2018: Television shows/series worth watching

We've had a few TV threads, let's move it up to the present day.

Three series i'd love to see (if we had cable): "Taboo" (Tom Hardy), "Black Mirror" and Errol Morris's "Wormwood".

No Netflix? I prefer watching shows after they are "streamable" Commercials etc. are eliminated.

We have an old, pre-digital TV, the very last cabinet model made by Sony. A fucking monster, must weigh two hundred pounds.

We plan to upgrade, eventually, and I think our son can rig up an old Xbox to the new flatscreen TV for access to Netflix and such.

Not a big priority at the moment. We can order most of what we need--movies and TV shows--on DVD through our local library. I have "Taboo" on order as i type this.

I was in the local Walmart recently and was stunned when I walked through the TV section. There were 49" TV's, larger than my 42", that cost less than 1/3 what I paid for my current 42" & the new ones have a better picture but the same refresh rate 120hz {the minimum IMOHO}.

I think you have to meet questionable characters with a pick up truck after dusk in order to dispose of those older TV sets ;-)

>4 DugsBooks: - I'm going to miss my plasma when it burns out - no problems with refresh rates or true colours.

>3 CliffBurns: - I remember trying to move my old pre-digital television. It seemed to be made of lead with some more lead inside to give it balance and it was half the size of a normal living size.

>5 Jargoneer: Ha, I thought you were referring to your blood plasma.

>3 CliffBurns: We still have various old TV's around the house. They are like big ol' paperweights at this point.

>3 CliffBurns:

My brothers and I just finally upgraded our parent's television after 20 years of owning the same tv: a Pioneer tv, one of those huge boxes that took up half the wall before flat screens became a thing. The tv we replaced it is one of the new 4K tvs we picked up at Best Buy. I was shocked at how inexpensive the televisions were! It'd be silly not to upgrade a this point. Plus, with the 4K televisions, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, all the streaming stations and even internet is already included within the tv so there is no need to own any extra equipment. It's remarkable.

I've been on a watching tv slump (but that is being replaced by a reading high!) but I highly suggest "The Crown". It's excellent.

Apparently I'm backwards and not keeping up with the times if I can't barely reach from one end of my TV to the other with my arms spread open, it's not occupying the wall where framed pictures used to hang (remember those days?) and it can't instantly stream the smallest bandwidth station from the depths of the Congo.

I also remember the days, not long ago, when you could have a TV without paying a single cable or Internet bill and still watch something. Who's backwards now?

>8 Cecrow: Hahaha, well, we don't even own a TV, so there's that. :P

What is odd is at the same time televisions are getting bigger more and more people are consuming shows on their 5"/6" smartphones. How can you appreciate something well-made on such a small screen?

9> that's the difference between LT and the real world, out there people laugh about not reading, never mind owning, a book.

>10 Jargoneer: Ah but the phone sizes keep growing ridiculously, too. So obnoxious. People want to be connected 24/7, and they want to do everything on one single device. blech.

Lol, true. Even on the one, small, social media site I use, where I don't even mention everything I read and am friends with many who are readers, I still often get comments of astonishment about the quantity, and content, of my reading.

I do not really care what kind of screens other people use unless they are not looking where they are going when out in public. Personally it gives me a headache to even watch short comedy videos on my smartphone.

My main issue with the industry that makes all these things is that there is no easy way to dispose of them or trade them in and they are made of very toxic stuff. I also hate planned obsolescence and wish consumers would somehow band together against it. Instead we seem very manipulateable in this regard and line up around the block to get latest/greatest electronic devices - meanwhile our houses fill up with obsolete devices, chargers, screens, players, etc.

I think there is a lot of great TV out there right now and we watch it on our computer screen, which is pretty big for a computer screen (it's a 2014 iMac so 17 inches or so) but there's a 42 inch TV in our basement that since the kids left and took their Xbox with them, is just gathering dust.

>11 .Monkey.: - I was at the theatre last night, just along from me and in the row behind were high school pupils. At the interval not one of them started talking about the play they were watching, they all instantly jumped on their phones.

Some of you may have already read this, but a few months ago I had a cathartic session of channeling my inner dinosaur on this very subject:

https://robertday154.wordpress.com/2017/12/09/where-is-the-fun-in-that/

>14 RobertDay: I think you exaggerate the UK's primitivism. When my son was at Sheffield U. a couple of years ago all his peers were using an app to do P2P payments. I would agree on a lot of things though. I still buy CDs especially since the Apple file system can't handle the large amount of music I have and periodically loses entire albums.
Connivence is good but it's always wise to have a backup.

>15 justifiedsinner: I'm not calling the UK primitive - many of my colleagues do all the things I mutter darkly against, and more - but my own cynicism and world-view makes me reluctant to go too much further into the wired world than I have done.

My inner dinosaur is a T-Rex with a wicked bellyache.

Almost forgot to give a shout out to the best show currently on TV, "Rick and Morty".

Seriously, folks, if you haven't checked this one out, you're missing a gem.

Ian, is there any buzz about "Rick and Morty" among SF geeks in U.K.?

>17 CliffBurns: Not that I've heard.

Damn, boy, tell those pointy-eared nerds to get on YouTube or Adult Swim and take in a couple of episodes from the first season.

I'm in awe...

>19 CliffBurns: - are you not watching the Winter Olympics? I would have thought this was mandatory watching for all Canadians, especially the ice hockey where you get to lord it over the USA time and time again.

>16 RobertDay:, being a recluse used to be something you had to work at. Now all you have to do is not create a Facebook account. It's as if I vanished off the face of the planet.

>21 Cecrow: Funnily enough, I'm seriously contemplating that following a completely unnecessary flame war I got caught up in over the weekend. Either that, or I stop offering opinions on anything and restrict myself to boring old facts...

#20--I detest the Olympics, a waste of money and resources...and everyone knows it's not possible to win a medal without chemical assistance.

Years ago, a guy named Sullivan wrote a short story in OMNI magazine called "The Mickey Mouse Olympics" that summed things up perfectly for me.

>23 CliffBurns: - to criticise the Olympics for being a waste of money and resources seems a little harsh, most sport is a waste of money and resources as are many other things. I do agree that drugs are rife at the Olympics but they are in a lot of sport, the Olympics at least make an effort to test athletes - look at something like tennis where the drug testing is so weak that you can help yourself to whatever.
The good news is that it is World Cup year so the real sporting event of the year is still to happen. The fact that it is in Russia this time should make everything even more interesting.

Drugs have become even more prevalent as states themselves sponsor cheating (and not just Russia--I heard reports of a past Olympics where U.S. officials broke into a testing "blood bank" and stole incriminating vials).

Winning is all that matters, all other considerations discarded. More phony nationalism--who needs it?

Sports and entertainment have become spectacle, feeding the fires of capitalism with disposable moments and images, bread and circuses for debt peons and wage serfs.

Here's the short story I alluded to in #13. Worth a read:

http://www.williamflew.com/omni9a.html

>24 Jargoneer: Not harsh at all, the place that hosts the Olympics spends a literal fortune putting up all kinds of facilities for them, that are used for a measly couple weeks and then sit there falling apart, and unlike the somehow prevalent notion that it's some sort of big tourism moneymaker, it is not at all, they lose money, the area is flooded with people disrupting the normal life of the citizens, it's just complete chaos and does no good for anyone.

>27 .Monkey.: The Olympic Games are deeply corrupt. The IOC and the sorporate sponsors take something like 80% of the profits generated by the games and leave the host city littered with white elephants they can rarely put to alternative use. There are rotting stadiums throughout South America, and the stadium in London is currently the home of West Ham and costs the council more in upkeep than West Ham pay in rent.

>28 iansales: Yeah, it's really bad. :|

>29 supercell:, there's one in Manaus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_da_Amaz%C3%B4nia

"The stadium itself has been criticised for being completely unnecessary beyond the World Cup, because of the small crowds that attend local Football Matches in Manaus and the remote nature of Manaus. The Stadium has seen light use since the World Cup with occasional 4th Division Matches and Christian Evangelical Concerts."

Other Olympic venues in Brazil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics#Venues

>27 .Monkey.: I was relieved when Boston's bid to host the 2024 summer games was declined. The city officials seemed to think it was feasible, but the idea was not popular among locals based on the things you mentioned - losing money, huge disruptions, decaying facilities that become an eyesore.

The World Cup shouldn't lose money or create eyesores as the stadiums should already be there and being used - the Manaus stadium was a little odd, it was built to extend the reach of the World Cup beyond the traditional places. I say should because the governing body can always accept 'help' and award it to Qatar - they will end up with 12 stadiums that will collectively hold 600k plus in a country of 2 million (minus those who are getting killed building them).

You have to view the Olympics as war by proxy. It's a city/country shouting look at us, aren't we wonderful? In the good old days you didn't need to spend billions to create a huge sporting spectacle you could spend billions declaring war against someone, which if you won would give the same feelgood factor although admittedly creating a large hole in your sporting community.

Just read that Amazon is adapting Iain Banks' Consider Plebas to series!

>35 jldarden: What Iain would have made of the series being acquired by a rapacious capitalist exploiter of working people is another matter.

It certainly gives me a problem.

>35 jldarden: >36 RobertDay: I just read the first 3 books of the Culture series last week and my main concern is how to pronounce "Phlebas" {sound like flea bites?}, I enjoyed the series overall.

::edit:: aha! https://www.howtopronounce.com/phlebas/

Finished watching the eighth and last season of Portlandia. The average quality of the sketches was good to very good. I don't recall any clunkers. So sad they are not doing this anymore but glad they went out in style.
Like most of the planet, also watching the World Cup. So far very good but we'll see how it ends.

Sherron and I have been watching a new Netflix series, "The Kominsky Method", starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.

Funny and touching, while avoiding sentimentality.

Highly recommended.

Anthony Bourdain, sorely missed.

Watching two different series on Netflix, "Layover" and "Parts Unknown" and loving them.

One guy I'll always regret never having the opportunity to raise a glass with...

>40 CliffBurns: There's an article in GQ that consists of quotes from his friends and colleagues. It shows just what an impact he had on everyone he met.

Bingeing on Netfllix's "Happy" (the title character is a little girl's imaginary friend - a blue flying unicorn).
Sick, demented, violent and very funny.

That's a great piece in GQ--thanks for posting it.

I'll pass on your plug of "Happy" to my wife, sounds like it's right up her alley.

Watched the new "Nightflyers" series on Netflix.

Quite gripping (and chilling), much better than I expected. Good job with casting.

Based on a George R.R. Martin novella from the 1980s.

>43 CliffBurns: .....On my list now!

TV shows sure are a lot more entertaining than they were in my youth. I also am loving Netflix and not having to watch constant advertising. I recently watched two Australia-set spy mystery shows - Pine Gap and Secret City, both of which were enjoyable. I finished watching Russian Doll last night. I wish that New York was a real place, is all I can say about that one. I would love to visit it, if not live there. ETA I am now watching Hinterland, the stories are dark and interesting but the main thing I love it for is the bleak scenery.

I watched The Kominsky Method series , as mentioned above I believe, on Netflix and really enjoyed it. Just a really "comfortable" series to watch that those over 50 can relate to. I wonder if any more episodes will be made?

There is a plan for another season of "Kominsky", perhaps exploring some of the students' stories (heard Michael Douglas being interviewed).

>43 CliffBurns: - that was adapted into a poor film in the 1980s. Despite poor box office and reviews Martin claims that it rescued his career.

>45 anna_in_pdx: - how long until Netflix hits the wall though? You can't keep spending billions of dollars you don't have. (Currently their debt stands at $20 billion). Everyone keeps saying Netflix will be fine but sooner or later the big investors will want to see some return. They are trapped by the subscription model - if you don't have new product you can't subscribers. At some point they will have be realistic about the pricing - $20-25 a month - and tie people into longer contracts (minimum a year?) or be bought over by someone (possibly Google or Apple). There is also subscriber fatigue - how many different suppliers are people happy to pay the money for. (It's a similar situation with Spotify).

>48 Jargoneer: Ever consider that Netflix can show a profit most any year they like - as Amazon does? A bunch of stockholders keep this at a high P/E. I just wish I had gone ahead and mashed the button when the price was in the $50 range and attitudes such as you state prevailed.

Have to mention a Scottish sketch comedy series we've been watching on Netflix.

Much of the dialogue in "Chewing the Fat" is completely lost on my wife and I (those accents! Jesus!) but despite the incomprehension, we still find ourselves giggling like mad people as we take in the recurring characters and their oddball circumstances.

Mind those accents but make sure you try out a couple of episodes.

>49 DugsBooks: - Amazon make their profit from their web services and not the trading arm. It is the former that allows them to drive the latter, the theory being that they will destroy the competition and eventually they will sell everything to everybody. Netflix is not in that fortunate position as they have to make their money from content driven subscriptions but they have the same model - destroy the competition and then rake in the money. The problem they have is that their competition are also big players and getting bigger, with Disney and Apple about to join the fray. Since Netflix buy in most of their original series there is nothing to stop their competitors stepping in and buying those programmes. I'm not saying that Netflix will fail, they are the market leader at present and have a good brand lead but their current model requires them to double their subscribers to break even and with increased competition that may be harder to do.
The first subscription service that can deliver live sport may well be the big winner - sports fans are used to playing bigger fees for the content they want.
I do agree with you that buying the shares $50 was a missed opportunity. (Sometimes I wonder if investors keep investing in technology firms because they have no idea about technology but are frightened that they may miss something).

>50 CliffBurns: - you should try Still Game if Netflix has it. This is the show they made after Chewing the Fat. It's basically a sitcom about two old codgers in Glasgow and is probably the most popular show in Scotland. (Obviously the dodgy accent in Chewing the Fat belongs to Greg Hemphill who spent some of his childhood in Canada).

"Still Game" is on Netflix and we'll give it a look.

"Chewing the Fat" is terrific--not quite as fantastic as the Aussie sketch comedy "Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife-Fighting" but still worthy.

I heard a Glaswegian stand-up comedian awhile back saying: "People in Edinburgh are afraid of coming to Glasgow in case they get stabbed." Pause. "Mind you, there's some people in Edinburgh who could use a good stabbing..."

If you want to know my type of humor, that pretty much sums it up.

>50 CliffBurns: I always watch with subtitles. It never hurts since both my husband and I are hard of hearing, and for difficult or unfamiliar accents it is the only way I am sure I am not missing something important (these modern shows also have a lot going on and you are supposed to catch details in the dialogue).

>51 Jargoneer: As always with the stock market, talk is cheap {especially mine} and the real game is - ladies & gentlemen place your bets! ;-)

I am not sure if Netflix is the movie topic or TV but I just finished watching the 4th season of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" with writers/creators Robert Carlock and Tina Fey {of Saturday night live etc.} and enjoyed the absurd series a lot as a break from the tedium on occasion. I like the wit and jokes, which show Tina Fey's influence I believe, and her sense of humor always seems to scratch my itch although I am sure others are not as entertained.

Worth a look if you are interested in light hearted humor in short episodes.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3339966/

Folks should check out "Flowers", a comedy series on Netflix.

It stars Olivia Colman (Queen Anne in "The Favorite") and Julian Barratt--they're part of a dysfunctional British family rife with mental illness and depression, but the series manages to be touching and very funny.

Give it a shot.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/proper-tv-guide/julian-barra...

Sherron and I have been entranced by David Attenborough's "Our Planet" series on Netflix.

Each episode features amazing footage from the world's most exotic climes.

Not to be missed.

Here in the US The Criterion collection has started its streaming service.

Retro fans might remember "Sapphire & Steel", a British series from the late 1970s, starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley.

The two play agents of some strange agency who seal holes in the corridors of time before something escapes and terrorizes our world. The effects are cheesy, the budget tiny but there's something endearing about the show. It didn't last long and there was talk of resurrecting it, years later, to tie things up, but it never happened.

The episodes are available on YouTube and worth a look.

P.S. There seems to be a reboot planned, with an all new cast: https://downthetubes.net/?p=102822

Another gem we've enjoyed recently is Chris Lilley's latest series, "Lunatics".

Lilley was the mastermind behind "Summer Heights High" and this latest series is an absolute hoot, the actor-writer creating a number of bizarre characters who are laugh-out-loud funny.

Available in Netflix and not to be missed.

>59 CliffBurns: - not sure about that reboot. I can't help thinking the producers will decide they have to update it, make it faster, etc.

>60 CliffBurns: - not everyone has welcomed "Lunatic" > https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/23/lunatics-is-nasty-and-grote...

The "critic" also takes a swipe at Ricky Gervais, whom I also think is a unique genius. Gervais' "Humanity" show on Netflix is one of the best stand-up performances I've ever seen.

Folks have a hard time with humor that makes them feel "uncomfortable"--I relish that stuff, the blacker the comedy, the more I like it.

As for the "Sapphire & Steel" reboot, I'm sure they'll jazz it up in an attempt to make it more palatable to assholes with the attention span of gerbils.

Typical...

Finished watching "I Think You Should Leave Now" a sketch comedy show with Tim Robinson on Netflix. Very edgy humor, extremely absurd. Most of the sketches are quite good, although the brand of humor is best in small doses. Highly recommend it.

#63--Added to my Netflix list. Edgy humor? I'm there.

Anyone watch "The Man in the High Castle" on Amazon? I accidentally signed up for a 30-day trial (don't ask) and thought I'd give the series a shot. I was never that big a fan of the novel--I prefer UBIK, FLOW MY TEARS, THE POLICEMAN SAID, THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH and, especially A SCANNER DARKLY--so it's not really urgent that it be a faithful adaptation (to me). There are 3 seasons in total so they do a lot of stretching and added padding but the end result isn't terrible. Not great, but engaging television. We'll see if I stick with it 'til the end, right now I'm still on Season 1.

>65 CliffBurns: Got that on my "to be watched list" when it is easily available. Right now I am avoiding spoilers for Game of Thrones as I am a couple of seasons behind......waiting for the right conditions to rent bluray DVD's.

>65 CliffBurns: I liked it mostly because it has incredible set design. I also found the story interesting and entertaining, if a bit hard to deal with in places. I have not read the book so I just watched the show as its own thing. That's probably the best way for me to go, I usually hate adaptations of books I am fond of.

Another one to add to your television watching list: "Barry", created and written by Bill Hader, co-starring Henry Winkler.

Hitman accidentally joins a Los Angeles acting class while still continuing to snuff people in his spare time.

Funny and unsettling; great TV.

Recommended.

>68 CliffBurns: - Judging by American film and TV there must be around 1-2m hitmen (and women) in the US. Even if they each only perform one hit per month that would mean between 12-14m deaths, which would make them the major cause of death in the US. It makes you wonder why Trump is so anti-immigration with that level of termination going on. Of course, he could save the govt millions by not building the wall and hire all these hitmen to dispose of the immigrants once they enter the country.

>69 Jargoneer: I know, right? Just like I am appalled at the amount of bloody murder going on in English country houses. Does everyone in the UK a) own a shotgun and b) kill at least two people a week with it?

>69 Jargoneer: >70 anna_in_pdx: There are certain people you never invite to your home, like Jessica Fletcher. She's left a trail of dead bodies all over the US, and even a few in the UK and Ireland.

Has anyone here watched "Oggie & the Cockroaches" on Netflix?

It's insane, bringing to mind the classic "Looney Tunes" era. Take a look, you'll see what I mean.

Finished watching the last season of Bojack Horseman on Netflix. It was a very unique universe, very creative. Loved all the characters. The show could be hilarious. It was written intelligently and had ambition. They didn't always hit the mark though. Some episodes were just very pretentious. It was always clear that the show was a dramedy and it became increasingly sad, without much of a payoff. It took itself and the character way too seriously. A superior show in any case. Worth watching.

One thing they did, that I've seen a lot lately, is using psycho babble as if it was actual insight. Not the same thing in my book.

Watched the first episode of Mark Gatiss's "Dracula" reboot tonight (Netflix).

I'm not usually a big fan of reinventing a classic...but, then, I've never considered DRACULA to be a classic. Dreadful book, more boring than watching water come to a boil.

Gatiss and his team have managed to keep the good bits and throw out a lot of the trash. Still some questionable stuff, like the Count's occasional droll one-liners but all in all a spooky, effective series.

Will be watching the last two episodes over the next few nights.

>74 CliffBurns: A lot of people over here in the UK want to see more of Sister Agatha.

But, Robert, she's a nun...

Oh, wait. They don't mean with less clothes on, right?

Well, far be it from me to impugne anyone's motives...

Finished the series tonight--the third episode takes an abrupt left turn but we stuck with it and when all was said and done concluded that "Dracula" was damn good entertainment. Even the climax held up.

Recommended.

Much of the way through ep.3, I was thinking about two things: Bela Lugosi's Count at large in Victorian London in the 1931 film; and the scene in the time travel film 'Time after Time', wherein H.G.Wells pursues Jack the Ripper as Jack steals H.G.'s time machine and flees justice to modern-day San Francisco. At one point, H.G. (Roddy McDowell) confronts Jack (David Warner) in a hotel room. Jack turns the tv on and flips through the channels. "See?" he says, "This century was made for me."

Sherron and I have been binge-watching a bit, taking in the "Tiger King" series on Netflix.

I had no idea that wild animal trafficking is so wide spread (and vile), nor was i aware that there are more tigers in captivity (zoos and private collections) in the USA than there are wandering free in the rest of the world.

The characters in the show are fascinating, hardly a likable one among them.

Highly recommended.

>80 CliffBurns: I watched the first episode and then was surprised when it started to roll to the second - I had forgotten it was a series and was eager for the end, when everyone goes to prison. I will watch more I am sure but just disgusted that so far no one tries to point to non profits who maintain and expand/protect native habitats.

The beasts are huge and an accident waiting to happen. What was the documentary film about the guy in England who as a kid grew up with two lions his parents had to raise because of some, zoo event ? Then as an young adult he repatriated them to the wild. The last scene he went back to visit years later, called out to a pack of lions a few hundred yards away on a hill and one broke away running directly to him to be petted and groomed. He said he was actually really scared because he wasn’t that sure if it was his old childhood friend or his/her intent.

I saw footage of that same documentary (I think) and wondered what would be going through my mind as a lion raced toward me.

There is NO ONE to like in "Tiger King", which makes it an even more admirable effort, in my view.

There's this show on Netflix called Midnight Gospel that is one of the trippiest things I've ever seen. It's by the creator of Adventure Time, Pendleton Ward. He takes interviews from his podcast and then presents them as conversations in surreal landscapes. They tend to be philosophical and remind me of that Linklater movie Waking Life but on acid. Highly recommended for the weirdness factor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQWAqjFJS0

High "weirdness factor"?

Say no more.

I'm in. Saved it to my Netflix list. Will give it a go in the next few days.

First, we have to tackle "Circus of Books". That one looks like a hoot.

Funny how Netflix promotes their movies. I had never heard of "Circus of Books" but it looks super interesting.

"Circus of Books" was fun but not fantastic.

The daughter of the bookstore's owners, who also directs the film, keeps interjecting herself into scenes and we found her the most annoying element.

Television to watch for in 2021:

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/most-anticipated-television-2021...

Anybody else seen Adam Curtis' latest effort? It's the goddamnedest thing.

I've watched one episode and I'm still scratching my head. Having a hard time divining a central theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHFrhIAj0ME

I am prepared to dodge rotten vegetables for mentioning this but I am watching “Community”, the tv series situation comedy about a group of nontraditional college students forming a study club to cope with the not very challenging rigors of graduating from a less than stellar college.

Great cast and I like the witty repartee used in the scripts.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1439629/

The 2nd season of "I Think You Should Leave Now" really takes the cringe humor to a new level. They really push the envelope. I liked season 1 better but there are some very very good sketches here too. It's just that there are so many others that I find hard to watch.

I've been watching the 2016 BBC version of War and Peace. It's only 6 episodes so everything feels very rushed, very Cliff Notes. The production values are great though. The settings are gorgeous and some performances are quite good. Makes me want to revisit the book.

>91 mejix: I agree completely. I enjoyed this version but found myself thinking wistfully of the Anthony Hopkins BBC dramatisation done years before when I believe that 12 episodes were devoted to the project. Those were the days when British television allowed drama time to breathe.

>91 mejix: >92 Maura49: There was news of a restored version of Bondarchuk's four-movie epic, featuring a lot of previously-lost footage. But I've not seen any news of a Blu-ray release of it yet, and I'm not sure if the Criterion Collection restored version is the latest restoration.

>93 iansales: That is interesting news. I must look up the Criterion version, although over here in the UK availability is limited.

>92 Maura49:
This would be an amazing Netflix series but that won't happen any time soon.

>93 iansales:
I think I saw a clip on YouTube. In the image, Natasha looked like Audrey Hepburn, but of course she wasn't.

>94 Maura49: >95 mejix: Criterion has been rolling out its collection in the UK in recent years, although some are still not available because of licensing issues (the World Cinema Project collections are different either side of the Atlantic, for instance).

The current version of the films has some of the lost footage (the original 70 mm print was not looked after) replasced with parallel footage shot at 35 mm for TV broadcast. Which is why some scenes have subtitles and some are dubbed. Makes for an odd viewing experience...

Been rewatching Life on Mars. Had forgotten how funny it was. And despite being 15 years old, it hasn't aged a second.

I thought I would mention a few series I have watched recently at Netflix. Bordertown features a Finnish detective who is probably "somewhere on the spectrum" as they say but he has great insight into problems that most people can't access. Being pretty provincial I thought in Finland the main crimes would be repeated littering at best but at least one recent real life mass shooting there shows that it is hard to get away from ultraviolence . The Finland/Russia border also figures in some multinational intrigue that is a fact of life evidently as presented by the series.

Cowboy Bebop The "live action" version is great, very entertaining tongue in cheek viewing although by definition might fall outside the target area of this group.

Just finished watching the animated version of Cowboy Bebop on Netflix, finally. I had heard about it for years and I was very impressed. The universe it creates is fascinating and many narrative choices are, I think, quite bold for a show of this kind. I couldn't get into the live action version though. Maybe I'll give it another try.

Currently watching two Netflix animated series.

Bee and Puppycat is about "an unemployed woman named Bee who lives a normal life until her grumpy companion PuppyCat arrives and the begin travelling between reality" It's a very trippy cartoon that seems influenced by Adventure Time and Midnight Gospel. It can be syrupy but also has some deeply poetic moments. Seemingly disparate random details start coalescing into an overarching story in a very interesting way. Aimed, I guess, at a more hipsterish audience.

I'm in the third episode of Arcane a steampunk sci-fi intended for young adults. So far a well crafted story with many plots and subplots, moving along with verve. It feels like a novel. Hope they can keep it up.

A while back I watched Kotaro Lives Alone, where "due to some circumstances, four-year-old Kotaro Sato comes to live by himself in Shimizu Apartments." A very sweet Japanese animation that has an undercurrent of deep sadness. Also recommend it.

I like Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, scary stories released recently on Netflix. Surprisingly well made; great cinematography and good story lines that draw you in without relying just on shock value.

>101 DugsBooks: watched a few more of the above and some episodes are much better than others......

>101 DugsBooks: >102 DugsBooks: Sherron and I are going to check that one out soon.

Right now we're watching "Strange Angel" a series based on the life of early rocket pioneer Jack Parsons (who also happened to be an avowed Satanist on the side).

Parson's life was kind of a subplot in my first novel, so I was curious to see how he fared. The series is based on a biography I'm familiar with (by George Pendle)...but the Parsons in the series is too much of a dilettante, a hustler. Also they've completely rewritten the character that I assume is supposed to be based on L. Rob Hubbard. He and Parsons became very close at one point...until Hubbard ran off with his wife and a wad of money.

So...based on a true story. Kind of.

Par for the course these days.

Finally got around watching John Mulaney's Baby J special on Netflix which I had completely forgotten I had in queue. Thought I'd only watch the first half before going to bed but ended up watching the whole thing. So good. It's about his time in rehab. Funny but a very intelligent, kind of cerebral funny. Free of sentimentality but with an undercurrent of sadness. Very moving. One of the best comedy specials I've seen in a while.

We've started the third season of "Last Tango in Halifax".

Enjoyable (Derek Jacobi and rest of cast superb) and surprisingly dark at times as family secrets are uncovered, consequences faced.

Recommended (along with, on a lighter note, Jacobi and Ian McKellen in "Vicious").