It’s that time between and recommendations for televisual catch ups are solicited.
I’ve seen most of the main ones but Jack of Rotherhithe mentioned Schalken the Painter so I’ll give that a view. It’s not something I would search for.
Anymore?
My highlight this Christmas was shouting at Christmas University Challenge “Pangolin, of course it’s a f**king pangolin, it’s not a sodding hedgehog, good grief”
Festering Season television recommendations.
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I have high hopes for the TV adaptation of Mayflies. On BBC1 tonight and tomorrow, or iPlayer now.
As usual, the Royal Institution lectures are ace.
Amazon prime thoroughly enjoyed ep1 of The Peripheral – glossy intelligent sci fi. Has someone finally got Gibson properly on the big
Screen.
Sherwood unbelievably well acted and scripted if you’ve not seen.
I rather enjoyed the Christmas episode of The Cleaner. I hope it means there’s a new series on the way.
Yep, The Cleaner was lovely. Funny and quite touching,
The Canterville Ghost – in two parts on Channel 5 – was terrific. Not what one expects from C 5.
I will confess: one of the few times when I will shout, swear and throw my bunnet at the TV is while watching University Challenge. And, as Hubes states above, the Christmas specials (while enjoyable) provide many more opportunities…
Some of these alumni have had their heads up their own specialisms for far too long, don’tcha think?
Well, quite: I’m also struck by examples of our political overlords, who sit with smug, self-satisfied expressions on their faces – but don’t answer ANY questions. At all.
As an opportunity for self-promotion, CUC is a bit of a double-edged sword…
Watched Mayflies last night, as available to stream last nights episode and tonights conclusion. Fabulous book, but they have done a cracking job with it. Nearly as moving as the book and throws open all sorts of discussion as to who holds the right to decide about a death, the owner of the dying body or their loved ones.
Baftas aplenty in store, methinks. Good old Martin Compston looking awful and gawky, deliberately so, his show stolen, and some, by a superlative Tony Curran.
TC is one of those “It’s that guy from ….” actors.
Check out his IMDb page to see just how many things he’s been in.
Not seen this yet, but has been creating excellent reviews and will hopefully
earns him some well-deserved (and long overdue) kudos
I’m not sure what your ‘main ones’ covers, but here are our recent highlights, all via iPlayer: For a testosterone hoot you’ve got the SAS Rogues to enjoy, if you haven’t already. The third part of Dark Materials is so bloody dark it’s like watching the woodlice crawl about under your floorboards while you’re searching for a bathroom leak, but if you like seeing organised religion vilified, trashed and burned, there’s some pleasure in it when the light finally returns. Then there’s the fantastic whodunnit brilliance of the new Strike series to enjoy, and as mentioned up the page, the Sherwood yarn is also very, very good. The one off Detectorists I haven’t yet watched, but despite doubts elsewhere I’m confident it’ll be time well spent if Mr. Crook is up to his usual high standard. A second shout for the RI Christmas lectures too, it’s always somehow reassuring to see education enjoyed.
You liked the Strike? Christonabike, it was awful, using dreadful lampoons of peop[le to fill in the lack of any back story. We turned off after the farting lesbians.
Mate, that was the Royal Variety Performance.
I’m up to part 7 of Dark Materials…it gets darker in every sense, but I think it’s magnificent. Depth and profundity in a literally fantastical universe. And Ruth Wilson, as ever, is hypnotically brilliant.
Oh it is magnificent. We have saved the final installment for tonight – New Year’s Eve. Always good to start a new year with the thought that cant and scripture might be overcome.
Finished it yesterday. Predictably reduced me to a sobbing wreck.
Aye.
We enjoyed Christmas Carole on Sky Max starring the wonderful Suranne Jones.
Wednesday, the Addams Family reboot, on Netflix is bloody hilarious!
Good escapist fun to be found in S2 of The Capture from earlier in the year. As metioned on Best TV of the Year list, Gaslit is also well worth a watch.
Another vote for Christmas Carole which was light and frothy and a lot of fun. The Motherland Christmas special was dark to say the least. Much lighter but also poignant and moving was the Ghosts Christmas special. I really do think Ghosts has now staked its claim to be a great British ensemble sitcom up there with Dads Army; it’s lovely stuff and beautifully written.
Glass Onion, the Knives Out follow-up on Netflix on the other hand is a right load of old tosh
I saw Glass Onion in the cinema, I liked it, certainly flawed, but the first one was too. The gear change about halfway through really worked for me, what came before and after wasn’t as good
Gear change? Does Janelle change into something, er, more comfortable?
…asking for a fiend
Can’t give any spoilers, sorry
I’m hoping for a Hull City 1998-99 strip, which would prove that fan mail requests aren’t a complete waste of time
I’ve been watching All Creatures Great and Small, loved the books as a teenager, loved the original series and quite like this version.
I actually think the new iteration is better than the 70s one. The characterisation is more appealing to me – nothing against Christopher Timothy or Peter Davison, but the ‘new’ James and Tristan are brilliant, and I think Samuel West is comparable to the hitherto incomparable Robert Hardy in the role of Siegfried. I find the whole thing has a more emotional punch than the previous version…or maybe I’m getting more sentimental and prone to blubbing at the slightest provocation as I get older.
The previous version has the indelible stain of being broadcast on Sunday school-nights for me, and is therefore in the same category of Sing Something Simple depressingness.
Has anyone found any programmes that do not feature Miriam Margoyles?
I hadn’t realised she was in Strike until retro mentioned farting lesbians.
The Bradley Walsh Channel is apparently planning a six-part dramatization of Gargoyle’s life with Sheridan Smith (young MM) Stephen Graham (old MM) the hot favourites to play the lead