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I got St Elswehere and the White Shadow Season 1 for my birthday.
Pre-dating Chicago Hope and ER by a decade, the series follows the goings on of a major metropolitan hospital.
I loved the show when it first aired it did for Doctors what Hill Street Blues did for Cops, and to a lesser extent what L.A. Law did for lawyers.
It holds up pretty well, i had forgotten than the POV was often teh fly on the wall variety, almost documentary style. The moral and ethical dilemmas facing the Doctors are as relevant today as they were then. It's the same sort of reason why i Adore the Law & Order Series. The story-lines are ripped from the headlines and dramatised as entertainment.
Its a little odd watching in 2010 and Ed Begley Jr. and Howie Mandel have equal, if not slightly more screen time as Denzel Washington.
One intern in particular stands out, the Wonderful David Morse, who since has inexplicably been cast as the baddy in film (12 monkeys, long kiss goodnight, The Rock)
Reccomended.
Pre-dating Chicago Hope and ER by a decade, the series follows the goings on of a major metropolitan hospital.
I loved the show when it first aired it did for Doctors what Hill Street Blues did for Cops, and to a lesser extent what L.A. Law did for lawyers.
It holds up pretty well, i had forgotten than the POV was often teh fly on the wall variety, almost documentary style. The moral and ethical dilemmas facing the Doctors are as relevant today as they were then. It's the same sort of reason why i Adore the Law & Order Series. The story-lines are ripped from the headlines and dramatised as entertainment.
Its a little odd watching in 2010 and Ed Begley Jr. and Howie Mandel have equal, if not slightly more screen time as Denzel Washington.
One intern in particular stands out, the Wonderful David Morse, who since has inexplicably been cast as the baddy in film (12 monkeys, long kiss goodnight, The Rock)
Reccomended.
I haven't had the chance yet to view the White Shadow (was a favourite of mine when i was in highschool though), So i can't comment as to whether it holds up as well.
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"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo.
"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo.
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Possibly, but he would have been a titular detective called The Fool instead, who solved crimes by spouting jocular nonsense verse before pirouetting off a cliff and gleaning answers from the afterlife 
(Also, he would have loved strawberries).
(Also, he would have loved strawberries).
I can see it now - The Virgin Plonker!
Aaaaanyway, I had to set my Wallander DVD aside. There truly is only so much gloom a man can take in one sitting, but the more of them I see the more they remind me of Messiah, although I seem to have been the only person in the world (apart from Ken Stott's auntie Flo, probably) to have seen that particular show.
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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan
"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan
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I can see it now - The Virgin Plonker!
Aaaaanyway, I had to set my Wallander DVD aside. There truly is only so much gloom a man can take in one sitting, but the more of them I see the more they remind me of Messiah, although I seem to have been the only person in the world (apart from Ken Stott's auntie Flo, probably) to have seen that particular show.
Aaaaanyway, I had to set my Wallander DVD aside. There truly is only so much gloom a man can take in one sitting, but the more of them I see the more they remind me of Messiah, although I seem to have been the only person in the world (apart from Ken Stott's auntie Flo, probably) to have seen that particular show.
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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)
You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)
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Ashes to Ashes (Series 1)
If you've seen Life on Mars, it's the same sort of principle. This time, it's a female policewoman (Keeley Hawes) sent back in time to 1981, where she solves crimes and becomes entangled in all the politics, fashion, and culture that was the 1980's. Soon she realises that her purpose there is to somehow prevent or solve the death of her mother and father in a car bombing.
If you're interested in 1980's Britain, you will love it- it has a brilliant 80's soundtrack too. Even if you don't get the cultural references, the crimes, drama and Gene Hunt (Phillip Glenister)'s brilliant one-liners will certainly entertain you.
If you've seen Life on Mars, it's the same sort of principle. This time, it's a female policewoman (Keeley Hawes) sent back in time to 1981, where she solves crimes and becomes entangled in all the politics, fashion, and culture that was the 1980's. Soon she realises that her purpose there is to somehow prevent or solve the death of her mother and father in a car bombing.
If you're interested in 1980's Britain, you will love it- it has a brilliant 80's soundtrack too. Even if you don't get the cultural references, the crimes, drama and Gene Hunt (Phillip Glenister)'s brilliant one-liners will certainly entertain you.
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Just bought 3 shows on DVD:
Norm starring Norm Macdonald
The Unusuals starring Jeremy Renner
and volume 3 of the British series Skins
All 3 shows had great theme songs too!
Norm starring Norm Macdonald
The Unusuals starring Jeremy Renner
and volume 3 of the British series Skins
All 3 shows had great theme songs too!
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Fortunes of War
This is part of the "They don't make them like this any more" TV dramas of the 1980's. The things they had in common: long running time (about a two hour long first episode and hour long ones after that); large cast- many of which were acclaimed actors; based on novels; set in the past and preferably an exotic location.
It's 1939- Guy Pringle (Kenneth Branagh) and Harriet Pringle (Emma Thompson) are a newly-married couple. They travel at first to Romania, then Greece, then Egypt, bumping into fellow British ex-pats on the way.
There's sort of two halves to it: the first is very much focused on the political situation; the second is a bit like a British version of The Sun Also Rises, minus the bullfighting and alcohol. It's pretty hard to keep track of all the characters the Pringles bump into and which ones are minor and which are major (it's a little easier near the end when they sort of settle down), although the acting is all top-notch. However the lack of action was rather frustrating- events were reported to Harriet and Guy as opposed to being shown.
There's fun to be had in wondering whether this was a prophecy of Branagh and Thompson's own marriage (Guy puts on lots of Shakespeare plays and leaves wife on own because of his career). Does life imitate art? The two actors fell in love in this series so if you are a fan of either, this is a must-watch (Emma Thompson in particular is brilliant as Harriet, who keeps everything together). Special mentions go to Ronald Pickup as Prince Yakimov, the comic but well-meaning friend, and Rupert Graves as Simon Boulderstone, a young soldier (foot fetishists are in luck- he bares his feet!). In fact, there are three nice soldier blokes
Not quite Jewel or Brideshead but just like them, you get the feeling that you're having a real experience, that watching it is an event.
This is part of the "They don't make them like this any more" TV dramas of the 1980's. The things they had in common: long running time (about a two hour long first episode and hour long ones after that); large cast- many of which were acclaimed actors; based on novels; set in the past and preferably an exotic location.
It's 1939- Guy Pringle (Kenneth Branagh) and Harriet Pringle (Emma Thompson) are a newly-married couple. They travel at first to Romania, then Greece, then Egypt, bumping into fellow British ex-pats on the way.
There's sort of two halves to it: the first is very much focused on the political situation; the second is a bit like a British version of The Sun Also Rises, minus the bullfighting and alcohol. It's pretty hard to keep track of all the characters the Pringles bump into and which ones are minor and which are major (it's a little easier near the end when they sort of settle down), although the acting is all top-notch. However the lack of action was rather frustrating- events were reported to Harriet and Guy as opposed to being shown.
There's fun to be had in wondering whether this was a prophecy of Branagh and Thompson's own marriage (Guy puts on lots of Shakespeare plays and leaves wife on own because of his career). Does life imitate art? The two actors fell in love in this series so if you are a fan of either, this is a must-watch (Emma Thompson in particular is brilliant as Harriet, who keeps everything together). Special mentions go to Ronald Pickup as Prince Yakimov, the comic but well-meaning friend, and Rupert Graves as Simon Boulderstone, a young soldier (foot fetishists are in luck- he bares his feet!). In fact, there are three nice soldier blokes
Not quite Jewel or Brideshead but just like them, you get the feeling that you're having a real experience, that watching it is an event.
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Anyone catch This Is England '86 last night? I recorded it but haven't had the time to watch it yet.
Wonder if Shane will do more TV in the future? As long as he doesn't employ James Cordon I'll be right behind him.
Wonder if Shane will do more TV in the future? As long as he doesn't employ James Cordon I'll be right behind him.
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Anyone catch This Is England '86 last night? I recorded it but haven't had the time to watch it yet.
Wonder if Shane will do more TV in the future? As long as he doesn't employ James Cordon I'll be right behind him.
Wonder if Shane will do more TV in the future? As long as he doesn't employ James Cordon I'll be right behind him.
mind it is Shane so it's gonna be great you know it!
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I'll probably find myself recording all of them and watching in one big lump.
I'm probably the last person in the world to have gotten into Dexter so that'll take up most of my TV time for a while.
I'm probably the last person in the world to have gotten into Dexter so that'll take up most of my TV time for a while.
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Heh, I've been avoiding that one. As someone who likes the odd B&H I'm usually not too receptive to watching something about a guy with inoperable lung cancer.
Still, if you recommend it...
Still, if you recommend it...
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yeah I do! it's dark undoubtably, but very very good and the cinematography gets better and better through the seasons - just gorgous lighting too
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I'd certainly recommend the first season of Breaking Bad, but that's all I've seen of it. Like the rest of you, I recorded This Is England '86. It's not directed by Shane, though. The first episode isn't, anyway.
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The IT Crowd (Season 2) -
This fits into that category of shows that I won't find particularly great but it's still got the odd moment of insanely good comedy. Spent the whole time watching Ayoade and Berry and thinking, "These guys were funnier in Darkplace."
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It's a bit patchy, innit? I suppose that Linehan has set the bar a bit high after Father Ted but it's been more than a decade since that show ended.
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Yeah, "patchy" is a pretty apt way to put it. The inclusion of Matt Berry is a welcome one, though.
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