What TV shows are people watching?

adidasss · 06-13-2021, 05:48 AM

So I tried to watch Bandersnatch on my mobile and after about 40 minutes lost interest, I kept choosing dead-end paths that were returning me to some previous point in the story. I don't think that should have happened. If you're offering different choices then those choices should go all the way to the end. If you're going to return me to a different point I basically don't have much of a choice actually. And it didn't really seem like a story I'd want to spend a few hours exploring.

Lisnaholic · 06-13-2021, 07:33 AM

Thanks for your recommendations of Line of Duty

I will probably try it again later today. (Last time I started it, it seemed too complicated for what I wanted to watch at the time, so I gave up after about 2 episodes.)

But then, for complicated, I got drawn into a murder mystery called Who Killed Sara?. It's on Netflix but is geo-blocked in Europe I think. Probably just as well as it's set in Mexico City and has the true-to-form excessive Latin American drama: "OMG, you mean the cook's schizophrenic daughter is actually my sister?" Actually that sounds like a Dickensian plot twist, so you'd probably like it, TH

Does a 2-part documentary count as a TV show? If so, very interesting is the Netfix doc about The King, Elvis. As Netflix docs tend to, there is no voice-over narration, instead the story is told by clipping interview comments together. Frankly I find that an irritating technique because (a) you have to listen to dull, unscripted people and (ii) it takes twice as long to work through the narrative. Of course, that is also Netfix's plan, I suspect: cut costs on script-writers and spin the program out as long as possible.
Nonetheless, for me, watching Elvis's story unfold for the first time, I found this documentary fascinating.

**Frownland** · 06-13-2021, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

So I tried to watch Bandersnatch on my mobile and after about 40 minutes lost interest, I kept choosing dead-end paths that were returning me to some previous point in the story. I don't think that should have happened. If you're offering different choices then those choices should go all the way to the end. If you're going to return me to a different point I basically don't have much of a choice actually. And it didn't really seem like a story I'd want to spend a few hours exploring.

That's the point.

Trollheart · 07-05-2021, 09:42 PM

Watched quite a lot of stuff recently. The Sister was excellent, as was the next thing I tried, Secret Bridesmaids' Business, Australian thriller about a stalker (male) who tries to ruin every woman who dumps him. Raven was my first Polish drama, was bloody excellent, though bleak as hell, quelle surprise! Box 21 was also bleak but really really good.

Time stood up well, both Bean and Graham gave excellent performances, though in some ways if you've seen The Night Of there's not all that much more to say. Good prison drama, unexpected ending.

But if you want bleak, miserable and hopeless, try Hausen; my god it was so dark and disturbing and grim that I gave it up after four episodes. Had some nice supernatural ideas, but too dark for me. I mean, I liked the premise, even though it got mighty weird, but the trouble was, like Millennium, there wasn't a shred of light in it. Even when the kid went to school they showed a cloud-choked sky with a very weak sun struggling to shine through (and failing). Everyone was dour, everyone was miserable, everything was deadly serious. No comic relief, no rest, nothing to even push the darkness away slightly. Just unremittingly dark. And I felt it was going to have a seriously dark conclusion, like the complex was going to eat them all, run credits, or it would be Hell, or something. I can watch bleak TV, but god damn it I need a little respite.

Next moved on to some old stuff recorded but not watched for literally years: season 2 of The Returned (which I recorded, wait for it, six years ago!) was well worth it, ended really well, then I hit season 3 of Westworld. It was enjoyable on one level but I was like Homer...

Tried The Undoing but hated it immediately (come on, it had Hugh Grant in it; what chance did it have?) then checked out Guilt and loved it from minute one. Superb four-part dark humour drama with the incomparable Mark Bonnar.

Finally got the last season of Game of Thrones done (yeah yeah I know). Lots of complaints about that, as I'm sure you all know. Glad I finally watched it but kinda, meh. Came across Hunters (another one recorded years ago, five in this case - 2016) based on the Whitley Streiber book Alien Hunter. It's a bit silly so far - quite gory, often unnecessarily so (don't watch with your dinner) but decent fun. I think it only got the one season, but interested to see where it goes. Seems like they were building a fairly complicated arc. Basic idea seems to be aliens who have come to Earth to do something unspecified, but which ain't good for humanity, against whom they seem to have a grudge, and the FBI Black Ops team who track them - the ETU would you believe? Exo Terrorist Unit.

jadis · 07-09-2021, 03:34 PM

When you have the house to yourself and can watch stuff she'd normally veto in favor of Serial Experiments Lain

Trollheart · 07-09-2021, 03:51 PM

Serial Experiments what?

jadis · 07-09-2021, 04:28 PM

It's an anime classic from the late 90s that has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity among fans of the more esoteric Japanese stuff.

The Batlord · 07-09-2021, 05:23 PM

Trollheart · 07-09-2021, 06:10 PM

Ah, anime, right. I have to bone up (ooer) on that for my History of Animation journal at some point. I know exactly sod-all about it.

jadis · 07-10-2021, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadis

When you have the house to yourself and can watch stuff she'd normally veto in favor of Serial Experiments Lain

I wonder if Morse was ever aired in the States. Arguably UK's greatest TV detective. But it's very shall we say deliberately-paced and full of highbrow references as he's an opera buff and something of an embittered intellectual.

06-13-2021, 05:48 AM	#6811 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	So I tried to watch Bandersnatch on my mobile and after about 40 minutes lost interest, I kept choosing dead-end paths that were returning me to some previous point in the story. I don't think that should have happened. If you're offering different choices then those choices should go all the way to the end. If you're going to return me to a different point I basically don't have much of a choice actually. And it didn't really seem like a story I'd want to spend a few hours exploring. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

06-13-2021, 07:33 AM	#6812 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Thanks for your recommendations of Line of Duty I will probably try it again later today. (Last time I started it, it seemed too complicated for what I wanted to watch at the time, so I gave up after about 2 episodes.) But then, for complicated, I got drawn into a murder mystery called Who Killed Sara?. It's on Netflix but is geo-blocked in Europe I think. Probably just as well as it's set in Mexico City and has the true-to-form excessive Latin American drama: "OMG, you mean the cook's schizophrenic daughter is actually my sister?" Actually that sounds like a Dickensian plot twist, so you'd probably like it, TH Does a 2-part documentary count as a TV show? If so, very interesting is the Netfix doc about The King, Elvis. As Netflix docs tend to, there is no voice-over narration, instead the story is told by clipping interview comments together. Frankly I find that an irritating technique because (a) you have to listen to dull, unscripted people and (ii) it takes twice as long to work through the narrative. Of course, that is also Netfix's plan, I suspect: cut costs on script-writers and spin the program out as long as possible. Nonetheless, for me, watching Elvis's story unfold for the first time, I found this documentary fascinating. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

07-05-2021, 09:42 PM	#6814 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Watched quite a lot of stuff recently. The Sister was excellent, as was the next thing I tried, Secret Bridesmaids' Business, Australian thriller about a stalker (male) who tries to ruin every woman who dumps him. Raven was my first Polish drama, was bloody excellent, though bleak as hell, quelle surprise! Box 21 was also bleak but really really good. Time stood up well, both Bean and Graham gave excellent performances, though in some ways if you've seen The Night Of there's not all that much more to say. Good prison drama, unexpected ending. But if you want bleak, miserable and hopeless, try Hausen; my god it was so dark and disturbing and grim that I gave it up after four episodes. Had some nice supernatural ideas, but too dark for me. I mean, I liked the premise, even though it got mighty weird, but the trouble was, like Millennium, there wasn't a shred of light in it. Even when the kid went to school they showed a cloud-choked sky with a very weak sun struggling to shine through (and failing). Everyone was dour, everyone was miserable, everything was deadly serious. No comic relief, no rest, nothing to even push the darkness away slightly. Just unremittingly dark. And I felt it was going to have a seriously dark conclusion, like the complex was going to eat them all, run credits, or it would be Hell, or something. I can watch bleak TV, but god damn it I need a little respite. Next moved on to some old stuff recorded but not watched for literally years: season 2 of The Returned (which I recorded, wait for it, six years ago!) was well worth it, ended really well, then I hit season 3 of Westworld. It was enjoyable on one level but I was like Homer... Tried The Undoing but hated it immediately (come on, it had Hugh Grant in it; what chance did it have?) then checked out Guilt and loved it from minute one. Superb four-part dark humour drama with the incomparable Mark Bonnar. Finally got the last season of Game of Thrones done (yeah yeah I know). Lots of complaints about that, as I'm sure you all know. Glad I finally watched it but kinda, meh. Came across Hunters (another one recorded years ago, five in this case - 2016) based on the Whitley Streiber book Alien Hunter. It's a bit silly so far - quite gory, often unnecessarily so (don't watch with your dinner) but decent fun. I think it only got the one season, but interested to see where it goes. Seems like they were building a fairly complicated arc. Basic idea seems to be aliens who have come to Earth to do something unspecified, but which ain't good for humanity, against whom they seem to have a grudge, and the FBI Black Ops team who track them - the ETU would you believe? Exo Terrorist Unit. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-09-2021, 03:51 PM	#6816 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Serial Experiments what? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-09-2021, 06:10 PM	#6819 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Ah, anime, right. I have to bone up (ooer) on that for my History of Animation journal at some point. I know exactly sod-all about it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-09-2021, 03:34 PM	#6815 (permalink)
jadis Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: dont ask Posts: 1,360	When you have the house to yourself and can watch stuff she'd normally veto in favor of Serial Experiments Lain

07-09-2021, 04:28 PM	#6817 (permalink)
jadis Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: dont ask Posts: 1,360	It's an anime classic from the late 90s that has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity among fans of the more esoteric Japanese stuff.