Recommended Television Programmes

[Bryn]

Wonder how many people are throwing a sickie tomorrow after watching Sky 108 tonight 0200-0330.....

Winter is Here....

Not me, and not only because I do not subscribe to Sky . . .

[LMcD]

Hello there LMcD,

I saw the Looming Tower last Summer ( it premiered in the US back in February 2018)- and imho it maintained its grip and focus for most of its 10 episodes which I viewed back to back. The cast was excellent and special mention must go to Jeff Daniels who impressed me throughout. I've actually got Lawrence Wright's book - but it has remained unread for the best part of three years or so since I bought it. I must find time somehow to read it as I'm sure it'll be full of fascinating and harrowing detail that the mini-series only hints at...

Best Wishes,

Tevot

The reviews that I have read here have been favourable. I shall try to discipline myself to watch each episode as it's broadcast. I share your admiration of Jeff Daniels's performance.

[jayne lee wilson]

Not me, and not only because I do not subscribe to Sky . . .

It may look, on cursory inspection, like another videogame-on-film (enough already) but many of us have years of emotional investment in the characters and creatures of GoT.....
not essentially different from Line of Duty in that respect....(which should be very interesting tonight, even if I'm beginning to feel it is just another game of character-manipulation by an author-god.......all TV series, of whatever quality, have their sell-by dates in the end...)...

[Serial_Apologist]

It may look, on cursory inspection, like another videogame-on-film (enough already) but many of us have years of emotional investment in the characters and creatures of GoT.....
not essentially different from Line of Duty in that respect....(which should be very interesting tonight, even if I'm beginning to feel it is just another game of character-manipulation by an author-god.......all TV series, of whatever quality, have their sell-by dates in the end...)...

It the cut throat competition, jayne.

[Richard Tarleton]

It the cut throat competition, jayne.

Definately

[johncorrigan]

I've come to the conclusion that 'Don't Forget The Driver' (BBC 2 10 p.m. Tuesdays) is an absolute masterpiece. It's a tragicomedy that uncompromisingly tackles uncomfortable subjects we'd probably prefer to avoid but still contains glimpses of brilliant comedy. Two highlights of last night's episode - you need to watch for these to make sense - were the 'I phone? No - Samsung' exchange and a leap (so to speak) from a real swimming pool into a 'virtual' one. And anybody who isn't worried by the decline in foreign language teaching in our schools will find food for thought. I think this might appeal in particular to Detectorists fans. Toby Jones is once again excellent.

It's funny about 'Don't Forget the Driver', L. I couldn't decide whether I was enjoying it and yet keep coming back for more. Toby is certainly being a Lance-like character, but the programme is taking us to some very dark subjects quite brilliantly. I worry that it's trying to cover too much ground but I'm finding it very addictive...especially enjoying Toby's car starting technique - brings back memories of driving round looking for a hill to park on.

[Tevot]

Definately

I am moved to write to the Police Complaints Authority about their very poor spelling...

[Keraulophone]

I am moved to write to the Police Complaints Authority about their very poor spelling...

I was unmoved to write to the said Authority, partly due to being so affected by all three hours of Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975) on BBC4.



.

[Richard Tarleton]

I was unmoved to write to the said Authority, partly due to being so affected by all three hours of Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975) on BBC4.



.

Watched only recently on DVD (so able to give LoD our full attention) - a quite extraordinary film, that gets an annual outing here.

Incidentally - Keraulophone - a film which lives next to it on my shelves is Ridley Scott's The Duellists, another "staggeringly beautiful film" (Leonard Maltin film guide), set in the Napoleonic Wars and based on a story by Jospeph Conrad.

As for LoD, as Carol Midgley says in today's Times, it's looking so grim for Ted (not just for his spelling ) that it surely must come good. Anna Maxwell-Martin making up for the hole in the cast left by Stephen Graham with her "exquisite passive-aggression".

[LezLee]

As for LoD, as Carol Midgley says in today's Times, it's looking so grim for Ted (not just for his spelling ) that it surely must come good. Anna Maxwell-Martin making up for the hole in the cast left by Stephen Graham with her "exquisite passive-aggression".

Poor old Ted, looking so helpless. I'm keeping an eye on Gill Biggeloe, don't trust her one bit.
Incidently, something that always annoys me - the use of alternative spellings for TV characters. Why Gill Biggeloe not Jill Bigelow? There's a doctor called Jimmi in 'Doctors' and a nurse called Robyn in 'Casualty'. These names are only seen in subtitles or end credits so what's the point? Even sillier, 'The Archers' has the surnames Elliott, Pargetter and Phillips with unnecessary double letters, which are never seen unless you look them up specially. Crazy.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Incidently, something that always annoys me - the use of alternative spellings for TV characters. Why Gill Biggeloe not Jill Bigelow?

Quite right, Leslie.

My own "keeping an eye on" character is Tatleen - really good at her job, or just too good to be true?

[LezLee]

Quite right, Leslie.

My own "keeping an eye on" character is Tatleen - really good at her job, or just too good to be true?

Agreed, but I doubt they'd choose another Asian female as a baddie, could be a double bluff I suppose.

The spelling of my name always used to matter - Leslie, male, Lesley, female but Leslie Caron messed that one up for us ladies!

[Nick Armstrong]

It's funny about 'Don't Forget the Driver', L. I couldn't decide whether I was enjoying it and yet keep coming back for more.

My feeling exactly. Some of the luxurious camera work is part of its charm. Like LMcD, I'm coming to the conclusion that it's very good indeed.

[cloughie]

Poor old Ted, looking so helpless. I'm keeping an eye on Gill Biggeloe, don't trust her one bit.
Incidently, something that always annoys me - the use of alternative spellings for TV characters. Why Gill Biggeloe not Jill Bigelow? There's a doctor called Jimmi in 'Doctors' and a nurse called Robyn in 'Casualty'. These names are only seen in subtitles or end credits so what's the point? Even sillier, 'The Archers' has the surnames Elliott, Pargetter and Phillips with unnecessary double letters, which are never seen unless you look them up specially. Crazy.

The Archers has also got characters like Sabrina or is it Sabrena Braithwaite and Jean Harvey who are heard of, but never heard!

[Nick Armstrong]

Line of Duty ...all TV series, of whatever quality, have their sell-by dates in the end...

I'm one episode behind but so far, jayne, you articulate my unease with this season - it's just all a bit less compelling than previous seasons, and I've been trying to figure out why. Despite the overall 'Is Hastings "H"?' story arc, the plot seems a lot more episodic, 'action thriller' style, than earlier stories - one of the strengths of Line of Duty used to be how it sustained the tension by (paradoxically, it might seem) following the methodology of the investigation, including the long 'official interview' scenes which had dramatic swings like a 5-set tennis match. In the current season, this seems to have been replaced by jumping from incident to incident - intelligence comes in, there's a quick 'sucking on diesel' scene in Ted's office, meaningful (and now rather clichéd) looks between Kate and Steve, then suddenly armed police are storming a building. I find my attention wandering.