I don't know who to trust. I don't know what to believe.
Arby breaks my heart and I agree with Letts.

I always said that under this veneer of bleeding heart liberal I was a a raging right wing Telegrapgh reader. Turns out I am also a genocidal maniac. Kill them all and let history sort them out.

Wilson Wilson bled for nothing.

Foots, I remember Stephen King writing something about the difference between broadcast signals here and in the US. We have more lines? Makes our pictures clearer although not as bright? Bandwidth or frames per second or something. That was years ago though. Oh, it may have been Bill Bryson. No, I don't know what I'm talking about :rolleyes:

All I can say is the show is beautifully shot. I expect the lighting team/ DOP to be up for awards for this. It's cinematic.

Years ago, when tv was analog, the UK had higher resolution than the US. It was a better picture.

But I don't know what the deal is now.

Yes you do

Europes PAL = 576 lines, 25 frames per second
Americas NTSC = 525 lines, 30 fps
France SECAM = 625 lines, 25 fps (Frogs, always gotta be different)

Thus NTSC, less resolution but smoother motion than PAL

But it doesn't matter any more because:

Modern HDTV = 1080 lines, 1920 long, 60 fps

And BTW, the next big thing to spend money on will be:

Ultra High Definition (4K) = 2160 lines, 3840 long

Save your shekels for when content is available in this format. You will have to replace all your stuff again.

The lighting and colour palettes for utopia are very distinct. They've used them well to create atmosphere and also pick out certain themes. The use of yellow rapeseed crops on a long shot feels like a kind of scene cue, almost like something out of the graphic novel at the centre of it all.

I havent seen the latest ep yet. Looking forward to it, but also putting it off a little, because there's only two left to the end.

latest meaning 4 or 5?

Some of the scenes have what looks like something called 'cross-processing' a look that originated from film days at first an accidental thing, then it became a 'look.' Other scenes have perfectly normal color. Often those differences can imply fantasy and reality. I'll have to watch them over to look at the show more analytically. I'm too into the storyline right now.


btw, have you seen Wild Palms?

Thanks ba. I'm always wary of things I know I am simply parroting..
It does remind me of When Will There Be Some Good News bookcover, I admit. And yes, more subtle than M Night Shyamalan, but the themes are there. Not giving away any plot points (because they're not involved) but there are two absolutely stunning shots in this ep, in terms of position and lighting. TV as artwork..
Shekels, consider them saved. I haven't bought a new TV since I was married. Which was in the Land of Long Ago. Of all the things I may waste my money on, electrics are not one.

Still, I guess this means there's no point in sending Foots a DVD of Utopia as a Secret Santa gift, right? I'll buy one for Dani then. And watch any extras before I send it [snicker]

ETA I do think of The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover when I watch Utopia. Maybe it's the Mirren connection (pink hair is all.)
Don't know about Dani, but I've never heard of Wild Palms. I watch primarily British TV simply because it's trailed during the programmes I already watch. They're smart about knowing what tickles their audience's fancy.

Am off to research.

Let's not be too hasty. I do have a region free DVD player...

But would a DVD produced here look as purty on your tv??
Still, it's on my possibles list...

Wild Palms was brilliant. I can definitely see how Utopia might put you in mind of that.

Early 90s, iirc. seemed so futuristic at the time... aside from the hologram tv characters in and around your living room it wasn't that far off :P

I own Wild Palms on VHS! Do I win a cookie? I also have a copy of the screenplay in book format with various tidbits of creator commentary, including scenes the network cut because they were too creepy even for Wild Palms.

Your browser won't accept our cookies. :(

Too creepy for WP? I must know.

Spoiler:

Remember the young soldier son who is implied to have died, but they never really explain it, the mom just starts sobbing? In the script they have a scene with him buried up to his neck out in the desert, eaten alive by ants. There were others, but that's the one I remember most vividly. Of course by today's standards it would be no big thing... I'm comparing it to, say, that one drug dealer's severd head on the tortoise's back in Breaking Bad.

I guess there were still a few shreds of innocence remaining in the late 80s or early 90s.

ACK I just watched Ep 5. They go by too quickly.

Dog Days

'When you stop to consider
The days spent dreaming of a future
And say then, that was my life.'

For the days are long --
From the first milk van
To the last shout in the night,
An eternity. But the weeks go by
Like birds; and the years, the years
Fly past anti-clockwise
Like clock hands in a bar mirror.

Derek Mahon

Also Charlie in TLoG "I've lost whole years, Tony!"
Not as commonly quoted, I admit.

Ach....lovely.

Well, Steve Pemberton does exude animal magnetism, even in a Blackburn shirt...

tis true.

just watched finale of Utopia.

wow.

I'm going to dream about a threesome with Fiona O'Shaughnessy and Maxine Peake. I probably won't bother waking up.

I haven't caught up yet :) I still have eps 5 and 6 to watch.

Won't put my final sig line in then.
It's a spoiler :)

I found it oddly calm and slow-paced (in a good way) for a finale.
It was... stately.
Couple of twists. Couple I'd worked out, but happened differently. Some I was just plain wrong.

Yes, I would like the DVD* (and I hope the extras are good) so I can pore over some details that must have been taken care of, but I was not paying enough attention to notice - not knowing they were important. If you get what I mean.

All in all, no plot disappointments.
Just some hurts. Ow. You made me care about you.

Pretty much no gore from what I remember.
The series started with atrocities and ended with sadness.

* will buy in a few months second hand, when people have rewatched and want to dispose!

ETA - wonder how much it cost to make?
We've mentioned the beautiful framing, shots, locations and general cinematic feel. Hope it's been worth it for Ch4. A second series is not entirely impossible.

Yes. Definitely left it open, yet also closed it nicely. I like it when the writers can do that.

Fifth ep of Utopia watched...just the one to go. Awesome awesome telly.

Also: Rippe Street ended it's debut season and word is it's getting a second outing next year, hurrah!

I'm going to really miss Detective Inspector Reid and his little band of crime fighters. I've really taken them to my heart and that's some doing with only 8 episodes.

Some of the dialogue is just brilliant. And the chemistry between the main cast is wonderful.

Oh totally cool! Went looking for some Ripper Street clips and found some little promo vids:

Anyone watching House of Cards?

YES!!!!

We're watching it, but slowly. Have to be in the right mood. We're only a few episodes in.

Well, you might think that.
I couldn't possibly comment.

Loved the original.
Ian Richardson RIP

I just watched the latest Broadchurch. That is such a great story. It's tough having to wait a week for the next ep.

Mum is really grumpy with Broadchurch.
Well, she worked for the Police for years.
"They would never let him be that scruffy, whatever rank he held!"

Waiting patiently, for 30 years, finally the Miami Vice look comes to Broadchurch!

Well, figure on another 30 til it comes to Aylesbury ;)

The 80s
 

The 80s is a mini-series documentary on the decade the 80s (natch.)

I watched the first two that were on free entertainment on demand (they actually play on NatGeo) and it was sort of fun. The first thing they talked about was The Miracle On Ice which sort of set the mood for the rest of the 80s: we needed that win over the Russian Red Soldiers and it was a real boost for our nation, during a very chilly part of the cold war.

Ronald Reagan's shooting was, of course, a topic. He handled that so gracefully. The doctors said that he looked around and joked "I hope you're all republicans" and a nurse said "Today, Mr President, we are all republicans."

Then there was a large boom at some presentation he was giving. NOt sure what happened, something fell over or something. He didn't flinch or miss a beat when he said "missed me."

I skipped the Tony Hawk segment but I'm sure that appeals to some. A lot of stuff on Jobs and the computer revolution. Great footage and commentary of the mix of Run DMC and Aerosmith doing Walk This Way.

It could be a little less VH1-y but it's interesteing; especially for a girl who was 15 when the 80s began.

Have you all watched the comedy series "The League"? I'm looking at you, Jim. I swear, you will laugh so hard you'll pee your pants (like a racist.) Watch it now.

The League? *scurries off to wiki*

The Returned.
Although I prefer the French titles Les Revenants.

Gorgeous to watch, cinematic in the location, the quality of the lighting (especially the natural lighting) and the attention to detail.
And I can watch it when I can't sleep because it's subtitled, so I don't even have to worry about waking up the 'rents (it's all about ME, even a TV review.)

It's been suggested that it's about zombies, or at least the undead, but it's much more subtle than that. The people we see returning in episode one seem to look and behave exactly as they did before they died. No spoilers.

You can lose a little on foreign imports, even from countries that speak the same language. It's in the visual shorthand - this family is rich, this girl is an underage drinker, this man has a knackered car, this woman has a common accent. But in general I think more is gained from a totally different style of cinema or programme-making. This series is extremely spare. It's not over-explained, there are enormous gaps in the story-telling and understanding. Which I have no doubt will be drip fed later, unless it's been decided it will leave questions unanswered.

I'm not a Francophile, although I do admire the French. It's just good to hear Fernch spoken on TV (and realise how hopelessly I have lost my ability to speak it) and in such an elegant, emotional and yet quite brutal series.

Eight episodes. Seven to go.

And then Hannibal. For similar yet different reasons.
Like Les Revs, I need to watch episodes more than once. Much is left unsaid, and if it depends on being able to tell the difference between characters I'm at a slight disadvantage. Put people in with the same gender and same coloured hair and I'm unlikely to pick up on plot points because I'm trying to work out who they are.

Lecter's food leaves me drooling, although he does use his fork as a shovel, which I find jarring. This may be my ignorance of dining etiquette across the whole of Europe though, as Lecter is not English (or even Welsh.)

Diz's early morning wake-up calls have me dreaming slightly more coherently than usual. When I watch Hannibal I extend the plot, albeit setting it in my house, or school or anywhere else I used to work. Figs seem to feature quite often, although I think this is because I have also been considering whether the price will drop soon (I like figs and could do with some more fruit in my diet.)

I dreamed in French last night after watching Les Revs. I had to take another peek at it this morning to check that it was set in an Alpine village, not in the Auvergne, and no scenes were set in a high school.

Les Revs again last night.
A little more explanation, a lot more mystery.

The most notable non-spoiler mystery for me is how Anakin Skywalker was cast when there is obviously a whole world of talented child actors out there.
Victor (one of the names I chose for my never-to-be-conceived sons) is exstrawberry.
As is Camille, although she's older.

In fact I had to pause it last night because I was watching Lena's hair.
It's so long. All I could think of was the weight and heft of it. It's how I imagined Clare's hair to be in The Time Traveller's Wife. I've had hair extensions twicet; it takes a while to get used to.

Yes, very good show. I don't rewatch the episodes, though I'm sure I would catch things I missed if I did.

I've finally caught up with all of Hannibal.

Unfortunately, I tended to watch them on Saturday nights which is when I try to stay up till 6am to switch/start my sleep cycle for the 7:30pm to 6am shift work on Sunday and Monday. I'm usually a bit headachy and stiff from being up for nearly 24 hours, so I'm beginning to be very uncomfortable with the last few episodes watching Will Graham struggling. I'm over-empathizing with his severe discomfort, and its become quite visceral for me.

I'm up to the one with Eddie Izzard in it.
Or at least the first one with him in it (in case he reappears).
No mistaking him, although the accent throws me off a little. I usually substitute facial recognition for voice recognition.

'Rents are at the hospital today, amy rewatch now. I can dally with y'all later.

Les Revs just keeps getting better.

SPOILERS
DO NOT READ BEFORE YOU WATCH THIS
IT MAY TAINT YOUR EXPERIENCE














Okay, you're warned.
Although if I were you I'd have skipped this and watched it.
In fact, you're probably skipping this anyway because who wants to read about something they're never going to watch? :smack:

Anyway.

We now know how Victor died. And who didn't kill him.
The Returned are beginning to come together. To an extent.
What is happening to Lena? I wondered from the beginning if Lena was really Camille, but I think that was a red herring.
When is Victor from? Vivian came back very, very quickly the second time. He's been back before, why did it take so long?

Is Julie Returned?

And what is happening in the dam.
It must be significant, it's in the opening credits and we've just seen all the animals suspended in it.
M Costa went in there. Why isn't he Returned?

Did Simon really kill himself?

I don't expect to have all or even any of these questions answered.
Love the mystery. Love the French.
Love the series.

Hannibal: I'm so impressed with myself that I guessed M Izzard would be making another appearance. Okay, it wasn't that unlikely, but I don't usually think ahead or anticipate storylines unless I am bored with a novel/ film/ TV series. Or puzzling it out.

Last night was Izzard's second appearance and I genuinely expect it was his last. Nothing to do with the story, I just don't see him popping up all over the place in future, unlike a certain ungentlemanly gentleman. In fact just as I was patting myself on the back for being able to tell one character from another, Izzard (or Titus Groan or Caligula McKill or whatever his character is called) looked in the rear-view mirror and I thought, hang on. He looked weird there. Was that just the lighting? Was that just me? Then they got to Hannibal's place and I realised, no. It's everyone's favourite GJH. Phew.

Grisliest & most gristly episode yet.
Ick.

Pico I am feeling for Will Graham too. But I suspect it's only because of your post. You made me see it from a very different perspective. I'm so used to glossing over general angst that I perhaps don't always empathise with genuine suffering. Acted/ written/ portrayed I mean. Betrayal and unrequited love hook me through the throat every time though. The bitter-sweet which is like someone vomiting up popcorn.

I can't believe I am dedicating time to two series that have weekly episodes of nearly an hour.
Of course I Sky+ and ffwd the adverts, but Les Revs is something like 70 minutes.

Oh - update on Les Revs.
Still no answer on Simon's death.
His daughter drew a picture of him shooting himself. I think Thomas said he did too.
So why did the medium/ prostitute see him hanging himself. And we instead saw the couple Camille had been talking to hang themselves in place of what she saw? And while we're on the subject, she is the only person who was shown entering or leaving the town. Of course they won't show all the mundane elements of everyone's lives, but is it significant that they showed her arriving?

What did Serge rub into Lena that healed her back enough that she could run?
Could he do the same for Victor? Because he seems to have the same problem, although why he is hiding it from Julie is unclear; has this happened before? Young chap is a wonderful actor but as time passes I am more and more creeped out by the character. He needs to come over and star in Misfits, stat.

Who are the people hiding out in the woods? Is that why the animals were taking swimming lessons? Why haven't they integrated - or tried to integrate - back with their families? Have they been back a couple of times already and realised it's impossible? How long has this been going on (no, stop singing.)

I thought it was all connected with the dam and the drowning of the village, but it may be a localiased phenomenon. Just one that comes in waves. Sorry, water on the brain.

BBC America is showing In the Flesh. Not a lot of backstory in the first episode but it goes something like, Britain is recovering from a zombie outbreak of about 140,000. However, it is found that with daily medication, zombies can recover brain function and turn into not very sexy pale vampire like (not every undead starts out as an Abercrombie and Fitch model) versions of themselves. The opener is in a British hospital with dozens of recovering zombies in hospital gowns.

The PDS (partially dead syndrome) sufferers are given medicine and counseling and are being reintroduced into society. This includes one angst ridden youth who has flashbacks to being a zombie and eating people. Other than that, he looks a lot like Richie Cunningham. He's also being returned to a rural town that still has a strong anti-zombie militia and is not too happy with the policy. And his kid sister is a member.

Amazon has been trying to compete with Netflix for streaming TV content. They are attempting a "pay per episode" model rather than a monthly fee. Personally, I don't think that's going to work, because people don't like being reminded of the cost every time they watch something, they want to set up a monthly recurring payment and never question whether they're watching enough to justify it, just like the old cable package model.

BUT, I have recently learned that if you are an Amazon Prime customer, which I am, you get a bunch of their streaming content for free. And unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime has the rights to Tosh.0. (Be warned, video content loads and plays immediately, probably not a good idea at work.) We have been mainlining this liquid schadenfreude every night since.

The Fall

thank you Twil

Oh wow. Les Revenants!

@ Sundae: I avoided most of your posts about it when you were posting, because I was intending to see it sometime and didn't want to go in with any preconceived ideas.

I was slightly put off by the subtitles though, I admit, so hadn't actually bit the bullet and watched any until the two Js basically made me watch the first one :p

I watched the last two eps this evening.

Within first ten mins of episode one I had forgotten I was reading subtitles. Just draws you in so completely. The acting is excellent. The story is compelling.

Definitely Must See TV.

Ooooooh!

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...oker-channel-4

Very much looking forward to this!

Also, can highly recommend the Black Mirror stories already aired - there have been a couple of series now, each with three or four individual stories. Very strange, sometimes funny, sometimes deeply disturbing.

Here's what wiki has to say about Black Mirror:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror_(TV_series)

Apparently, one of the episodes (The Entire History of You) has been optioned for a film by Robert Downey Jr - might turn out interesting - of all ofthem that's the one which would most easily lend itself toa movie form I think.

But anyhoo -very excited about Hamm being in the Christmas special. I really like him as an actor and I think he'll bring something special to the show.


Here's one of the trailers for the last series (not sure if they'll all play for outside uk):



And for some of the episodes:

White Bear



15 Million Merits

I think I probably posted about this show earlier in the year when they aired a standalone pilot.

Babylon

I loved the pilot, so am very excited about the new series, which started this week. Haven't had time to watch it the first ep yet but am just about to!

There are't any non-Ch4 vids on youtube yet, except for a trailer for the earlier standalone pilot. Check it out:

Marc Maron has a TV show on IFC that is a fictionalized extension of his (very popular) podcast. I watched the first episode forever ago, and found it a little awkward, but not so bad that I wanted to take it off the streaming queue, because you never know when you will run out of things to watch.

Well, this morning I went ahead and watched episode 2. And then over the course of the day I watched the rest of the goddamn season. It's fucking hilarious.

Wow, Black Mirror is dark.

Yup. Which ones did you watch?

I've seen them all except entire history of you. 15 million merits was heartwrenching, the justice park was holy shit I never saw that coming, and the Natioanl anthem one was IDK. Intense.

All in all, three very dark feet up!

Meanwhile impatiently awaiting the next Constantine...

Just watched entire history of you. I love Jodie Whitaker.

Neat take on an old story. (infidelity)

That's one of my favourites.

Not sure if this will play outside UK. But this is a really interesting little Q&A with Brooker and a few others from the team.



Promo for Christmas special. Again, it's posted by Channel 4 so don't know if it'll play outside UK:





Not much youtube for the Christmas special that isn't Channel 4, but there is a little thing here about it. Dosn't show any of it, but gives a quick rundown of what it's about

I know I've asked this before, but I can't recall the answer:P Foots, did you ever watch Dead Set?

It reminds me a little of Black Mirror in a way. Different style, and a longer form (a mini series across 5 nights) but it's got that Brooker feel to it.

It's his take on the zombie apocalypse movie - but it's also about reality tv and our relationship with celebrity. The whole thing is set in and around the Big Brother house, as a series is being made - the zombie attack starts and the contestants in the house. along with a couple of the production people are the only ones left as far as we know.

This is a fanmade promo for it - you can see that same sensibility at work.



American tv promo - bit easier to see what's going on.

I don't think I have. I'll add it to my queue.

Lately the mm has been having terrible nightmares. Last night it was about zombies, though she's never seen one, only heard the song about them by Jonathon Coulton. (Re: Your Brains)