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A place to discuss what's on TV that might be of interest to others. (exc. Top Gear, F1, for example - which have threads of their own)
PLEASE NOTE:-
To try and maintain some kind of logical order of discussion, if you start a new subject then reply to this post and REMEMBER to change the default subject header.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 7 May 19 at 02:36
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Which is the prequel to Breaking Bad..
Season 4 ( 10 episodes again) starts early August on Netflix.
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Rumour suggests Walter and Jesse will make appearances in Season 4. Season 5 has been been given the go ahead too.
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I watched season 1 and really wanted to like it but I didn't. I may re-visit 3 and 4 though. Breaking Bad was a cracker
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Did anyone here watch this? I have a question I won't bother to put if nobody did. I can't get an answer from googling, which seems odd, but there it is.
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Yes, we did. Historically wobbly but fun. What was the question? I'd be amazed if I can answer it.
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I didn't watch this one but found the French soap Chateauvallon useful when I was trying to improve my knowledge of the language, because two versions were shown on British TV, one in English and the other in French. This was better than having the French original with English subtitles although that would have been helpful as well.
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>> Yes, we did. Historically wobbly but fun. What was the question? I'd be amazed if
>> I can answer it.
S'ok, I've answered it now, fortunately. I watched all three seasons. Recorded them all as I went without a glitch. Finally got to see the last ever episode this afternoon, and as the delightful and frankly gorgeous Fabien Marchal stood in the square, a musketeer aimed his pistol at him, my recording went hiccup and merrily skipped four minutes.
I tried to find out what happened to Fabien EVERYWHERE on google with no joy. But then Mrs C suggested trying catchup, and amazingly it was there, and so I found out. I'd missed some Important Bits too. Hurrah for the BBC.
I looked on Amazon Prime first, and though it doesn't yet have season 3, it did recommend Napoleon, with Gerard Depardieu. I wonder if that's any good.
I usually hate these kind of nonsense costume things, but I really liked Versailles.
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On BBC1 now.
Remember seeing him live in the '80s. Huge yellow suit and hilarious.
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True story. He's from a certain town in the Midlands. This meant that when he was in Othello a few years ago, he became known as the Dudley Moor.
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This may have been discussed before on this thread but its not one I look at often.
I was a big fan of The Tunnel which was based around the Scandinavian drama - The Bridge. Started to watch the final series (Series 4) and realised that I really needed to watch the previous series. Downloaded them on Catch Up and they made compulsive viewing. They became a binge watch. Very quickly you can get into viewing with sub titles.
Excellent viewing and the main character Saga Noren played by Sofia Helin is brilliant in her role. It is suggested, but never stated, to have Asperger's syndrome, she is portrayed as completely oblivious to social norms, but a brilliant and devoted police investigator. This makes for some very funny moments.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 23 Aug 18 at 12:40
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+1 for the Bridge I, II, III, IV.
Can't wait for the next load of Scandi-noir on BBC4 9pm Saturdays but it has been Welsh and Canadian stuff past couple of months.
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+2
The last series was particularly good. Just finished watching the current series of Unforgotten on ITV. That was excellent too. I think it was influenced by the Bridge (my opinion)... I even think there's similarities between the Bridge's title music (Hollow Talk by Choir of Young Believers) and the Unforgotten sound track.
We've seen a few programmes via Walter Presents that have been good too. We're a bit low on Scandinavian drama here at the moment. Watched some okay Belgian programmes too.
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We got into Scandi drama with the Killing.... but the first series of that was a bit too long. Borgen was good too.
Modus was another but not as good as the others.
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I have recorded quite a bit of Scandi-noir but in two series recently TiVo has missed a couple of episodes at the beginning and I need to scan round for a free copy somewhere. I think I can pay Amazon for some of them, which is last resort for me :-)
Salamander was one, that looked promising (maybe Belgian not Scandi) and I can't recall the other t the moment.
So I started Unforgotten last night and it's very good.
I'm also in the middle of Below the Surface which is really good too.
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Spiral was an excellent series. The French slang was beyond a lot of non Parisian French speakers.
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Yes Spiral was very good. So was Braquo. If these show how French police behave I am glad I've never broken the law in France ;-)
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a TV drama series in the past few years where the woman cop was actually dead, and was a ghost - she had been knocked over by a criminal in a car before the series started?
Memories are clearly sketchy on this one. I thought it was the same woman who played the policewoman in Unforgotten (which I just finished and was quite disappointed with, in the end, having enjoyed the first three quarters) but I can't see anything in her repertoire which fits the bill.
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You are spot on smokie for remembering it was Nicola Walker (also in Spooks years ago). It's also a sort of cross reference to Scandi drama.
It was River because it also starred Stellan Skarsgård.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 24 Aug 18 at 00:42
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Sounds like Randall and Hopkirk (deceased).
I had that theme tune for my wedding. She walked down the aisle to that. By aisle, I mean between a few chairs at the King's Road registry office.
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LOL...
Nah more recent than that - this year or late 2017 I'd guess.
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For a minute I thought you meant Ashes to Ashes, which was the sequel to Life on Mars.
But she was shot, whereas John Simm was the one who got run over.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 24 Aug 18 at 10:31
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Was it that good?
I watched the first episode and found it rather hard work. Now I'm wondering if I should have stuck with it and tried episode 2.
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We thought it was good. But Smokie wasn't asking was it any good only wondering what the series was called.
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I was replying to you and the link you posted.
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River, that was it!! Thanks...
I think I enjoyed it but often these things just wash over me.
But too much supernatural would have turned me right off...
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Has anyone been watching the 4 part drama Cry?
In the final episode there were scenes shot in the depths of Scotland.
Anyone recognise the location?
I've searched t'interweb but all its giving me is the general locations in Australia and Glasgow.
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Filming for The Cry took place in Glasgow. Jenna Coleman and other stars including Ewen Leslie and Sophie Kennedy Clark were spotted shooting scenes all over the city, including Argyle Street and outside the Gallery of Modern Art.
Coleman told the Scottish Sun: “We’ve been out to Loch Lomond to shoot and all over the city to Hamilton and Finnieston and we went to Pollok Park so we’ve got a really good sweep.â€
Radio Times.
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Great series. All on iplayer before it was broadcast so you can box-set the whole thing (we did over tonight). Great characters and actors. Eve was superb. Some humour, lots of violence and a good soundtrack - sort of 21st Cent. Peaky Blinders.
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Keep meaning to mention this programme here, in case anyone might be vaguely interested and missed it.
Each week they take a theme - desert, water, mountains, whatever - and wander off round the world looking at "impossible railways" that conquer that particular obstacle. Just seen the "water" one, with some Brunel, a tunnel under the Bosphorus, a spiffy "boat train" in Poland that works using a stonking great water wheel and a railway that hugs the Italian coast halfway up the cliffs.
Anyway, it's on Yesterday, if you have access to that, and there are three episodes still to come in series one I think, so not too late. Though I suspect it's a repeat from earlier this year anyway.
A bit Ladybird in places but still well done and interesting, I think.
First episode is, at the moment, on YouTube, unless it gets pulled for copyright.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpL5gmsmdSg
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The Le Carre 6 part adaptation finished this weekend, we watched the last one last night.
A bit slow at times, but I do need a bit of time with Le Carre for things to sink in.
Still on the iPlayer, worth watching and stuck fairly well to the book, so unlike nearly every contemporary police/spy drama it didn't have a massive and unbelievable twist at the end.
I'm now a fan of Florence Pugh.
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Just been watching "Paddington Station 24x7".
I wouldn't say it's the best television ever, but it is quite an enlightening insight into the quality of GWR's service performance.
Obviously I live abroad, and so programming about something so Brtiish is always going to be more interesting for me, but still worth a look in these lazy mid-Christmas/NY days, I think.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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At one point they were discussing whether or not hey should run diesel or electric trains on one stretch.
I might be quite wrong, but it seemed that they were implying that there were trains that could run on either as part of a transition to electric only.
Zero, can you shed any light?
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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See:
www.ieptrain.co.uk/
Some of the new trains are electric only, and some "bi-mode", allowing them to run in either electric or diesel mode (switching to the latter for the last (unelectrified) leg into Wales or the West Country)..
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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Thank you.
I've never done a Rail Operations contract. I rather fancy the opportunity having watched this, though I doubt I shall ever get one.
They largely seem to face Leyland type issues.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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>> They largely seem to face Leyland type issues.
To Be fair, most of GWR's problems lie with Network Rail.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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>> >> I've never done a Rail Operations contract. I rather fancy the opportunity.......
....beware, once in the blood.........
;-)
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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>>To Be fair, most of GWR's problems lie with Network Rail.
Going by that one TV Program most of GWR's problems seem to lie within the concept of optimistic planning. Both within the chances of something happen and with the recovery process.
Entirely reactive. And I specifically mean GWR, not NR.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:08
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Bi mode trains have been around for a fair while
The BR class 73, third rail electrification and Diesel loco, has been around since 1962. Some of the new rolling stock sets have been ordered bi-mode but will be converted to Overhead Electrification only as electrification extends, Easily done, you just remove the diesel power carriage.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:07
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>> Easily done, you just remove the diesel power carriage.
I think in this case it is not quite so easily done. The diesel engines are in fact generator sets distributed (underfloor) along the train.
The conversion back to pure electric will mean retaining the carriage(s) but "dropping" all the generator sets.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:07
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>>The BR class 73, third rail electrification and Diesel loco, has been around since 1962
I must admit I've only just realised that the diesel is a generator, rather than direct power to the wheels. [don't laugh].
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 20:07
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Trains aren't my thing but didn't they used to (or maybe still do) have trains that used electrical generators to slow rather than entirely friction braking, with the energy generated simply used in resistors to heat the sky rather than charge batteries?
Battery electric is suited to trains: masdive torque output, and weight is less of an issue as heavier trains recover proportionally more energy as they slow back down.
Presumably battery cost is the limiting step.
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>> >>The BR class 73, third rail electrification and Diesel loco, has been around since 1962
>>
>> I must admit I've only just realised that the diesel is a generator, rather than
>> direct power to the wheels. [don't laugh].
Aha, you forget diesel hydraulic locos. Br Class 52 "Westerns" and class 43 "warships"
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Forgotten? I don't think I ever knew about them.
For anybody else at my level of ignorance....
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_52
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_43_(Warship_Class)
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 22:21
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I’m always amazed how much some people know about trains and the fascination they inspire. My interest how never really extended beyond whether they have a buffet car or not although I did spend an interesting day at the York rail museum last year. They do a nice lunch! Is this fascination a purely British thing? Do they have things like preserved railways run by volunteers elsewhere in the world?
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I guess that'd be a "yes".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heritage_railways
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 30 Dec 18 at 22:47
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Autism knows no geographical boundary.
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>> Autism knows no geographical boundary.
We are all blokes on the internet here. Its merely a matter of whereabouts on the scale.
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I bought my house from an elderly couple who bought it as a new build, then sold it after 6 months. He retired from full time work, and was offered a job working part time in a quiet signal box ( after training) so they relocated to Knaresborough.
He obviously loved trains.
I like trains because they transport me from Settle to the fleshpots of Leeds, Lancaster and York then deposit me home within walking distance on the wobbly carpet.
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That’s around 450 organisations in the U.K. against two in Chile. I guess it is a fairly British obsession.
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I don't know any Chilean in Chile who is a rail enthusiast. Funnily enough though I know two Indians.
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We’ve also got two Indians in Settle. I had my Christmas Day curry in the Royal Spice.
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I meant I know two Indians in Chile who are train enthusiasts.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 31 Dec 18 at 11:17
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Apologies. I was being facetious and my sense of humour can be odd.
I also know two chippies in Settle, but only one joiner.
Festive Greetings and all that
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 31 Dec 18 at 13:45
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Caught this by accident while driving up to my sister's for lunch:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0001tyz
About the sinking of HMY Iolaire bringing Lewis men who'd been in the forces back to Stornoway after WW1. Death toll over 200, far greater than the number of men from island lost in combat.
Had a lot of publicity today because of anniversary but generally a tragedy little known beyond the isles.
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....went and had a look at the Iolaire monument when we were visited Lewis a few years ago in the motorhome motorcaravan campervan, and read up about it then...
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Great thanks. Perfect bit of listening.
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I read it on the bbc today, when you look at the pictures it looks so close to the shore you could walk out to it. There can't be many boat tragedies that happened so close to the shore with such a loss of life.
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>> I read it on the bbc today, when you look at the pictures it looks
>> so close to the shore you could walk out to it. There can't be many
>> boat tragedies that happened so close to the shore with such a loss of life.
I've gone to the memorial several times and thought same but in 35 years as a visitor to Harris/Lewis I've never experienced a real winter storm. It was though only a bit of summer blow that stranded us at Howmore Youth Hostel for 24 hours in 1988.
I've had to crawl off summit of Skiddaw 'cos I couldn't stand in gale force winds; add heaving sea to that and I guess you've some measure of the conditions on night of 01 Jan 1919.
Don't know how true it is but author Peter May, in his fictional Lewis trilogy, asserts that for a place so dependent on the sea the ability to swim was far from universal amongst the men of Lewis and Harris. I think I've read that elsewhere as well.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 1 Jan 19 at 20:02
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4 years ago me and the missus went a camping trip on the Outer Hebrides, ferry to Castlebay and then camped our way up to Stornoway and ferry back over to Ullapool.
Still hoping to repeat this journey on bike - www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/see-and-do/activities/hebridean-way but the logistics are proving to be a bit problematic!
Knowing my luck, I would book a week off work, plan the accommodation, and that would be the week for torrential rain!
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You may have seen some of BBC "slow tv" offerings. Examples include sticking a camera on a Yorkshire country bus, following reindeer in Lapland, filming out of the window on a train across Australia, (and others) all for hours on end and with no narration.
You may have avoided or hated them, in which case move along, nothing for you here.
If, however, like me you liked them a lot, you may not have realised (and I have just discovered) that there are a whole bunch of similar things on Amazon Prime (London busses, the river Thames, Underground journeys etc).
On Netflix there are other examples as well, such as some Norwegian train and boat journeys, all shot in Glorious HD-o-Vision. One of them, for example, has a running time of seven and a half hours, which even for me means watching it in bits.
All follow the same format of no narration and just watching the world go by. Strangely hypnotic and relaxing when the moment is right, I find.
Anyway, on either Amazon or Netflix, typing "slow tv" as your search phrase opens up this world of wonder.
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I watched a large part of the Aussie one and it would be interesting to watch some of the others you mentioned.
But , I don't really watch much TV tbh, and when I do my mind is often a thousand miles away.
So watching slow TV would be ideal for when I don't want to actually watch TV.
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Seeing as a new season of Luther started up, and I've quite "got into" drama in the past year or so (- often Scandi noir and the like), and it seemed to be well recommended, I scratched around and found that all series of Luther are on Netflix.
So I've just finished series 1. What do people see in it? It's an average cop show, with the unbelievable alongside the rather predictable.
I will watch more of it in future but only on an occasional basis rather than the binge watching I tend towards with a really good series.
Maybe it gets better in the later series...
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It gets considerably darker as the series goes on, to the extent that had you watched the last 4 parter one after the other there was severe danger to your sanity
Wouldn't surprise me if London transport bus passenger numbers dropped considerably, and your trust in the medical profession was severely dented
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 17 Jan 19 at 15:40
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>>> found that all series of Luther are on Netflix.
I've enjoyed several subtitled Netflix foreign language series. Different style to filming, a different take on attitudes, locations appear more natural than when such countries feature in major UK or USA film, actors that you haven't seen before etc.
Such as...
The Protector (Turkish)
Pine Gap (Australian)
Money Heist (Spanish)
Wanted (Australian)
Deadwind (Finnish)
Norsemen (Norwegian but English language version)
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> Maybe it gets better in the later series...
>>
I was much of the same mind. Watched a couple of episodes it was ok, watchable but nothing more.
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The follow up from Deutschland 83, which I thought was very good, is on tonight on ch4 at 9pm
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 9 Mar 19 at 20:41
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Just finished watching this - beautifully crafted programme - superb car scenes including a South African Rover P6 V8
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Having binged 83 last week in Portugal I have 86 to watch - so no spoilers please!
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I caught some of the earlier episodes of this, but see a lot were only broadcast on Scotch BBC.
I heard the series is being discontinued, but found episodes I missed on BBC I-player.
I have to watch with subtitles turned on, but if old men being stupid appeals, then I suggest you watch it.
My favourite line: "Who asks a one legged man to be a pall bearer - oops me leg's fallen off".
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BT, you may find a lot of the episodes on youtube as well.
Obviously biased being Scotch and all that but fantastic show. Not being Glaswegian you may not appreciate all the humour and back stories.
Us Scots don't mind ripping the p out of ourselves but woe betide any English program maker trying to stereotype us as the characters portrayed on Still Game!
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www.comedy.co.uk/tv/dont_forget_the_driver/
BBC2 - Brilliant BBC drama - dark and quite funny in a very British way. Watch and enjoy.
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Coen Brothers. Six Western vignettes. Excellent, beautifully crafted, tales with a twist.
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>> Coen Brothers. Six Western vignettes. Excellent, beautifully crafted, tales with a twist.
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Yes, I second that.
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Been away.
Watched the first episode on CatchUp, and then, one step at a time, watched all the episodes. Didn't mean to, it just turned out that way.
Quite gripping. I thought the sex scenes were a bit unusual?
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Hahahhahah...but quite funny though.
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Strangely compelling!
It's also got quite a pedestrian pace.
Just watched episode 2 and will be watching the rest the old fashioned way.
I like the stark locations (Hythe, Dungeness & the sound mirror at Capel-le-Ferne, I think).
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Surprised no one has mentioned Line of Duty????
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 29 Apr 19 at 02:01
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Just this week started watching it. Got 5 seasons to get through! (well, 5 is ongoing).
Really enjoying it.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 29 Apr 19 at 02:01
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Glued to it.
I got into it by accident at the start of series 3, went back and boxsetted 1 & 2 and now we have this season, riveting dramatic stuff (you need a crash course in TLA's tho).
I hear the finale next sunday is a "feature Length' epsisode?
Get the popcorn out.
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Gave it up a few series back. Too much plot and little in the the way of characterisation. Basically a whodunnit which not my favourite entertainment.
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>> Basically a whodunnit which not my favourite entertainment.
That must limit your literary & audio visual choices a lot.
Still I suppose you have "Downton the Movie" to look forward to, all characterisation and no-one has done anything.
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If you mean TV drama output is dominated by police thrillers you are correct.
To be honest I haven’t watched much TV drama at all this year. About the only drama series I have watched recently was “Don’t forget the Driver” with the the great Toby Jones which was thoroughly enjoyable.
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>> If you mean TV drama output is dominated by police thrillers you are correct.
No I mean that if you dont like whodunnits, you are restricted in stuff you cant read or watch.
All agatha christie books and films for example,
Mind I suppose you dont have to read Clive Cusler books, which is a bit of a blessing
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As far as Agatha Christie books are concerned you are correct. Can't stand them. However I think you will find most literature and films are not whodunnits or police dramas so perhaps you need to widen your reading and film watching scope a little.
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Nowhere did I say my scope was limited by personal choice or general availability,
Amazing how those who are self blinkered assume all are.
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Haven't started the current series yet, but found the previous ones really exciting. The plot lines are complex, so I made a lot of use of the episode summaries on Wiki:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Line_of_Duty_episodes
The weak point to me is the female in the team. She's such a creep in undercover mode that I'd expect her to be rumbled PDQ in real life.
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DOnt worry, she has been promoted in season 5 and isnt undercover.
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I gave up on LoD after the first couple of episodes.
Nah!
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>> I gave up on LoD after the first couple of episodes.
Yes I guess 9pm is a bit past your bedtime.
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>> >> I gave up on LoD after the first couple of episodes.
>>
>> Yes I guess 9pm is a bit past your bedtime.
>>
9pm is just the start!
Do you know it doesn't finish till ten pm!!!
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I knew it was ....... (no spoiler)
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...or Baptiste, which I just finished binging.
Saving Line of Duty to binge once they are all shown. It's getting increasingly difficult to avoid hearing spoilers though.
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For those who watched Horrible Histories, Ghosts is by the same team. If your sense of humour is a juvenile as mine it may be worth a watch. Two episodes in on BBC.
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Never seen (any) Ghosts but I enjoy Horrible Histories and Yonderland with the same team. When I say team, I mean Martha Howe-Douglas. In a couple of years, she'll be perfect.
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We gave the first episode the 10 minute test, some LOL moments.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSOo4_7Pccg
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 2 May 19 at 02:04
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Looks good - worth a gander.A Russell T Davies production is always well made
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Can't see it in the programme guide yet. am I missing it?
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SWMBO has said we should look out for this (BBC2). I presume there may have been trailers about it, so fairly imminent.
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Better call Saul - legacylad
