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General Purpose UK TV thread
https://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6508
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Author:  Kern [ Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Ah, thanks for the reminder. I'll check the schedules to see if it's repeated and set the DVR up accordingly. I know it's on All4, but that service is the Itunes of catch-up systems.

Author:  Findus Fop [ Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Kern wrote:
Ah, thanks for the reminder. I'll check the schedules to see if it's repeated and set the DVR up accordingly. I know it's on All4, but that service is the Itunes of catch-up systems.


:this:

Didn't realise it started last night. It's repeated on Friday on 4Seven.

Author:  TheVision [ Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Well worth watching I reckon.

Author:  Kern [ Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

'Peep Show' was basically about mid-late 20s male crapness, watched when we were in our mid-late 20s. I'm hoping this new show just as accurately reflects our current stage in life.

Author:  Kern [ Sun Sep 10, 2017 16:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Enjoyed the first episode.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
Perhaps the sex over the speakers and the pissing dog were a little too sit-commy compared to the rest of it, but that didn't really detract much from it.

Author:  Kern [ Sat Sep 16, 2017 15:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Episode 2 was fantastic. Really loved the hardcore vicar.

Author:  Warhead [ Sat Sep 16, 2017 21:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Warhead wrote:
Mrs. W and I have been enjoying Strike on the Beeb. There's some nice chemistry between Cormoran Strike and his temp secretary, Robin.


I was discussing this with my daughter, who said she used to coach Holliday Grainger, who plays Robin, at the am dram group she went to years ago. Fancy that.

Author:  Trousers [ Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I'm fully caught up with Back now. It's really good to the point where I've had to pause it a few times so I can stop laughing.

The lines about peanuts and then ketchup was almost too much to take at one point.

Author:  myp [ Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

It has its moments but mostly it's just nowhere near as good as Peep Show.

Author:  devilman [ Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Lonewolves wrote:
It has its moments but mostly it's just nowhere near as good as Peep Show.


:this: It's certainly watchable (although I always forget it's on and then watch it on catch-up), but it does feel in the shadow of Peep Show. Not so much a criticism of Back, but just that Peep Show takes some beating.

Author:  Kern [ Wed Oct 11, 2017 20:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Just watched the first episode of BBC 4's Tunes for Tyrants with Suzy Klein. The first one looks at the music of Weimar Germany and Lenin-period Russia, with modern performances of the songs alongside archive footage.

There's a very dark moment when she and a German cabaret singer perform a late 1920s song taking the piss out of the Nazis but with lyrics that today are deeply discomforting, followed shortly after by a very sensitive discussion of the Horst-Wessel Lied.

On a lighter part of the show, the performance of Camille Saint-Saëns' Swan on piano and theremin is sublimely beautiful and worth catching in itself. Oh, and she destroys a piano with a sledgehammer at some point.

Author:  Kern [ Thu Oct 12, 2017 17:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Finished 'Back'. I enjoyed it more as a drama rather than as a laugh-a-minute comedy although there were some very funny moments in there. Andrew (Robert Webb) was brilliantly manipulative throughout. I felt the twist at the end fell a bit flat, however.

Author:  myp [ Thu Oct 12, 2017 18:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

It raised a smile every now and again but just wasn't funny enough. If it didn't have Mitchell and Webb in it we wouldn't even be talking about it, as the supporting cast were dreadful.

Author:  TheVision [ Thu Oct 12, 2017 20:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I enjoyed it immensely.

Author:  myp [ Thu Oct 12, 2017 22:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

TheVision wrote:
I enjoyed it immensely.

Quelle surprise, PraiseBot.

Author:  Doctor Glyndwr [ Mon Oct 16, 2017 14:25 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I have no idea if Netflix shows go in here or the US thread. Meh.

Anyway, Mindhunter: very good. If I told you it was a character drama exec-produced by David Fincher about the dawn of criminal profiling in the FBI in the 70s, you'd probably immediately be able to imagine what it's like. Refrshingly free of cliché so far (three episodes in), and with some great performances from the two male leads and a particularly mesmeric work from the actor playing the first serial killer interviewee we've seen so far.

Author:  Mr Russell [ Mon Oct 16, 2017 14:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
I have no idea if Netflix shows go in here or the US thread. Meh.

Anyway, Mindhunter: very good. If I told you it was a character drama exec-produced by David Fincher about the dawn of criminal profiling in the FBI in the 70s, you'd probably immediately be able to imagine what it's like. Refrshingly free of cliché so far (three episodes in), and with some great performances from the two male leads and a particularly mesmeric work from the actor playing the first serial killer interviewee we've seen so far.

Start a Netflix originals thread!

Author:  Kern [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 20:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Watched the first episode of 'Gunpowder'. Suitably mucky for the period and a rather gruesome demonstration of Stuart entertainment at the start. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky, however, and I really didn't think Mark Gatiss was particularly well cast as Sir Robert Cecil. I'll probably catch the next two parts nonetheless.

I then watched ten minutes of ITV2's 'Bromans' that I'd idly taped out of perverse curiosity before I found myself yearning to be thrown to the lions myself.

Author:  MaliA [ Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Kern wrote:
Watched the first episode of 'Gunpowder'. Suitably mucky for the period and a rather gruesome demonstration of Stuart entertainment at the start. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky, however, and I really didn't think Mark Gatiss was particularly well cast as Sir Robert Cecil. I'll probably catch the next two parts nonetheless.



Yes. Crikey. Was not quite expecting that right off the gun but yeah. Episode itself was OK. And i am now sure I did see him in the pub.

Author:  Bamba [ Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I wasn't aware of this until it had been on for weeks already so I'll mention it here in case anyone else is in a similar position: a new season of W1A is currently showing and will no doubt* be as hilarious as the preceding seasons and the olympic thing it started as.

*I say that because I'm stockpiling it and haven't actually started watching it myself as yet.

Author:  Kern [ Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

That's one of those shows that sounds really up my street based on what I've heard but which I've yet to actually watch. Must make amends.

Author:  Bamba [ Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:58 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Kern wrote:
That's one of those shows that sounds really up my street based on what I've heard but which I've yet to actually watch. Must make amends.


It's probably worth watching them in order (starting with 'Twenty Twelve' which is really the first series) if you can. Not because there are massively important plots to follow or anything but new characters do come in at times and I think it would be better appreciated if you see them from their point of introduction rather than as they stand now.

Author:  devilman [ Tue Oct 31, 2017 11:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Findus Fop wrote:
devilman wrote:
Been watching 'The Fall' on Amazon these past few evenings. Enjoyed the first two seasons, once I got used to the slowish pace of it all and the terrible subtitling in season two. Got to the end of season two only to find that season three isn't included in Prime and has to be paid for separately. Gits.


You're missing nothing, third series was a waste of time.


Amazon added series three the other day, so I thought I'd give a go. You're not wrong so far.. bloody hell.

Author:  Satsuma [ Thu Nov 02, 2017 22:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Gotta say, s12 of Red Dwaft has actually been...pretty good. I’m surprised. I can’t stand the canned laughter but otherwise it’s been actually watchable and occasionally quite funny.

Author:  Grim... [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 0:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

XII is filmed with an audience.

I think Red Dwarf always has been.

Author:  Cras [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 0:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Didn't they switch to an audience for nuDwarf, and it was measurably worse for it?

Author:  Cras [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 0:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Oh, apparently not. Live audience for every episode.

Author:  Satsuma [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 0:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Even if it is I’m not convinced that the laughter track that plays over the top of it is from the same audience’s reactions. The actors don’t react to the laughter at all and lines are read out while “laughter” is still going on from a previous joke. Happy to be proven wrong if you know something I don’t.

Author:  Cras [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Satsuma wrote:
Even if it is I’m not convinced that the laughter track that plays over the top of it is from the same audience’s reactions. The actors don’t react to the laughter at all and lines are read out while “laughter” is still going on from a previous joke. Happy to be proven wrong if you know something I don’t.


According to Llewellyn there's always a live studio audience, but for some shots/scenes where they can't, they dub over a laugh track from separate audience reactions.

Author:  Warhead [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 2:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Bamba wrote:
Kern wrote:
That's one of those shows that sounds really up my street based on what I've heard but which I've yet to actually watch. Must make amends.


It's probably worth watching them in order (starting with 'Twenty Twelve' which is really the first series) if you can. Not because there are massively important plots to follow or anything but new characters do come in at times and I think it would be better appreciated if you see them from their point of introduction rather than as they stand now.


I began to think they were running out of plot, but I still enjoyed the last series. Anna Rampton’s meltdown was great, and it was nice to see that Will haplessly provided a solution to a problem that the other high flyers were struggling to cope with. Still very much worth watching.

Author:  DavPaz [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

No studio audience for S7. The laugh track was recorded "live" after. The extended versions of S7 have no laugh track and it's proper eerie. I think those versions are on the DVDs

Author:  Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

According to something I heard in an interview ages ago, comedies shot in front of live audiences often air with a laugh track rather than the audience's reaction, at least in part. Recording the audience can mess up timing of jokes, or have one person laughing distractingly loud, or otherwise get in the way of the show. The live audience is there to help the actor's performance, not be part of the show.

Author:  Kern [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

It's also quite hard to get the same laugh for a joke when you've heard it three times due to retakes.

Ken Levine, who used to write for 'Frasier', 'MASH', and 'Cheers', wrote a blog post about this recently.

Author:  Mimi [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I similarly either read a piece or watched a program once that said that there is a tendency for some members of an audience to give the last or loudest laugh, laugh beyond the natural laugh period or in a notable manner to be able to give an identifiable laugh for when they watch it back, so the audience laughter is smoothed post-production.

Author:  TheVision [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I went to a taping of Harry Hills TV burp once and they definitely put a laugh track on afterwards. The show we saw was quite different to the one that actually went out on TV so I guess the moral of the story is to not believe anything you see or hear on telly.

Author:  Mr Russell [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

TheVision wrote:
I went to a taping of Harry Hills TV burp once and they definitely put a laugh track on afterwards. The show we saw was quite different to the one that actually went out on TV so I guess the moral of the story is to not believe anything you see or hear on telly.

The penny and the pie were NOT YOURS!!!

Author:  Kern [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I only find laugh tracks annoying when I don't find something particularly funny, or if the audience make that annoying whooping noise every scene. I often forget that 'Frasier' has an audience, for example. But I'm glad for most of the stuff I watch these days they aren't there.

Author:  Kern [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Mr Russell wrote:
TheVision wrote:
I went to a taping of Harry Hills TV burp once and they definitely put a laugh track on afterwards. The show we saw was quite different to the one that actually went out on TV so I guess the moral of the story is to not believe anything you see or hear on telly.

The penny and the pie were NOT YOURS!!!


Is this the next big game show scandal?

Author:  Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Kern wrote:
Ken Levine, who used to write for 'Frasier', 'MASH', and 'Cheers', wrote a blog post about this recently.


Quote:
Here’s an interesting thing – audiences respond way better to things they see live actors do rather than watching finished pre-records. In other words, let’s say I’m directing an episode with a car scene. I will pre-shoot it.

The editor will put it together that night and the following night when we shoot the show in front of 250 people we’ll have the ability to play it back for them and record their laughter.

However, when I direct, instead of showing that finished scene I bring out the actors involved, place them in two chairs, explain to the audience that they’re in a car driving, and have the actors do the scene live. I record the audio and even though the audience has to now imagine the scene, they laugh much louder having real actors performing the scene.

It all goes back to why some shows are filmed in front of an audience in the first place – there’s a real energy the cast derives from a live audience. They feed off their laughter. Their performances go up and if the writing is good the whole show rises. It’s intangible but the home viewer can sense it.

Getting back to that car scene, I wonder what would happen if we just aired the scene of the two actors on chairs instead of the real one with them in an actual car. I don't think the home audience would be thinking about the laugh track at that moment.


Image

Author:  Grim... [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Fun fact - if they use prerecorded (or 'canned') laughter, often those recording are very old, and the people laughing in them are almost certainly dead.

Author:  Mr Russell [ Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
Kern wrote:
Ken Levine, who used to write for 'Frasier', 'MASH', and 'Cheers', wrote a blog post about this recently.


Quote:
Here’s an interesting thing – audiences respond way better to things they see live actors do rather than watching finished pre-records. In other words, let’s say I’m directing an episode with a car scene. I will pre-shoot it.

The editor will put it together that night and the following night when we shoot the show in front of 250 people we’ll have the ability to play it back for them and record their laughter.

However, when I direct, instead of showing that finished scene I bring out the actors involved, place them in two chairs, explain to the audience that they’re in a car driving, and have the actors do the scene live. I record the audio and even though the audience has to now imagine the scene, they laugh much louder having real actors performing the scene.

It all goes back to why some shows are filmed in front of an audience in the first place – there’s a real energy the cast derives from a live audience. They feed off their laughter. Their performances go up and if the writing is good the whole show rises. It’s intangible but the home viewer can sense it.

Getting back to that car scene, I wonder what would happen if we just aired the scene of the two actors on chairs instead of the real one with them in an actual car. I don't think the home audience would be thinking about the laugh track at that moment.


Image


I remember watching him tip over completely on the Smeg Ups VHS :D

Author:  Warhead [ Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Grim... wrote:
Fun fact - if they use prerecorded (or 'canned') laughter, often those recording are very old, and the people laughing in them are almost certainly dead.


If Dead Can Dance, presumably Dead Can Laugh.

Author:  Warhead [ Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Howard’s End on the Beeb. Brill. Just hope they get to the end before one of the cast is accused of sexual shenanigans and has to be edited out and replaced by Christopher Plummer.

Author:  TheVision [ Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:22 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

I watched a programme last night and it was called Motherload. It's got Philonmena Cunk (Diane Morgan) in it and I thought it was very funny.

It's about parents dealing with the school run, PTA and stuff like that. Most amusing.

Author:  Findus Fop [ Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

TheVision wrote:
I watched a programme last night and it was called Motherload. It's got Philonmena Cunk (Diane Morgan) in it and I thought it was very funny.

It's about parents dealing with the school run, PTA and stuff like that. Most amusing.


Motherland! Though Motherload is almost as good a name.

Loved the pilot, not caught the series yet, thanks for the heads up

Author:  Kern [ Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

'Peaky Blinders' starts again tonight! Yay!

Author:  KovacsC [ Wed Nov 15, 2017 22:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Kern wrote:
'Peaky Blinders' starts again tonight! Yay!



I think I have missed season 3 completely.... arse..

Author:  DBSnappa [ Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

KovacsC wrote:
Kern wrote:
'Peaky Blinders' starts again tonight! Yay!



I think I have missed season 3 completely.... arse..

It’s on the iPlayer I think

Author:  TheVision [ Mon Dec 04, 2017 9:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Did anyone else watch the final of Robot Wars last night? I came into the series about half way through but I wish I'd watched the lot. It was great!

Author:  markg [ Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: General Purpose UK TV thread

Ha, yeah. That was some epic roboteering right there.

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