We just started a series called The Hour. It’s a UK series from 2011, but set in the mid-50s, about a 60 Minutes type show being developed. It grabbed us right away. Good acting, though Ben Whishaw is a bit over-the-top, and the look of the show is spot on. Also, I’m sure the country home of Dominic West’s character’s wife’s family (enough possessives?) is the same house used in Gosford Park. I think the hotel room they showed in the second (?) episode was the same bedroom that the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) had in that same movie.
Isn’t there some sort of Apple/Paramount combination subscription in certain parts of the world?
I’ve not tried a Netflix limited series for a while, I thought I’d give Bodies a go.
It started well but went on a bit too long, given it’s a time travel show about a loop I was reasonably aware if how things were supposed to pan out, they were done explaining that first bit when I was hoping they’d show me how things resolved themselves.
I’m having to summon up some energy to get around to the last two episodes.
Cobra Kai
We finished all 5 available seasons. It runs out of purpose and steam around season 3, but is still charming enough and good family entertainment. If you loved the Karate Kids movies in the 1980’s, every major and minor character aside from Pat Morita(obviously) makes an appearance. All the good guys, all the girl friends, all of Daniels opponents. Even “put him in a bodybag!” guy shows up, so it is fun to see everyone again. At one point, Johnny Lawrence teams up with Chozen from Karate Kid 2 and even the dude from Karate Kid 3 gets in on the action and I was honestly smiling just because they managed to get everyone back.
Cute and fun, stretches on a bit. I see one more final season is coming.
We’ll definitely watch it. Episodes are under 40 minutes almost always, which I think is the right length.
Edit: Kudos to the show for making Johnny Lawrence likable. I prefer him to Daniel Larusso at this point. And good for Billy Zabka for bringing a lot to the role, which was mainly just a bully-role in the first movie.
To repeat my comment from the Cobra Kai thread: it reminded me of the Netflix show Sex Education in the sense that Season 1 started as a pretty goofy show and it just got more cartoonish every season after that. I enjoyed it enough to watch all 5 seasons though and I’d probably watch a 6th (which is more than I can say for Sex Education).
Cobra Kai exists in an alternate time line where:
- There are no guns in America and possibly, anywhere.
- Karate is one of the biggest things around, bigger than High School Football in Texas
I haven’t seen this but it’s tempting with the praise it’s getting here. I came to post that I like the theory that Johnny is the main character and Karate Kid is a tragedy since he loses. I’m glad that they did well by his character.
I’ve been watching the PBS Series COBRA, which follows the British government’s response to a major crisis. I’m 4 episodes in and really enjoying it.
Ok, I have never seen this but that is the best elevator sales pitch ever. Even if it isn’t realistic and I don’t care about the 80’s movies at least optimistic escapism is attractive.
It’s fun and cute. They even brought back villains like Kreese and Terry Silver from Karate Kid 3.
Fun fact: Terry Silver is played by an actor younger than Daniel Laruso.
I haven’t seen anything like that. I currently have logins for both Disney+ and Hulu from two different friends, although I understand I may soon be losing those. I also have free MAX through my cable/internet service. I keep thinking about trying to “cut the cord” on my cable TV, but there are so many channels that I like to watch which are included in my package, and I hate to lose them.
Usually the Irish series I’ve seen on Acorn are pretty good and exceptionally well acted but I was quite disappointed in Taken Down. First of all, too dark. Not the actors’ skins, not the story, but the lighting was too dim for my taste. Secondly, we really aren’t given a ton of opportunity to work up sympathy for the primary victim. We just see bits of her in retrospect but none of it seems particularly flattering. The police characters seemed to be stereotypical- the pretty blonde woman is in charge, she has her mandatory sexual fling. the guys under her are racist and sexist, yada yada. The villains are all heartless and do all but twirl mustaches as they make the lives of migrants hell. The pace was glacial and the ending was rushed. All in all, a waste of time.
On a side note, it has oft been pointed out that the actual COBRA acronym significantly overpromises on its excitement level.
It stands for “Cabinet Office Briefing Room A”.
Cobra Kai has got to be the cheesiest series I’ve ever seen, but I found it very addictive. Like a soap opera you can’t stop watching. The earlier stuff was definitely better though. It seems like they had to come up with sillier and sillier ways to create conflict. Having a geriatric villain doesn’t help!
I watched series 2 of Extraordinary on Disney+. It’s a UK sitcom about superheroes, sort of. Much more domestically based than any real superheroing, though, as the premise is everybody gets super powers after they turn 18. Except for Jen, who is 25 and still without her powers.
Anyways, series 2 was better than the first, as it could focus on the best characters, Jen and Carrie, even though Jizz and Kash had plenty of stories too.
Recommended, if UK humour and unique takes on superheroes is in your wheelhouse.
Finished season 1, and started season two. Really enjoying it.
2 posts were split to a new topic: Temp title
My wife and I have been really enjoying Love and Death. It’s a true crime story, 7 episodes, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons. It’s set in 1980 and MAN did they nail the set design and the clothing. We are just having so much fun pointing out all the stuff we remember from childhood. The story is about a case of adultery and murder, in a small Texas town where all the characters know each other from church.
After you’ve finished that and let it marinate a little, if you have Hulu you might want to also watch ‘Candy’, another miniseries on the very same topic (with Jessica Beal and Pablo Schreiber playing the Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons roles). Mrs. solost and I watched ‘Candy’ first, then we found and watched ‘Love and Death’ several months later.
It’s interesting comparing and contrasting the two miniseries. They both stay pretty close to the basic facts, and both really evoke the era, while being different in tone, in subtle ways. I’d say the main difference between the two, if I recall correctly, was that LaD was more sympathetic toward the ‘Candy’ character– I came away from the miniseries ‘Candy’ feeling that she had gotten away with a grisly murder; I came away from ‘LaD’ feeling that there was a decent chance she was rightfully acquitted.
Just started 3 Body Problem on NFLX. The laws of physics are ceasing to function, apparently. Stars a lot of people I never heard of, which I like, plus John Bradley West (Samwell Tarly from GOT) and Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth in GOT). I’m only one episode in, but it’s got me hooked.