Speak Up Saturday

[misbegotten]

Welcome to the weekly roundup post!

What are you watching this week?

Comments

[feurioo]

I watched this week:

Work in Progress S1: This semi-autobiographical show is about 45-year-old Abby, a self-identified "fat, queer dyke". It deals with her depression, OCD, body image issues, and gender nonconformity. Via flashbacks, the show also takes a look at Abby's experiences within the queer community of the past and present. So far, I really, really like it. If I had less on my plate at the moment, I would seriously consider writing a primer for the show because it ticks so many of my boxes.

Avenue 5 S1: Only watched one episode and felt strangely let down. However, it was good to hear Hugh Laurie's House accent again. Might give it another episode to really get going because the premise alone is intriguing enough.

Wellington Paranormal S1: Cute. Maybe a little too silly for my taste in the long run, but I really enjoyed the first ep as a small Halloween treat.

The Big Family Cooking Showdown S1: Really thankful that *that* family had to leave first. I dig the wholesome, soothing vibe but I wish the two judges had more personality.

Castaway Diva: Didn't expect to like this one as much as I did considering all the angst in the trailer. That said: As soon as it becomes clear that Woo-hak is the designated second male lead, I'm (probably) out. Don't care about love triangles, the adult!Ki-ho mystery or the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope in general. While fangirl!Mok-ha could be interesting from a story perspective, it really depends on the writer's ability to portray Ran-joo as a complex, flawed character.

A Good Day to be a Dog: It's cute, fluffy, and very silly, but somehow it works for me. I still don't like CEW as the male lead. But. It. Works. (Even with a terribly obvious CGI dog.) This could be a lovely comfort show if we weren't constantly starved for new episodes.


Movies: Watched The Breaker Upperers for Madeleine Sami. Meh. Currently watching Cocaine Bear and it's really not as entertaining and ridiculously funny as I'd hoped it would be.

[jo]

When it first started airing, I had watched the first, maybe 2 eps of Avenue 5 and kind of shrugged it off. But once it was into the 2nd season, I heard lots of raving about it, so revisited it. I ended up loving it -- I tore through the first season and then the 2nd and was really sad that it got cancelled.

[dr_zook]

I'm halfway through Netflix' Bodies-- and while I'm not mingblowingly thrilled I'm obviously engaged enough to continue, haha. Anyone else watching/watched it?

[olivermoss]

I watched it. I really liked it, found it really compelling.

[dr_zook]

Honestly, I'm just grateful that there are no scare jumps, haha.

Somewhat spoilery details below.

They sure didn't shy back from showing sawing open that cranium, wow.

I really like the protagonists and their peeps! Read about the show in a newspaper first, and liked the director's answer to the remark, Oi, aren't you going too far with your diverse cast?? And he just said, "Dude, 2023's London is diverse, we're not making that up, ffs. 😌

Have you read the graphic novel (before)?

[olivermoss]

The diversity was really good, and the director has got a point.

I haven't read the graphic novel, but it really helped that it was based on something. It had a tight plot unlike some shows. Also, from some of the clothing design, especially Iris Maplewood, she looked like a graphic novel drawing brought to life

[dr_zook]

Finished the show! Loved the costumes very much, they obviously really knew how to spoil themselves, haha. And Maplewood absolutely looked like from the future, she was a great character.

I do have some questions left, tbh. Especially the very last scene (in the cab) did not make any sense, but I'm very open to explanations. :D

[olivermoss]

Yeah, the cab scene was odd, especially since she can't just drive a normal car! I wish they'd left that bit out and given us a neatly wrapped up story like I assume the graphic novel series was.

[dr_zook]

This exactly! I mean, time travelling is weird enough as it is, yapping at my brain's poor haunches constantly while I'm watching. You don't have to add this, and the FYAL sign on a high rise in the background-- for what, funsies? *sigh*

Anyway, I was suitably entertained, and now am craving for some Hillinghead/Ashe fix-it. Whiteman's character also was a real grower. :D

[olivermoss]

All the time travel and the timelines were clicking with me... until right then!

Hillinghead's storyline was amazing!

[starfleetbrat]

I'm half way through... and have been for a week or so. I do want to watch the rest just haven't I wanted to enough yet I guess lol Its not a bad show, its actually quite good, I'm not sure what the issue is for me.

[dr_zook]

I hear you!! You're not alone. :D

I'm suspecting a bit the pacing (it's rather unhurried, despite the drama and split-screens), and that they could easily have shoved it all into a 100 min movie?

[jo]

I feel as if I've watched bits and bobs this week.

I watched a couple more episodes of The Winter King, and since the last ep of this first season drops tomorrow, I can move forward and finish it -- really enjoying it.

I heard about a show called Hope Street starting its 3rd season in the UK. I downloaded the first season to see what it was like. Watched the first ep and enjoyed it (basically a cop show set in a small rural community in Northern Ireland). Started watching the 2nd ep yesterday evening and dozed off partway through, woke up to find the torrents had kept playing and were now mid-way through the 3rd ep, so I will have to restart the 2nd ep. I do that a lot in the evening when I watch tv -- doze off mid-ep. Not because the show's boring, but because I'm relaxed and I just doze off. Which is why I am always loathe to start into a new series during the week and prefer to wait until the weekend, when I can watch during the day.

I also caught up with season 2 of Bosch: Legacy, and watched the first ep of the new season of Shetland. This is the first without Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez. Which I guess is maybe a spoiler for anyone not current with the series, or who hasn't watched it at all yet. Oops.

And of course the usual weekly stuff, Wrexham, GBBO, Lower Decks...

[yourlibrarian]

Speaking of Wrexham, I had an odd experience yesterday. I was turning on the TV to wash dishes with and saw that Wrexham's FA cup game was currently in its second half. So I watched a chunk of it. It seemed strange to see various people known from the documentary doing their day job, as opposed to getting to see the game partially from the field view and partially the fans and other people in the doc.

[jo]

I had that experience last year with their FA Cup run. I only realized after the fact that yesterday's game was a Cup game and not a regular League 2 Game because they were playing another League 2 team, so didn't even check to see if it was on Sportsnet. Their next FA Cup match is Dec 3 vs Yeovil Town, a National League team, so they should win. But it's football, and Wrexahm, so anything can happen...

[yourlibrarian]

True

It's funny, just today I was talking with a friend who has gotten hooked on the doc and said she's started watching the games as well. And she's not a sports fan of anything else.

[olivermoss]

Weirdly, I've got two shows that didn't click with me.

* I started All The Light We Cannot See. I thought this was a show I was looking forward to, and I do like WWII period pieces. But partway through I was confused as to why I was watching it. I was glad to drop it because I am sort of drowning under all the reading and writing I am trying to do these days.

* I started Fellow Travelers, which I'd been looking forward to for a long while. I will probably finish it, but it was not the show I was expecting, sadly. I picked up a channel, I think Showtime, for a bit to watch it.

* I am still watching the new Quantum Leap. I tried to see about getting discussion threads here about the season, but no dice. Ah well. I think that is everything I've been watching?

I think that's all I've been watching? I want to watch the upcoming season of Fargo because Joe Keery, but I realized I'd need to get Hulu again and I'm not doing that right now. I'd like to be watching the new Surreal Estate but don't have a way to get access. I need to make a new list of shows to watch when I'm able to get access.

I tried to finished Last Call so I can cancel HBO. It's the only reason I have it, but I haven't been in the right brain space for it. But, the show page was being wonky last I checked. Just looked and it's still wonky, but at least episode 1 is there. It's still got episode 4 twice and no episode 3. I will watch as far as I can this weekend and cancel. Hopefully, it'll be fixed before my sub ends.

[yourlibrarian]

Yeah, there are shows I want to pick up but while I'm still watching so much on Hulu I don't want to add another service just yet. Probably will in a few weeks over Thanksgiving though, as the last month of the year should have more time for TV viewing.

[olivermoss]

Picking up another service for one show, thinking I'll find more to watch to make it worth it, keeps backfiring on me. The last three times I had regrets, some of them about the show I was hyped for!

Four if you count the content I want to see on HBO being buggy.

[starfleetbrat]

I saw All The Light We Cannot See, and found myself a little disappointed by it. Not really sure why, its very well made. But I guess I found it a little too... nice. Like everyone is making inspirational quotes and everyone seemed very "safe" for a show set during Nazi occupied France. It felt very romanticised.

Watched S2 of Time (british), which was good. But, I didn't like how it focused on the theme of "mothers", I mean, I get it. I am a mother, so I know how I would feel if I was thrust into jail unexpectedly. However it seemed a bit "message-y" instead of just having a good plot.

Otherwise its just regular weekly shows, nothing that stands out amongst them though. I've mostly been watching a lot of movies this week.

edit: just remembered I also watched Orphan Black: Echos. It was pretty good but not as good as Orphan Black was. I felt it dragged a little in the middle but ultimately it was a good series and it tied in to the first one pretty well. Also, Keeley Hawes = <3 but it was weird to hear her with an american accent lol

[yourlibrarian]

Oh I didn't realize she was in it. I saw a notice about it that referenced Kristen Ritter -- and I remembering that right?

[starfleetbrat]

yeah, Kristen Ritter is the main character and she was really good, though I felt Keeley had a pretty big role too.

[yourlibrarian]

I've started watching The Americans on Hulu and am loving it. I've had it on the "to watch" list forever and am plowing through it.

In many ways I'm glad that the series ended before I watched it because I'd have hated to wait every week to see a new episode.

[jo]

The Americans is a show that by definition I should love but I just can't get into it. I've tried about 4-5 times, and made it to maybe season 3, but just... dunno. Just doesn't do anything for me. I blame some of that on Keri Russell -- I don't like her that much, although I did manage to get through The Diplomat (Netflix) and she's the star of that. But she was my least fave part of Felicity.

[naushika]

The Americans was soooo sooo soooooo good. Very much a slow burn, I think you were wise to wait!

[mireailles]

I loved The Americans!

I was actually thinking of re-watching it. It's so well-made, I really liked Phillip and Paige by the end. And Stan but all the characters are soo well done, honestly.

[executrix]

I'm watching Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's decorating show, "Save My House," although I keep yelling "you don't need custom marble countertops!" the way you yell "Don't Go in the Basement!" at a horror movie.
Speaking of horror, I'm watching the bonkers Spanish series "30 Coins." For those who recognize my icon, one of the heroes' wife got a break-up haircut and now looks a lot like Servalan.
Watched several months ago, and not exactly recommended but it has been inspirational for me: "TransAtlantic." I can't say it's any damn good, and there are several places where I would remove the writers' WGA card (like cutting off epaulets with a sword) if I could. However, if you ever wanted to see Simon Tam from Firefly and Cher Horowitz from Clueless rescue people from the Nazis, this is your chance. I think about it a lot because it's largely about Varian Fry, who spent two years doing an impossible job with no support from his country or his employers, at high risk of imprisonment or worse, and frequently with no help from the people whose dumb lives he was trying to save, all the while worrying how far his wife's tolerance of his boyfriends was going to extend.

[yourlibrarian]

No kidding, marble is just a bad material for countertops.

I had to laugh at your description of TransAtlantic. I'm not sure I've heard of it before but that certainly sounds like a mixed bag.

[executrix]

It also raises the question, "Living in a villa in the French countryside with a bunch of Surrealists: bug or feature?"

[annavere]

I started season two of Justified, which got off to a rocky start compared to the elegant first season, but soon picked up. The more attached I get to the core characters, the less interest I have in the cases of the week. It seems to have settled into rhythm again though and I'm excited to see where it goes.

Also finished season one of Stargate Atlantis. I'm pretty sure this felt like a throwback even in 2004 but I don't really care, because it's so ridiculously fun.

[naushika]

SGA! It warms my heart to see someone watching it new! One of my favorite shows. I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's a fun show. And I think you are probably right in that it felt like a throwback even back then, but I think most of us just wanted Stargate SG-1: The Next Generation and Atlantis fit the bill, lol!

[annavere]

I was really delighted to find it on Hulu, as I had never seen any Stargate material but always heard about it (although it seems to have lost out to Star Wars and Trek in the public memory) and it's been fun discovering this universe. I'm very fond of Elizabeth Weir.

[china_shop]

Four episode of Deadloch, which is excellent! Equal parts dark murder myster and silly fun, with a really strong female cast. :D

I also tried Fellow Travelers and stalled out halfway through the first episode, though I am slowly trying to keep going. (It's pretty explicit, which shouldn't be a problem for me, except that I'm not super into the relationship dynamic, so I keep pulling away.)

[yourlibrarian]

That does sound interesting!

[dwell_ondreams]

My mom & I are watching Father Brown (2013), CSI: NY, & The Great British Baking Show (GBBO).

I gotta say, this season of GBBO is so much better than the last couple of seasons! Alison is a MUCH better host than Matt Lucas was - Matt was NOT the right fit for that show. The contestants are pretty awesome this season too.

[executrix]

The Great Pottery Throwdown is made by the same production company as GBBO (Love Productions) but they manage to find hosts who are not only not annoying but are quite charming.

[dwell_ondreams]

I have a friend who watches The Great Pottery Throwdown & she loves it. If I ever find it somewhere, I'll have to watch it, it sounds like something I'd enjoy.

[executrix]

It's not the kind of show where they want to make the contestants look bad--usually what happens is that everybody does something really good and the best ones are amazing. Although there is built-in suspense in that the nature of pottery is that sometimes stuff just blows up in the kiln.