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I was in and out of it because it was getting on my nerves, but he was up to no good as far as I could see, pretending to be working with Jack in the beginning, but actually in league with the villain.

As usual, things aren't always as they appear to be.

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I started 24 because several of my relatives talk about it and like, and so I thought it would be a cool thing to get into with them. I think HK brought up the emphasis on real time, which is practically impossible for this show. I could get over this if I didn't feel the need to yell at people every five minutes. Like I said though, only seen a few episodes and will probably see how Season 1 ties together.

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I didn't say I "didn't watch much of 24", I watched 3 bloody seasons! I think that's more than enough to form an informed opinion of a programme. What I said was I only saw the first two episodes of season one, back when it was 'good'.

I think you're right about the amount of split-screen now, I certainly noticed by season 6 that it was pretty much restricted to the start, finish and ad breaks, as a way of catching up (which works much better) but I think there used to be a lot more in earlier seasons.

I just read the surprise revelation. It still doesn't make any sense and is inconsistent with Tony's character. The characters are just puppets. Even the first season, when it wasn't quite as crazy, the surprise traitor had opportunities to aid the bad guys, but didn't when the writers didn't want her to so we wouldn't suspect her early on.

Im with will.15 on this one, mark f. i do get why they did that with Tony, but it was ...ridiculous.

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something witty goes here......

The Wire (Season 2) -

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I finished up all 5 five seasons of The Wire a few weeks ago and meant to check in here sooner to throw down a few thoughts.

Overall we really liked the show. We both basically hated the last few episodes and I found part of the story arc of season four and five to be a little repetitive. But overall, we got about what one would come to expect from an HBO drama. Very excellent characters and a pretty good storyline.

I'm not sure who was behind the show and I suppose I could look it up but I don't really care or need to know that. But man, I mean, wow, did this guy ever have a hard on for the Baltimore police department. For a show that is set in the late 90's to the early 2000's they went above and beyond to make the majority of these cops appear to be nothing more than cavemen and incompetent. I don't buy that at all. And I find it pretty hard to believe that they were so far behind most of their criminals because of the "rampant corruption" inside their local government. It did make for an engaging show though. No matter what some of the key players went through they were basically doomed because the game is rigged ahead of time. I sort of buy that and I sort of don't. Again though, it did make for good TV.

EDIT: I went ahead and looked it up and I see he (David Simon) was also behind the bulk of Homicide: Life on the Street, which, I think was a truly great show and not nearly as bleak and hopeless as The Wire portrays our cities to be. I see he worked at the Baltimore Sun for over 12 years and perhaps that helped lead to a lot of his cynicism. I don't know. It doesn't really matter I guess.

Ultimately, it was a good show. Will I ever watch it again? Maybe. I have a hard time with these rather depressing and supposedly poignant dramas that go over the top to show me just how f***ed up we are inside and out. I am well aware of that already but I am glad I went ahead and watched it for the characters.

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All Creatures Great and Small (which was my favourite TV programme for about 10 minutes when I was a nipper) is being repeated on one of those Freeview channels that would probably rerun the weather forecast if they could find a way to license it.



True to form, Christopher Timothy has his arm up a cow's arse!

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I used to love that show too. It was on a public broadcasting station here. So we actually paid the station (all donations... but still) to watch that fellow getting busy with his cows.

Some guys have all the luck!

Seriously though, ACGAS harks back to an earlier, more innocent televisual time even though I'd say that the show itself is barely 30. There's that Kenyan safari thing on ITV on Sunday nights but it's nowhere near the same - a vehicle for Steven Tompkinson to meet various orange women. And baboons.

Lovejoy (essential viewing for Deadwood fans ) was another of those well made but undemanding BBC weekend shows, as was (and I might be in the minority here) a little show called Hamish Macbeth.

The BBC don't seem to do stuff like that any more, preferring instead to sink our money into children's TV like Doctor Who.

I thought Dr. Who stopped being a children's series a long time ago.

No, Dr. Who has always been a kids show, it's just that, nowadays, adults have refused to grow up.

Permanent Retrospective - this phenomen is called "Kidultship" or so.

agree to an extent cos a lot of my friends on another site absolutely love Dr Who. I don't see the appeal meself.
I watched the last of the three part Five Daughters drama on BBC last night, which was very well done but not what you'd call undemanding.
What about Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes? You like that Taccy?

I actually think it's more so now than when I first watched it in the Tom Baker days, but that's probably the 30 year age difference in both the programme and myself talking.

I don't see all the fuss about the new Doctor Who but have put it down to not being in the demographic they're aiming for.

Chris - I've not seen either.

My telly watching is spasmodic these days - Almost never during the day because I fear brain rot/Loose Women or antiques/DIY/cookery nonsense. Regularly around dinner time mainly for the local and national news and occasionally in the evenings because of movies and drink.

Even though those two shows have been recommended to me I can't work up any enthusiasm for them.

I blame HBO, personally.

Just finished Season 3 of Mad Men. Loved it and I'm really looking forward to next season. It's a shame I hate watching things at the computer, otherwise I could see it a lot sooner than next year.

Tacitus, I'd second seeing Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes. Both very good. I prefer Ashes, though most, as usual, prefer Life On Mars.

Also, if you're looking for something good to watch, on that freeview channel that shows ACGAS, I saw they're showing Churchill's Bodyguard. Very interesting, if you've a mind for that sort of thing.

That was on after All Creatures... wasn't it? I was planning to give it a go but had a visitor who was more interested in *ugh* talking.

Wimmin should realise that when a bloke's got a remote control in his hand he means to use it.

I don't know if it was on straight after or not, Tacitus. I just saw that it was on at 10pm or 11pm, but it could've been on after for an earlier showing. Anyway, if you see it, let us know what you think.

So finished up 24: Season 1 last night.

I spent 6 hours straight watching it just to see the worst ending I've ever seen. 24 hours (nearly) for one of the most depressing conclusions of my tv/movie watching days. Poor Jack! Overall the show didn't turn out too bad. Although somewhere mid-season the stupidity level of the writers sunk somewhere around the level of most dogs. But once I got used to the idiocy (again) I was kinda pumped to see the end. Yeah, and then I yelled at my grandma for making me watch it. I yelled at my grandma...