TV series recommendations general (excluding Netflix/ Amazon)

[furluxor]

I'm in S2 of Billions and it's very good. They cram lots into an episode, each of them could have been watered down a few times over. I also like that they don't spell out every thing as if their audience was daft, which lets down many TV shows. S2 is slightly worse than S1 because like S3 of Succession, it drops some of the humor and gets darker. But still so enjoyable. Plot summary: US attorney vs. hedge fund manager.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

People who have Sky: there's a 4 part documentary called The Lady and the Dale which is a fascinating tale.

I won't say what it's really about as it will give too much away but it's definitely worth a watch.

 

[The39thStep]

Just started watching a series on Hulu called Lodge 49. I came by it completely by accident when reading a review of a bands new album which said that they once had tracks on this series OST. Read the reviews if the series and thought give it ago . Couldn’t find it anywhere else but on Hulu / AMC but it might be in some U.K. streaming sites ?
Anyway it’s aim intriguing comedy about some surfer type waster who ends up joining some sort of Masonic lodge . Two episodes in and liking it .

 

[platinumsage]

Candy - intriguing Hulu drama that I don't want to say anything about because it's best seen not knowing anything about the plot. (caveat: I've only seen the first episode so far).

 

[T & P]

A new season of HBO’s spy comedy-drama The Flight Attendant has just dropped. The first season was surprisingly good- much better than I thought it’d be, including a highly commended main lead performance from Kaley Cuoco.

Starting the first episode, will report later.

 

[The39thStep]

Looks err interesting

 

[platinumsage]

Gaslit - a drama about Watergate but focusing on Martha Mitchell, the wife of the attorney general.

Some epic facial makeup including Sean Penn in a fat suit.

 

[The39thStep]

Finished the first series of Lodge 49 . I had visits from friends which interrupted my viewing . It’s deliciously oddball whilst at the same time completely understandable. Read a few reviews and my take is that intentionally or unintentionally it’s an exploration of alienation in late capitalism. Not just at work , which is brilliantly captured but in life generally where the only thing that ties things together despite ‘the system’ are attempts and non attempts at relationships . It’s far from fast moving however every now and again the script gets a bump and another possible layer opens whilst another door swings back in the face of one or some of the characters . It’s cleverly observational and intriguing, it teases and is at times frustrating but for me it’s completely absorbing and quite unique.

 

[Iona56]

I'm really enjoying the time traveler's wife series with Rose Leslie as the lead. I'm so used to bingeing things lately and I end up forgetting what I'm watching if they're only on weekly

 

[platinumsage]

A new adaptation of the The Midwich Cuckoos is out, not sure what channel/service or whether it's actually good, but surely worth watching to find out.

edit: Oh no it sounds awful.

 

[girasol]

When I got a month's subscription on NOWTV to watch Succession I also watched Euphoria and Insecure. That was a good month!!!! They're all HBO shows. All excellent.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

A new adaptation of the The Midwich Cuckoos is out, not sure what channel/service or whether it's actually good, but surely worth watching to find out.

edit: Oh no it sounds awful.

It's got Keeley Hawes in it though so I will be giving it a look.

 

[T & P]

A new adaptation of the The Midwich Cuckoos is out, not sure what channel/service or whether it's actually good, but surely worth watching to find out.

edit: Oh no it sounds awful.

Sky Originals are very hit and miss, with a heavy tendency towards ‘miss’, and pretty shit at that. Occasionally they produce the odd watchable series or film though. Haven’t read any reviews about this one yet.

 

[T & P]

I'm really enjoying the time traveler's wife series with Rose Leslie as the lead. I'm so used to bingeing things lately and I end up forgetting what I'm watching if they're only on weekly

Episode 4 this week the best one yet

 

[Mrs Miggins]

A new adaptation of the The Midwich Cuckoos is out, not sure what channel/service or whether it's actually good, but surely worth watching to find out.

edit: Oh no it sounds awful.

This has bad reviews and I've not actually read the original story but overall, I enjoyed it. I thought it created a good sense of creepiness and menace.

 

[T & P]

Firm recommendation for Big Boys, new Channel 4 comedy series about the times and exploits of a pair of University students. Featuring the ‘English dickhead’ from Derry Girls as the main character.

Very good and amusing, worth checking out. Available on All4.

 

[Looby]

A new season of HBO’s spy comedy-drama The Flight Attendant has just dropped. The first season was surprisingly good- much better than I thought it’d be, including a highly commended main lead performance from Kaley Cuoco.

Starting the first episode, will report later.

I’ve been bingeing this week and really enjoying it.
I didn’t expect quite the darkness but it’s good. Cuoco has surprised me too, she’s great!

 

[Plumdaff]

On Apple TV

For All Mankind - enjoyable alternate universe sci fi by Ronald D Moore - of BSG and Outlander - based on the initial premise that the Soviets got to the moon first, leading to far more investment from both countries in moon exploration and space travel. Now on its third series, does get quite soap-y at moments, but overall a good watch.

Slow Horses - this has been out a while but I found it really entertaining. Based on some books I haven't read, but it's about a group of MI5 agents who are not quite rubbish enough to be fired, but are rubbish enough to be sent to an isolated office to do menial tasks for the rest of their careers. Obviously they get caught up in some proper spying......Great cast, headed by Gary Oldman. We binged it in two sittings and are really looking forward to season 2.

The Essex Serpent - this is probably the weakest of the three, but I liked the book and I'll watch anything by Clio Barnard. Again a star-studded cast headed by Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, the best bits are when the late Victorian world and its ideals seem very close and modern. If you liked Ammonite, or books about the nature of belief, give this a go. It looks staggeringly beautiful, set in the Essex marshes.

 

[rubbershoes]

Slow Horses - this has been out a while but I found it really entertaining. Based on some books I haven't read, but it's about a group of MI5 agents who are not quite rubbish enough to be fired, but are rubbish enough to be sent to an isolated office to do menial tasks for the rest of their careers. Obviously they get caught up in some proper spying......Great cast, headed by Gary Oldman. We binged it in two sittings and are really looking forward to season 2.

Haven't seen the show but I'd recommend the books

 

[The39thStep]

Really enjoyed Lodge49 , pity they only did two seasons. Anyway good news season 1 is on Amazon Prime in the UK , just tested it with a VPN and fine.

 

[platinumsage]

Dark Winds - Zahn McClarnon finally cast as lead actor, and the show is written entirely by Native Americans.

 

[platinumsage]

Gaslit - a drama about Watergate but focusing on Martha Mitchell, the wife of the attorney general.

Some epic facial makeup including Sean Penn in a fat suit.

This was good but too long by several episodes

 

[Iona56]

Episode 4 this week the best one yet

Finished tonight. I think I'm going to go back and binge the 6 episodes in one go when I have the time

 

[imposs1904]

Mr Inbetween.

I found it on Hulu.

An Australian black comedy-crime drama about a hit man balancing work with his more sedate home life. Only 3 seasons but it left you wanting more.

My sawdust prose can't do it justice so here's a wee clip to give you a flavour of it.

 

[Scaggs]

Mr Inbetween.

I found it on Hulu.

An Australian black comedy-crime drama about a hit man balancing work with his more sedate home life. Only 3 seasons but it left you wanting more.

My sawdust prose can't do it justice so here's a wee clip to give you a flavour of it.

Thanks for that, watched the first three episodes today and thought they were great.

 

[Orang Utan]

Watching Barry on Now TV - Bill Hader as a hitman who accidentally enrols in Henry Winkler's LA acting class - a motley Communityesqye crew and those two worlds eventually clash with amusing/thrilling results - I'm not a binger normally, but all three seasons have less than two weeks left on Now TV - just about to watch the last episode of S1 and am hooked enough to keep going til the end, especially after reading that the internet went mad after the finale of S3 and proclaimed it the greatest tv episode of all time. We'll see, but it is very good. Funny but horrifying - Fargo vibes around some of it.

 

[MBV]

I found this very watchable:

The Bear (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb

The Bear: Created by Christopher Storer. With Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas. A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop.

www.imdb.com

Worth a go if you can get hold of it.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Watching Barry on Now TV - Bill Hader as a hitman who accidentally enrols in Henry Winkler's LA acting class - a motley Communityesqye crew and those two worlds eventually clash with amusing/thrilling results - I'm not a binger normally, but all three seasons have less than two weeks left on Now TV - just about to watch the last episode of S1 and am hooked enough to keep going til the end, especially after reading that the internet went mad after the finale of S3 and proclaimed it the greatest tv episode of all time. We'll see, but it is very good. Funny but horrifying - Fargo vibes around some of it.

I heard very good things about it. Shame it#s on Now TV. How does that even work?

 

[Orang Utan]

I heard very good things about it. Shame it#s on Now TV. How does that even work?

It’s just another streaming service if you don’t have Sky on your tellybox

 

[Idris2002]

We've been rewatching Frazier on the RTE player (maybe not available outside the 26). It's really good, and really underrated. Very witty scripts, great actors - you should catch up on it too.

We also watched Harry Wild, RTE's entry in the cosy crime category. Here's the gimmick:

She's a retired academic: he's a Garda Detective Inspector - and her son. TOGETHER THEY SOLVE CRIMES.

There's also a black teenager who's first introduce as, alas, a hand-bag snatcher. From the pilot we watched, he's being pencilled in as a side kick.

It's very annoying that this is actually better than it has any right to be. RTE are going to sell this one all over the world, at least that's my guess. Wisely, they only film in the nice parts of Dublin (looking at the size of the main character's house, all I could think was, "she's not from my generation of academics").