What Are You Currently Watching (on tv/dvd)?

[Ian]

I think it would have been good if the rest of the show had followed suit a little more [instead of playing with Hollywood action-movie, rom-com and CGI clichés] - .
.

Welcome to New Who.

[DMt.]

Is this what I don't pay my license fee for?!

{Note to TVLC; I was watching it under duress/force majeure <delete as applicable> at a friends' place. I do not own or use a TV for live broadcast purposes. I don't owe you any god damned money.]

[fish]

I think you faked enough sincerity for them to believe you on that.



Anyway, what's all this licence rubbish?
They've been gone for decades over here.

I think it cost so much to enforce the laws that they were losing money each year.
You should try a similar spot of civil disobedience over there.

[Ian]

The Professionals. The Professionals is cool, man.

[DMt.]

[The Professionals?! I never got over watching a pisstake of it* where they kept rolling out of cars in their underpants...]

"La Dolce Vita" by Fellini, at my Aunt Rose's. Great stuff, however dark and sad


*...called "The Bullshitters"

[Ian]

Doctor Who - Into the Dalek. Not really impressed.

[Ian]

The early black and white late 60s Callan. Very good so far.

[DMt.]

Callan...I remember them as excellent - proper dark, gritty realism.

[Ian]

It's still very well acted and written.

[DMt.]

Good writing lasts, yeah.

[fish]

Haven't seen Callan for years.
Loved that show.


And as for the good Doctor.
I have a feeling that mere snippets of information from each show will, in the end, produce something very good.



At least I hope so.

[Ian]

It is a dream we have...

[Ian]

Callan: Let's Kill Everybody. When word comes through that someone is targetting everyone in Callan's department for assassination, it's panic stations, with paranoia running rampant. Bloody hell, that was a bloodbath! I did not expect that!

[DMt.]

Some kind of peak of monochrome 60's kitchen-sink TV, the whole series. Do I remember Denholm Elliott in it?

Anyway, I watched Blade Runner at Ma's, late last night, on a nice big Sony TV for the first time, and it was awesome even though I know practically every frame. The City, in all its splendid and credible horror, may be the real star of the show; but Rutger Hauer as a thoroughly believable android has to be a close second.

I think I want a Director's Cut, or something. Gimme a hard copy, right there.

[DMt.]

It is a dream we have...

If I wasn't certain that the shows we see are at least a month old, I could almost believe that team Dr. Who had listened to my recent plea for a much more plot/character/dialogue-driven use of Capaldi; but evidently someone had spotted that one straight away - on the basis of last night's show [which unfortunately I missed the end of, through having to make our Ruth a sandwich to stuff down in a stolen break from her pizza driving].

It was right down at the dark taproot of collective fears, kids' night terrors, and Shadow symbolism; and it needed no CGI or fucking gunfights to be really effective, compelling storytelling.

The Beeb giving the new Americans a run for their money...?