, but it's a super documentary, one of the best I've seen in a long time. About something much bigger than what it purports to be about.

I'm two episodes in and Bazza Dugel is the best television I've ever watched.

[Shindig]

Well, that ends with more unanswered questions. :D

Christopher whatshisname has more aliases than a chatroom. I was expecting it to end with him being charged with some cold case murders of his own. Also, big nonce/groomed energy from him and his carer Jake.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The moment when he justifies Bezza Dugal by saying 'It's a bit out there as a name, isn't it' was the bit when I realised what the film was actually about.

And the bit on the train when he realises the flaw in Bezza Dugal. Just gold.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, the Lucan thing was top tv.

Felt like a lot of it was very set-up in some sort of Truman Show style top trolling effort, the poor bugger just being led up some insane garden path. I didn't really get why they didn't go all Jeremy Kyle and start nicking people's hair for DNA analysis, seeing as they met the brother, and the son, and the old guy, other than that putting it all in the mud quicker than would be desirable. Old Aussie guy was a good character. I see you ya bastard! All the side characters were what made it. Villainous journalist, neckless/clueless old copper, Bezza Dougal, the weird 'carer', so many questions.

[John Arne]

Yeah, the Lucan thing was top tv.

Felt like a lot of it was very set-up in some sort of Truman Show style top trolling effort, the poor bugger just being led up some insane garden path. I didn't really get why they didn't go all Jeremy Kyle and start nicking people's hair for DNA analysis, seeing as they met the brother, and the son, and the old guy, other than that putting it all in the mud quicker than would be desirable. Old Aussie guy was a good character. I see you ya bastard! All the side characters were what made it. Villainous journalist, neckless/clueless old copper, Bezza Dougal, the weird 'carer', so many questions.


That's where I went immediately. Jut get some of his hair or nick a cup and do a DNA test.

[Manc]

Don't really understand the hype with Lucan (1 episode in). Quite difficult to get behind Neil when he has zero personality.

[Yevrah]

It does start slowly, but stick with it.

[Boydy]

I finished it last night. It was decent but I sort of hoped for more. I think it was Jimmy's "it's about more than just its subject matter" that got my hopes up. I was hoping for more of a social and cultural history of the 70s, a bit like how that OJ Simpson documentary had a whole history of racial politics in the US in it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought it was not about Lucan at all but about Neil, human nature and our tragic inability to see beyond what we want to see.

[Boydy]

Yeah, I'm not disputing that, it just wasn't beyond its subject matter in the way I had expected/hoped after what you said. There was nothing wrong with what you said, just my notion of what it might have meant was different.

[Spikey M]

Just finished Lucan and I echo Jimmy's thoughts. It's a great little documentary.

I don't think you could get a better reveal in non-fiction than a murderous Lord on the run having a spiritualist dragqueen doppelganger. :D

The scenes of the old boy getting confused and angry at the constant accusations were a tough watch. Neil is clearly not the brightest spark and has some pretty major mental health issues, but the various others arround him encouraging him should be fucking ashamed of themselves.

[randomlegend]

Just finished Lucan and I echo Jimmy's thoughts. It's a great little documentary.

I don't think you could get a better reveal in non-fiction than a murderous Lord on the run having a spiritualist dragqueen doppelganger. :D

The scenes of the old boy getting confused and angry at the constant accusations were a tough watch. Neil is clearly not the brightest spark and has some pretty major mental health issues, but the various others arround him encouraging him should be fucking ashamed of themselves.

I mean Neil found out his mum was brutally beaten to death and the guy who did it probably got away with it. Developing an obsession with finding Lucan is a fairly understandable reaction.

It was a bit funny when they revealed the old photo of drag queen man from the show and it was blatantly obviously him. You could tell even Neil lost his conviction once he saw that photo given how obvious it was.

[Magic]

I finished it last night. It was decent but I sort of hoped for more. I think it was Jimmy's "it's about more than just its subject matter" that got my hopes up. I was hoping for more of a social and cultural history of the 70s, a bit like how that OJ Simpson documentary had a whole history of racial politics in the US in it.

The OJ Doc is one of the most engaging and interesting documentaries I've ever seen.

[Magic]

I've finished Gomorra, it was amazing but the story was kind of bonkers towards the end. The characters really made the show.

To continue my Neapolitan obsession I've started My Brilliant Friend which even has some of the Gomorra characters in it. Really interesting so far.

[Manc]

Lucan is a load of bollocks.

[Baz]

Started a rewatch of I Think You Should Leave and honestly cannot believe how much I enjoy it. So funny.

[Bernanke]

The Diplomat is toss.

[Giggles]

I liked out for the most part, but that ending was so fucking stupid.

[Magic]

Tried again to get in to Taskmaster but it's just a big pile of shite. NPC fodder?

[Baz]

Tried again to get in to Taskmaster but it's just a big pile of shite. NPC fodder?

Watch I Think You Should Leave.

[Waffdon]

The penguin is incredible

[Kikó]

Tried again to get in to Taskmaster but it's just a big pile of shite. NPC fodder?

Develop a sense of humour.

[randomlegend]

Having an early midlife crisis and going to do a "counselling" qualification is about as NPC as it gets to be honest.

[CJay]

This season of Taskmaster pleasantly surprised me, having got fed up with it a few seasons back. Rosie Jones was alright, but her rude ‘humour’ grates a little. Andy Zaltzman was fantastic.

Silo season 2 starts tonight. I’ve read the books since season 1, so I know the general direction of the plot but it’ll be interesting to see how it changes in the show.

[Spikey M]

Tried again to get in to Taskmaster but it's just a big pile of shite. NPC fodder?

Agree. I've tried a few times and I just don't get it.

[Baz]

Agree. I've tried a few times and I just don't get it.

Season 2 of the New Zealand one is peak comedy television.

[Giggles]

Taskmaster is class, mostly because of Greg Davies. I'm fucked if I'm ever watching an episode with Rosie Jones in it though.

[Yevrah]

I did last night. She isn't remotely funny and I still can't understand half of what she says (which is somehow an improvement) but her presence didn't ruin the show as much as I thought it would.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The series that had Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar, Bob Mortimer et al was some of the best British comedy TV I've seen. Other series I have found hit or miss and if I don't know the people on it (which is increasingly the case) I can't really be bothered. Zaltzman obviously is one of my people though so might give that a go.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Season 2 of the New Zealand one is peak comedy television.

Laura Daniel :wub:

[Giggles]

The series that had Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar, Bob Mortimer et al was some of the best British comedy TV I've seen. Other series I have found hit or miss and if I don't know the people on it (which is increasingly the case) I can't really be bothered. Zaltzman obviously is one of my people though so might give that a go.

Yep that was probably peak.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also, I thought Rosie would be shit in TM and I felt like she was for the first few episodes but I think she grew into it and provided some really great moments (especially in prize and live tasks) by the end. Her rapport with "Jackie" was great too, teaming them up was genius.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Zaltzman (who I didn't know before) and Jackie were my favourites though.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The series that had Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar, Bob Mortimer et al was some of the best British comedy TV I've seen. Other series I have found hit or miss and if I don't know the people on it (which is increasingly the case) I can't really be bothered. Zaltzman obviously is one of my people though so might give that a go.

And yes, season 5.

Aisling Bea was the weakest link and even then she was great value.

Bob Mortimer was always going to be incredible but they also surrounded him with some great people and Mark Watson is the greatest prize tasker of all time.

[Kikó]

Agree with that. Currently watching the season with Acaster and Rhod Gilbert. It's ok but the Yorkshire woman's voice massively grates.

I enjoyed the Ardel o'Hanlon one as well (pretty much watching them out of order)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The only season I absolutely cannot stand is season 6.

Russell Howard and Tim Vine (Asim Chaudry isn't great either) are fucking painful to watch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Day of the Jackal seems to have good reviews so far. It’s next on my list when I finish The Bureau (which is tremendous by the way).

Going to try this (the Jackal) tonight. Seems like my kind of thing. Bureau is also my kind of thing so keep posting about it so I remember to start it one day.

[Jimmy Floyd]

4 eps into Jackal, it's pretty enjoyable but feels like it could be a bit tighter, and Lashana Lynch is useless, both actor and character.

Redmayne very good.

[Boydy]

Started Tires last night - watched the first two episodes and I'm enjoying it. Shame there's only six episodes.

What other decent comedies are there around these days? Or any lesser known ones I might have missed in recent years? It feels like there aren't as many around any more but maybe I'm just missing them.

[Manc]

Shogun. Promised so much and delivered so little.

[Magic]

Shrinking is good, though I'm unsure it's messaging at the moment is positive. I'm only on the 3rd episode mind, however if it keeps up with the 'therapists are shit, get a coach' story I'll be annoyed.

[SvN]

It's a true story. Stick with it, I enjoyed it.

[Clunge]

Obvs not actually going to watch this, but the review is terrific: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/07/mariah-meets-rylan-review-absolutely-exhausting-viewing

I mean, Mariah Carey being a joyless diva? Whodda thunk it?

[niko_cee]

The beeb were going big on Mariah last night and I had the misfortune to be in the same room as it. She just seems such an uninteresting person. A singing robot. Even the diva shit is deathly dull. At least Whitney was into her acting, drugs and dodgy relationships in addition to the singing, there's just nothing to commend Mariah, other than her singing, obviously. Not sure 30 years since the Christmas song really merits such extensive coverage.

[Magic]

She likes the BBC.

[Spikey M]

I still refuse to believe she's black. Rachel Dolezal was more convincing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The song is awful as well. Its release marked the debasement of Christmas.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Finished day of the jackal. Thought it started OK but became complete balls as it went on.

I don't know if it's just me having high/snobbish standards, but all these post-Netflix era things tire me out massively. Everything must lack specificity, everything must be in plush houses or glass buildings, everything must be pitched as broadly as possible at a highly international audience. If there are any specific locations shown they have to be tourist board sponsored shots. We visit unionist Belfast and this has to be denoted by them standing in a shop with Union Jack bunting draped across its entire interior, because otherwise the international audience are (the showrunners assume) too stupid to work out any nuance between different codes of Irish people. There is woke box ticking (lots of black screen time and lots of white but zero of any other ethnicity. Would MI6 send a black woman on an undercover mission to Belarus? I fear not), and there is also commercial box ticking - the hot woman from Money Heist brings her audience, Eddie Redmayne brings the housewives and the Harry Potter people, black people bring the black audience, and so on. The twists are there but they are spelled out for 5 year olds, often by showing succinctly written text messages on screen in huge font such as never appears on anyone's actual phone screen.

There was some good tension built up at times but the ending was lame and the whole thing just smacked of 'how can we spin off a good standalone tale into a second and third series'.

[Magic]

Tarantino just said something similar. They're all the same with no payoff. Totally forgettable.

[Ben]

Watched the first few episodes of The Agency last night. It’s the English language adaptation of The Bureau that I’ve been peddling in here. It was a good start but will need to pick up hard to reach the levels of its French counterpart.

Jim, consider this your periodic reminder to watch The Bureau.

[Kikó]

It wouldn't surprise me if most of Netflix's scripts have been written by AI for years.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think what I'm saying is that we no longer live in a golden age of television. It was good while it lasted.

[Spikey M]

Indeed. Tv has followed music and film into being safe, formulaic and dull. Everything is a rinse and repeat of what came before. Far better to over-milk a cash cow than give a rarebreed a chance.

[Manc]

We've long past the golden age of television. 2006-2008 was peak.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't think it's that they won't give things a chance, most of these things could be good if they wanted them to be good. The talent is there. It's that they refuse to treat their audience as intelligent because they're so afraid of being switched off in some territories for inaccessibility. It all results in things being watered down into a smooth, bland sauce that they think will suit every taste.

I would far rather watch something that I don't understand and have to work hard to follow, but is genuine and authentic and specific.

[Kikó]

Speaking of old is best, we've been making our way through WIRE IN THE BLOOD with Robson Green from early 2000s. Surprisingly bloody and a good solid British thriller/drama. Like an early day version of the Mentalist.

[niko_cee]

Always thought he somewhat suffered from the whole Robson and Jerome thing, was a better actor than being some housewife pap that kept Wonderwall off number 1, which is essentially what I thought of him for years.

[Kikó]

Yep. I still have this irrational hatred of him because of that but he's actually a good actor. It freaks me out a little that he's basically my age in this series.

[Magic]

We've long past the golden age of television. 2006-2008 was peak.

Lol that's an awful take

[Ben]

Robson and Jerome were class you heathens.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd say the golden age ran from whenever The Wire came out until Covid. A good run.

[Manc]

Lol that's an awful take

It's actually a hot take.

[Giggles]

It's an opinion you American gimps.

[Magic]

It's actually a hot take.

Literally nothing good came out in those years, apart from BB.

[Spikey M]

The IT Crowd

[Manc]

I was more referring to what was on TV at that point.

Mad Men
Breaking Bad
The Wire
The Sopranos
West Wing
Dexter

[Spikey M]

The IT Crowd

[Ben]

Dunno what Magic’s problem is here, 06-08 was great television everywhere. I’d say the golden age lasted longer, but those years were certainly in it.

[Magic]

I was more referring to what was on TV at that point.

Mad Men
Breaking Bad
The Wire
The Sopranos
West Wing
Dexter

Right, well they're on TV now so...?

[Manc]

How are you this autistic?

[Magic]

You know with on demand stuff everything is on all the time! Golden!

[John Arne]

Silo season 1 was pretty good and kinda original. Silo season 2 has been a hot pile of nothingness mess.

[Mike]

Yeah, Season 2 has been so dull. Such a shame.

[igor_balis]

The IT Crowd

It's well overrated, with the exception of the admittedly great I'M DISABLED episode. I accept that writers will produce stuff that's similar and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I always felt like it was far too close to the Father Ted formula, with Catholic parochial house swapped out for an IT department, with far shitter characters and about 0.01% of the warmth.

[igor_balis]

Chris O'Dowd seems a reasonably likeable geezer and I really enjoyed Moone Boy, but Roy is so much worse than Ted as the exasperated straight man character.

Also, Father Ted was (in a way that I think people overlook) pretty fucking weird at times, yet never felt as forcibly ZANY as IT Crowd.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Father Ted was 10 years earlier and that was a big ten years when it came to trends in British (or in this case Irish) comedy. Out had gone any form of sincerity, in was the postmodern ironic consensus that also led to (on the good side of things) Peep Show and (on the bad side) Inbetweeners.

At least it was still something though, fuck knows what British comedy even looks like now.

[igor_balis]

Father Ted was 10 years earlier and that was a big ten years when it came to trends in British (or in this case Irish) comedy. Out had gone any form of sincerity, in was the postmodern ironic consensus that also led to (on the good side of things) Peep Show and (on the bad side) Inbetweeners.

At least it was still something though, fuck knows what British comedy even looks like now.

I think your theory is quite a good one, though I'd argue Peep Show is a great example of a show that straddles the line between those eras (artistically, if not strictly chronologically) - Peep Show was a lot more sincere and realistic in its early years, and was a lot better for it. It's not exactly The Simpsons, but Peep Show declined quite a lot more and quite a lot earlier than people remember IMO. It was already just a good tv show by about season 5, and season 1 is easily the best.

I also think Inbetweeners is genuinely great, but season 3 was noticeably worse, and the films were rubbish.

[igor_balis]

The only thing that's aged really badly in the Inbetweeners is the really intrusive and shit landfill indie soundtrack, which is really fucking annoying.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think it that's not a bad shout, series 1-4 it had a bit more heart in it, I still liked season 5 onwards but in what I will call the Isy Suttie years it was more just a series of good lines than a real knitted together show.

You wouldn't expect me to like Inbetweeners so we'll leave that one.

[igor_balis]

I think it that's not a bad shout, series 1-4 it had a bit more heart in it, I still liked season 5 onwards but in what I will call the Isy Suttie years it was more just a series of good lines than a real knitted together show.
Yeah I can't argue with that, I basically feel exactly the same about the show as you do, I just like the earlier stuff a bit more and like the later stuff quite a lot less.

[SvN]

Everything after the end of the Sophie arc (the wedding) was a step down, but still very watchable, even if it wasn't quite as brilliant as season 1-4.

[Spikey M]

The IT Crowd is the most recent decent comedy - especially when it comes to terrestrial tv - I can think of. The Inbetweeners was great, but of it's time. Father Ted was superb and I will hear no slander of any kind against it.

Peep Show was great, but attempts to give it a second viewing have always ended in failure after a couple of episodes

[Boydy]

At least it was still something though, fuck knows what British comedy even looks like now.

Good question. Are there any decent comedies out at the minute? I'm not sure what the most recent British comedy I enjoyed was. Friday Night Dinner, maybe.

[Boydy]

Actually, The Cleaner was alright. And Cuckoo was maybe more recent as well? Man Down too.

Basically Greg Davies is brilliant.

[Boydy]

Oh, This Way Up. And Catastrophe. And Derry Girls. More British/Irish, I suppose but still.

[Spikey M]

Comedy- especially British comedy - is probably the biggest victim of the internationalism of tv and film that Jimmy was lamenting the other day. Chuck in a heavy spoonful of being scared to offend and it's dead in the water. Safe, bland and simple.

Even stand up has been a victim of it. It's either safe and gentle, punching UP at all times or... well, Ricky Gervais, basically. Just being offensive for the sake of being offensive, then saying "you can't say that". I'm not much of a James Acaster fan, but he really did nail him on that front.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, comedy has been killed by the woke era I think, not because people would be rattling off Bernard Manning jokes otherwise, but because it makes people scared to experiment or be different, and unwilling to commission things that could even potentially alienate anyone.

Hopefully it'll have a renaissance if we manage to emerge from the woke era.

[Spikey M]

The issue at the moment is that the attempt of a renaissance is just being deliberately anti-woke.

THAT TRANS WOMAN USED TO BE A MAN
HAHAHAHAHA
CALLED BRUCE HE WAS.
HAHAHAHAHA.
HAD A MISSIVE COCK!!
HAHAHAHAHA
Ahhh... you can't say that these days

Which is just as boring as Miranda or Michael Mcintyre.

The revolution will come if and when comedy stops caring about feelings, rather than trying to protect or hurt them, which is all we have on offer at the moment, really.

[niko_cee]

What's that one about Northern Irish reprobates? The Young Offenders? That's always seemed alright when I've seen it. This Country before it I guess in a similar vein. It's essentially just BBC3 keeping the show on the road.

[Boydy]

What's that one about Northern Irish reprobates? The Young Offenders? That's always seemed alright when I've seen it. This Country before it I guess in a similar vein. It's essentially just BBC3 keeping the show on the road.

The Young Offenders was good, yeah. Properly Irish though - it's set in Cork, not up north.

I forgot about This Country. That other one that Daisy May Cooper did was alright as well. Can't remember the name of it now.

[igor_balis]

Yeah overly cautious TV commissioners is a big reason why there's not much good British comedy being made - woke stuff is definitely part of it, but also it's cus they can piss out identikit panel shows for a fraction of the cost of a scripted sitcom, and people will lap it up because they're retarded.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I read somewhere that panel shows are on the way out too - I can't remember why, but probably too expensive to hire the studio and labour etc.

The real 'value' (i.e. cheap) is to re-run old programmes endlessly, so they're moving towards that.

[Yevrah]

Ricky Gervais, basically. Just being offensive for the sake of being offensive, then saying "you can't say that". I'm not much of a James Acaster fan, but he really did nail him on that front.

Assume you're referring to this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adh0KGmgmQw

If so, it's disingenuous crap that deliberately conflates having a go at the trans movement, with having a go at vulnerable trans people.

[Spikey M]

Gervais isn't taking some bold stand against the trans movement, he's just being an edgelord, which is all he does these days.

[SvN]

Clearly too challenging for Yev.

[Yevrah]

Gervais isn't taking some bold stand against the trans movement, he's just being an edgelord, which is all he does these days.

Oh don't get me wrong, his trans stuff is mostly utter shit and of course he's not taking a stand, but neither is he picking on a vulnerable trans people which people like Acaster (and Stuart Lee for that matter, who is clearly miles ahead of JA) would have you believe.

[Yevrah]

As for tv being ruined by a woke approach, it absolutely has. Well, I wouldn't say ruined, but it's certainly contributed towards a significant dip in quality. When your start point is shoe horning in things that fit your World view first and building a narrative around that second, then there's no way it couldn't over a sustained period of doing it - which is what we've had.

Thankfully the money men appear to be waking up to this (no idea how it's taken this long given they've traditionally run everything), and we might soon be shot of it.

[Magic]

Panto has also been ruined.

The production of Oor Wullie was about an English Pakistani. Beyond woke shite.

[igor_balis]

Oh don't get me wrong, his trans stuff is mostly utter shit and of course he's not taking a stand, but neither is he picking on a vulnerable trans people which people like Acaster (and Stuart Lee for that matter, who is clearly miles ahead of JA) would have you believe.

I'm not sure the distinction you're making here is really that important. I'm pretty sure the main point acaster is making is that Gervais and his ilk are stupid twats, and that it's ludicrous that they frame this stuff as bravely telling the truth that could have them SILENCED.

The fact that trans people are a hugely vulnerable group (and they clearly fucking are), and these brave edgy comedians are having a go at them just accentuates the ridiculousness of it , which is what acaster is saying in this material. It's not primarily trans activism ffs

[Giggles]

Haven't enjoyed anything as much as Shrinking in a long while.

[randomlegend]

Watching the celebrity Gladiators episode; the men's is good but the women gladiators have clearly been told they aren't allowed to bash them. Powerball was laughable.

[randomlegend]

Fuckin hell, the Eliminator :D

[phonics]

Rinsed through Black Doves. Top stuff. Keira Knightly gets underlooked but she's truly great in everything she does.

[wullie]

Fuckin hell, the Eliminator :D

That was a bit sad, up until then she was doing quite well for I'm guessing the oldest person to take part. Viper's still a load of shit, he must have incriminating photos of someone at the BBC.

[Spikey M]

Rinsed through Black Doves. Top stuff. Keira Knightly gets underlooked but she's truly great in everything she does.

She is, but - as with Tom Hardy - she basically plays the same character in everything.

[Manc]

A lesbian?

[phonics]

I'm not sure there's a more absurd show than Gangs of London. You get 10 minutes of shoddy Boardwalk Empire followed by 25 minutes of Rambo First blood and then 5 minutes more of Shawoddy Walk Empire to set you up for the plot of the next episode. It's great.

[randomlegend]

I'm not sure there's a more absurd show than Gangs of London. You get 10 minutes of shoddy Boardwalk Empire followed by 25 minutes of Rambo First blood and then 5 minutes more of Shawoddy Walk Empire to set you up for the plot of the next episode. It's great.

Yeah I really enjoy it for what it is.

[Boydy]

Ludwig is great fun.

[Clunge]

I struggled to suspend the required level of disbelief. It was too daft for me (although I did watch the whole series).

[randomlegend]

I felt the same after the first episode but persisted through the second, then gave up.

[Yevrah]

Barely made it through the first episode and that was that, it just didn't grab me at all.

[Dquincy]

Watching squid game for the first time. Only 1 episode in, it's bat shit crazy.

Not sure if I enjoyed it because it's good, or more rather for the novelty of show. (And it's actually not that good)

[Raoul Duke]

Started watching Slow Horses. Cracking show

[Manc]

I finished S1 over the weekend. Top-tier tele.

[Ben]

Bluey is unironically spectacular television.

[Max Power]

Bluey is unironically spectacular television.

Always convincing my lad to watch it instead of other trash. The Cricket episode is amazing, lump in the throat.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, Bluey is very good.

Which is the one with I vow to thee my country in it? Sensational stuff.

[Spikey M]

A few weeks ago we went to a kids birthday party with no gifts inbetween the layers of the pass the parcel. :cool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Squid Game season 2 is good but not a patch on the first and it's let down massively by the finale.

[Boydy]

Real debrid has stopped taking Amazon pay. :(

[Kikó]

Bluey is unironically spectacular television.

Best thing about being a parent.
There's a little run on cbeebies where you get Dougie and Bluey and it's great.

[Spikey M]

I'm just annoyed it came so late. All those years suffering Bing and Peppa Pig.

Ben and Holly is another banger.

[niko_cee]

The Pig isn't bad, although B&H is the superior offering.

Bing is just dreadful. I assume it is some sort of European.

I used to like the lingo show but it probably turned out to be massively racist or something. I assume Mr Tumble is still bowling around in his many guises. Some of that was alright. Gigglebiz?

[Kikó]

I caught my daughter watching a YouTube version of Peppa pig which was clearly a weirdo knock off. The few seconds I watched had Peppa's dad lying on a sofa with a bottle of Jack Daniels next to him.

[Spikey M]

When TV shows grow up along with their audience :cool:

[wullie]

I don't mind Peppa Pig, but the only parenting advice I'm willing to give anyone is to avoid Bing at all costs. If you're already deprived of sleep the last thing you want is that moaning little prick.

[Ben]

Yeah Bing is a cunt. Proper entitled moaning little twat.

Fortunately my daughter has little interest in it. Same with the pig.

[Spikey M]

Topsy and Tim was another horror show.

[niko_cee]

The mum was quite fit though.

[Bam]

Going to give this new Jerry Springer documentary on Netflix ago tonight. What a show that was back in the day.

[Yevrah]

I see Harlan Coben has another Netflix adaptation out? Usual (somehow still enjoyable) shluck?

[Luke Emia]

I couldn’t watch it. Missis seems to love it, take from that what you will.

[Waffdon]

I see Harlan Coben has another Netflix adaptation out? Usual (somehow still enjoyable) shluck?

Pretty much. Not as bad as the Michelle Keegan one

Richard Armitage is in it again somehow

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The last season of What We Do In The Shadows is a real let-down.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watching Squid Game. A curious thing. Once I'd got over the PTSD triggered by the cadence of the Korean language, I had 20 minutes thinking it was quite interesting, then suddenly realised it is in fact a horrifying example of the thing it seeks to criticise. 6/10 but in a culture as constrained and on the nose as theirs that was all they were ever going to get.

[Alex]

I forget who recommend The Bureau (French espionage thriller) in here but I finished the first season/started the second last night and it's great. Good shout, that.

[Manc]

You're welcome.