Author Topic: Television tonight: what's worth watching?  (Read 333322 times)

Torslanda

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #375 on: 16 November, 2014, 10:07:06 pm »
22.40 tonight on More 4.

The Plane that Saved Britain. The Mosquito documentary in case you missed it last time.

ETA. Not sure how long it will be available
VELOMANCER

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Vince

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #376 on: 16 November, 2014, 11:17:16 pm »
Last night on BBC4 and now on iPlayer  - Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music

A 1969 documentary about the man in black. No voice-over just a camera following him in concert, on tour and talking to friends, relatives and the public. Riveting.
Its on again at the moment.
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tiermat

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #377 on: 17 November, 2014, 08:58:08 pm »
On in about 3 minutes, Gotham, on 5.

Obviously it follows the story of Gotham City, pre The Dark Knight, in fact Mr Wayne is still in short pants.

Worth watching.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Andrew

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #378 on: 21 November, 2014, 08:49:13 am »
Gillian Anderson's voice/accent on 'The Fall' has finally gotten to me. No more.

Andrew

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #379 on: 28 November, 2014, 12:14:22 pm »
On in about 3 minutes, Gotham, on 5.

Obviously it follows the story of Gotham City, pre The Dark Knight, in fact Mr Wayne is still in short pants.

Worth watching.

I've just watched the latest episode.

And, yes, very much worth watching. It's brilliant TV, a top-down first rate production with some incredibly intense and accomplished performances. You see baddies in their ascendance, Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) is my fave. Boy he has fun in that role! And his mum will correct your pronunciation of their surname! A young catwomen, Harvey '2 face' Dent, The Riddler (have you spotted him yet??!), Poison Ivy, the list goes on... Great fun and great TV.

Shows once again that US television (the new cinema darling!) is a much superior product (at its best) to anything out of the UK.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #380 on: 28 November, 2014, 12:31:00 pm »
Gotham seems to be getting better and better, which is mirrored in the TV execs extending the series from 16 episodes to 22!

The Riddler was easy to spot, his mug of coffee gave him away :)

Poison Ivy and Two Face were a bit harder, though.

The baddy in the last episode (Victor Zsasz) was brilliantly played, he scared the shit out of me!

Having Sean Pertwee as Alfred is a bit of a stroke too!
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Andrew

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #381 on: 28 November, 2014, 01:17:14 pm »
Having Sean Pertwee as Alfred is a bit of a stroke too!

Yes, agreed. How did I forget to mention him??!

Pertwee plays the role so well; a gentrified east London gangster. Hints of unfathomable depths of violence behind a waistcoat and 'sir'-ing. I reckon he had a bit of a liberty with his dialogue too (or there's a Londoner on the script writing team!) because some of his vocab is pure east end (not Van Dyke mockney either!) and guaranteed to baffle US audiences.

LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #382 on: 28 November, 2014, 01:17:58 pm »
Gillian Anderson's voice/accent on 'The Fall' has finally gotten to me. No more.

Never seen it but I have it "taped".  What accent is she doing?  She grew up in London btw.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

Andrew

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #383 on: 28 November, 2014, 01:32:59 pm »
I believe she lived in London (Islington??) for 4 years, ages 10 through 14... so didn't really 'grow up' there. She moved about a bit as a kid though, a US forces family as I recall, so probably her accent moved around equally. I believe she got the piss taken out of her when the family finally settled back in the US. That kind of thing tends to shape you - I know, as a little pommie kid growing up in NZ, I got used to being 'different'.

Anyways, her accent in 'The Fall' (and it's as much vocal mannerisms as accent) is definately not north London! It's a kind of clipped, upper class-ish slow and precise delivery that defies exact localisation. I find it hugely irritating.

Andrew

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #384 on: 28 November, 2014, 01:41:14 pm »
Back to Gotham, and I hope this isn't a spoiler, '2 face' is probably schizophrenic rather than disfigured. I think that's a neat reworking but may, of course,  be shortlived. As it's still early days, he may yet suffer the injury that gives him his moniker/alter ego. At the moment though, there's just the hint of Jekyll & Hyde.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #385 on: 28 November, 2014, 02:06:33 pm »
Back to Gotham, and I hope this isn't a spoiler, '2 face' is probably schizophrenic rather than disfigured. I think that's a neat reworking but may, of course,  be shortlived. As it's still early days, he may yet suffer the injury that gives him his moniker/alter ego. At the moment though, there's just the hint of Jekyll & Hyde.

There is also a discussion, out there on the web, about how he is a lot older than Bruce Wayne, but in the comics/films he is about the same age.

Some liberties have been taken, but none, I think, that spoil the stories or timeline.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #386 on: 10 December, 2014, 09:37:22 pm »
It's half over now, but Forbidden History on Yesterday - programme about Nichola Tesla should appeal to many forumites - There's a guy with a million volt Tesla in his lock-up on at the moment!  :D
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #387 on: 12 December, 2014, 01:39:31 pm »
Anyone see that N Irish bloke in the thing about the missing kid? Getting amazing reviews.

Yes, I may have done.
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LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #388 on: 12 December, 2014, 05:14:15 pm »
Anyone see that N Irish bloke in the thing about the missing kid? Getting amazing reviews.

Yes, I may have done.

Yes.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

citoyen

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #389 on: 14 December, 2014, 10:48:12 pm »
Olive Kitteridge, miniseries on Sky Atlantic with Frances McDormand. Downbeat and gently paced sharp and funny, reminiscent of Alexander Payne. Good stuff.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Thor

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #390 on: 26 December, 2014, 10:27:51 pm »
Olive Kitteridge, miniseries on Sky Atlantic with Frances McDormand. Downbeat and gently paced sharp and funny, reminiscent of Alexander Payne. Good stuff.

Thanks for that - enjoyed it very much - Frances McDormand was tremendous.
It was a day like any other in Ireland, only it wasn't raining

Mr Larrington

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #391 on: 29 December, 2014, 09:15:59 am »
The Royal Institution Christma Lectures ~ BBC4, 20:00.  Professor Danielle George on "How To Hack Your Home", or, Kim-ness For Beginners.
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fuzzy

Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #392 on: 29 December, 2014, 10:40:14 am »
'Agatha Raisin and the quiche of death' made for relaxing, brain off viewing. Was the Roose Boltons bastard being the gay PA that I saw?

Kim

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #393 on: 29 December, 2014, 02:28:19 pm »
The Royal Institution Christma Lectures ~ BBC4, 20:00.  Professor Danielle George on "How To Hack Your Home", or, Kim-ness For Beginners.

I suppose I probably ought to watch that, then...   :D


ETA:  Just did.  I know that cool demos and handwaving are what the Christmas Lectures are all about, but it did seem to be a rollercoaster ride of introducing more and more quite complex technologies and not really elaborating on them at all.

But I'm struggling to think of how I'd do it any better.  Maybe focus on smaller aspects of the project (I'm sure I could fill a whole lecture on ways to light up a window), but that's missing the point of what engineering a whole system is about.

Anyone got kids of the appropriate age?  What did they make of it?

David Martin

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #394 on: 30 December, 2014, 10:33:11 pm »
Too busy stuck on their PEDs.[1]
They'll probably watch it on iPlayer.


[1] No. Personal Electronic Devices.
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citoyen

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #395 on: 31 December, 2014, 11:14:06 am »
Was the Roose Boltons bastard being the gay PA that I saw?

Haven't seen Agatha Raisin yet but I can tell you that Yara Greyjoy plays Quaint Irene in the new adaptation of Mapp & Lucia on BBC1. Which isn't all that good, tbh (from my PoV as a big fan of the books).
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

mattc

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #396 on: 31 December, 2014, 03:03:23 pm »
The Royal Institution Christma Lectures ~ BBC4, 20:00.  Professor Danielle George on "How To Hack Your Home", or, Kim-ness For Beginners.

I suppose I probably ought to watch that, then...   :D


ETA:  Just did.  I know that cool demos and handwaving are what the Christmas Lectures are all about, but it did seem to be a rollercoaster ride of introducing more and more quite complex technologies and not really elaborating on them at all.

But I'm struggling to think of how I'd do it any better.  Maybe focus on smaller aspects of the project (I'm sure I could fill a whole lecture on ways to light up a window), but that's missing the point of what engineering a whole system is about.

Anyone got kids of the appropriate age?  What did they make of it?
A pretty fair review! It seemed like "A Grand Idea" that never truly fitted together. The Raspberry Pi "bullet time" demo was good though, hadn't seen that done before :)

I'd quite like to hear how the budget compared with previous years. Maybe Ep2 will be massively cheap ...
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Kim

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #397 on: 03 January, 2015, 11:42:12 pm »
The Royal Institution Christma Lectures

*Much* better in episodes 2 and 3.  Completely handwaved most of the systems integration glue ("MIDI is a programming language that's a bit like sheet music" is about the right level, and allowed them to go on to discuss latency issues later) and concentrated on smaller aspects of the various shiny technologies in order to demonstrate something specific (from optic fibre to pepper's ghost to haptics to feedback loops).  Bonus points for making a phone call to the ISS, getting Faraday's original motor out, Doctor Who references, an anthropomorphic robot playing the theramin and prodding the back end of a cow in the virtual uterus.   :thumbsup:

For the entertainment of the over-30s in the audience, they wheeled on a h4xx0red dot-matrix printer, and then had to explain what a dot-matrix printer was.   :D

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #398 on: 03 January, 2015, 11:51:12 pm »
SHame they didn't have a chain printer.. ferocious beasts.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Kim

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Re: Television tonight, whats worth watching
« Reply #399 on: 03 January, 2015, 11:52:53 pm »
SHame they didn't have a chain printer.. ferocious beasts.

Not quite as musical, thobut.