Recommended Television Programmes

[Nick Armstrong]

Greyzone on Channel Four catch up. Excellent Scandi thriller, mixing terrorist threat and well-done characters, and up there with The Bridge et al. Birgitte Hjort Sørensen very watchable (she was tv journalist in Borgen.) I'm half way through a binge-watch of the ten 45 miniute episodes.

Episode 1 watched: agreed about its qualities, all the ingredients are there for some excellent viewing

Thanks again for the recommendation

[kernelbogey]

Yes - watched it all now with great pleasure. Some interesting ethical reflections by characters in the last episode.

[DracoM]

NOW, NOW....BBC1 The astonishing Mason Family at home.

[Pulcinella]

NOW, NOW....BBC1 The astonishing Mason Family at home.

Quite extraordinary, and very uplifting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kycj

[Stunsworth]

NOW, NOW....BBC1 The astonishing Mason Family at home.

How many cellists does one family need <grin>?

I missed the first half, thank heavens for iPlayer.

[oddoneout]

How many cellists does one family need <grin>?

I missed the first half, thank heavens for iPlayer.

More than violinists but fewer than pianos.
Do you think the 3 pianos currently replaced by Bechstein loans are also being stored by Bechstein for the duration? Was the one in the hall the last remaining family one?

[Nick Armstrong]

Very compelling French political drama series on Amazon Prime:

BARON NOIR

Shades of Borgen and House of Cards (both UK & US versions), it centres on a scheming Socialist Party MP for (and Mayor of) Dunkerque, and his duels and plots both locally and involving Parisian politics at the highest level.

Compelling turn in the title role by Kad Merad, known in France for work on the comic side, but excellent here imho.

“Cracking fun” said the Guardian, and I agree.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/de..._dp_share_cu_r

[oddoneout]

Two programmes watched tonight which couldn't have been more different, but both worthwhile.
Channel5 8-00pm " The secret world of your rubbish". I watched the previous series and found it fascinating and this looks as if it will be as good. The presentation verges on irritating occasionally, but the 'background'(the balance isn't always as good as I would like) music clips appear to be opera, and the statistics are mindboggling for some things and puzzling for others. Thought provoking without preaching or pushing an agenda; the viewer is allowed to draw her/his own conclusions from the facts presented.
In complete contrast, BBC1,"The forgotten frontline" was a Panorama on carehomes and CV19. Not an easy watch, as expected, but I doubt I'll be the only viewer to be disgusted with the utter hypocrisy of the government statement given at the end of the programme. To me it fell into the same cess pit as Priti Patel's " sorry if people feel..." statement in response to the lack of PPE.

[Serial_Apologist]

Two programmes watched tonight which couldn't have been more different, but both worthwhile.
Channel5 8-00pm " The secret world of your rubbish". I watched the previous series and found it fascinating and this looks as if it will be as good. The presentation verges on irritating occasionally, but the 'background'(the balance isn't always as good as I would like) music clips appear to be opera, and the statistics are mindboggling for some things and puzzling for others. Thought provoking without preaching or pushing an agenda; the viewer is allowed to draw her/his own conclusions from the facts presented.
In complete contrast, BBC1,"The forgotten frontline" was a Panorama on carehomes and CV19. Not an easy watch, as expected, but I doubt I'll be the only viewer to be disgusted with the utter hypocrisy of the government statement given at the end of the programme. To me it fell into the same cess pit as Priti Patel's " sorry if people feel..." statement in response to the lack of PPE.

I too watched the Panorama, and completely agree with you.

[johncorrigan]

This evening, I chanced upon a programme called 'Brief Encounters' on the BBC Scotland Channel. It felt like an art project where people were filmed talking about themselves while travelling on trains in various parts of Scotland. I thought it was fantastic...as enjoyable a doc as I've seen in a good long while.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cb5h

[Cockney Sparrow]

Very compelling French political drama series on Amazon Prime:
BARON NOIR
Shades of Borgen and House of Cards (both UK & US versions), it

Thanks, we can "borrow" our daughter's subscription, and enjoyed Borgen etc so will look it out.

This evening, I chanced upon a programme called 'Brief Encounters' on the BBC Scotland Channel. It felt like an art project where people were filmed talking about themselves while travelling on trains in various parts of Scotland. I thought it was fantastic...as enjoyable a doc as I've seen in a good long while.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cb5h

Thanks for this as well. I often fail to check out the Scottish material on the iPlayer; the family has relations and connections in Scotland.

[LMcD]

We've been very impressed by 'Mrs America' (BBC2), which ends tonight but can be seen on the iPlayer.

[Serial_Apologist]

We've been very impressed by 'Mrs America' (BBC2), which ends tonight but can be seen on the iPlayer.

I've tried, I really have; but if this is an accurate portrayal of cutting edge feminism in America in the 1970s, all false smiles, smugness and duplicity, all I can say is, well, it wasn't that way in this country at that time - far less hob-nobbing, more community.

For me, actually liking people plays a big part in supporting their cause.

[LMcD]

I've tried, I really have; but if this is an accurate portrayal of cutting edge feminism in America in the 1970s, all false smiles, smugness and duplicity, all I can say is, well, it wasn't that way in this country at that time - far less hob-nobbing, more community.

For me, actually liking people plays a big part in supporting their cause.

We're treating it as a classy dramatization of actual events. The degree to which liberties have been taken with historical fact will probably influence one's reaction to the programme and others like it. I must admit that it never bothered me that Schiller decided, for theatrical purposes, that Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots actually met.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks, we can "borrow" our daughter's subscription, and enjoyed Borgen etc so will look it out.

Do report back on Baron Noir!