What was the last TV show you watched?

[Edward]

@Edward,

Don't forget that a mainly compliant press and the threat of the dreaded D Notice helped keep things quiet on the Phil the Greek front !

The D Notice system (as was - now rebranded as the Defence and Security Media Advisory System, or DSMA Notices -http://www.dsma.uk/ ) wouldn't have come into private matters on the DoE; it has only ever been a wholly extra-legal channel, designed to encourage the news media to play nice on national security and defence matters. Specific D-notices can be issued (I suspect there may well have been one put out when Prince Harry went to Afghanistan; there was certainly also one put out early in the Iraq conflict in 2003 which asked the press not to publish information about a specific vulnerability on British armoured troop carriers until after it had been addressed and rectified), but whether a specific individual has played away would have nothing to do with it. The systme is also wholly advisory, with no legal force, so it's impossible to "threaten" someone with a D-notice (David Cameron was much criticised by the DSMA committee a few years ago when he seemed to try to do just that, indicating he didn't understasnd the system.) If they're resorting to law, it would be libel (or privacy, if the press had any proof) every time. Notably, in English law it is almost impossible to get a pre-trial injunction preventing the publication of a story on grounds that it is alleged to be a libel, but the royals are among the very few who have managed this.

 

[Otter]

From what I heard (hearsay albeit) the Section D specifically was used to squash a series of stories in the 1950, referring to the a certain highly placed person. The implied threat being that any paper that dared publish would never receive official briefings again.

 

[Fading Fast]

We watched the last episode of season 1 of "The Crown" to get us back up to speed on the characters and plot lines before diving into season 2. It reminded us of how slick this production is - it is well done, but also a bit over-engineered as, on second viewing, the seams shows a bit more.

Again, we enjoy it as it is good TV, but it definitely feels reverse-engineered to garner a specific audience and particular response as opposed to someone having a vision of what show they want to make and just putting it out there.

All that said, we're very much looking forward to season 2.

 

[AmateisGal]

Just finished up season 2 of The Crown. I think I like it better than the first season. I still want to box Philip's ears, though.

 

[Harp]

Full disclosure: I've never watched a second of Gilmore Girls, so the whole Amy Sherman-Palladino overloaded dialog thing is lost on me.

I just adore Gilmore Girls....but nobody knows this.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Preacher season one and two. Silly, diverting nonsense with great production design.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The Punisher. It held my interest, but like most 13-ep Netflix series it felt like a 10-ep story stretched out with redundant and pointless detours. I'm not a fan of this character (*), but the story did draw me in. It actually did a better Homeland type story than Homeland itself has managed for several seasons.

(* Although I do have the 1970-whatever issue of Amazing Spider-Man that introduced the Punisher in my comics collection.)

 

[HanauMan]

As a fan of old Hollywood movies I've really enjoyed watching the first two episodes of Feud, set in the early 1960s during the filming of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Starring Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis and Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford, the show is basically a drama about the real life feud between these two movie stars in their twilight years, both on and off set during the filming of that movie. Though sad and poignant at times, the caustic chemistry between the two stars made me laugh out loud throughout the show. Can't wait for the next six episodes.

 

[3fingers]

As a fan of old Hollywood movies I've really enjoyed watching the first two episodes of Feud, set in the early 1960s during the filming of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Starring Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis and Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford, the show is basically a drama about the real life feud between these two movie stars in their twilight years, both on and off set during the filming of that movie. Though sad and poignant at times, the caustic chemistry between the two stars made me laugh out loud throughout the show. Can't wait for the next six episodes.

Sounds interesting, but some years ago, I decided to not watch any movie or television personality whether I agreed or not who thought it was a good idea to force feed their political, religious or medical views on their audience. They are free to have an opinion as are we all, but they are actors, singers, dancers or whatever. That's what they are being paid for and that's what they need to do. These 2 qualify, one more than the other.

 

[plain old dave]

Doctor Who. The Time Meddler, Part Four. I love vintage DW; they do almost everything with the plot instead of effects.

 

[vintage68]

I binged watched "Godless" on Netflix. Excellent western with some very nice and unusual western hats.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I just adore Gilmore Girls....but nobody knows this.

You're not alone. GG featured some of the best and most rapid-fire dialog since the Golden Era's screwball comedies.

Rory: So, is this party Grandma's having going to be a big deal?
Lorelai: Not really. The government will close that day. Flags will fly at half-mast. Barbra Streisand will give her final concert . . . again.
Rory: Uh-huh.
Lorelai: Now, the Pope has previous plans, but he's trying to get out of them. However, Elvis and Jim Morrison are coming and they're bringing chips.
*
Lorelai: I am a grown woman.
Rory: Says the woman with the "Hello Kitty" waffle iron.
*
Lorelai: Oh, but I got here early and there was nothing to do except feed gummy bears to the bomb-sniffing dogs which, apparently, the United States government frowns upon.
Rory: You got in trouble with the government while you were waiting for me?
Lorelai: Just a little.
Rory: How much is a little?
Lorelai: Learn Russian.

Not to mention pop-culture and music references galore (someone mentions Saturday night, and Lorelai says, "I've heard it's all right for fighting"). Dynamite stuff, and now if something billed as a comedy doesn't even approach these levels, I feel let down.

 

[Benzadmiral]

"The Girl From Little Egypt," a landmark episode of The Fugitive from Christmas Eve 1963. Kimble is knocked down by a young woman in her car, and while delirious mutters out his real name and details of his wife's murder. The girl, Pamela Tiffin, realizes he's innocent -- as she puts it, "People don't usually lie when they're delirious" -- and takes him in to let him recover, and to give herself something to think about other than her affair with a married man (Ed Nelson). The important thing is that we get long flashbacks: showing how Kimble and his wife Helen lost their child in childbirth, how the loss eroded their relationship (she refused to adopt), and more. Neatly done.

 

[Fading Fast]

You're not alone. GG featured some of the best and most rapid-fire dialog since the Golden Era's screwball comedies.....

Then you might want to check out "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" streaming on Amazon as it has the same writer / producer, Amy Sherman-Palladino, behind it and - after the first few bumpy episodes - the series hits a good stride with machine-gun-fire dialogue.

I've never watch GG, so I can't compare, but my girlfriend and I have been amazed at the quality of the dialogue on TMMM (again, get through the first few episodes - although, even by the second episode it's improving).

 

[Zombie_61]

The wife and I finished off the sixth and final season of Longmire last night. Coming up with a "perfect" ending for a television series is difficult because every fan has their own ideas about how and where they'd like to see their favorite characters end up, but I think this will satisfy most fans despite the end of the final episode feeling a bit rushed.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Doctor Who. The Time Meddler, Part Four. I love vintage DW; they do almost everything with the plot instead of effects.

I just watched Pertwee's first Spearhead form Space. Wonderful stuff. The new Dr Who's aren't spooky enough. Yes, they had to use plots rather than effects because there's only so much you could do with silver foil and cardboard in those days.

 

[Worf]

Two episodes of "The Good Place". Interesting and silly but I hate the lead character so much I don't know if I can stay with it! Felt the same way about "Seinfeld" and the cast of "Friends". Never wasted a minute on em.

Worf

 

[Seb Lucas]

Two episodes of "The Good Place". Interesting and silly but I hate the lead character so much I don't know if I can stay with it! Felt the same way about "Seinfeld" and the cast of "Friends". Never wasted a minute on em.

Worf

Now that is exactly how I felt about all of those! You wanna enjoy the company of those you spend time with.

 

[HanauMan]

One of the channels here is showing the entire run of the 1990s SciFi TV show Babylon 5. I watched it when it was originally shown and it has held up pretty well. Strong characters and plot lines throughout the show. The show isn't as slick as Star Trek:The Next Generation, DS9 and others, but I always felt more in tune with the B5 world than the world of TNG. Probably because it is bleaker than the world of Star Trek and its dumb 'oh aren't us humans so darn great' ethos. And, as a bonus, no stupid Klingons or smarty pants Wesley Crusher! B5 covers a lot of the same issues as Star Trek (Religion, racial tensions, politics etc etc) but in a much less sugar coated fashion.
The plotlines and stories are interesting, especially the gradual decline of Earth as its government becomes less enlightened and slides into totalitarianism and the eventual war for the universe by two ancient civilisations sucking in younger civilisations such as the Earth. Strong human leads but also strong alien characters such as G'Kar, Londo and Delenn. You can keep your dumb Picard / Q verbal fisticuffs. Give me Londo and G'Kar any day.

 

[Fading Fast]

Two episodes of "The Good Place". Interesting and silly but I hate the lead character so much I don't know if I can stay with it! Felt the same way about "Seinfeld" and the cast of "Friends". Never wasted a minute on em.

Worf

It doesn't get better. For some reason, we stayed with this show, but it isn't good. It has its moments, but overall, it doesn't work.