tv_talk | Speak Up Saturday

I took this past week off from work, so actually managed to watch some stuff.

New shows/New seasons of shows

I finished Prime Target (Apple) and adored it. The way it ended leaves the possibility of a second series, which unfortunately, Apple hasn't committed to, at least not yet. Fingers crossed, but even if this is all we get, I can live with that. Also finished this season of Mythic Quest, and the lovely School Swap: UK to USA. Too bad that one had only 3 episodes -- the kids were lovely and I would have watched a few more.

I watched all of The Residence, a mystery/crime show about the murder of the Chief Usher of the White House that occurs in the White House during a State dinner. It was very enjoyable, apparently similar in style to the Knives Out films (which I've never seen so can't confirm or deny). However, I did feel that it was overly long -- the last two episodes in particular felt really stretched. Probably would have flowed better as a 6 episode series rather than the actual 8 episodes.

I also finally watched the 4-ep limited series Mr Bates vs he Post Office, which I've had recorded on my PVR for like... eons. And it is very good, and I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it.

I also started the new (and final) season of Bosch: Legacy, but only two episodes in. I really enjoy this series and the characters, so am somewhat sad that there won't be any more after this one.

I tried a couple of episodes of Long Bright River, but it just felt like it was trying really hard to be Mare of Easttown, and failing. Don't think I'll continue with it.

Weekly shows and other

The Pitt continues to be beyond excellent. If you enjoy medical dramas, you really should be watching this show because it leaves the others in the dust. I suppose some might find it too stressful or traumatic as it is extremely realistic, but I honestly can't say enough about this one. Everyone in the cast is excellent and they should all be up for various awards come award season, but as Alan Sepinwall (Rolling Stone magazine) pointed out, most will likely be overlooked given the presence of White Lotus, the upcoming return of The Last of Us, etc. The exception will be Noah Wyle, who should be nominated for this week's episode (and every other episode). There are a few offspring of famous people in the cast, notably Taylor Dearden -- the daughter of Bryan Cranston, and Fiona Dourif, daughter of Brad Dourif.

The only other weeklies I watched were Will Trent, Portrait Artist of the Year, and Curse of Oak Island. There has been tennis (Miami Open) and baseball as well.

I did not know Dr. King was played by Cranston's daughter, and Dr. McKay by Brad Dourif's. They are amazing in those roles. I think Sepinwall is wrong on this point - The Pitt is talked about across the social media platforms. Stephen King has gone nuts over it. It's gotten more press than White Lotus (which has been blasted this season critically speaking). We're not the only ones loving that series. I've seen people go on about it on Threads.

[ETA: Apparently Brad Dourif has been cast to play Dr. McCay (Fiona Dourif) father on the Pitt. )

Agree - The Pitt is excellent.

Edited 2025-03-30 15:41 (UTC)

Lots of shows are talked about a lot, and never get nominated or win anything. That's one of the main reasons I don't bother with awards shows-- it's always the same old same olds that get nominated/win, and so many great shows never get a single nod. But hopefully The Pitt will get the recognition it deserves.

True, but The Pitt fits a few key categories? It's hyper-realism. It's gotten stellar reviews. And it's at the top of the charts. The Wire was overlooked but Cop shows often are. There's too many of them. Medical shows have been too - but this one is unique and stands out. Also the Academy loves hyper-realism. (See The Bear and this reminds me a lot of The Bear.) Also, it's on HBO, only has 15 episodes and is on a streamer, not network.

White Lotus? It's S3, and the critics don't like it. They find it boring and disappointing. The reviews have not been positive. It's lost it's flavor.

Last of Us? It's based on a video game and is science-fiction, the Academy doesn't award science fiction, or rarely. Also the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences frowns on horror - they don't like it. [That why Walking Dead, Yellowjackets, BSG, Buffy, and various others were ignored. Game of Thrones was a rarity.) I think it was ignored when it first aired? I don't know. I've admittedly not been following the awards that closely myself. And it's season 2, so...Succession, it's not.

The Pitt kind of stands out.

Edited 2025-03-30 22:26 (UTC)

I, too, am sad this will be the last season anything Bosch -- a series that was so much better than it had any right to be and was really overlooked.

I'm still enjoying The Pitt, but we are finding it to be a bit much in terms of things going wrong.

Good to know about The Residence, I've added it to my Netflix Watchlist.

Yes, Mr. Bates was really good. It's a shame it got such low viewership, especially given the topic.

Yes, Mr. Bates was really good. It's a shame it got such low viewership, especially given the topic.

Er -- it was a massive hit in the UK, which is really the only place viewership numbers would matter, and had a massive impact there: https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a46330337/mr-bates-vs-post-office-viewing-figures/

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/13/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-why-it-took-a-tv-series-to-bring-the-post-office-scandal-to-light

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240112-post-office-scandal-how-a-tv-drama-shook-up-britain-in-just-a-week

(and dozens of similar articles out there)

Oh that's great! I thought I remembered seeing that the BBC invested a lot in it and it hadn't paid off in terms of response, but I must have been confusing it with something else.

Speak Up Saturday

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject