Current Watching

[Ginger Yellow]

No thoughts on the return of Killing Eve? The first episode felt very fanservicey and predictable, so I guess it's going to keep becoming a guiltier and guilter pleasure, but it's still fun to watch.

[Arturo]

We haven't dived into the new episodes of Killing Eve yet. That's not to say we won't, but we're not feeling compelled to rush into it which isn't a good sign and I think we started to lose our way with it a little in the previous series. Opinion has been mixed to the new series from what I've heard.

[Ray de Galles]

I thought series two was a massive drop in quality, the endless alliances and realignments of the main characters and general stretching of the central premise was like 'Homeland' - another series that didn't really need a follow up.

I'll probably give series three a try because...lockdown.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I thought series two was a massive drop in quality, the endless alliances and realignments of the main characters and general stretching of the central premise was like 'Homeland' - another series that didn't really need a follow up.

I'll probably give series three a try because...lockdown.

My feeling exactly. The new series isn't helped here by being shown on a channel that has ads every five minutes. It's so chopped up it's almost incoherent.

[slackster]

I thought series two was a massive drop in quality, the endless alliances and realignments of the main characters and general stretching of the central premise was like 'Homeland' - another series that didn't really need a follow up.

I'll probably give series three a try because...lockdown.

Talking of Homeland, we bailed out after the disappointing series 2 turned into the ridiculous treading water early on in series 3. But I keep hearing it improved greatly again from s4 onwards . Anyone here agree it’s worth the effort of revisiting?

We did take a look at the latest Killing Eve episode. Yes, there’s diminishing returns here, but there’s still enough quality acting and scenes to make it worth the effort.

[Hot Pepsi]

No thoughts on the return of Killing Eve? The first episode felt very fanservicey and predictable, so I guess it's going to keep becoming a guiltier and guilter pleasure, but it's still fun to watch.

I couldn't get into that when I tried. It seemed like a good premise for a two-hour film, but not a long-running series.

[Ginger Yellow]

Yes, it's definitely outworn its welcome.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Talking of Homeland, we bailed out after the disappointing series 2 turned into the ridiculous treading water early on in series 3. But I keep hearing it improved greatly again from s4 onwards . Anyone here agree it’s worth the effort of revisiting?

Homeland's been a roller coaster quality-wise. Seasons two and three were a considerable decline (the latter probably the shows nadir.) Then it picked up a bit, before the two seasons prior to this final one. They were quite brilliant, well worth watching on their own terms. This farewell one is a bit meh so far, and that seems unlikely to change. Pity.

[San Bernardhinault]

I follow Slackster on Homeland - Season one was good, 2 was downhill. Somewhere early in season 3 I gave up. I should probably revisit it.

And I match the general feeling on Killing Eve: Season One was brilliant. Season Two was watchable for the acting but silly. I'll watch Season Three, but will wait until there are a few more episodes in place before I start. My expectations are low because I don't think Phoebe Waller-Bridge isn't running it.

[Ray de Galles]

Have we discussed 'Quiz' yet? I saw the opener last night and found it very enjoyable. I've never seen more than a few minutes of the 'WWTBAM' but know enough about it and the trial to have my interest piqued and the advance publicity around Michael Sheen's turn as Tarrant was the clincher. Unsurprisingly, his performance is the highlights but Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford (the sister from 'Fleabag') are very good too.

It's undemanding, mainstream fare that well put together, more than enough to sustain three episodes on consecutive nights. hopefully.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I'm very hopeful about FX's new series Mrs America which begins tonight. It's based on the story of Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett) and the battle over the ERA in the late 60s early 70s. It features an excellent cast: Gloria Steinhem (played by Rose Byrne,) Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman,) Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale,) Shirley Chisholm ( Uzo Aduba) also Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Paulson. I hope they're given a script worthy of them.

[Femme Folle]

I'm watching The Magicians again from the beginning on Netflix.I don't often enjoy watching something twice or reading the same book more than once, but there are a handful of exceptions and this is one of them.

[Foot of Astaire's]

Have we discussed 'Quiz' yet? I saw the opener last night and found it very enjoyable. I've never seen more than a few minutes of the 'WWTBAM' but know enough about it and the trial to have my interest piqued and the advance publicity around Michael Sheen's turn as Tarrant was the clincher. Unsurprisingly, his performance is the highlights but Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford (the sister from 'Fleabag') are very good too.

It's undemanding, mainstream fare that well put together, more than enough to sustain three episodes on consecutive nights. hopefully.

I enjoyed that. I was quite surprised that an ITV drama about er an ITV drama, was done in a sympathetic way towards the Major and his wife. From the press reports at the time and the later footage that was released, I was quite sure they were guilty of cheating. Now, I'm not so sure...

[Satchmo Distel]

There’s already been a few mentions of this, but Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame) is shaping up to be bloody excellent. I’m up to episode 4 (of 8) and completely hooked. Still on the bbc iplayer for a couple more months, I believe.

I watched the first episode this morning and was very impressed. Beautiful photography and great performances, and I found I did care about the characters. Looking forward to the remaining episodes.

There is a feel of 'Babylon Berlin' to it.

[White No Sugar]

I enjoyed Baghdad Central last week. Iraqi cop under US rule. There’s about 70 world cop shows available on C4 catch up at the moment. It’s like trying to decide which coffee you want when tea is your main warm beverage.

[White No Sugar]

I enjoyed that. I was quite surprised that an ITV drama about er an ITV drama, was done in a sympathetic way towards the Major and his wife. From the press reports at the time and the later footage that was released, I was quite sure they were guilty of cheating. Now, I'm not so sure...

Agreed. I’m still leaning towards guilty though but not as heavily.

[Ginger Yellow]

Watching the new Alex Garland joint, Devs. There's a fair amount to like, especially visually, but as someone who is at least mildly familiar with the ostensible subject matter, it's also strangely grating at times in how it presents it. For instance, there's a moment in episode 2 where the head of a quantum computing company talks about his emotions being in superposition, and it's obvious that's what he's talking about, but he describes it in an absurdly roundabout way as if he'd never heard of the concept. There are multiple conversations like that in every episode. There's also an awful lot of suspension of disbelief required, but whatever it's not hard sci-fi. It's definitely got that one more episode vibe, so I'll keep watching. But as far as Garland's malevolent (?) tech CEO output is concerned, I liked Ex Machina a lot more so far.

[Felicity, I guess so]

We started Years and Years - Ms Felicity really likes it, I’m happy to go along mainly cos the cast is top quality plus I can see what he wants to do as satire and want to see where it gets to.
I wanted to watch Giri/Haji but it was deleted from iplayer last night

[Satchmo Distel]

I'm very hopeful about FX's new series Mrs America which begins tonight. It's based on the story of Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett) and the battle over the ERA in the late 60s early 70s. It features an excellent cast: Gloria Steinhem (played by Rose Byrne,) Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman,) Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale,) Shirley Chisholm ( Uzo Aduba) also Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Paulson. I hope they're given a script worthy of them.

What are your thoughts on the first episode? Was the script OK?

[Amor de Cosmos]

I think so. It was mainly setting Schlafly's historical and domestic context at the time the ERA passed. Intelligent, mother of six, member of the DAR, particularly well versed in nuclear disarmament and the SALT talks particularly, energy to burn. Very much a "can do, will do" person. She wants a seat in congress, but has failed twice. Not interested in women's issues at all until she realises none of the male run GOP are going to take her seriously on any other subject. Like many she has the view that anyone, male or female, can do what she does if they only work hard enough. What is subtly portrayed is how her social situation allows her to do it. She has an unmarried sister who's basically a surrogate mother to her children. A black maid/housekeeper. A wealthy and well connected husband who supports her endeavours financially, and through his connections. Cate Blanchett is excellent in the title role. We only got a glimpse of the "Libbers" in the first episode, having a piss-up in Bela Abzug's office after the ERA passed. So far so good.

[Bored Of Education]

Have we discussed 'Quiz' yet? I saw the opener last night and found it very enjoyable. I've never seen more than a few minutes of the 'WWTBAM' but know enough about it and the trial to have my interest piqued and the advance publicity around Michael Sheen's turn as Tarrant was the clincher. Unsurprisingly, his performance is the highlights but Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford (the sister from 'Fleabag') are very good too.

It's undemanding, mainstream fare that well put together, more than enough to sustain three episodes on consecutive nights. hopefully.

I watched the first one but, while there was nothing wrong with it, it didn't quite hold my attention and I didn't bother after the first episode. I would be hard pressed to put a finger on what didn't grab me apart from, apologies for being a snob, the very ITVness of it.

I realised I am watching enough TV now to contribute to this thread. Firstly, our mainstay is Better Call Saul which I feel odd about as I watched Breaking Bad well after its release but I am now watching this fairly contemporaneously but it is set in 2003. I love it for it's slightly slower lighter feel than BB but also I prefer the two sub-plots than the main one. As has been mentioned on here, the relationship between Jimmy and Kim bothers me. I think, to be frank, that it is that she is way out of his league (but also, SPOILER ALERT, we know they have to break up). That said, many other series have had much bigger holes and been enjoyable.

Our other go-to presently is Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which is a fantastic series considering how little coverage it appears to be getting. It is fairly light stuff but there are some scenes that are really well done which just go to show that even seemingly lesser-regarded US TV can often knock British stuff out of the park.

I am binge-watching Tiger King presently. Any right-minded person would find pretty much every person involved hateful and just feel sorry for the animals (and the lover who shot himself). Apologies for not remembering the name of the Florida resident to this thread but I agree that, even though Joe Exotic is in Oklahoma, it is the most Floridian programme I have ever seen. What makes it is the absolute masterful editing, the best cliff-hangers ever and the incredible reveals of each loathsome character after another. While saying it is quintessentially Floridian (or, at least, Southern) it shows why America voted Trump in but, also, why Britain voted Johnson in - especially if, has been suggested, people see Joe Exotic as an anti-hero.

We will be going back to the new series of Ozark after we have completed one or both of BCS and MMM. It is well-worked, well acted and is solid stuff. Not a Sopranos or Breaking Bad but getting up there and I looking forward to it - not least as, similar to Breaking Bad, there were a few real life parallels which, God willing, have now ended.

[Ginger Yellow]

I'm not sure MMM is lesser regarded. It won a bunch of Emmys. I just think the UK critics don't tend to cover Amazon shows much.

[MsD]

Recent episodes of Better Call Saul have been as good as anything I've seen on TV, and I'm glad other people are of this opinion:
https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/better...93EfcGg_NLuvBw

I've just finished watching Series 3 of The Good Fight, left on something of a cliffhanger.

[MsD]

I'm not sure MMM is lesser regarded. It won a bunch of Emmys. I just think the UK critics don't tend to cover Amazon shows much.

It's very popular via word of mouth, but yes, you need Amazon Prime to watch it at the moment, and that makes it inaccessible to a lot of viewers.

I'm not really motivated to watch Killing Eve, although the leads are amazing etc. It just feels like a wind-up and I can't invest anything in it.

Might watch it when I've run out of other stuff, but I'm using my BFI membership and exploring French New Wave again.

[slackster]

I’ve been tempted to sign up to that BFI site, because the mainstream streamers rarely have many classic “arthouse” films on them, and I’m sometimes in the mood to rewatch something gloomily black & white that goes FIN.

Watched Requiem For A Dream (2000) on Amazon Prime last night, as I’ve never seen it and the imdb rating was very high. My, it’s a good film. And Ellen Burstyn is superb in it.

I quite enjoyed the first series of Mrs Maisel, but bailed out when I thought they’d run right through the Jewish comedy stereotypes and started again with the dial ramped up to 11.