Current TV Boxset Addiction

[The Legendary Shark]

Which of us fiftysomethings weren't shouting things like, "no, no - not the comfy chair" at each other or commenting on the expected presence of the Spanish Inquisition as far back as our school days?

[Dark Jimbo]

The Victorians were all quoting the Fast Shows and Little Britains of the day. Who now realises that 'off to see a man about a dog' is originally a line from an 1866 stage-play, for instance? Loads of our daily idioms and turns of phrase are obsolete cultural references!

[Jim_Campbell]

Which of us fiftysomethings weren't shouting things like, "no, no - not the comfy chair" at each other or commenting on the expected presence of the Spanish Inquisition as far back as our school days?

Forty-somethings were doing the same with The Young Ones and Black Adder. We've always liked a good cultural reference. I suspect sixty-somethings were all going "A pint?! That's nearly a whole armful!"

[The Legendary Shark]

I'm walking backwards for Christmas, across the Irish Sea...

It was probably/possibly easier to quote and get cultural references in the olden days (of my yoof) due to fewer sources.

[Tiplodocus]

I suspect sixty-somethings were all going "A pint?! That's nearly a whole armful!"

It goes on my Out Of Office message whenever I donate.

[Dandontdare]

I'm always surprised by how clearly I remember those shows or movies, when you would only ever see them once, or twice if you were lucky- Watching old dr who DVDs I find I remember them almost scene-by-scene from a single viewing 40 years ago. I think we are evolving to not bother remembering anything any more as we can just google it

[TordelBack]

Mmmm, I'm always fascinated by how we seemed to be able to regurgitate entire Young Ones or Spitting Image sketches in the playground the very next day. I say 'seemed' in full confession of the power of nostlagia to deceive.

However, one particularly impressive mate (now an accountant) used to recite Humphrey Applebey obfustications after one viewing, to often gobsmacked audiences.

Meanwhile, Line of Duty Season 2: cracking opening episode, so much going on! Although we did share a cynical chuckle about the eas with which an ICU window could be pushed fully open: memories of a stifling delivery room aren't easily fooled!

[The Legendary Shark]

Hmmm, that's a good point, Tordels. We used to be the same. These days, however, I'm sometimes totally blank as to a film I watched only hours ago.

Perhaps humanity's collective consciousness is getting too full...

[Smith]

I finished Dead like Me,and it was disappointing.It starts off great,but the more it lasts,the worst it got.
Started Space Battleship Yamato 2199.So far its promising.

[Dark Jimbo]

I finished Dead like Me,and it was disappointing.It starts off great,but the more it lasts,the worst it got.

Is that the BBC3 drama? Yeah, the central conciet is fascinating - the idea that after a zombie holocaust, the undead could get better, regaining their intellect and personalities and then having to deal with the fallout of their actions as they try to live alongside those whose brains they tried to eat. The programne didn't seem to know quite how best to capitalise on the concept though, and it gets increasingly soap-opera as it goes on - more interested in boyfriend/girlfriend dynamics than living/undead. It was a BBC3 show, after all, I suppose!

[Smith]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Like_Me
I meant this one.

[Tjm86]

Started Space Battleship Yamato 2199.So far its promising.

Ah, the old Starblazers as was.  Takes me back.  Saturday mornings on AFN in Kaiserslautern! 

Never did get round to seeing how it finished though.  <sigh>

[Mardroid]

Cleverman

A modern day (actually possibly near future) Australian fantasy drama. It follows the idea of the unlikely person getting the superpowers (the new Cleverman, after his uncle died) , but does something very interesting with it. And while the 'Cleverman' of the title is undoubtedly a central character, he is not the only one. In fact large chunks of the episode deal with other characters, equally, if not more.

It also deals a lot with prejudism, with mainstream humanity dealing with another species of people (referred to as 'hairies' for obvious reason. They're also super strong and their nails grow into sharp claws, but without the hair and a proper manicure they look just like us). So it has some similarity to a lot of dramas out there (not least a british series not so long ago, except the minorities were aliens who looked exactly like us.) but it also borrows a lot from Aboriginal mythology.

The sum of it's parts, with that Australian flavour, actually produces something rather original. It goes to some rather odd places [spoiler](I never quite worked out what the deal was with the ancient aboriginal spirit possessing that young woman, except to open one of the main character's* mind to his abilities. But it was interesting.) And why would an angry spirit of a hairy child posess another hairy child and hurt them,
rather than attack the person they see responsible?[/spoiler] and there were one or two places where the plot jumps ahead, and I felt a bit like I'd missed an episode in between episodes.

It wasn't hard to work out over all though.

A very interesting series. Just 6 episodes long, like most UK series, so it's not too padded. I think many of you will like it.

The whole thing is on BBC I-Player now.

[JLC]

Robin of Sherwood.

[TordelBack]

Robin of Sherwood.

Always surprised and delighted by how well this stands up to modern re-watching, although I find my tolerance for Sean Connery (originally low) and Clannad's incidental music (originally high) have swapped rankings completely. If I hear 'together, we...' drowning out the dialogue one more time...

The commentaries on the DVDs are absolutely priceless.  "Oh look, it's that golf course again!  I had a lovely snooze under that bush by the 18th!" etc.