***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 11 *****
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)
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Volume 6
Volume 7
Volume 8
Volume 9
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 Thu 19 Mar 15 at 10:13
|
An extremely interesting documentary last night on BBC4. Some awe-inspiring insights into just how good our mediaeval forebears were in building impressive constructions.
Particularly interesting to me were the wonderful hammer beams, carved from oak, seen in great effect to some seriously large spans in great halls.
The presenter Dan Cruikshank, is a bit twee, but I can forgive that due to the program content.
Definitely booked the series!
|
As of yesterday, Channel 4+1 is available in HD on freeview 110. Not exactly earth-shaking news, but it does give another HD option on the odd occasion there's a clash between 4 and another HD channel.
4seven has also gone HD on freeview 111.
|
|
BBC4, eight o'clock tonight. The story of the Ford plant in Dagenham, repeated on Tuesday for those who'll be watching the Beautiful Game.
|
>> BBC4, eight o'clock tonight. The story of the Ford plant in Dagenham, repeated on Tuesday
>> for those who'll be watching the Beautiful Game.
>>
Thanks RR, Mrs B will be pleased that I have found an alternative to the football to watch :-)
|
I just had to watch this as I got my Green Beret in late 1954.
In those days one did basic training and infantry skills at Lympstone and then moved on to Bickleigh for the dedicated Commando course.
It WAS tough stuff then, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it may well turn out to be harder now. My Commando course was in the depths of winter on Dartmoor - that cured me of ever wanting to camp out voluntarily!
We shall see!
(I have to say that the route by which I joined was not as a O.R. recruit, but that while our living conditions were more civilised, performance expectations were substantially higher than those of the recruits - many of them National Service - in those far-off days))
|
I can't remember the name of a TV comedy series. Can anyone help?
The principal characters were two Scottish men. They were based in Scotland (Glasgow?), livung in council flats. The actors were in fact younger men, but made up to look much older. They used the corner shop which was run by a Sikh.
Much of the action took place either in the shop, or in the local pub.
And ideas, please?
Last edited by: Duncan on Thu 7 Aug 14 at 17:22
|
No. This series was more recent than Rab, I think. Plus, I could understand what they were saying!
It was what might be called working class comedy. Not an excessive amount of subtlety.
|
Let google be your friend.
"Still Game"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_Game
Last edited by: Duncan on Thu 7 Aug 14 at 17:56
|
Oh dear me ! Has TV really had to stoop this low ? What a load of drivelling trash.
SWM had recorded it and put an episode on whilst waiting for another programme to start. She thought it was filmed in a genuine court, with film cameras, tv screens and even a flag behind the judge with his name on it !
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXgu53Gqbw
Obviously aimed at the Yankee audience as an example of an English county or small claims court. The campest guy they could find as the judge and a huge attendance in the ' public gallery '.
Last (only) time I was in the County Court, there was me, the opposition's brief, a clerk and the judge all in suits sat round a table. I won, by the way.
Or is this the way small claims are dealt with now. Brompy will know.
Judge Judy...eat your heart out..at least she gives us a laugh, she's so rude !
|
|
There are and never have been any gavels in English courts, so you can tell straight away it's either American or just made up stuff for TV, British or otherwise, as programme makers seem unable to get away from the idea that British judges have little hammers. They really don't.
|
Crown Court was as close as it got to the real stuff.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueIwtvRAAg
|
When I were titchy I thought Crown Court was real. That theme tune just brought it all back.
I love the crappy pasted photo in the newspaper at the beginning there - looks like they literally stuck it down over the racing news. It even covers half the letters.
Ah, simpler times.
Ooh, and the defendant is Ronald Culver - the Duke of Omnium in the wonderful tv version of the Pallisers from a similar date. Nice link!
Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 18 Aug 14 at 16:03
|
Watched this in its entirety last night.
Piped the eyes a bit in places - loved Arnold's Peterloo Overture in a choral version, with words by Tim Rice. Emotional, I thought.
Usual stirrings with the final Elgar stuff.
|
Me too, Dodger. Proud to be ENGLISH !.....then British !
No more fun on proms night on Glasgow Green if the Jockos opt out ! You don't get the Taliban and it's ilk putting on this sort of show........feel sorry for them...not.
|
|
Missed the bloomin thing. Out in the caravan and forgot about it until late. Turned on just in time for the Poppins singalong and the usual Finale stuff.
|
On BBC2 now - incredible. 95 year old talking about his WW2 experiences.
Don't miss it
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01ztws0
|
|
Am I alone in liking this series - despite it's technical inaccuracies?
|
|
Not heard of it, what's it about?
|
Stacey from Eastenders joins the army.
:)
|
If I watched Eastenders, I might have a clue who you mean
;-)
|
:)
I haven't been watching it (Our Girl) because the trailers didn't appeal. But I saw a bit on Monday and it nearly drew me in; suspect I'd be watching it if I'd seen the first episode.
(BTW nothing to do with Eastenders apart from sharing at least one actor.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Girl
Last edited by: Focusless on Wed 8 Oct 14 at 20:29
|
Just starting on C4 - looks like it might be entertaining
Guy joins the restoration of a spitfire that was buried in a French beach for decades and tells the story of Geoffrey Stephenson - its pilot
|
|
Fantastic programme, and great education for my youngest boy. Fitting that he should test the machine gun on a BMW, whose engines were fitted in many a Luftwaffe plane.
|
Agree it was a good programme and reasonably well done. I had to Google though to find out who Guy Martin was.
The history was a bit simplified in places, particularly the role of the Hurricane and of course the 'Me109' in the dogfight was actually a Merlin engined Hispano Buchon.
Nice that they're still able to interview a few of 'The Few' and supporting cast although Geoff Wellum must be nearly the last man standing from amongst BoB Spit pilots.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 12 Oct 14 at 21:39
|
>>was actually a Merlin engined Hispano Buchon
How could you tell?
|
>> >>was actually a Merlin engined Hispano Buchon
>>
>> How could you tell?
Exhaust ports at the top of the engine, real 109's have the exhaust at the bottom.
|
|
I'm just interested, but surely that would just have told you what the engine was (although I didn't know that either) but how would you know it was a spanish built plane?
|
>> I'm just interested, but surely that would just have told you what the engine was (although I didn't know that either) but how would you know it was a spanish built plane?
>>
Because thats what ARC own and operate?
www.arc-duxford.co.uk/aircraft/buchon/
|
>> I'm just interested, but surely that would just have told you what the engine was
>> (although I didn't know that either) but how would you know it was a spanish
>> built plane?
Cos only Hispano made a merlin variant.
Plus if it had the number 10 on the side you know it was owned by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford who rent out for filming a Hispano Buchon painted to look like a Luftwaffe ME109
|
|
Is there an echo in here?
Last edited by: swiss tony on Sun 12 Oct 14 at 22:25
|
>> Is there an echo in here?
Is there an echo in here?
|
>> How could you tell?
The 109 and Buchon are same airframe but with different engines. The Buchon was a Spanish licence built version, supplied to Franco's regime and still in service until the sixties. A large number of them were preserved including many of those bought up for the 1969 film 'Battle of Britain'.
The Merlin's installation is completely different to the Daimler-Benz in the standard 109, making the nose line radically different. As well as the exhaust mentioned by ST the Buchon gains the chin air intake. In fact I think the DB installation was effectively inverted.
Also, since the grounding of the RAF Museum's 109 'Black Six' several years ago, I don't think there are any DB engined versions in UK.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 12 Oct 14 at 22:28
|
>> >> In fact I think the DB installation was effectively inverted.
>>
>> Also, since the grounding of the RAF Museum's 109 'Black Six' several years ago, I don't think there are any DB engined versions in UK.
>>
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimler-Benz_DB_601
Hardly a grounding - it crashed and I believe it was uneconomic to repair to flying condition.
|
>> Hardly a grounding - it crashed and I believe it was uneconomic to repair to
>> flying condition.
Opinions at time varied. There was a strong lobby that said it could and should have been restored to flying condition. IIRC the museum intended to ground it even before the accident, which was typical of those suffered by the 109 due its very narrow track undercarriage.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 12 Oct 14 at 22:39
|
>> Hardly a grounding - it crashed and I believe it was uneconomic to repair to
>> flying condition.
Well it grounded didn't it?
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 12 Oct 14 at 23:05
|
Pity its only a replica....
... or more accurately a frame plate rebuild.
That said, its great to see another Spit in the air!
|
Guy Martin"s autobiography is a very good read.
Done in a very down to earth and matter of fact style which is Guy all over. Its just the way he says things sometimes that make you smile. His motoring brushes with the law and his points must be something of legend.
|
>> Done in a very down to earth and matter of fact style which is Guy
>> all over.
eg. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVXc29ZgutI
(starts talking at 0:25)
|
Radio 4 has a fifteen minute slot @ 13:45 - between News and The Archers - which is filled by some sort of mini-documentary type programme.
The week it's tech journalist Alix Krotowski on Hidden Histories of the Information Age.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04m3bcc
Yesterday was a look at the pre STD telephone exchange with recollections from the (mostly) women who worked them.
Today long distance transatlantic telephone cables illustrated by snippets of Paul Robeson appearing live by phone at a London venue. Point made that Robeson was regarded by FBI and others as a subversive on account of his anti segregation politics. He was undermined and discredited by them and was victim of McCarthy. Use of technology to get minority voices and those gubbmint doesn't want us to hear is nothing new.
|
>>Yesterday was a look at the pre STD telephone exchange with recollections from the (mostly) women who worked them.
Ah yes, telephone operators.
You couldn't get the clap from a telephone, but you could from a telephone operator (should this be in the old jokes thread?)
|
>> Ah yes, telephone operators.
>>
>> You couldn't get the clap from a telephone, but you could from a telephone operator
>> (should this be in the old jokes thread?)
Had a laugh at that BT. My late Uncle (Mum's brother) was a GPO telephone engineer from end of war until he died in 1983, by which time he was a grade short of Telephone Manager for city X. He'd have (a) recognised the operators tales of the engineers working behind their stations and (b) enjoyed that joke.
|
I have watched most of these and they are interesting and infuriating in equal measure.
The thing that infuriates me most of all and makes me wish to start a new career as a mad axe man, is the way some people hold and use a mobile phone. Instead of having it clamped to their ears like a normal person, they hold it flat in front of their mouths, presumably it's on speaker phone as well, so that everyone in the vicinity can hear both sides of the conversation.
TV magician millionaire Paul Daniels holds his phone like that. Where's my new axe?
Nobody on C4P does that - do they ?
|
|
The best comedy on TV at the moment is "Detectorists" on BBC 4. Episodes 5 is tonight. It's written and stars Mackenzie Crook - Gareth from the office and is about a couple of metal detectorists. I would be surprised if there is not another series and that it is not repeated on one of the more mainstream channels.
|
>> The best comedy on TV at the moment is "Detectorists" on BBC 4.
Thank you. I read your post just in time to start to catch up from Episode 2 on iPlayer. Excellent.
|
Glad you enjoyed it. Strangely a lot of the locations looked familiar to me but I couldn't quite place them. It was only on visiting friends in Framlingham Suffolk at the weekend that I learnt that it was mainly filmed there.
They are ,as I guessed , making another series to be released next year.
|
>> Glad you enjoyed it. Strangely a lot of the locations looked familiar to me but
>> I couldn't quite place them. It was only on visiting friends in Framlingham Suffolk at
>> the weekend that I learnt that it was mainly filmed there.
good castle there.
|
>> good castle there.
Like CGN, I also thought some of the locations looked familiar. We visited Framlingham for the first time this summer. We don't do castles, though. We went to the "The Castle Inn" next to it's car park and saw it again tonight, renamed, in Episode 4. We're really enjoying the gentle humour.
|
>> Nobody on C4P does that - do they ?
>>
Not until I read your post. Come and get me!
|
Will be the guest on Desert Island Discs this week.
Friday 9am. Will necessitate listening to Radio 4.
|
>> Will be the guest on Desert Island Discs this week.
>>
>> Friday 9am. Will necessitate listening to Radio 4.
>>
I will listen with interest.
I am also booked for a talk by him in February.
An Afternoon with.....Capt. Eric Brown RN, CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS
|
|
Incredible guy -there was an excellent progrmme on the BBC (I think 2 or 4) a few weeks ago, recorded it randomely and I was transfixed by this little guy. BBC production was hand-crafted as well...beuatifully made a fine historical document.
|
Watched this last night on 4OD with high hopes given the involvement of the excellent Paul Mason. Big letdown, I'm afraid.
- Studio audience. Much time taken up listening to audience members of varying articulacy telling us how it is for them. All genuine, no doubt, but not helpful to a programme claiming to show us the bigger picture and how we each fit into it.
- Too much about the 'top 1 percent' and how much of the cake they have got at various times over the last century, without ever explaining how the cake itself has developed.
- Mason's contribution was the best part, albeit rather gimmicky: a 'machine' that used brown liquid to show the changing flow of money through the economy, and how capital, property and banking now take a greater share than they used to, leaving less for those who rely on wages.
- In spite of this, too much emphasis on 'richness' in terms of income and not enough about what us draining that income, such as housing costs. They told us housing is expensive, but not why it's so much more so than it used to be. The online calculator is more useful here: my personal income puts me above the 90th centile, but take off my housing and family commitments and I'm down around the 70th. Not such a bad place to be, of course, but from the programme's simplistic analysis you'd have thought I ought to be in a mansion like the pantomime-loathsome Sir Benjamin's.
Yes, there were little bits from guest contributors - Owen Jones from the Guardian pushing the egalitarian agenda, others from the Telegraph and the IEA telling us we should be grateful for our zero-hours contracts - but most of it was Richard Bacon doing a tolerable but impossible job of keeping the audience from getting in the way. Not enlightening, not good.
|
|
I started to watch this but soon realised that it would be a dumb t.v. production following the usual pattern of getting a handful of controversial opinions and a baying studio audience. I had hoped to learn something, but wandered off to find something else to do.
|
As I have broad shoulders, I'm going to say that I think it is a brilliant film of WW1 but in extremely bad taste to use it to advertise a supermarket.
I hope 'I'm not in a complete minority because everyone else I know thinks it's great!
Pat
|
|
Quite right. For the first time ever I complained to ASA - My Great Uncle didn't die in Flanders for that to happen.
|
I think it's in bad taste too, but I watched it on a webpage with a poll and we're currently in a 94 to 6% minority:
tinyurl.com/npuchzt
|
|
Bad Taste? You are pulling my plonker, seriously? you must be.
|
With all respect, I suspect that he like my Great Grandfather who also died, went because he was told it was his duty rather than any understanding of the greater issues.
On the subject of the advert, how is it more or less disrespectful or tasteful than Blackadder IV? I don't get the problem.
|
|
I'm afraid it made me cringe.
|
|
Its cringeworthy, overly smaltzy for sure, but bad taste?
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 17 Nov 14 at 19:37
|
I thought it was original footage from 1914.....
....perhaps I'm getting confused !
|
Can't beat the John Lewis ad IMHO - don't normally like this sort of thing but even my teenage son rates it. In case you've missed it:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860
(you've got to watch it to the end to get the full effect)
|
Thanks for the link. A cutesy advert.
I imagine that penguin trainer is much in demand now
|
|
I've become very bored recently with the sight of his face in the media. Until last night, however, I'd never seen him perform. The film "The Descendants" was on TV and I was pleased to see that he's not just a pretty face - he can really act. He seemed particularly good at conveying a lot with subtle changes of facial expression.
|
I often get mistaken for him. At first it was amusing but it's getting tiresome now. Can't go for a coffee anywhere.
;-)
|
>I often get mistaken for him...
John Boy said "George Clooney" Humph, not Wayne Rooney.
Last edited by: Kevin on Tue 23 Dec 14 at 18:22
|
|
I enjoyed the film 'Up in t'air' which starred Mr Clooney.
|
Part Two of "Wrong Mans" special tonight at 9.00. if you missed lpart one one last night you missed a comedy treat. Watch it on IPlayer. The series screened year was brilliant and well worth buying.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Tue 23 Dec 14 at 17:47
|
Just watched Guy Martin's Passion for Life on Channel 4 this evening.
Repeated on New Year's Day at 3.30 pm.
The programme appears to be a combination of four parts. ( some of it is on Youtube. )
He drives a Ford Transit ( pedals to / from work) and has just one car now. Any guesses?
The answer is in the links.
tinyurl.com/m8ez5q9
tinyurl.com/n2wvu5v
|
I watched most of part 1 last night before our power cut. It is marked as a repeat in the TV guide, but was not aware of this program the first time it was screened. Spending 14/17 days either rafting or floating down the GC in a dory is on my bucket list. My CA friends, both keen rafters & kayakers, have done private trips , but not having the contacts I shall have to use a commercial company. Looking forward to the next instalment, and will use Iplayer to catch up on what I missed when the electrickery failed.
My sort of program.
|
Episode 1of 3. Barry Sheene
It's going to clash with Homeland, so Iplayer for me probably.
Gotta dash, time for 5 quick scoops in the local beforehand.
|
Watched this last night on the Beeb. Lady D thought I wouldn't like it, but I enjoyed the verbal swordplay. The British class war in full colour.
It's on again tonight, BBC1 21:00 to 22:00, and again tomorrow.
Last edited by: Duncan on Tue 30 Dec 14 at 07:11
|
Harry and Paul's Story of the Twos
Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse present their own unique biography of BBC Two.
Recorded this over Christmas sometime, still on iPlayer. Much parody of BBC programmes over the years, some very funny.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=Harry%20and%20Paul%27s%20Story%20of%20the%20Twos
|
Last night
www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/s-TV-tonight-Paul-Hollywood-meets-hero-John/story-25835391-detail/story.html
Some parts were interesting.
Especially:-
Count Augusta not happy with me driving cars ? Well I'll Fibble Off then.
Old man Ferrari not happy with me driving other cars? Well I'll Fibble Off then.
Certainly consistent :-)
|
|
My TV guide showed that as part three of three. Part one was Barry Sheene a couple of weeks ago and I didn't notice anything last week. Did I miss it?
|
Asked myself the same thing ????
Strange publication to link to Henry.
Enjoyed the John Surtees one. Came across as a real gent. Nice pad. Didn't realise he had lost his son to motorsport. Infact realised I didn't know much about him at all.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Mon 12 Jan 15 at 17:46
|
>> Strange publication to link to Henry.
>>
Maybe - I have no idea about the publication ? It was just a lazy link from a quick Google search.
>>
I now know who the other guy is - not impressed, even if he can ride a bike.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04zr33t
For info on the series.
|
Is currently on BBC iPlayer. (Episodes 1 to 3 at the moment.)
For those that don't know its a MASH type comedy brought up to date with the protagonists being a bomb disposal team in Afghanistan.
It is very wrong. It is politically incorrect. It is very funny.
|
Loved series one....
Padre "Why do you call that female soldier Bird ?"
Officer "Cos that's her name !"
I loved that comment "Off you F**k !"
|
The padre is a corker, too!
BBC are repeating the series on TV, too, which just might indicate a new series is on the way.
Filmed in South Africa, it uses much the same locations as the one-off "Our Girl" and its subsequent 5 episode series.
Fans of East Enders will wonder what Molly (Lacey Turner) from "Our Girl " is doing in that insalubrious area when she was last seen disappearing into a house in Royal Crescent, Bath, to be with her ex Army Captain and unit commander from Afghanistan!
|
>>The padre is a corker, too!
Hadn't noticed! :-)
|
|
Did anyone else watch it? Not sure how the couple in the show managed before, average spend £358 a week and 17 times a week shopping?! The figures seem incredible. She kept saying 'I haven't got time' I wanted to shout at her that's because you're always at the flipping supermarket. I know the had 4 kids but still £1400 a month on food, god knows what the husband did as a job they must have been rolling in money.
|
£1400 a month on food, god knows what the husband did as a job they must have been rolling in money.
I watched that bit. I did not believe it was real and he/she kept all their invoices - but had no idea what they had spent. If you are that disorganised you lose the invoices and /or run out of money.
I concluded it was grossly exaggerated and gave up. Not going to watch it again...
|
Like all so-called "reality TV" it was surely scripted, rehearsed and tightly produced for the effect that the TV company wanted.
The scene, when they were in the supermarket and the couple were "surprised" by the two presenters "unexpectedly" appearing behind them was straining viewer's intelligence to the extreme limit.
A total load of boules.
|
"A total load of boules."
That is why I don't watch a lot of tv these days ......... so much of it is, as Roger says, tightly-produced boules.
|
> I watched that bit. I did not believe it was real and he/she kept all
>> their invoices - but had no idea what they had spent. If you are that
>> disorganised you lose the invoices and /or run out of money.
>>
>> I concluded it was grossly exaggerated and gave up. Not going to watch it again...
>>
I'd think so, it was stupidly high amount of money for 2 adults and 2 children. We'd have no space to move in the house if we spent that much on food!
|
£1,400 a month does seems difficult to comprehend. We spend around £600 for two per month on food, housekeeping stuff and booze and I though that was a fair amount to spend.
Their kids must eat a lot
|
>> £1,400 a month does seems difficult to comprehend. We spend around £600 for two per
>> month on food, housekeeping stuff and booze and I though that was a fair amount
>> to spend.
>>
Yeah I'd say it was, I think for us two it's about half that or less.
|
|
Anyone been watching this? An interesting finale last night...
|
|
Yeah, good wasn't it? Though in the post-show discussion SWMBO uncovered some fairly fundamental things I'd missed... my excuse - I am usually doing something else like playing poker or Candy Crush while watching telly as I usually find it too boring to just sit and look at.
|
I am usually doing something else like playing poker or
>> Candy Crush while watching telly as I usually find it too boring to just sit
>> and look at.
>>
Now there's a contradiction of terms:)
Pat
|
Spoiler alert in case anyone cares.
Indeed it was Smokie. I liked the tweet somebody put out though: must be the worst shag of your life. First the girl dies and then you end up laminating the floor.
|
|
I know it's not on TV, Netflix I think, but I have just started watching my boxed set again from the beginning. It's a few years since I watched it initially, and although not as good as the first time around, I still find it riveting viewing.
|
.........is back for series 3. (BBC3 Mondays). Hooray :-)
The language is several degrees filthier, by the way - the "F-Bomb" proliferates!
|
|
I shouldn't think many people on here would admit to having watched this series. Nevertheless it's brilliant television and this week's programme is very apposite in that it concerned a failing used car dealership. It's now available on 4oD.
|
Detest that woman.
Sums up everything about a self proclaimed expert in x industry where they float about ridiculing everyone and pushing their opinions on them.
She was a good window dresser. Has never had to manage a retail operation with strict budgetary control, instead always having had "free reign" especially when TV money was involved.
|
>> Detest that woman.
I don't really have an opinion on her either way, but she did make it on to the board of Harvey Nics by the time she was 30, so to be fair she must know a little more about retail than just how to dress windows
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 19 Mar 15 at 10:14
|
Majesty & Mortar - Roger.
