Watchable telly

[BaaLocks]

On 18/05/2024 at 02:00, Eddie said:

The OA (Netflix)

Series 1 is pretty good, but Series 2 is blooming excellent. Top mind-bending SF (although that might be a squid-like creature forcing me to say that)

Nice nudge, thank you. Watched series one many years ago and it was OK without being amazing, will dip into Series Two on your recommendation.

[CWC1983]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001zphh/icons-of-football-series-2-1-frank-mcavennie

6 new episodes landed on Saturday. 

Yes, it's Scotland centric but there's enough nostalgia in them all to enjoy. 

The John Roberston and Joe Jordan ones are good. 

 

 

[Bob The Badger]

Watched the first 3 episodes of Sugar on Apple TV with Colin Farrell.

It wasn't until In Bruges that I really started to like him as an actor, and he delivers again in this.

Playing a rather unusual private detective with a Government background and the ability to speak multiple languages. He's been hired by a wealthy Hollywood film producer to find his missing granddaughter.  

There are a lot of shenanigans going on, and it's getting a bit weird, but it's very stylish, and I'm starting to really enjoy it. 

 

[Comrade 86]

11 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Watched the first 3 episodes of Sugar on Apple TV with Colin Farrell.

It wasn't until In Bruges that I really started to like him as an actor, and he delivers again in this.

Playing a rather unusual private detective with a Government background and the ability to speak multiple languages. He's been hired by a wealthy Hollywood film producer to find his missing granddaughter.  

There are a lot of shenanigans going on, and it's getting a bit weird, but it's very stylish, and I'm starting to really enjoy it. 

 

Cant wait to see how you react to the end of this one Bob as it gets a deal weirder.

[CWC1983]

Stumbled across Trying on Apple TV this week and gone through 2 series out of 4. 

Rafe Spall and Ester Smith really work well together. 

It's a light hearted feel good story of a London couple going through the adoption process incorporating their families and friends lives. 

 

 

[Comrade 86]

Jeremy Renner is clearly superhuman. New years Day 2023 he was in a life-threatening snow plow accident that broke 38 of his bones, punctured his lung, and caused one of his eyeballs to pop out of his head and yet less than 18 months later, Sunday sees the release of Mayor of Kingstown season 3. I mean the guy actually died (several times) and was revived and doctors told him he'd never even walk again. Bonkers.

If you've not caught this show, then a word to the wise, you really ought to. It's one of the best shows in years IMO. Sadly, August 4th is the effective date for me as there's no way I can watch this drip-fed. Strictly binge material.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11712058/

 

[Chester40]

2 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Jeremy Renner is clearly superhuman. New years Day 2023 he was in a life-threatening snow plow accident that broke 38 of his bones, punctured his lung, and caused one of his eyeballs to pop out of his head and yet less than 18 months later, Sunday sees the release of Mayor of Kingstown season 3. I mean the guy actually died (several times) and was revived and doctors told him he'd never even walk again. Bonkers.

If you've not caught this show, then a word to the wise, you really ought to. It's one of the best shows in years IMO. Sadly, August 4th is the effective date for me as there's no way I can watch this drip-fed. Strictly binge material.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11712058/

 

I watched most of the first series.... thought it was decent but lost the thread/got sidetracked and didn't love it enough to pick it back up. How do the series compare?

[Chester40]

Rebus (2024)

Never watched the original few series..... and as I've said before I'm dubious of domestic series such as Happy Valley/Line of Duty/Bodyguard that people rave about.

Actually really impressed. Gritty, good dialogue, well acted... just very watchable in a Sweeney type, 'police aren't all black and white good/bad' kinda way.

[Comrade 86]

1 hour ago, Chester40 said:

I watched most of the first series.... thought it was decent but lost the thread/got sidetracked and didn't love it enough to pick it back up. How do the series compare?

Without giving too much away, S02 is much broader in its scope. I am wondering now whether it's teeing upa a 3rd season though, whereas I'd hoped it would all be tied up in thi series. I think the premise can carry a couple of seasons, but I'm not sure if a 3rd would necessarily add anything. It still has my attention though!

[Chester40]

1 hour ago, Comrade 86 said:

Without giving too much away, S02 is much broader in its scope. I am wondering now whether it's teeing upa a 3rd season though, whereas I'd hoped it would all be tied up in thi series. I think the premise can carry a couple of seasons, but I'm not sure if a 3rd would necessarily add anything. It still has my attention though!

Were you one of those giving praise for 'The Gentlemen'?

Me and Mrs Chester are 4 episodes in. It reminds me most of Lock, Stock...

Haven't kept up with who's writing/doing what with it...but on my Guy Ritchie scales (whether or not he's directly responsible) it's tipping over into slightly annoying me with the Ritchie-isms.

The female lead is grating on us, her accent too fake,  her character too unbelievable. Not sure if it's the writing or her acting but every time she's in it, we lose interest. 

I don't hate it. But it's too daft to grab me story-wise, and too slow/lacking in action to be an 'Gangs of London type balls-out, action-fest'.

Edited May 30 by Chester40

[Comrade 86]

4 hours ago, Chester40 said:

Were you one of those giving praise for 'The Gentlemen'?

Me and Mrs Chester are 4 episodes in. It reminds me most of Lock, Stock...

Haven't kept up with who's writing/doing what with it...but on my Guy Ritchie scales (whether or not he's directly responsible) it's tipping over into slightly annoying me with the Ritchie-isms.

The female lead is grating on us, her accent too fake,  her character too unbelievable. Not sure if it's the writing or her acting but every time she's in it, we lose interest. 

I don't hate it. But it's too daft to grab me story-wise, and too slow/lacking in action to be an 'Gangs of London type balls-out, action-fest'.

Yep loved it. Didn't take itself too seriously and was great fun. Gangs of London was adolescent nonsense. Not a single copper in view as they blew up half of London and heads blowing up left right and centre. Awful.

[i-Ram]

The Responder Series 2 was very enjoyable because of some great acting (Casey and Marco characters in particular). A bit far-fetched that most of the police officers did very little most of the time, Chris (Martin Freeman) in particular had plenty of time on his hands to keep making dum decisions. I wouldn’t put anyone off watching it.

[Comrade 86]

42 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

The Responder Series 2 was very enjoyable because of some great acting (Casey and Marco characters in particular). A bit far-fetched that most of the police officers did very little most of the time, Chris (Martin Freeman) in particular had plenty of time on his hands to keep making dum decisions. I wouldn’t put anyone off watching it.

Really liked it and Casey and Marco are excellent characters, as you have pointed out, the former in particular. She's played by Emily Fairn, though I can't find much else she's done other than a Black Mirror episode that I can't actually recall. 

[Bob The Badger]

21 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Jeremy Renner is clearly superhuman. New years Day 2023 he was in a life-threatening snow plow accident that broke 38 of his bones, punctured his lung, and caused one of his eyeballs to pop out of his head and yet less than 18 months later, Sunday sees the release of Mayor of Kingstown season 3. I mean the guy actually died (several times) and was revived and doctors told him he'd never even walk again. Bonkers.

If you've not caught this show, then a word to the wise, you really ought to. It's one of the best shows in years IMO. Sadly, August 4th is the effective date for me as there's no way I can watch this drip-fed. Strictly binge material.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11712058/

 

Holy sh1t, I thought that had been shelved after he almost died!

The first two were great, so we will definitely watch them. Thanks for the heads up. We finished Sugar last night. I really enjoyed it, and it's clearly set up for season two. I have no clue why they had the random cop kill near the end, but maybe that feeds into the next season.

A very stylish series, but not just stylish for the sake of it like (I thought) Ripley was, but really in keeping.

We have never watched Boardwalk Empire, so we will start that tonight as it's on Sky. For some reason, I thought it was only available on Prime pay-per-view.

[Bob The Badger]

10 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Really liked it and Casey and Marco are excellent characters, as you have pointed out, the former in particular. She's played by Emily Fairn, though I can't find much else she's done other than a Black Mirror episode that I can't actually recall. 

Did you enjoy the final episode?

I thought the way that Franny changed was just lazy screenwriting, giving them an easy out.

And I'm usually dead relaxed about how things finish 😬

[Comrade 86]

1 minute ago, Bob The Badger said:

Holy sh1t, I thought that had been shelved after he almost died!

It was, or so we were told, though obviously they didn't count on Jezza being the hardest geezer on the planet 😂 In any case, I'm as delighted as you as I only searched it to confirm what I thought would be the inevitable cancellation. Needless to say, I'm a very happy boy. 10 episodes to get our teeth into too and it's teed up for a humming finale, I reckon. Can't wait!

27 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

We have never watched Boardwalk Empire, so we will start that tonight as it's on Sky. For some reason, I thought it was only available on Prime pay-per-view.

I enjoyed Sugar a lot too. I won't say too much for obvious reasons, but yep, it'll deffo be interesting to see whether the 2nd series does materialise. All down to viewer feedback and the financials now, I guess.

As for Boardwalk Empire, I watched it a long time ago and really enjoyed it. It's not quite at the level of crime series like The Sopranos, or The Wire, but then very little is. Steve Buscemi is excellent as always as, in fairness, are most of the cast and the sets and visuals in general are pretty sumptuous. There's lots of it too, IIRC.

[Comrade 86]

35 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

Did you enjoy the final episode?

I thought the way that Franny changed was just lazy screenwriting, giving them an easy out.

And I'm usually dead relaxed about how things finish 😬

It didn't really bother me, but as you've probably surmised by now, I tend to look at the body of work and not focus too much on specific detail. That is unless I hate a show in which case every tiny little thing is scrutinised to death! 

[AndyinLiverpool]

21 hours ago, Chester40 said:

Rebus (2024)

Never watched the original few series..... and as I've said before I'm dubious of domestic series such as Happy Valley/Line of Duty/Bodyguard that people rave about.

Actually really impressed. Gritty, good dialogue, well acted... just very watchable in a Sweeney type, 'police aren't all black and white good/bad' kinda way.

I had to try to ignore that I'd read the books but still found myself thinking, 'He wouldn't do that' and, 'there's no way he would say that'.

I was a bit irritated by it overall.

[Anag Ram]

Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t expect absolute realism from TV drama series in the same way I don’t think ‘He would never have survived that’ when Wile E Coyote gets hit by a falling anvil.

 

[Chester40]

2 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

😂 As for Boardwalk Empire, I watched it a long time ago and really enjoyed it. It's not quite at the level of crime series like The Sopranos, or The Wire, but then very little is. Steve Buscemi is excellent as always as, in fairness, are most of the cast and the sets and visuals in general are pretty sumptuous. There's lots of it too, IIRC.

"sets and visuals in general are pretty sumptuous."

That's definitely true.

Hugely ambitious storylines and scope.

Good acting, interesting story....

But after maybr 3 series I finally admitted it was unbelievably slow. And I was trying to convince myself it wasn't boring me.

Lots to like,  quality production.. but definitely by then it was style over substance for me.