Let's have a TV shows thread.

[ian__marshall]

12 hours ago, TeamRocket said:

physical 100 on netflix dunno why I started watching this maybe hoping why fizzy belly would some day look like there or just to motivate myself to look like them or just cos I was bored one day and got hooked

I've been watching this too. Absolutely brilliant show. It's amazing to see the cultural difference to ourselves. All the  contestants are really respectful to one another and take responsibility for failings even when arguably they're not the primary reason. Contrast that to our own social norms where manners have all but disappeared and everyone looks to call out others even when it's blatantly obvious who's responsible, it is so refreshing to see. 

[FOXYTALK]

You season 4 on Netflix. 5/10 proper c*ap should've left it retired. 

[Izzy]

Even if you think you don't like golf, get on this.

 

[Parafox]

12 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Even if you think you don't like golf, get on this.

 

 

For swingers?

 

"Unimaginable pressure, close up"

 

I bet. 

Edited 15 February 2023 by Parafox

[RonnieTodger]

15 hours ago, FOXYTALK said:

You season 4 on Netflix. 5/10 proper c*ap should've left it retired. 

Yeah it’s gotten gradually worse. Like Prison Break, it started with a great opening series and just fell away.

[RoboFox]

TLOU is good, but I'm unconvinced that it's top tier telly so far.

 

The characters come and go so quickly (usually in the space of an episode or two) that it's hard to establish their motivations and get to know them enough to really care about their fate. 

 

Henry and Sam, Kathleen... (trying to avoid spoilers here) Before you know it the story has moved on. 

 

Bill and Frank were the most fleshed out in the series and we really only got one full episode with them. It just feels a bit insufficient. 

 

Edited 16 February 2023 by RoboFox

[Libertine]

3 hours ago, RoboFox said:

TLOU is good, but I'm unconvinced that it's top tier telly so far.

 

The characters come and go so quickly (usually in the space of an episode or two) that it's hard to establish their motivations and get to know them enough to really care about their fate. 

 

Henry and Sam, Kathleen... (trying to avoid spoilers here) Before you know it the story has moved on. 

 

Bill and Frank were the most fleshed out in the series and we really only got one full episode with them. It just feels a bit insufficient. 

 

I know what you mean in a way, I felt I didn't quite have enough reason to hate Kathleen and her henchman guy though perhaps that's because they were new characters and not in the game. I already felt familiar with Henry & Sam etc because I've played through that multiple times. Still loving the series overall.

[Izzy]

3 hours ago, RoboFox said:

TLOU is good, but I'm unconvinced that it's top tier telly so far.

 

The characters come and go so quickly (usually in the space of an episode or two) that it's hard to establish their motivations and get to know them enough to really care about their fate. 

 

Henry and Sam, Kathleen... (trying to avoid spoilers here) Before you know it the story has moved on. 

 

Bill and Frank were the most fleshed out in the series and we really only got one full episode with them. It just feels a bit insufficient. 

 

I agree.

My sense is that all the gushing praise for TLOU is coming mainly from those who’ve played the game.

I’d never heard of the game so just taken it at face value as a TV series. 
For me it’s been decent but I’m struggling a bit with people saying it’s the best thing since sliced bread. 

[RoboFox]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

I agree.

My sense is that all the gushing praise for TLOU is coming mainly from those who’ve played the game.

I’d never heard of the game so just taken it at face value as a TV series. 
For me it’s been decent but I’m struggling a bit with people saying it’s the best thing since sliced bread. 

I think it's a bit of both from the fans of the game. Episode 3 got review bombed on IMDb because (and I can say this as someone who has played games since the early 90s) there's a lot of weird partisan sad fvcks in the "gamer" community who somehow feel like they own whatever IPs / console they're particularly into and didn't like what they did.

 

They can't seem to understand that what might work for an interactive narrative doesn't necessarily translate to a TV show. 

 

I've played the game a bit. It hasn't really changed my opinion on the TV show objectively. 

 

Edited 16 February 2023 by RoboFox

[VLC86]

Finished The Traitors US yesterday, incredible TV.

[Finnegan]

6 hours ago, RoboFox said:

TLOU is good, but I'm unconvinced that it's top tier telly so far.

 

The characters come and go so quickly (usually in the space of an episode or two) that it's hard to establish their motivations and get to know them enough to really care about their fate. 

 

Henry and Sam, Kathleen... (trying to avoid spoilers here) Before you know it the story has moved on. 

 

Bill and Frank were the most fleshed out in the series and we really only got one full episode with them. It just feels a bit insufficient. 

 

 

I've played the games so I obviously know the story but. 

 

I actually disagree tbf, I think they've done an incredible job fleshing out bit part characters in to major parts of each episode. Kathleen didn't really need to be any more established, it's not the Kathleen show, she was just context. All you needed to know was she's scary and that came across well. 

 

Bill, Frank, Sam and Henry however I thought were all beautifully written and performed. I knew what was coming with Sam and Henry and I was still gutted. Deaths on TV don't normally bother me but that one definitely hit me in the feels. 

 

And Bill and Frank were incredible. I'm not really sure how you can say they weren't on screen enough to really establish them and bond when they had pretty much a whole hour to themselves. You get less character drama in the average feature length film. 

 

I think it's been stunning so far. I think you've got to have fairly unrealistic expectations for a mini series to be objecting all that much to characters "coming and going."

 

[Finnegan]

2 hours ago, RoboFox said:

I think it's a bit of both from the fans of the game. Episode 3 got review bombed on IMDb because (and I can say this as someone who has played games since the early 90s) there's a lot of weird partisan sad fvcks in the "gamer" community who somehow feel like they own whatever IPs / console they're particularly into and didn't like what they did.

 

They can't seem to understand that what might work for an interactive narrative doesn't necessarily translate to a TV show. 

 

I've played the game a bit. It hasn't really changed my opinion on the TV show objectively. 

 

 

You were half right, then you let the "gamers" off the hook. It was nothing to do with them "changing things for TV." 

 

It got review bombed because they dared to put a homosexual relationship on the TV and the gamers did their usual RREEEEEEE act over any hint of diversity.

 

Which is, in itself, hilarious given the second game got review bombed for similar reasons. What were they expecting? 

[RoboFox]

38 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

You were half right, then you let the "gamers" off the hook. It was nothing to do with them "changing things for TV." 

 

It got review bombed because they dared to put a homosexual relationship on the TV and the gamers did their usual RREEEEEEE act over any hint of diversity.

 

Which is, in itself, hilarious given the second game got review bombed for similar reasons. What were they expecting? 

I kinda assumed that was the crux of it. Depressing. 

 

Edited 16 February 2023 by RoboFox

[Finnegan]

As an aside, I do have two slightly more critical comments about the show. Not sure either really deserves spoiler tags necessarily.

 

The first is something I just don't think they can do anything about but I do think it's worth stating for those that haven't played it that a lot of the game's value came from our participation. We weren't just watching Joel, we were Joel. We weren't a spectator, we were a protagonist, actively defending Ellie. The game does an excellent job of tapping in to your human instincts to protect the people you care about and I don't think players ONLY sat and watched a bond grow between the characters, I think they felt it a little as well. It's why the game had such a profound effect on a lot of people and I think it's a big part of why the second one was lacking just that X factor from the first. I don't know what you're meant to do about that when making a TV series.

 

The second thing though was just the dynamic between Joel and Ellie generally was great anyway. Because of the nature of the gameplay, again for those that haven't played it, it's a fairly slow-burn, lower-pace game with a lot of passive, suspenseful exploration at walking pace and Joel and Ellie are constantly talking to each other throughout. The game is about 15 - 20 hours nearly all seen through Joel and Ellie's eyes, characters that are being fleshed out and expanded on and given whole episodes (which in turn is pulling focus from Joel and Ellie) were just bit parts in the game that you meet briefly passing through. This meant that what you got was largely 15 odd hours of seeing the two of them bond largely in isolation.

 

Not only is the TV series shorter and condensed but, like I said, they're also including a lot more side characters and distraction. There's not really been, so far, a lot of just Joel and Ellie. "B and F" got more relationship development as side characters in their own bespoke episode than it feels like Joel and Ellie have had so far, which is a shame because both Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal are absolutely fantastic and they do seem to have really good chemistry. I hope they get a bit more screen time together just the two of them and that they really get to work on the relationship between the two because it's pretty important to the ending that we really buy in to how it develops. 

[The People's Hero]

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

As an aside, I do have two slightly more critical comments about the show. Not sure either really deserves spoiler tags necessarily.

 

The first is something I just don't think they can do anything about but I do think it's worth stating for those that haven't played it that a lot of the game's value came from our participation. We weren't just watching Joel, we were Joel. We weren't a spectator, we were a protagonist, actively defending Ellie. The game does an excellent job of tapping in to your human instincts to protect the people you care about and I don't think players ONLY sat and watched a bond grow between the characters, I think they felt it a little as well. It's why the game had such a profound effect on a lot of people and I think it's a big part of why the second one was lacking just that X factor from the first. I don't know what you're meant to do about that when making a TV series.

 

The second thing though was just the dynamic between Joel and Ellie generally was great anyway. Because of the nature of the gameplay, again for those that haven't played it, it's a fairly slow-burn, lower-pace game with a lot of passive, suspenseful exploration at walking pace and Joel and Ellie are constantly talking to each other throughout. The game is about 15 - 20 hours nearly all seen through Joel and Ellie's eyes, characters that are being fleshed out and expanded on and given whole episodes (which in turn is pulling focus from Joel and Ellie) were just bit parts in the game that you meet briefly passing through. This meant that what you got was largely 15 odd hours of seeing the two of them bond largely in isolation.

 

Not only is the TV series shorter and condensed but, like I said, they're also including a lot more side characters and distraction. There's not really been, so far, a lot of just Joel and Ellie. "B and F" got more relationship development as side characters in their own bespoke episode than it feels like Joel and Ellie have had so far, which is a shame because both Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal are absolutely fantastic and they do seem to have really good chemistry. I hope they get a bit more screen time together just the two of them and that they really get to work on the relationship between the two because it's pretty important to the ending that we really buy in to how it develops. 

Absolutely spot on. Nailed it.

[Bordersfox]

12 hours ago, RoboFox said:

TLOU is good, but I'm unconvinced that it's top tier telly so far.

 

The characters come and go so quickly (usually in the space of an episode or two) that it's hard to establish their motivations and get to know them enough to really care about their fate. 

 

Henry and Sam, Kathleen... (trying to avoid spoilers here) Before you know it the story has moved on. 

 

Bill and Frank were the most fleshed out in the series and we really only got one full episode with them. It just feels a bit insufficient. 

 

Interesting.

 

I've never played the game, had no idea what the game was about in fact, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the series and I'd argue it's certainly top tier.  Whether not having played the game is a help or hindrance in enjoying the series I don't know. 

 

I think what's so excellent about it is what you actually perceive as a weakness.  That despite some of the characters being fleeting as you suggest I personally have felt invested in them in just a short time.

 

Plenty of other series where I'm half way through and frankly couldn't give a toss about the protagonists.  This has gripped me from almost the start of every episode. 

[FoyleFox]

The Light in the Hall. C4. Although I think it was actually on a while ago.

Quite different and very intriguing drama/ thriller. 

[StanSP]

Beautiful. 

 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

What people haven't mentioned about the game which is by far the biggest difference to me watching the show and playing the game is as much as its different because you are the character in the game rather than watching the character in the show is, to me, having played the game on a high difficulty, I was constantly getting killed, high tension encounters punctuated and deflated by the shriek and fade to black and sitting up and thinking oh yeah I'm actually playing a game it's silly to be this tense, it can work either way with the show, you know largely how it's going to end and that edge of the seat tension just isn't there because you know what can't happen in terms of jeapordy. I honestly don't know what point I'm trying to make pro game or pro show, more an observation of how playing a game can be a lot more tense or not tense at all compared to a TV show. 

[WigstonWanderer]

20 hours ago, StanSP said:

Beautiful. 

 

Wonderful

[Legend_in_blue]

Star Trek Picard series 3 is top drawer.  A must for all TNG fans.  Great start, feels like a movie, not a TV show and 53 minutes flew by.

[ithuriel]

Not long until the start of season 3 and we get to see a return to Mandalore for the first time since the end of the Clone Wars, should be epic...notice how Bokatan is holding the Dark Sabre in that  pic, whom ever holds it after winning it in battle is the leader of the Mandalorians  and dangerous might mean the return of Thrawn.

 

Edited 18 February 2023 by ithuriel

[moore_94]

Anyone watched any of 1883, 1923, or Yellowstone?

 

Tempted to give it a start with 1883

[westernpark]

2 hours ago, moore_94 said:

Anyone watched any of 1883, 1923, or Yellowstone?

 

Tempted to give it a start with 1883

Yes, it’s quite good. May sound strange but you might be better off starting with Yellowstone. There’s some parts in that series that help you understand 1883 better, which is far superior to Yellowstone. They’re all good fun nonetheless.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

On 16/02/2023 at 20:34, Finnegan said:

As an aside, I do have two slightly more critical comments about the show. Not sure either really deserves spoiler tags necessarily.

 

The first is something I just don't think they can do anything about but I do think it's worth stating for those that haven't played it that a lot of the game's value came from our participation. We weren't just watching Joel, we were Joel. We weren't a spectator, we were a protagonist, actively defending Ellie. The game does an excellent job of tapping in to your human instincts to protect the people you care about and I don't think players ONLY sat and watched a bond grow between the characters, I think they felt it a little as well. It's why the game had such a profound effect on a lot of people and I think it's a big part of why the second one was lacking just that X factor from the first. I don't know what you're meant to do about that when making a TV series.

 

The second thing though was just the dynamic between Joel and Ellie generally was great anyway. Because of the nature of the gameplay, again for those that haven't played it, it's a fairly slow-burn, lower-pace game with a lot of passive, suspenseful exploration at walking pace and Joel and Ellie are constantly talking to each other throughout. The game is about 15 - 20 hours nearly all seen through Joel and Ellie's eyes, characters that are being fleshed out and expanded on and given whole episodes (which in turn is pulling focus from Joel and Ellie) were just bit parts in the game that you meet briefly passing through. This meant that what you got was largely 15 odd hours of seeing the two of them bond largely in isolation.

 

Not only is the TV series shorter and condensed but, like I said, they're also including a lot more side characters and distraction. There's not really been, so far, a lot of just Joel and Ellie. "B and F" got more relationship development as side characters in their own bespoke episode than it feels like Joel and Ellie have had so far, which is a shame because both Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal are absolutely fantastic and they do seem to have really good chemistry. I hope they get a bit more screen time together just the two of them and that they really get to work on the relationship between the two because it's pretty important to the ending that we really buy in to how it develops. 

 

Alright TV Quick bloody hell

 

--------

 

On another note am loving repeats of Dress To Impress on itv2