What are you watching?

[plastic penguin]

Last night on BBC 4 I watched the 80s comedy The Young Ones. Crikey it looks really dated. I used to love that programme. Always remember going to my cousins place to watch it. We used to laugh like drains but 40-years on it's as funny as an ingrown toenail.

Comedies such as Rising Damp, Fawlty Towers, Porridge... which are older are still very funny. They're pure comedy gold.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Hannah Fry's Secret Genius of Modern Life on Beeb2 - explaining how some of the things we take for granted work, and how the technology evolved. First one was about the bank card - great TV.

James May's Our Man in Italy on Amazon - following on from the Japan series, equally great.

 

[Gray]

Hannah Fry's Secret Genius of Modern Life on Beeb2

That's my sort of TV.
(Thames Card Technology is just up the road from me - was interesting to see inside the place).
One of the better things on BBC2.

BBC4 is good for that sort of programme and yet.....they brought BBC3 back and plan to remove the BBC4 TV channel ☹️

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

That's my sort of TV.
(Thames Card Technology is just up the road from me - was interesting to see inside the place).
One of the better things on BBC2.

BBC4 is good for that sort of programme and yet.....they brought BBC3 back and plan to remove the BBC4 TV channel ☹

I had been under the impression that the plan was to make BBC4 more of an archive channel - still a waste of the facilities it offers, but better than getting rid.

 

[WayneKerr]

Hannah Fry's Secret Genius of Modern Life on Beeb2 - explaining how some of the things we take for granted work, and how the technology evolved. First one was about the bank card - great TV.

James May's Our Man in Italy on Amazon - following on from the Japan series, equally great.

Yep, the Hannah Fry one was very interesting... waiting for the next one in the series

I'll check-out the new James May one soon, seen the Japan series already. He's the best presenter to come out of the Top Gear stable, very entertaining... unlike Hammond's ridiculous garage series.

 

[Gray]

I had been under the impression that the plan was to make BBC4 more of an archive channel - still a waste of the facilities it offers, but better than getting rid.

I heard it was going online only - so the reverse of what happened with BBC3.
We'll find out in time.

 

[WayneKerr]

Yep, the Hannah Fry one was very interesting... waiting for the next one in the series

I'll check-out the new James May one soon, seen the Japan series already. He's the best presenter to come out of the Top Gear stable, very entertaining... unlike Hammond's ridiculous garage series.

Edit: Thought I'd seen the Japan series but I hadn't so did a binge watch this week. It's okay but he's a bit of a kn*b in it so not really my cup of tea, and at times found him rather condescending... maybe this is an Amazon requirement. I have much preferred him in some of his other programmes.

The Michael Palin series was my all-time favourite as a presenter, and maybe Joanna Lumley too.

 

[plastic penguin]

Edit: Thought I'd seen the Japan series but I hadn't so did a binge watch this week. It's okay but he's a bit of a kn*b in it so not really my cup of tea, and at times found him rather condescending... maybe this is an Amazon requirement. I have much preferred him in some of his other programmes.

The Michael Palin series was my all-time favourite as a presenter, and maybe Joanna Lumley too.

Michael Palin's adventures were fascinating. Also Jo Lumley series was very good, helped by the fact she was my first TV female idol in The New Avengers.

(Oooo, that Purdey bob)

 

[Gray]

Pretty sure I've never watched a whole Avengers episode, but Diana Rigg wasn't too bad 😍

Saw Jo Lumley really appreciating the Northern Lights.
I would.......(appreciate them, no doubt too).

 

[plastic penguin]

Pretty sure I've never watched a whole Avengers episode, but Diana Rigg wasn't too bad 😍

Saw Jo Lumley really appreciating the Northern Lights.
I would.......(appreciate them, no doubt too).

It's a surreal TV programme. Diana Rigg was gorgeous as is her daughter Rachael Stirling.

On The Avengers, Patrick Macnee and Rigg looked like they had good fun filming the series.

View: https://youtu.be/ph3uz20aleE

 

[plastic penguin]

Foyle's War is one of my fav dramas. However not so keen on the later episodes. Like most dramas there was too many made, and after Sgt Milner was written out it lost some of its magic. Also the later series was located in Ireland and Liverpool, with Dublin replicating London. It looks nothing like London.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Frozen Planet 2 on 4k - deliberately waited until the discs were available. Just wow. The avalanche footage in part 3 is just mind-blowing.

 

[plastic penguin]

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways.

Really interesting series. Enjoyed most of them.

 

[plastic penguin]

Red Bull Soapbox Race.

These home-made goats, nearly all crash - It's absolutely bonkers

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Watched Vic & Bob's old series Catterick recently, as Bob says (in his autobiography) that he thinks it's the best thing they ever did. He's wrong.

The odd old Doctor Who - Blink from series 3 (with the Weeping Angels) is excellent.

The always enjoyable Christmas University Challenge, and just started this year's Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Dame Sue Black on forensics - read a couple of her books and she's great, as well as entertaining.

 

[WayneKerr]

just started this year's Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Dame Sue Black on forensics - read a couple of her books and she's great, as well as entertaining.

I always find these fascinating, must see if I can get them on iplayer.

 

[Gray]

...just started this year's Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Dame Sue Black on forensics - read a couple of her books and she's great, as well as entertaining.

Nobody (with a brain) could watch any R.I. lecture without learning something interesting.

In complete contrast, I visited my poorly Auntie on Christmas Day and was forced to watch ITV, often at 96% volume (no kidding) for the whole time.
As if I needed it, I was reminded why I long ago deleted ITV from my TV guide.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I always find these fascinating, must see if I can get them on iplayer.

BBC iPlayer - Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

ITV

I always refer to it as Richie sneeringly does in Bottom - the light channel...

 

[MrReaper182]

Last night on BBC 4 I watched the 80s comedy The Young Ones. Crikey it looks really dated. I used to love that programme. Always remember going to my cousins place to watch it. We used to laugh like drains but 40-years on it's as funny as an ingrown toenail.

Comedies such as Rising Damp, Fawlty Towers, Porridge... which are older are still very funny. They're pure comedy gold.

How dare you say the Young Ones is not funny. PP. Saying such a thing is blasphemy in my book PP. I fist watched it in the early 2000's (I was not born when it was first shown) and found it to be great. The young ones will never be dated as it led the way for other black comedy TV series in the UK.

 

[MrReaper182]

I'm watching the joint HBO/ BBC TV series Rome (I'm on series two right now) on blu-ray. Read reviews that say series two is not as good as series one but I think series two is even better than series one. I would love to see someone like HBO make a TV series about the downfall of the western Roman Empire.

 

[WayneKerr]

How dare you say the Young Ones is not funny. PP. Saying such a thing is blasphemy in my book PP. I fist watched it in the early 2000's (I was not born when it was first shown) and found it to be great. The young ones will never be dated as it led the way for other black comedy TV series in the UK.

Would have to agree. I've been watching the re-runs too and still find them very funny. I was in my mid-twenties on original release.

 

[plastic penguin]

How dare you say the Young Ones is not funny. PP. Saying such a thing is blasphemy in my book PP. I fist watched it in the early 2000's (I was not born when it was first shown) and found it to be great. The young ones will never be dated as it led the way for other black comedy TV series in the UK.

Would have to agree. I've been watching the re-runs too and still find them very funny. I was in my mid-twenties on original release.

I was about 20 when first shown. Looking back I much prefer 'Bottom', IMO the evolution of The Young Ones. Bottom was simpler, The Young Ones was too convoluted, special effects they used dreadfully dated. As a part of my past it's sacrosanct. That's where it should stay. In the past.

It brought one smile to my face, then I realised it was wind.

 

[plastic penguin]

Been watching a couple of episodes of Return Of The Saint. Ian Ogilvy is a fine actor but the storylines in the Return are poor and the dialogue is no better.

Volvo P1800 vs Jaguar XJ-S. No comparison. The quirky Volvo wins hands down.

 

[plastic penguin]

On London Live channel they are showing repeats of Shine On Harvey Moon.

Fabulous cast: Ken Cranham, Maggie Steed, Linda Robson, Nigel Planer...