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Current TV Boxset Addiction

Started by radiator, 20 November, 2012, 02:23:29 PM

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TordelBack

Just finished Glacé (ridiculously translated to 'The Frozen Dead', which has almost nothing to do with the plot, but I suppose the direct translation was out of bounds...) on Netflix. It's good twisty fun, an elaborate plot by an imprisoned cop-turned-serial-killer playing out over the Christmas period in the Pyrennees, but it seems to stop about 3 minutes too early - a very neat and catastrophic conclusion seemed imminent, but I vaguely suspect they erred on the side of keeping it open for a possible second season (although it does have a resolution).  Anyway, some terrific casting, with Charles Berling playing a detective who's having one seriously crappy Christmas and looks it, and Pascal Greggory as his nicely underplayed nemesis. 

But beware: the title music is one of those ghastly children's choir versions of 'Hurt'.  Use the 'skip intro' button, we did.

Theblazeuk

Quote from: Dandontdare on 24 August, 2018, 05:08:15 PM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 24 August, 2018, 10:21:29 AM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 08 August, 2018, 12:16:33 PM
Hmm .. don't like the sound of an entire series being mined from the plot of the movie. I look at so many of these Netflix SF series and think that they sound like a great movie synopsis but can't be arsed watching that idea stretched over 13 hours.

Fargo & Westworld stand as two examples of where this actually works out pretty damn well.

I thought Fargo was different characters and a new, but similar, story, set in the same place - I'm talking about an entire season that just re-tells very slowly the plot of the original movie. From what I remember of the Westworld movie, there was barely enough plot for 90 minutes!

The first season of Fargo is different (larger cast, different outcomes) but is largely the same as the movie, with Martin Freeman taking on the William H Macy role. The second season leaves that original basis behind though.

Dandontdare

#1937
Yay, new season of Bojack Horseman jut dropped on Netflix - Had to force myself to stop tonight after 4 episodes on the trot. Love this show, a brilliant satire on the Holywoo scene.

Mardroid

#1938
I finally bought the last two series of Ashes to Ashes on DVD. I saw them on broadcast (most anyway. I might have missed the odd episode here or there). It's been long enough the episodes mostly seem fresh to me.

It took a bit of hunting to track them down at a decent price, suggesting there aren't that many out there. It surprises me as I thought they were pretty successful. Okay, there were only three series (not including the predecessor Life on Mars) but I thought that was the creation team's decision.

Anyway, I've been working my way through series 2 and it's pretty good and is finding its own separate identity from LoM. The idea of a second coma victim in that world is an interesting one, (or is he just part of the dream too? [spoiler]Judging by the 'present day' prologue scene at the start of the first episode of series 2, no, he isn't. [/spoiler])and another cop as well. I don't know if the writers had the explanation of the 70/80s world at this stage that we got in series 3, but there are clues that fit.

Big spoilers for the final explanation of that world given in series 3. Don't look if you haven't seen that series, unless you're not fussed:

[spoiler]I was very intrigued in episode 1 of series 2, when Drake has been kidnapped and is screaming in panic on the radio, on hearing her voice, Chris's first impulse isn't to lift the radio, but to nervously pick up the phone and hold it to his ear. That could just be Chris being his signature doofus self (a not entirely fair assessment of the character. He's more intelligent than he often seems), but it makes me wonder if it's also a clue to his (and the others) origin in that world. I.e. maybe he went through a similar thing to Tyler and Drake when he first came there, hearing voices from the present day world through phones etc. He's forgotten at this stage being in that world far longer (and technically dead) but maybe the voice out of nowhere triggered a memory.[/spoiler]

Great telly!

Professor Bear

Binged the final stretch of Adventure Time, and for a mythology-lite show, it sure did rely on a lot of canon knowledge, particularly about Betty and Steve/Ice King.  Callbacks are to be expected in the final episode, I suppose, as was the inevitable allegorical exploration of the end of childhood, though a great deal seems to happen offscreen and we are just assured that everyone "lived their lives" after the show ended.  No, don't mind those episodes set in a future wasteland where humans returned to Ooo and then went extinct shortly after killing off the Candy People, but yes, those are now cemented as canon, and your favorite characters die badly - but they do so offscreen, and it's offset by Marcy and P-Bubs finally gaying up onscreen so it all balances out in the end.
An interesting wrap-up and probably better than a fair few season finales I've seen over the years.  One day, I will actually sate my curiosity and go find out what actual kids make of this show.

Theblazeuk

So much catching up to do in the land of Oo.

I've been watching Castle Rock, it's pretty good. Definitely the best Stephen King TV series since Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

Jim_Campbell

Finally got round to watching the last few episodes of the fourth and final series 12 Monkeys — a series that's always been much better than it had any right to be.

The whole thing wraps up in a suitably twisty-turny timey-wimey fashion and whilst I'm happy that it got to a satisfactory conclusion rather than getting cancelled on a cliffhanger (yes, Dark Matter, I'm looking at you) I find I'm going to really miss it.

Seasons 1-3 are currently on Amazon Prime if you feel like catching up...
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Professor Bear

For once I wasn't too fussed about getting cliffhangered in a series finale because Dark Matter kind of lost me somewhere, despite a promising start.
Don't get me wrong, I loved that DS9 flipped from an episodic sci-fi show recycling old Star Trek episodes to a show about how gnarly war is and how that single arc could come to dominate everything else, but that was - HOLY SHIT - 20 years ago now and it's really about time space operas bought themselves a new idea.

Not quite a box set, but I did binge the first few episodes of Mayans MC, a spin-off from Sons Of Anarchy about the Sons' sister club whose operations straddle the US/Mexico border, and it continues SOA's unironic toxic masculinity schtick really well, including one of the most hilariously bad theme tunes I've ever heard.  There's probably some guilty liberal articles to be written about the only Latino-centric show on a major US network being about drug-dealing rapist criminal scum, but before that ruins it for everyone, the show is worth a gander for those who like good bad television.

Hawkmumbler

The Tomorrow People (1970-79)

Been working my way through this slice of 70's children's daftness all year, in between other stuff. Unlike Who of the era, which is some of the best Tv sci-fi ever committed to screen, TTP is best enjoyed with all sensibilities switched off and purely enjoyed through the eyes of your 7 year old self. Had I watched the entirety of the run at that age, rather than the fragmented VHS releases I was exposed to regularly, I may have been more fond of it. I adore the sincerity of it all, it's daft and naff and cheesy but very enjoyable, but not essential by any stretch. Doomwatch it is not. But fun.

radiator

Ozark.

Not really convinced so far - plays very much like a wannabe Breaking Bad (which we just finished rewatching), but without the deft balance that made that show work. Even at it's most far-fetched, the solid writing and acting in BB anchored it and made sure it never quite went off the rails. In Ozark, there's barely any buildup or tension-building - it just suddenly veers into high drama during the first episode before you've even really got to know the characters, and the characters react to the extraordinary circumstances in a too casual a way for me to find it remotely believable or get me invested.

Theblazeuk

I gave up on Ozark pretty rapidly. On paper, it could be alot of fun. In practice... meh.

Dandontdare

Quote from: Hawkmumbler on 20 September, 2018, 02:19:05 PM
The Tomorrow People (1970-79)

Been working my way through this slice of 70's children's daftness all year, in between other stuff. Unlike Who of the era, which is some of the best Tv sci-fi ever committed to screen, TTP is best enjoyed with all sensibilities switched off and purely enjoyed through the eyes of your 7 year old self. Had I watched the entirety of the run at that age, rather than the fragmented VHS releases I was exposed to regularly, I may have been more fond of it. I adore the sincerity of it all, it's daft and naff and cheesy but very enjoyable, but not essential by any stretch. Doomwatch it is not. But fun.

An absolute favourite of mine as a kid - the opening credits and music still give me a frisson, and the one with the red and green badges that made everyone fight each other really disturbed me back then. We used to hook our thumbs into our belts and "jaunt" around the playground (make sound effect, run quickly somewhere else and make sound effect again  :lol:)

Smith

Liked season 2 of Ozark,finished Ultimate Alien and now starting Doctor Who from the beginning.Its not as bad as I expected it,but its a bit of a chore thanks to its structure.
Also,First is kind of a dick.

Proudhuff

So finished Luke Cage and really enjoyed it, took a bit of getting used to having the guy from SoA looking and sounding and acting the same, but in a different world, but hey hoping there's a second series for Luke.

Also binged on Man in the High Castle series 3, not quite at the end yet but its fun in a timey-wimey way, and that The Sopranos thing of rooting for a psycho bad guy always adds a twist.

Hey Jim, 13 Monkeys did tie up nicely, and the guy from that turned up on FearTWD which was weird for me
DDT did a job on me

Dandontdare

Quote from: Proudhuff on 09 October, 2018, 04:24:01 PM
So finished Luke Cage and really enjoyed it, took a bit of getting used to having the guy from SoA looking and sounding and acting the same, but in a different world, but hey hoping there's a second series for Luke.

there are two series already.

Ominous news for Rick'n'Morty fans - good job I'd just done a rewatch as season 1 has already dropped off Netflix:
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1027174/Rick-and-Morty-season-4-news-cancelled-Netflix-drop-show-Adult-Swim
(apologies for linking to the Express)

Currently watching the 2nd season of Big Mouth - they'd never get this on a mainstream network! Also, season 3 of The Good Place - I don't think this really has the legs to keep going indefinitely as it's feeling a bit stretched. Maya Rudolph is great as The Judge however.