Be Excellent To Each Other

The last series of Inside No. 9 starts tonight on BBC 2 (10pm)

Nah, not buying it Tim from The Office, lad.

BBC Storyville - Praying for Armageddon

"Praying for Armageddon is a political thriller that explores the power and influence of American Evangelical Christians as they aim to fulfil the Armageddon prophecy.

The film observes American believers as they prepare for what they call The Holy War and exposes the powerful megachurch pastors who call for the 'final battle' that they believe will trigger the Second Coming of Christ. Completed before the current crisis in Israel and Gaza, it also unveils how politicians driven by faith embrace the State of Israel as the key to their prophetic vision for the end of days."

One of the most worrying documentaries I've seen in a while.

The Secret History of Writing is back on the Beeb. If you nerds missed it last time it was on, I can thoroughly recommend it.

We watched this last night after I saw your post. Absolutely chilling.

Finished s2 of Extraordinary. It's a lot of fun. Feels like an old school Channel 4 comedy.

Bridgerton is back and it's fucking wonderful

I thought it was quite weak for the first half, but picked up nicely towards the end of S2.

Jizzlord feeding his family was excellent.

Yeah definitely one or two slow episodes but very good overall. The woman who plays Carrie is an amazing actor.

Isn’t she just! So convincing as all the other inhabitants of her body.

She's great. The big concern for me now is that they get renewed and don't leave us on a cliffhanger.

The new series of Rebus on the Beeb requires you to switch on subtitles.

Except Eloise. Can't stand her.

Doctor Who has had two pretty dire episodes to start the new season, but followed that up with two really good ones. Today’s was excellent and one of my favourite from the modern era.

Yes, the first two were depressingly medicore - not dreadful, entertaining enough but nothing to shout about. The last two were both, in different ways, absolutely gripping.

I think I take the show like The Archers these days - it'll pass the time and occasionally irritate* but every once in the while something will happen that makes me remember why the show's worth keeping with.

* Harrison's recent transition from sexy copper to family-first god-botherer has been really disheartening

I thought the first two episodes were mediocre, but that the next two were worse!


This latest one:



I like the doctor, I like Ruby, the premises have been interesting, but the execution sorely lacking. I mean I'm still going to watch it, but I hope it improves.

My Wife and I have been on a Richard Armitage binge recently.

It started out by watching Red Eye, This was ITV's recent drama, involving Spies, China an overnight Flight between the UK and China (I assume this is the Red Eye, and that's not some play on China/Communism/Reds) It was alight, full of twists on twists on twists. However, it was lacking in several areas, with unexplained holes, and things left open. It felt a bit twsity for twisty sake.

Next up was "The Stranger" which had been at the back of my mind to watch for some time (My gamer name often is/was The Stranger), and when we saw that Richard Armitage was in it, and we had just watched him in Red Eye, we decided to jump in. This is (one of many) an adaptation of Harlan Coben book of the same name for Netflix. In this one "A stranger turns up and starts telling people secrets about family members, this leads to accusations, secret phone calls and stand offs,

As well as the adults doing their thing, and the Police getting involved, there are also teenagers doing teenage things and trying to scooby do it too (in a good way) I think this was our favourite of the 4 series that we watched, yes it was very twisty, but it was well acted, we were interested in all the story lines (and how they eventually linked together). If you're only going to watch one series with Richard Armitage in from the last 5/6 years watch this one!

As we enjoyed The Stranger so much, we decided to look at some of Harlan's other stuff, we looked at "Safe" but could not past Michael C Hall's awful British accent, so skipped it and instead watched "Stay Close" Another Drama were there is a family with Secrets (although this time it's the Matriarchy with the secret, she's about to get Married, and some stuff from her past is about to catch up with her. Not quite as good as The Stranger, and this is mostly because Richard Armitage's character wasn't very believable (and the flashback scenes with him in don't really look any different to the modern scenes) However, "Ken and Barbie" were really enjoyable.

Next up was "Fool me Once" We didn't realise Richard was in this one, until we started watching, Michelle Keegan is the lead, and she is in the unfortunate position of having her Sister and Husband be murdered within months of each other (and also being sacked from the Armed Forces for unlawfully killing civilians - which I would have thought would see her in Jail but apparently not) This one was harder to get in, only really getting interesting in the final 3/4 episodes. We found it harder to be interested in the b and c plots, and the teenage side plots this time were pretty meh and not really worth it. We watched to the end purely to see how it resolved, but we more glad that it was over than enjoying the ride. Now maybe we gave ourselves Coben Fatigue or Richard Armitage fatigue (although he's in this far less) but I don't think so. Avoid, unless you like Coben, or Keegan very much and want to watch everything they've done.

These may not be the most informational reviews ever, but hey ho, they are what they are.

I managed to acquire Stuck which is a five episode (short 12-13 min ones) series which is about a couple who live in a flat and aren't super happy. But the couple are Dylan Moran and Morgana Robinson so it's fun to watch.

Weirdly, it's a BBC thing but it's not on iPlayer. So I had to torrent it.

Also, Love Island. #onlygodcanjudgeme

I could have written that myself. There seems to be a glut of Coben at the moment, but at least they're British productions rather than awful U.S.ones.

Hullo, I’m stuck by myself of an evening for the foreseeable, and need a TV distraction. Can anybody recommend anything to watch? Has to be on BBC as that’s all I’ve got (apart from C4 and ITV, but adverts drive me bananas).

I assume you've already seen The Detectorists?

Inside Number 9 is incredible but can be disturbing at times. But is largely just clever and well written and acted.

Royle Family is nice to return to, even if some of the language is jarring now.

Blue Lights was good but stressful, ditto Kin. Both crime based dramas..

iPlayer also has a brilliant array of older movies that are worth snooping through

Early Doors

I have. The best kind of TV.

I’ll look at this crime dramas, thank you! Seen a lot (all?) of Inside No. 9. Royale Family is not for me, but I do like a good crime drama, thank you.

I don’t think I know this. Will have a look, thank you.

Quite enjoyed the new Rebus series.

Silent Witness on iPlayer. All 27 series are available and Mrs. W. and I have binge watched them all.

Mortimer and Whitehouse : gone fishing.

I've never been fishing in my life and have no interest in it, but this show is heartwarming and beautiful

Yes, it is. I re-watched them all over a few weeks after my cardiac surgery and I'm sure to helped with my convalescence.

Thanks so much everyone. I’ve never seen Silent Witness or Rebus, but I know OF them both, and have always heard the Lite good quality, so will take a look. Love Bob fishing. Have seen a few episodes. Great TV.

Did put the TV on last night, decided on a podcast instead. Promptly fell asleep. Went upstairs and Darwin was fast asleep with his podcast on too

Now 70s current programme is Essential 70s Folk Rock.

They've just played 'Here Comes The Sun' by The Beatles.

Folk Rock???????

Also not from the 70s

Not even the third best band from Liverpool

Atomic Kitten
Flock of Seaguls

What's the third?

Cast

The Coral are pretty high up my list.

Half of The KLF are from Liverpool too. Does that count?

Top half or bottom half?

The Coral are Wirral!

They left this in Birkenhead

Yes

Ken Dodd
Cilla
The Beatles

I feel a need to point out that Ken Dodd and Cilla weren't bands.

Controversial.

Ken Dodd had the Diddymen?

Typical 70s entertainer

That sounds like the compilation tape you'd get for a quid off Rhyl market instead of the Now That's What I Call Music the inlay was a photocopy of.