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What's currently good on the BBC iPlayer?

another vote for "once upon a time in northern ireland". Saw first episode and its suberbly done - gives you a real sense of the times and all the witnesses to the events are interesting, articultate and insightful. Makes sense of what happened more effectively than any number of historians/experts/academics could do - its gives a sense of how people's different narratives shaped their reponses to events and how that created a spiral of escalating violence.
One thing stoood out for me was how reckless (and cynical) it was for the Provos to launch a campaign of 'armed struggle' - as soon as that happened it guarenteed a violent, brutal and wideranging repsonse from the british state that would come crashing down on the catholic community (see also - Hamas) .
 
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Storyville If the Streets Were on Fire. Doc about the Bikestormz movement which aims to get the youth off the streets and away from gangs by riding bikes.
You will feel the frustration and anger as the police and local authorities totally miss the point and even put the young people in danger by trying to disperse them into areas that could be dangerous for them.
 
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The recent series based on Rice's Interview with the Vampire is airing on BBC2 on Thursday nights at the moment (ep1 just finished), or the whole thing is available on iPlayer as of this evening.

I'm ecstatic because I've been wanting to see this for a while - I know others may well have seen it on different streaming services, but it's now available for free in the UK on iPlayer.
 
I thought Interview with the Vampire reboot series was pretty decent, it wasn't utterly fantastic and there are some massive changes from the novel and the film (which was closer to the novel) but it was pretty good.
If you have any interest in it then catching it while it's free to stream on iPlayer would be a good idea.
I am glad I watched it. The actor who plays Louis is ace.
 
Epona said:
I thought Interview with the Vampire reboot series was pretty decent, it wasn't utterly fantastic and there are some massive changes from the novel and the film (which was closer to the novel) but it was pretty good.
If you have any interest in it then catching it while it's free to stream on iPlayer would be a good idea.
I am glad I watched it. The actor who plays Louis is ace.
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We're going to watch the final episode tonight. Have found it to be really engaging, the two main characters are excellent, and we've enjoyed it very much. Neither of us are Anne Rice fans and haven't read the book, fwiw.
 
sojourner said:
www.bbc.co.uk

Union with David Olusoga

National identity, social class, inequality. David Olusoga shines a light on our fractured modern society through the lens of the past, exposing the fault lines dividing the UK.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Really enjoying this at the moment although it has some glaring holes in the information.
Click to expand...

Watched the first three episodes and loved it so far, especially episode 3. It covers over 400 years in four episodes so I guess you'd never get a comprehensive account. But as a piece of popular history, it does an outstanding job of providing an overarching chronology of the union whilst also bringing the events to life through recorded testimonies and official documents. Olusoga's own family history described in episode three in particular really powerfully captured the injustices and brutalities of the British class system during the industrial revolution.
 
Johnny Vodka said:
No-one started Boiling Point then? Really enjoyed the first episode. (Obviously watch the film first.)
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Yes, I really enjoyed this. Episode one was the best one imo. It veered into the melodramatic occasionally (I'm thinking
the attempted suicide, the drug/weapons dealing
etc.). The show (and the film) are at their best in the little observations made about everyday life, in and out of the kitchen.
 
haven’t seen it yet as it’s all a bit close to the bone as I worked for years in a similar environment. But I do remember how much good quality whizz was knocking around. Way better than the shite you’d get from your nightclub dealers
 
Jeff Robinson said:
Watched the first three episodes and loved it so far, especially episode 3. It covers over 400 years in four episodes so I guess you'd never get a comprehensive account. But as a piece of popular history, it does an outstanding job of providing an overarching chronology of the union whilst also bringing the events to life through recorded testimonies and official documents. Olusoga's own family history described in episode three in particular really powerfully captured the injustices and brutalities of the British class system during the industrial revolution.
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Agreed. Although I don’t think the last episode was up to the standard of the previous ones.

I like him though. He’s worth paying attention to. I recently read his Civilisations: First Contact/The Cult of Progress. It covers much the same ground as his contributions to the series of the similar name. I had previously read Black and British a few years back.
 
Orang Utan said:
haven’t seen it yet as it’s all a bit close to the bone as I worked for years in a similar environment. But I do remember how much good quality whizz was knocking around. Way better than the shite you’d get from your nightclub dealers
Click to expand...
I find it uncomfortable viewing because my first born works in kitchens and I prefer it when I'm in denial (I have some idea what goes on, I just don't like to be reminded that I know and that my "baby" is bathed in it day in day out, I know enough that I said "try not to get so drunk or so high that letting someone brand your arse with a cookie cutter seems like a good idea" when he got his first KP job but I don't want to be reminded that I know if that makes sense).
 
Oriole said:
I find it uncomfortable viewing because my first born works in kitchens and I prefer it when I'm in denial (I have some idea what goes on, I just don't like to be reminded that I know and that my "baby" is bathed in it day in day out, I know enough that I said "try not to get so drunk or so high that letting someone brand your arse with a cookie cutter seems like a good idea" when he got his first KP job but I don't want to be reminded that I know if that makes sense).
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I felt like I was in a soap opera in those years - so dramatic ALL OF THE TIME. Tantrums, plate-throwing, tears, fisticuffs, not-always-accidentally acquired deep knife wounds, scalding, burning, physical and mental abuse, racism, sexism, all the isms and rampant bullying but so many laughs too and the rush of the successful service and the fact that every evening, you actually completed the job, made it much more satisfying than the comparatively boring office and library work I’ve done since. Though I’m better off in every way for being out of it all now.
 
Saffy said:
I'm really enjoying 'The following events are based on a pack of lies.'

www.theguardian.com

The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies review – a joyfully fun takedown of a scammer ex-husband

This blackly comic drama follows a woman’s discovery that her missing spouse – who popped out for chow mein and never came back – is a conman. Her quest for revenge is a total thrill
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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Binged this last week, all went rather bonkers at the end but still an entertaining watch :)
 
For those who like paranormal stuff, the TV show version of the Uncanny podcast series has started.

I am and remain a sceptic on the supernatural, but I would still describe it as very good and engrossing viewing.
 
Epona said:
The recent series based on Rice's Interview with the Vampire is airing on BBC2 on Thursday nights at the moment (ep1 just finished), or the whole thing is available on iPlayer as of this evening.

I'm ecstatic because I've been wanting to see this for a while - I know others may well have seen it on different streaming services, but it's now available for free in the UK on iPlayer.
Click to expand...
I have neither read the books nor watched the film, but rather enjoyed first two episodes. Well made and with good performances and narrative so far :)
 
Watching The Firm. Always heartened and inspired by amazing people, this is certainly one of those documentaries despite the context of massive injustice.
 
T & P said:
I have neither read the books nor watched the film, but rather enjoyed first two episodes. Well made and with good performances and narrative so far :)
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I agree that the performances are excellent! It took me a while to warm to the actor playing Lestat, but Louis was superb from the off.

I do think people that aren't familiar with the franchise will probably enjoy it more due to some of the (many) differences - not just in terms of era when it is set, but a fairly major one is that in the books the vampires cannot have sex - that is replaced with an eroticism and sensuality around the act of biting and feeding on humans, and essentially a celibate if erotic and sensual or intellectual interest in one another - but there is no interest in mashing of genitalia and they can't have sex in that way, so the boffing in the TV series was a bit odd (not that I have a problem with boffing on TV far from it, just that it didn't really fit in that setting, it's not True Blood and it doesn't fit with Vampire Chronicles lore).
 
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