Box sets that I've dug out from the back of the cupboard
Discussion
We’ve dug out some old box sets and series we’ve been meaning to watch, often for a second tim, but not got around to.
I’ve just gone through all the Aliens that have Ripley in them, and then, for a complete change, went with State of Play, that’s the series, not the truncated (thankfully, as we didn’t have to listen to Crowe’s imitation Irish accent for more 90 mins. It seemed longer) film, but the well-reviewed series, with John Simm, the always superb Kelly Macdonald, Bill Nighy, James McAvoy and so many others. If you’ve missed the series, you’ve got a treat coming. It was still worthwhile watching it a third time.
Then onto another Simm vehicle, this time enlivened with Olivia Coleman, Exile, which was too short. For some reason this led me to hunt out a Broadchurch boxset – all(?) three series. I’d not seen any of them and my wife banned me from watching the second series until I’d seen the first. So it went on.
So three great, entertaining series watched and the thought was that Broadchurch, despite my wife’s recommendation, would be the dud.
First the bad bit; it was six episodes crammed into eight. I know they’ve got to make money, and stretching it out is the sensible thing to do, but you soon get fed up with people staring out to sea. The pace was just right except for the moody, atmospheric bits. That’s it for criticisms.
The story was great, the script spot on, the photography up there with the best, and the twists kept one guessing. I wasn’t sure I’d guessed right, right up until the start of the eighth episode (should have been sixth).
I’ve left the best until last; the acting. You’d expect it to be praised with Tennant, Whittaker and the superb Coleman, and the series allowed you to be overwhelmed with their dominance of their craft. The rest will probably look back and think, ‘this was my finest hour’. A special mention of Pauline Quirke. She’s played a few really evil women over the years, and I can’t be the only one who wonders, you know . . . She held the screen, and we were spellbound. The top four were brilliant.
The second series is still in its box. I’m a bit scared it might not be as good as the first, but most of the same actors are there so one assumes that it will also be a triumph.
If you, like me before Sunday just gone, haven’t seen it, then dive straight in. It’s emotional, raw, upsetting, and the humour comes in dribs and drabs, and is easily missed. It’s up there with the best I’ve seen.
I’ve just gone through all the Aliens that have Ripley in them, and then, for a complete change, went with State of Play, that’s the series, not the truncated (thankfully, as we didn’t have to listen to Crowe’s imitation Irish accent for more 90 mins. It seemed longer) film, but the well-reviewed series, with John Simm, the always superb Kelly Macdonald, Bill Nighy, James McAvoy and so many others. If you’ve missed the series, you’ve got a treat coming. It was still worthwhile watching it a third time.
Then onto another Simm vehicle, this time enlivened with Olivia Coleman, Exile, which was too short. For some reason this led me to hunt out a Broadchurch boxset – all(?) three series. I’d not seen any of them and my wife banned me from watching the second series until I’d seen the first. So it went on.
So three great, entertaining series watched and the thought was that Broadchurch, despite my wife’s recommendation, would be the dud.
First the bad bit; it was six episodes crammed into eight. I know they’ve got to make money, and stretching it out is the sensible thing to do, but you soon get fed up with people staring out to sea. The pace was just right except for the moody, atmospheric bits. That’s it for criticisms.
The story was great, the script spot on, the photography up there with the best, and the twists kept one guessing. I wasn’t sure I’d guessed right, right up until the start of the eighth episode (should have been sixth).
I’ve left the best until last; the acting. You’d expect it to be praised with Tennant, Whittaker and the superb Coleman, and the series allowed you to be overwhelmed with their dominance of their craft. The rest will probably look back and think, ‘this was my finest hour’. A special mention of Pauline Quirke. She’s played a few really evil women over the years, and I can’t be the only one who wonders, you know . . . She held the screen, and we were spellbound. The top four were brilliant.
The second series is still in its box. I’m a bit scared it might not be as good as the first, but most of the same actors are there so one assumes that it will also be a triumph.
If you, like me before Sunday just gone, haven’t seen it, then dive straight in. It’s emotional, raw, upsetting, and the humour comes in dribs and drabs, and is easily missed. It’s up there with the best I’ve seen.
Old box sets? Not what I thought you were going to talk about, to be honest. I've recently bought car-boot sale bargain DVDs of the first series of two shows - "The Brothers", and the US version of "House of Cards". I'd only really have thought of the first as properly old as it's from the early 70s. But I'm not trying to turn this into a "cardboard box, you were lucky" thread.
Haven't watched either yet, by the way. I have vague memories of The Brothers being Sunday night BBC1 telly which I was a kid, but no more than that. Still, at 20p I'm sure I'll get over the waste of money if it turns out to be rubbish.
As for those in the OP, I have a vague memory of watching the first Alien film when it was a Christmas TV film - back when we used to wait to see what the Christmas schedules would bring, and what new film never-before-on-TV would be there. I haven't seen any of the others, I don't think, nor any of the other series the OP mentions.
Haven't watched either yet, by the way. I have vague memories of The Brothers being Sunday night BBC1 telly which I was a kid, but no more than that. Still, at 20p I'm sure I'll get over the waste of money if it turns out to be rubbish.
As for those in the OP, I have a vague memory of watching the first Alien film when it was a Christmas TV film - back when we used to wait to see what the Christmas schedules would bring, and what new film never-before-on-TV would be there. I haven't seen any of the others, I don't think, nor any of the other series the OP mentions.
Me and the missus missed/didn't watch the first 2 Broadchurch's when they first aired (did watch the third one though)
Saw the first one at start of lockdown when ITV re-ran it. Thought it a bit slow paced, but excellent all the same.
Found the the third just as good as the first, so Derek you should enjoy it when you get there.
Saw the first one at start of lockdown when ITV re-ran it. Thought it a bit slow paced, but excellent all the same.
Found the the third just as good as the first, so Derek you should enjoy it when you get there.
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