What are you watching?

[Aruntraveller]

I watched Midas Man on Amazon Prime last night.

It was about Brian Epstein's life concentrating largely on his management of The Beatles.

It was competently acted, and the George, John and Paul actors did very well, but for anyone who has slightly more than a passing acquaintance with his story, it tells you absolutely nothing new.

A bit of a shame really, it felt like a much better film was bubbling somewhere underneath the surface.

[Steve H]

I've been watching 'Detectorists' on iplayer, and they keep mentioning a Saxon king called Sexred. I googled his name. You would not BELIEVE some of the results I got!

[Nearly Sane]

Watched this on the Princes in the Tower from last year on Channel 4. Interesting example of presenting strawman, and false dichotomy, and Robert Rinder appearing to prostitute his 'expertise'.

Note, there is not enough evidence to decide that Richard the Thurd murdered the Princes in the Tower but despite the way that it is presented in the programme that's not been the position generally taken. It's been highly questioned for a long time.


https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-princes-in-the-tower-the-new-evidence

[Nearly Sane]

A Matter Of Life And Death just started on BBC2 - seen so many times but one more is just fine

[Nearly Sane]

A Matter Of Life And Death just started on BBC2 - seen so many times but one more is just fine

Followed of course by The Red Shoes

[Nearly Sane]

Followed of course by The Red Shoes

After that there was a trailer for this which may be great but may not

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/renaissance-the-blood-and-beauty

[Roses]

We have been watching the Expert Witness documentaries on the BBC.

[Dicky Underpants]

Watched this on the Princes in the Tower from last year on Channel 4. Interesting example of presenting strawman, and false dichotomy, and Robert Rinder appearing to prostitute his 'expertise'.

Note, there is not enough evidence to decide that Richard the Thurd murdered the Princes in the Tower but despite the way that it is presented in the programme that's not been the position generally taken. It's been highly questioned for a long time.


https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-princes-in-the-tower-the-new-evidence

Interesting speculations about Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, if I remember correctly. These two otherwise glibly dismissed as 'pretenders to the throne'.

[Nearly Sane]

Interesting speculations about Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, if I remember correctly. These two otherwise glibly dismissed as 'pretenders to the throne'.

Speculations yes but Rinder sells himself to declare those speculations correct.

[Aruntraveller]

There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours than in the company of "A man called Otto". Currently showing on Netflix.

I'm not a huge Tom Hanks fan, but he certainly does well with this.

[Steve H]

Just wasted 10 minutes watching the first 10 minutes of 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' on Amazon Prime. What a load of infantile rubbish!

[Aruntraveller]

Watched the wonderful "Cold Comfort Farm" from 1995 on BBC IPlayer. Bliss.

[Nearly Sane]

Watched the wonderful "Cold Comfort Farm" from 1995 on BBC IPlayer. Bliss.

There's also the 2002 version of The Importance of Being Earnest on iPlayer which I watched at the weekend. Not quite as good an adaptation but still enjoyable.

[Nearly Sane]

A piece of television archeology as the BBCs first steps into archeology - Hellenic Cruise with Sir Mortimer Wheeler


https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p017h0rz/armchair-voyage-hellenic-cruise-1-venice-to-mycenae?seriesId=unsliced

[Nearly Sane]

Rewatching Andrew Graham Dixon's Art of France. It is a joy.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08cgq7f/art-of-france

[Nearly Sane]

Finished Wolf Hall second series. As ever the acting was excellent but the story as in the third book is less clear, in part because the Boleyn story is so well known, and so this becomes much more about Cromwell's story. It feels difficult then to cut off because of Cromwell's death (sorry, spoiler), when so much of what was happening is then just gone.

Cromwell is a fascinating character but one that's difficult to do a clear drama on - the benefit of the book is that it's easier to have a wider internal monologue, or duologue with the dead Wolsey, but in trying to allow for ambiguity, it often ends with opacity.





https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002473m/wolf-hall?seriesId=m0024ywj

[Nearly Sane]

Really odd little programme from 1967 with amongst others, a comparatively young Robert Hughes, looking at 'swinging London', or more not so swinging London. Arnold Wesker laments the failure of The Beatles


https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00rzw31/three-swings-on-a-pendulum

[Steve H]

Just seen the first episode of 'Still Game a Scottish sitcom from 2002 which I'd never heard of before. Far too many brilliant Scottish sitcoms were originally only broadcast in Scotland, so thank heavens for streaming. I could tell it was quite old from clues such as smoking in pubs and beer at £1.90 a pint, and the final credits confirmed it.  I recently watched the first series of 'Only Child', another Scottish sitcom. English sitcoms tend to be a bit crap nowadays.

[Aruntraveller]

Binge watched LA Palma on Netflix. A drama (although unintentionally a comedy) about the possible tsunami that would be triggered if half of the island slides into the sea.

A Norwegian production with weird AI dubbing (I switched to subtitles after 20 minutes) and acceptable acting and excellent special effects - but goodness me, the script. It defies any reality; the people do not behave as real people would do at all. A volcano explodes and covers everything with ash, but we'll continue with our holiday.

It is worth watching just so that you can say WTF approximately every 5 minutes.

[Nearly Sane]

Just seen the first episode of 'Still Game a Scottish sitcom from 2002 which I'd never heard of before. Far too many brilliant Scottish sitcoms were originally only broadcast in Scotland, so thank heavens for streaming. I could tell it was quite old from clues such as smoking in pubs and beer at £1.90 a pint, and the final credits confirmed it.  I recently watched the first series of 'Only Child', another Scottish sitcom. English sitcoms tend to be a bit crap nowadays.

Still Game is brilliant, and can be quite moving. I feel a bit jealous of you getting to see it for the first time

[Gordon]

Just seen the first episode of 'Still Game a Scottish sitcom from 2002 which I'd never heard of before. Far too many brilliant Scottish sitcoms were originally only broadcast in Scotland, so thank heavens for streaming. I could tell it was quite old from clues such as smoking in pubs and beer at £1.90 a pint, and the final credits confirmed it.  I recently watched the first series of 'Only Child', another Scottish sitcom. English sitcoms tend to be a bit crap nowadays.

As NS said, Still Game is brilliant, and the local vernacular used throughout really is authentic.

[Nearly Sane]

Watching Funny Girl for the eleventy first time, but looking forward to seeing What's Up Doc for the first time in over 35 years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026chk

[Nearly Sane]

Went to the cinema to watch Comfort and Joy  - 40 years on since first watched it. Difficult to separate my live for Glasgow from my love for it. Much better seeing it on the big screen.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_and_Joy_(1984_film)

And today watched a twelve Angry Nen - what a film it is!

[Steve H]

And today watched a twelve Angry Nen - what a film it is!

Who can forget the occasion on 'Give Us A Clue' when Lionel Blair pulled off twelve angry men? (Humph, on ISIHAC.)

[Sebastian Toe]

Some like it hot.
Again.
Brilliantly played by three actors at the top of their game.