TV Tips

[Jaap]

After 11 years, with The Pitt have we finally found a film or TV show that EVERYONE agrees is good?

No... yes.... but.... wait....hmmm....

Guess so!

I liked the show as well very much

[Piet De Ridder]

After 11 years, with The Pitt have we finally found a film or TV show that EVERYONE agrees is good?

I don’t know. I haven’t seen The Pitt (and it’s unlikely I will in the foreseeable future). Based on the earlier posts in this thread however, it’s not the type of show I would start watching. Never felt the tiniest urge to watch E.R. either.

Last month, I ended my Netflix subscription — utterly bored and often annoyed with the idiocy of 95% of its content —, so I can only watch what Prime offers and that account is in grave and growing danger of being axed as well.

The last series I found fairly enjoyable tv-entertainment was “Slow Horses” of which I watched the first few seasons during an AppleTV+ trial period sometime last year, but since that was the only thing on there which I half-liked, I didn’t continue with AppleTV+ either.

__

[Guy Rowland]

I don’t know. I haven’t seen The Pitt (and it’s unlikely I will in the foreseeable future). Based on the earlier posts in this thread however, it’s not the type of show I would start watching. Never felt the tiniest urge to watch E.R. either.

Last month, I ended my Netflix subscription — utterly bored and often annoyed with the idiocy of 95% of its content —, so I can only watch what Prime offers and that account is in grave and growing danger of being axed as well.

The last series I found fairly enjoyable tv-entertainment was “Slow Horses” of which I watched the first few seasons during an AppleTV+ trial period sometime last year, but since that was the only thing on there which I half-liked, I didn’t continue with AppleTV+ either.

__

There may be a lot of mediocrity out there, but the past decade or two has seen the best drama ever made imo. I have some idea of your comedy leanings Piet, but not really drama. What has floated your boat in the past?

(And just to prove the point about individual taste - I watched the first ep of Slow Horses and it did nothing for me at all).

[Lawrence]

“(And just to prove the point about individual taste - I watched the first ep of Slow Horses and it did nothing for me at all).”

Without Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” would be intolerable.
With him, I can watch it somewhat grudgingly if there’s no other entertainment to be had. Great actors can change the game.

[Guy Rowland]

I don't know if this drama is going to be widely available outside the UK, but I was knocked out by the first episode of the BBC's Dear England.

The very best sports films / shows manage to transcend the sport, and be of interest even if one has no interest. This is the story of the England football manager Gareth Southgate (for those outside the UK, we never call it "soccer", it's just "football). "We" - England that it, not the UK - won the World Cup in 1966 and have never forgotten it. Every 4 years - 2 years in effect because of the European Championships - the entire nation loses its mind and goes on about this as if it's a national victory that makes defeating Hitler pale into insignificance. And every time all these expectations rest on the shoulders of one hapless fool - the England manager and his band of plucky gormlessly macho players. Every time it's national heartbreak.

In an international knockout championship, a draw after full time leads to 30 minutes extra time. If it's still a draw, then it is a penalty shoot out. 5 kicks each from the penalty spot in sudden death - a crucible of psychological torture as we watch each lone player walk up to the spot to be dealt his fate (and fate is exactly what it is - they clearly have no control over the outcome). This, particularly, is scarred into the national psyche because never in its history has the England squad EVER won a penalty shoot out. A national jinx, an act of a malevolent sporting God. The death always sudden. "30 years of hurt" as the football anthem Three Lions wailed 20 years ago - and a decent tune didn't change our fortunes either.

Into this dismal picture walks the improbable figure of Gareth Southgate (Joseph Fiennes), the actual loser who lost it for us in 1996 from the penalty spot. After the latest England manager is shown the management door after a single game and a tabloid scandal, steady-as-she-goes Gareth is brought in as a caretaker manager until a new proper replacement is found.

He has other ideas. He is convinced the entire system has to be brought to the ground and started from scratch. And top in his sights is that the players learn to like one another.

He brings in a (FEMALE!) psychiatrist. The players are encouraged to talk about their feelings and WRITE THEM DOWN. It's touchy feely madness which - initially - goes down like a cup of cold sick with the testosterone-fuelled squad.

Of course, even if you know nothing other than what I just told you, you can guess what happens next. Well, broadly. That's because this is a perfect story for the screen, hiding in plain sight. The unlikely hero, the quiet nice guy who also is the epitome of our broken dreams is given his own call to adventure and actually does change everything from the ground up. As such, this is a truly universal story. This stupid sporting neurosis actually matters - in the coming episodes we will doubtless be wrestling with racism as some of the players are at the receiving end of it in force. We will doubtless see the extraordinary women's team who came from nowhere to be global titans, and all the sexist footballing baggage that came with that. It's political in an age where might is right, where division seems unassailable, this is quiet call to lay down arms and just get along - with passion. As someone who only ever dips into football every 2 years, it charmed the hell out of me.