TV Series - Reviews and Recommendations......

wilberforce

Pross said:

skyblueamateur said:

Watching Once Upon A Time in NI.

A massively bleak and depressing watch. Shows the futility of it all.

I’d recommend everyone to watch it.

Just on the second episode. Some of the footage is pretty gruesome, probably more so than I’ve ever seen on British TV before.

Just finished watching all five episodes. A shocking but excellent series.

I was at RAF Rheindahlen in Germany in late eighties when the IRA exploded a car bomb on the base along with them carrying out other random shootings against the military over there, but never fully understood nor appreciated all of the events within NI.

Now considering watching the series again just in case I have missed anything

ddraver

For those of you who remember the film Metal: A Headbangers Journey from...ages ago, the same guy did a 11 part series examining the history, rise and fall of each sub-genre of Metal called Metal Evolution.

I'm not sure if it's even available legally in the UK so you'll need to sleuth the usual shady places but if you're interested I totally recommend it.

It is unashamedly nerdy so if you're not a metalhead then don't bother but if you're a fan (there's a few of us here, I know), it's a great watch. Interviews with some proper legends.

JimD666

ddraver said:

For those of you who remember the film Metal: A Headbangers Journey from...ages ago, the same guy did a 11 part series examining the history, rise and fall of each sub-genre of Metal called Metal Evolution.

I'm not sure if it's even available legally in the UK so you'll need to sleuth the usual shady places but if you're interested I totally recommend it.

It is unashamedly nerdy so if you're not a metalhead then don't bother but if you're a fan (there's a few of us here, I know), it's a great watch. Interviews with some proper legends.

https://bangertv.com/shows/metal-evolution/

includes the "lost" episode 12

EDIT: rats its been knackered it used to host the full episodes. think they're still available on youtube with a bit of searching

2nd EDIT: YouTube Playlist

ddraver

Ah ha, I wondered where death metal had got to (and that 11 seemed a weird number of episodes).

I'll have a sleuth myself...

daniel_b

Feel free to call me weird on this one, it wouldn't be the first time, but I stumbled on a 3 part series on Channel 4 about the very unusual murder of a British family in the French alps back in 2012.
A French cyclist was also killed, and it is one remarkably strange and complex series of events, as much as the ones leading up to that day.

Quite a few things in this program that I was unaware of, but in all likelihood appears it will never be solved.

It certainly stuck out as a really odd case at the time, and that was what piqued my interest to watch it - alas it is a bit tabloid in approach, but if you can get past that, it does bring a lot of facts to the table as well.

The one about the ex husband of the wife in the US dying on the same day this happened, is probably one of the oddest ones to my mind.

Pross

Watching The 6th Commandment. If I didn’t know it was based on fact I would have mistaken it for Midsomer Murders. It’s quite ironic that it happened in the area where the fictional Midsomer villages are set. It could do with a bit more context on the timescales but the guy playing Ben Field is very good as is Timothy Spall.

thegreatdivide

Black Bird on Apple TV. As good as the first season of True Detective with added touches of Mindhunter. A tremendous mini series.

Taron Egerton
Greg Kinnear
Ray Liotta
Paul Walter Hauser

The Mogwai soundtrack is excellent too.

Tashman

Watched Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat last night thinking initially it was something interesting and scientific. It quickly became clear that it was some kind of weird spoof documentary and I really struggled to actually see a point in it. I'm guessing it was a cost of living thing as the Trussell trust were namechecked but it was bizarre.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

"Earth" presented by Chris Packham, five part series about the planet's history. We found it a decent watch, learned a few new things about dramatic climate event events way before dinosaurs were on the scene. Episodes perhaps felt a bit long, could have maybe split each one in two.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0fpwhhm/earth

TheBigBean

A tv programme I have mentioned before, Alone, is having its first series in the UK on channel 4. Big difference though is that they seem to have selected a bunch of people with very limited survival experience and set it in Canada. Could be embarrassing. No doubt there will be viewer complaints about animal suffering.

ddraver

Hmmm, if there's one thing America has its a lot of crazies with genuine survival knowledge to keep them safe from the zombies or worse, communists.

I wonder if our little island will be able to compete...

tailwindhome

If you're at a loose end this afternoon, you may enjoy some Gaelic football

skyblueamateur

Should be a great game. I’m still awaiting Mayo breaking the ‘curse’.

The hurling final was a fantastic spectacle last week. What a team Limerick are.

tailwindhome

Really enjoying Quarterback on Netflix

Know little more than the basics of American football but Cousins and Mahomes are really engaging characters.

Mahomes is the Pogacar, clearly just a big kid loving playing the game.

Cousins the stereotypical American White Christian, with a very traditional marriage and family life (his wife picks all his clothes) but comes across as an incredibly genuine hard working guy

Also NFL 'films' are so much better than live matches

A third QB is included, but his story isn't as engaging. Unless it turns round in the last couple of episodes

ddraver

Try Friday Night Lights next...

pblakeney

ddraver said:

Try Friday Night Lights next...

Or Any Given Sunday. Must seek that out myself as it has been some time.
Sorry, that's a film.

rick_chasey

tailwindhome said:

Really enjoying Quarterback on Netflix

Know little more than the basics of American football but Cousins and Mahomes are really engaging characters.

Mahomes is the Pogacar, clearly just a big kid loving playing the game.

Cousins the stereotypical American White Christian, with a very traditional marriage and family life (his wife picks all his clothes) but comes across as an incredibly genuine hard working guy

Also NFL 'films' are so much better than live matches

A third QB is included, but his story isn't as engaging. Unless it turns round in the last couple of episodes

Mariota story makes more sense if you were aware of the level of hype around him after being drafted 2nd overall.

(Wiki has a nice stat on him, in his rookie year his jersey was the highest selling jersey, beating even Brady)

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Watched Wolf on BBC. I thought it was really good. The two 'Police Officers' at the house is a blatant rip off of the Film 'Funny Games' but that didn't detract.

Surprised at the various reviews panning it, particularly many saying the acting and dialogue was laughable. I think they were watching a different series to me.

pblakeney

Inside Man on Netflix. Weird and completely implausible but more twists than a typhoon ✅. Disconcerting dialogue before the link to series 2. Caveat on my taste. 😉

poweredbyidris

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

Watched Wolf on BBC. I thought it was really good. The two 'Police Officers' at the house is a blatant rip off of the Film 'Funny Games' but that didn't detract.

Surprised at the various reviews panning it, particularly many saying the acting and dialogue was laughable. I think they were watching a different series to me.

Enjoyed this too - 1st episode is a bit 'errrr, ok' while they set up the story

Best review I saw was 'Inside No. 9 meets A Clockwork Orange'

kingstongraham

The book (like all her books) was very disturbing. Not sure I want to see it made real, even though I read them.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Best review I saw was 'Inside No. 9 meets A Clockwork Orange'

Sums it up nicely! Just realised as well, there is a scene where Sacha Dhawan's character drinks a glass of milk. Wonder if that was a bit of a nod to 'A Clockwork Orange'.

pangolin

TheBigBean said:

A tv programme I have mentioned before, Alone, is having its first series in the UK on channel 4. Big difference though is that they seem to have selected a bunch of people with very limited survival experience and set it in Canada. Could be embarrassing. No doubt there will be viewer complaints about animal suffering.

Watching the first episode and quite unimpressed with this batch of contestants so far

TheBigBean

pangolin said:

TheBigBean said:

A tv programme I have mentioned before, Alone, is having its first series in the UK on channel 4. Big difference though is that they seem to have selected a bunch of people with very limited survival experience and set it in Canada. Could be embarrassing. No doubt there will be viewer complaints about animal suffering.

Watching the first episode and quite unimpressed with this batch of contestants so far

I'm currently watching season 10 in the US. Really debating whether I want to watch terrible UK contestants with no skills - that feels more like Big Brother relocated. The US contestants from season 2 onwards are often known from their youtube channels before going on the show.

Quote from someone on reddit

This UK series seems more like watching your hapless Year 11 mate "have a go" at putting the tent up on their first Duke of Edinburgh expedition that their dad made them sign up for.

TheBigBean

Although I'm just not sure UK TV could show hunting with a bow and arrow (illegal in the UK) and trapping.

pangolin

TheBigBean said:

pangolin said:

TheBigBean said:

A tv programme I have mentioned before, Alone, is having its first series in the UK on channel 4. Big difference though is that they seem to have selected a bunch of people with very limited survival experience and set it in Canada. Could be embarrassing. No doubt there will be viewer complaints about animal suffering.

Watching the first episode and quite unimpressed with this batch of contestants so far

I'm currently watching season 10 in the US. Really debating whether I want to watch terrible UK contestants with no skills - that feels more like Big Brother relocated. The US contestants from season 2 onwards are often known from their youtube channels before going on the show.

Quote from someone on reddit

This UK series seems more like watching your hapless Year 11 mate "have a go" at putting the tent up on their first Duke of Edinburgh expedition that their dad made them sign up for.

Finished ep1 and I agree with the reddit quote. A couple of them have some promise, a couple make me laugh out loud, and a couple just had me shaking my head thinking "why have you gone on this show without even checking you know how to..."

pangolin

TheBigBean said:

Although I'm just not sure UK TV could show hunting with a bow and arrow (illegal in the UK) and trapping.

Why not? I have very little knowledge on what is legal to show on tv tbh but they are not in the UK as you know. Only 1 guy takes a bow - you do see him shoot it in the first ep.

TheBigBean

pangolin said:

TheBigBean said:

Although I'm just not sure UK TV could show hunting with a bow and arrow (illegal in the UK) and trapping.

Why not? I have very little knowledge on what is legal to show on tv tbh but they are not in the UK as you know. Only 1 guy takes a bow - you do see him shoot it in the first ep.

Just because of viewer complaints. People think it is a medieval form of hunting which is in itself barbaric, so my expectation is that they would all complain.

That said, there is not much to hunt or trap on Vancouver Island. The birds and bears are protected. (Edit UK version is not set on Vancouver island)

I understand not many of the contestants have watched the US version which I find pretty astonishing. If they had, they would know that a gill net is a winning strategy with the recent fashion being to make your own out of paracord.

Have you watched the US versions?

I know I'm going to have to watch this to be annoyed by it. There is a thread on Reddit asking "Alone UK. Will anyone last more than one month?!?!?!"

pangolin

TheBigBean said:

pangolin said:

TheBigBean said:

Although I'm just not sure UK TV could show hunting with a bow and arrow (illegal in the UK) and trapping.

Why not? I have very little knowledge on what is legal to show on tv tbh but they are not in the UK as you know. Only 1 guy takes a bow - you do see him shoot it in the first ep.

Just because of viewer complaints. People think it is a medieval form of hunting which is in itself barbaric, so my expectation is that they would all complain.

That said, there is not much to hunt or trap on Vancouver Island. The birds and bears are protected.

I understand not many of the contestants have watched the US version which I find pretty astonishing. If they had, they would know that a gill net is a winning strategy with the recent fashion being to make your own out of paracord.

Have you watched the US versions?

I know I'm going to have to watch this to be annoyed by it. There is a thread on Reddit asking "Alone UK. Will anyone last more than one month?!?!?!"

I've only watched 2 seasons of the US one, it's not available on any of my various subscriptions at the moment. These brits are no Clay Hayes.

Bonkers to do something like this and not do some basic research to improve your chances.

Think of watching it as a mental challenge, that seems to be what sends a lot of people home in these programs.

pangolin

Did you watch any Outlast on Netflix? That was dreadful big brother version of Alone, focused on them teaming up into 4 teams and all the inter person drama. Awful.