Recommended Television Programmes

[oddoneout]

Sorry to repeat myself, but I think 'Fleabag' is genius.

I've also become rather addicted to 'Race Across the World' .

I've found myself watching this as a result of seeing a snippet of the first episode on Gogglebox. One of the things that strikes me each time is that taxis can be a valid alternative in the transport choices, even over long distances. I suppose it's the biggest single indication of the difference in living costs/wage levels in the various countries.
Some of the 'human interest'(mandatory in such series) sections I find tiresome, but some worthwhile bits come up - notably sickle cell disease in the last episode, which I knew something of but this added greatly to that little.
Good to be reminded also that not everyone in this world regards foreigners as targets for unprovoked abuse...

[gurnemanz]

Completely agree, ferney. When that happened for the first last week it completely floored me - amazing performance by Andrew Scott. When he followed Fleabag's look into the camera this week I jumped...and Boo is such an incredible character. Yeah! Genius with a capital G!

I agree. We saw his memorable Hamlet at the Almeida, brilliantly updated in modern dress, with electronic surveillance in use at Elsinore + Bob Dylan tracks and Juliet Stevenson as his Mum. I recorded it when it was on BBC2 last year and it was most rewarding to watch it back.

[Conchis]

I agree. We saw his memorable Hamlet at the Almeida, brilliantly updated in modern dress, with electronic surveillance in use at Elsinore + Bob Dylan tracks and Juliet Stevenson as his Mum. I recorded it when it was on BBC2 last year and it was most rewarding to watch it back.

I switched it off very early on. The clip of him murdering 'To be or not to be...' could be used by drama teachers as a demonstration to students of how NOT to do it.

[eighthobstruction]

Fleabag brilliant.... all involved to be given high priviledges in the land of Art stuff....


....The last 4 episodes of Killing Eve to be destroyed/iradicated/abrogated....and PB-W to write them instead....

[gurnemanz]

I switched it off very early on. The clip of him murdering 'To be or not to be...' could be used by drama teachers as a demonstration to students of how NOT to do it.

Surprising, in the light of this incompetence, that the Olivier Award judges gave him a Best Actor nomination in 2018.

[Conchis]

Surprising, in the light of this incompetence, that the Olivier Award judges gave him a Best Actor nomination in 2018.

'Awards' mean sweet llareggub.

[gurnemanz]

'Awards' mean sweet llareggub.

Thanks for that profound insight. It had never occurred to me in 50+ years of regular theatre-going that it was possible to disagree with the critics. Maybe in this case the many who praised his Hamlet had watched the whole performance on the stage rather than a TV clip.

[Conchis]

Thanks for that profound insight. It had never occurred to me in 50+ years of regular theatre-going that it was possible to disagree with the critics. Maybe in this case the many who praised his Hamlet had watched the whole performance on the stage rather than a TV clip.

If you occasionally got up and took a walk beyond the bubble in which you habitually reside, you might discover there are plenty of people who DID NOT LIKE Mr. Scott's Hamlet or Mr. Icke's production.

If this is your idea of how to do a soliloquy, then I think I'll ignore your opinions in the future....

https://youtu.be/7iDds31CdNA

Bottom line: the guy can't speak the verse. But then again, I doubt if his director even knows what verse is!

[Dave2002]

Thanks for that profound insight. It had never occurred to me in 50+ years of regular theatre-going that it was possible to disagree with the critics. Maybe in this case the many who praised his Hamlet had watched the whole performance on the stage rather than a TV clip.

Irony detector switched on, I hope.

I know nothing about the issues of awards and a particular performance or performer mentioned in this case, but surely it's OK to disgree with the critics. Quite often - if they're doing the job properly - not simply swapping notes - they do disagree to some extent. I'm not sure if any of them are like one of the former US presidents and actually disagree with themselves sometimes!

[jayne lee wilson]

So Government defeat yet again - 344 - 286... nervously joyful here (I confess to shouting "yes!" and punching the air - I hope that wasn't hastily hubristic itself, there's a lot of it about.....), if only because of the possibility of a much longer extension and time for everyone to reconsider, and take Brexit out of the hands of the ragged, multiply-divided ERG-Tory Party's obsessive prejudices and leadership manoeuverings...

Is it possible that more intelligent, aware and conscientious Brexiters and Remainers alike can find a way forward, perhaps some form of peoples' assemblies, and agree on the terms of a 2nd Referendum?
We have to fight back against the thugs, whether extreme-Nationalists, UKIP or the ERG....(Or Faker Farage's "new party" whatever it's now called....)
(And resist panic before those low, cynical threats of no-deal exit...)

"Take Back Control" anyone?
Bleakly funny that those very ERG obsessions keep giving more and more power back to the EU....

Yes, we may even have riots soon (pretty noisy on-camera demos now...)... who is to blame?

[teamsaint]

So Government defeat yet again - 344 - 286... nervously joyful here (I confess to shouting "yes!" and punching the air - I hope that wasn't hastily hubristic itself, there's a lot of it about.....), if only because of the possibility of a much longer extension and time for everyone to reconsider, and take Brexit out of the hands of the ragged, multiply-divided ERG-Tory Party's obsessive prejudices and leadership manoeuverings...

Is it possible that more intelligent, aware and conscientious Brexiters and Remainers alike can find a way forward, perhaps some form of peoples' assemblies, and agree on the terms of a 2nd Referendum?
We have to fight back against the thugs, whether extreme-Nationalists, UKIP or the ERG....(Or Faker Farage's "new party" whatever it's now called....)
(And resist panic before those low, cynical threats of no-deal exit...)

"Take Back Control" anyone?
Bleakly funny that those very ERG obsessions keep giving more and more power back to the EU....

Yes, we may even have riots soon (pretty noisy on-camera demos now...)... who is to blame?

Our political system has taken almost three years , at a cost of many billons and too much personal uncertainty to contemplate, to arrive at a conclusion that was all too evident in June 2016......that what appetite there was for leaving the EU is mostly among those who required either tweaks to our system in ways that might be regarded as evolutionary and cautious, or those who would accept it being clearly thought through, over, oh I don’t know , perhaps two and a half years, before pushing the Article 50 button.


FPTP is the biggest of several culprits, thought there are other structual issues .

I look forward to my next meaningful vote out here in the Tory heartlands .

Edit: there was a great piece of research from a department at the London School of Economics in 2016 , which demonstrated the point that most people were in a typical bell curve distribution on the EU, mostly somewhere not too far from a central point, and either marginally inclined to leave or stay. As you might expect of course, but no doubt based on good research. I haven’t been able to find it again , if I can, I’ll post a link.

[Conchis]

The signs from the E.U. aren't encouraging. There's talk of wanting Brexit 'sooner, rather than later'.

I have envisaged a scenario whereby Britain leaves and then promptly applies to rejoin, after a 'decent interval' of introspection.....

[Richard Tarleton]

I could be wrong but don't new members now have to sign up to the Euro? Huge problems there in the future, irrespective of us, unless we were to become part of it......

[Conchis]

I could be wrong but don't new members now have to sign up to the Euro? Huge problems there in the future, irrespective of us, unless we were to become part of it......

I would love to be in the Euro. All that faff about having to get 'new currency' when I cross the channel.

[jayne lee wilson]

So there's Tim Martin on his latest rant in Parliament Square.... this is getting serious.... closer and closer to mob rule...
(Those raucous crowds always put me in mind of Caliban, devotedly following Trinculo and Stephano...)

It is all up to the Commons now - on Monday (April 1!) and after. Then the EU itself and its members. Have enough MPs got the courage to....govern responsibly...?

(The reason I sort-of-rejoiced at the vote today was the fear of a quick T-May exit followed by an ERG or at least much more rightwing Brexit negotiation, dragging on for years as the country, especially its poorest parts in their most basic needs, has no healing....)


The longer extension is essential now - the only way for our civilised values to continue. But as the platform opens for the crudest and most raucous of rightwing demagogues, we live in fear...