The TV Series Thread

[Langue_doc]

I found out the other day "Downton Abbey" will be available again on PBS Passport starting Feb. 27th! Just one catch: only for 2 years.
I've seen the show on my local PBS station several times and on DVD. Still one of my fave "Masterpiece" shows.

I think you can watch DA on Amazon Prime.

[ciao_yall]

Big Little Lies was awesome! I was afraid too much starpower in one series would over-egg the pudding but it was really amazing to see such talent working together so beautifully. The story was great, the scenery was excellent... loved it.

Now I am watching Barry and Girls (both on Amazon Prime).

I have also been watching movies - rewatched Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (forgot how screamingly funny both were) and Julie and Julia.

All this media consumption has given me a great appreciation of talent and the hard work that goes into making these shows.

[EdnaMode]

I just finished Line of Duty. It was quite enjoyable, especially the growth of DS Arnott's character over the five series. Now... if only they could get back to filming, I need to know who H is!

[Charlotte]

I've been watching For All Mankind. The second season has just begun and I'm happy to hear it was renewed for a third season!

[ab_grp]

We wrapped up Psych and set Once Upon a Time aside for a bit to watch a new pair of shows: Pushing Daisies and the HBO Chernobyl miniseries.  Pushing Daisies is almost too adorable to stand.  It's funny and sweet and a little sad at times and very enjoyable to watch.  Definitely some fun characters and situations.  We just started the second and final season of that one.

Obviously, Chernobyl was quite the opposite, and the sweetness and comedy of Pushing Daisies was certainly not able to offset the tragedy of the miniseries.  My husband had been interested in watching it.  Me, not so much.  I'm really glad that I did.  I thought it was amazing and a pretty fascinating and intriguing story well told.  Since we finished it last night, I did a little more reading on the miniseries and found that there was some liberty taking by the creators of it, and I'm not surprised that there are complaints of a biased perspective unfavorable to the Soviet Union.  I'm also not surprised that the miniseries and those who made and acted in it earned so many nominations and awards for their work.  It's hard to say that I wish it had been longer than five episodes of around an hour each, given that the topic is so real and tragic, but I would put it near the top of shows I've watched.  It was also very difficult to watch at times, seeing what a nuclear disaster can do (especially to human bodies), but there were some incredibly brave people involved in trying to address the disaster, and it was almost worse to see the bureaucratic BS and secrecy portrayed that appeared to create unnecessary obstacles and make the situation so much worse.

ETA: For those who also enjoy the "real people" wrap ups at the end of historically based movies, the miniseries had one that gave some more detail about the people involved, which I definitely appreciated.

[Larimar]

I have been curious about Chernobyl, because I heard that one of my favorite actors is in it, Robert Emms. I don't think I'll actually see the show, though, because I don't think I could take seeing a portrayal of what severe radiation poisoning can do to people.

[ab_grp]

If it helps, Larimar, the more graphic portrayal of the radiation poisoning takes up very little of the show, and you would probably be able to tell when it's coming and avoid it pretty well or turn away during those parts.  I believe it's confined to the hospital setting and to just a few characters who you would expect to see deteriorate from their exposure, for example.  But I can understand not wanting to take that chance, too.

[ciao_yall]

Started watching Transparent. Amazing show.

[Morden]

I just finished Line of Duty. It was quite enjoyable, especially the growth of DS Arnott's character over the five series. Now... if only they could get back to filming, I need to know who H is!

If you liked Line of Duty, you might want to try Save Me (UK series); it's from the makers of Line of Duty. You might also enjoy Kiri and Happy Valley (both UK series).

[Larimar]

If it helps, Larimar, the more graphic portrayal of the radiation poisoning takes up very little of the show, and you would probably be able to tell when it's coming and avoid it pretty well or turn away during those parts.  I believe it's confined to the hospital setting and to just a few characters who you would expect to see deteriorate from their exposure, for example.  But I can understand not wanting to take that chance, too.

Thanks, ab_grp.

[EdnaMode]

I just finished Line of Duty. It was quite enjoyable, especially the growth of DS Arnott's character over the five series. Now... if only they could get back to filming, I need to know who H is!

If you liked Line of Duty, you might want to try Save Me (UK series); it's from the makers of Line of Duty. You might also enjoy Kiri and Happy Valley (both UK series).

Thanks! I love me some UK police/law dramas. Will have to see if I can find those.

[Istiblennius]

I'm finally all caught up on The Expanse series - both the show on Amazon Prime and the book series. This may be the only time where I can't decide which I like better. If you liked Battlestar Gallactica, its a good choice.

I'm also a fan of Endeavor on Prime - so much that I went and looked for the Inspector Morse series and was sad to discover what a dirtbag young Endeavor Morse grows up to be.

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max) was the other show I've really enjoyed recently, although its kind of wrenching if you have the experience of a family member who is an addict of any kind.

I have been curious about Chernobyl, because I heard that one of my favorite actors is in it, Robert Emms. I don't think I'll actually see the show, though, because I don't think I could take seeing a portrayal of what severe radiation poisoning can do to people.

Chernobyl is probably the best television I've watched in the last 2-3 years. But it's pretty heartbreaking, and you are right to be cautious about the portrayal of radiation poisoning, although I agree that it is clearly signalled and can be avoided if you feel like that would make it watchable for you.

[hmaria1609]

I remember Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham getting circulation mileage at the library when it first came out. Plus the author won the 2020 Carnegie Medal for Non-Fiction.

I'm watching "Atlantic Crossing" on PBS's "Masterpiece." It's the story of Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her friendship with FDR during WWII.

[Larimar]

Chernobyl is probably the best television I've watched in the last 2-3 years. But it's pretty heartbreaking, and you are right to be cautious about the portrayal of radiation poisoning, although I agree that it is clearly signalled and can be avoided if you feel like that would make it watchable for you.

Thanks, Istiblennius.

I'm watching "Atlantic Crossing" on PBS's "Masterpiece." It's the story of Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her friendship with FDR during WWII.

My in-laws are watching that too, and they say it's really good.

[ergative]

We wrapped up Psych and set Once Upon a Time aside for a bit to watch a new pair of shows: Pushing Daisies and the HBO Chernobyl miniseries.  Pushing Daisies is almost too adorable to stand.  It's funny and sweet and a little sad at times and very enjoyable to watch.  Definitely some fun characters and situations.  We just started the second and final season of that one.

Obviously, Chernobyl was quite the opposite, and the sweetness and comedy of Pushing Daisies was certainly not able to offset the tragedy of the miniseries.  My husband had been interested in watching it.  Me, not so much.  I'm really glad that I did.  I thought it was amazing and a pretty fascinating and intriguing story well told.  Since we finished it last night, I did a little more reading on the miniseries and found that there was some liberty taking by the creators of it, and I'm not surprised that there are complaints of a biased perspective unfavorable to the Soviet Union.  I'm also not surprised that the miniseries and those who made and acted in it earned so many nominations and awards for their work.  It's hard to say that I wish it had been longer than five episodes of around an hour each, given that the topic is so real and tragic, but I would put it near the top of shows I've watched.  It was also very difficult to watch at times, seeing what a nuclear disaster can do (especially to human bodies), but there were some incredibly brave people involved in trying to address the disaster, and it was almost worse to see the bureaucratic BS and secrecy portrayed that appeared to create unnecessary obstacles and make the situation so much worse.

ETA: For those who also enjoy the "real people" wrap ups at the end of historically based movies, the miniseries had one that gave some more detail about the people involved, which I definitely appreciated.

I absolutely loved Pushing Daisies, but Absolutive couldn't get into it, so my planned rewatch of it fizzled out.

Now I'm enjoying Ruth Goodman's BBC series about living in the olden days (Tales from the Green Valley, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm), in which she and some archeaologists take over a farm and try to make it run for a year using only period-era technology and food and so on.