Watchable telly

[BaaLocks]

On 24/03/2023 at 20:29, Anag Ram said:

The Appentice is a joke.

Random losers with big egos and bigger online presence who would never get a job with a reputable company paraded on TV so Alan Sugar can insult them courtesy of his scriptwriters.

I hate it with a vengeance

Wife and daughter love it - since they changed the format (you're not actually an Apprentice any more, he just invests in your business, so maybe title should be changed to The Investment) it's fundamentally flawed. They get to the interviews, someone gets their business plan ripped apart and you sit and think (or rather you don't because you've long since given up) "well if you knew the business plan was pony why did you let them go through ten weeks of trials making a new flavour lollipop to force onto kids in shopping centres". Makes no sense.

[NottsRam]

Another for the True Crime enthusiasts: Dating Death - The Rodney Alcala murders, four part documentary on the American serial killer. He appeared on Americas dating game and was linked to over 130 murders.  Gripping stuff.

[AndyinLiverpool]

Today's Big Match revisited from 1980 on ITV4 yielded the following:

Todd and Gemmill playing for Birmingham 🥲

Don Masson playing for Notts County

Rod Thomas playing for Cardiff

And the shape of things to come with Rob Hindmarch playing for Sunderland and Trevor Christie for Notts County. With an interview with promoted Birmingham manager Jim Smith moaning about only drawing their game.

 

[Bob The Badger]

On 27/03/2023 at 09:30, Tamworthram said:

Nah. Clarkson’s farm is much better. For a start off the characters in the farm (the animals) are far more likeable than those on the apprentice (the candidates).😀

Seriously though, the farm isn’t meant to be taken that seriously whereas the Apprentice is (well, at a stretch). I used to enjoy the apprentice years ago but it is seriously well past it’s sell by date (as is Sugar and his attempted jokes which his sidekicks find hilarious).  I’ve also wondered why Lord Sugar would want to employ as an apprentice (back in the original format) or go into business with someone who shines at running around a town trying to buy things for 50p cheaper than their opponents, can flog food on a market stall or knows how much ingredients to put into a mixture.

The best episode (IMO) used to be the interview stage but even that is ridiculous with excessive bullying by the interviewers (for effect) and the ridiculous business plans presented. In the real world they’d probably be filed immediately in the bin.

I know really that, despite my earlier comment, The Apprentice shouldn’t really be taken that seriously but I do find it, and the candidates, incredibly irritating now. Perhaps it’s been going too long with effectively the same challenges every year and the producers are preferring to choose candidates based on their car crash entertainment value rather than their business potential.

I'm so easily swayed because I pretty much agree with every word of that. Mrs Badger wanted to put The Apprentice on as we still have 4 or so to watch and I said 'do we have to? I can't stand any of them and want all of them to lose'.

We watched the new Ted Lasso instead.

I thought there was a drop off from season one to two and after one and a half episodes of season three, I think it's even more so.

Some of the lines were really cheesy. It's lost its charm and originality for me and heading down a sewer of schmaltz and cliches.

[Day]

Tempting Fortune, Channel 4.

It’s on Sunday and Monday at 9pm.

4 Episodes have been aired and available on 4OD.

Basically, 12 people have been dropped in Africa for 18 days, they are given nothing but a tent, rice, kidney beans and water then sent on long hikes.

During the hike or at the end, they are given temptations at ridiculous prices, £400 for a bar of chocolate for example.

There is a £300k total prize fund split between them all if they make it to the end, any temptations taken are taken from the total prize fund. So if one person takes takes takes, they are spending everyone’s money

If someone quits, it will take 25k out the total prize fund.

That’s the premise, won’t give any spoilers, will say this though, it’s pretty entertaining….

[Tamworthram]

8 hours ago, David said:

Tempting Fortune, Channel 4.

It’s on Sunday and Monday at 9pm.

4 Episodes have been aired and available on 4OD.

Basically, 12 people have been dropped in Africa for 18 days, they are given nothing but a tent, rice, kidney beans and water then sent on long hikes.

During the hike or at the end, they are given temptations at ridiculous prices, £400 for a bar of chocolate for example.

There is a £300k total prize fund split between them all if they make it to the end, any temptations taken are taken from the total prize fund. So if one person takes takes takes, they are spending everyone’s money

If someone quits, it will take 25k out the total prize fund.

That’s the premise, won’t give any spoilers, will say this though, it’s pretty entertaining….

I’ve been watching it and agree, whilst it’s trash TV full of irritating characters (also without giving away any spoilers, what was with the older woman and the raft?) and obviously highly edited, it’s entertaining.

[Day]

1 hour ago, Tamworthram said:

I’ve been watching it and agree, whilst it’s trash TV full of irritating characters (also without giving away any spoilers, what was with the older woman and the raft?) and obviously highly edited, it’s entertaining.

Lani started out the most irritating, the old woman has quickly taken over now.

Talking of editing, did I miss how the lad injured his hand? One minute he's fine, the next it's in a sling

[TimRam]

On 01/04/2023 at 12:40, AndyinLiverpool said:

Today's Big Match revisited from 1980 on ITV4 yielded the following:

Todd and Gemmill playing for Birmingham 🥲

Don Masson playing for Notts County

Rod Thomas playing for Cardiff

And the shape of things to come with Rob Hindmarch playing for Sunderland and Trevor Christie for Notts County. With an interview with promoted Birmingham manager Jim Smith moaning about only drawing their game.

 

Beat me to it. Some real characters playing in those days. Crowds swaying back and forth, pitches looking like local playing fields. Makes the premiership games bland, souless and like watching fifa.

[Anon]

On 27/03/2023 at 10:14, BaaLocks said:

Wife and daughter love it - since they changed the format (you're not actually an Apprentice any more, he just invests in your business, so maybe title should be changed to The Investment) it's fundamentally flawed. They get to the interviews, someone gets their business plan ripped apart and you sit and think (or rather you don't because you've long since given up) "well if you knew the business plan was pony why did you let them go through ten weeks of trials making a new flavour lollipop to force onto kids in shopping centres". Makes no sense.

Competent people don't make for good viewing figures. This old Mitchell and Webb Look sketch sums it up.

 

[ketteringram]

The Traitors. Bear with me, I've haven't seen any of it!

I usually avoid reality TV, but I've heard loads of people saying that this was good. It's also still being rated at 8.9 on IMDb. 

Does it involve the people doing lots of stupid tasks, like eating weird things etc etc.?

Hopefully it doesn't. Is it worth trying? Guess there's only one way to find out. 

[Eddie]

The Night Agent (Netflix)

Pretty good - sort-of House Of Cards Lite.

Phil Waller/10.

[Bob The Badger]

Watched the first episode of Blue Lights the latest BBC procedural cop series set in Northern Ireland.

VERY powerful start along the lines of the early Line of Duty before it went tits up.

Great acting, tense scenes without being at all over the top and a great pace to it.

I'm genuinely excited about this. I've not been well recently and had to make myself go to bed when rather I'd have rolled into the next episode.

 

[BucksRam]

11 hours ago, Eddie said:

The Night Agent (Netflix)

Pretty good - sort-of House Of Cards Lite.

Phil Waller/10.

Thought it started a big lite, then got better.  Reminded me of a Jack Ryan / Jason Bourne hybrid for teens. Set up for a S2 which I'd watch. 

[Alph]

18 hours ago, ketteringram said:

The Traitors. Bear with me, I've haven't seen any of it!

I usually avoid reality TV, but I've heard loads of people saying that this was good. It's also still being rated at 8.9 on IMDb. 

Does it involve the people doing lots of stupid tasks, like eating weird things etc etc.?

Hopefully it doesn't. Is it worth trying? Guess there's only one way to find out. 

It's good. 

There is tasks thrown in of course because every single TV show must have tasks. But they're a small part of the show really and don't get in the way

[Alph]

On 03/04/2023 at 23:54, David said:

Tempting Fortune, Channel 4.

It’s on Sunday and Monday at 9pm.

4 Episodes have been aired and available on 4OD.

Basically, 12 people have been dropped in Africa for 18 days, they are given nothing but a tent, rice, kidney beans and water then sent on long hikes.

During the hike or at the end, they are given temptations at ridiculous prices, £400 for a bar of chocolate for example.

There is a £300k total prize fund split between them all if they make it to the end, any temptations taken are taken from the total prize fund. So if one person takes takes takes, they are spending everyone’s money

If someone quits, it will take 25k out the total prize fund.

That’s the premise, won’t give any spoilers, will say this though, it’s pretty entertaining….

Caught up on that. 

How has there not been a murder? 

Makes me angry watching it but I'll watch it again. Wtf

[Day]

6 minutes ago, Alpha said:

Caught up on that. 

How has there not been a murder? 

Makes me angry watching it but I'll watch it again. Wtf

You know that James has considered it on more than one occasion, no TV cameras, Lani and Carolynne would have been fed to the lions a couple days in.

The least that Lani could have done was to say she will pay everyone back for anything she takes, not about the money, it’s the experience right? Same for Carolynne who seems to think the only way you can go to South Africa is with TV show.

[Alph]

13 minutes ago, David said:

You know that James has considered it on more than one occasion, no TV cameras, Lani and Carolynne would have been fed to the lions a couple days in.

The least that Lani could have done was to say she will pay everyone back for anything she takes, not about the money, it’s the experience right? Same for Carolynne who seems to think the only way you can go to South Africa is with TV show.

"When else are we going to get the chance to stay in a hotel in Africa with these views." - Carolynne

.... 

Lani has to be an actress right? 

[Day]

12 minutes ago, Alpha said:

"When else are we going to get the chance to stay in a hotel in Africa with these views." - Carolynne

.... 

Lani has to be an actress right? 

I said to the Mrs that Lani must be a Channel 4 plant, told to disrupt things up and will get 25k regardless of the pot. Don’t know though, in the world of social media where there is so much entitlement, probably just being herself.

That pout whilst doing her make up is foot through the TV tempting.

[therealhantsram]

On 14/03/2023 at 17:36, Alpha said:

As a fanboy of the games I was disappointed. But that might be because I expected too much. 

A lot of the stuff that hit me in the game I found missed here. But it seems plenty loved it. 

 

On 14/03/2023 at 19:21, Chester40 said:

I felt it was pretty laboured at the beginning and the danger of infection/threat of the infected really didn't hit home. Just a bit boring. 

Returned to it and have found more action in the later episodes and largely enjoyed it - definitely some episodes focus on slower storylines with little action, so depends what you enjoy.

 

On 15/03/2023 at 02:57, 86 Hair Islands said:

 

I started this a few days back and having watched the first two episodes, I've not yet gone back to it. I should point out though, that I have never really been into zombie stuff (didn't even make it through the first episode of The Walking Dead), so it wasn't the smartest choice for me really.

In fairness, I'm not typically a fan of any horror movies or series and the only zombie stuff I've really enjoyed were the films, World War Z and Shaun of the Dead. It does have a seriously high IMDB rating though, so I think it's probably more to do with my taste than the series itself. Clearly a lot more people love it, than not.

You folk didn;t really sell it to me, but I decided to wathc anyhow. Really enjoyed it actually. Have to admit I nearly gave up after Ep.3 which was a total filler, but it improved as it went on. I liked that it had more emotional depth than most sci-fi stuff and enjoyed the changing pace with some slower episodes to flesh out the characters.

[Alph]

40 minutes ago, therealhantsram said:

 

 

You folk didn;t really sell it to me, but I decided to wathc anyhow. Really enjoyed it actually. Have to admit I nearly gave up after Ep.3 which was a total filler, but it improved as it went on. I liked that it had more emotional depth than most sci-fi stuff and enjoyed the changing pace with some slower episodes to flesh out the characters.

I'm just a fanboy of the game and think the characters are much deeper and there's more subtle touches to their relationships than the show. 

I think most people who haven't played the games liked it. But the minority who didn't like it come from fans of the game. But even gamers mostly seem to have liked it. 

Adaptions always come with such divides don't they? Unless they're just terrible full stop