What Was the Last Television Episode You Watched?

[paranoid marvin]

Partner and I have begun to re-watch the BBC dramatisation of Wolf Hall (2015), in preparation for the 3rd part of the trilogy, to be broadcast (we believe!) in December. So last night we watched episode 3, Anna Regina. I say "we" but I've discovered that if you feed partner, then place him on a sofa and put the telly on, he promptly falls asleep. View attachment 126251

Wolf Hall was a grwat series, but I feel that Cromwell was portrayed in far too lenient a light. He was a brutal, relentless 'fixer' rather than the version we see in Hilary Mantell's novels.

I feel that Mark Rylance has a character and physique much closer to Thomas Moore. Damian Lewis as Henry is also not at all how I imagine the king to look based on contemporary accounts and paintings of him. Keith Michell will (for me) always be the standard against which future Henrys will stand (and likely fail). I also though that Donald Pleasance made for a good Cromwell.

Having said all of that, if you view the Wolf Hall series through the eyes of Cromwell, he would no doubt see himself as the symapethic character portrayed by Rylance. And as far as historical drama goes today, it is as good as anything else out there.

For anyone interested in Tudor historical drama tv series, I would strongly recommend the three BBC dramas of the 1970s The Shadow of the Tower (Henry VII), Henry VIII and his Six Wives and Elizabeth R. All outstanding tv drama, especially the Henry III series.

 

[Orcadian]

Boringly, I agree with almost all of @paranoid marvin 's comments on Wolf Hall and the other Tudor dramas! I too found Rylance miscast as Cromwell (a rather portly man) - and more human than I expected. But equally I accept that the way Cromwell has been dealt with in dramas (and school history lessons!) is particularly unsympathetic. In my view we must see historical figures in context, rather than through today's more judgmental lens - and this, perhaps, is what Mantel tried to do in her trilogy. For anyone interested, this page gives an interesting analysis of Cromwell's deeds and character.

 

[Parson]

Thanks @Orcadian for that link. I've taken a course in English History many moons ago, but had no idea that the views on Cromwell were that divergent. My reading of it must have been on the more positive side. He was portrayed as an effective tool of the King and the Church of England, while being no more Machiavellian than was normal for the time.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I think part of the problem with Cromwell was his dissolution of the monasteries, which were the social fallback for poor folk. What we see today are the ruins of once magnificent buuldings, and the peeson squarely to blame is TC.What makes it worse is that all the money and lands went into the back pockets of the king, Cromwell and his cronies.

Cromwell's intentions I feel were - in his sight - morally justified. The Church was morally corrupt, and this in part was because it ran its own affairs, answerable to the Pope rather than Henry. Cromwell wanted to clean it up, and make it (in his eyes) fit for purpose; a place for prayer rather than profit. The problem was that the only way he could get Henry (who was despite all, a resolute Catholic) to agree to his radical reforms was to make it worth his while. So monks were kicked out of their abbeys, the poor and sick put back on the streets, and the holy buildings stripped of everything worth anything. And those who disagreed were brutally tortured to death.

Cromwell was also not averse to fitting people up - something he was very, very good at. Whatever Henry needed doing, Cromwell would find a way to get it, whatever and whoever had to suffer as a result.

He was a complex man, but he was also far from the gentle figure that Hilary made him.

But the same can be said of many other figures, including the Thomas More we see in 'A Man For All Seasons'.

 

[KGeo777]

KOJAK - A Souvenir From Atlantic City -- A man survives a bomb attack that kills two cops and Kojak has to track him down. At one point he has to bribe a child with lollipops to get information from her. Premiered 50 years ago tonight.

McMILLAN & WIFE - Buried Alive - A former spy who worked with Mac is killed and he has to uncover the mystery while Sally runs around despite being visibly pregnant. Part of it is shot on the Airport 75 set. Premiered 50 years ago today and coincidentally, so did Susan Saint James' daughter. Now that's timing.

 

[Matteo]

Over the past couple of weeks I saw the German show DARK on Netflix which was very good - though I think it could have been wrapped up sooner.

And I just saw the six episodes of BBC's LUDWIG which was enjoyable.

About to watch the second series of LA LEGGE DI LIDIA POET on Netflix. The first was good with some funny/clever dialogue so I'm hoping the second is also.

 

[HareBrain]

Finished S2 of The Diplomat on Netflix. Good writing and cast (inc Rory Kinnear and Rufus Sewell) perhaps hampered at times by an "all drama all the time" approach that meant I couldn't quite take it as seriously as I thought I was meant to. The surprise ending of the final episode had me laughing out loud, though I wasn't sure if that was the intention.

Talking of laughing out loud, also watched E1-3 of Blackadder II, for about the 267,225th time. Sheer genius. You wonder if anything this consistently funny will ever be made again.

 

[Toby Frost]

Talking of laughing out loud, also watched E1-3 of Blackadder II, for about the 267,225th time. Sheer genius. You wonder if anything this consistently funny will ever be made again.

I agree. There are things I've laughed at harder, but nowhere near as consistently. And the decision to portray Elizabeth I as a mad child is genius.

 

[JunkMonkey]

I'm surprised to find I have just watched two consecutive episodes of Star Trek (though different shows) without wanting to throw things at the screen.

DS9 episode: O'Brien gets all paranoid and Invasion of the Body Snatchers as people around him start acting oddly. In the end it turns out that the O'Brien we have been following is unknown to himself a replicant and everyone knows he is. The ending / explanation was too hurried and gabbled out in the last few moments but some SFish ideas played out - someone had read a lot of PKD. For once the unfinished meal was a plot point!

Enterprise season 3 episode. Archer get pan dimensions brainworms and loses the ability to form new memories. Everything goes to pot. Earth is destroyed and Star Trek does seasons one and two of Battlestar Galactica in under 40 minutes. Then it's 12 years later and things get even worser. The Enterprise is destroyed and everyone dies. But by committing suicide in the way he does Archer destroys his brainworms in a way that means they never existed so phew! That's alright then. As you were...

And it wasn't badly done. Some decent character writing, a plot that was internally consistent and a fair amount of kapow! kaboom! That was justified.

 

[Toby Frost]

Years ago I got talking to some teenager at a book signing, who told me that Blackadder was "well cringe". I found this really annoying: partly because Blackadder is really good, and partly because it took me ages to dispose of his corpse.

 

[Vladd67]

Years ago I got talking to some teenager at a book signing, who told me that Blackadder was "well cringe". I found this really annoying: partly because Blackadder is really good, and partly because it took me ages to dispose of his corpse.

I hope they meant series one, that at least was questionable.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

Penguin series finale: A fittingly dark end to a fantastic series. Less than the making of a monster and more a tale of peeling back the layers to reveal one.

Ozwald Cobb makes a truly terrifying addition to the Batman Pantheon. In case there's any doubt about how the film makers want us to see him, his last act seals the deal with the depiction of an absolute psychopath.

It's a shame it's over and we have to wait for the Batman 2 to see how his tale continues.

From - series 3 episode 8: One of the criticisms of From is that it's Lost version 2 with its endless mysteries and puzzle boxes. After a slightly frustrating series where we have a little too much filler, episode 8 gives us some answers. If you haven't seen From yet, it's a little Stephen King, a little Lost mixed up with a tiny smidge of the Walking Dead. The mystery is enough to keep you engrossed, but the characters actions sometimes leave you nonplussed. The theory vids and the community make for a fun post show discussion!

 

[Jeffbert]

LIS #66 (s3 #7) The Haunted Lighthouse. Oh how I hate this episode, & especially J5! Though I cannot remember why, could be the kid himself was especially annoying.

So, the J2 is again in space, & lands upon a partially doughnut-shaped space station. But, before lifting-off, brings J5 aboard. Apparently, his ears were made from the Spock mold. So, there is this old guy named Fogey who runs the space station, apparently, the other crew members just up & left. J5 has the power to cause others to see & hear illusions.

Fogey explains that there is one space station equipped with fuel, maps, etc., per galaxy. Just how big do they think a galaxy is!


LIS #67 (s3, #8) Flight into the Future. This one I like! Still remember the robot saying, "He is real, Will Robinson!" So, they land on a planet that has its own system designed to frighten away anyone who might come there. Of course, Will, the robot, & Smith all are in the Space pod, where Will is attempting to run a check on its systems, & DR. S comes along, seeking the seclusion so he can have the robot massage him. Oops! unintentionally launched the pod, & it lands on the planet, whose surface is obscured by illusions, but why does the robot also see & hear them?

W, DrJ, & R are convinced they are over 200, count 'em, 200 years in the future, among those illusions, are two astronauts wearing the same spacesuits as were seen in The Twilight Zone's Elegy, among other places (movies). It took me longer than I expected to find the images of those suits! Anyway, one astronaut is Smith'[s descendant, & claims Dr. S had tarnished the name of Smith. Dr.J, wanting to disprove those charges (but how?) wants to fly the pod, up to the Astronauts (illusory) mother ship. Dumbness everywhere! But it is funny!

When the J2 finally arrives, John & Don 'see' a barren wasteland, where, hearing from Will, they expected a jungle.

 

[KGeo777]

MANNIX Shadow of a Man -Mannix is shot at by someone who excuses himself by saying he has a plate in his head from an old war wound. But is that the whole story? Many twists in this one.

KOLCHAK- THE NIGHT STALKER - The Devil's Platform - A politician named Robert Palmer has a pact with Satan.

Kolchak: "What don't you like about this hat?"

Vincenzo: "What's under it."

Premiered 50 years ago tonight.

 

[HareBrain]

I hope they meant series one, that at least was questionable.

Yes, it's a shame that anyone new to it would probably start there.

There are a few duff bits in Blackadder II, especially the last two episodes. Blackadder the Third, which I'm on now, I think was its peak.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I thought 'Money' with Lord and Lady Whiteadder is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

"What he is trying to tell you is that you appear to be wearing a pair of devil's dumplings."

The genius of BA was in the supporting actors.

 

[HareBrain]

I thought 'Money' with Lord and Lady Whiteadder is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

It had its moments, but for me it was one of the weaker episodes. Maybe because Lord Percy didn't have a strong enough role in it? He made the series for me, with his idiotic and unappreciated (but somehow endearing) sincerity and loyalty.

 

[paranoid marvin]

It had its moments, but for me it was one of the weaker episodes. Maybe because Lord Percy didn't have a strong enough role in it? He made the series for me, with his idiotic and unappreciated (but somehow endearing) sincerity and loyalty.

Yes, and he's the only character you feel any sympathy for. Whether he's discover 'green', posing as a male escort or providing the entertainment at a dinner party, he is always trying to help Edmund despite being constantly ridiculed.

But it was all the supporting actors like Miranda Richardson, Hugh Laurie, Tony Robinson, Rik Mayall, Tim McInnery, Stephen Fry that made the show such a success.

 

[hitmouse]

Bad Monkey Apple TV Binged the first 4 episodes of this detective Florida Noir starring Vince Vaughan. I read the Carl Hiaasen novel donkey’s years ago. Rather good.

 

[KGeo777]

KOJAK - A Killing In The Second House-- a wealthy guy hires disgraced cop Martin Balsam to investigate his wife and gets pictures of her in public with his financial adviser and misinterprets them as an illicit affair. He kills himself as they arrive home and Balsam ends up suggesting that they make the suicide look like a burglary so the widow can collect the insurance. Kojak is suspicious of his former detective associate and his wife who does astrological readings. Trouble unfolds when a horoscope client goes crazy and risks ruining their alibi. Dramatic finale.
Premiered 50 years ago today.

McCLOUD- The 42nd Street Cavalry - McCloud is assigned to the mounted police training school which soon gets involved in a weapon robbery from a National Guard depot. George Murdock who I saw in Earthquake a night ago plays the instructor of the school.
Bert Freed, who was Columbo before Peter Falk, portrays a fence. The captain in charge of the mounted police is Mark Richman, who spends a lot of time with JD Cannon and when alone, the latter asks "whose idea was this-I promise it won't leave this room." When Richman says "McCloud's," Cannon gives him a drink and says "welcome to the club." The in-joke is that Richman was Chief Clifford in the McCloud pilot movie.
Premiered 50 years ago tonight.