What Are You Watching

[cc_in_oh]

Originally Posted by timebug

The 'Detectorists' Christmas special was shown on BBC 1 on Boxing Day in the evening. It is now on BBC iPlayer.

Cool - maybe it will show up on BBCA or Britbox some day...

[DiapDealer]

Enjoying Alfred Molina's Inspector Armand Gamache in Three Pines on Prime.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Enjoying Alfred Molina's Inspector Armand Gamache in Three Pines on Prime.

Ah! Yes, we've watched that through what appears to be the season (?) finale. He's always a pleasure to watch chew through the scenery.

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Ah! Yes, we've watched that through what appears to be the season (?) finale. He's always a pleasure to watch chew through the scenery.

The format appeals to me, as well: four distinct two-episode mysteries with an overarching secondary mystery (which I understand is not part of the books). Plus I like when writers of otherwise serious situations remember to include just a bit of humor from time to time.

[cc_in_oh]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The format appeals to me, as well: four distinct two-episode mysteries with an overarching secondary mystery (which I understand is not part of the books). Plus I like when writers of otherwise serious situations remember to include just a bit of humor from time to time.

Looking forward to checking this out - it's bound to be a big step up from the underwhelming Still Life...

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The format appeals to me, as well: four distinct two-episode mysteries with an overarching secondary mystery (which I understand is not part of the books). Plus I like when writers of otherwise serious situations remember to include just a bit of humor from time to time.

Hi:

Yes, I prefer that too--some standalones with which you may have a sense of satisfaction and then the overarching other storyline(s), which in this case may or may not get resolved.

Hitch

[cc_in_oh]

We started watching Father Brown last month. This evening we reached the end, S09E10, in which Lady Felicia hosts a party celebrating New Years Eve 1953. Happy New Year!

[Rumpelteazer]

Movie night tonight.

First I watched The Night House, which was an okay horror. Then I watched Lost Child (on YouTube). Which is billed as a horror, mystery, drama and thriller. It wasn't scary or creepy enough to be a horror, but I did enjoy it. The cinematography was really good, although in the final scenes it was obviously filmed during the day, with an added filter to make it look (not quiet) like nighttime.

I'm saving the Gamache series for my vacation and at the end of the month a series based on the Lockwood & Co books will be released. I'm hoping the wifi at the vacation park will be good enough to stream both (and more). The last time I was there it was slooooooow, so I might download a couple of things on my tablet, just in case.

[timebug]

Still watching 'Tulsa KIng' with Sly Stallone. Nothing really new or original about it just a good gripping gangster story!

[Rumpelteazer]

I watched the first episode of the new Will Trent series, which is based on the Karin Slaughter books. I think I like it. Though Trent is different from the books; more assertive and less socially awkward. Sonja Sohn is perfectly cast as Amanda.

I also watched National Treasure: Edge of History. Like the movies it's a bit silly, but entertaining. Some of the cast of the films make short appearances and Catherine Zeta Jones is deliciously evil.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by cc_in_oh

We started watching Father Brown last month. This evening we reached the end, S09E10, in which Lady Felicia hosts a party celebrating New Years Eve 1953. Happy New Year!

I got bogged down in Season Five. The last time I’d watched an episode was in November so I thought I’d give it a try last night and got about halfway through the episode and stopped.

Jack Deam is dreadful and losing both Sid and Felicia put a fork in it. Without them, Mrs. McCarthy has no one to play off and Bunty is irritating when she’s not just dull, dull, dull. I also think the plots aren’t as good, but wasn’t as important when the cast could have fun with the material.

[DiapDealer]

There's one episode post-season 5 that I think is my favorite Father Browns of all time. But I'd be lying if I said episodes like it weren't few and far between in those later seasons.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by issybird

I got bogged down in Season Five. The last time I’d watched an episode was in November so I thought I’d give it a try last night and got about halfway through the episode and stopped.

Jack Deam is dreadful and losing both Sid and Felicia put a fork in it. Without them, Mrs. McCarthy has no one to play off and Bunty is irritating when she’s not just dull, dull, dull. I also think the plots aren’t as good, but wasn’t as important when the cast could have fun with the material.

Yes, I found Bunty super-irritating too and honestly, I don't feel she gets any better with age. I can't be the only one, though, as she's become increasingly invisible later on in the series--right around the time that they started bringing Sid and Lady Montague back. (So, just in case anybody in the audience missed it, they wanted to make sure that you knew that they'd heard you! LOL.)

I agree that the loss makes Mrs. McCarthy seem like more of a harridan and a less-relatable character.

I tried watching that sister series--the investigative nun? Oh, right, Sister Boniface? I don't know what it was but I really had trouble warming up to that and I think I gave up in...episode 3 or 4?

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

There's one episode post-season 5 that I think is my favorites of all seasons. But I'd be lying if I said episodes like it weren't few and far between in those later seasons.

Yes. It's just...blander. A blander, less fun version of FB. I'm not sure what happened, but it's very similar to what occurred when the original producer (Brian True-May) of Midsomer Murders' fame left that show--it just fell off noticeably. The change in main actors wasn't the biggie, really. (And somebody needs to get their heads out of their tuchuses about the DS. WHY do they keep filling that job with people whom we wouldn't watch normally?)

Hitch

[cc_in_oh]

Originally Posted by issybird

I got bogged down in Season Five. The last time I’d watched an episode was in November so I thought I’d give it a try last night and got about halfway through the episode and stopped.

Jack Deam is dreadful and losing both Sid and Felicia put a fork in it. Without them, Mrs. McCarthy has no one to play off and Bunty is irritating when she’s not just dull, dull, dull. I also think the plots aren’t as good, but wasn’t as important when the cast could have fun with the material.

Lady F and Mrs. M were a good pair. Nancy Carroll also has surprisingly good chemistry with Roger Allam in Murder in Provence despite the age difference. Unfortunately I don't think English-language shows rate very well in France so a 2nd season is doubtful.

S3 of The Bay is not bad.

S2 of Grace is good - I should probably give the Peter James books a try.

We also liked S2 of Traces - soapy but good characters - lots of familiar faces - and interesting emphasis on forensic analysis.

[DiapDealer]

Sorry, back to Father Brown for a sec:
For those who have no aversion to cherry-picking, I'm fairly certain the episode I'm thinking of is season 8 episode 10: "The Tower of Lost Souls". I don't really remember if the mystery was all that memorable, but the ending was (as were the guests).