What TV series are you currently watching?

[Karl Henning]

At this point, I think there is only one remaining Stout story which both series adapted: "Before I Die."

Watched this tonight, and again, the different tack employed by the two series on the same source material, is itself of entertaining interest. The later series made use of the title as a line, which I should guess is true also of the Ur-text ... I really need to read me some Stout.

It appears that Stout was published by Viking Press. A pity I didn't know that back when I worked at their Distribution Center ....

[George]

Now enjoying another great episode of KILL TONY on Youtube.

[SonicMan46]

Currently, 3 series, first two w/ new seasons and restarting an old favorite:

Murdoch Mysteries - 17 Season - 24 episodes (last ending next week) - viewing on Acorn.

Blue Bloods - 14 Season - 18 episodes filming into the fall 2024 - paid Amazon Prime.

Major Crimes - 6 Seasons (2012-2018) - rewatching on Amazon Prime.  Dave

   

[Fëanor]

Currently, 3 series, first two w/ new seasons and restarting an old favorite:

Murdoch Mysteries - 17 Season - 24 episodes (last ending next week) - viewing on Acorn.

Gads!! 17 seasons.   I watch Murdock Mysteries 2-3 time in the earlier years. I though it was pretty 'cheeszy' and improbable and haven't watched it since.  Should I change my evaluation?

[SonicMan46]

Gads!! 17 seasons.   I watch Murdock Mysteries 2-3 time in the earlier years. I though it was pretty 'cheezy' and improbable and haven't watched it since.  Should I change my evaluation?

Well, we enjoyed the first half dozen seasons much more (e.g. 'famous' people showing up, better written episodes, etc.) - we're finding the last few seasons a little boring.  Dave

[Jo498]

Just starting on this. Very different (not surprisingly) to the A&E series 30 years later.
Very interesting note: Only seven of the 14 episodes are credited as being based upon Stout stories. All episodes were set in contemporary New York City.

Contemporary could be o.k., but Nero Wolfe with a full beard, pfui! (Although Stout had a beard, IIRC, Wolfe is as impossible with a beard as would be Poirot.
I saw a few episodes of the other Wolfe/Archie series and this was very good and quite close to the books. A slight complaint is that they put all of it in the 1950s. I'd have preferred the 1930s, but it's reasonable to pick ONE setting to get clothes and cars etc correct.

[Brian]

Gads!! 17 seasons.   I watch Murdock Mysteries 2-3 time in the earlier years. I though it was pretty 'cheezy' and improbable and haven't watched it since.  Should I change my evaluation?

I can't speak with too much authority because I only watched the first episode (with a cameo by Nikola Tesla), but I thought it unbearably cheesy. And I love cheesy mysteries like Death in Paradise or Midsomer or Psych.

[Florestan]

Well, we enjoyed the first half dozen seasons much more (e.g. 'famous' people showing up, better written episodes, etc.) - we're finding the last few seasons a little boring.  Dave

I can't speak with too much authority because I only watched the first episode (with a cameo by Nikola Tesla), but I thought it unbearably cheesy. And I love cheesy mysteries like Death in Paradise or Midsomer or Psych.

IMHO, Murdoch is a robot whose only interests are criminology, forensic and science in general. I am surprised he even noticed Julia Ogdon (the woman, not the pathologist), let alone married her.  George Crabtree is a more interesting character and in my book the most flesh-and-blood, humane and likeable character is Inspector Brackenreid (I even had him as an avatar for a while).

Death in Paradise is much better in this respect. Dwayne is memorable, Camille Bordey is lovely (as is her mother), the Commissioner is funny and all the ever-changing inspectors fall in love with Camille but never have the courage to do as much as kiss her on the cheek.

As of late, my favorite mystery series has been Lewis, a sort of updated Endeavour (inspired by the same Colin Dexter novels, actually) not least for the exquisite sense of humour.

I like The Coroner as well (Claire Goose, anyone?) but alas!, BBC First discontinued it.

[Karl Henning]

Revisiting the 80's New Twilight Zone. As a series, not the match of the original (and facing, not coincidentally, similar challenges, in terms of "competing" for viewers with mainstream fare) but at its best, a worthy successor. 

[DavidW]

Finished S5 of new Who, excepting the Christmas special.  I'm fast approaching whatever made me blow a gasket and stop watching.  But this season was great, I watched every episode without skipping.  I think that the tweak to the angels was stupid... but I think that was my only complaint for the whole season.

Matthew Smith quickly found his footing, and I liked his more charming, goofy doctor.  Gone is the dark, brooding intensity of the two before.

[AnotherSpin]

Forbrydelsen/The Killing, season 1

[drogulus]

I gather there's a Chinese production and that this is a new production?  I enjoyed the books, though the plot does drag in the middle books (did it really need to be padded out to a cycle?)

     I saw some of the 1st episode on YT. I think it's the first couple of episode are free and then you pay.

     

[DavidW]

I gather there's a Chinese production and that this is a new production?  I enjoyed the books, though the plot does drag in the middle books (did it really need to be padded out to a cycle?)

The Chinese one is on prime, and the newer one is on Netflix.  I think the Chinese one has much lower ratings.  I've heard the books described as everything from brilliant, to incredibly derivative and cliche.  I feel like I won't know unless I read them myself.

[SimonNZ]

Incredibly powerful. The best thing by Shane Meadows I've seen so far, and the previous stuff I've seen has all been strong.

A model of economy and control in the scriptwriting and trust in the actors to "show, don't tell".


The Guardian's five star review:

The Virtues finale review – a drama so emotional it left you gasping for air
Difficult truths were delivered in the conclusion of Shane Meadows's tale of repressed trauma, with a final 20 minutes that was among the most intense passages in TV history

opening paragraph:

"Giving The Virtues a rating out of five feels like trying to pin a rosette on a tornado. Its writer-director, Shane Meadows, was already, with the film/TV series This Is England, a fearsome chronicler of ordinary lives racked by violence, addiction, exploitation and revenge, and of how those things can leave scars before their victims have turned 18. But the concluding episode of The Virtues (Channel 4) saw Meadows working on a new level, blending raw feeling and technical mastery to create drama that will live in viewers' minds for days, weeks, maybe years to come."

(warning: rest of review contains spoilers)

[Fëanor]

...
Death in Paradise is much better in this respect. Dwayne is memorable, Camille Bordey is lovely (as is her mother), the Commissioner is funny and all the ever-changing inspectors fall in love with Camille but never have the courage to do as much as kiss her on the cheek.
...

I must say I enjoyed a few seasons of Death in Paradise; (I watched with my wife  ).  A part from the exotic setting, it was pretty traditional British murder mystery, but nothing wrong with that, eh?  IMHO, much better than Murdoch.

I also gotta agree that DS Camille Bordley (Sara Martins) was gorgeous;  her follow up DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) was pretty easy on the eyes as well.  Likewise Bordley's mother (Elizabeth Bourgine), a very handsome women.

[DavidW]

I must say I enjoyed a few seasons of Death in Paradise; (I watched with my wife  ).  A part from the exotic setting, it was pretty traditional British murder mystery, but nothing wrong with that, eh?  IMHO, much better than Murdoch.

I also gotta agree that DS Camille Bordley (Sara Martins) was gorgeous;  her follow up DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) was pretty easy on the eyes as well.  Likewise Bordley's mother (Elizabeth Bourgine), a very handsome women.

I love the Death in Paradise, though I have tired of it now just because it has ran so long.  My favorite detective is DI Mooney.  There was something Columbo like and charming about his character that I missed with the other ones.

[DavidW]

I watched the first episode of Foundation and I think so far so good.  But I'm still anticipating that spectacle and arrogant Hollywood writers will greatly depart from the source material and make it silly bombast... but we will see... I'll try to keep an open mind.

[Iota]

Incredibly powerful. The best thing by Shane Meadows I've seen so far, and the previous stuff I've seen has all been strong.

A model of economy and control in the scriptwriting and trust in the actors to "show, don't tell".


The Guardian's five star review:

The Virtues finale review – a drama so emotional it left you gasping for air
Difficult truths were delivered in the conclusion of Shane Meadows's tale of repressed trauma, with a final 20 minutes that was among the most intense passages in TV history

opening paragraph:

"Giving The Virtues a rating out of five feels like trying to pin a rosette on a tornado. Its writer-director, Shane Meadows, was already, with the film/TV series This Is England, a fearsome chronicler of ordinary lives racked by violence, addiction, exploitation and revenge, and of how those things can leave scars before their victims have turned 18. But the concluding episode of The Virtues (Channel 4) saw Meadows working on a new level, blending raw feeling and technical mastery to create drama that will live in viewers' minds for days, weeks, maybe years to come."

(warning: rest of review contains spoilers)

Thanks for mentioning this, I'm a big fan of both Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham and this had passed me by, I'll definitely seek it out. Coincidentally I was chatting with a neighbour earlier who was enthusing about Dead Man's Shoes, a Shane Meadows film with Paddy Considine, so a lot to look forward to it seems.

[George]

Thanks for mentioning this, I'm a big fan of both Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham and this had passed me by, I'll definitely seek it out.

Strongly seconded! Thanks, Simon!!

I am always looking for new, good shows to watch.

[SimonNZ]

Thanks for mentioning this, I'm a big fan of both Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham and this had passed me by, I'll definitely seek it out. Coincidentally I was chatting with a neighbour earlier who was enthusing about Dead Man's Shoes, a Shane Meadows film with Paddy Considine, so a lot to look forward to it seems.

Strongly seconded! Thanks, Simon!!

I am always looking for new, good shows to watch.

Thanks. I'm probably going to be watching Dead Man's Shoes next weekend.

In the meantime I'm trying to figure out how to access the three-part series Meadows made after The Virtues called Gallows Pole, set during the Industrial Revolution:



BBCs iPlayer wont work from NZ, and it hasn't been released on dvd (or loaded anywhere obvious like YT)