What TV shows are people watching?

jadis · 11-26-2021, 05:10 PM

Line of Duty, one of the better police procedurals imo

Trollheart · 11-26-2021, 09:35 PM

Excellent series. The kind of thing you really can't stop watching. Powerful performances all around. If you liked it, try also Vigil and Showtrial, made by the same team.

jadis · 11-27-2021, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Excellent series. The kind of thing you really can't stop watching. Powerful performances all around. If you liked it, try also Vigil and Showtrial, made by the same team.

Keeley Hawes above all for me. Been a fan since catching Complicity on TV one night as a teenager

Trollheart · 11-27-2021, 09:45 PM

Yes but only in one season. For me, Adrian Dunbar #1 and Martin Compston #2, obvious as that may seem.

adidasss · 11-28-2021, 12:34 PM

I actually thought the acting by both Compston and McClure was a little off. Dunbar is unimpeachable. Hawes also excellent.

Trollheart · 11-28-2021, 01:20 PM

Agree to disagree. I think Compston played the part of someone struggling to get over a traumatic injury and resultant dependence on painkillers very believably. Made him less of a superman figure. McClure I can take or leave to be honest.

adidasss · 12-27-2021, 01:43 PM

Lupin (Netflix) 2021

Not very good but watchable french show about a master thief played by Omar Sy who I thought was quite unconvincing (and not a terribly good actor overall). It definitely overstays its welcome at 10 episodes though. Could've wrapped it up in 6.

Trollheart · 12-29-2021, 01:14 PM

Just finished watching American Rust. Very dark, very broody, very noir, shades of grey all over the place. Jeff Daniels shines as a weary police chief in West Virginia who is not above twisting the law to his own needs, but is trying to be a good man. If you're a fan of True Detective you'll probably enjoy this. Just nine episodes, showing now on Sky Atlantic for those over this side of the puddle. Recommended.

adidasss · 12-30-2021, 12:49 AM

It's a sin (2021)

British AIDS drama. Covers a lot of territory done by other shows across the Atlantic (and recently France with 120 Beats per Minute) but it's rather new to see something like this from the UK. Always interesting to see and be reminded about how things developed in the early days of HIV, how much ignorance and prejudice helped to spread the virus and the shame involved.

Dramatically, it's not top class stuff, the actors are ok but not really excellent and I think you really need excellent actors in dramas where emotions are running high. This is the case with all Russel T Davies products I think. It has some humour which lightens the seriousness of the topic and it does manage to make you care for the characters (although maybe not as much as it should).

I had a big problem with some unnecessary dramatic choices in the last episode which really confuse things:

Spoiler for it's a sin:

But anyway, it was an emotional journey, as expected, but I would say there are far better AIDS dramas out there, from TV shows, to films to documentaries. In particular, I think once you've seen How to survive a plague, everything else pales in comparison.

jadis · 01-01-2022, 04:57 PM

Gf decided she's a fan of Indira Varma so we're watching Paranoid on Netflix. A promising first ep, lots of focus on mental health

11-26-2021, 09:35 PM	#6922 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Excellent series. The kind of thing you really can't stop watching. Powerful performances all around. If you liked it, try also Vigil and Showtrial, made by the same team. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

11-27-2021, 09:45 PM	#6924 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Yes but only in one season. For me, Adrian Dunbar #1 and Martin Compston #2, obvious as that may seem. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

11-28-2021, 12:34 PM	#6925 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	I actually thought the acting by both Compston and McClure was a little off. Dunbar is unimpeachable. Hawes also excellent. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

11-28-2021, 01:20 PM	#6926 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Agree to disagree. I think Compston played the part of someone struggling to get over a traumatic injury and resultant dependence on painkillers very believably. Made him less of a superman figure. McClure I can take or leave to be honest. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-27-2021, 01:43 PM	#6927 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Lupin (Netflix) 2021 Not very good but watchable french show about a master thief played by Omar Sy who I thought was quite unconvincing (and not a terribly good actor overall). It definitely overstays its welcome at 10 episodes though. Could've wrapped it up in 6. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

11-26-2021, 05:10 PM	#6921 (permalink)
jadis Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: dont ask Posts: 1,353	Line of Duty, one of the better police procedurals imo

12-29-2021, 01:14 PM	#6928 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Just finished watching American Rust. Very dark, very broody, very noir, shades of grey all over the place. Jeff Daniels shines as a weary police chief in West Virginia who is not above twisting the law to his own needs, but is trying to be a good man. If you're a fan of True Detective you'll probably enjoy this. Just nine episodes, showing now on Sky Atlantic for those over this side of the puddle. Recommended. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-30-2021, 12:49 AM	#6929 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	It's a sin (2021) British AIDS drama. Covers a lot of territory done by other shows across the Atlantic (and recently France with 120 Beats per Minute) but it's rather new to see something like this from the UK. Always interesting to see and be reminded about how things developed in the early days of HIV, how much ignorance and prejudice helped to spread the virus and the shame involved. Dramatically, it's not top class stuff, the actors are ok but not really excellent and I think you really need excellent actors in dramas where emotions are running high. This is the case with all Russel T Davies products I think. It has some humour which lightens the seriousness of the topic and it does manage to make you care for the characters (although maybe not as much as it should). I had a big problem with some unnecessary dramatic choices in the last episode which really confuse things: Spoiler for it's a sin: turning Ritchie into a serial and purposeful HIV spreader but then kind of shrugging it off as if it was some kind of mildly naughty thing he did and not something massively horrible at a time when there was no medication available and contracting HIV was more or less a death sentence (making Ritchie potentially a serial killer?). I've read some interviews with Davies and I guess the motivation for that is that he likes to make his gay characters "complicated" and his resistance to them having to be "likeable". The problem is that for the preceding 4 episodes he went out of his way to make this character likeable and uncomplicated. An about turn at the last moment is totally incongruous with the rest of the show and doesn't just make the character complicated, it puts under question everything that went before it. Definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. Also, I'm not sure what they were doing with Ritchie's mother. Is she a cold hearted bitch or does she have emotions and cares for her son? Couldn't tell which to be honest. But anyway, it was an emotional journey, as expected, but I would say there are far better AIDS dramas out there, from TV shows, to films to documentaries. In particular, I think once you've seen How to survive a plague, everything else pales in comparison. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

01-01-2022, 04:57 PM	#6930 (permalink)
jadis Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: dont ask Posts: 1,353	Gf decided she's a fan of Indira Varma so we're watching Paranoid on Netflix. A promising first ep, lots of focus on mental health