Re: Television programmes [2]

by Mrs Figg Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:19 pm

cool thanks I will try that.

I am currently reading all the John Buchan books, lots of derring-do and adventures. Its great stuff. I read the 39 Steps and now Greenmantle. Considering they were written 100 years ago in 1915 or there abouts and the language is slightly old fashioned they are still classics of adventure.

by Pettytyrant101 Wed Nov 04, 2020 7:51 am

{{ Lovecraft is a massive inspiration on so many diverse works these days itd be impossible to list them, but to give an idea in film, not including direct adaptations of his books we have Alien, The Thing, Event Horizon, The Mist, The Cabin in the Wood, Evil Dead, True Detective and a ton of others. There also a pile of videogames that are Lovecraft inspired, from Dark Souls to The Sunken City and literally hundreds of books which either use Lovecraft, expand on his mythos, or pay tribute to his ideas.
And of course Doctor Who has dipped its toes into Lovecraftian terroritory a few times, especially in classic-

Television programmes [2] - Page 9 Doctor-who-the-curse-of-fenric-creature-monstr-review

Television programmes [2] - Page 9 Doctor-who-the-curse-of-fenric-creature-monstr-review

Television programmes [2] - Page 9 Seedsofdoom-krynoid-ravaging-house

Television programmes [2] - Page 9 Vlcsnap-2012-11-24-10h39m32s225

He's one of the most used authors in terms of inspiring new works to this day.

He did however have some views of his time (late 1800's) that would not be shared today, though in fairness to him he was capable of change and the views he held were not at all uncommon for that period. For example he is often said to be an anti-semitic due to things he said about Jews in his younger days, this is often cast up against him, ignoring the fact he not only changed his views in later life and had jewish friends, he had a jewish wife too. He was certianly racist towards blacks in his younger years too, and some of that sadly makes it way into his work with ugly unflattering descriptions of 'negroids', and Lovecrafts belief whites were naturally superior, but when in later life science started to disprove this he went with the facts, believing instead that cultures could be superior, regardless of the colour of the people whose culture it was. But again folk only cast up the racist comments he made in his life, not his introspection on them later in life. And to top it all off he had a horrible hard life for a lot of it, his views were not born in a void but in the circumstances of his upbringing and of their time. }}

by Mrs Figg Wed Nov 04, 2020 1:20 pm

Bit like Buchan then, I have been reading some pretty off descriptions of Black people, the lead character Richard Hannay is supposed to have been working as a mining engineer in South Africa and while his descriptions of the Highveld is atmospheric, he uses the N word a couple of times. This is obviously written shortly after the Boer War and it is just a different world. In 1915 there was no racial equality and hardly any sexual equality either.

by Pettytyrant101 Wed Nov 04, 2020 10:21 pm

{{ I havent read Buchanan since school, the 39 Steps was on the prescribed reading list for english. Seem to remember it had a very unique atmosphere and flavour. }}

by Mrs Figg Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:13 pm

yes it is a real page turner, really exciting. I have always loved the various film adaptations as well, and I must say that the Robert Powell version seems to be the most similar to the book, but all of them are different from the book in that the book doesn't have any female characters. Its a boys own adventure and Greenmantle is also incredibly adventurous. It really grabs you, the dangerous travels through First World War landscapes, spies and adventure.

by Pettytyrant101 Thu Nov 05, 2020 12:00 am

{{ Now Figg, easy there, you know fine well in the modern world as a modern woman you are simply not allowed to enjoy or speak well of a book thats doesnt have full female representation throughout! Writing a story with no women in it, he may as well be out sexually assualting them the msyoginist! }}

by Mrs Figg Thu Nov 05, 2020 1:33 pm

well there is one female character in Greenmantle but she is a baddie Mad

by Pettytyrant101 Thu Nov 05, 2020 4:43 pm

{{ Ah a true to life tale then! Twisted Evil

}}

by Mrs Figg Fri Nov 06, 2020 12:24 am

by Forest Shepherd Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:55 am

This Buchanan sounds quite interesting!

I'm reading Susanna Clarke's* new novel, Piranesi. It's about this character who lives in an endless house made up of giant halls peopled with statues. The sun and moon and stars shine down through cracks in the upper halls, when cloud-wrack and fog aren't obscuring them, and a tidal sea ebbs and surges through the lower halls. I'm a third of the way through it, and the only other living person in this world, "The Other", seems to be gaslighting the main character into doubting their own memory. It is rather dastardly of him.

*author of Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell.

by Mrs Figg Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:15 pm

Got to say that the second season of His Dark Materials is much better than the first. I am really enjoying The Subtle Knife.

by Forest Shepherd Tue Dec 01, 2020 5:41 am

Ah so the show is breaking it down into a season per book? I read them of course, way back when, but I've only seen the first episode of this new show.

I did watch some actual tv recently, actually. It was on Hulu, but it's this show called The First, with Sean Penn. The season dragged a bit with family drama and too much backstory for a story about astronauts working towards a manned mission to Mars, but overall I thought it had enough sincerity and quality to make it. Apparently the execs didn't, however, as they cancelled it after the first season: a fact I did not discover until I had made it all the way through to the last episode. The show had finally left earth behind--it's pace tense and exciting again--and that's it. Blammo. Lame.

Shrugging

(The pilot is watchable on its own though: best episode of the season. I recommend it!)

by Mrs Figg Tue Dec 01, 2020 2:24 pm

I hate it when they do that. Suspect

cancel a show just as you are getting into it. They did that with Sanditon and there was a backlash from the fans. ladies with bustles can be a bit violent. Smile

by Bluebottle Tue Dec 01, 2020 8:30 pm

The Expanse as well will continue for two (one unfilmed) more seasons. A very interesting sci-fi story, grounded in science (and fiction) and a fictional future. They are up to about book 5 of 9 in the next (already filmed) season, I think. And after being a slow burn for the first few seasons (and being cancelled by Sci-fi and picked up by Amazon), it was just starting to get really good. Shame it won't play out until the end of the story (last book coming out in the spring).

by Bluebottle Tue Dec 01, 2020 8:32 pm

Mrs Figg wrote:I hate it when they do that. cancel a show just as you are getting into it. They did that with Sanditon and there was a backlash from the fans. ladies with bustles can be a bit violent.

Television programmes [2] - Page 9 Tenor

by Mrs Figg Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:34 pm

by halfwise Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:52 pm

btw Blue, are you on some kind of break? You disappear for a long time then come in on short bursts and disappear again. Just when we've lost hope...you're back!

by Bluebottle Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:02 am

Just a bit busy these days, but I try to stick my head in every now and then. Wave

by halfwise Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:48 am

You'll actually find me on here MORE when I'm busy (at work) - it's a pressure release valve.

by halfwise Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:00 pm

Have to rave about The Queen's Gambit (Netflix). For some reason I originally thought it was based on a true story, which was a big part of why I wanted to watch it - may have avoided it otherwise. But boy am I glad I tricked myself into watching it. It's incredibly good. Seems that sales of chess sets and books have spiked since it debuted, particularly among girls.

They picked the right actress - she'd never played chess before, but is "a lead actor so magnetic that when she stares down the camera lens, her flinty glare threatens to cut right through it." (Variety). We don't have enough role models of females demonstrating intellectual supremacy around, and the totally believable knock-out domination exhibited here is a game changer.

It's based on a book of the same name published in 1987, and I have to wonder why the author picked such a recent period to rewrite history. I suppose it was because he was familiar with the rigid gender roles of the time and knew his audience would be too?

by halfwise Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:12 pm

11 TV shows that scored a perfect 100% on rotten tomatoes. Queen's Gambit is one, but most I've never heard of:

https://medium.com/insider/only-11-tv-shows-received-a-perfect-score-on-rotten-tomatoes-this-year-so-far-e446022b486a

by Pettytyrant101 Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:57 pm

{{ Youll need to list them for us Halfy- requires they get your email address to read it, and that just means spam!!! Mad

}}

by halfwise Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:01 pm

Oh, that's right. That's a subscription service that collects interesting things, but I didn't know the stories themselves were protected. So here's the list of perfect score shows, but I was wrong, they are not all netflix, so I've fixed my statement above. Queen's Gambit of course is on here. Giri looks very interesting.

“Giri/Haji” (season one) — Netflix

Synopsis: “A Tokyo detective travels to London to look for his long lost younger brother, now believed to be posing as a Yakuza gangster and wanted for the murder of a Japanese businessman. His family’s honour, and the fragile peace between the warring gangs back home, is at stake.”
Critics’ Consensus: “Smart, suspenseful, and superbly shot, ‘Giri/Haji is a near-perfect crime thriller with a surprisingly sharp sense of humor.’”
The first show on our list requires a small caveat. “Giri/Haji” was a coproduction between Netflix and BBC Two. The whole first season premiere in the U.K. in October 2019, but didn’t come to Netflix for U.S. audiences until January 2020.
Since it wasn’t included in our 2019 roundup, and U.S. audiences only just got a chance to see its greatness this year, we’ve placed it here in our 2020 list.

“Schitt’s Creek” (season six) — PopTV

Synopsis: “When the filthy-rich Rose family suddenly find themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives, rebuild their empire, and rediscover what it means to be in Schitt’s Creek, a town they once purchased as a joke.”
Critics’ Consensus: “Witty, warm, and with just the right blend of wisdom and wisecracks, ‘Schitt’s Creek’s’ final season is the perfect farewell to the Roses and the town that changed their lives.”
The sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek” premiered at the start of 2020, delighting fans and critics alike. The show earned several key nominations at the upcoming Emmy awards, including best comedy series, best lead and best supporting actress in a comedy, and more.

“One Day at a Time” (season four) — PopTV

Synopsis: “A reimagining of the iconic Norman Lear’s classic sitcom, ‘One Day at a Time’ is an hilarious and heartfelt comedy that follows three generations of a Cuban-American family navigating the ups and downs of life.”
Critics’ Consensus: “As layered, loving, and laugh-out-loud funny as ever, ‘One Day at a Time’ successfully does the network shuffle without missing a beat.”
After “One Day at a Time” was canceled by Netflix in 2019, the beloved series was picked up by PopTV and brought back for a fourth season. Critics praised the seamless transition between networks and loved how the show managed to be as timely and heartfelt as ever.

“What We Do in the Shadows” (season two) — Fx on Hulu

Synopsis: “A look into the daily lives of four vampires who’ve been together for hundreds of years; after a visit from their dark lord and leader, they’re reminded of their purpose in coming to New York City over a century ago.”
Critics’ Consensus: “Bat! ‘What We Do In the Shadows’ loses no steam in a smashing second season that savvily expands its supernatural horizons while doubling down on the fast flying fun.”
This comedy series is based on a movie of the same name, which was cocreated by Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Concords”) and Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit,” “Thor: Ragnarok”). The TV show is filmed in mockumentary style, following the increasingly wild and amusing antics of a group of Staten Island vampires.

“Feel Good” (season one) — Netflix

Synopsis: “‘Feel Good’ stars Mae Martin as Mae, a rising talent on the stand-up circuit and recovering addict whose addictive behaviors and intense romanticism dominate every single part of her life.”
Critics’ Consensus: “An intimate portrait of addiction and love, ‘Feel Good’ is at once sweetly charming, uncomfortably complicated, and completely worth falling for.”
“Feel Good” is a fantastic new, easy-to-binge series on Netflix. The first season is just six total episodes, each about 25 minutes long, which means it falls squarely into the trend of short-TV that’s dominating the media landscape right now.

“The Baby-Sitters Club” (season one) — Netflix

Synopsis: “Netflix’s new series ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ is based on the best-selling book series, that follows the friendship and adventures of Kristy Thomas, Mary-Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer as the middle-schoolers start their babysitting business in the town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut.”
Critics’ Consensus: “Sweet, sincere, and full of hope, ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’s’ grounded approach honors its source material while updating the story for a new generation.”
“The Baby-Sitters Club” premiered at the end of June and quickly claimed the top spot in this year’s ranking of Netflix TV shows among critics. People cheered the family-friendly series for bringing the iconic ’90s books to life for a 2020 audience.

“P-Valley” (season one) — Starz

Synopsis: “Down deep in the Mississippi Delta lies an oasis of grit and glitter in a rough patch of human existence where beauty can be hard to find.”
Critics’ Consensus: “A stunning, lyrical piece of neon noir, ‘P-Valley’ explores the unseen lives of strippers in Mississippi through Katori Hall’s singular gaze, celebrating the beauty of the craft without sugarcoating the challenges.”
If you’re looking for a new drama to dive into, “P-Valley” is one of the best-rated new shows of the summer. The show draws you in with the intimacy and theatrics of its strip-club setting, and captures a deeper undercurrent of each character’s journey.

“Immigration Nation” (limited series) — Netflix

Synopsis: “With unprecedented access to ICE operations, as well as moving portraits of immigrants, this docuseries takes a deep look at U.S. immigration today.”
Critics’ Consensus: “A rare and expansive look into the consequences of unfettered power, ‘Immigration Nation’ is a powerful, harrowing indictment of the current state of American immigration.”
Netflix’s six-episode miniseries highlights the personal stories of asylum seekers and immigrant families trying to maneuver through the complex policies and discriminations built into American’s current systems. Critics were impressed by the documentary’s up-close access to detention centers and ICE field offices, and the powerful presentation of the complete picture of US immigration.

“PEN15” (season two) — Hulu

Synopsis: “‘PEN15’ is middle school as it really happened. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star in this adult comedy, playing versions of themselves as 13-year-old outcasts in the year 2000, surrounded by actual thirteen-year-olds, where the best day of your life can turn into your worst with the stroke of a gel pen.”
Critics’ Consensus: “An excellent showcase for Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and their well-cast classmates, ‘PEN15’s’ sophomore season goes deeper into the nuances of middle school life without losing any of its cringey charm.”
Hulu’s original comedy series “PEN15” has been critically lauded since its debut last year. With reviews in for its sophomore season, the show seems to only be getting better. You’ll need a tolerance for secondhand-embarrassment in order to fully appreciate this coming-of-age story, but so far all of the critics agree that the cringe is well worth it.

“The Good Lord Bird” (limited series) — Showtime

Synopsis: “Ethan Hawke stars as abolitionist John Brown in a humorous, dramatic and historical tapestry of Antebellum America. A limited event series based on the award winning novel by author James McBride.”
Critics’ Consensus: “Ethan Hawke dazzles in ‘The Good Lord Bird,’ an epically irreverent adaptation that does right by its source material’s good word.”
Showtime’s limited series premiered in October to strong reviews from critics, who say the show nails its tone and has a standout cast.
“‘The Good Lord Bird’ swings nimbly from pulpy proto-Western to surreal, somewhat anachronistic social satire,” New Yorker critic Doreen St. Felix wrote in her review.

“The Queen’s Gambit” (limited series) — Netflix

Synopsis: “When winning takes everything, what are you left with? ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ follows a young chess prodigy’s rise from an orphanage to the world stage. But genius comes with a cost.”
Critics’ Consensus: “Its moves aren’t always perfect, but between Anya Taylor-Joy’s magnetic performance, incredibly realized period details, and emotionally intelligent writing, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is an absolute win.”
Fans and critics alike have been delighting in this period drama, which was one of the most-watched shows on Netflix after its premiere at the end of October.
“Anchored by a magnetic lead performance and bolstered by world-class acting, marvelous visual language, a teleplay that’s never less than gripping, and an admirable willingness to embrace contradiction and ambiguity, it’s one of the year’s best series,” critic Allison Shoemaker wrote for Roger Ebert.

by Pettytyrant101 Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:43 pm

{ I assume What we Do in the Shadows is a spinoff series fomr the film of the same name- I saw it, its good fun but I wouldnt have called it brilliant.

PEN15 sounds on paper a bit like the Uk Inbetweeners. Apart from adults playing themselves as kids, which sounds weird, but the style of humour, setting etc all sounds very similar.

Dont know the rest nut will take alook, especially at your recommendation Queens' Gambit. }}

by Mrs Figg Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:58 pm

halfwise wrote:You'll actually find me on here MORE when I'm busy (at work) - it's a pressure release valve.

yeah me too. Its procrastination to the max here.