What are you watching?

[Nearly Sane]

Oh don't get me wrong, the first series was no masterpiece.

I never took to the leads, Landau and Bain, they were so humourless that I just found it very difficult to watch. At least with all the different puppet supermarionation series humour was often used to leaven the mixture.

The best thing about it, as with all Anderson's productions was the special effects.

Yes, in the first couple of episodes, their seriousness worked but after that it becomes wearing.

Acvording to IMDB on the episode with Joan Collins 'Barbara Bain had put up quite a squawk as soon as she saw Joan Collins's wardrobe for the episode, demanding that her skirt be longer, so as not to appear sexier than herself. Gerry Anderson refused the "request", explaining that Crawford's legs were one of the reasons she was hired for the episode. As a result, Bain spent the last half of the show dressed in barbarian garb that was shorter than Collins's. Hence, the nickname "Barbara Pain" Anderson's crew had come up with early on during the show's production (not to her face, of course'

[SteveH]

supermarionation

My sons and I always used to joke that that sounded like a Nintendo computer game.

[Aruntraveller]

Watched the Terence Davies biopic of Siegfried Sassoon on BBC Iplayer last night.

A good watch although it didn't give me an understanding in any great depth of what motivated his writing.

Concentrated rather too much on his dalliance with Ivor Novello, (I say dalliance, it was on Novello's part, rather more than that for Sassoon) who judging by the film presentation of him wasn't a very pleasant man.

It only gets a middling 6.7 on IMDB, worth more than that just for Davies's style, I would say.

[Nearly Sane]

Watched the Terence Davies biopic of Siegfried Sassoon on BBC Iplayer last night.

A good watch although it didn't give me an understanding in any great depth of what motivated his writing.

Concentrated rather too much on his dalliance with Ivor Novello, (I say dalliance, it was on Novello's part, rather more than that for Sassoon) who judging by the film presentation of him wasn't a very pleasant man.

It only gets a middling 6.7 on IMDB, worth more than that just for Davies's style, I would say.

Ah, thanks for the heads up. Hadn't seen this was there.

[Aruntraveller]

Should have said it is called "Benediction" Duh!

[Nearly Sane]

Been watching The Agatha Christie Hour very intermittently.

https://agathachristie.fandom.com/wiki/The_Agatha_Christie_Hour


Last night watched the fourth episode called The Fourth Man. Quite odd, not very Christie.

[Aruntraveller]

Watched a pleasant little Australian film on Amazon Prime called "June Again".

It stars an actress called Noni Hazlehurst who was familiar to me from an Australian series "A Place to Call Home" which was a kind of superior soapy Dynasty-type programme from a few years ago.

Anyhow, an interesting look at dementia and her acting is very good indeed. It sounds heavy but it is not even though for some reason I had a thoroughly damp face by the end of it.

[Nearly Sane]

Watched the Terence Davies biopic of Siegfried Sassoon on BBC Iplayer last night.

A good watch although it didn't give me an understanding in any great depth of what motivated his writing.

Concentrated rather too much on his dalliance with Ivor Novello, (I say dalliance, it was on Novello's part, rather more than that for Sassoon) who judging by the film presentation of him wasn't a very pleasant man.

It only gets a middling 6.7 on IMDB, worth more than that just for Davies's style, I would say.

Enjoyed it. Triggered by watching it then watched Gosford Park to see a different take on Novello. Apparently Jude Law was meant to play the Ryan Phillippe part. Think that would have been better but it's still fun, and an extraordinary cast.

[Aruntraveller]

Enjoyed it. Triggered by watching it then watched Gosford Park to see a different take on Novello. Apparently Jude Law was meant to play the Ryan Phillippe part. Think that would have been better but it's still fun, and an extraordinary cast.

Years since I've seen Gosford Park, in fact, not since its theatrical release. But yes, a great cast.

[Nearly Sane]

Years since I've seen Gosford Park, in fact, not since its theatrical release. But yes, a great cast.

If you have Amazon Prime currently streaming as part of package.

[SteveH]

Watched the Terence Davies biopic of Siegfried Sassoon on BBC Iplayer last night.

A good watch although it didn't give me an understanding in any great depth of what motivated his writing.

Concentrated rather too much on his dalliance with Ivor Novello, (I say dalliance, it was on Novello's part, rather more than that for Sassoon) who judging by the film presentation of him wasn't a very pleasant man.

It only gets a middling 6.7 on IMDB, worth more than that just for Davies's style, I would say.

Just watched it - brilliant. Slightly odd that it ended with a poem of Wilfred Owen's, rather than one of Sassoon's.

Ivor Novello
Was a rather waspish fellow
When he first met Siegfried Sassoon -
But he did write a jolly good tune.

[Nearly Sane]

Missed the series Scotland from the Sky the first time. Enjoying it this week, particularly today's

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b4fzl2

[Nearly Sane]

Obviously having watched Space 1999 then I felt the need to watch UFO.

One of my first reactions was 'Is that Peter Gordeno?'. It was. But then I had to think why I even knew who Peter Gordeno was.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_(British_TV_series)



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gordeno

[Nearly Sane]

Been a shite day so watched Happy Feet, and here's Savion Glover with Gregory Hines doing the Opposite Dance on Sesame Street.


https://youtu.be/vPtt9fZNi4A?si=-WoPNjPkN5X1uSlZ

[Nearly Sane]

And some more Savion Glover


https://youtu.be/Oe-pKN1lIWc?si=OfNG-uhRpUamkfGF

[Nearly Sane]

Obviously having watched Space 1999 then I felt the need to watch UFO.

One of my first reactions was 'Is that Peter Gordeno?'. It was. But then I had to think why I even knew who Peter Gordeno was.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_(British_TV_series)



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gordeno

Because of Wanda Ventham's appearance I have today discovered that Tracie Bennett is Benedict Cumberbatch's half sister. Also this insight into the 3 year old proto Sherlock

[Nearly Sane]

Not fancying Richard the Third on BBC 2 this afternoon, watching Cold Comfort Farm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000y2f8/cold-comfort-farm

[Aruntraveller]

A quick footnote to your Space 1999 posts. I came across this elsewhere (As Space 1999 predates TNG by at least a decade I smell plagiarism Roddenberry!):

[Nearly Sane]

A quick footnote to your Space 1999 posts. I came across this elsewhere (As Space 1999 predates TNG by at least a decade I smell plagiarism Roddenberry!):

Yeah, I thought that when I watched that one. To be fair, it is, of course, a version of 'resistance is useless' from Doctor Who, but then 20,000 leagues Under The Sea, Jules Verne, used the phrase in chapter 23, when Captain Nemo ordered Professor Aronnax, Conseil and Ned to be confined to their quarters. "After that I stopped objecting and started obeying because resistance was useless."

[Nearly Sane]

The classic Bette Davis double bill Now, Voyager and Dark Victory on BBC2 this afternoon.

[Nearly Sane]

Given it was St Patrick's Day watched The Commitments for the first time in a long while. Stands up really well. That for so many of the cast it was their first, and in a number of cases only, acting job is remarkable, and a tribute to Alan Parker. Most of the men were interested in a music career, and some have had success. The three women in the group have all had very successful acting careers.


I'd love to see the locations now versus then because it's a reminder of how much Dublin has changed in 30 or so years.

[Gordon]

3 Body Problem on Netflix - can't really describe it: it's mad, but the sight in episode 3 of Mark Gatiss (as Isaac Newton) and Reece Shearsmith (as Alan Turing) embracing on the Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan I won't easily forget.

It's Sci-Fi, Aliens, Hi Tech and Video Games all mixed up - no idea what is going on, but I'm hooked.

[SteveH]

3 Body Problem on Netflix - can't really describe it: it's mad, but the sight in episode 3 of Mark Gatiss (as Isaac Newton) and Reece Shearsmith (as Alan Turing) embracing on the Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan I won't easily forget.

It's Sci-Fi, Aliens, Hi Tech and Video Games all mixed up - no idea what is going on, but I'm hooked.

Thanks for the tip-off. I've just watched episode one.

[Nearly Sane]

3 Body Problem on Netflix - can't really describe it: it's mad, but the sight in episode 3 of Mark Gatiss (as Isaac Newton) and Reece Shearsmith (as Alan Turing) embracing on the Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan I won't easily forget.

It's Sci-Fi, Aliens, Hi Tech and Video Games all mixed up - no idea what is going on, but I'm hooked.

Based on a quite brilliant book.

[Nearly Sane]

Interesting programme on the last person publicly executed in Glasgow, Dr Edward William Pritchard, the 'Human Crocodile'. Note, in Gaelic with subtitles.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03klcy4/sgeulachd-edward-pritchard-the-human-crocodile