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Very good mini-series. @cricket would like this. Have a hankie ready for some of the doggie scenes.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

People all over the world (apparently) are creaming themselves over this HBO adaptation of the books of Elena Ferrante. Did not like the 1st installment of the books & am not feeling this tv show one bit. Got through the pilot, but bailed out halfway through episode 2. Too slow & too many interlocking characters whose arcs I cannot remember or keep track of.

Good mention, we will try it.

Light fluffy comedy. Not bad, but 2 episodes in & I am done.

It’s wonderful to see Michael Douglas & he is terrific. The show seems a tad hackneyed to me, but I will persevere & try to get more into it. Wish I wasn’t so hyper-critical of everything.

It took me a while to warm to it but I eventually started to enjoy it. Some things I can do without, not keen on Chef, found most of the scenes he was in a bore, thankfully I believe the character goes around series 10.


Cartman however is fantastic:

Stan - Dolphins are way smarter than you!

Cartman - If they're so smart, why do they live in igloos?

Stan - Dolphins don't live in igloos, that's Eskimos!

Cartman - Dolphins, Eskimos, what's the difference? It's all a bunch of tree hugging hippie crap!

^ I couldn't stop laughing at this scene.

Finished two existing seasons of Babylon Berlin few days ago. While it surely has some flaws I think I might still call it good. It's an interesting era in multiple ways and the show does decent work on weaving everything together. Acting is fine, Berlin looks good and writing gives enough room for characters.

On negative side I feel the show sides little too clearly with the reds (it completely ignores the German anarchist / communist involvement in the violence), the "suspenseful" action scenes felt really out of place and the decadence of 1920s Berlin is, as far as I know, toned down a lot.

As a whole I'd be bold enough to give it 7/10 and will be waiting for the 3rd season.

Finished season 1. (I presume there will be a season 2.)

Got into it & it is very good. Michael Douglas so cute in it. He actually looks older than Alan Arkin who is 10 years older than him.

Glad I knew Ann Margret was in the show since she was almost unrecognizable, she’s had so much work done. Sad.

Re-watch. Maybe the 4th time? Can’t remember. Brilliant series.

Re-watch. Loads of fun.

Happy



Twisted, dark humor, ultraviolence and completely over the top but a d@mn bit of fun!!
Would love to see a second season to this. Hope it continues.

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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes

~Mr Minio

Well, with Christmas on it's way the tv schedules will all be changing, so a quick look at what I've been watching lately. Well, that which I can remember.

Neighbours, of course, it was the 8,000th episode on Friday and in a very Neighbours way we saw and heard about the death of a character who's lived on the street since episode 1, but has never been mentioned or seen before. She was a hoarder, so there was lots of memories and long forgotten plots. I particularly liked remembering Shrugalaro's and Phillipa Martinez novels.

The Gentle Touch, an early 80's police drama about a female detective in London. My mum used to love this programme, so I grew up watching it. Very much of it's time and, amusingly to me at least, there's a warning before each episode warning viewers that it was another time and the programme may contain words and themes which may cause offense. Just 9pm telly back then. I like that we've come along a little and this isn't 9pm telly now. Sadly, the fact that the station has to put a warning up before the programme starts (and it starts at 11pm and carries a 15 rating) is a sad reflection on the way things are going/have gone. Anyway, should you ever get the chance, strong stories and good acting and refreshingly clean aurally. Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds provide the soundtrack rather than incidental music. Also if you're of a certain age, you get to play 'Oh, look! It's ____ from ____' as various then unknown actors/actresses pop up in small roles.

Various panel shows, Would I Lie To You?, Have I Got News For You?, QI, Richard Osman's House Of Games, as well as I'll Get This (which I quite liked but depends heavily on the guests). Only Connect has returned and I've been enjoying the specials they've had on this week, too. I actually managed to get some of the answers correct in the sequences round, but I think it was only because it was a sport special.

Started watching The Good Place. I'm only two episodes in atm and, while I like it, it's not actually very funny. I'm sure I'll watch the rest but I hope it gets funnier. Still enjoying The Big Bang Theory, but that's slowing to its end and has been in a comfortable groove for the last few seasons. Young Sheldon seems to be a lot funnier and I really and instantly liked it. Very much as I did The Goldbergs. It just works for me.

The Detail is a Canadian police procedural which is a nice watch. It's just on while I do other things, so to say I watch it isn't really correct, but I like it nonetheless.

The three dramas I'm really into/hoping to like atm are Snowfall (which has been fantastic and I only have three episodes left of season 2. Highly recommended), The Sinner, of which I've only seen the first episode, but if I'm to really like it, I know I'm going to have to sit and watch it and Tin Star, which I didn't watch when it was on Sky, and I've only seen the first two episodes of.

Lastly, I have all of season two of The Deuce to watch. I'm really looking forward to that. I really enjoyed season one and with David Simon and George Pelecanos involved I'm expecting season two to build well on the first.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

^ And I believe for the first time ever, Neighbours is showing during the Christmas holidays and on Christmas day. No two week break.


Finished:

Wanted to like it so badly, but barely got through the pilot. I just didn’t believe in any of the characters. Unlike The Wire where I constantly had to remind myself that these aren’t real people.

Hun I loved Tin Star and Sinner - watched both series.

Stirchley - I wanted to like My Brilliant Friend, but couldn’t stick with it

I was impressed by John Malcovitch in the ABC Murders. I liked the thought of his time being gone and loved his back story although I see loads of people hated it

Gotta admit I found the backstory got in the way and didn't really have an impact on me of the plot. I did, however, enjoy the programme and his performance.

Me either. Barely made it through the pilot. Do not understand the acclaim for the show or the books.

Started watching Nightflyers but I'm giving up after four episodes. No interesting characters, no fascinating plot and excruciatingly boring.

Also started The Protector but 1.5 episodes was enough of that. I didn't like Iron Fist so why would I want to watch Turkish imitation either?

Just finished first episode of Perfume and while it wasn't great it seems good enough to watch all six episodes. At least the acting is superior to previous two shows.

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So bad. Japanese bobblehead doll Marie Kondo (with her translator) tries to perform tidying miracles in slobbish American homes. Full of inane smiles & platitudes (photographs can be kept in a photo album - no ****!), this show is dreadful.