tv_talk | Speak Up Saturday 🍹

I'm always first! Maybe I need to spend less time at my computer on Saturday mornings...

I started watching the new season of Slow Horses -- not realizing that only four episodes had dropped. I thought it was further along in the season, so was quite surprised when I quickly ran out of episodes. I also started another new series, The Ridge, which is a Scottish-New Zealand production starring the always excellent and amazing Lauren Lyle (Outlander, Karen Pirie). Guardian review here: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/23/the-ridge-review-thriller-new-zealand-lauren-lyle-bbc

Beyond that, it was just this week's episodes of High Potential, Brilliant Minds, Murder in a Small Town, the British and Canadian Bake Offs, and Celebrity Traitors. The Traitors Canada started this week, but for some reason, my PVR didn't record the first episode so now I guess I'll have to torrent it, unless I can find it on demand through my cable provider. I'm never sure which shows they make available that way and which they don't.

There's a new series starting on Apple TV+ this week, Down Cemetery Road, which could be good. It's based on a different series of books by Mick Herron -- the author of the Slow Horses novels, and stars Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson. Other than that, the only other major program event this week is the World Series.

I will always give an Emma Thompson project a chance.

Yeah, we're going to do a month of Apple+ next month for Slow Horses but closer to Thanksgiving, both so the season can end but also because my partner has so little viewing time, I'd find it really frustrating to have to keep waiting on him.

I love Slow Horses, but Herron's Oxford series is really, really grim.

Grim isn't an issue for me -- most of what I watch/read is fairly dark -- lots of police procedurals, psychological thrillers, that sort of thing.

I forgot about Down Cemetery Road! Thanks for the reminder! (I'll watch anything with Emma Thompson - I have a crush on Emma Thompson and for that matter Jodi Foster.) Ruth Wilson? Bonus. Also I read about that series - it looks interesting.

Yes, Apple tends to drop its series slowly, like Disney, as opposed to Netflix - which drops theirs all at once. I tend to wait until all have dropped, prior to watching for this reason.

How is Murder in a Small Town - I keep flirting with it. (I'm on a mystery series/light monster of the week / solve a puzzle series kick at the moment.) That and cooking reality series.

Murder in a Small Town is... OK. It's a US (and Canada) network show, so not taxing on the brain. As a Canadian, however, I find aspects of it a bit... puzzling. It's based on the Alberg and Cassandra mysteries, which are British Columbia-set crime novels by L.R. Wright. I've not actually read any of the books, so I have no idea how closely it follows them (if at all). What I do know about the books is that the main character, Police Chief Alberg, is an RCMP officer who gets posted to this small town. However, maybe to make it more appealing to a US audience? in the show he's American, a detective formerly of Minneapolis. And some of the other police officers seem to just arrive from the US? I don't think that happens in real life. Plus, in BC, it is the RCMP that handles provincial and most municipal policing functions. Only big cities, e.g. Vancouver, have their own police force. There's zero attempt to make it clear that they are operating in Canada under Canadian laws although thankfully, they've also not read anyone the Miranda rights upon arresting them. That said, they've also not rattled off the Canadian equivalent. It's set and filmed in BC, at Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. This is an extremely iconic location for Canadians of a certain age as it's the setting for the long-running 1970s series, The Beachcombers. Of course, none of this is likely to bother a non-Canadian viewer.

Anyway, as I said, it's OK. It's more cozy murder mystery than thriller, and borders more on romcom at times when the love interest angle seems to take precedence over the case of the week. It's a non-taxing time filler and I like having a few shows like that on hand for those evenings when I'm just too tired to watch anything that requires that I really focus and pay attention. Meaning, it's totally OK if I doze off during the episode...

Thank you so much for the thorough review!

However, maybe to make it more appealing to a US audience? in the show he's American, a detective formerly of Minneapolis. And some of the other police officers seem to just arrive from the US? I don't think that happens in real life.

Definitely not. For one thing? It's really hard for an American to work or live in Canada without a VISA. Canada's rules on that, believe it or not, are more stringent than the US. I know this because I've friends and family members who've tried. While Canadians have had less issues moving and working in the US. The reason is how incredibly different our tax systems are and what they support? The US doesn't have universal health coverage and our tax system is VERY different than the UK and Canada's.

And this is the police? Canada wouldn't hire an American for a job in the police.I don't see Canada hiring an American from Minneapolis, unless the American in question had dual citizenship or became Canadian. We don't have the same laws or legal structure.

Why would they do that? Is it the whole "fish out of water" trope? Because it won't make it more appealing to an American. Maybe in the dark ages of the 20th century? But now? Most Americans don't care. I mean - we watch British, Australian, and Canadian imports all the time.

Hmmm, I might be able to hand wave it....since it doesn't sound like it is a police procedural? And it depends on how it works...I admittedly have a weakness for fish out of water stories.

Edited 2025-10-26 12:45 (UTC)

I'm a Shakespeare nerd, and what strikes me about Othello is not that Venice's top general was a black man (or South Asian, depending on what you think Shakespeare and his audience thought a "Moor" was)--but that he was NOT VENETIAN. Maybe this is similar?

Yup, the "fish out of water" trope. In Northern Exposure - the doctor is a Jewish Doctor from NYC who has been transplanted to a small town in Northern Alaska. It's very popular? American doctor in Britain. Or a Scottish Doctor in the Yorkshire (All Things Great and Small).

They do it a lot with detective/cop series - where the cop is either from NYC to a small town or a small town to a big city.

I think it's the same thing here. Shakespeare most likely was among the originators of the trope.

I just saw the first episode? It's not fish out of water trope. They don't mention Canada or the US at all. In this story, they just mention the name of towns. It's as if we're in a fictional verse where the US and Canada don't actually exist, but Montreal, Gibbons, Portland, Chicago and Philly all do? At any rate, I wouldn't have known it was in Canada if Jo hadn't told me.

Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Tempest: metaphorical fish, real water.

Shakespeare yes. Murder in a Small Town? No.

Can second the issue of the difficulty in moving and working in Canada, as a friend's husband got hired there and she is restricted from doing pretty much anything. She can't even give her belongings to charity, apparently, which she wants to do because they had to move in a hurry and are in a much smaller place than they moved from.

It's kind of similar to Sweden and Australia, although Australia was a bit looser - at least in the 1980s. It's apparently easier to immigrate to and work in Mexico - or at least it was, I don't know about now?

My brother was going to school in Canada in the 1980s, and forget about getting summer jobs or really doing any internship or much of anything. Or even applying for jobs after college in Canada. Only people with dual citizenship can do that.

My brother was going to school in Canada in the 1980s, and forget about getting summer jobs or really doing any internship or much of anything. Or even applying for jobs after college in Canada. Only people with dual citizenship can do that.

Believe it or not, our immigration laws have actually changed since the 1980s. International students are now allowed to work off campus up to 24 hours per week without a work permit.

So you went in the opposite direction of the US, and got nicer? Because the US got more restrictive for some reason or other.

Can second the issue of the difficulty in moving and working in Canada, as a friend's husband got hired there and she is restricted from doing pretty much anything. She can't even give her belongings to charity, apparently

That last bit strikes me as really odd. I can't imagine why any VISA status would ban someone from donating items to a charity. Does your friend have their own VISA status, or are they in Canada on a visitor's VISA, or ??? Unless it's some province specific restriction -- some provinces have a fair bit of say over what non-residents can and cannot do, Quebec in particular.

Yes, that's exactly where they are, Quebec. And she has said as much, that they'd have a much easier time were they in another province.

I watched:
Adults: A comedy about five 20-something friends. Super sharp and funny!

Deli Boys: The first episode didn't wow me, but I'm giving it one more chance.

Taskmaster UK S20: We're now in the sweet spot where I simply love everybody.

Queenie: Queenie is a 25-year-old British-Jamaican woman who's struggling with heartbreak, friendships, and complex family issues. The episodes are only getting better and better, and I am excited for the season finale.

Edited 2025-10-25 17:08 (UTC)

Still watching the Ken Jennings Jeopardy run during exercise, but also watched a Donna Summers documentary and a 2025 on on Live Aid. Of the two, the Live Aid one was much better, even though I already knew a good deal about it and knew relatively little about Donna Summers.

Am in S2 of High Potential, which is not impressing me. I prefer the now cancelled Perry Mason reboot. I felt it had a messy, slow start in S1. I never watched the original series, but I still think that they made the climb for Perry a bit too steep in going from "mess of a person" to "expert attorney." I do, however, like a lot of the other decisions made for the story and in making it an exploration of the Los Angeles of a century ago. Am a few episodes away from finishing it.

Finished Sherlock & Daughter which I guess might or might not come back. I won't mind if it doesn't. It got better as it went along but I didn't feel very invested in it.

Also progressing through S2 of House of the Dragon and enjoying that more. Otherwise, got through one more episode of Gilded Age, Dancing With the Stars, and one more of Strange New Worlds.

How is S2 of House of Dragon? I saw Season 1, but I didn't try S2.

High Potential - I couldn't get into - my difficulty was the premise. I wanted to like it - but it just didn't work for me.

I did watch all of the Gilded Age. I think I liked the 3rd Season the best, although the blond who is staying with her two Aunts (what is her name - I spaced it?) romantic conflict didn't quite work for me, it felt kind of silly and contrived, also the character got on my nerves at times. I liked her friends - the Black Journalist's love story better. I find I like the servants in this series better than the rich folks, although - I did like Carrie Coon's arc, and her daughter's.

Is this season's Dancing with the Stars with a look? I hear Bill Irwin is quite good. (And I've seen that nature program - his father used to pop up on David Letterman - to torture Letterman with all his animals.)

I've seen some of the more recent Celebrity Jeopardy's. Where are you getting the old ones? BYT - there is an app that you can play Jeopardy yourself on your phone - I know, I've played it on my phone. Also I had a friend in college who actually appeared on it once (way back in the 1980s).

Are you talking about The Perry Mason prequel that aired on HBO? I've not tried it - is it worth a look?

I'd say S2 is very much on par with S1, though I haven't finished it yet so...

S1 and S2 seems to be doing a Moriarty sort of storyline for Morgan in High Potential. That's a bit of a mixed bag. But mostly I'm just finding the writing dull and also downright stupid in parts.

We're still partway through S2 of Gilded Age. At our pace not sure we'll even finish it before we rotate off Max.

Irwin is indeed good, and there's been a lot of ambitious dancing and show numbers in it (the latest week was Wicked Night, so all the dances were in chronological order of the story). I expect Halloween night is this coming week and I always enjoy that. So far I've been in agreement with the eliminated contestants, but I think Andy Richter needs to go before other good dancers.

Yes, the Perry Mason on HBO. I'd say yes and no. I can see why it was cancelled. It was ambitious and fairly well written, and I thought the character backstories made sense. However, it liked to roll around in the noir aspects rather too much, which I think affected the pacing in S1. I prefer S2. I also think you could watch S2 on its own.

I think they were planning a slow development for Perry which we can see the beginnings of, but it should have gone faster. There's plenty in the series which explores the corruption of government, money and the law which would have added the grittier aspects without making Perry himself so moody and self-pitying for so long. Chances are a S4 and S5 Perry would have been a lot more watchable but they never got there.

I don't know if there's any way to access any of the Jeopardy shows more than a year back. What Hulu runs are the special episodes that appear in prime time, so Celebrity Jeopardy, Tournament of Masters, etc. (Same with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Name That Tune, and exclusively prime time shows like The 1%, The Floor, etc.) The run I'm watching is a special look back at all of Ken Jennings' appearances on Jeopardy. So that includes 5 months from 2004 as well as later tournament appearances. I'm still only on his 24th show so it's a good stretch, but they don't show daly Jeopardy.

I'm afraid I don't know about phone apps, I've never played it before.

I disengaged from Britbox but next month Shakespeare and Hathaway are coming back, so I'll sign up again. And catch up with Beyond Paradise which,I think, is watchable but not subscription worthy.

I think that's a new term these days given the predominance of streaming -- is something worth subscribing for? (I happen to agree with your take about BP)

I agree - with this. I've flirted with AMC - but I can get most of the series eventually on Netflix, and it's not worth it just for Vampire Lestate and Interview. The same with Britbox.

I have to limit the number of channels I have somehow? (I have more than most as it is, and not a lot of time to watch all of it.)

I watched S2 of Peacemaker and hated the ending because apparently there isn't going to be a S3. I don't really have an interest in the DCU/DCEU movies, so I guess I will never find out what happens if its resolved in a movie. :(

Watched UK show RIOT WOMEN which was AWESOME. like for real, some of my fav female british actors over 50 in show about forming a rock band and singing songs about menopause while also dealing with friendships and family etc. so good.

otherwise just standard weekly stuff. nothing to note except I am really liking Sheriff Country, and the first ep of Talamasca was good.

Also, I am considering dropping Chad Powers which I have mixed feelings about. Its not a bad show, but it is so problematic. Like, how does no one see through his disguise/act? if he is found out how does that affect the team's standing, do they get disqualified? and then there is the fact he is totally gaslighting people, which should not be condoned, especially with the woman he is interested in romantically. There is no possible positive outcome to that imo. I actually hate what he is doing and its what is making me consider no longer watching. So if he doesn't reveal himself to at least her soon, I am out.

==

Next week I am looking forward to IT Welcome to Derry, S3 of Trigger Point, Down Cemetery Road, and Ghosts Australia I think starts this week which is the Australian version of Ghosts.
Here's a trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck44cVET6OA

I'll be curious to hear how the Ghosts Australia compares to the others. And have not seen Peacemaker but agree that shows should have an ending regardless of future crossover activity (all I know is that there was a brief interview clip with Peacemaker in Superman).

Husband and I just finished up Boots on Netflix. SO. FUCKING. GOOD.

Young gay man joins the marine corps in 1990, before DADT and holy fuck, that show packs in ALL the issues, but without making it feel like it was written from a check list. There is not a single flat episode. It makes you cry, and then laugh until you cry and it just works.

We have self-discovery, friendship, shitty parents (of all kinds), homophobia, racism, sexism, abuse of authority, mental health, courage, and triumph over adversity.

Also, there is a lot of manflesh on display. Just saying.

Edited 2025-10-25 23:16 (UTC)

Huh, I hadn't heard of this (Netflix keeps pushing things on me that don't interest me but the things I would be interested in... nowhere to be seen).

I'll give it a try, although it sounds a little tense for my current state. Ah, well.

Just finished The Diplomat S3 - in which, it becomes clear that maybe Hal is not such a nice guy? And Kate was right to be furious at him? Run Kate, Run.

The new additions of Alison Janney (President Penn), Bradford Whitford (Toby Penn (yes, they called him Toby - which was a name of a character on the West Wing) and Aidan Turner (MI6 agent) - are fun and excellent.

It's been renewed for S4 and I think 5. Netflix loves it, because it does well in the ratings and isn't that expensive to make.

S3 is only 8 episodes - so I went through it fast.

***

Re-watching:

Buffy S4 - this is admittedly among my favorite seasons of any television series - it's so experimental. The writers take insane risks and pretty much changed television in the process. I love the characters and humor in this season. The writers satirize the military and unintentionally do a parody of all science fiction military movies and television shows. What's hilarious is the military has set up shop in the basement of a frat house - which may well have been the same set from Reptile Boy in S2, which also featured a frat house with something wicked going on in the basement. There's a lot of echoes to S2 here.

Today - I watched HUSH, which is an episode that is done with out spoken dialogue except for the very beginning and end. Also it has the creepiest monsters, and is by far the scariest of the episodes of the series.

Angel S1 - Saw Sonambulist - Episode 10 of the series - which is also the episode that featured Jeremy Renner in his first role as the "villain of the week" or "monster of the week".
He plays one of the vampires that Angelus sired and trained - kind of what they had originally intended Spike to be and changed their minds? Or he did it more than once? Angelus liked to turn folks into monsters. (Dru, Spike, and this guy, whose name I forget). It's an interesting episode.
It's also the episode in which Kate Lockley, the detective and potential love interest (basically Angel's version of Riley - except a cop not a military guy) - figures out that Angel is a vampire, and yes, vampire's exist. The world is being expanded in both Angel S1 and Buffy S4 - in that the writers are finally addressing what the military is doing about the demons, what the cops or police are doing about the monsters and demons, and how it effects people outside of our heroes.

Angel S1 much like Buffy S1 is uneven - and has a lot of bad episodes or less than stellar episodes that I skip over. But it also has some very good episodes in the mix, and is good at character development. At this stage in the game - Angel is trying to be a stealth anthology or episodic series.. then in S2-4, it becomes a supernatural soap opera, then in S5, it attempts to be a stealth anthology again to please the network, until the show-runners discover they are being cancelled regardless and it really doesn't matter what they do - so they decide frak this, we'll just be a serial. (I think it's easier to write serials than stealth anthology/episodic series? I know it is easier to write a novel than a short story.)

***

Still watching:

Rain Maker on Peacock. Which is growing on me. It's not episodic like most legal procedurals and has several on-going mysteries. I'd say its more of a serial? John Grisham (who wrote the novel on which it is based) is an executive producer.

Poker Face - Stealth Anthology, which is actually why I like it? You jump in and out periodically, and don't have to remember the plot of the previous episodes. It's a fun little mystery series, with humor, and aging celebratory actors that I've not seen in a while. Reminds me a lot of Columbo - which I watched in reruns in the 20th Century and loved.

Great British Bake Off - comfort food for the soul.

Grey's Anatomy S22 - I'm amused by this series - in that the showrunner started out the series with mainly a white cast, and POC in the supporting roles, and not in power or in charge of the hospital. Now, the leads, and the people in charge of the hospital are all POC, and the white folks are more supporting. They just waited a few years to do the show they wanted to do - and to make Bailey and the Chief more of the leads.

***

Looking forward to?

* Slow Horses S4 (I think) on Apple
* the new Kate Bigelow film on Netflix - House full of Dynamite
* Foundation S4 on Apple
* Nobody Wants This S2 on Netflix
* Getting back to Surreal Estate ( I like horror series like Surreal Estate, Buffy and Angel - which aren't all that scary?)

I caught up on and finished the second season of Gen V. It is still crude and violent and kinda close to reality, but I feel like it lost a bit of its uniqueness when compared to the main show, The Boys. The latter was always more anti-corporate while Gen V seemed to be more about the "woke" side of things. That said, it is very closely tied to The Boys by now and I can't see how the final season of that show works without some significant crossovers with Gen V. The ending pretty much set it up like the story will continue on the main show.

Watson was never a particularly good show, but now it's back for S2 and I'm really enjoying it? It's only been two episodes, but I really enjoy watching an "old school" procedural that is kinda ridiculous and extremely unrealistic. It is the only show like that I'm watching when 10-15 years ago everything felt like that.

I had a blast during the latest episode of Ghosts and I can't wait for the Halloween episode!

I completely missed that Talamasca: The Secret Order is out (at least on the site I always check...) and I still haven't started The Diplomat. I don't have Netflix at the moment and want to wait until November and then do two months.

Nothing much new this week. I continued The Long Ballad, and even though I really want to go slow with this, because I like it so much that I want it to last longer, I can never really make myself stop watching. I'm just looking forward to the plot developments. Surprise?! :D Some of the conflicts between the main couple sound like they should not be resolvable, but somehow they always turn them around before bridges are burned. Fun! I'm on ep 21 now and the FL is still disguised as a man. \o/

Also continuing A Moment But Forever, which is kind of meandering along right now, but the main couple are sweet enough for me to keep enjoying it. They're still not together (and may never be? idk?), but it's sweet nonetheless. I do enjoy the silly xianxia magic, and the steampunk craftsmanship. They even had a surprise baby acquisition, but he grows fast, phew for fantasy worlds! I'm on ep 23 of 36.

Didn't continue any of the shows I'd dipped my toes into last week, but started a silly short cdrama called Starlit Bloom - cheap production with all the romance novel tropes you can imagine. Rich people falling in love, oh my. It's completely silly but thankfully short. Only 22 eps of 15 minutes each.

Saw a trailer for a (non-Asian) m/m drama today, called Heated Rivalry. It will air in a month, the trailer looks good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADi1iextoUM

Speak Up Saturday 🍹

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