What was the last TV show you watched?

[Edward]

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.

It's certainly true that a paper which ddn't respect the arrangement could find itself excluded from it, though in terms of legal consequences, the Official Secrets Act would have been the one cited if they wre thratened with court.

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

If only Steven Moffat had taken note of that....

"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.

I've only seen the Ford film version from 1993(?), but I must track down the original. It sounds like it was much darker - and deeper - in its content than would be much equivalent networked television today.

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.

RTD, whatever his flaws, certainly brought in the spooky element in a lot of places, but in recent years the show has certainlyh suffered from Moffat's decision that because "it is a children's show", he was gonig to turn it into the sort of show that middle class parents want their hildren to watch, rather than the sort of show children actually want to watch, and which Who had classically been.

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.

When I watched the first couple of episodes, I remember finding it a bit Battlestar Galactica by comparison to Trek (this long before BSG's hip, modern reworking), but I stuck with it and it grew on me. They distinguished it nicely from the Trek universe by embracing a darker feel. I had the feeling that it was also deliberately targetting an audience who didn't care for Star Trek's 'moralising' which was, at least in the early days of TNG, sometimes rather heavy-handed. I would argue that it was also notable in that it was one of the first, big television franchises of its ilk which set out with a very specific story arc, aiming at a finite number of seasons, and carried that arc through. This is more common in television nowdays, I think, than it was then (when big shows generally kept going as long as the ratings stayed high, or as long as those who called the shots at the studio or the key cast wanted them to), but I remember it being quite a revolutionary concept at the time.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Edwards quoted me:
"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."

and replied:
"I've only seen the Ford film version from 1993(?), but I must track down the original. It sounds like it was much darker - and deeper - in its content than would be much equivalent networked television today."

The 1993 film is pleasant enough, but it wraps the whole thing up in 2 hours, whereas Kimble's epic search for the one-armed man, and run from the law, was a 4-season story arc. Deeper the original was than you'd see on ABC today, certainly, and with a dark edge. Though I suspect that a modern producer would have Lt. Gerard (instead of the honest diligent cop he was shown to be in the Sixties) be in the pay of a mysterious wealthy cabal who want to keep the real story of Helen Kimble's murder secret, etc.

The Fugitive was a drama with crime elements, not the other way around. And almost always, the fact of Kimble's peculiar shadow status, that he is on the run from the law, is an important factor in each story. The story would not play out the way it does, or he would not be caught up in the situation, if he were just a footloose drifter.

 

[1mach1]

Started watching the current season of Brooklyn 99

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[Fading Fast]

First episode of "The Crown" season 2.

It's still beautifully filmed with gorgeous sets, clothes, cars and architecture. And the acting and writing is all still of high quality.

My one quibble is that it's too slick, you can see and feel the way they manipulate your emotions - but you still go along (for the most part).

I don't know my history well enough to know if it is accurate, but they are making Anthony Eden out to be an egotistic, self-serving buffoon.

 

[Worf]

Three Episodes of "Band of Brothers".... Guess I'm not exactly in a jolly mood.

Worf

 

[Benny Holiday]

Vikings Season 4. Compelling characters in spite of the Game of Thrones leather fantasy costuming, historical timeline liberties, and stodgy editing. Interesting also in the way in which from time to time a spiritual element sneaks in, as in the "old gods" like Odin vs the "new" Christian God. Still somehow an intriguing show in spite of its various flaws.

 

[scottyrocks]

Not quite GE, but laughing at R&M's Laugh-In, yet again.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Not quite GE, but laughing at R&M's Laugh-In, yet again.

Little Old Man on Bench: "Do you believe in the hereafter?"

Spinster Lady: "Well, yes."

Little Old Man: "Then you know what I'm here after!" (For which he receives a clout with her purse)

 

[AmateisGal]

Three Episodes of "Band of Brothers".... Guess I'm not exactly in a jolly mood.

Worf

The Battle of the Bulge episode?

 

[3fingers]

Little Old Man on Bench: "Do you believe in the hereafter?"

Spinster Lady: "Well, yes."

Little Old Man: "Then you know what I'm here after!" (For which he receives a clout with her purse)

"Fair?, sir we don't have to be fair. We're the phone company."

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Three episodes of Longmire. Glad that they returned to solving a crime or mystery in an episode mode. Less of a soap opera, more of a cowboy detective show.
Two episodes of The Crown. As noted above by Fading Fast, beautiful images with viewer manipulation. But, shucks, we really like it.

 

[Worf]

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).

Puddin's spent three nights down there cackling her head off. Both our Moms were "The Help" for New York Jewish families. We get a ton of the "inside jokes". Great writing, great casting and wonderful costumes... I'm sure it's ruffling some feathers but we find it superb!

Worf

 

[Touchofevil]

A couple of episodes of Gunpowder on HBO.

 

[Fading Fast]

Puddin's spent three nights down there cackling her head off. Both our Moms were "The Help" for New York Jewish families. We get a ton of the "inside jokes". Great writing, great casting and wonderful costumes... I'm sure it's ruffling some feathers but we find it superb!

Worf

So glad you are enjoying it. Many years ago in NYC at my work, I sat next to an older (to me) Jewish man where I learned some of that NYC-Jewish argot and culture - and, based on that, yes, this show has captured that world.

Even away from that, the machine-gun-fire dialogue and exaggerated early '60s style is a lot of fun. And the lead actress is killing it.

 

[HanauMan]

Just watched episodes 3 and 4 of Feud, about the relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (or Crawfish, as Bette calls her). Poignant and sad, but enjoyable nevertheless. Gives a real insight into the workings of early 1960s Hollywood culture. I never liked Frank Sinatra and he doesn't come out well at all in this series, the way he treated Robert Aldrich for example. I felt sorry for the character of Victor Buono, getting caught in those less enlightened times. The female leads are real strong and it is interesting to see how women began to flex their muscles, both within the movie culture as well as in society as a whole, such as Pauline Jameson wanting to direct movies herself. Susan Sarandon gives a great performance and steals the show over Jessica Lange, in my humble opinion, much as Bette Davis stole the actual movie from Joan Crawford. Can't wait for the next episode where Joan finds out she wasn't nominated for an Oscar but Bette was!

 

[Doctor Strange]

I watched the latest half season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which I've been DVRing. This show was brilliant from the start, and has just gotten better. Simultaneously very funny yet deadly serious. A real gem.

 

[LizzieMaine]

One of the kids at work got me watching that, and I've never seen anything like it. Rachel Bloom is a genius.

 

[AmateisGal]

One of the kids at work got me watching that, and I've never seen anything like it. Rachel Bloom is a genius.

Someone else recommended this show to me, so I think I'm going to have to give it a go.

 

[Fading Fast]

Just watched episodes 3 and 4 of Feud, about the relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (or Crawfish, as Bette calls her). Poignant and sad, but enjoyable nevertheless. Gives a real insight into the workings of early 1960s Hollywood culture. I never liked Frank Sinatra and he doesn't come out well at all in this series, the way he treated Robert Aldrich for example. I felt sorry for the character of Victor Buono, getting caught in those less enlightened times. The female leads are real strong and it is interesting to see how women began to flex their muscles, both within the movie culture as well as in society as a whole, such as Pauline Jameson wanting to direct movies herself. Susan Sarandon gives a great performance and steals the show over Jessica Lange, in my humble opinion, much as Bette Davis stole the actual movie from Joan Crawford. Can't wait for the next episode where Joan finds out she wasn't nominated for an Oscar but Bette was!

Saw it when it was on - enjoyed it a lot and agree that Sarandan was incredible and trumped Lange.

Also, knowing a bit more about Sinatra than just "Feud," he seems like one of those guys who could be nice one day or to some people and horrible to other people or on another day. A truly complex mercurial man. I'm not defending or condemning - just noting my impression of him.

And I'm excited for you as "Feud" just kept getting better with each episode.

 

[belfastboy]

Vikings Season 4. Compelling characters in spite of the Game of Thrones leather fantasy costuming, historical timeline liberties, and stodgy editing. Interesting also in the way in which from time to time a spiritual element sneaks in, as in the "old gods" like Odin vs the "new" Christian God. Still somehow an intriguing show in spite of its various flaws.

Have not watched any of this but just finished watching "The Last Kingdom" and loved it. Marginally historical, but the characters are well drawn and interesting.