Almost a quarter of the way through the year would seem like a good time for us all to flag down other shows we feel other AWers might like.
Pick of the bunch for me thus far is Season 3 of Sky/RAI’s My Brilliant Friend, a beautifully simple, but superbly written and stunningly filmed story about two girls from Naples as they go from childhood to adulthood. So eager was I to see the penultimate (there are four books in the Elena Ferrente written Neapoliton Quartet on which MBF is based) series, I watched the whole thing again from the beginning. If you’ve not seen it, watch it. Together with the other Naples-set Italian series, Gomorrah, it’s the best thing on TV right now.
Other foreign series worth a shout are Walter Presents’ Cry Wolf and Dark Woods. Best new English language show is Season 4 of Top Boy on NF. Respect for Canadian rapper/grime artist, Drake, for saving the show after C4 decided to drop it two series in.
Although a bit older, Disney’s Snowfall about the start of the coke pandemic in the 80s is in a similar vein. So glad to be able to catch this from the start after I missed the first couple of episodes of the first season on BBC a few years back. Annoyingly, Disney did that annoying streaming service thing of showing only the first three (of four and soon a fifth) series and stoppig the show in mid-story arc (Amazon Prime did the same thing with the excellent Animal Kingdom a while back).
Other show I’ve been catching up on (and enjoying immensely) is People Just Do Nothing – about a bunch of stoners running a pirate radio station in Brentford.
With the second part and final episodes of Ozark series four and the first half of the final season of Better Call Saul both due to air on NF from mid-April, it’s already looking to be a bumper second quarter. All of which isn’t to say the Golden Age of TV is likely to end any time soon.
Upcoming series including Korean blockbuster, Pachenko and Gary Oldman in Apple TV’s adapt of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses there’s still some great stuff yet to start.
I really enjoyed ‘Pam and Tommy’. It’s the story behind Pamela Anderson’s marriage to Tommy Lee and the release of the famous sex tape. Starts off as a total hoot, but turns a lot darker as the effects of having such intimacy made public are revealed. Tommy Lee is portrayed as an obnoxious twat. (I wonder how he feels about that?) Seth Rogan’s surprisingly good in it.
I also loved The Responder with Martin Freeman. I thought Stephen Merchant was surprisingly good at the whole “serious acting“ malarky in last month’s Four Lives, but his fellow The Office alumnus Martin Freeman knocks it out of the ballpark with this one. He’s totally convincing in what could easily have been a clichéd “tough, jaded cop on the edge of mental collapse” role in this Liverpool-based drama. With what sounds to me like a perfect Scouse accent. Easy to imagine Stephen Graham in the role, but I’m not at all sure he’d have been as a good a choice. That’s how good Freeman is. It’s very British, very gritty, but with a few surprising laugh out loud moments scattered around. An exchange with a drunk-driving vicar in episode three had me fair chuckling.
@Gary
Bloody hell, forgot all about The Responder. MF was indeed terrific in it (SM in Four Lives was excellent, too).
Problem is there is just too much top notch stuff on TV these days)
If you’ve not seen Stephen Graham in Boiling Point (now on NF), @Gary, do yourself. A favour. A 94 -minute dissection of how a chef’s life falls apart over the course (no pun intended) of one evening, it’s a riveting watch. As Mrs JG wailed half-an-hour in, “this is too stressful, I’m off to bed”)
I saw Boiling Point and agree. Unlike with the film 1917, I soon forgot about the whole “one shot” thing as it was so well done.
I bailed on The Responder, largely because the plot was stupid. And I didn’t agree that MF’s “choose one of three facial tics” acting was outstanding, neither. So there.
I’m slightly irritated at enjoying things with Martin Freeman in, because I feel like we have to be somehow grateful to Ricky Gervais.
Gervais, so smug, vastly over – rated gobshite.
I refuse to concur. The chap doesn’t irritate me at all. And I’m very grateful for The Office.
I refuse to concur with your refusal to concur. A few months of inspiration 20 years ago on which he’s cannily built an almost entirely merit-free subsequent career. It’s impressive in its cynical way, I guess, to get so much out of so little talent.
“HAHAHAHA ARE YOU OFFENDED? HAHAHA GOD DOESN’T EXIST!” It’s like someone spliced Russell Brand and Richard Dawkins together to make a kind of prick-singularity.
I concur with your refusal to concur with his refusal to concur.
Now Brand is a chap who does irritate me. I don’t see Gervais in the same way. A lot of what I’ve seen I like, including Graham Norton appearances and Golden Globes. The Office I’d put right up there with Fawlty Towers as one of the essential landmarks of British Comedy. Cleese is someone who occasionally gets on my nerves these days for his HAHAHAHA ARE YOU OFFENDED? humour and who hasn’t done anything I’ve loved since A Fish Called Wanda.
Cleese is on my mind this morning as I’ve just signed up to a Patreon for the first time, to see him. I’m not sure we have that much in common, but I’d say we both consider the bloke he’s interviewing an odious scumbag, so the interview looks like an interesting prospect. (Haven’t watched it yet.)
https://expose.news/2022/03/29/watch-the-trailer-for-our-new-interview-series-with-john-cleese-and-daily-mail-illegal-private-investigator-danno-hanks/
Have you seen After Life? I was a Gervais agnostic but it is good. And has a heart too.
What I’ve heard is that the first season is good and it’s subsequently unwatchable. Unfortunately that particular face and voice are now inherently unwatchable for me in any case.
Oh I could watch it. Being punched a lot
I thought the first series good, the second ok and, then, I couldn’t finish the third.
The whole thing where he watches clips of his wife before she died and he pulled practical jokes on her like pouring water over her made me think what a twat this character is, are we supposed to find that funny and think what a great marriage they had? She should have slapped him. Also this whole schtick where Gervais deliberately goes too close to the bone to provoke and get a reaction then say ‘ha! you found that funny despite yourself’ just makes me react by thinking, no but you aren’t funny actually. So I thought it was pretty awful.
Like Tom
Lehrer – a man whose boots etc – once said: “the freedom (hooray!) to say almost anything you want on television about society’s problems has been co-opted (alas!) by the freedom to talk instead about flatulence, orgasms, genitalia, masturbation, etc., etc., and to replace real comment with pop-culture references and so-called “adult” language. Irreverence is easy — what’s hard is wit.”
OK, bit of a “difference of opinion” as Tarby used to say. My mitigation is I only watched the first series. Duly noted everyone!
Tarby! Don’t get me started on TARBY! Ho-fucking-ho.
😉
Tarby is more half-life than after life
I’m with you @Gary – add Afterlife to the “grateful for” list too.
Plus, he grew up not 5 miles from me so I feel a certain local bias perhaps.
A local arsehole is still an arsehole. The guy next door to me who revs his car up all the time might be from round here but he’s still a knob (Hello HP)
Coincidentally I’ve just come across an article about Gervais while reading the paper over breakfast (we’re one hour behind you over here). He’s being accused of being a hypocrite for ridiculing the extravagant value of the goodie bags at the Oscars.
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/ricky-gervais-oscars-gift-bags-b2047894.html
Don’t think I have watched anything so far this year, started the latest Mrs Maisel season but gave up after a completely obnoxious opening 10 minutes. Time to cancel some streaming services if my daughter will allow it!
Season 4 of Mrs Maisel is simply tremendous!!!
My Brilliant Friend is one of the best series I have ever, ever seen.
Can’t wait for the Ozark finale – my, we live in wondrous times!!
Ok will give her another go
Agree ref Mrs Maisel, as long as you accept the whole point of it is to create a framework for a lot of wisecracking dialogue. Don’t look for much of a story.
Really liked first season, have felt diminishing returns since. And she really is one of the worst parents ever 😉
Agree 2 & 3 lost their way but 4 really is great
Writing With Fire, a documentary about Indian women who start an online news show, starting a revolution of their own. Stirring stuff. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/26/entertainment/writing-with-fire-oscar-nomination-cec/index.html
Two already mentioned worthy of mentioning again
The Responder – I thought it a bit slow at the start, but got stronger
Four Lives -just really well written and acted
Add to these:
The Tourist – like The Responder, a bit slow to start. Ending felt a bit rushed though
Trigger Point – maybe not living up to the hype, but engaging
Our House – ITV does psychological drama, and does it pretty well.
And over on that Netflix, Stay Close – when Netflix make a Harlan Coben novel they do it well. This one is no exception.
Fkin hell, the clocks haven’t even gone back and we’re already on 2022 lists? Is it Christmas/Easter?Halloween/The Olympics/The Millennium yet?
Time’s just not going fast enough. Stop being so slow you lot, I can’t wait to be dead.
It can be arranged. I still have mates down Hessul Ruhrd
You’re friends with sex workers?
Great! Not judging!
*judges*
Given the rise of the sex industry, there’s now more judgey types on HR than at Hull Crown Court. And let’s also not forget the vicars doing their bit to help fallen women and stop the spread of venerable disease
As a student, I once lived in a cul-de-sac in Moseley near the cricket ground in Birmingham, walking distance from the town centre. A number of the houses were occupied by prostitutes and their families. After a night working the streets, they had to be up dealing with the kids. I wouldn’t go as far as to say they were friends but they were good neighbours and we exchanged pleasantries.
We were burgled and the stereo was nicked. They ignored the record collection, which was the important thing, but Too-Rye-Ay was on the turntable and was lost forever. I didn’t shed a tear.
“Everything I do gonh be funky from now on”
Be great if one of the prime suspect was an Irish lady of the night and you went all Jack Regan on her “Come on, Eileen!”
My BBC iPlayer picks:
The Witchfinder. More to come by the look of it.
Killing Eve s3 seems to be an improvement on s2.
This Is Going To Hurt.
Defending The Guilty.
The Cleaner.
I swerved The Responder but maybe I’ll give it a go after all.
Then Barbara Met Alan looks interesting.
This Is Going To Hurt is outstanding, so well written and Ben Whishaw should win a Bafta
Admittedly it’s some time since my nursing days ended, but This Is Going To Hurt was the most realistic medical drama I’ve seen. They did, however, downplay the roles of the midwives somewhat. Midwives run maternity wards, not doctors.
If you’ve not done so already, give Jed (Line of Duty) Mercurio’s Bodies from the early 2000s a go. Terrific series with Keith Allen at his oleaginous best as a slimy specialist
Ah. Dr Polly Gray…
Going back further, Cardiac Arrest is even better.
I agree with Paul. Also, the camaraderie I experienced (many years ago now) was very friendly and supportive. Not nasty and vicious as portrayed.
Kay’s book was nothing like as dark and much funnier. I nearly bailed half way through given the endless flashbacks and Kay being portrayed as such a shit.
Ooh matron. I had a serious thing for Helen Baxendale in that.
This suggests a pre-fame liaison between the Token English Person on Friends Hitmaker with either Cameo or Madness. Intriguing either way.
Tried the Witchfinder – nope. Tiresome. Too much like too many other things. Much as I applaud the Horrible Histories mob they’ve got a lot to answer for.
For about ten years I’ve been saying that Ben Wishaw talks like Jim Dale and here he is playing Doctor Nookie.
Hope he’s contractually obliged to say, “Over, Matron!” at least once every program
Read two or three reviews of Witchfinder and decided not to even bother watching the two Id recorded.
Inside No 9 did a very good parody of Witchfinder General for anyone who’s interested
I didn’t know those two were interested in Hammer films 😉
I watched the first 3 episodes of Witchfinder without it raising so much as a smile. People more kindly disposed to it seem to be defensive, and say ‘it gets better’ which is never a positive thing to say about a comedy. I’m quite surprised it has been renewed if that is the case.
I think most Comedy Series take a while to bed in. I struggled at first with, for instance, Parks & Rec and Schitts Creek.
By episode 6 Witchfinder made very pleasant watching. Nothing side-splittingly funny just pleasant old-fashioned fun.
Yeah, I’ll sit round with hours of my life ebbing away waiting for programme-makers to get their arses in gear. Life goes on forever, after all…
Given there’s so much other excellent stuff to watch, just can’t justify sitting around in the faint hope that something will somehow become incredibly funny later on.
Universally poor IMDb reviews (anything in the mid-5s) are generally a good indicator that a show or movie stinks
At Chez Jaygee, shows normally get one show – two tops – to justify whether they’re worth continuing with.
Given that the press reviews have been pretty poor, would be very, very surprised if Witchfinder had been renewed while its first run was over
Years spent waiting for Panorama to get funny…
Was worth it in the end
Loved their report on the Swiss Spaghetti harvest.
They got away with that because non-tinned spaghetti hadn’t been invented yet.
Problem with you youngsters is you want everything now. Instant satisfaction and all that. Some of us like a slow build up.
We found an episode of Witchfinder just before lights out (nine p.m.) was almost as good as a cup of hot chocolate.
Not trying to pressure you or anything, LoW, but I’ve heard that Dignitas Geneva is already running the trailer for Season 2 of Witchfinder on Loop in its reception…
The “Fuck Cromwell” scene could have been written by 12-year-old boys, and I still didn’t like it. Nice scenery though (the alleged saving grace of a lot of the shite that’s on TV – have you ever watched Vera??)
I quite enjoyed The Witchfinder. But yeah, definitely not laugh-out-loud funny – just quite nice and quite chucklesome. I find the era quite interesting as well, plus I love Daisy May Cooper and it’s good to see her in anything.
This Is Going To Hurt: I gave it a chance, but I think the novelty of the idea has already long worn off from the success of the book. And I think I am just a bit fed up with Ben Whishaw. Not his fault, I like what he does, but I think he has cemented an appealing persona (geeky, world-weary, slightly nervous) and has now been typcast too many times in this same persona (The Hour, the Bond films, and now this….).
The Hour was his Dale Peak. As it were.
Elsewhere, he was excellent in Richard II. It was almost a shame he got usurped.
Dale’s own peak was, of course, those Golden Homes TV commercials he did the voice overs for in the 1970s
Digby The Biggest Dog In The World, shirley
JD’s biggest hit was the Harry Potter audiobooks. in the US. Also, for about three months he was the total and utter king of rock’n’roll. (This may be a slight exaggeration)
Similarly, the great Roy Dotrice ended up being better known for his George RR Martin audiobooks than anything he’d done in the 50 years previously, including fathering (Ooh) Betty.
TIGTH has been the best thing on terrestrial TV this year, not that I watch much terrestrial. Not an easy watch but an enraging, moving, sweet, sad and funny one. Great soundtrack too.
We have NF/Amazon/Apple+, but things so far this year have been BBC. The Responder and This Is Going To Hurt both gritty but funny and human, and feature some great central performances along with unexpected turns in the plot.
So stick that up your arse Nadine Dorries!
As it’s about how terrible life in the NHS was during the Blair government, I should think she’s not unhappy about it. Apart from the proofs, of course.
I was referring to Nadine Dorries’ hostility to the BBC. Maybe I should have added Lord Grade’s name as well.
For proofs read poofs.
And that is the least dignified post I’ve made in a long time. Phew.
I always poofread before I post.
In the early days of Private Eye they had a poovereader.
Not new but I’ve just binged three series of Dark on netflix in three weeks. A German time travelling series that’s sold as a more mature Stranger Things. It’s very intricate in its plotting and revolves around the interconnections of families living in a small town with a nuclear power plant. I can’t think of a series that gets the mysterious tone and mood better than the first season did and whilst the next two don’t quite live upto this its still a wild ride. Oh and the casting of actors for characters across the different times is very good.
I love science fiction time travel / time slip shows and films.
“Dark” superbly fits that bill and totally scrambles your brains.
All 3 seasons were enjoyable and, unlike many series that run out of steam, “Dark” satisfyingly ties up the ending very well.
Dark was indeed wonderful.
Despite using a character map of which actor played not only which character but also at which point in his/her lives.
A real Gordian Knot of a show.
Hopelessly confused by the end but whole show was just breathtakingly good. Up there wirh Heimat, Deutschland 83, etc, Same Sky and Babylon Berlin as the too German series of ewcent years.
The Responder
Four Lives
Stay Close
Boiling Point
The Puppet Master
The Tinder Swindler
The Pupper Master might be of interest to Word Readers as it begins in the early 90s where the main protagonist drives round the country listening to nothing else but Duran Duran’s Ordinary World on repeat, and in another scenario some 10-15 years later is still doing it. Surely he must hold the world record for most spins of a single song?
Saw Boiling Point last night.
I recommendy too.
I watched in Saturday. A very tense watch, but superbly written, performed and directed. Being a chef seems to be like being a football coach – I can think of few other management roles where bullying staff is not frowned upon.
@Jim-Cain
Home Secretary perhaps
The one camera one take * certainly added to the intensity.
I quite like the fact that not all the sub-stories were resolved leaving an air of intrigued.
* assume it was one take, I couldn’t see any cuts
“The one camera one take * certainly added to the intensity.” Reminds me of a few things I’ve watched.
We watched the first episode oF The Responder, but it was a bit too much for Mrs. T so we bailed. I have managed to keep her on board for This is Going to Hurt, which has been a breath of fresh air, both in terms of the approach to the subject and the writing/direction.
Having got Disney + for Get Back, we have caught up with The Mandolorian and the Book of Boba Fett, the first of which is terrific and the second a bit disappointing but still very watchable. I have have come to the conclusion that Star Wars is much better when they go off on different directions rather than shoehorn backstories into existing canon.
StarTrek Picard season 2 is tons better than Season 1.
Currently bingeing The Ipcress File – not entirely sure about Joe Cole as Harry Palmer, sort of Caine lite, but otherwise marvellous.
I was all up for This is Going to Hurt, but my wife can’t stand the talking to camera business, so we bailed after two minutes.
How does she watch the news?
Sitting on the sofa.
Oho!
Did I tell you about my dog with no nose?
Does it go of its own accord?
Only when it’s crossing the road.
Agree on the Ipcress File. Terrific stuff, beautifully shot and really funny at times (very dry).
Finished Bad Vegan last night. Fairly decent addition to the current genre du jour of rich women getting fleeced by conmen.
I think I once went on a skiing holiday in Bad Vegan. Lot of bacon on the breakfast menu.
Severance on Apple TV. Takes work/life balance literally.
It feels like a Philip K Dick story spliced with Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine / Being John Malkovich era).
2 episodes in and I’m intrigued.
Severance started quite well but Christ, it’s pretty depressing. Adam Scott is as watchable as ever, and the Turturro / Walken love story is sweet. But I need more enjoyability.
I have a real TV problem these days. I subscribe to maybe 5 streaming services and almost nothing is ever as good as everyone claims. I try, and nope. My strike rate for actually enjoying things everyone’s raving about is about one in six, I think. I don’t like cop shows anyway, a sitcom has to be unbelievably likeable to keep me watching, most gritty social dramas irritate me because they seem like they’re written by and for people who want to holiday in grimness but never experience it. I admit I’m a bit of a tough crowd.
But I shouldn’t be. I’d like to watch something good-natured, but so much good-natured stuff is badly written. A Parks & Rec or a Detectorists or a West Wing comes along about as often as… the space between those three shows.
I’m not asking for recommendations because a) the chances of liking it are small and b) I’m quite liking watching much less TV.
But television is getting on my tits a bit now: there’s too much of it, and most of it either has some merit but takes itself way too seriously and isn’t actually any fun, or is just standard appalling shite.
Netflix Spain has a sensational collection of French films with English subtitles. I’m working my way through them as a kind of exercise in educating myself about French cinema, and enjoying it immensely. There are many Spanish language movies I’d also like to watch to help improve my language, but perversely these are subtitle free. I guess my point is that behind the surfeit of blockbuster glitz and gloss there is still so much to explore and enjoy. And focussing on a theme can help avoid being overwhelmed by choice.
Love It Or List It is doing it for me. Kirstie and Phil are one of the great double acts. Kirstie’s tips on renovations are life changing. It’s all just Britishness epitomised. Who needs Netflix?
Ah yes, but doesn’t your heart sink when, six episodes into a new season, Phil announces that they’ll be doing a revisit next week?
Phil be like, “Sell your house, you unpatriotic fucks. The UK economy is the housing market now. Whaddaya want, us all to be working in factories again?”
Based on that pair’s track record would shoot them for trophies and Kirstie would blame your murder on lockdown.
I do tut when that happens. Location Location Location is called Husjägarna in Sweden by the way.
Means house hunters. There’s a Danish version too with a Danish Phil and Kirstie but they lack the chemistry and personality. Nicer houses though.
I’ve enjoyed My Brilliant Friend too. My, they are a miserable lot! They barely crack a smile.
I bet it’s even better if you understand Italian. I’m sure I’m missing a lot of the nuance in the clash of dialect/accent/culture between North and South.
Aye, ‘appen!
I’ve read the whole of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet, and I think that the first three series of My Brilliant Friend have been just exactly perfect. What a beautiful and faithful adaptation it is. But yes, you’re right. The characters tend to be pretty miserable. Who isn’t miserable? Well, let’s see now … Enzo, maybe? Or Elena’s elder daughter Dede? I’m struggling to think of any others…
Mmmm… Neapolitan…..
I’ve been enjoying For All Mankind a lot. It’s an alternate history of the space race that starts with the Soviets landing on the moon before the Americans manage it. Big glossy US drama, high production values, attractive cast, pushes all my nerd buttons – I don’t watch loads of TV, but this has been my favourite thing for ages. Unfortunately it’s on Apple TV so no one else is watching it.
Seen it. Series 1 terrific. Series 2 has many wobbles but finishes really strongly..
Mrs duco01 and I have just watched all 26 episodes of “The Dog House” in rapid succession.
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-dog-house
I’m now completed dogged out. Or woofed out. Of barked out.
I never want to see another lurcher or staffie or chihuahua cross as long as I live.
[great programme, by the way]
I don’t think anyones mentioned it yet, but I really enjoyed Alex Rider (season 2) on Amazon Prime. Based on the books by Anthony Horowitz, it’s basically a teenage spy saga – yes, it’s aimed at teenagers and it’s as far from highbrow as you can get, but it has snappy writing, great production values, a great villain and it’s just simply enjoyable……
It’s fairly brainless fodder, but Mrs F has started watching This Is Us on Prime. It is, well… alright.
We’re nearly at the end of Series 1 and nobody has (yet) died a grizzly death. Mrs F’s preference is usually for uniform dramas – Silent Witness, LoD, that kind of thing – so it makes a change. We still have 90 – ninety! – episodes to go.
You mean a grisly death. Unless you expect bears to be involved. It could ‘appen.
PS> I like “uniform dramas” too – you didn’t mention any of the ones I’ve seen.
Full on This Is Us fans here. Constantly teeters on the edge of American Treaclyness, sometimes topples into that sticky abyss, but snappy writing and great use of flashbacks/timelines make for archetypal pull-on-your-slippers comfort TV
You had me at topless.
*Puts on reading glasses*
Oh. Maybe not.
I’d never heard of it, but I just checked on IMDB and found that everyone loves it but hates Season 5. Everyone. Season 5 – don’t go there is the advice I give based on my research.
I thought Season 5 was great, I love treacle (especially when topless)
Well, that’s an image that’s ruined my dinner.
Tell you what is a good watch if, like me, you’re ruled by your stomach – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Avoid if hungry, that’s all I’ll say.
Indeed highly recommended.
Just watched the last 2 episodes of Killing Eve. You know I said this series was OK? I was wrong.
We watched the first 4 on Saturday, and we had a vague idea what Villanelle and Carolyn were up to we had no idea what Even was doing and retired to bed baffled. I read this, from Jack Seale in The Guardian, after and it sums things up.
Great first season, I thought, but should have ended there.The most ridiculously stupid thing in Killing Eve was the idea that Villanelle could speak with a perfect English accent if she wanted to but chose instead to use her heavy foreign accent most of the time. Whoever came up with that daft notion knows nothing about how languages work.
But a lot about great telly characters.
I really enjoyed the third and final series of Hidden (or Craith if you can follow Welsh). Well, maybe not ‘enjoyed’, but ‘wallowed in the misery of’. A murder plot featuring a lead Detective who is (a) female and (b) lesbian.
Seemingly filmed by the Eastenders crew, everyone lives indoors in the gloom, with the lights off. If the sun does ever come out, they close the curtains. They only ever go outside when it rains – does it ever stop raining in Snowdonia? Not if my childhood holidays were anything to go by.
The end was a bit ambiguous – if I hadn’t read in the Radio Times that it was to be the final series, I’d be waiting for Series 4.
A Welsh lesbian lead? I’m getting triggered here. Away with this woke crap and let’s have more white male heterosexuals on TV like the good old days.