Television tonight: what's worth watching?

[Mr Larrington]

One day I will get round to binge-watching Borgen, which is still shrink-wrapped on that shelf there ////

[Hot Flatus]

Reminds me, I've still not done Breaking Bad either, though that's not on DVD, of course.

It was excellent. Especially given that it was a decade ago. Those kind of cinema-quality TV series are a bit more common now.

I've just ordered the Wire box set from Argos. £25.
Got to collect it from a Bristol Sainsbury argos, which gives me the opportunity to free myself from covid torpor, and have an excuse to get a fuckton of samosas from Jeevan Sweets in Stapleton.

I reckon it'll be a 2 hour jaunt.  That will exhaust me enough to need to spend the rest of the day and evening sitting down doing nothing...Perfect.

[ian]

I have a huge backlog of things to watch, a side-effect of not watching much tv other than movies at the weekend.

[citoyen]

Reminds me, I've still not done Breaking Bad either, though that's not on DVD, of course.

It was excellent. Especially given that it was a decade ago. Those kind of cinema-quality TV series are a bit more common now.

Same applies to The Wire, which came a bit before Breaking Bad. Both first came to British TV on obscure satellite channels (both on FX, iirc) and since reviewing obscure satellite TV shows was my job at the time, I got the first episodes of both on VHS to watch before I'd even heard anything about them, so wasn't influenced by the hype (although I do recall m'colleague telling me there's this new American series called The Wire that's supposed to be quite good and it would be worth considering for review... that turned out to be the understatement of the century). It had me absolutely mesmerised from the start. I think I watched that first episode at least three times.

There's a lot of debate over whether Breaking Bad or The Wire is best. I think they're too different to really compare them, but I'd give The Wire the nod.

[ian]

I do definitely want to watch The Wire, I was a big fan of the excellent Homicide: Life on the Street and I've enjoyed – if that's the word – David Simon's books.

Not so sure about The Sopranos, I find mob stuff a bit so-so, but I've been to New Jersey a lot (as my wife used to work there) so I'm like, probably connected.

If you ever want grade 1 fun, introduce a proper Italian to Italian American food. On her first day in the US, my wife and her loud friends got her an Italian meatball sub. On 'Italian bread.'

She went off like Vesuvius. They're a bit precious about their food, the Italians. I think they saved Olive Garden for later in her visit.

[citoyen]

I do definitely want to watch The Wire, I was a big fan of the excellent Homicide: Life on the Street and I've enjoyed – if that's the word – David Simon's books.

Have you read the book of Homicide? There are large chunks of The Wire that are lifted directly from it, almost verbatim.

The Wire is very different to the TV version of Homicide though.

[ian]

I have. I think they're both based on the same material. Homicide had to be suitable for US networks, but it still did very well at being a non-procedural procedural that must have given the NBC execs serial nose bleeds with its dark storylines, unsolved murders, and constant non-bad-guy-chasing talky-talk (which gave time to some of the best dialogue written), not to mention the murder board. I suspect it, and The Wire, did very little for the Baltimore tourist industry. Personally, I never did (and still don't) like crab. Well, not having to dismember it myself.

[Mr Larrington]

Balto has a tourist industry?  I thought it best viewed from I-695 at a distance of a Several of miles, from the Cheesypeas Bay Bridge with a truck in the way

[ian]

The harbour area is fine, if you like generic corp-o-America with lots of glass and upscale dining experiences. There's still a whole lotta of Baltimore you don't want to go to (best seen from the train as it threads though to the station, there's still neighbourhoods of mostly derelict rowhouses and burnt out businesses). It's still a shock that you have to remind yourself you're looking at the richest nation in the world. That said, there are parts of Washington DC where you wouldn't go without a tank.

[citoyen]

Homicide had to be suitable for US networks

Indeed. Imagine an unsanitised version of Homicide and that's basically The Wire.

The Corner, which was the basis of much of the non-police side of The Wire, is also very good - but incredibly bleak.

[Croft]

The harbour area is fine, if you like generic corp-o-America with lots of glass and upscale dining experiences. There's still a whole lotta of Baltimore you don't want to go to (best seen from the train as it threads though to the station, there's still neighbourhoods of mostly derelict rowhouses and burnt out businesses). It's still a shock that you have to remind yourself you're looking at the richest nation in the world. That said, there are parts of Washington DC where you wouldn't go without a tank.

I once participated in a Critical Mass though Baltimore, including through some of those less than prosperous neighbourhoods. My only experience of Baltimore prior to that was via John Waters, The Wire and the glass fronted harbour area so was somewhat trepidatious. But the reception from locals was much more supportive there than it was downtown.

[ian]

Homicide had to be suitable for US networks

Indeed. Imagine an unsanitised version of Homicide and that's basically The Wire.

The Corner, which was the basis of much of the non-police side of The Wire, is also very good - but incredibly bleak.

Yes, I read an article some years about the ongoing war with NBC, there was much surprise that it got out as unscathed as it did and managed a full run of several series. The interrogation episode in the first series was one of the most intense bit of TV ever, if I recall, the entire scene was shot in a single interrogation room, with no break for the entire episode. Not exactly the stuff of car chases and shoot-outs.

Probably better to see if without adverts for erectile dysfunction pills, arse cream and sandwiches that feature 'all the meat' (that's probably why they need the first two things) though, that really killed the tension.

The Corner is very good, caused some dispute with the detectives who featured in Homicide.

[andrewc]

I've not watched a US based cop series since Hill Street Blues,   Oz & The Sopranos probably don't count. 


What would the panel recommend as a starter ?  Homicide or The Wire ?   


I note that in "The Expanse" Amos Burton hails from Baltimore & it's still portrayed as a crime ridden hell hole several centuries into the future...

[IanDG]

Guilt (season 2) on I-player - catch up with season1 if you haven't seen it before. Mark Bonner is excellent.

Interesting. Enjoyed the first series but wasn’t aware there was a second. Is it a continuation of the same storyline or a completely new one? I can’t remember exactly how the first one ended but I seem to recall the main plot being pretty much tied up.

New story line, some of the main characters from last series. Helps to have watched the first series to understand the characters.

[ian]

The harbour area is fine, if you like generic corp-o-America with lots of glass and upscale dining experiences. There's still a whole lotta of Baltimore you don't want to go to (best seen from the train as it threads though to the station, there's still neighbourhoods of mostly derelict rowhouses and burnt out businesses). It's still a shock that you have to remind yourself you're looking at the richest nation in the world. That said, there are parts of Washington DC where you wouldn't go without a tank.

I once participated in a Critical Mass though Baltimore, including through some of those less than prosperous neighbourhoods. My only experience of Baltimore prior to that was via John Waters, The Wire and the glass fronted harbour area so was somewhat trepidatious. But the reception from locals was much more supportive there than it was downtown.

They were probably mostly bemused. I've wandered through parts of north Philly (cue incredulity from American colleagues) without being murdered, though I confess I felt very out-of-place and wasn't inclined to dawdle or repeat the experience after dark.

[Croft]

There were about a 1000 of us on bicycles dressed in various Halloween outfits, which helped.

[Mrs Pingu]

Mrs C was not taken with 'the cleaner'. Lasted 10min.

A very variable series. I enjoyed the first (with Helena Bonham-Carter) and the fourth (with Stephanie Cole). The others I didn't get beyond the first 5 minutes.  The sixth was pulled because David Amess  .

I didn't think much of the 1st ep but persevered and thought it improved.
Ah, that explains why I got Miranda on the PVR then.

[Mrs Pingu]

Seeing the comments here & in The Guardian I gave the 1st ep of Guilt a try.
That's right up my street. Wonder how it'll keep up for 4 episodes though..

[Hot Flatus]

. It had me absolutely mesmerised from the start. I think I watched that first episode at least three times.

There's a lot of debate over whether Breaking Bad or The Wire is best. I think they're too different to really compare them, but I'd give The Wire the nod.

Well....I'm one episode in, and whilst I hope it will improve, if I'd never heard of it and turned it on I would almost certainly have turned it off within 10 minutes.

It's just...well...generic. It's clichéd almost to the point of painful, the dialogue is tedious and the cinematography is, well there isn't any. I couldn't wait for it to finish so I could go to bed.

Let's see what episode 2 brings.

It just goes to show how tastes differ, I suppose

[Hot Flatus]

Episode 2...much better.

Still having difficulty following the conversations between the policemen

[sg37409]

I love The Wire and have watched all series maybe 3 times now.  I still cant make out much of what Marlo Stanfields generals say !

[StuAff]

I quickly cottoned on to the fact that subtitles are pretty much essential for watching The Wire. When you combine the accents, the mumbling and the jargon, it's much easier when you can read it. Snoop probably the hardest of all to understand (she doesn't appear until S3).

[Hot Flatus]

Yes, the sound quality is really bad, but I think also the acting and the writing are a bit poo at episode 1 and 2 level

[fd3]

I quickly cottoned on to the fact that subtitles are pretty much essential for watching The Wire. When you combine the accents, the mumbling and the jargon, it's much easier when you can read it. Snoop probably the hardest of all to understand (she doesn't appear until S3).

I find with most modern series and films I need subtitles because of the current trend of mixing whispering with loud music.

[Kim]

I quickly cottoned on to the fact that subtitles are pretty much essential for watching The Wire. When you combine the accents, the mumbling and the jargon, it's much easier when you can read it. Snoop probably the hardest of all to understand (she doesn't appear until S3).

I find with most modern series and films I need subtitles because of the current trend of mixing whispering with loud music.

That.  There's also something about USAnian microphone technique that I find harder to listen to.