Recommended Television Programmes

**Serial_Apologist** · 06-04-20, 16:00

Originally posted by Sir Velo View Post

Currently watching the 2010 BBC series "The Country House Revealed" presented by the alarming Dan Cruickshank. Cruickshank has a televisual manner which makes Jonathan Meades seem positively withdrawn. Once one gets behind the almost pantomimic facial tics and Al Jolson-esque hand waving, there is no doubt a keen mind at work with some interesting observations on architecture through the ages. However, what a bizarre episode, the one on Clandeboye was. Having virtually dismissed the building as nondescript (thereby undermining the entire premise of the programme!) the episode was given over to a crazy apology for the lavishly spendthrift, appropriately named Lord Dufferin. Otherwise recommended for those looking for something a little more highbrow than the aptly named Pointless!

Well I confess to liking Dan Cruickshank's intimate semi-conspiratorial way of drawing one into his theatrical manner of presentation - rather similarly to how I imagine JLW must be to Mark Kermode's singularly goth/teddy boy combo.

**jayne lee wilson** · 06-04-20, 17:43

Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post

Well I confess to liking Dan Cruickshank's intimate semi-conspiratorial way of drawing one into his theatrical manner of presentation - rather similarly to how I imagine JLW must be to Mark Kermode's singularly goth/teddy boy combo.

Hmm....books and covers......

Its more the vast arcane knowledge, the clear-minded articulacy and sound judgment that does it for me...finely cadenced delivery.... & he knows how to communicate to, or through, the camera.

**johncorrigan** · 06-04-20, 22:02

I really like Michael Wood. I think he is an enthusiastic and erudite educator, and over the years has taken me places I would not normally have gone. I had never heard of Du Fu, I am ashamed to say, especially after watching Wood's excellent documentary about the 8th Century Chinese Poet and Cultural Icon. Michael took us on a tour of Du Fu's China punctuated by Sir Ian McKellen's readings of the poet's words. A fascinating portrait - I will be seeking out more.

BBC Four - Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h3dq

Ian McKellen and Michael Wood conjure up the life, times and words of Chinese poet Du Fu.

**jayne lee wilson** · 07-04-20, 20:45

Season finale of The Good Doctor tonight (Sky Witness).... no-one else a fan?
Real emo-TV, focusses ruthlessly on why you are what you are, why you feel what you feel..... I end up exhausted and in tears after most episodes....so cathartic.

Wonderful

!

**LMcD** · 07-04-20, 22:24

Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post

Season finale of The Good Doctor tonight (Sky Living).... no-one else a fan?
Real emo-TV, focusses ruthlessly on why you are what you are, why you feel what you feel..... I end up exhausted and in tears after most episodes....so cathartic.

Wonderful

!

Sorry, don't have Sky!

**DracoM** · 08-04-20, 08:49

BBC 'Spooks' - worth seeing.

**LMcD** · 08-04-20, 08:52

Originally posted by DracoM View Post

BBC 'Spooks' - worth seeing.

Almost everything with Nicola Walker is worth seeing (I couldn't get into 'The Split')

**jayne lee wilson** · 08-04-20, 15:48

Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post

Season finale of The Good Doctor tonight (Sky Witness).... no-one else a fan?
Real emo-TV, focusses ruthlessly on why you are what you are, why you feel what you feel..... I end up exhausted and in tears after most episodes....so cathartic.

Wonderful

!

Well it was emotional.... a below-ground rescue in a rapidly-flooding basement (the woman's leg had to be er, "truncated" to allow this...), the long drawn out major character death....and finally the two people we longed to see in each other's arms again....... in each other's arms, battered and bruised, as the camera spiralled up above the earthquake-ravaged street...

Like House,it does the brilliant-diagnostics-lives-and-loves-of-the-doctors thing very well, with an unusual central character: in this case an autistic-savant-surgeon with communicative, emotional and relationship challenges....

***
Westworld. I'm fed up with Westworld anyone else fed up with Westworld?

It has Dolores, one of the few powerful TV women I can identify with (like Carrie off Homeland, great final series continuing...) - I love her, but otherwise its just humans v hyper-aware androids, big faceless ruthless-profiteering organisation behind everything...suave enigmatic "sophisticated" male bosses...... etc....tropes all worn out.

Brilliant S3/1, stunning "production values", but so-oo-oo predictable since... even the constant trail of mysteries seem boring now.

**oddoneout** · 09-04-20, 17:02

I keep forgetting to mention this but there is a series called 'Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs, half hour programmes presented by Paul Murton, Thursdays BBC2 at 7-30. He is a walker rather than car traveller, and it's all fairly low key which suits me fine as I can then just enjoy the scenery, and escape for a while.

**LezLee** · 09-04-20, 17:17

Originally posted by oddoneout View Post

I keep forgetting to mention this but there is a series called 'Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs, half hour programmes presented by Paul Murton, Thursdays BBC2 at 7-30. He is a walker rather than car traveller, and it's all fairly low key which suits me fine as I can then just enjoy the scenery, and escape for a while.

Lovely programme, first shown on BBC 1 Scotland I think.

**gradus** · 09-04-20, 17:19

Originally posted by LezLee View Post

Lovely programme, first shown on BBC 1 Scotland I think.

I agree, a fascinating series of programmes.

**LMcD** · 09-04-20, 20:58

Originally posted by oddoneout View Post

I keep forgetting to mention this but there is a series called 'Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs, half hour programmes presented by Paul Murton, Thursdays BBC2 at 7-30. He is a walker rather than car traveller, and it's all fairly low key which suits me fine as I can then just enjoy the scenery, and escape for a while.

Highly recommended, as are Paul Rose's 2 programmes on the Wolds Way.

**Dave2002** · 11-04-20, 19:17

Just watched a Panorama programme about our somewhat stuffed bus network. Not sure if it's still available - but it is here - https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sqwtf

I'll check on iPlayer in a while. This is the kind of programme which we do need, but is anyone taking any notice? Now that we have the problems of CV-19, issues like the ones mentioned in the programme are going to become much more significant, though whether they will be "significant" - who knows? As one woman in the programme said - something like "We're people too - we matter too" - but my response was "no you don't - you're not economically active". Of course she and others like her matter, and should have opinions, but they will be ignored by the "leaders" because of a model of business and economic activity which shuts people like her - (and probably also me) - out of consideration.

I found the iPlayer version of the bus programme - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...ins-bus-crisis

**cloughie** · 11-04-20, 20:35

I look down the schedules and think how little there is to recommend. Am I alone with this thought?

**MrGongGong** · 11-04-20, 20:38

Originally posted by cloughie View Post

I look down the schedules and think how little there is to recommend. Am I alone with this thought?

Giant Lobster Hunters

Recommended Television Programmes

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