What are you watching?

[Nearly Sane]

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

+1

[Aruntraveller]

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

+2

[SqueakyVoice]

Zagazoo, brilliant work of whimsical empathy from the beeband Quentin Blake.
(As are quite a lot of Quentin Blake's (arts/ stories). I haven't watched all of them, but I think I'm just using them as a go-to, when there’s  nothing-on-the-telly.)

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Old episodes of Shoestring.
Early Trevor Eve a very long way from the stern professional types he played later.

[Nearly Sane]

Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - marvellous

[Steve H]

Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - marvellous

Pretty good, but not the best ever. Ditto for Doctor Who.

[Steve H]

Just watched both parts of the 'Call the Midwife' Christmas special, which is sentimental rubbish, but very watchable. However, it seems to have lost a year, as it's Christmas 1969, 55 years ago. It always used too be set 54 years ago.

[Aruntraveller]

Pretty good, but not the best ever. Ditto for Doctor Who.

I haven't seen W&G yet but enjoyed the Who Christmas special. More proof, if needed, that RTD should turn over writing duties to Moffat. (I know it won't happen)

[Nearly Sane]

Watched Mark Gatiss's adaptation of E Nesbit's Man Size in Marble - Woman of Stone. I thought it was nicely directed by Gatiss but not sure of the tweaks to the story

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0026ds3/a-ghost-story-for-christmas-woman-of-stone

Link to the short story


https://www.gutenberg.org/files/40321/40321-h/40321-h.htm#MAN-SIZE_IN_MARBLE

[Roses]

We have been watching "Death in Paradise" the 2024 Christmas Special.

[Aruntraveller]

Watched Mark Gatiss's adaptation of E Nesbit's Man Size in Marble - Woman of Stone. I thought it was nicely directed by Gatiss but not sure of the tweaks to the story

I also saw this. I enjoyed it. I am not familiar with the original short story, but I will now read it as you have kindly supplied the link.

[Nearly Sane]

I also saw this. I enjoyed it. I am not familiar with the original short story, but I will now read it as you have kindly supplied the link.

There are a number of other E Nesbit stories in the link if anyone wants to read them.

It was interesting to see the context supplied by the biographical bookending. Nesbit is a fascinating character in her own right as well as an important author. Suspect I read it about the same age Gatiss did given he says it was the first ghost story he read. It's nicely done if a little neat, and I can see why he added to the story but I think it didn't quite work.

[Nearly Sane]

We have been watching "Death in Paradise" the 2024 Christmas Special.

What did you think of it, and the new boy?

[Roses]

What did you think of it, and the new boy?

We are finishing it off this evening, I like the new boy, but my husband isn't too keen on the programme.

[Steve H]

First episode of the new series of 'Casualty', With a bit of pro-seatbelt propaganda, and thankfully very little of whiney, self-pitying wretch Cam.

[Nearly Sane]

Just watched both parts of the 'Call the Midwife' Christmas special, which is sentimental rubbish, but very watchable. However, it seems to have lost a year, as it's Christmas 1969, 55 years ago. It always used too be set 54 years ago.

Found this year's a bit bland. Having 2 parts didn't really work. Vanessa Redgrave's voice disappearing.

[Aruntraveller]

There are a number of other E Nesbit stories in the link if anyone wants to read them.

It was interesting to see the context supplied by the biographical bookending. Nesbit is a fascinating character in her own right as well as an important author. Suspect I read it about the same age Gatiss did given he says it was the first ghost story he read. It's nicely done if a little neat, and I can see why he added to the story but I think it didn't quite work.

I first became aware of Edith Nesbit's darker side when I read the Armada Ghost book stories as a young teenager. If memory serves me correctly several of her stories featured across the run of books, along with the likes of Ruth Sawyer and William Croft Dickinson.

Speaking of ghost stories (sort of) I finally managed to see "All of Us Strangers" last night with Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. I'm still not entirely sure what was going on but worth seeing for the performances and the atmosphere created.

[Steve H]

Found this year's a bit bland. Having 2 parts didn't really work. Vanessa Redgrave's voice disappearing.

I wish they'd drop la Redgrave's intros and outros: they were always glutinously sentimental, sounding like folk-wisdom but not really saying anything, but they get more anachronistic with every series, since young Jennifer left the series years ago.

[Nearly Sane]

I wish they'd drop la Redgrave's intros and outros: they were always glutinously sentimental, sounding like folk-wisdom but not really saying anything, but they get more anachronistic with every series, since young Jennifer left the series years ago.

'BBC cancels living treasure xxxx before her death.'


I agree, though it doesn't really fit the show any more. 

[Nearly Sane]

Watched Black Doves on Netflix  feels like an inferior Slow Horses. Watchable though the end was a bit of a mess.


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

[Steve H]

The Harry Potter films on Netflix, in order from the beginning. I haven't seen any of them before, nor read any of the books, so I'm coming fresh to them. I've watched five so far, number five being 'The Order of the Phoenix', and tonight is 'The Half-blood Prince', followed by 'Deathly Hallows', parts one and two. Great fun, and some very impressive SFX, but some are perhaps a bit over-long.

[Nearly Sane]

The Harry Potter films on Netflix, in order from the beginning. I haven't seen any of them before, nor read any of the books, so I'm coming fresh to them. I've watched five so far, number five being 'The Order of the Phoenix', and tonight is 'The Half-blood Prince', followed by 'Deathly Hallows', parts one and two. Great fun, and some very impressive SFX, but some are perhaps a bit over-long.

Seems amazing that the first film is 23 years old.

[Nearly Sane]

Very impressive numbers for Gavin and Stacey, though i am not one of them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/gavin-and-stacey-the-finale-becomes-UKs-highest-rating-scripted-show

[Aruntraveller]

Very impressive numbers for Gavin and Stacey, though i am not one of them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/gavin-and-stacey-the-finale-becomes-UKs-highest-rating-scripted-show

Me neither. Never saw the appeal. And I'll usually watch anything with Alison Steadman in it.

[Steve H]

Very impressive numbers for Gavin and Stacey, though i am not one of them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/gavin-and-stacey-the-finale-becomes-UKs-highest-rating-scripted-show

I've never seen an episode of it, so hardly worth watching the finale.