Television Thread

[Prydzopolis]

8.30pm Tuesday on abc is inside look into failed world cup bid with frank lowry spilling the truth

Tonight Australian story on the Age on Ange at 8pm

[ManfredSchaefer]

Okay, everyone should've seen the three docos by now:

 

Australian Story...Ange's Story: Okay, if a little bit too idol-making. Interestingly enough they had the blow up between him and Fozzie, talked to him and Les Murray re the incident, and not a sign of the Barcelona Fan Club (SBS Branch) President.

 

November 16...beautiful, magical, tear-inducing, lovely...superb. Drew all the necessary strings together and added a few. And for those of us who have seen it, how good does Popa come out of it? If you've not seen the doco watch for repeats maybe on SBS on Demand.

 

Played...part expose, part whitewash. No one comes out of it smelling okay, and in the case of Blatter you just want to reach through the TV screen and punch the cünt. The incompetency and naivete of Lowy et al is staggering.

[Nnnnnathan12]

started watching Peaky Blinders, 

It's brilliant, 

just one question, was communism illegal in england post WW1?

[ManfredSchaefer]

started watching Peaky Blinders, 

 

It's brilliant, 

 

just one question, was communism illegal in england post WW1?

 

Quick check of Wikipedia says no.

[Nnnnnathan12]

 

started watching Peaky Blinders, 

 

It's brilliant, 

 

just one question, was communism illegal in england post WW1?

 

Quick check of Wikipedia says no.

 

just trying to work out the storyline, 

obviously not a popular mob though

[ManfredSchaefer]

 

 

started watching Peaky Blinders, 

 

It's brilliant, 

 

just one question, was communism illegal in england post WW1?

 

Quick check of Wikipedia says no.

 

just trying to work out the storyline, 

obviously not a popular mob though

 

 

From my very limited understanding of them they had some pull in the interwar period, however they were outstripped by the British Union of Fascists (i.e. Oswald Mosely's right wing party based somewhat on Mussolini and then Hitler's regimes). Also, socialism in its more 'acceptable' format (i.e. the Labor Party) was more acceptable to the public, as seen in the election of Ramsay McDonald as well as the demise of the old Liberal Party, and this meant that the British Communists (like our own) had to live on the fringes of the political spectrum. Finally, like every communist party in the 1930s there was the issue of having to follow the Stalinist line, which was just as antagonistic to the centre left as it was to the right.

[Kizza]

Enjoyed Jessica Jones quite a lot. David Tenant as Purple Man was great.

[marron]

 

 

 

 

 

 

started watching Peaky Blinders,

 

It's brilliant,

 

just one question, was communism illegal in england post WW1?

Quick check of Wikipedia says no.

just trying to work out the storyline,

obviously not a popular mob though

From my very limited understanding of them they had some pull in the interwar period, however they were outstripped by the British Union of Fascists (i.e. Oswald Mosely's right wing party based somewhat on Mussolini and then Hitler's regimes). Also, socialism in its more 'acceptable' format (i.e. the Labor Party) was more acceptable to the public, as seen in the election of Ramsay McDonald as well as the demise of the old Liberal Party, and this meant that the British Communists (like our own) had to live on the fringes of the political spectrum. Finally, like every communist party in the 1930s there was the issue of having to follow the Stalinist line, which was just as antagonistic to the centre left as it was to the right.

When's peaky blinders set?

 

Because don't forget Spain. I'm not sure about in formal politics in the uk but in the 30s communism was about as popular in the west as it was ever going to be. Cambridge spies were all recruited then weren't they? And if you were a socialist or an anarchist or what have you you were lumped in.

[Nnnnnathan12]

Set in 1919, it's about this gang (led by a decorated war hero) that try to take over the bookmarking/horse racing rigging scene in Birmingham.

They also have a lot of guns and then the IRA get involved.

Only a few episodes in but it's pretty good

[ManfredSchaefer]

 

 

 

 

started watching Peaky Blinders,

 

It's brilliant,

 

just one question, was communism illegal in england post WW1?

Quick check of Wikipedia says no.

just trying to work out the storyline,

obviously not a popular mob though

From my very limited understanding of them they had some pull in the interwar period, however they were outstripped by the British Union of Fascists (i.e. Oswald Mosely's right wing party based somewhat on Mussolini and then Hitler's regimes). Also, socialism in its more 'acceptable' format (i.e. the Labor Party) was more acceptable to the public, as seen in the election of Ramsay McDonald as well as the demise of the old Liberal Party, and this meant that the British Communists (like our own) had to live on the fringes of the political spectrum. Finally, like every communist party in the 1930s there was the issue of having to follow the Stalinist line, which was just as antagonistic to the centre left as it was to the right.

When's peaky blinders set?

 

Because don't forget Spain. I'm not sure about in formal politics in the uk but in the 30s communism was about as popular in the west as it was ever going to be. Cambridge spies were all recruited then weren't they? And if you were a socialist or an anarchist or what have you you were lumped in.

 

 

Interesting that you mention Spain and the Burgess/Maclean/Philby/Blunt spy ring. There certainly was some serious interest in the Communist Party and/or socialism in the west, and from what I understand of the British experience there was both working class support which led to a fair few volunteers for the International Brigades that fought for the Republic, and as you said the intellectual, upper class involvement. I've read that Spike Milligan, whilst he was a young labourer and part-time musician pre-1939 joined the Communists and was involved in a protest riot against Mosely's BUF. George Orwell, whilst not a communist, was certainly a leading leftist intellectual who went to the Spanish Civil War (where he fought with POUM), and this lead to his book 'Homage to Catalonia'

 

Having said that the advent of Stalin and the manner in which the USSR directed international Communist Party policies did cause major ructions, and that was borne out by the problems faced by party members or sympathisers who failed to toe the line and were accused of being Trotskyists etc (as Orwell found out in Spain). 

 

Sorry...guess this really should've gone in the History thread 

[marron]

So peaky blinders was a bit earlier then at any rate.

 

In the states they were busy rounding up communists socialists and anarchists and sending them directly to Russia after the sacco and Vanzetti case. Now I need to do some reading...

[Smoggy]

RIP Sir Terry Wogan, dead at 77.

 

The voice of Eurovision and the voice i got ready for school with for 10 years via the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show.

[marron]

That's sad.

 

First remember Terry wogan references in Adrian mole books and then seeing him on tv over there and going, oh, that's the guy....

 

Dry dry dry as a desert.

[Guest BlackSpy]

I didn't know he was so old.

 

**** man.

 

One of those who hides it well.

[ManfredSchaefer]

Started watching 'War and Peace' on Foxtel, with the big scale BBC treatment and a script by Andrew Davies (of 'Pride & Prejudice' and 'Vanity Fair' fame). 

 

Not a bad start though a bit hard to get a handle on who is who. Must say it was a little bit strange to recognise Adrian Edmondson as one of the secondary characters. Seeing him as a lower level aristocrat in a classy costume drama seems like a world away from his work as Vyv in the Young Ones...

 

 

[Smoggy]

Started watching 'War and Peace' on Foxtel, with the big scale BBC treatment and a script by Andrew Davies (of 'Pride & Prejudice' and 'Vanity Fair' fame). 

 

Not a bad start though a bit hard to get a handle on who is who. Must say it was a little bit strange to recognise Adrian Edmondson as one of the secondary characters. Seeing him as a lower level aristocrat in a classy costume drama seems like a world away from his work as Vyv in the Young Ones...

 

 

 

Been watching this via the BBC iplayer for weeks now, last one next week. VERY slow confusing start, nearly gave up, but glad I stuck with it, very good indeed! Quality stuff.

[ManfredSchaefer]

^^ Good to know I wasn't the only one who felt lost. I do like Davies' work, going all the way back to this masterpiece about English universities in the 80s:

 

 

As for confusing opening episodes, the most accomplished effort in that field IMHO was the beginning of 'Generation Kill'...

 

[ManfredSchaefer]

Enjoying two new series that are very low profile (the former hasn't been shown here as far as I know, the latter is running on the Comedy Channel on Foxtel):

 

 

Deutschland 83..a very solid spy drama from Germany with lots of resonance for those of us who remember the Cold War from the 80s. It's fascinating to contemplate how close we all came to blowing the planet up back then as on one side you had Reagan, Thatcher and Kohl and on the other Chernyenko, Adropov, Honecker etc.

 

 

The Brink..smart and funny black comedy from HBO, and one of the better things done by Jack Black for many a year. Tim Robbins is brilliant

[Nnnnnathan12]

Started to watch Mad Men, halfway through the first ep

not sure if this a serious show or a comedy lol

[ManfredSchaefer]

Started to watch Mad Men, halfway through the first ep

 

not sure if this a serious show or a comedy lol

 

Serious, but it's a hard show to really like.

 

Basically everyone is an unlikeable arsehole. Though there is Joan:

 

 

And wait till you meet Megan...

 

[Nnnnnathan12]

It was just the attitude towards tobacco and smoking that I found that ridiculous it's funny.

The gynecologist lights up a durrie during the middle of an examination lol.....

[ManfredSchaefer]

It was just the attitude towards tobacco and smoking that I found that ridiculous it's funny.

The gynecologist lights up a durrie during the middle of an examination lol.....

 

Hence the expression "I wouldn't blow smoke up ya..."

[Alexander]

It was just the attitude towards tobacco and smoking that I found that ridiculous it's funny.

 

The gynecologist lights up a durrie during the middle of an examination lol.....

The drinking is the fascinating thing for me. My old man was an up an comer for a large company in the Mad Men era. He told me that while his boss never drink in work time, if a drink wasn't poured for him at the stroke of 5pm, there was trouble Edited February 7, 2016 by Alexander

[ManfredSchaefer]

Started watching the next big HBO drama on Foxtel, 'Vinyl':

 

 

Looks good, with lots of promise. It might be a little bit like a cross between 'Mad Men' and any doco or movie about CBGBs, however for anyone who has no or little knowledge of 70s music and pop culture it should be a real revelation. And the soundtrack of course fooking rocks.

[Nnnnnathan12]

http://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/02/09/lets-meet-new-cast-vikings-series-4?cid=sbs:guide:tile2

Season 4 of Vikings tomorrow night on SBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Vikings! Vikings! Vikings!     

Edit: small spoilers in the link, just introduces the new characters

[ManfredSchaefer]

Started watching 'Dickensian':

 

 

Quite the 'mash-up' of costume dramas, with the basic premise being throwing a whole slew of unrelated Charles Dickens' characters into a murder mystery (e.g. Fagin from 'Oliver Twist', 'Sairey Gamp from 'Martin Chuzzlewit', Miss Havisham from 'Great Expectations' etc etc).

 

Hardly one for the purists who would consider the appropriation of the individual characters into a new milieu as being sacrilege,  however it might be quite a nice shove for those who watch to go back and revisit the original novels. Plus it looks as rich visually as Dickens' books read.

[Stokz]

I just watched first episode of mad men last night.

 

Don't know what to think of it. 

 

Is it worth getting into it?

 

I'm tempted to watch just because of my marketing background.

 

Any other good shows on Netflix? (finished House of cards, narcos, homeland, suits)  

[Carns]

Mad Men is definitely worth watching. Give it 3-4 episodes, if you're not into it, move on.

 

It's a good picture of the changing dynamics of the 60s.

[thefairy]

I just watched first episode of mad men last night.

 

Don't know what to think of it. 

 

Is it worth getting into it?

 

I'm tempted to watch just because of my marketing background.

 

Any other good shows on Netflix? (finished House of cards, narcos, homeland, suits)  

I recommend on Netflix 'bloodline'

Got hook with the first episode. The story is based in the Florida Keys, It follows a family which has a deep dark secret.

What really got me hook is the dsyfunctional son played by an Australian actor.

 

Planning to watch Narcos next.

[marron]

http://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/02/09/lets-meet-new-cast-vikings-series-4?cid=sbs:guide:tile2

 

Season 4 of Vikings tomorrow night on SBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Vikings! Vikings! Vikings!

 

Edit: small spoilers in the link, just introduces the new characters

Started last week nath, probably should get in and watch it online if you missed it.