Netflix recommendations

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Strong recommendation for Girls5eva. A Tina Fey-produced comedy series about a one-hit wonder girl band from the 90s who decide to reunite and try to relaunch themselves.

Fantastically enjoyable, very funny, and thoroughly bingeable.

Girls5Eva review – Tina Fey’s gags are so good they should be revered

There are shades of 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in this hilarious show about a one-hit-wonder girl band reuniting after 30 years. No wonder, given it’s by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock

www.theguardian.com

I'll give it a watch. Sounds fun.
but. . .
That Guardian review is really over egging Tina Feys involvement. She didn't write or create any of it. "It's by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock". She is just one of several executive producers (and even more producers and co producers etc). That could literally mean she just watched finished episodes and said "I like it". Obviously she could have been more hands on too, but she certainly doesn't have any creator or writing credits.

 

[T & P]

I'll give it a watch. Sounds fun.
but. . .
That Guardian review is really over egging Tina Feys involvement. She didn't write or create any of it. "It's by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock". She is just one of several executive producers (and even more producers and co producers etc). That could literally mean she just watched finished episodes and said "I like it". Obviously she could have been more hands on too, but she certainly doesn't have any creator or writing credits.

She’s credited as an executive producer, but judging by other reviews she seems to be more involved than just providing backing. Several others from 30 Rock are also involved, and in any event you can feel the hand of Tina Fey over this.

But even if she weren’t creatively involved, this is an award winning, Emmy- nominated series, and enjoys an almost universal critical acclaim ratings and 8/10 audience approval, so surely deserving of the benefit of the doubt.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I'm finding The Recruit entertaining nonsense. Fresh graduate joins the agency as a lawyer, supposedly a desk jockey role, and he stumbles along trying to navigate some toxic office politics and politicking, ostensibly trying to 'stop the bad guys' but sometimes the bad guys are those who are supposed to be on his side, so he ends up in the field sometimes, sometimes by fluke, sometimes by design kind of thing, so there are some action scenes. He comes across as a bit dumb/naive, cocking things up, but sometimes accidentally saying and doing the right thing. He's also a bit cocksure and a bit of a smart alec, so there are some witty one-liners and comebacks as well as some funny physical comedy.

"The Recruit is an American spy-adventure television series created by Alexi Hawley for Netflix. The series follows Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), a CIA lawyer who becomes involved in massive international conflicts with dangerous parties because an asset tried to expose her relationship to the agency."

 

[girasol]

Strong recommendation for Girls5eva. A Tina Fey-produced comedy series about a one-hit wonder girl band from the 90s who decide to reunite and try to relaunch themselves.

Fantastically enjoyable, very funny, and thoroughly bingeable.

Girls5Eva review – Tina Fey’s gags are so good they should be revered

There are shades of 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in this hilarious show about a one-hit-wonder girl band reuniting after 30 years. No wonder, given it’s by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock

www.theguardian.com

Started watching it last night, funnily enough!!! There's so much in two episodes, I feel I might have missed half the gags.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

She’s credited as an executive producer, but judging by other reviews she seems to be more involved than just providing backing. Several others from 30 Rock are also involved, and in any event you can feel the hand of Tina Fey over this.

But even if she weren’t creatively involved, this is an award winning, Emmy- nominated series, and enjoys an almost universal critical acclaim ratings and 8/10 audience approval, so surely deserving of the benefit of the doubt.

Well obviously she is a name and the PR machine is pushing that (it's what made me take notice). . . but as a general rule the higher up the producer pole you are, the less input at ground level you have. More like sign off, or demanding rewrites / reshoots when things have gone wrong.
Seems unlikely she has any script pass roles without taking a credit for that. Unions (and tinas management would be all over that).

Anyway as you say, it sounds fun. . . I wonder why it's hasn't been pushed on netflix. Is it a bit old now?

 

[T & P]

Well obviously she is a name and the PR machine is pushing that (it's what made me take notice). . . but as a general rule the higher up the producer pole you are, the less input at ground level you have. More like sign off, or demanding rewrites / reshoots when things have gone wrong.
Seems unlikely she has any script pass roles without taking a credit for that. Unions (and tinas management would be all over that).

Anyway as you say, it sounds fun. . . I wonder why it's hasn't been pushed on netflix. Is it a bit old now?

Apparently Peacock did not renew it for a third season, and Netflix bought the rights to the series and commissioned a third (which has not been done yet).

 

[Kaka Tim]

Just finishing Bank of Dave. Wouldn't recommend. Way too formulaic. The real story is probably better. It's got good bits but overall

Yeah. Pretty much this. By numbers feel good movie. And not one person spoke with the comedy gold Burnley accent.

 

[T & P]

Motherland. A three-season comedy series by Sharon Horgan of Catastrophe fame, and Father Ted & The IT Crowd’s Graham Linehan.

I had heard of this before, but I think the subject matter (middle class women struggling with motherhood) mistakenly made me think it was going to be a generally vanilla series full of tender moments featuring sweet cute children. How wrong was I…

Whilst not as great as Catastrophe or Father Ted, it is still very funny indeed, with some great individual performances. Recommended.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Marcella - london based take on scandi-noir with Anna Friel and written by the creator of the bridge.
Its grim, gritty and violent with a mountanious body count and will keep you hooked unitl you realise it is utter nonsense on a stick with mulitple plot holes the size of canary wharf and more loose threads than a skip full of granny's knitting. Very much give the impression that they were making it as they went along as mulptiple charchters and plot strands are abandoned and/or turn out to be compltetely superfluous to the so-called plot. Pissed off i invested so much time in it.

 

[Spymaster]

We've just finished High Water, a Polish drama based on the Central European floods of 1997.

I was sceptical at first that a 6 part mini-series about a flood would keep me interested but it's extremely good and looks at the political and military failings quite critically.

Like a lot of Polish shows, the subtitles are very fast which can get a bit wearing, but it's more than worth a watch.

 

[kabbes]

Motherland. A three-season comedy series by Sharon Horgan of Catastrophe fame, and Father Ted & The IT Crowd’s Graham Linehan.

I had heard of this before, but I think the subject matter (middle class women struggling with motherhood) mistakenly made me think it was going to be a generally vanilla series full of tender moments featuring sweet cute children. How wrong was I…

Whilst not as great as Catastrophe or Father Ted, it is still very funny indeed, with some great individual performances. Recommended.

This is a BBC programme and I think it’s also all available on iPlayer.

 

[T & P]

This is a BBC programme and I think it’s also all available on iPlayer.

Not all of the seasons, when I checked…

 

[kabbes]

Not all of the seasons, when I checked…

Fair enough, they must have removed some. They were all available over Christmas.

 

[krtek a houby]

We just started Sex Education last night and it's most entertaining. Ncuti Gatwa is fab, can see why he's been chosen as the next Doctor. Always great to see Gillian Anderson, too.

It's not as crude as The Inbetweeners or as off the wall as Fresh Meat and the characters are less annoying than Skins. It's gotta certain humour that's agreeable.

And wow, that beautiful countryside!

 

[savoloysam]

Late to the party but currently watching The Sinner. It's not brilliant but it's watchable.

 

[T & P]

We just started Sex Education last night and it's most entertaining. Ncuti Gatwa is fab, can see why he's been chosen as the next Doctor. Always great to see Gillian Anderson, too.

It's not as crude as The Inbetweeners or as off the wall as Fresh Meat and the characters are less annoying than Skins. It's gotta certain humour that's agreeable.

And wow, that beautiful countryside!

It’s very watchable throughout.

And yes, lovely part of the world. Last summer we rented a house right opposite the big red house where Gillian Anderson’s character lives, on the other side of the river Wye. It was during the super hot weather week as well. Beautiful place, 17th century riverside pubs… and so warm and sunny it felt like the South of France

 

[T & P]

 

[Hollis]

Watching 'All Quiet on the Western Front' - and not really doing much for me. I don't really like these 'poetic' style war films - ditto 'Dunkirk' remake.

I'm also finding the Netflix standard accents of the actors really irritating... have they figured out this is the accent most suited to an international market? Sorry.

 

[savoloysam]

Late to the party but currently watching The Sinner. It's not brilliant but it's watchable.

Watching the second series now and I like it more. Very good at hooking you in with it's slow burner mystery plots. I'm finding it hard to think of Bill Pulman as anyone other than Fred Madison from lost highway though. While I find him enjoyable to watch his acting range is pretty limited.

 

[May Kasahara]

Sorry if already mentioned but, there's an excellent 4 part documentary about the fundamentalist church of the latterday saints (warren jeffs) on there now.
It's called 'Keep Sweet pray and obey'.
i love this sort of thing, am fascinated by cults, its in the same genre as wild wild country but less baggy, really well done, led by interviews with the whilsleblower/ survivors and it also has a srsly sexy old journalist in but maybe that bits just me.

Have binge watched this today; fucking horrifying, infuriating and well made. The women whose voices are rightly centred are so very impressive.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Have binge watched this today; fucking horrifying, infuriating and well made. The women whose voices are rightly centred are so very impressive.

It's very good and well made but I stopped watching it after a while. It was depressing. But maybe I will return to it at some point.

 

[savoloysam]

Watching How to change your mind. It kept popping up in my feed but I ignored it thinking it was some self help bs. It's actually a really good mini series on of the history and therapeutic uses of psychedelics.

 

[spellbinder]

I'm watching and really enjoying Physical 100 - a korean elimination game show for the physical elite over all categories, theres athletes, boxers, wrestlers mma artists, body builders, dancers, firefighter snow and mountain rescuers. A total mixed bag of people they also pit men against women in some of it. the outcomes are not always what you expect.
A perfect show of mind over matter. I can't wait for the final next week. Highly recommend it.

 

[magneze]

Treason
Highly implausible plot setup but fairly enjoyable and short.

 

[kittyP]

.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Inside Our Autistic Minds with Chris Packham.
I found it highly emotional.
Brilliant programme.

BBC Two - Inside Our Autistic Minds, Series 1, Episode 1

Chris helps an autistic comedian connect with her mum and a non-speaking man find a voice.

www.bbc.co.uk

Looks a bit more BBC than Netflix.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Same here. Even though my memory is quite shit, I still manage to remember basic plot lines and characters of series I’d really enjoyed, but I could not make sense of the beginning of S2. But once you get pass the container park game, things get better and and more familiar characters from S1 show up.

I am watching the container park game now. I hope things do get better. What a terrible terrible episode to start it off with. After supposedly being the best of the best they are no all just idiots .

 

[T & P]

I am watching the container park game now. I hope things do get better. What a terrible terrible episode to start it off with. After supposedly being the best of the best they are no all just idiots .

There definitely are much better episodes ahead. The next game coming up, in an abandoned prison, is season one-vintage. So you should make it past the stupid container park action.

 

[kittyP]

Looks a bit more BBC than Netflix.

Oops sorry wrong thread

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

There definitely are much better episodes ahead. The next game coming up, in an abandoned prison, is season one-vintage. So you should make it past the stupid container park action.

Gosh. Not sure why, but my wife says she really enjoyed the container park. She asked me why I didn't, so I told her, and she is upset with me now.