Recommended Television Programmes

[Dave2002]

Currently watching the Diplomat on Netflix. There are quite a lot of twists and turns, and often this just seems like a romp - somewhat less serious than the West Wing.
Now nearing the end, so probably there's not going to be an ending, so hooks for a second, third etc. series.

Could things like this happen in "real life"? Very possibly - which is a scary thought.

[smittims]

'Classic Quartets at the BBC' on iPlayer is a refreshing airing for chamber music on TV, and it's pleasant to see the various archive films played successively without Mr. Tom Service butting in repeatedly between them , as he did on 'Boulez at the BBC', causing me to reach for the fast-forward button .

[smittims]

And there's an upcoming Channel 4 programme which may be of interest: 'Partygate'. It's billed as a drama , so we can't expect forensic accuracy, but it may wake up the sleep-walking British electorate .

[Pulcinella]

And there's an upcoming Channel 4 programme which may be of interest: 'Partygate'. It's billed as a drama , so we can't expect forensic accuracy, but it may wake up the sleep-walking British electorate .

I don't think that many of the sleep-walking British electorate watch Channel 4, unfortunately!

[oddoneout]

'Classic Quartets at the BBC' on iPlayer is a refreshing airing for chamber music on TV, and it's pleasant to see the various archive films played successively without Mr. Tom Service butting in repeatedly between them , as he did on 'Boulez at the BBC', causing me to reach for the fast-forward button .

They fair zipped through the examples didn't they? The presenter input was so minimal that I missed a couple of the introductions and was grateful for the brief appearance of the text as to performers and music.
Various thoughts came to mind while watching, not least the obvious contrast between past and present "classical music" TV output but also, something that took me a while to process, the realisation that although the names and the sounds of the quartets featured were so familiar, seeing the real people was not. The likes of the Amadeus(my mother's favourites) Aeolian and Allegri were part of the soundtrack of my childhood but, apart from perhaps a stray photo in the Radio Times, not a visual part. I also realised that, for whatever reason I hadn't seen the Music in Camera series - which may have been partly because the quartet form was not a priority in terms of listening material, so I wouldn't have made the effort to watch either. It's only relatively recently that has changed.
A couple of things have rather stuck in my mind - the "left-handed" second violinist in the Allegri Quartet, and the cellist in the 1987 clip of the Arditti Quartet, who visually was the stuff of horror movies, a gut reaction that was heightened for me by the Ligeti (I think) they were playing. Both images are something that simply listening to a radio broadcast couldn't have provided.

[smittims]

Yes, indeed. Chamber Music on TV seems a distant dream today. Even Sky Arts' one-time classical music slot is more and more taken up by Andre Rieu and film music.

[johncorrigan]

Great 'Imagine' documentary about Georgia O'Keefe was repeated on Monday past - such great footage. Her work looked so great, especially for me, the work from New Mexico - had a longing to go back and visit Taos again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07m7rlm/imagine-summer-2016-3-georgia-okeeffe-by-myself

[Serial_Apologist]

Great 'Imagine' documentary about Georgia O'Keefe was repeated on Monday past - such great footage. Her work looked so great, especially for me, the work from New Mexico - had a longing to go back and visit Taos again.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...effe-by-myself

Extraordinary woman, remarkable programme - I had great difficulty in placing this artist in among the usual narratives of 20th century modern art; some of even those early paintings did not appear to be in oils or water colours, but done using acrylics.

[gurnemanz]

Re Georgia O'Keeffe: Also a very interesting radio programme last year where her companion, Margaret Wood, talks about her.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n45

I hardly knew anything about her until we saw and loved the major show at Tate Modern a few years ago.

[Serial_Apologist]

Re Georgia O'Keeffe: Also a very interesting radio programme last year where her companion, Margaret Wood, talks about her.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n45

I hardly knew anything about her until we saw and loved the major show at Tate Modern a few years ago.

Nor me - shame I missed the Tate exhibition.

[JasonPalmer]

Enjoying watching some old sherlock episodes via bbc iplayer, may watch some dr who when bored of sherlock.

[Serial_Apologist]

I cannot recommend too highly the new series on Picasso on BBC2 Thursday nights at 9pm, focussing on his relationships with and towards women. The programmes can be accessed via the link at the bottom of the featured paintings below, most of which are taken from the first episode shown last Thursday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66843990

The second episode of this 3-parter has, if anything, turned out even better than the first, helped in some ways by the availability of cinematics from the 1930s. I hadn't realised just how close Picasso's relationships with the Surrealists were. The story - and footage - about Guernica is utterly fascinating.

[johncorrigan]

I didn't watch 'Psycho' on BBC 4 on Thursday evening, but I did watch Janet Leigh in conversation with Mark Cousins, and what a fascinating story they told especially around 'Touch of Evil' and 'Psycho'. Amazing to hear her tell that after she saw the shower scene she never had a shower ever again. She also got very emotional when talking about James Stewart when she was in 'The Naked Spur' with him, saying what a wonderful person he was. She appeared to have no airs and graces about her. A very interesting and enjoyable programme.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001qwq1/scene-by-scene-janet-leigh

[oddoneout]

I see there is another David Olusoga documentary on Monday. I would very much like to watch but fear it will be impossible if the last one is anything to go by, with the overloud "music" completely obliterating the words. Does he not have a say in the finished product, or if he does have a say not perceive the problems? Although I seem to remember a long time ago when the subject came up, yet again, in the Radio Times that someone in a position to know wrote in to say that what those making the docs heard as the finished product was not the same as what the viewers at home heard, due to different equipment, and so the imbalance wouldn't be apparent. They get the alpha we get the beta?

[FRJames]

The Fear of God - 25 Years of The Exorcist - BBC4 - Thurs 5 Oct.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p07r5pwq/the-fear-of-god-twentyfive-years-of-the-exorcist

Mark Kermode's excellent documentary getting a repeat now that it is 50 years of The Exorcist. Followed by a screening of this still troubling film.