What's currently good on the BBC iPlayer?

[8ball]

Currently watching this with the sound turned up REALLY LOUD

Philip Glass Concert: Live at the Barbican

First transmitted in 2001, the BBC Symphony Orchestra performs UK premieres of three works by American composer Philip Glass at the Barbican Hall.

www.bbc.co.uk

[insert bliss emoji here]

Not listened to a much Glass since I was firmly told to turn it off at a poker night a couple of years ago.
Good call - will be giving that a listen and putting Koyaanisqatsi in the car for the commute.

 

[Me76]

I came home late the other Friday and caught the Ibiza Prom which is on iPlayer and pretty cool. Heritage orchestra doing all the music with Pete Tong.

 

[sojourner]

Currently watching this with the sound turned up REALLY LOUD

Philip Glass Concert: Live at the Barbican

First transmitted in 2001, the BBC Symphony Orchestra performs UK premieres of three works by American composer Philip Glass at the Barbican Hall.

www.bbc.co.uk

[insert bliss emoji here]

Yeh thanks - stuck that on my list for over xmas.

 

[kalidarkone]

I gave up on that last night. Absolute tosh. Style over substance. Inauthentic dialogue/hair/costumes, a romanticised view of the time and place. And I really wanted to like it.

It was so not romanticised- it was brutal and horrific as I imagine it really was. Definitely one of the best things I've seen for years.
I reckon you should give it another go.

 

[sojourner]

It was so not romanticised- it was brutal and horrific as I imagine it really was. Definitely one of the best things I've seen for years.
I reckon you should give it another go.

I watched 2.5 eps. No. Stylised to fuckery. Yes there were some brutal bits, and some authentic content, but there was way too much inauthenticity to the point of silliness/patronisation for me to bear.

 

[t0bytoo]

I gave up on that last night. Absolute tosh. Style over substance. Inauthentic dialogue/hair/costumes, a romanticised view of the time and place. And I really wanted to like it.

I watched the first episode and felt the same. Was going to give it another go - based on its general popularity. But you've just save me the effort, I think. (The English, btw, in case anyone else has to go back a page and figure out the reference)

 

[Orang Utan]

I couldn’t give a shit about technical authenticity, it’s just the characters that have to be authentic and their emotions have to be true but I don’t care if the wrong wagon wheels for the time are being used or if the odd anachronistic or geographically misplaced idiom is used.

 

[nagapie]

I think both views are correct. It was stylised to the point of silly at times. I think it was supposed to be magical realism.
In the end I enjoyed the story which wound up nicely at the end.

 

[danny la rouge]

Don’t bother with Traitors. I zoned out as soon as they pulled their first stunt. That made me realise it wasn’t for me.

 

[ruffneck23]

Don’t bother with Traitors. I zoned out as soon as they pulled their first stunt. That made me realise it wasn’t for me.

After a couple of episodes I have also given up, seemed quite fun at first but the appeal quickly wore off.

 

[sojourner]

it’s just the characters that have to be authentic and their emotions have to be true but I don’t care if the wrong wagon wheels for the time are being used or if the odd anachronistic or geographically misplaced idiom is used.

Black Mog was one of the most unrealistic characters I've ever seen.

 

[oryx]

Anyone watching Simon Schama's History of Now?

Simon Schama's History of Now

Simon Schama reflects on a life in culture - and its enduring power in shaping our world.

www.bbc.co.uk

I though the second one - about the civil rights movement, women's movement and gay liberation - was especially good.

 

[stavros]

Anyone been watching the new Louis Theroux interviews? It's not so much the oddballs of Savile, the Hamiltons, Widdecombe, etc, but the likes of Stormzy, Judi Dench and Bear Grylls.

 

[Gromit]

Tokyo Vice.

Michael Mann dramatisation of an autobiography.
American guy learns Japanese, joins newspaper, fights crime.
Pretty standard stuff but there are bits that make it stand out.

 

[Brainaddict]

Tokyo Vice.

Michael Mann dramatisation of an autobiography.
American guy learns Japanese, joins newspaper, fights crime.
Pretty standard stuff but there are bits that make it stand out.

I enjoyed seeing the streets and locations of Tokyo but after a couple of episodes it doesn't feel real enough in various ways, and the relationships don't ring true, so I won't finish watching it.

 

[Part 2]

Anyone been watching the new Louis Theroux interviews? It's not so much the oddballs of Savile, the Hamiltons, Widdecombe, etc, but the likes of Stormzy, Judi Dench and Bear Grylls.

I saw the one with YungBlud. He wasn't what I'd imagined and appears to be massive.

He seemed to make a big deal of having a difficult upbringing but his family seemed pretty normal and my impression was he might have been shouted at once by his dad.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Just noticed Andrea Arnold's film Cow is on iPlayer. Will watch that.

 

[stavros]

I saw the one with YungBlud. He wasn't what I'd imagined and appears to be massive.

He seemed to make a big deal of having a difficult upbringing but his family seemed pretty normal and my impression was he might have been shouted at once by his dad.

Yeah, I'll confess I've learned reasonably interesting about all I've seen so far, apart from Judi Dench. Then again, I knew very little about Stormzy, YungBlud or Bear Grylls for that matter (son of a Tory MP, apparently).

 

[danny la rouge]

Bear Grylls for that matter (son of a Tory MP, apparently).

Is he? Sir Michael Grylls, the cash for questions guy? I hadn’t put that together before.

 

[stavros]

Is he? Sir Michael Grylls, the cash for questions guy? I hadn’t put that together before.

That's the one. He (Bear) seemed a little resentful that his parents had shoved him off to boarding school, although he implied that they thought it wrong too.

 

[Gromit]

Yeah, I'll confess I've learned reasonably interesting about all I've seen so far, apart from Judi Dench. Then again, I knew very little about Stormzy, YungBlud or Bear Grylls for that matter (son of a Tory MP, apparently).

I was a little disappointed by the Stormzy one.
I expected him to be a bit more eloquent. To be pouring out sage insights. Unable to shut him up.
Louis had to lead him along, all the way through.

It was interesting that he was a Louis fan.
Surprising that he seems quite scared of women (my interpretation) and so pretty focused, can't really let go off, the one real relationship he'd had.

 

[8ball]

He seemed to make a big deal of having a difficult upbringing but his family seemed pretty normal and my impression was he might have been shouted at once by his dad.

People rarely have much of an idea what goes on in families, even when it involves people they’ve known for decades, so judging such a thing based on a telly programme is v unfair.

 

[sojourner]

Just noticed Andrea Arnold's film Cow is on iPlayer. Will watch that.

Watching that is the reason why we have oat milk now.

 

[Part 2]

People rarely have much of an idea what goes on in families, even when it involves people they’ve known for decades, so judging such a thing based on a telly programme is v unfair.

Oh I know that, I've worked with loads of kids and families where there's significant abuse going on and many more where there probably was. I was being slightly tongue in cheek but it did also feel like Theroux was suggesting his family were pretty normal.

Have you watched it?

 

[belboid]

I saw the one with YungBlud. He wasn't what I'd imagined and appears to be massive.

He seemed to make a big deal of having a difficult upbringing but his family seemed pretty normal and my impression was he might have been shouted at once by his dad.

I believe it refers more to school who failed to recognise or deal with his ADHD, which led to suspensions and various other kinds of being treated like shit.

 

[8ball]

Oh I know that, I've worked with loads of kids and families where there's significant abuse going on and many more where there probably was. I was being slightly tongue in cheek but it did also feel like Theroux was suggesting his family were pretty normal.

Have you watched it?

No, I haven’t. Just seemed a tad glib if you’d meant it seriously. Wasn’t sure whether Theroux would suit this kind of programme. Would you recommend?

 

[Part 2]

No, I haven’t. Just seemed a tad glib if you’d meant it seriously. Wasn’t sure whether Theroux would suit this kind of programme. Would you recommend?

I dunno really I saw it completely by accident and haven't bothered with any of the others.

That might be a no.

 

[Me76]

I've watched the Therouxs. Liked Stormzy and Yungblod. Found Judi Dench very dry, which is a shame as I was looking forward to that.
Katherine Ryan was ok, although seemed edited by her pr rather Theroux.

The thought I have is that Louis has sold out basically. No longer challenging just interviews. Meh.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Rev.

Sitcom about a former rural parish vicar trying to cope with the varied demands of running an inner-city church. Starring Tom Hollander

www.bbc.co.uk

I see Rev is back on iPlayer , am very pleased about that.

A question. When they put a show back on iPlayer after a long gap, is that a signal they are warming us up for a new series?

Probably just entered into another licensing deal to put it up again. The original licensing was probably for broadcast plus iPlayer for a certain amount of time.

Makes sense for them to regurgitate existing output.

Doubt there will be another series, given both Tom Hollander and Olivia Colman have gone on to bigger and better things.

I loved Rev. though, reminded me a bit of when I was a lodger in a vicarage in London. And I think Tom Hollander and Olivia Colman are brilliant.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Just a reminder, the excellent French police procedural and legal drama Spiral is on iPlayer, but only for another 21 days.