Last television show you watched

Blunt Instrument wrote:

As a Whovian, I must ask you chaps - how's Matt Smith as Phil The Greek?

Very good. Appropriate mix of likeability and arseholeness, as per the man himself.

Can't fault the acting on the whole, but I'm finding that having a face as familiar as John Lithgow's to be all too distracting. Also leaves me wondering whether it's possible to play Churchill without ramping the ham up to nauseating levels.

Agree that the acting is great overall. Though I was going to post that John Lithgow is perhaps the standout (though Jared Harris was too, he isn't in it nearly as much). Despite his familiar face, I'm absolutely convinced that I'm watching Churchill, and not an actor playing him.

My mention of Matt Smith followed by mention of Churchill seems like excuse enough to post this, if you'll forgive me -

Heh. Never seen any Doctor Who, so thanks for posting.

I can say that Matt Smith shows a bit more restraint as the Prince.

Hehehe ... well, in that clip it appears that the Daleks are actually called 'Ironsides' and have been invented by Prof. Bracewell to help with Britain's defences during WW2.

But of course the Doctor knows that they aren't helpful beings ... they're genocidal conquerors, and he attempts to provoke them into revealing their true nature.

Twin Peaks (1990-91)

Thought I'd watch this as I've kept hearing about it over the years and now there's a new series.

Thought it was just overly kooky at first, but I got into it when I binged it during a recent bout of illness. Has a certain charm to it, not least of all because of Agent Cooper's quasi-autistic ways. Still, not without flaw. Sheriff Curls is so wooden you get splinters just watching him. The second season also drags on a little. Perhaps I feel that way because we've gotten used to TV shows only having a dozen or so episodes per season.

Also, just watched the first episode of the new series. I'll reserve commentary until I've seen all the new episodes, but damn, it's rough getting to know people over the course of 30 episodes and then, suddenly, seeing them 25 years older.

Fear The Walking Dead Season 3

I'm into episode 3 so far...some great surprises along the way, a welcome vast improvement I must say.

It's a good distraction while waiting for the flagship Walking Dead to return.

Far too many 'filler' episodes in the most recent series of The Walking Dead ... it needs trimming back to 12 or even 10 episodes a season, and the characters that the writers clearly don't know what to do with any more need killing off.

GLOW (Netflix)

I quit the show (admittedly 9 episodes into a 10 episode series). Once they started doing cocaine off a picture of Nancy and Ronald Reagan I turned it off. One thing I do not like is for "entertainment" to preach to me or shove an agenda down my throat. Clearly the creators of this series are using it as a vehicle to tell me what they thought/think of the 80's, Republicans, Conservatives and The Reagan Administration. I didn't sign up for that.

Furthermore, the series makes a mistake that so many other projects in Hollywood are making: rebooting, prequeling, or doing too many origin stories. This isn't even a literal retelling of a true story; it's a GLOW that's set in an alternate universe. No one in real life, from the real series that ran from 86-90, is referenced in this show at all.

I remember G.L.O.W. I loved it. It was just meant to be fun; not to get all serious. It was great for what it was...when it was...you'll never be able to pull off that type of series again what with all the butt-hurt social justice warriors and chronically-offended pansies among us.

But this show, occasionally funny at times, has hijacked the original G.L.O.W. series and used it as some vehicle to push a feminist message replete with adultery, incest, abortion, drugs, racism and sexism (and that's just from the "good characters) that was never part of the original show. The original was just (mostly) clean fun, and this new series has gone and taken a huge, steaming dump all over it.

Halfway through The Honourable Woman (Blick, 2014).

Excellent, excellent drama. The cleverly written script and brilliant performances render this a firm peer to superior shows such as Mad Men and The Night Manager. Based on what I've seen so far, Eon should seriously consider Hugo Blick to write Bond 25. Imagine that, written by Blick, directed by Bier....

Feels like TWINE, actually. Probably why I like it so much.

Fox News

Adore Hannity...he layeth the smack down on libtard ass.

bitchcraft wrote:

Fox News

Adore Hannity...he layeth the smack down on libtard ass.

I can't stand him....anymore. Used to listen to him some when he was on the radio in Atlanta back in the mid-90's. Then watched him on FOX News when he was balanced by Alan Colmes. But now he's just become completely unhinged...carrying the water for the Trump Administration like a good doggy. He's every bit as bad as the sycophants on MSNBC who could never find or say anything wrong to report regarding President Obama or President Clinton (CNN at the time).

A lot of commentators I used to respect have come down a notch because of their varying degrees of support for President Trump and their willingness to assault truth, reason and fact. Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson.... but Hannity is the worst of the lot. He and Eric Bolling have sold their souls to the Trump Administration. Parts of FOX have become nothing more than a clearing house of Trump's latest talking points....a propaganda machine. I'm down to just watching Special Report w/Bret Baier these days and that's it. TV "News" has become virtually unwatchable.

But I digress...

Watched POLDARK: Season 2...kind of a downer from Season 1, but I still see occasional glimpses of Timothy Dalton peeking out from underneath Aidan Turner's tricorne and continue to believe Turner is a smart choice. He can do brooding..he can do intense...he can do action and love scenes...he can pull of some humor. I think he and Christopher Nolan could make something special, but I see no reason for Nolan to come onboard unless he's getting full power to a creative clean-sweep, and that means shuttering Daniel Craig to the Island of Misfit Bonds.

Suits Season 7 Episode 1 & 2

Enjoying it fully...loved this track too

Fear the Walking Dead Season 3

I'm binge watching the first half of the season and Episode 5...DAMN!!!! There was once scene that absolutely made up for any drawl in the previous episodes...Rick and his crew would be jealous....that crow scene was just bloody awesome!

Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)

Have to say after spending a summer on the new show I feel like I've been stuck in The Black Lodge for months on end as I barely watched anything other than this and the original again. It was a hell of a ride with some really high highs (Episode 8, a large amount of Gordon Cole throughout, Robert Forster taking over as Sheriff) and some really low lows (Michael Cera cameo) but definitely unforgettable. Episode 8 and 18 are definitely going to go down as two of TV's most memorable and craziest hours even more so than the original show's cliffhanger finale. Sadly a lot regulars from the original didn't show up as much other than cameos and the last two episodes pretty much discarded with a lot of plot lines and even the original show in some aspects. The last episode is essentially David Lynch at probably his most Lynchian and the ending while I won't spoil too much was pretty depressing and left me a little shook. As I said it was a hell of a ride that can only really be described for better or worse as audacious and one I am looking forward to retaking when it hits Blu-ray in December.

Coincidentally, was also about to post about Twin Peaks 2k17.

To be honest, this was my reaction to just about every episode:



I must just be on a different wavelength. Thought the new series had none of the charm of the original. I was just bored and occasionally revolted for the most part. My mind's too conventional I suppose.

CJB wrote:

I must just be on a different wavelength. Thought the new series had none of the charm of the original. I was just bored and occasionally revolted for the most part. My mind's too conventional I suppose.

I don't think your opinion makes your mind conventional as the original show was far from conventional and I think even for fans of the majority of David Lynch's work this show is going to be hit or miss. It certainly isn't as great and engaging as the original two season were or the film Fire Walk With Me for that matter and wasn't as well put together and cohesive as his more signature films (although still a far better project than Inland Empire was). I think not keeping the majority of the show set in Twin Peaks was a big misstep on his part and the Dougie Jones plot line dragged on for far too long (although more screentime for Naomi Watts is decent compensation) but I'm pretty much on Lynch's wavelength in terms of weirdness and this delivered some quality weirdness and some of his oddball humor in the Gordon Cole scenes. I hope if he does a Season Four though he keeps it set primarily in Twin Peaks and if he does use another location bring back Deer Meadow from Fire Walk With Me.

Yeah forgot to mention that one of the things that I thought weakened S3 in comparison to 1 & 2 was the fact that most of the action took place outside Twin Peaks. At some point, there can be too much variety. Coupled with the relative lack of music (outside of the end credits performances), and it just feels like a completely different show.

Also agree that the Dougie Jones stupor went on for too long. The "I am the FBI" payoff scene was satisfying, but I think I'd have more time for the series if it happened sooner.

Good humour peppers the seasons (Gordon Cole, as you mentioned, was the standout), but the odball-osity was too much for me. Episode 8, in particular, made me want a stiff drink.

Also, as I've mentioned like a fuddy duddy broken record, the gratuitous gore that's obligatory in every show now is a bit much for me. Coupled with weekly terrorist attacks in Europe and you start to wonder what the new normal is going to be in the minds of the youth. I know I sound like an old-timer, but hey, no one gets younger.

"Narcos" season 3 was better than I thought it would be, sans Wagner Moura's Pablo Escobar.
Pedro Pascal is also a much more compelling lead than Boyd Holbrook was.

worked my way through my Persuaders boxset. Effortlessly entertaining, in spite of whatever happened off-camera the Curtis/Moore dynamic sparkles and without it, the show wouldn't be what it was.

Amazing on the quiet the sheer amount of familiar faces from British TV/cinema or even that, Bond alumni (Che-Che from OHMSS included) and behind the camera too -Peter Hunt directing. But the likes of Val Guest, Basil Dearden, Leslie Norman, Roy Ward Baker and yes, our man, Sir Roger helming episodes.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

worked my way through my Persuaders boxset. Effortlessly entertaining, in spite of whatever happened off-camera the Curtis/Moore dynamic sparkles and without it, the show wouldn't be what it was.

Amazing on the quiet the sheer amount of familiar faces from British TV/cinema or even that, Bond alumni (Che-Che from OHMSS included) and behind the camera too -Peter Hunt directing. But the likes of Val Guest, Basil Dearden, Leslie Norman, Roy Ward Baker and yes, our man, Sir Roger helming episodes.

Yes I ran through The Persuaders recently on blu, I was a bit worried it may have dated but if anything it rose in my estimation and is probably my favourite slice of Roger Moore.

Might have to give it a rewatch. Every time I think of The Persuaders I think of Moore's comment that all the film makers did to show an exotic location was to put a small palm tree on set.

FieldsMan wrote:

Might have to give it a rewatch. Every time I think of The Persuaders I think of Moore's comment that all the film makers did to show an exotic location was to put a small palm tree on set.

By ITC standards it is as close to being exotic as it gets...atm I am running through Department S, which is proving itself one of the better ITC action series btw, but the representation of anywhere 'not England' is pretty dire.

The Saint was truer of a foreign locale being a few planted pots/trees (the Saint ep that served as a 'pilot' for the Persuaders, the Ex-King of Diamonds, being a case in point). Whereas Persuaders for most of the first half at any rate had genuine locales but then segued back to Blighty. Beauty of the Saint in particular was 'going' overseas without ever leaving good old Elstree. Lord knows how many shows used those woods for filming. Avengers, UFO, Saint, Persuaders etc

Moore was deeply amused by the fact that in The Saint the onscreen caption would declare 'Paris' or somesuch, and then a London Transport double-decker would trundle through the shot.