Binge worthy TV

[lizkat]

I loved Upstairs, Downstairs! I also made sure to catch it live each week. Never felt like watching Downton though.

In Downtown Abbey I quite fell in love with portrayals of some of the characters, like the cook Mrs. Patmore and cook's assistant Daisy; head housemaid Anna and housekeeper Mrs. Hughes were also wonderful. I guess it wasn't just the costumes and props and general ambience after all...

 

[Huntn]

i only watched it earlier this past year.
what impressed me about Downton Abbey was its ability (and intent) to make real the surrounding world's impacts on both classes. both upstairs and downstairs.
i also found myself constantly rooting for the irish husband. LOL.

i stayed away from Downton for so long, despite the acclaim. but was glad i had time during earlier COVID stay-in days.
it did make me remember, however, when Upstairs, Downstairs was originally broadcast on PBS in the USA that people would actually stay at home that evening to be able to watch it. i did.
a few years later, there was Chariots of Fire that also captured the attention of millions of Americans in the same way.

I loved Upstairs, Downstairs! I also made sure to catch it live each week. Never felt like watching Downton though.

We watched the entire UD Series after the fact on Netflix I think. Really enjoyed it.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Watched the first episode of Bridgerton on Netflix. All the reviews promised hot over the top sex scenes. Based on what I saw I have a question. When did the Amish start doing Netflix series reviews? Only the Amish would consider a little side boob over the top.

 

[Thomas Veil]

Let me preface this by saying I’ve never been a big Star Wars guy.

I'm not really a "Star Wars" guy either

At last I don’t feel quite so alone.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

At last I don’t feel quite so alone.

It wasn’t until recently that I was able to come out of the straight guy who doesn’t follow sports closet. It was quite freeing and as a bonus I discovered announcing that is also an instant small talk killer which I’m also not a fan of. Now I just need to muster the courage to respond to “So what do you do for a living?” with “Do you really care and why?” and my metamorphosis will be complete.

 

[Huntn]

Watched the first episode of Bridgerton on Netflix. All the reviews promised hot over the top sex scenes. Based on what I saw I have a question. When did the Amish start doing Netflix series reviews? Only the Amish would consider a little side boob over the top.

Any good?

 

[DT]

It wasn’t until recently that I was able to come out of the straight guy who doesn’t follow sports closet. It was quite freeing and as a bonus I discovered announcing that is also an instant small talk killer which I’m also not a fan of.

I've been loud and proud about not watching most sports, and certainly not being a fan of / following / using the "we" in the content of a team kind of person. Hell, the wife was watching football years ago while I was watching Buffy and/or Angel. I do keep up with the NFL, but very casually, I might occasionally check some NHL scores, zero in the way of college sports. I follow a little motorsports, specific events like the 24 Hour at Daytona (international sports car type racing).

However, I do/have surfed, SUP, ski, kayak, climbed, done a ton of off road biking and cycling, practiced a couple of MAs for years, I can step into a 4x4 pickup game, mix it up with a football, I'm decently "athletic". It's funny to watch the uncoordinated little boys in their silky NBA costumes, obsessed with stats, try to play some ball (I have a nephew like this ...), where someone like me doesn't have much interest but could actually play.

Now I just need to muster the courage to respond to “So what do you do for a living?” with “Do you really care and why?” and my metamorphosis will be complete.

Ha! I just answer with some long, semi-incoherent, barely factual spew

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Any good?

It’s not bad, but definitely geared towards people into aristocrat romance and gossip novels.

Interestingly they have some minorities in aristocrat roles which I’m going to assume isn’t accurate to the time in predominantly white countries. It doesn’t ruin it or take you out of it but there still is an initial forced equality decision feeling to it. At least they didn’t go to the extreme of every member of a blood related family is a different race. I’m talking to you Disney with your live plays.

 

[Huntn]

It’s not bad, but definitely geared towards people into aristocrat romance and gossip novels.

Interestingly they have some minorities in aristocrat roles which I’m going to assume isn’t accurate to the time in predominantly white countries. It doesn’t ruin it or take you out of it but there still is an initial forced equality decision feeling to it. At least they didn’t go to the extreme of every member of a blood related family is a different race. I’m talking to you Disney with your live plays.

I discovered that was the show my wife was watching but decided she did not like it, and not because of the minority roles who seemed out of place in this story. I understand the reason why, but I think it is a form of political correctness that is excessive and diminishes the impact of any story. Think in reverse if you inserted white actors to play slaves in a story about the black experience in America. No one would appreciate that.

 

[Thomas Veil]

The best Christmas present I got, which I'm currently bingeing, is a box set of Green Acres, all six seasons. I'd wanted to buy the show for years, but only the first three seasons were available.

My patience has been rewarded however. (Well it hasn't exactly been rewarded. I don't think they give rewards for shows. Although they do have the Emmys. Or is that the Oscars? Or maybe it was the Tonys. You know, I had an Uncle Tony once. In fact, I had an Uncle Oscar. Then there was my Uncle Emmy. He was the one who never married. Although I think my Uncle Tony and Uncle Oscar were married. I'm not sure if it was to each other. What were we talking about?)

Anyway, it's one of my all time favorite repeat-watchable TV shows. Said favorites including Hank Kimball, who until Donald Trump came along was television's leading purveyor of random verbal idiocy; the often surreal plots involving tractors, pigs, ladders and square egg-laying chickens; and those wonderfully insane fourth wall-breaking credits.

​

Yes sir. Green Acres, I am there.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Finally watched the last episode of Raised by Wolves. WTF was that? I know it's science fiction, but come on. It was right up there with Stephen King giant spider ending fails, and not far from being exactly that. I was already kind of losing interest half way through the season, but that ending really jumped the shark for me.

 

[Alli]

Finally watched the last episode of Raised by Wolves. WTF was that? I know it's science fiction, but come on. It was right up there with Stephen King giant spider ending fails, and not far from being exactly that. I was already kind of losing interest half way through the season, but that ending really jumped the shark for me.

It just brings you completely into the Alien universe.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

It just brings you completely into the Alien universe.

Hmm. Is that really where they are going with it? I found the SPOILER ALERT flying snake quite silly, not to mention the “dig a hole deep enough and you’ll pop up in China” scene.

 

[Alli]

Hmm. Is that really where they are going with it? I found the SPOILER ALERT flying snake quite silly, not to mention the “dig a hole deep enough and you’ll pop up in China” scene.

Think Alien: Covenant. It’s really that simple.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Think Alien: Covenant. It’s really that simple.

Well, I still don't like it.

 

[DT]

Finished up the Mandalorian S2. Season 2 is the last one available, but it's been greenlit (shocker ...) for S3. There's also 2 spinoff series on deck, I believe one is specifically a "limited series", not mentioning any specifics as it's a bit spoilerific

Speaking of spoilers, holy hell, that season ending? I semi-lost my mind and like I mentioned I'm not even a SW nerd, though, this series woke something inside me ... my inner nerd has been released!

Anyway, it's so much fun, again, we're the anti-cutsie, don't watch network, dislike most "rom-coms". We like dark / comedy / action like The Boys, gritty shows like Deadwood, loved Fleabag, Mindhunter, Succession, The Watchman, this isn't totally in our sweet spot, but it was __terrific__.

Oh, and I'll leave this here, hahahaha

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Started watching Equinox on Netflix. All these white people practicing ancient pagan rituals movies and series get the same thing wrong. When white people get together to get drunk and/or high and commune with nature and the spiritual world, when they start banging on percussion it doesn’t sound like a well practiced marching band. It sounds like they are throwing the entire contents of your kitchen down an endless staircase. If you're lucky maybe 2 people will be playing in time together. Everybody else is off on their own timing and "groove", if you could even call it that.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Haven't revisited Bridgerton, but something has been bothering me about it that I feel falls under the outrage hypocrites umbrella. People get outraged about teen girls being portrayed sexually, but I guess its ok when the actress playing a part is of legal age but she clearly looks like she isn't in the role she's portraying? Do they honestly believe child predators make that distinction? The jury of public opinion doesn't seem to make that distinction in real life when the girl lying about her age is a factor in a case. "Well she looks young and therefore he's a pedophile."

 

[Huntn]

Haven't revisited Bridgerton, but something has been bothering me about it that I feel falls under the outrage hypocrites umbrella. People get outraged about teen girls being portrayed sexually, but I guess its ok when the actress playing a part is of legal age but she clearly looks like she isn't in the role she's portraying? Do they honestly believe child predators make that distinction? The jury of public opinion doesn't seem to make that distinction in real life when the girl lying about her age is a factor in a case. "Well she looks young and therefore he's a pedophile."

Are you talking about Bridgeston?

 

[Eric]

Finished watching the latest season of The Crown. The series has now advanced into having a look at Margaret Thatcher as well as at the British royals in the time of the heir apparent's young adulthood and marriage. I can sort of understand why Buckingham Palace is already pretty frosted (or burned up, take yer pick) and apparently wants Netflix to append a disclaimer of sorts, i.e. "fiction based on fact". This even before the next season picks up (with a portrayal of Diana's demise still ahead). Be all that as it may, of course I could not stop watching.

Not sure what I think of it really. I won't say much more because there are enough spoilers out there in the press.

However, we in the USA have Donald Trump, so whatever the British royals have come up with in real life, or whatever dialogue and behind-closed-doors antics the director and producers of The Crown suggest all that lot have said or done, there could be nothing more penny-dreadful and soap-opera worthy than a look behind the scenes of a monstrously narcissistic, pouting "fake king" at the helm of the USA. For instance, who could even make up the idea of protestors floating a Trump-baby balloon over London? The real life Queen must have enjoyed that little respite from press attention to her own travails with a dodgy set of children. She probably hopes she'll live long enough to see Hollywood rake "King Donald" over the coals in his turn.​

Still I can see why the palace is not especially pleased by The Crown as it wends its way from the past to however far it dares advance to the present. In fact from the beginning, I had wondered how far they would take it, and apparently the show's creator, Peter Morgan, had second thoughts as well, having announced last January that the series will wrap with a fifth season next year... and not with a sixth as had originally been planned. Probably just as well. I rather dislike drama based on real events when the filmed version practically runs in parallel with the lives of contemporary characters.

We just wrapped up the entire series to date and I have several different thoughts both good and bad about the show but the one thing I can't deny is the production value is absolutely top notch. No expense was spared, the locations and times they film scenes are carefully considered which makes the entire thing like beautifully lit painting in motion.

Overall, it's a show about entitlement and rich people problems that is sometimes hard to stomach, such as Prince Philip complaining about his 80,000 sq ft residence as if were living in squalor as regular working class British citizens are struggling to make ends meet. However, they have the same family drama as the rest of us, just with no limits on money.

The writing is exceptional and the story lines gripping, this is best quality show since GoT in my opinion. It's hard to turn away from it, even when their sense of entitlement becomes offensive. I could not recommend a show more.