What is the last Television series you watched?

[Naïve Old Fart 11,523]

Some "political" nonsense, called THE POLITICIAN'S HUSBAND.

It concerns an abortive attempt by an MP, to run for PM, and getting revenge for the people who screwed him over.

Despite a decent cast - David Tennant; Emily Watson; Roger Allam - it's pretty sterile.

None of the characters, including an older son with autism and a halfway-sympathetic granddad, were endearing, and I ended up not giving a single gorram about what happened to any of them.

There was lots of sex, but no love, and there was an awful lot of drinking alcohol.

Ultimately, it was all beneath their talents, and my time, attention, and energy.

Maybe I'm hard to please, but... 3/10

[Jay 42,255]

3 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

it reminded me of that camera that effect that makes things look like a model that was super popular some years ago (tile scan or something?)

 

Tilt Shift!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt–shift_photography

 

Used notably in Game Night

 

 

[Marian Schedenig 10,073]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

Tilt Shift!

 

Often faked by simply heavily blurring the top and bottom of a picture. Whereas shallow focus (generally) isn't a vertical gradient.

[Quintus 5,636]

S01E04 of White Lotus. Love it!

[Bespin Copilot 9,556]

I didn't like the finale... it felt too rushed and unsatisfactory. What a waste of time.

[Quintus 5,636]

I'm probably months away from the ending.

[Mr. Lovejoy 7,993]

The latest HBO series I can happily ignore while everyone else watches it. Like Game of Thrones. "You've gotta see this!"

 

*flicks on 30 year old show*

[tomsmoviemadness 4,186]

Hacks: Season 4 x Episode 1 & 2

 

This show is soo good!!

Both Jean Smart & Hannah Einbeinder are incredible here. I knoe Jean Smart has won a bunch of awards for her role, but I seriously feel Eindbeinder should win for her performance as well. She should've won for last season, but she remains stellar here.

 

The writing also remains fantastic. Love how Eva & Deborah are pitted against each other, while still showing there is some love between them.

Jimmy also remains to be a great character.

 

Together with Shrinking, these are the 2 best comedy show out there right now in my opinion.

[Quintus 5,636]

On 09/04/2025 at 11:36 PM, Mr. Lovejoy said:

The latest HBO series I can happily ignore while everyone else watches it. Like Game of Thrones. "You've gotta see this!"

 

*flicks on 30 year old show*

 

That's great, but there's nothing or less to talk to you about then 🤷‍♂️

[Quintus 5,636]

Let's bump this dead thread again then.

 

Finished White Lotus season one. Was late to this (only learned of it about a month ago and watched it on an impulse), but I bloody loved it. The guy who played the resort manager was a force of frickin' nature, a magnetic presence on him; a sort of Basil Fawlty meets Sean effin Connery, the dude was incredible. Gutted he's only in this season.

 

Only complaint was the constant choral mosaic on the soundtrack, which while effective, I eventually just found grating.

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,731]

The music felt like it was parodying the pompous personalities and the poshy hotel itself.

[Quintus 5,636]

It's definitely taking the piss.

[crocodile 9,131]

It's one on my list. I've seen some bits from season 2, I think, and it was pretty good.

 

Between this and Succession, which one would you guys recommend to watch first?

 

Karol

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,731]

I didn't enjoy Succession at all and gave up midway Season 1, but I watched all of White Flatus just fine.

[Quintus 5,636]

Succession I burned out on due to binging. It was that compulsive, I couldn't stop watching another one or two episodes every night. I eventually got a few episodes into the penultimate season and decided to have a break, but I'm yet to get back to it. I definitely will do though. I shouldn't really binge stuff and I don't normally, but that might tell you something about Succession's quality.

[Holko 11,287]

Somehow I've never gotten around to watching Black Mirror, only now, without knowing that a new season would arrive pretty much when I would finish with the rest. Worked out great!

 

Loved most of it. The early stuff might have had a stronger identity and it may have softened up later, but I can be a big old softie and happily took all that stuff too. I only started to get mixed on S5 and especially 6, the execution, idea quality and exploration depth started to really slacken in many episodes. So I'm very glad 7 is a return to form, I really enjoyed 5 of the 6 new episodes!

[Marian Schedenig 10,073]

Yes, I've always thought that it obviously changed through the series, but (mostly) not for the worse. Curiously, I found everyone's favourite episode from the previous series one of the more disappointing ones, although I (again unlike most) mostly still liked the series very much. Haven't seen the new one yet - I didn't have time for it before, and now I'm slightly anxious to start because apparently the opening episode is a massive downer (and I'm not sure I'm in the mood for a Requiem for a Dream style depression right now, in case that is what it is).

[Holko 11,287]

11 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

and now I'm slightly anxious to start because apparently the opening episode is a massive downer (and I'm not sure I'm in the mood for a Requiem for a Dream style depression right now, in case that is what it is).

It is a big downer but it's pretty heavyhanded and unsubtle with what it criticises, almost in a "just how absurd can this get" kind of pitch black tragicomedy way, so that spices it up.

It made me more angry than depressed.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,186]

Hacks Season 4 x Episode 4

 

This show remains to be stellar!

Great writing and the performances also remain fantastic.

 

Loved the two cameos this episode of Randy Newman & Carol Burnett. Burnett's appearance was especially wonderful and had an impact on the story.

 

Loved how Burnett told Deborah that she always chooses one person in the audience and does the entire show for them. To later see Deborah having a hard time and then chooses Ava to that for was so sweet!

 

Smart & Einbeinder remain a stellar double act.

 

Excited to see how Ava's adventures eith that couple turn out

[Marian Schedenig 10,073]

On 20/04/2025 at 8:09 PM, Holko said:

It is a big downer but it's pretty heavyhanded and unsubtle with what it criticises, almost in a "just how absurd can this get" kind of pitch black tragicomedy way, so that spices it up.

It made me more angry than depressed.

 

Finished the new series yesterday. Common People turned out to be indeed a very Requiem for a Dream take on subscription models (an obvious, but still clever concept). Without the emotional impact of that film, fortunately - which might be a shortcoming of the episode (despite everything, it was more invested on a conceptual level than an emotional one), but in this case one I'm grateful for.

 

I very much liked the rest of the series too - to varying degrees as usual, but I found all the episodes satisfying in their own way. Eulogy is the standout, and will hopefully join the likes of San Junipero as one of The Classic Black Mirror Episodes - and with a brilliant Paul Giamatti, too. Cristin Milioti also deserves a mention for her return in the second part of what will hopefully become the USS Callister trilogy.

[Holko 11,287]

Yes, Eulogy was fantastic, and I also really liked Hotel Reverie. I did have slight problems with some episodes earlier where they seemed to hinge on "oh look at these poor simulated nonreal people", but these are back to focusing on real people and how they're affected by these simulations.

 

The adventure and cast and fantastic TOS parody carried the original USS Callister for me despite this problem, but now this new one went a little deeper and explored some elements a little better which I really liked.

 

Ooo and I liked the setting and slow unraveling of Bête Noire even if I didn't think it successfully stuck the landing at the end and thought it was funny that EEAAO ended up being harder scifi than a Black Mirror episode on the same concept

[Marian Schedenig 10,073]

22 minutes ago, Holko said:

Yes, Eulogy was fantastic, and I also really liked Hotel Reverie.

 

I liked Reverie with all its Casablanca references. The funny thing is that once again it seems to be - aside from the general holodeck setting - at its core a remake of a Star Trek episodes: In this case, one of the great STTNG classics (The Inner Light).

 

22 minutes ago, Holko said:

I did have slight problems with some episodes earlier where they seemed to hinge on "oh look at these poor simulated nonreal people", but these are back to focusing on real people and how they're affected by these simulations.

 

The adventure and cast and fantastic TOS parody carried the original USS Callister for me despite this problem, but now this new one went a little deeper and explored some elements a little better which I really liked.

 

Also, at least in the case of the Callister episodes, the point is: Those simulated people are "real" in most aspects that count. It would be interesting (although perhaps overkill) if a future Callister sequel reveals that the assumed "reality" is also just a simulation.

 

22 minutes ago, Holko said:

Ooo and I liked the setting and slow unraveling of Bête Noire even if I didn't think it successfully stuck the landing at the end and thought it was funny that EEAAO ended up being harder scifi than a Black Mirror episode on the same concept

 

The ending was abrupt, and maybe slightly rubbed me the wrong way, but it fits - I think it's the right ending (and Plaything's ending is right for the same reason). In general, the episode was very successful in conveying a feeling of absolute helplessness. Also, a nice little tech twist:

(From IMDb)

Spoiler

Adding to the "Mandela Effect" theme of the episode, two different versions of scenes are played for viewers. The logo for the chicken company on the hat seen at the beginning of the episode, as well as later when the office is arguing over the name of the restaurant is different... (Barney's & Bernie's) complete with alternative dialogue. Viewers are presented with one version or the other (seemingly at random). This is a very "meta" Easter egg which adds another layer of differing memory beyond the actual episode and onto the viewer themselves, perfectly in line with the themes of the episode and the series as a whole.

 

I find it ironic how Black Mirror occasionally makes creative use of streaming's potential (cf. Bandersnatch - although that could be done with Blu-ray technology as well) while generally regularly basing episodes on its problem and dangers (Common People applies here to some extent).

 

Speaking of which: Either my internet connection has issues or Netflix is becoming worse, but several episodes had rather awful compression when I watched them. Also, Netflix seems to have problems with compressing B&W content - I noticed that last year when watching Ripley, and now it was so obvious in Hotel Reverie that I wondered whether they deliberately added bad compression to the film-in-film parts (but I don't think they did).

[Naïve Old Fart 11,523]

THE NEWSROOM 

S1, E1.

Well, you gotta start somewhere 

It's snappy, sassy, and intelligent. Jeff Daniels' speech at the beginning is worthy of an Emmy, right there. It's as if Tom Grunik grew up, and grew a pair.

It's also very, very fast.

Did the cast all have three double espressos in-between takes? I had to rewind the DVD just to catch all the dialogue.

I liked Sam Waterston's oblique nod to THE KILLING FIELDS.

The main title is lovely, bucolic, and very American.

It remains to be seen if this is the finest drama about TV (at the moment that accolade is shared between NETWORK, and BROADCAST NEWS), but it has great potential.

We will watch this show with great interest.

[Quintus 5,636]

In the end I didn't mind And/Or when I watched it last summer, so I pressed play on the new season that recently began. Unfortunately the whole scene right at the start with the bouncy tie fighter just put me right off the whole thing this time, so I bailed. Oh well.

 

I hate that increasingly invasive Loony Tunes shit that happens with CG action nowadays.

[Yavar Moradi 3,504]

I think The Newsroom is the most polished Aaron Sorkin show, with certainly the best music (and look). But parts of it (like that monologue) haven't aged well, for me. In terms of even just Sorkin shows about TV (and there are three), Sports Night has no competition IMO.

 

Yavar

[crocodile 9,131]

About to finish my rewatch of The Wire. Haven't seen it in exactly a decade. Wish I could say there was a series out there that managed to match it but, sadly, that moment never came. The memorable characters (so many!), complexity of storytelling, depth of insight into its world. I feel like I'm there. It is probably the only television ever that taught me something about the world anything aside from just entertaining me. But, most importantly, it really packs an emotional punch like almost nothing else I've seen. Some of it absolutely breaks my heart. I don't think it will ever get old.

 

By the way, I only discovered the series because writer Alan Moore mentioned it in this interview:

 

Quote

EW: Do you ever relax and just watch television?

 

Alan Moore: Selectively, mostly on DVD. The absolute pinnacle of anything I’ve seen recently has got to be The Wire. It’s the most stunning piece of television that has ever come out of America, possibly the most stunning piece of television full-stop.

 

EW: That’s a great example of storytelling that takes its time.

 

Absolutely, that is grown-up television! It’s novelistic. 

You get to find out about all these tiny different aspects of Baltimore, to build up a huge picture of the city with all of its intricacies — from the wharf side, to the kids in the projects, to the power structure with the boardrooms and police department and governor’s office. And it’s got some great writers: it’s got George Pelecanos and David Simon. And so many wonderful characters, Bubbles, Omar. So yeah, everything else looks pretty lame next to The Wire.

 

Karol

[Mr. Lovejoy 7,993]

Duster 

 

It's JJ Abrams so go in with low expectations. It doesn't seem exactly aware that what it's doing isn't that cool, playing rock songs with flashy over-exposed photography of period stuff with attempts at wittiness. Maybe it gets better? Maybe modern more sophisticated audiences are still craving this JJ Abrams nonsense, like baby Kirk driving a car off a cliff.

 

It's relatively entertaining to throw on and has an interesting cast, despite the usual race-hustling and evil white patriarchy stuff that comes standard these days. Josh Holloway, who was a minor villain on Yellowstone killed by a poisonous snake in an igloo cooler, is pushing 60 and playing 40? I think he needs more botox. The more natural photography on Yellowstone suited him.

 

I appreciate the general straight-fordwardness of Taylor Sheridan shows. They're not trying to be flashy like a JJ production, but they're more traditionally shot with nice scenery of what Hollywood considers the "flyover states" with spinny horsies, and feel genuine despite his constantly unsophisticated and curt style of writing. Billy Bob simply is his character on Landman and land grabs and cartels at the border are just more captivating storylines. It's more realistic and relatable if you will.

 

This feels like it was made in the 2000s orange and teal style and ultimately to appeal to elder millennials and increasingly elderly Gen Xers who like to digest this Abrams pap. Nonsense storylines, rock songs and a Kaminski meets Transformers look? All style, not much substance, and not my style either. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,858]

Has JJ even directed a film after Ep 9?

[Quintus 5,636]

We should be thankful.

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,731]

He's been in witness protection ever since 

[A24 4,788]

17 hours ago, crocodile said:

About to finish my rewatch of The Wire. Haven't seen it in exactly a decade. Wish I could say there was a series out there that managed to match it but, sadly, that moment never came. The memorable characters (so many!), complexity of storytelling, depth of insight into its world. I feel like I'm there. It is probably the only television ever that taught me something about the world anything aside from just entertaining me. But, most importantly, it really packs an emotional punch like almost nothing else I've seen. Some of it absolutely breaks my heart. I don't think it will ever get old.

 

By the way, I only discovered the series because writer Alan Moore mentioned it in this interview:

 

 

Karol

 

The '16:9' version, I assume? 

[crocodile 9,131]

31 minutes ago, A24 said:

 

The '16:9' version, I assume? 

Yeah, I don't think you can even find the 4:3 one anymore? Outside of the old DVD release? To be honest, I don't think that change hurt the show at all.

 

Karol

[Schilkeman 1,437]

The one-two punch of Babylon 5 and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. Buffy was a third rewatch, but the first in many years. It is just as good as I remember. Whedon may be a first-class chud, and his quippy-ness may have gotten the better of him in recent years, but he knows how to write honest, internally motivated character drama (and comedy) better than just about anyone. All the writers on the show were just as strong. As with Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart, it is a sin against tv that SMG never won an Emmy for her work. What a treat.

 

Babylon 5, well, fellas, it was trying, but JMS is the kind of pseudo-intellectual I warn first-year college students about. It so very much wants to be deep. I was told the writing was good. I kept waiting for the writing to be good. "One moment of perfect beauty" is now my saying for all art with deeper ambitions than the reach of the artist. Or, "consider the ant," if I really want to be an ass about it. What a mess.

[Glóin the Dark 1,504]

On 26/05/2025 at 12:51 PM, A24 said:

The '16:9' version, I assume? 

 

There's a 16:9 version? That's revolting...

[Mr. Lovejoy 7,993]

Joss Whedon rules

[Quintus 5,636]

I fancied something with monsters, so I stuck on this thing called Evil. Never heard of it. Anyone watched this?

 

I didn't realise it was a procedural detective show, which are kinda the antithesis of what I consider watchable telly. But despite myself I ended getting into the pilot, and because the main character is almost immediately cute and moreish in a Tina Fey sort of way. This isn't comedy, but she's spunky and offbeat, and that makes her rather plain attractiveness lean into sexiness. She has nice hair.

 

Basically, the two lead characters here are a criminal psychologist and this other fella who is training to be a priest. I think they go around solving murders which may or may not involve weird demonic shit, and there are definitely monsters involved, as well a some squeamish blood and suffering (parts are enjoyably creepy and there's a classiness to the scares - it's not schlock). Mature entertainment certainly, but it isn't grim n gloomy. Maybe the X-Files with exorcisms? Anyway, I don't normally give this stuff a chance, but Evil is obviously pretty well done and worth a look if you're stuck for something to put on.

 

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 3,504]

7 hours ago, Schilkeman said:

Babylon 5, well, fellas, it was trying, but JMS is the kind of pseudo-intellectual I warn first-year college students about. It so very much wants to be deep. I was told the writing was good. I kept waiting for the writing to be good. "One moment of perfect beauty" is now my saying for all art with deeper ambitions than the reach of the artist. Or, "consider the ant," if I really want to be an ass about it. What a mess.

 

I'm guessing you gave up on the show somewhere in season 2? Because yeah, the writing's often good... really good, especially in seasons 3 & 4 which were entirely written by JMS. That "one moment of perfect beauty" bit you're picking on wasn't even written by JMS; it was written by Peter David who just passed away (he wrote two episodes in season 2 and this was definitely the weaker one).

 

The ant bit is JMS but it's early season 1. I'm not sure what you have against it though:

 

This was the first strong indicator that G'Kar was going to grow out of being a rote Star Trek-style antagonist... and the writing and acting of his character is probably the greatest element of the show, at least partly responsible for its first Hugo Award win for "The Coming of Shadows" (that's mid season 2 -- you didn't even like that one? Yeesh.)

 

Yavar

[Nick1Ø66 6,714]

33 minutes ago, Quintus said:

I didn't realise it was a procedural detective show, which are kinda the antithesis of what I consider watchable telly.

 

I will never understand the endurance and continued appeal of the police procedural.

 

Well, I guess that's not accurate...I get it, but other than the occasional Scandi noir, the charms of such shows are lost on me.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,858]

1 hour ago, Quintus said:

main character is almost immediately cute and moreish in a Tina Fey sort of way.

 

Dutch actress

[Quintus 5,636]

Oh, what about the accent?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,858]

Did you ever hear a Dutch accent on Rutger Hauer?

[Quintus 5,636]

A little.

[Schilkeman 1,437]

12 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

the writing and acting of his character is probably the greatest element of the show

You make a lot of assumptions about people who disagree with you. I don't know, maybe stop doing that. I do agree with this point. That bit was just eye-rollingly didactic. I have far bigger issues with Londo.

 

I watched through the end of season 3, and couldn't stand anymore. I don't care if season 4 was the second coming of Cowboy Bebop, if a show can't hold up for 3 (supposedly 4)/5ths of its runtime, it isn't worth watching. I could illustrate my points, but this person did a write up with which I more or less agree. Long story short, I think it obfuscates because it doesn't have anything cogent to say.

 

Funny to see them praising Battlestar, which they eventually turned on as well. Another show, even the early seasons, that has not held up to my recent reappraisal. A lot of smoke and mirrors.

[A24 4,788]

 

The Coen brothers influence is strong in this one.

 

 

After being let go from his job, Don Draper becomes a thief.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,186]

Paradise

 

I don't think the finale stuck the landing fully. It resolved some of the bigger storylines a bit too quickly. I understand why, because they wanted to build the mystery throughout the season, but still. Could've used a bit more tinkering.

 

Besides that, I thought this was great! Strong performances and writing. Episode 7 is the clear standout of the season. Absolutely incredible! Great thriller.

 

Curious to see what S2 will look like.

[A24 4,788]

First two episodes of ...

 

 

I have a feeling this series is seriously overrated. 

[Edmilson 10,358]

It is dark, disturbing, realistic and relatable for parents with young kids.

[A24 4,788]

I can't relate to a 13-year-old adolescent who can't stop crying like a little child just because the police arrested him. The drama is over-emphasized so that average viewer can't miss it. 

[Glóin the Dark 1,504]

6 minutes ago, A24 said:

I can't relate to a 13-year-old adolescent who can't stop crying like a little child just because the police arrested him.

You must have grown up in a pretty rough neighbourhood...

[A24 4,788]

The kid in Adolescent cried during the entirety of episode 1. He acted like a 5-year-old that has lost his parents in the crowd. I don't know about you, but when we were 13 years old, nobody cried or peed  his pants. I think today's youth acts even tougher than we did. The drama is over-emphasized. 

 

Of course, he could be faking it so that everyone thinks is not guilty. That would make him a manipulative child and that would make a lot more sense to me.

 

Tonight I'll be watching episode 3. 

 

Also, the black detective is clearly a health freak (a bodybuilder of some sorts) but when he has to chase someone, he acts like a donut-eating fat cop. No way he's a smoker that tries to quit.