Having recently run out of unread books we have turned to the TV for our “Bored in the House” remedy.
Netflix gave us Tiger King and the magnificent Money Heist - BBC has just started the new season of Killing Eve and Amazon the new series of Bosch (Harry ). But what is keeping us really engaged over the past few days is ‘The Gangs of London’ on Sky. Portrait Artist of the Year on Sky Arts with the excellent Dame Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan, they’re our current “must watch” programmes.
We’ve gone back to something we know well - feels like an old friend, which we need at the moment for comfort. Watching The West Wing for the fourth time (we’ve got the DVDs). Also Modern Family on Amazon Prime for a giggle. I’m watching The Great British Sewing Bee - because it’s gentle (most of the time) and I love watching the creativity of some of the participants.
Hi Dan, the Great British Sewing Bee for me as well also After Life 2 (Ricky Gervais series, very sweary but funny and moving) on Netflix, All Creatures Great and Small on DVD ( 7 series and 2 specials), The Good Karma Hospital (ITV) is saved and ready to binge-watch.
For my French fix there is Youtube of course. I love to watch old episodes of Les Carnets de Julie and Maison à Vendre amongst others. I recently watched La Vie en Rose about the life of Edith Piaf.
Happy viewing
Izzy x
Hi Irene, Julie Andrieu is a regular visitor on Saturday afternoons - what a fabulous way of discovering France. As far as Ricky is concerned - Tears and Laughter in equal quantities - He really captures loss and the human spirit beautifully. Latest recommendations include Money Heist on Netflix, a Spanish production in 4 series and very binge worthy. Just a word of warning about a previous recommendation - Gangs of London on Sky - The violence is incredibly graphic and, in my opinion, unnecessary in parts. You will need a strong stomach to watch this excellent drama.
Thanks Dan. I won’t be watching the violent one so thanks for the warning but will have a look at Money Heist. I hope others will post some recommendations here.
Izzy x
Youtube has been presenting loads of old movies, I think on temporary basis. I have created my own ‘Festivals’ from these - David Niven films being the most recent (eight films at the last count). Have to say the greatest pleasure though was to discover the trilogy The Booze Cruise. On the reading front I am wading though the Robert Ludlum books but in French which has been a test. Do you know you need a bigger dictionary for fiction than for fact books?
My personal hard back book library (+,3000) are mainly fact books, mostly history based but covering all sorts of subjects. Recommended read is The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman, which is about the Russians in the First World War. One of the best books I have read. I have finally caught up to Series Six of Game of Thrones following a complete binge read of all the Books. I understand there are two further series on TV that are not in a book. Curious reading and viewing which I have likened to ‘Tolkien on Steroids’. Apparently each book of some 1,000 pages or so, took six years to write, and at the end I was seriously left thinking R R Martin was trapped by his own creation,and parts bordered on insanity. It was fascinating and repugnant in equal measure, with not one character being ‘good’.
I have a 2CD set of Kindle Books which I have started to look at. Not being a great fiction reader I have redicovered Bernard Cornwell, and many authors I had heard of but never got round to Harlan Coben, Dean Koontz,etc. Quite a discovery for me, and I find I can 'binge read one of these books in a couple of days comfortably.
Back to youtube I see that some of the old comedy series are appearing as 'collections by series) including Man About the House. Audio books are also available and I have strange mind that I can do illustrative work whilst listening to a story. Oddly I can also relate the story to a finished work ages after it is done. My wife on the other had requires absolute silence when she works, so we operate in different parts of the house. Although that is usual anyway.
The only thing missing is the 10km bike rides I used to take every other day. Doing the same 1Km ride several times is too boring even in the beautiful region in which we live. I feel for those stuck in tiny flats in cities!
I can just see it now… Den abusing Angie in the Queen Vic, bodies under the patio in Brookside: just the sort of things to keep you on an even keel in the lock down
Not so much a lockdown thing as a generally looking for decent drama to watch but we’re just starting Game of Thrones
I suspect we’re the only family left on the planet who has not seen the series
I have to say that even after the 1st two episodes I can see why it caught on - though the degree of sex and violence makes it marginal family viewing.
71 episodes to go so that’s the next 10 weeks at least sorted.
Nope. We haven’t seen it either and don’t plan to but we might watch “Howard’s Way” on YouTube for old time’s sake. We did watch the whole series of “The Onedin Line” (which we never did when it was aired) and really enjoyed it. Sad or what?
We havn’t bee actively avoiding it but neither have we sought it out.
Amazon has had some excellent drama but we’re running out of things that the whole family think might be interesting
At least there is not as much sex as in “Black Sails” - I watched the 1st episode and concluded that it was just an excuse for soft porn (and I’m fairly broad minded).
Are those based on the books by Andrea Camilleri? Read them if you haven’t already, they are great fun. And then there are Manuel Vazquez Montalbán’s books, Camilleri borrowed his name as an homage, you might like those as well.
I’ve read one of them - and to be fair had I not seen the TV series I might have given up. But once I got into it - I really enjoyed the book and will certainly give others a go.
Well, I must admit to listening to classical music more of late.
Every time you switch UK telly on, you get a face full of Dick Strawbridge, a mop of pink hair from his “loverly wife” Angel and a repeat of a repeat of a repeat (ad nauseam) of Escape to the Château DIY
And if that wasn’t enough, he plans a new series during the lockdown - something like “make mend and do”.
Revenue must be down significantly as they mainly cater to Brits - who, obviously can’t travel for their weddings etc.
Why not see if a bit of telly can fill the bank balance.
Must admit, though, that there didn’t seem to be much point watching the last series on the basis that it was almost indistinguishable from the previous 3.
