Last television show you watched

Actually watched all of STRANGE NEW WORLDS, liked half of it (the back half), and one ep (I think it was the 6th one) felt like genuine good STAR TREK (and had fewer logic lapses than the rest.)

Buoyed, I tried watching PICARD season 2 ... and actually thought it wasn't too bad, though they took 10 shows to do what they should have done in maybe half that number. Still don't know where all the money goes on these series, esp this particular one, since nearly 80% of the action takes place on Earth in 2024, which shouldn't require VFX.

A lot of people are using the woke word in regard to these series and the wholly abysmal DISCOVERY, but I think Trek always aspired to have a social consciousness, even when it was sexist as all get-out.

I really do find the use of modern catchphrases seriously distracting and annoying, and wish the writers had the imagination to things right (as in, my way!), but that ship has unfortunately already gone to warp.

Finished up PARKS & REC again, and I liked it better this third time through, which is saying a lot.

Immediately launched into season 3 of THE ORVILLE, but can tell you that getting through the first 3 eps has been a huge slog. They each ran over an hour, and would have worked better if they were back to the old 42minute length, they were padded like mad, with uninteresting incidents and just minutes of pretty, not particularly credible VFX. Am really disappointed, and not sure if I will even finish up the season at this point (am feeling more like MANHATTAN or BOSTON LEGAL series-wise right now.)

I found that the Parks & Rec characters all became insufferable towards the end, except the moustache guy.

Halloween viewing.

I have not seen every episode of Thriller but this ("The Grim Reaper") is definitely my favorite of the ones I have. Might be my favorite Shatner 1960s anthology show role. Natalie Schafer delivers an amazing performance that comes totally unexpected when all you know her from is Gilligan. Bloch's script is a gem, and the direction is suitably moody (Herschel Daugherty also did a great Alfred Hitchcock episode called "Nothing Ever Happens in Linvale"). All the elements really fell together on this one.

"Television Terror" - Tales From The Crypt


Continuing on with my Halloween re-watching, I went for this 1990 ep of Tales featuring Morton Downey, Jr. basically playing himself as a trash tv host making a ratings grab by doing a Geraldo-like live broadcast tour of a haunted house. At twenty-odd minutes, the thing flies, building tension and quickly. You can see the what of the ending from the start, but its the how which makes it a worthy watch.

The SOUNDS OF 007 program on Amazon. Found it full of good stories, some of them new even to me, and the presentation was pretty slick, with graphics that amplified the storytelling in a vaguely Bondish fashion.

However unintentionally, this show also pointed up the huge disconnect between the sound of Bond past and present. My wife was just shaking her head during a couple parts when they move quickly from Bassey to the 21st century folks crooning. And for all his talk of understanding what Barry gave to Bond, I still think Zimmer largely failed, probably as much as Newman (who at least admitted he didn't know how to incorporate the Bond them into SKYFALL.)

There are some surprising omissions -- Kamen and Conti (maybe not so big a surprise on the latter, given I seem to be the only person who enjoys parts of FYEO's score), plus TND and DAD. Also, Babs can't even bring herself to say Bond dies ... she only manages to use the words "Bond's sacrifice" -- which makes it sound like he is bunting in order to get a runner into scoring position. (maybe the next movie should be called NO TIME TO BUNT -- they really need to swing for the fences!)

The other takeaway was that at the start, it actually made me think I'd give NTTD another chance afterward, esp since it is streaming everywhere for free. But as the show started running more NTTD clips, plus pointless and/or wrongheaded comments from Craig, I found myself getting angrier and angrier and realized a second go-round would only provide fuel for a potential ulcer.

'Bout half-way through the latest season of The Crown.

Dalton makes an appearance. Frankly, with a bit of shoe polish on his head he could still make a more convincing Bond than that last fella.

Also, of course, features J Pryce as Prince Phillip though, to be honest, the physical resemblance isn't there like it was with the last guy.

Saw bits and pieces of this latest season, CJB. I watched the first two seasons eagerly all the way through but I've only seen bits after that cast was subbed out. Probably a combo of becoming attached to those actors (they were all aces, particularly Smith and Foy, the latter of whom I personally feel in her portrayal ran rings around the more established actresses which have followed her, from what I've seen anyway)...plus just me myself being most interested in that time period.

I hear ya and I certainly think the first season was the best one.

There's also the matter of wild historical inaccuracies. Clearly there's an axe to grind with the monarchy.

Alas, too many numpties will probably think they're watching a documentary. Latest episode I watched, for example, seemed to push the attempted coup against Gorbachev (i.e. Yeltsin's speech on the tank) out by 3 years to 1994 when the USSR no longer existed. Makes sense...

Charles spoke out a while back about the inaccuracies in it and that he consequently hoped people weren't taking it at face value.

In the middle of Netflix' Treason, starring Charlie Cox and Olga Kurylenko.

Actually impressed with Kurylenko, somewhere along the line she actually became a decent actress. Especially in anything in the action thriller genre.

The show as a whole is a bit far-fetched, but decent enough entertainment.

Helga's come a long way since Baker St.

VIKINGS:VALHALLA
Just started on season 2. Not as good as the first few seasons of VIKINGS, but better than the last couple of seasons of that show.

Clarkson's Farm 2

The first season was my favorite show of recent years, and I've been much looking forward to the follow up. Though I enjoyed the first season more, I think they did the right thing here in not trying to replicate that experience. The first season was basically Green Acres mixed with farming advocacy and a bit of a tacit v. explicit knowledge theme. Second season is basically the story of Clarkson battling the town council, and it works in its own right. The "characters" as such are still themselves, none of that self-awareness that started to creep into Top Gear after a certain point.

PICARD season 3. What a surprise! They've only aired the first 2 so far, but I got screeners for the first 6, and seriously, the show is the best that Trek has managed to be in any form thus far this century.

Still has idiot plot turns, fuzzy VFX and some stunningly awful cinematography in the first installments, which makes what I know is a terrific starship bridge set into a murky mess that looks like it was shot through a muddy fish tank, but honestly, pretty much ever episode is better than the one before it, and there's some decent character work and mild joys from seeing these actors back together.

As it goes along there are unexpected developments as well as the ones you could guess from parsecs distant, but I get the impression this is the first Trek writers room since DEEP SPACE NINE where they are actually working to come up with ideas that build on one another without just piling on willy-nilly.

Ep 4 and 6 are very engaging and satisfying emotionally (one feeling totally TREK in the best way, the other just gut-wrenching), so I'd say they finally got it largely right this time.

Perry Mason season 2 opening episode was delightful.
Grown-up TV, quality neo-noir and with everything getting the HBO treatment in terms of production values.

Columbo episode from 1971, "Lady in waiting". Clever set up and interesting unraveling of the non-mystery as always. Leslie Nielsen has a role here.

Columbo is great. I should probably get the complete series on DVD.

Phantom Commander wrote:

Columbo episode from 1971, "Lady in waiting". Clever set up and interesting unraveling of the non-mystery as always. Leslie Nielsen has a role here.

I love the ep where Nielsen falls prey to Patrick McGoohan (also with Barbara Rhoades.)

The Spielberg "Murder By the Book" remains my favorite Columbo but there are many great ones.

Two others that spring to mind are "Any Old Port In A Storm" featuring maybe the best Columbo murderer played by Donald Pleasance, and "Murder Under Glass," the ep from Jonathan Demme featuring yet another Bond villain turned murderer in Louis Jourdan.

Patrick McGoohan commits the act several times, IIRC. "By Dawn's Early Light" might be my favorite of his I've seen.

Somerset wrote:

The Spielberg "Murder By the Book" remains my favorite Columbo but there are many great ones.

Two others that spring to mind are "Any Old Port In A Storm" featuring maybe the best Columbo murderer played by Donald Pleasance, and "Murder Under Glass," the ep from Jonathan Demme featuring yet another Bond villain turned murderer in Louis Jourdan.

Patrick McGoohan commits the act several times, IIRC. "By Dawn's Early Light" might be my favorite of his I've seen.

I remember the episode with Jourdan. Did not realize that was Demme directing.

From Columbo (fantastic that America has a "Columbo Day"), to something completely different:

HOW THE WEST WAS WON

I had not seen this since it came out four decades ago or more. It was extremely popular at the time, Zeb Macahan becoming an instant legend from the tv screen. It holds up well. I still enjoy it.

MIAMI VICE

Bought the box with all five seasons 1984-1990. Stylish show with cool music and hot chicks. One of the protagonists drives a black Ferrari and has an alligator as his dog. What is not to like?

The early one with pre-MOONLIGHTING Bruce Willis as a baddie is awesome and heartbreaking. Bob Balaban had a recurring crusading journalist character who mixes it up with Gordon Liddy as I recall. One of those was directed by Don Johnson at a budget runaway price tag that was a record, something like over 2mil for a single episode (latter detail came from an old MAKING OF book on the show.)

An odd little detail from Miami Vice I remember is that when Phil Collins guest-starred he was able to say 'wanker' in his dialogue, as it isn't a recognised swear-word in the US.