Binge worthy TV

[User.45]

Started watching Home on Apple TV. I'm shocked how captivating it is (I put it in for something non-toxic in the background while I'm digging in The Cancer Genome Atlas).

The Chicago episode really warmed my heart.

Watch Home - Apple TV+

Discover the groundbreaking ideas and inspiring stories behind the world’s most imaginative dwellings. In this globe-spanning docuseries, meet the vis…

tv.apple.com

 

[Alli]

How about the new series The Watch? Really clever sci-fi.

 

[Huntn]

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Roman Empire (2016-2019) Netflix- Two episodes in and this is an excellent series, part enactments and part documentary, with ample nudity , with historians commenting on events periodically. I’ll assume this is an accurate history shown.

The series starts with Marcus Aurelius (121- 180AD) and his son Commodus. If you watched Gladiator (2000) so far no Spaniard, and no snuffing the old man with a pillow. On the Germanic frontier, the old man died of Antonine Plague that knocked the Roman Empire back on it’s heals. After Aurelius dies, Commodus says to hell with this decade+ long war, signs a treaty with the Germanic Tribes and heads for Rome as Emperor.

And for those who watched Rome (HBO) this is approx 200 years after Julius Caesar.

Note: Finished Season 1 of Upload (2020), not great but good enough to continue when Season 2 pops up.

 

[Arkitect]

View attachment 2833
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Roman Empire (2016-2019) Netflix- Two episodes in and this is an excellent series, part enactments and part documentary, with ample nudity , with historians commenting on events periodically. I’ll assume this is an accurate history shown.

The series starts with Marcus Aurelius (121- 180AD) and his son Commodus. If you watched Gladiator (2000) so far no Spaniard, and no snuffing the old man with a pillow. On the Germanic frontier, the old man died of Antonine Plague that knocked the Roman Empire back on it’s heals. After Aurelius dies, Commodus says to hell with this decade+ long war, signs a treaty with the Germanic Tribes and heads for Rome as Emperor.

And for those who watched Rome (HBO) this is approx 200 years after Julius Caesar.

Note: Finished Season 1 of Upload (2020), not great but good enough to continue when Season 2 pops up.

Hmmmm.

Hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but… I have to confess I found this series excruciatingly bad.

I laughed like a drain during Episode 1. Caesar "Action Hero". Jesus wept.
This vain, slightly effeminate man with a balding patch, reborn as an all-muscle hunka-hunka dola!
Fighting off 2, 3 4 "barbarians" with breathless voice-over and slowly rising ersatz "epic movie" music score?

*barf*

Wrong military equipment and a Rome that is architecturally wrong in all respects.

It is a terrible example of dumbing down history and "ample nudity" is hardly a good yardstick.

On the other hand, that applies to pretty much everything "factual" on TV nowadays. Lots of sensationalism and zero substance.



You'd do better with this:

 

[Joe]

Don't judge me.....but I watched "Love Life" on HBOMax with Anna Kendrick.

I was looking for a new show to watch and I saw that on HBOMax and said what the hell. It was surprisingly good. Season 1 is 10 episodes and its been approved for a 2nd season.

It pretty much follows Darby Carter's (Anna Kendricks) struggles with dating, romance, friendships, and her relationship with her mother. I liked it lol

 

[Alli]

Don't judge me.....but I watched "Love Life" on HBOMax with Anna Kendrick.

I was looking for a new show to watch and I saw that on HBOMax and said what the hell. It was surprisingly good. Season 1 is 10 episodes and its been approved for a 2nd season.

It pretty much follows Darby Carter's (Anna Kendricks) struggles with dating, romance, friendships, and her relationship with her mother. I liked it lol

Ugh.

I’m going to start Wandavision.

 

[User.45]

Don't judge me.....but I watched "Love Life" on HBOMax with Anna Kendrick.

I was looking for a new show to watch and I saw that on HBOMax and said what the hell. It was surprisingly good. Season 1 is 10 episodes and its been approved for a 2nd season.

It pretty much follows Darby Carter's (Anna Kendricks) struggles with dating, romance, friendships, and her relationship with her mother. I liked it lol

It was good indeed, which shocked me too. They've created good characters that I've recognized plenty of friends from my late 20s. They've also adequately targeted a neglected audience: new parents.

 

[Eric]

Forgive me if I haven't read through every post of this thread but has anyone taken a look at Discovery Plus? For $6.99 a month you a TON of content ad free from all of their networks, History, Science, Discover, TLC, Food Network, Cooking Channel, etc all streaming every single season and episodes (seemingly) of their shows. Best money I'm spending on streaming content to date IMO.

 

[Huntn]

Hmmmm.

Hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but… I have to confess I found this series excruciatingly bad.

I laughed like a drain during Episode 1. Caesar "Action Hero". Jesus wept.
This vain, slightly effeminate man with a balding patch, reborn as an all-muscle hunka-hunka dola!
Fighting off 2, 3 4 "barbarians" with breathless voice-over and slowly rising ersatz "epic movie" music score?

*barf*

Wrong military equipment and a Rome that is architecturally wrong in all respects.

It is a terrible example of dumbing down history and "ample nudity" is hardly a good yardstick.

On the other hand, that applies to pretty much everything "factual" on TV nowadays. Lots of sensationalism and zero substance.



You'd do better with this:
View attachment 2853

We we talking about the same series? Caesar was not in this, yes?

 

[Huntn]

WandaVision anyone? I believe the first episode of this new Marvel series has dropped on Disney +. Deciding to watch it week to week or let 2 drop and watch 2 at a time

​

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9140560/

 

[Eric]

WandaVision anyone? I believe the first episode of this new Marvel series has dropped on Disney +. Deciding to watch it week to week or let 2 drop and watch 2 at a time

View attachment 2866​

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9140560/

Sounds like you may not have watched yet so I'll leave this in a spoiler tag. That said, it's not for me.

Spoiler

TBH it left us more confused and bored than anything, the long cheesy 50s scenes and laugh tracks are way too much. I see they're trying to go somewhere with it but they're taking so long to get there that I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

[Arkitect]

We we talking about the same series? Caesar was not in this, yes?

Yup.
"Roman Empire" on Netflix. They do this in an arse backwards way:

Series 1 with the "Gladiator" story.

Series 2 has Immortal Beloved: Caesar, "Super Hero" and the "Queen of Denial" .

Series 3 deals with the mad ones — Caligula and Incitatus: The Real Story.

Series 4 wows us with Hadrian and the Pyramid building Aliens.

Series 5 (release 2021) The Sad tale of the conjoined twin emperors Caracalla-Geta.

Best probably to start with Series 2 then 3 then 1.


Only in the world of "Infotain(t)ment" does history get told like this.

It truly is awful dross.

I mean, this is not a reflection on your taste, as such; if you enjoy it as entertainment then fine. I enjoyed Ridley Scott's Gladiator. But I was also 20 years younger.

I'm just pissed off at the low standards on TV nowadays.

 

[Huntn]

Yup.
"Roman Empire" on Netflix. They do this in an arse backwards way:

Series 1 with the "Gladiator" story.

Series 2 has Immortal Beloved: Caesar, "Super Hero" and the "Queen of Denial" .

Series 3 deals with the mad ones — Caligula and Incitatus: The Real Story.

Series 4 wows us with Hadrian and the Pyramid building Aliens.

Series 5 (release 2021) The Sad tale of the conjoined twin emperors Caracalla-Geta.

Best probably to start with Series 2 then 3 then 1.


Only in the world of "Infotain(t)ment" does history get told like this.

It truly is awful dross.

I mean, this is not a reflection on your taste, as such; if you enjoy it as entertainment then fine. I enjoyed Ridley Scott's Gladiator. But I was also 20 years younger.

I'm just pissed off at the low standards on TV nowadays.

Edit:
Look it is a crazy mixed up world we live in.
Many people are unable to distinguish between fact and fiction.
I have seen people asking questions about the historical accuracy of Game of Thrones…

What is Series 1, Season1? I’m only seeing 3 seasons posted. This series is not based on accurate history?

My appraisal of “excellent” is based on a documentary style presentation of facts and my assumption that the story as shown is based on historical accuracy, with an understanding that with most historical representations, the dialog is fictional to support the facts as they are known. The acting is merely good enough for a “documentary”, and for those who have not seen it, it’s a mix of documentary style narration, commentary by historians, and acted out scenes.

Bottom line, does the story represent accurate history? I had no reason to think this was all made up BS and if that is the case then I’m pissed, 4 episodes into season 1.

• Did Commodus take over for his father and end the war with the Germanic tribes?
• Did the Senate screw with him by announcing a gift to the army in their name?
• Did he counter by having games (just like Gladiator, the movie) and tax the senate to pay for it?
• Did his sister with at least one Senator try to assassinate Commodus?
• Did this attempt fail, and Commodus in return have his sister sent into exile and then quietly had her killed?
• I’ve not gotten to this part, but did Commodus fight in the Colosseum?

Now a brief search online about the accuracy of this show, did not provide a clear answer regarding accuracy,

 

[Arkitect]

What is Series 1, Season1? I’m only seeing 3 seasons posted. This series is not based on accurate history?

My appraisal of “excellent” is based on a documentary style presentation of facts and my assumption that the story as shown is based on historical accuracy, with an understanding that with most historical representations, the dialog is fictional to support the facts as they are known. The acting is merely good enough for a “documentary”, and for those who have not seen it, it’s a mix of documentary style narration and acted out scenes.

Bottom line, does the story represent accurate history? I had no reason to think this was all made up BS and if that is the case then I’m pissed, 4 episodes into season 1.

• Did Commodus take over for his father and end the war with the Germanic tribes?
• Did the Senate screw with him by announcing a gift to the army in their name?
• Did he counter by having games (just like Gladiator, the movie) and tax the senate to pay for it?
• Did his sister with at least one Senator try to assassinate Commodus?
• Did this attempt fail, and Commodus in return have his sister sent into exile and then quietly had her killed?
• I’ve not gotten to this part, but did Commodus fight in the Colosseum?

Now a brief search online about the accuracy of this show, did not provide a clear answer regarding accuracy,

I meant, Season 1, Season 2, Season etc.

Oh it is "accurate".

In other words, the producers take historical facts and sensationalise interpret it to make TV.
Then add actors who look nothing like the real people, swashbuckling or pouting their way through ludicrous dramatisations.
To give it "gravitas" they then add D-list talking heads from "academia".

It is an old formula and led to the state of The History Channel aka "Aliens built the Pyramids".

Anyway, as Marie Kondo says: "Does it give you joy?" If so, then "Enjoy!"

I'm just an old curmudgeon who thinks an audience deserve better.

 

[DT]

Sounds like you may not have watched yet so I'll leave this in a spoiler tag. That said, it's not for me.

I'm planning on watching the first two EPs in the next day or so, I understand it's extremely "non-traditional" in the context of the MCU (though - and maybe, very much so - in the Dr. Strange wheelhouse [hint hint]).

We loved Legion (psychic combat visually represented as a dance fight? Hahaha, yes please ...), like a lot of surreal/fringe cinema, etc.

One of my fave Podcasts (we need a thread!), this week has as one topic: "Who is WandaVision for?" (also of note on this EP, discussion about Ethan Hawke playing "the villain" in the new Moon Knight series

 

[Huntn]

Sounds like you may not have watched yet so I'll leave this in a spoiler tag. That said, it's not for me.

Spoiler

TBH it left us more confused and bored than anything, the long cheesy 50s scenes and laugh tracks are way too much. I see they're trying to go somewhere with it but they're taking so long to get there that I'm not sure it's worth it.

I read your spoiler without fear and said, why?

 

[Huntn]

I'm planning on watching the first two EPs in the next day or so, I understand it's extremely "non-traditional" in the context of the MCU (though - and maybe, very much so - in the Dr. Strange wheelhouse [hint hint]).

We loved Legion (psychic combat visually represented as a dance fight? Hahaha, yes please ...), like a lot of surreal/fringe cinema, etc.

One of my fave Podcasts (we need a thread!), this week has as one topic: "Who is WandaVision for?" (also of note on this EP, discussion about Ethan Hawke playing "the villain" in the new Moon Knight series

I loved Legion so much in Season 1 describing it as some of the best TV I had ever watched, before it unraveled into such a mess.

 

[DT]

I read your spoiler without fear and said, why?

Spoiler: Boo ... !

It's totally by design, i.e., it's not like a shitty network sitcom laugh track, it's supposed to be over the top in a disturbing way, suggesting something (someone) dark and nefarious.

 

[Huntn]

I meant, Season 1, Season 2, Season etc.

Oh it is "accurate".

In other words, the producers take historical facts and sensationalise interpret it to make TV.
Then add actors who look nothing like the real people, swashbuckling or pouting their way through ludicrous dramatisations.
To give it "gravitas" they then add D-list talking heads from "academia".

It is an old formula and led to the state of The History Channel aka "Aliens built the Pyramids".

Anyway, as Marie Kondo says: "Does it give you joy?" If so, then "Enjoy!"

I'm just an old curmudgeon who thinks an audience deserve better.

Thanks for your perspective.

I am not abhorred by the acting, have no clue what the real people looked like, nor expectations in that regard. Commodus, Marcus, his sister, Lucillia, appear as reasonable portrayals, and as we know this has been an issue with Hollywood for as long as I can remember, best lampooned at the end of Chicken Little, although I don’t know who made this (US, European).

The production values and acting come no where close to Rome or Gladiator, however as a documentary my focus shifts to is it factual? I don’t find the acting to be terrible, yet good enough that with my lowered expectations in that area, I like that I am seeing something based on facts, if it truly is. As a history lesson I like it. If it’s it’s all fictional then I would abandon it in a heart beat.

Chicken Little the True Story!
If you watched the entire movie this is hilarious.
You do see the actual characters in the
audience whom the film is based on.​

 

[Huntn]

Spoiler: Boo ... !

It's totally by design, i.e., it's not like a shitty network sitcom laugh track, it's supposed to be over the top in a disturbing way, suggesting something (someone) dark and nefarious.

This angle is intriguing if someone is behind the screen pulling the levers.