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Which TV Series Are You Binging On?
- Thread starter needfx
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Finished watching Chernobyl, and it was definitely an eye opener! I then watched the excellent movie "The China Syndrome", and it's eery how much they have in common.
Getting ready for Episode 3 of Better Call Saul, on tonight, and Episode 7 of Project Blue Book, on tomorrow night. Then, of course, Season 3 of Ozark will "drop" on Netflix 3 weeks from this Friday.
And can't forget Season 4 of Fargo, which will premiere on FX on Sunday, April 19th, just 7 weeks from yesterday.
Still waiting on Season 3 of Cobra Kai. Keep checking every day for the announcement, but nothing yet.
Getting ready for Episode 3 of Better Call Saul, on tonight, and Episode 7 of Project Blue Book, on tomorrow night. Then, of course, Season 3 of Ozark will "drop" on Netflix 3 weeks from this Friday.
And can't forget Season 4 of Fargo, which will premiere on FX on Sunday, April 19th, just 7 weeks from yesterday.
Still waiting on Season 3 of Cobra Kai. Keep checking every day for the announcement, but nothing yet.
Been binge watching the classic BBC series "Colditz"; superb stories, excellent scripts, and interesting characters, given authority and credibility by first rate acting, with some exceptionally good, intelligent, understated performances.
No CGI whatsoever, little violence, hardly any sex, limited sets, just seriously good stories told exceptionally well, and acted superbly, where both character and story are allowed room, and time, to develop over the course of the series.
No CGI whatsoever, little violence, hardly any sex, limited sets, just seriously good stories told exceptionally well, and acted superbly, where both character and story are allowed room, and time, to develop over the course of the series.
As a teenager, I saw it on TV; now, I watched it online.
Plot and character, script, amazing (understated) acting and credible dialogue are its strengths, and little violence (even though it is set during wartime in a POW camp), hardly any sex, or special effects, or expensive production values.
Parts of it could be on stage, and it gives itself sufficient time to allow the characters develop, and examines how they relate to one another, especially under the stress of sustained confinement, prisoners and their guards both; many of the plots are based on events that actually happened.
Watched the 3 part series "UNABOMBER: In His Own Words", and was it ever revealing! In conjunction with the other excellent Netflix series "Manhunt: Unabomber", both series are very, very revealing. I also read that except for the FBI agent meeting with Kaczynski after his arrest, everything else in that 8 part Manhunt: Unabomber is true.
Am now re-watching Ozark, so that I can be up to date when Season 3 arrives 3 weeks from today.
Am now re-watching Ozark, so that I can be up to date when Season 3 arrives 3 weeks from today.
Watch it in sequence; the first three episodes give you the backstory - respectively - of three of the main characters, (Captain Pat Grant, Flight-Lieutenant Simon Carter, and Lieutenant Dick Player RN - all based to some extent on real life characters), and, while episode four introduces us to two further characters, the British SBO (Senior British Officer, Colonel Preston) and Flight-Lieutenant Carrington (although he wears the rank badges, or insignia, of a Flying Officer, the rank immediately below Flt-Lt) an American writer who had flown with the RAF prior to the entry into the war of the USA, been a journalist, and earlier, served in the Spanish civil war with the Republican forces, played by Robert Wagner, presumably to make the show more marketable to an American audience.
Personally, I think it is excellent, and pretty accurate historically.
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Nobody (except for a French officer during a later episode).
However, my point was that the sort of narrative devices used nowadays to spice up a story (special effects, CGI, violence, sex) are more or less entirely absent from this series, and it is all the better for it.
This is just story, script, plot, character, and acting. And, at times, it is brilliant.
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This afternoon I’m rewatching Wolf Hall, the brilliant BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s books.
Superb series, superb books, (and I had the privilege of seeing the RSC in the Aldwych perform the superb stage adaptations.)
I'm re-reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies myself just now.
I thought about re-reading but thought a quick re-watch easier.
Devs / FX on Hulu
Anyone that enjoys engaging, slow burn sci-fi, that's a sort of existential inspection of what it means to be / positioned against technology, nature, well, this show so far is amazing.
Caution: it's not a conventional presentation or narrative - it's visually it's stunning, the acting is superb (Nick Offerman playing way out of his wheelhouse), it's - as described by one writer - hypnotic. The show creator/writer/director is Alex Garland, that some may know from Ex Machina and Annihilation, screenplays with Danny Boyle, author.
I'd say the closest comparable show is Mr. Robot, it has the same dreamy quality, things-aren't-as-they seem, questioning technology, and it also has a heavy exploration into AI, which, of course, if you've seen Ex Machina, you know Garland loves that space.
First two episodes dropped, there's 8 total, assuming they'll come weekly. One clarification about the availability, i.e., FX on Hulu, as part of a partnership (all driven, I assume, by the The House of the Evil Mouse ...), all FX originals are now available in their entirety on Hulu (previously it was limited seasons), additionally, there's going to be FX on Hulu specific content like Devs, though apparently it will be available back to FX (through cable or FX Now).
Bonus comment: do we really need Binge vs. Watching? What's the delimiter? When Netflix drops a show, it's all EPs, so we watch more than one, is that just watching, or a binge ... I guess my bottom line is these two threads should be merged.
Anyone that enjoys engaging, slow burn sci-fi, that's a sort of existential inspection of what it means to be / positioned against technology, nature, well, this show so far is amazing.
Caution: it's not a conventional presentation or narrative - it's visually it's stunning, the acting is superb (Nick Offerman playing way out of his wheelhouse), it's - as described by one writer - hypnotic. The show creator/writer/director is Alex Garland, that some may know from Ex Machina and Annihilation, screenplays with Danny Boyle, author.
I'd say the closest comparable show is Mr. Robot, it has the same dreamy quality, things-aren't-as-they seem, questioning technology, and it also has a heavy exploration into AI, which, of course, if you've seen Ex Machina, you know Garland loves that space.
First two episodes dropped, there's 8 total, assuming they'll come weekly. One clarification about the availability, i.e., FX on Hulu, as part of a partnership (all driven, I assume, by the The House of the Evil Mouse ...), all FX originals are now available in their entirety on Hulu (previously it was limited seasons), additionally, there's going to be FX on Hulu specific content like Devs, though apparently it will be available back to FX (through cable or FX Now).
Bonus comment: do we really need Binge vs. Watching? What's the delimiter? When Netflix drops a show, it's all EPs, so we watch more than one, is that just watching, or a binge ... I guess my bottom line is these two threads should be merged.
Re-reading allows you to go "hmmmmm", when something - an unexpected appearance by a character, a telling detail or fact or aside slipped into a conversation, a spot of subtle foreshadowing - occurs, as you can recognise such things on a careful re-read, which you would have over-looked when you first read the work, or works.
But, the TV series is superb - superbly scripted, and acted, and beautifully shot.
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I like the character development (as well as the plot development). Some of the individual episodes are excellent: Check out episode 4 - "Welcome to Colditz" and episode 8 "The Traitor" especially; episode 10 "Tweedledum" won awards, while I also recommend episode 9 "Bribery and Corruption".
And I also like how relationships between characters are depicted and shown - such as the slowly developing understated mutual respect between the German Kommandant, (superbly played by the outstanding Bernard Hepton) and the British SBO (also superbly played by Jack Hedley, who had been an officer in WWII in real life) is portrayed.
And, I also like the fact that (this was the early 70s), actual survivors of Colditz (and escapers from Colditz - Captain Pat Grant is based on the real life escaper and series adviser Captain Pat Reid MC,) advised on historical accuracy.
Above all, I like the depth of characterisation of the German officers; this was only 30 years after the war, and such intelligent and complex portrayals of enemy officers (which range from competent, to honourable, to conflicted, to compromised, to alcoholic, to seriously nasty) were not yet the norm for TV (or movies).
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Going to give the Masterpiece Theatre's Season 1 of Sanditon a try. It's based on Jane Austen's final (unfinished) novel. Two friends who know I liked Downton Abbey do keep saying oh you have to watch Sanditon.... so if I don't want to hear that again at lunch next time, then it's time to find out if I can say I'm hooked on it or else that I gave it a shot and what else ya got. First episode will be up for me tonight via PBS Passport.
I don't know whether you ever saw Taggart (a TV series, a police show set in Scotland); the eponymous lead character (DCI Taggart) was played by Mark McManus, who played the stroppy young Scottish officer (Lt Cameron) in the first episode of Colditz.
Heard of it, possibly on here from you, but never seen it.
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Am now about half way through Season 2 of Ozark. I always seem to catch more and more when I re-watch a series.
Season 5 of Better Call Saul has, as expected, been excellent (so far 4 episodes). And they have included two more characters who were in Breaking Bad.
Similarly, Season 2 of Project Blue Book has been entertaining. Only 2 more episodes to go, though, for this season. Have not heard if it will be renewed for Season 3.
And of course still waiting for a definitive date for Season 3 of Cobra Kai. They keep saying in the Spring of 2020. Well, spring 2020 is almost here! Watched (or I should say re-watched) Season 2 the other day, and again, was entertained (and caught some things I missed previously).
Finally, Season 4 of Fargo starts on Sunday, April 19th. And the following Sunday, April 26th, season 3 of Killing Eve premieres. I wonder what time will Fargo be on, and also what time Killing Eve will be on. If the same time, that could be a challenge!
Here's the trailer for Season 3 of Killing Eve:
Season 5 of Better Call Saul has, as expected, been excellent (so far 4 episodes). And they have included two more characters who were in Breaking Bad.
Similarly, Season 2 of Project Blue Book has been entertaining. Only 2 more episodes to go, though, for this season. Have not heard if it will be renewed for Season 3.
And of course still waiting for a definitive date for Season 3 of Cobra Kai. They keep saying in the Spring of 2020. Well, spring 2020 is almost here! Watched (or I should say re-watched) Season 2 the other day, and again, was entertained (and caught some things I missed previously).
Finally, Season 4 of Fargo starts on Sunday, April 19th. And the following Sunday, April 26th, season 3 of Killing Eve premieres. I wonder what time will Fargo be on, and also what time Killing Eve will be on. If the same time, that could be a challenge!
Here's the trailer for Season 3 of Killing Eve:
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