Do we live in a golden age of television?

[Alex]

Season four of the X-Files done. All round, a very strong season of television. Probably the best one so far. It was largely firing on all cylinders.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Watched Fleabag recently and thought it was excellent. Really liked the addition of Andrew Scott in the second season too.

I've also finished the US remake of Utopia (I haven't seen the UK original but I will do so) and it was pretty crap yet I couldn't stop watching it. I think because I like the core concept so hopefully the UK one (which has good reviews) will nail it.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

I mind the UK one being very good but being cut short didn't help it obviously.

[niko_cee]

They remade Utopia? As in the C4 comic-based genetic engineering apocalypse series? Bet that was fairly lol. Not sure that thing really translates.

On the quasi-dystopian sci-fi front I've been watching this Brave New World thing Sky have rolled out. Was there this much shagging in the book (assuming it's based on that)? Huxley putting Lady Chatterley to shame if so. It's quite watchable but doesn't really have the feel of a classic. Too much nudity really.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The actors were shit. Especially the one who played Jessica Hyde.



Wilson, Becky and Grant were the only decent ones.

[phonics]

Watching Bake Off. The young black haired lady is fit in that way where you’re not sure going up to her flat would end with the best sex of your life or you being murdered and cut into small pieces.

[Baz]

The patois-geordie from week 1 was top top tier [for a channel 4 cookery show].

[Giggles]

I was trying to place who the big blonde one reminded me of and when looking up who or what Baz meant there, it’s the bear off the Cleveland Show.

[niko_cee]

Watching Bake Off. The young black haired lady is fit in that way where you’re not sure going up to her flat would end with the best sex of your life or you being murdered and cut into small pieces.

The one that looks a bit like Sarah Alexander and Paul clearly fancies?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lottie <3

She's no Ruby or Manon from last year though.

[Giggles]

The one that looks a bit like Sarah Alexander and Paul clearly fancies?

In fairness I’d say Paul Hollywood would get up on the crack of dawn.

[Bob Sacamano]

I gave SWAT a go after finding out it's from the creator of 'The Shield', it's absolutely terrible. The main goal seems to be an attempt to normalise a polyamorous relationship

[phonics]

I was similar on The Bodyguard. It seemed like it could be interesting and then within half an episode he’s shagging the Home Secretary.

[Lofty]

They remade Utopia? As in the C4 comic-based genetic engineering apocalypse series? Bet that was fairly lol. Not sure that thing really translates.

On the quasi-dystopian sci-fi front I've been watching this Brave New World thing Sky have rolled out. Was there this much shagging in the book (assuming it's based on that)? Huxley putting Lady Chatterley to shame if so. It's quite watchable but doesn't really have the feel of a classic. Too much nudity really.

As I recall promiscuity and drug addled orgies were the order of the day in the book as methods of control. So yeah about right.

Wife is watching this Bly Manor thing on Netflix and it is dog shit.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54551913

Dexter is coming back for a 10 episode season.

Hopefully they give it a decent ending this time.

[Browning]

Taskmaster tonight as well. It feels like forever since the last one.

[Baz]

Cannot wait!

I wonder if there will still be group tasks.

[Alex]

@Baz

I've just watched "Bad Blood" from season five, and it's now one of my favourite X-Files episodes.

[Baz]

Hahahahaha an alltime classic episode. Luke Wilson's teeth steal the show, but I've always loved it cos it features Ham from The Sandlot.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Cannot wait!

I wonder if there will still be group tasks.

Should be. It was mostly filmed pre-Covid.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That egg task is brilliant.

[Giggles]

Forgot all about tawwskmawwstah. Is this the first episode since the move?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yes.

[Giggles]

It was fairly cut off at the end there.

[Lofty]

Mulder's delirious Shaft rendition is classic

I rewatched the series a while ago but only got up to the one where there was a film between and gave up.

[Alex]

Hahahahaha an alltime classic episode. Luke Wilson's teeth steal the show, but I've always loved it cos it features Ham from The Sandlot.

They really do.





Mulder's face when he opens his mouth and starts talking is absolutely amazing.

I love his over-exaggerated version of Scully as just leering too. And how he generally paints her as a miserable sceptic who bullies him a bit a bit, while he's all wide-eyed and earnest. Then in her version she is very level headed and accommodating and Mulder is total dick who just runs through the whole situation like a bull in a chain shop with his conspiracy theories. It's just a genuinely really funny piece of television.

[Alex]

Mulder's delirious Shaft rendition is classic

I rewatched the series a while ago but only got up to the one where there was a film between and gave up.

I got somewhere around the film years ago and just tailed off for whatever reason. That isn't happening this time though, i'm really enjoying it. It's been so long that I've genuinely forgotten 90% of it too, so none of it is boring.

I watched a mythology one last night that was maybe one of the more disturbing/sinister episodes I've seen so far.

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Krycheck (the bastard) tortures a poor Russian kid, infects him with the black oil and then stitches all his facial orifices shut.

[mugbull]

This new Bake Off presenter is the least funny person I've ever listened to

[The Merse]

Watched Fleabag recently and thought it was excellent. Really liked the addition of Andrew Scott in the second season too.

I've also finished the US remake of Utopia (I haven't seen the UK original but I will do so) and it was pretty crap yet I couldn't stop watching it. I think because I like the core concept so hopefully the UK one (which has good reviews) will nail it.

You started the UK one yet? Interested to hear back from someone that has done it 'in reverse' - I loved the original and watched through a couple of times. The Amazon one (3 eps in) lacks everything that made the original special.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You started the UK one yet? Interested to hear back from someone that has done it 'in reverse' - I loved the original and watched through a couple of times. The Amazon one (3 eps in) lacks everything that made the original special.

I finished the first season the other day.

I think I struggled to get into it at first because there were a hell of a lot of changes and I was constantly comparing them. However, around episode 3 I think it really started to shine.

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One thing I loved was that it was so British. In the American one you have the "bad guys" operating quite openly (albeit with their shadiness hidden to the public) whereas in the British version "The Network" are incredibly secretive and hidden behind many companies with their fingers in many pies.

Not sure I like the actress who plays Jessica Hyde but she's still a hell of a lot better than the American one.

Edit: Oh and I think it looks stunning. The use of colour is amazing.

[Boydy]

I thought I had posted in here before about watching Designated Survivor but seemingly not. Enjoyed season 1 a lot but less sure about season 2 now.

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It'sgetting a bit too politicsy and West Wing-y which I found tonbe the dullest parts of season 1, I want more of the conspiracy stuff but it sort of seems like that's mostly been wrapped up now? Does it just become a kinda dull political drama?

[The Merse]

I finished the first season the other day.

I think I struggled to get into it at first because there were a hell of a lot of changes and I was constantly comparing them. However, around episode 3 I think it really started to shine.

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One thing I loved was that it was so British. In the American one you have the "bad guys" operating quite openly (albeit with their shadiness hidden to the public) whereas in the British version "The Network" are incredibly secretive and hidden behind many companies with their fingers in many pies.

Not sure I like the actress who plays Jessica Hyde but she's still a hell of a lot better than the American one.

Edit: Oh and I think it looks stunning. The use of colour is amazing.

The colour is bloody incredible.

I'm almost through the Amazon one, and yeh... it's very meh. I think what's most disappointing is the characters feeling more hackneyed - Wilson (increasingly, having started fine) and Hyde are fucking interminable and it doesn't engender any kind of empathy, as flawed as the characters always were.

[Kikó]

I've been flirting with Vikings for a while and it's finally picked up enough to hold my interest (season 402 ep 5). I've got a nice balance between that, Better Call Saul and Bosch for serious stuff and Schitt's Creek and Parks and Recreation for light relief.

[Manc]

Everyone raves about Better Caul Saul. I just can't envisage investing in his character based on Breaking Bad.

[Pepe]

Season 402? You are a very patient man.

[Kikó]

It's taken over a year. The wife likes it so we go back in at random intervals.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Season 402 is the start of it turning to shit for me.

[Disco]

Vikings was a bit hit and miss, anything with Ragnar in was good but the rest could be a bit crap. Until the very obvious point where it nosedives never to return.

[Alex]

Ivar is pretty good too, to be fair. Although a lot of the shit he manages to get up to as a crippled man in, like, 850AD or whatever is a bit ridiculous. But the Ragnar years were definitely the peak. I sort of tailed off with it somewhere in season five, I think.

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Floki discovering his new "land of the Gods" and it being a bit shit is the last thing i can properly remember happening. The last full season I watched definitely ended with Ivar nailing one of the shit brothers with the axe for making fun of him and killing him. I think that was the end of season four?

The ageing of them all got a bit daft too. I appreciate it was necessary to move the story on and maintain some vague degree of historical accuracy but it got to the point where Lagertha just looked the same age as Bjorn despite being his mother, and whatnot.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ivar is pretty good too, to be fair. Although a lot of the shit he manages to get up to as a crippled man in, like, 850AD or whatever is a bit ridiculous. But the Ragnar years were definitely the peak. I sort of tailed off with it somewhere in season five, I think.

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Floki discovering his new "land of the Gods" and it being a bit shit is the last thing i can properly remember happening. The last full season I watched definitely ended with Ivar nailing one of the shit brothers with the axe for making fun of him and killing him. I think that was the end of season four?

The ageing of them all got a bit daft too. I appreciate it was necessary to move the story on and maintain some vague degree of historical accuracy but it got to the point where Lagertha just looked the same age as Bjorn despite being his mother, and whatnot.

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Floki did that in season 5.

And yeah, him killing Sigurd was right at the end of 4.

Season 5 and 6 (only half of that has been released thus far) are seriously shit.

I'm also not a fan of Ivar, I think he's a bit too panto. He's also portrayed as some sort of genius when he's not, he constantly underestimates people.

[Disco]

Going by that I watched up to the end of four but it had definitely turned part way through that series.

[Alex]

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Floki did that in season 5.

And yeah, him killing Sigurd was right at the end of 4.

Season 5 and 6 (only half of that has been released thus far) are seriously shit.

I'm also not a fan of Ivar, I think he's a bit too panto. He's also portrayed as some sort of genius when he's not, he constantly underestimates people.

My favourite "ridiculous Ivar moment" is when:

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He's just sat on the floor during a battle (he's fallen out of his little chariot I think) and faces down at entire army by screaming about how they can't kill him because he's "Ivar the Boneless". And the entire army just stops in fear and listens to the screaming crippled man on the floor for about a minute, just long enough for a load of Vikins to to conveniently turn up and dick them.

[Pepe]

Season 402 is the start of it turning to shit for me.

I stopped at 398.

[phonics]

Is Vikings the one about Alfred The Great? Or is that Kingdom? A friend of mine recommended one and I know Alfred was involved.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's The Last Kingdom.

I've been meaning to watch it.

[Raoul Duke]

That's The Last Kingdom.

I've been meaning to watch it.

It's fucking awesome. Highly recommended

[Baz]

+1 for The Last Kingdom

[The Merse]

+2. Couldn’t get on with Vikings but enjoyed Last Kingdom. It’s predictable guff, but it’s good guff.

[Raoul Duke]

+2. Couldn’t get on with Vikings but enjoyed Last Kingdom. It’s predictable guff, but it’s good guff.

The first season follows historical events (aside from the half-viking mad lad roaming about)...so that's to be expected.

DESTINY IS ALL

[Spikey M]

I'd exhausted pretty much every option on Netflix so I decided to give The Staircase a go earlier this week. I had not bothered with it as it always gets chucked in with Making A Murderer which I didn't get on with, owing to the geezer clearly being a fucking scumbag.

Well I finished it last night and fuck me, I was wrong to leave it this long. I haven't been that invested in a show for a long time. Genuine butterflies in my stomach waiting for the verdict(s) to come in. I know it's an incredibly poorly kept secret but the US Justice Department is fucked. Watching him turn from a normal guy to an old man, missing all those family milestones, and still having to fight on was tough.

I'm going to give Making A Murderer another go now.