Now What Have You Been Watching?

[Alex]

I'm enjoying Westworld as well, the pilot was a bit slow but it's getting better with each episode now. And I enjoyed the first episode of Timeless as well, though have yet to watch the rest as there's so much good tv on right now!

Unfortunately I struggled with Luke Cage, I liked the first four episodes or so, but thought the latter half of the season went off the boil. It's a shame as I like some of the characters, and parts were strong, but the plotting was drawn out and I didn't get on with Diamondback at all. Still looking forward to the other Marvel Netflix series though as this is the first time I've been disappointed by one.

[Stuart Wallis]

And I'd forgotten about the recycled Sea Devil at the end!

So had I - I had some in Burnham on Crouch once; oh, the indigestion...

[MacNimon]

I'm enjoying Westworld as well, the pilot was a bit slow but it's getting better with each episode now. And I enjoyed the first episode of Timeless as well, though have yet to watch the rest as there's so much good tv on right now!

Unfortunately I struggled with Luke Cage, I liked the first four episodes or so, but thought the latter half of the season went off the boil. It's a shame as I like some of the characters, and parts were strong, but the plotting was drawn out and I didn't get on with Diamondback at all. Still looking forward to the other Marvel Netflix series though as this is the first time I've been disappointed by one.

I'm only 4 episodes into Luke Cage so far, so haven't noticed any drop in quality yet. I'm sticking to an episode a week though, no binge-watching for me!

[Alex]

Ah, I shan't say anything else then as I don't want to spoil it for you.

[Rob McCow]

The BFI's film, Terminus. Nothing to do with Vanirs or the Garm, but a day in the life of Waterloo station (I think) in 1961.

Nothing bloody changes!

[Nyder]

Sounds interesting. No I mean it!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Stuart Wallis]

Not if you've been stuck there yourself since 1961!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Last night ended up being a rather eclectic mix of the very long pilot episode of The Young Pope and episodes 2-4 of Aftermath.
The latter is a pudding of a series in which inexplicably the world is ending and there are demons, a plague, meteorites, solar flares and now dragons. I'm very close to giving up on it.

Sent from my G620S-L01 using Tapatalk

[Alex]

I've watched two episodes of Aftermath and aren't sure I'm going to stick with it either, the end of the world stuff was all good weird fun but once dragons were introduced I did start to wonder if they had a clue what they were doing, or just throwing everything and the kitchen sink in to precedings to see what sticks. I've so much tv to watch right now I'll probably leave it for a bit, and see what the reviews are like in a month or so's time.

Currently I'm watching and thoroughly enjoying: Ash Vs The Evil Dead, Westworld, Crazyhead, Z Nation, Black Mirror, Blunt Talk, Would I Lie To You?, Comedy Bang Bang, Atlanta, Better Things, You're The Worst, Mom, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine Nine, and South Park, so for me this autumn is all a bit fantastic on the tv front right now.

[Nyder]

Blake's 7 - Power (aka Battle of the Sexes). I've just realised that this programme is a massive bitch fest. Everyone is narky to each other and nobody trusts anybody. But hey, Avon has got more charisma in his little finger than the rest of Class put together. Love the book "Maximum Power"s description of Dayna's fighting stance as "fists out, squatting on a drawing pin". It's true!!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Stuart Wallis]

The first two, and only surviving episodes, of the Quatermass Experiment. For those who don't know, and I can't think of anyone round here who doesn't!, the plot revolves round a British rocket that becomes the first to circle the Earth - although (probably being British!) something goes wrong. Three men go up in the ship, which goes off-course and spends two day longer than expected in orbit; only one man comes back. His fingerprints have changed, and he suddenly knows how to speak German, as did one of the missing men - and that's as far as it gets before the serial becomes one of the Great Archive Monster's half-chewed leftovers.

If it weren't for the way that TV were made in those days, the fairly comical scenes dealing with the aftermath of the crash-landing of the space module in an old dear's house would seem very out of place these days. They just serve to remind in hindsight, however, that the cast have to get from one side of the studio to the other, and that the public needed to be introduced to the forthcoming horror a bit at a time. Even so, the old dear needs her cat rescuing before she does - her pussy comes first, and she is unanimous in that! Then when you get a strange powder found in the ship, and there's all three men's space suits accounted for, then you know this is going to become what we expect of Nigel Kneale. The, unless you've read the script book or seen the film version or the remake, it comes to a dead stop, and you may never know what's happening next. Nevertheless it gave me a worthy passing of time on Saturday evening.

[Nyder]

Blake's 7 - Assassin. Wow what can I say? Possibly the campest thing ever, whether it's Betty Marsden dressed as Queen Nefertiti, Dicky Hurndall in a velvet curtain or Caroline Holdaway's OTT death - I watched this completely open-mouthed!! The spider didn't help either.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Andrew Curnow]

I don't know if anybody else has been watching BBC2's Close to the Enemy, but I was rather surprised in Thursday's episode when an eccentric character managed to escape from a cottage hospital by first stealing some clothes and then driving off in a vintage roadster that he stole from the 'Doctors Only' parking area just outside...

[Andrew Curnow]

Although we haven't watched a huge amount of Xmas TV here, mainly the obligatory Christmas episodes of panel shows, I really enjoyed the Outnumbered Special from Boxing Day. If you never liked the original series it won't change your mind, but if you did then the return hasn't let the side down. I'm not sure I'd want one every year, but every couple of years might be nice.

Witness for the Prosecution was entertaining too, even though I knew the twist already. At the risk of sounding like a prude I think we could probably have been spared part one's scene of Toby Jones having sex, although episode two's conclusion almost justified it in story terms. Maybe I'm showing my age, and it may seem odd to consider gruesome murder to be acceptable family viewing, but if they'd removed the sex scene, and the F- word, it would have been something for everyone in the old 'Miss Marple' or 'Murder on the Orient Express' way. But, still worth a watch.

Oh and there was some odd Superhero film on, with a time-traveller in it as well, and also that guy who used to do the scores on Shooting Stars....

[Rob McCow]

and also that guy who used to do the scores on Shooting Stars....

Do you mean top billing Christmas Day megastar Matt Lucas?

Last night we watched / I made Si sit through:

The Big Lego Christmas - A documentary that brought me to the brink of hating Lego. But it was nice to see the designer of the Yellow Submarine Lego kit on TV as Simon was building the Yellow Submarine Lego kit.
The Christmas Tree - A BFI film from the 60's about three children trying to carry a Christmas Tree from their house (possibly Staines) to a hospital in Central London. Features Brian Blessed as a policeman.
The Good Old Days - with Morcambe and Wise. Terrible. Fast-forwarded.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

The George Michael concert added to last night's BBC One schedule was quite poignant.

The two part adaptation of Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes was interesting particularly the way they strengthened the ties between all four stories although they obviously sensed there might be some controversy over the decision to imply a lesbian relationship between two main characters (a significant departure from Dahl's version) and left some ambiguity over whether they were more than just good friends.

I quite enjoyed The Witness for the Prosecution but when you realised that everything seemed to have been resolved with 15 minutes left before the end, it wasn't hard to guess the final twist. It obviously was intended to build on the success of last year's And Then There Were None but didn't manage to grab the attention in the same way. During the first episode in particular I obviously wasn't very gripped as I don't even remember Toby Jones having a sex scene. They could've easily squeezed it into a single 90 minute drama as it didn't really get interesting until the courtroom scenes in episode two.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Tonight's viewing:

Ethel and Ernest was quite special and highly recommended with a warning that you'll need hankies by the end.

Jonathan Creek was ok but rather predictable I thought.

[Rob McCow]

Inside No.9 was brilliant and terrifying (at least it was for me) with The Devil of Christmas. I enjoyed it but I'm always annoyed when these things disturb my sleep!

Also impressive was the Bob Monkhouse Celebrity Stand-Up thing they had on BBC Four, one of Bob's last appearances in front of an audience recorded in 2003. With some fascinating recollections about Benny Hill, Peter Sellars and Tommy Cooper, it was a superb showing from Bob. I do wonder if anything was cut for being too libellous or 'Innappropriate'...

[SiHart]

The Bob Monkhouse show was incredible. He was so talented and in his last performance. He seemed so honest and lovely (aside from Peter Sellars' mother!) about the people he'd worked with. The man had an incredible memory for people and dates and shows. It was far removed from the slick game show host we all know so well. I really wish I'd seen him do stand up now, as it's only after he died that I've discovered his work.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

2016 Wipe - last year I swore I would never watch this programme again because I felt it was unduly negative about 2015 but this year's episode has mostly written itself. Right now I think I hate Trump, Farage and Corbyn in equal measure. Philomena Cunk is still too annoying (no offense to actress Diane Morgan who was really good in the 5th Doctor/ weeping angels story earlier this year).

[Alex]

I like Brooker but ended up turning it off after about twenty minutes as it was far too depressing to watch. I'll probably finish it at some point, but I can see myself skipping through parts which anger me a little bit too much.

[Nyder]

I've recorded the Bob Monkhouse programme so I'm looking forward to that one! "The Lady in the Van" was a Christmas highlight for me. I'm a big fan of Alan B's work and this one had me spellbound from start to finish. What a talent Maggie Smith is!

And for no reason, I watched "Dead Man's Treasure" (The Avengers) this afternoon. Yes it's gloriously silly, but it's all done with dollops of style, panache and class. Darling Patrick and Diana were never bettered!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Nyder]

Blakes 7 - Games. I'm assuming this is the lowest point of the last season? Vila got a lot of funny one liners though, and we learnt that Servalan can't click her fingers very well.

[Jon Masters]

Blakes 7 - Games. I'm assuming this is the lowest point of the last season? Vila got a lot of funny one liners though, and we learnt that Servalan can't click her fingers very well.

Really ? I quite like Games - even if Stratford Johns is hamming it up to level 11.

There's much, much worse to come in season 4 than this.....

[Nyder]

Beginning the third and final series of The Bionic Woman. It may have possibly jumped the shark with "The Bionic Dog" who is called Maximillion (took a million dollars to rebuild him y'all!) A nice line from Dr Rudy Wells to Jaime Somers about Max's Bionic jaw... "that's something you'll never need". Ouch! After this story it's "Fembots in Las Vegas"!!