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I grew to like Treme. 2nd series is on next week. What about Boardwalk Empire Hon? you watch it?
Did you hear there is going to be a 2nd series of The Hour?

Yes, I watched Boardwalk Empire and am awaiting season 2. I hadn't heard about a second series of The Hour. I've yet to watch last nights episode, so I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. Sometimes, while I may really like a programme, I feel that they should be a complete entity. That is to say, if the story's told, I don't always feel the need to carry on with the programme. Of course, some programmes (especially now) have longevity built in, so if they do well, there's plans for more and, if not, those who liked it have a 'complete' series.

I saw the trailer for the Fred and Rosemary West drama today. As it's on ITV I'm going in with trepidation, however, Dominic West really does look the part. Not quite sure about Emma Watson, but she's a very good actress, so I'm hopeful.

I watched the last one of The Hour tonight. Can't help feeling it was all a wee bit simplistic. The writer said she had a twist, a surprising ending , well I don't know about you but it didn't seem surprising to me, it seemed all very unsurprising and quite superficial. The plot promised more earlier on than it actually gave I felt. As I said before though I liked the way the characters were played so maybe if another major period in British history was covered by The Hour perhaps it'll be a bit deeper.

Not seen that trailer Hon, but in looking just now came across this interesting article. The pic of Dominic West as Fred is really disturbing

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-rad...ller-fred-west

I couldn't agree with you more about the ending of The Hour. I don't know about you, but the 'big reveal' or twist wasn't even something I was aware was a big deal. At least, not in terms of the story and certainly not in my interest of it. Unless this programme is/was planned like "The Wire", so certain threads and stories not only reappear in later series, but have greater significance (which I doubt very much) then the ending will have been a damp squib.

Like you, though, I like the charactrers and the way they were played and, while I'll probably watch another series, it's not really enough to warrant one.

Dominic West talking to Mariella Frostrup. He talks briefly about The Hour and Appropriate Adults.



*EDIT: Found this press pack. It's a text document, but the interviews are quite interesting.*
http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press...t/default.html

Thanks for the links. Reading about Janet Leach is interesting and I'm glad they've made a programme that investigates the psychological aspects of West's manipulation of her rather than a straight story of the horrible facts of the case.

So, did anyone in the UK watch the first part of Appropriate Adult? I thought it was pretty good. I certainly liked it, for the most part. Dominic West is very good as Fred. The combination of losing himself in the character and the costume/hair and make-up meant that he disappeared into the character. It wasn't like looking at Fred West, but I never felt I was watching Dominic.

I was talking to a friend about Emily Watson's performance and she felt she'd not really had much opportunity to shine. While I agree there's little for her to get her teeth into, in the first part at least, she's integral both to the story and the atmosphere. Not a like-for-like comparison, I know, but she reminds of Joe Pesci in Raging Bull, in as much as she's essential for West to perform and her ability as an actress is why he's able to be as good as he is.

I haven't liked the at home/family stuff, but I understand why it's there. How much of it happened or happened then I don't know and, tbh, I don't care. It doesn't interest me. Looking forward to the concluding part next week.

Archer is fast becoming a favorite.

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"You, me, everyone...we are all made of star stuff." - Neil Degrasse Tyson

https://shawnsmovienight.blogspot.com/

i really did like the show. i would 1 2 skip a few then spend a few hoours during the week catching up.

i too liked the look of it, and i ended up renting davinci code, both movies just because.

i loved the first sparticus...but i couldnt watch the second season..am i the only one?????

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Im tired of being caught in the tangle of these peoples lives.....

I watched most of it and I see what you mean about Emily Watson. However, there was something I can't quite put my finger on which made me keep turning away from the programme. I know they were respectful of the story's source, and I know they kept the narrative strictly on the relationship between Fred West and Janet Leach, but the creepiness of Dominic West's portrayal of Fred and the horribly realistic way Rosemary West came across made it too uncomfortable for me.

Yep, Rose in particular (can't remember who plays her) is chilling.

West (D) is good but, as per usual, I'm transfixed whenever Emily Watson is on screen. She's quite wonderful in everything she does.

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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

Found this one on Netflix (haha! funny I know), and gave it whirl. Good stuff from BBC, once again.

Couple of observations:

(1) I was first stricken with the impression that the American show Terra Nova was our version of this exact show. Different details, same concept. Earth is dying/destroyed? Check. Humans need a place to live again? Check. Specially selected groups of brilliant people/lotteried people get to go to the "new eden?" Check. Loved ones get left behind (with all the attendant survivor guilt/anger run amok?) Check. The groups of people go in cascaded groups over a set period of time (e.g. The 5th Pilgrimage/The CT-9 transport?) Check. There are "Others" fighting the colonists, likened unto the LOST tv show? Check. There are subversives about furthering a dangerous possible takeover plot from the dying Earth? Check. etc....etc....

And the jury is in, people - Outcasts, the predecessor show from 2010, far outshines Terra Nova, in just about every detail. The character studies are far more cerebral and interesting, and they dont belabor the family/children aspect. While they do visit family issues - its not quite as maudlin.

(2) The show attempts (too hard, I think) to be of Battlestar Galactica quality (complete with a pale version of BSG's intensifying drumbeat promos), and horribly fails. Few shows can or probably ever will top BSG in terms of their brilliantly layered individual character drama, societal/civil drama, and political drama. Forget the fact that Jamie Bamber was in the first episode - while watching the show, I was able to select specific characters most likely created as models from BSG. The show could've pulled it off, if not for the fact that it kept the supporting cast too small. At some point, the issues became myopic, and there were a lot of times where you have to suspend disbelief at basic practical things like: why is it that there appear to be only two police officers to police 70K people? EVER? Surely the police force is larger than this? Why is it that only 2 people from Earth are capable of governmental administration in a pool of 70k? Oh, and those 2 people are also the top scientists, who also double as the leading minds of all things scientific - so while perform the mundane task of running the colony, they also simultaneously apply their considerable brainpower to scientific study. REALLY? I dont care how brilliant you are, there are only 24 hours in a day and no one human being is capable of doing everything. Jack of all trades, master of none. Epic fail. Why is it that when they've separated the police powers whereby the XP soliders monitor outside of the wall, and the PAS force monitors inside of the wall - how come the show is written to where the XPs seem to know little to nothing about their domain (outside the wall), and/or have no real expertise about it? What's worse, the folks inside the wall often take their own counsel about what to do outside the wall, and and suffer no consequences for doing so. In this way, it makes the XP portion of the show openly appear to be a foil for the PAS/inside folks, and generally unnecessary for the show, save for when the writers want to further the plot without having to come up with a legitimate reason. Weak writing, and it is sharply incongruous with the supposed advanced science, philosophy and cerebral portions of the show.

I think this has been canceled, and with the writing, I understand why. The show cant decide if it wants to go for a stupid audience, or a smart audience - and it cant have both. If you can get past that, its actually FAR better than Terra Nova, and worth a watch for fans of the genre.

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something witty goes here......

The X Files. As much as I love movies and other shows like Twilight Zone and Star Trek, nothing has ever had an affect on me like The X Files. Watched Gender Bender and a few others last night.

An Idiot Abroad 2, The Ringer, Drop Dead Diva. Anyone else watching these?

Will watch the new Comic Strip tomorrow because of the subject matter and style, but I'm not much of a fan of the Comic Strip Presents, so we'll see.

Finished watching The Borgias. Decent, looked great, but it didn't blow me away. However, the longer it went on the more I got into it, so I hold out hope for season 2.

Don't know how much this thread is frequented in the somewhat backdoor part of the MoFo, but here's what I've watched and am watching since the summer:



Breaking Bad S2: +
Breaking Bad S3:
Breaking Bad S4: +

I've already spoken enough of this series in the BB thread.




Community S1: +
Community S2: +

Delightful sitcom with solid dialogues, good acting (Chevy Chase is equal parts disgustingly racist and delightfully ignorant, so over the top it becomes hilarious), nice pacing and some innovative parodying.



Modern Family S1:
Modern Family S2:
Modern Family S3 (ongoing): + so far

This is my favourite show on TV today, by a mile. The way in which the writers manage to juggle 3 story arcs that are equal parts engaging, funny and well-paced is top-drawer material. Add to that the superlative acting (Ty Burrell is on another planet), solid dialogue, fabulous character development, and just enough sincere, heartfelt emotion, turning the complete package into a winner winner, chicken dinner.



It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S1: +
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S2:

It's not as clever as it pretends to be and certainly not scoring top points on the laugh-o-meter, but occassionaly it can be very funny and its incessant broaching of taboos ensures that it stays somewhat fresh. I've heard from some friends that it picks up at S4, so I will stick with it until then.



How I Met Your Mother S6: +
How I Met Your Mother S7 (ongoing): so far

This is getting weaker and weaker. I think the inspiration for engaging story lines and gags of a consistent quality is gone. My hopes of this ending on a high note are gone. To be honest, if this 7th season continues like this, I won't stick around for the 8th.

Re-watching the first season of Deadwood. Still as great as it was the first time I watched Al Swearengen blaze across the screen, with a foul mouth and an even fouler moral core. It's obvious McShane is perfect as Swearengen, but the rest of the cast is just as good. Timothy Olyphant is solid as the volatile Bullock and Keith Carradine, in his four episode stint, never raises his voice or seems angry, but still can strike fear into hearts with an intense look. William Sanderson is the stand-out, though, as he is superb as E.B Farnum, the slimy hotel owner, used as a puppet by Swearengen. The storylines are engrossing and the look is brilliant.

One of the best television series of all time.

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

New MF??

I watched the first season of Deadwood but never really got into it enough to finish the second, even after two tried. Shame because I want to.

Just finished The Fades on BBC3, was a passable TV horror, which is quite a rare find. Could have been a bit tighter in places, probably didn't need 6 episodes. The final was better than I expected as most 'foretold' endings where heroes have visions of it, tend to to disappoint but this one was ok. Interestingly left open for more, though, which would probably check out.

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Caught an episode of $#*! My Dad Says last night, and it was the best episode of that show I've seen yet.

Not much of an acheivement, because it's a complete crapload. Unfunny, predictable and poorly written and acted (the guy who plays Henry is especially terrible). The episode I speak of I found watchable, mainly because of an amusing part towards the end with Shatner fighting Lee Majors... while in animal costumes.

I've seen it all before, and it was done better.

As old 'blast from the past' 1970s sitcoms go, I really think 'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?' is often criminally underrated. My parents used to watch this religiously. Admittedly its '70s backdrop has dated it in some respects, the writing/dialogue & acting are still brilliantly watchable. The movie wasn't half as good as any of the twenty seven episodes. Plus, it goes to show that good TV comedy can be made north of the Watford Gap! That means quite a lot to those of us who do live north of Watford.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069655/

Just catching up with some Robot Chicken. Season 2 onwards is where the good stuff is.

Watching An Idiot Abroad and Ringer. Idiot Abroad still has some tremendous bits but overall not as good as the first series I feel. Ringer is really good fun. I mean it's complete nonsense (the storylines could be right out of US daytime soaps) but really entertaining and gripping.

Did anyone watch Wilfred by the way? God I've fallen in love with that show so hard. Just a fantastic show.

I'm also really loving the new season of South Park, really back on top form so far.


Completly with you there! My favourite TV show of all time and I'm currently going back through the series yet again, watching an episode a week. I'm actually a moderator on an X-Files board, that's how big a fan/geek I am!

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