[TobyD]

Series 3 of Top Boy on Netflix. As you may or may not know, Drake brought this to Netflix after Channel 4 cancelled it. So amazing. It makes Bodyguard look like Button Moon. Even more impressive cast, inc Little Simz, Dave (of Glastonbury Thiago Silva fame), etc. I tried to ration it to an episode per day, but failed hopelessly. Epic soundtrack as well...

There was an episode of the beyond today podcast last week where they interviewed the guy who wrote it, worth a listen. I'd like to watch it, although I haven't seen series 1 or 2 yet, are they available anywhere?

[IanP]

There was an episode of the beyond today podcast last week where they interviewed the guy who wrote it, worth a listen. I'd like to watch it, although I haven't seen series 1 or 2 yet, are they available anywhere?

Series 1 & 2 are on Netflix as well, recommended.

[cheque]

On the subject of dodgy accents

Slightly  but on the All4 app currently there’s a Sky Vegas ad in which an English actor attempts an American accent with very limited success. It’s so bad. Every time it’s on I think “Surely a bookies could afford an actual American actor?!”

[Falling Down]

The three-part “Rise of the Nazis” on the Beeb has been really good. 

It explores the roots of nazism in Germany and how Hitler came to power. 

[duncan]

The three-part “Rise of the Nazis” on the Beeb has been really good. 

It explores the roots of nazism in Germany and how Hitler came to power. 

I enjoyed this but it's the kind of thing I enjoy. Talking heads and dramatic reconstructions (Lithuania standing in for pre-War Germany, some fabulous Nazi cheekbones and glasses) to a somewhat clichéd Austro-German classical music soundtrack (bonus for only including and not deploying the full Music To Invade Poland To).

It's all about the personalities. Some of this was insightful and some less so: Hitler was a narcissistic psychopath...who knew! It was particularly interesting to hear about the new-to-me opposition figures. What was completely lacking, to my mind, was any sense of the cultural and societal conditions that lead to and nurtured the rise. Clearly this was not the aim of the programme but it would have benefited from a little context. There are a few parallels made with current times. Lightly drawn, though still too much for some!

[Falling Down]

That’s a much better review than I could muster Duncan. I doff my cap.  I’m normally a bit allergic to dramatic recreations but this one was very well done. The historians I thought were fabulous - especially the somewhat robotic young German chap talking about Himmler.

[Will Hunt]

Spotlight is on Netflix and is very good.

[Falling Down]

Nomad - Herzog on Bruce Chatwin.  Brilliant. 

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008rqv via @bbciplayer

Some mountaineering and vintage Glowacz footage too.

[duncan]

Nomad - Herzog on Bruce Chatwin.  Brilliant. 

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008rqv via @bbciplayer

Some mountaineering and vintage Glowacz footage too.

Thanks for the prompt, it was brilliant. Some knowledge of Chatwin's books is fairly helpful.

The full Scream of Stone (in Spanish) is available .

[Falling Down]

I’ve been talking to W in my Herzog voice all week - she’s not finding it as funny as she did on Monday.

[andy popp]

This is bringing back fond memories of tc's Klaus Kinski story.

[Falling Down]

That still wins the Internet for me.

[TobyD]

Series 3 of Top Boy on Netflix. As you may or may not know, Drake brought this to Netflix after Channel 4 cancelled it. So amazing. It makes Bodyguard look like Button Moon. Even more impressive cast, inc Little Simz, Dave (of Glastonbury Thiago Silva fame), etc. I tried to ration it to an episode per day, but failed hopelessly. Epic soundtrack as well...

Haven't got round to this yet, thought series 1 & 2 were great so am looking forward to it.  Sounds like it more than meets expectations.

  Brilliant.

[fatneck]

Watched the first two episodes of Frayed last night and proper lolled. Wrong on many many levels but hilarious and occasionally heart warming in the process...

[r-man]

Having just spent a week bouldering in the Slovakian Tatra mountains, I stumbled on this documentary about the Tatra porters. It’s a great little film, with an insight into an incredible job and lives lived connected to the mountains.

All the mountain huts in the Tatras are kept supplied by porters (in the alps they now use helicopters). The porters regularly carry 90kg and more up steep terrain. The scenery is stunning, the physical toils are mind-boggling, and the white-haired veterans have a lifetime’s worth of thoughts on freedom, joy and mountains. Well worth a watch.

Seems to have won a bunch of awards, deservedly so.

It’s free on Amazon Prime, but it’s also available on Vimeo for the tiny amount of £3.50...

Freedom Under Load

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/freedomunderload

[chris20]

This is top shelf material for lovers of reggae - about studio 17 and Randy's record store https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00095ky/studio-17-the-lost-reggae-tapes

[TobyD]

giri/ haji
Really enjoying this so far, although only 2 episodes in. Quite stylish for a cop thriller, with an amusing Guy Richie parody gangster character as a err bonus.

[moose]

Good to get corroborating likes for Girl/Hajii.  I've got them all sitting unwatched on my Tivo and had been toying with deleting them; I will now definitely save and give it a try. 

I had been wavering as I find myself a lot less patient / more selective with series these days .  I used to regularly find myself 5 episodes into new series and realising that for weeks I had not the faintest idea what was going on, and more to the point, did not care, before giving up.  Usually triggered by suddenly finding I had completely confused two characters' stories for the last few episodes! 

My fault usually - I have a bad habit of web browsing and reading whilst watching these things.  Recently I have been discipling myself to pull the plug after an episode or two if I realise I just do not care what happens next.  It risks missing out on slow burners but the reality is that there is no shortage of adequately entertaining TV.

I have a feeling I will have a similar "epithany" with the new BBC Name of the Rose: too many similarly creepy monks for non-confusing casual viewing. 

Only programme that I really enjoy at the moment is the ever reliable Spiral; season 7 and as good as ever. 

By the way, a decent resource for those watching thriller  / crime series and finding themselves regularly asking "what happened" is this page.  It has episode recaps of a lot of series - a bit like the Guardian episode-by-episode blogs but with a wider coverage.  I have a bad habit of reading them before watching...

https://thekillingtimestv.wordpress.com/.

[Falling Down]

Ditto for Spiral.  It’s so good. 

[crzylgs]

Anyone watching The Mandolorian?

[tommytwotone]

Shout out for Guilt, which has just finished so all 4 episodes are on iPlayer.

Very well written and acted black comedy, I think out of the BBC Scotland stable originally.

[Yossarian]

I quite enjoyed that - mainly because Mark Bonnar is so brilliant.

I persevered with Gold Digger right till the end - a course of action which, in retrospect, I would advise against. There were quite a few nice drone shots of Dyer’s Lookout here and there, so if you’re looking for some culm E9 beta, it might be worth enduring.

[IanP]

Series 3 of Top Boy on Netflix. As you may or may not know, Drake brought this to Netflix after Channel 4 cancelled it. So amazing. It makes Bodyguard look like Button Moon. Even more impressive cast, inc Little Simz, Dave (of Glastonbury Thiago Silva fame), etc. I tried to ration it to an episode per day, but failed hopelessly. Epic soundtrack as well...

Haven't got round to this yet, thought series 1 & 2 were great so am looking forward to it.  Sounds like it more than meets expectations.

  Brilliant.

Life got in the way but finally got round to watching this, didn't disappoint.  Really, really good and and with a satisfying finale as well (something quite of lot of TV seems to struggle with),   Seemed to go a bit under the radar after the initial hype but one of the best shows I've watched this year.

[tomtom]

Series 3 of Top Boy on Netflix. As you may or may not know, Drake brought this to Netflix after Channel 4 cancelled it. So amazing. It makes Bodyguard look like Button Moon. Even more impressive cast, inc Little Simz, Dave (of Glastonbury Thiago Silva fame), etc. I tried to ration it to an episode per day, but failed hopelessly. Epic soundtrack as well...

Haven't got round to this yet, thought series 1 & 2 were great so am looking forward to it.  Sounds like it more than meets expectations.

  Brilliant.

Life got in the way but finally got round to watching this, didn't disappoint.  Really, really good and and with a satisfying finale as well (something quite of lot of TV seems to struggle with),   Seemed to go a bit under the radar after the initial hype but one of the best shows I've watched this year.

Its brilliant but (for me) gruelling viewing... In the opposite to binging, I only feel up to being able to watch it every week or so (which is an indicator of its gritty brilliance)

[IanP]

Its brilliant but (for me) gruelling viewing... In the opposite to binging, I only feel up to being able to watch it every week or so (which is an indicator of its gritty brilliance)

Agreed its the gruelling at times (and I didn't binge watch it either) - if you haven't finished, it definitely repays the effort put in.