What TV series are you currently watching?

[NikF]

Edge of Darkness (1985)

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Troy Kennedy Martin wrote innovative (for the time) British TV shows such as Z Cars and The Sweeney, along with cinema features Kelly's Heroes, Red Heat, and The Italian Job. That would be a fine career in itself, but a TV production that I consider a stand out is his political drama/sci-fi thriller Edge of Darkness.

It's one of those pieces that succeeds as it is. But it was given weight by being initially broadcast during the Thatcher era, when Greenham Common women were becoming a newsworthy exotica to a cosy middle-class already outraged by striking miners, all ready to develop full blown and enraged into a society of them and us, steadily fueled by the still recent memory of the Falklands Conflict. Contrary to what the Daily Mail might profess, this series wasn't an attack on the Tory government or the free market by a socialist BBC, because at that time there had been a gap of years with no political drama of any stripe being produced by the corporation. And even then it took the solid support in the form of producer Michael Wearing, co creator and writer of Boys from the Blackstuff with Bleasdale, and producer of Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice, and another I plan to rewatch soon 'Our Friends in the North' before it got the greenlight.

The plot is relatively simple as it unfolds in a familiar manner. A policeman picks up his university student daughter after she has attended a meeting as part of a group of environmentalists. When they get home she's shot and killed, with the following investigation presenting the idea her death was a revenge shooting on account of a criminal having being caught and imprisoned by her father. The story takes a turn from that point.

All these years later it still easily hangs together and works, and perhaps deserves to be along side other BBC productions/co- productions such as the War Game and Threads.
The score is by Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton, with the soundtrack featuring tracks by Tom Waits, New Model Army, and Willie Nelson.
The cast - RSC regular (or depending on your age, the gamekeeper in Jurassic Park) Bob Peck, Joe Don Baker, Charles Kay, with a young and so gently pretty Joanne Whalley.

At worst, a dated indulgence of the Gaia hypothesis. At best, almost a time capsule into the political and social climate of the UK at that time.


e: gratuitous image of aforementioned young and so gently pretty Joanne Whalley -

[milk]

Great stuff!!!

[Draško]

The first episode looks promising, but who knows where it'll go.

This turned out to be nothing more than ok. The way it was advertised I thought it'd be more out there, bizarre, bit psychedelic maybe, but it is actually pretty ordinary. Half Dumas half Dickens with some modern violence on top. Not that different from a season of Peaky Blinders or Ripper Street. Superb production and excellent cast though.

[ritter]

There showing this new adaptation of John Le Carré's The Little Drummer Girl on Spanish TV these days:



So far (chapters 1 and 2), so good. Although the storyline is slightly contrived, it is also absorbing and, in this production, well acted. The 70s are nicely recreated, as well. This adaptation as a mini-series allows more room for development than the (enjoyable) film with Diane Keaton (which anyway, I watched many, many years ago and don't remember that well).

[drogulus]

Edge of Darkness (1985)

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     I haven't watched it yet. It's been sitting on one of my HDs for a couple of years. I've been busy collecting alnico speakers.

There showing this new adaptation of John Le Carré's The Little Drummer Girl on Spanish TV these days:



So far (chapters 1 and 2), so good. Although the storyline is slightly contrived, it is also absorbing and, in this production, well acted. The 70s are nicely recreated, as well. This adaptation as a mini-series allows more room for development than the (enjoyable) film with Diane Keaton (which anyway, I watched many, many years ago and don't remember that well).

     Just as with Tinker, Tailor I prefer the slow boring series approach.

[NikF]

     I haven't watched it yet. It's been sitting on one of my HDs for a couple of years. I've been busy collecting alnico speakers.

Well, if/when you get around to viewing it, it would be cool to hear what you think.

Didn't you find a speaker and a retailer for it? Do tell.

[George]

Sucks that they cancelled this after two seasons.

[SimonNZ]

recently:

[drogulus]

    I managed to get ahold of the miniseries Shogun, which I dimly remember was quite entertaining.

Didn't you find a speaker and a retailer for it? Do tell.

    I got rid of a couple and I want more, more! There's this little shop in Lithuania that has new-in-box speakers that are no longer made, haven't been for years, so.....

[NikF]

   

    I got rid of a couple and I want more, more! There's this little shop in Lithuania that has new-in-box speakers that are no longer made, haven't been for years, so.....

'Quest for the grail' kind of thing - a nice pursuit. And maybe the one is out there. 
I sold the Nocaster and so now I'm down to two Telecasters.

[ritter]

Wathched the recent German mini-series (six one-hour chapters), The Same Sky, over the past week:



A story of GDR espionage in West Berlin in the mid-70s, laced with glimpses of everyday life in East Germany (including the gay scene in East Berlin, and the gruelling regime aspiring international athletes were subjected to). It all started very well, and Berlin (East and West) at the time  is very atmospherically recreated. The storylines too looked promising....but then, suddenly in the last chapter, it all comes to an abrupt end, with no conclusion. One gets the feeling that, for some unfathomable reason (it couldn't have been audience response, as from what I've read the viewer share of the show was quite strong), the producers decided to cut it short. A real pity.

On the minus side, the characters of the UK and US intelligence staff on the Teufelsberg (a listening station) are cliché-ridden and their English dialogues contrived and fake-sounding.

[Draško]

[Omicron9]

I finally finished "The Staircase," a Netflix docu-series.  Quite good.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388644/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[George]

Great show! My girlfriend (or should I say, my lover  ) and I breezed through season one this weekend.

[Karl Henning]

After an unconscionable hiatus, I've at last resumed The Larry Sanders Show. I have also (at last) reached the last disc of Star Trek. Nevertheless,  last night my impatience got the better of me and I had ro watch the first episode of Star Trek:TNG, "Encounter at Farpoint," which I found highly enjoyable.

[Draško]

[André]

Series 2. I suppose that means a recommendation. I will put it on my watch list.

[Draško]

Series 2. I suppose that means a recommendation.

Yeah, I guess. I like it. It's a dark and slightly surreal British comedy about an odd family, atmospherically filmed and with very good cast. One thing, it's contemporary set, those 18th century costumes are imaginary. The entire season comprises of six 20 minute episodes, doesn't hog much of ones time.

[André]

Good, I'll give it a try. I'm a big fan of Colman since watching Broadchurch.

[Sergeant Rock]

After an unconscionable hiatus, I've at last resumed The Larry Sanders Show. I have also (at last) reached the last disc of Star Trek. Nevertheless,  last night my impatience got the better of me and I had ro watch the first episode of Star Trek:TNG, "Encounter at Farpoint," which I found highly enjoyable.

That episode Introduces Q, one of the great Star Trek characters.

Sarge