Favourite TV Series

Ah yeah I forgot that you’re in the US!

Charlie Brooker did a brilliant piece on Screenwipe way back where he showed a focus group of Americans some British soaps and daytime TV, which they obviously thought was delightfully silly and twee. I’d love to know how Cunk would go over with a wider US audience.

 

My wife found it sidesplittingly hilarious. But then, she got the Womble joke (which I'm guessing 99% of Americans would not) so I've exposed her to a lot of British stuff.

The joke about Americans ("But Americans back then weren’t the humble, unassuming people they still aren’t today") wouldn't go down pretty well with most Yanks though. As a society, they're not very good at self deprecation and most take themselves far too seriously. Which is why the joke was so damn funny, of course.

 

Was it ‘Genghis and the Mongols went Mongolling free’?

 

Sure was, hahaha!

 

Ted Lasso. Been hearing about this for ages and got a 6 month free trial with Apple TV.

It's watchable but it's a bit flat. Also making several knowing jokes about US/UK English differences, the script still has English people talking about going to 'practice' and the 'locker room.'

It's just a bit meh for me.

 

I watched the first episode a while back and it didn’t make me want to watch another. The pitch seemed to be Ned Flanders in Footballers’ Wives with no one looking like a footballer. I felt it would be the same one joke hur hur, he’s American thereafter. A football comedy for people who don’t like football.

I also felt immediate dislike for AFC Richmond, who I suspected were modelled on Brentford (but actually more like Palace, which is even worse) and therefore quite hateful.

However, people seem to love it, really love it. Just not humourless burks like you and me moog. So what to do? Give in to its evident charms I suppose?

 

AFC Richmond beat us, so there is an element of reality to it

 

I'm with you. It's fine. People go on about it like it's the greatest TV show ever created, I don't understand.

 

Another one for the Ted Lasso is ‘meh’ gang. Watched 4 or 5 but had no inclination to go back to it. It very much is what it is, a very easy watching lightweight comedy but it is nothing more than that.

 

Yes. Their first win.

 

I'm in the I love Ted Lasso group. I thought the first series was one of the best things I've seen in a long time. Apple TV has some excellent stuff on at the moment and there are plenty of free for six month deals around at the moment. Just watched the first three episodes of Invasion and been very good so far

 

Wear you up to? I feel it really hits its groove when the major challenges come along in the second season.

Agreed on the Americanisms, this continues up until the most recent episode, it’s a distraction but I just roll my eyes and laugh at whatever Roy Kent says in the next scene.

 

Well, yes - if you tie yourself to some other contract... Where did you get your trial from @wfcmoog?

 

Finished season 2 and just about to start season 3

 

I got it via my phone contract. I can cancel it when the six months is up but may keep it

 

Severance is worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet. Very interesting concept.

 

I'm still on Season 1

To be fair it is picking up a bit. It has the feel of a show which was a sleeper hit and so it didn't know what it was going to be in the beginning.

The premise that he's American and doesn't know about football has long since worn thin.

I also cannot stand the actress who plays Rebecca (Shame!) And the girl from Mash report who played her friend Sass, cannot act for ****.

 

It was through Sky

 

And I got 6 months free Disney with my phone.

Neither are worth keeping IMO

 

Yep, thought as much. Thanks.

 

What's better than a single 90 min film by Adam Curtis? Why a series of seven one-hour films charting the downfall of Russia from the implosion/disintegration of the USSR the arrival of Putin - TraumaZone. I found the third episode very interesting as it focussed on the period that Soviet troops attacked Lithuanian demonstrators at the Vilnius TV Tower on 13th January 1991*. Now naughty Adam showed the attack - but didn't show that, following the attack, over 100000 Russians protested against the events in Red Square. The series focusses, as expected with the current climate, heavily on Ukraine and the Russian war(s) against Chechnya. The series is, of course a masterpiece and should be compulsory viewing for everyone.

*The commemoration of the attack was very important to my wife because at the time, she lived in the district next to the TV tower but, that night, she found out that all her friends, from the Sąjūdist, were demonstrating at the Seimas in the city centre (a 30 min trolleybus ride away) so she went there instead. She took me to my first memorial night in 1997 marked by participants congregating around bonfires lit in front of the remaining barricades - there were about 30 attendees. The following year there was a formal service in the University Church (with about the same number of attendees) and after that official remembrance was officially stopped (although I see from Wiki that there's been a fairly successful campaign to bring the perpetrators to justice).

 

Yeah, it was a bit of slow starter, like Parks and Rec and Bojack Horseman (although it's not as good as either of those shows).

 

The Mandalorian???????? Andor?????????????????????????????

 

Watch The Bear on Disney plus if you haven't already. It's class and I think you'd like it.

 

I watched season 1 of Mandalorian. My daughter wanted to see Baby Yoda. It was such tedius bollix I cannot continue with it. Barely any dialogue and just a lazy cash in on the 'universe.'

I cannot do Star Wars. It's all awful.

 

Black Bird best thing on Apple TV

 

Hah. I gave up on P&C.

Glad I stuck with Bojack though as it was very rewarding after a sub par first half a season

 

TBF, when the SW 'universe' (ho! ho!) drops all that swords & magic shyte it become an excellent place within which to explore quite complex themes such as 'revolution' and 'rebellions':

NB: it's a drunk sweaty so NSFW



Also even in the 'kids' stuff some stuff manages to break through the Disney 'toy and kid' friendly paywall:

The "Bad Batch" looked at what to do with a clone army when the war's over (heavy fan girl piece take down of the episode, S02E03):



This has led to a very interesting developing 'theme' in the 2nd half of S02 looking at "Clone's Rights".

I really, really recommend the entire Clone Wars animations: there's a lot of it, most of it is very watchable, a small part of it is pants but chunks of it (especially towards the latter series) are excelling bits of story telling exploring some quite adult themes.

Also the my favourite SW film is "Willow" (not the awful TV series) as this was, probably, an early SW 'draft'. Come Xmas we've got the release of Zac Snyder's Rebel Moon - which started out as 'standalone' SW film (with sequels) - gossip is that it was rejected by Disney as being too adult.

 

Nah. Star wars is all **** mate. Mes a jar jar binks

 

1883 and 1923 on Paramount+ are both brilliant. Western dramas which are prequels to Yellowstone (also available on there), which is set in current day. Tulsa King on there was very enjoyable as well. The second season of Your Honor is on there too, and I'm going to give Mayor of Kingstown and Yellowjackets a go as well seeing as they both seem highly rated.

You can get a free month trial of Paramount+. Well worth it if you haven't already. I'd say it's the best streaming service going if you like drama/thriller series.

 

Just watched - and enjoyed 1883 and 1923 - next to watch Yellowstone. Didn't think much of Mayor of Kingstown or Yellowjackets

 

I'm a couple of episodes into series two. It's just cartoonish and silly still. It's basically Ned Flanders coaching Dream Team.

 

Sincerest form of flattery and all that. #4521.

 

Either it just is true and we both saw it, or I read your comment, forgot I read it and then subsequently regurgitated it.