TV Shows

[nigelgatherer]

Usually I have classes in the evenings from Mondays to Fridays. When I have some time off from that, as I have had recently, I sometimes enjoy catching up with some TV programmes that I've missed. I don't mind what others might call "trashy" stuff [1] - it all helps me unwind. Lately I've been watching both series of Life on Mars, and enjoying it immensely. The Gene Hunt character is hilarious! I've almost finished the second series, and I'm going to see if I can get hold of its sequel, Ashes to Ashes.

Anyone got any other favourites I might enjoy?

[1] = In fact I can almost hear Jack Campin's reply as I write!

[JAJ]

I enjoy "Life on Mars" too and, although it's a bit of a charicature, policing was a bit like that during the seventies.

For all their faults, I can confirm that the organisation is much more transparent these days and attitudes have much improved. However, I doubt if they are any more efficient and they seem to have created a barrier between themselves and the public who were at least supportive of them back then.

"Ashes to Ashes" is OK but not as good as the original. The eighties wasn't really an interesting decade especially in The UK. The first half was rather depressing while the second part was all "yuppified" and "loads of money".

[mandopicker101]

Hi Nigel

Loved Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes. Great stuff.

Not one that's on TV, but well worth getting on DVD is a US series called Carnivale... I found it utterly compelling and a highly evocative recreation of the Dustbowl. Not sure about mandolins, but I think there were a few vintage instruments... Have you tried The Wire? Worth watching (its on BBC Two, late at night). Its a long haul (several seasons) but utterly excellent.

Incidentally, have you got iPlayer Grabber? Its an app for Macs that kids the BBC iPlayer into thinking your Mac is actually an iPhone and lets you download programmes to keep (whereas iPlayer lets you have them for a short period before they self destruct).

Regards

Gareth

[nigelgatherer]

I watched the first series of Carnivale a couple of years ago, and I've recently got the second series, so I'm looking forward to that. Very atmospheric, and apart from anything else, the title sequence is stunning.

I'll check out iPlayer Grabber.

[mandopicker101]

Carnivale was astonishingly good. I loved it and still hold out a hope that HBO might change their mind about cancelling it (so what if its been 4 years? Look at Star Trek...).

Apparently Clea Duvall ('Sofie') had a dream where these featured. Dan Knauff the creator of the show liked the idea and she worked with the production company to recreate it. At the time, this was the most expensive intro sequence HBO (or possibly anyone else) had ever produced (all that CGI wasn't cheap!).

If you feel the need to be obsessive about Carnivale (and lots of our American cousins feel that way), there's a fan list over on Yahoo...

[Ray(T)]

I couldn't really get into Life on Mars because the police station (the big concrete pile) scenes were filmed in the complex where I work. The whole thing was spoilt by sights of film crews on the roof filming the ending of the second series. It was obvious that he was going to jump off and unreal when he actually did because the parapet he went over has a lower roof below on which the stuntman could land.

Personally, I prefer documentaries. The current crop of space/moon related ones have brought back youthful memories.
Ray

[Calum Galleitch]

If you enjoy crude humour, The Inbetweeners is a cringingly funny show, and both series are available on the Channel 4 website (hunt around a bit; it's not been built by a usability guy!)

Cheers,
Calum

[adrianbirkey]

Hi buddy this one is my favorite shows..
prison break
The lost
friends
Criminal minds