GOOD TV

[Stanley]

I had an old fashioned evening watching Funeral in Berlin. Love Michael Caine's work and loved the city in 1966 ten years after I was there.....

[Stanley]

I went old fashioned again and watched 'The Third Man'. There's something very relaxing for my eyes watching a black and white film shot without the benefit of zoom lenses.....

[Tripps]

There's footy on BBC 1. Gary Lineker isn't presenting though - some nice looking lady ("I've been called off the bench") is doing the job - quite well in fact. I read somewhere that Gary has a sore throat. I expect he got his mum to write a note.

[Tripps]

I just watched the second part of a rather second rate drama on Channel Five called Twenty Four Hours in Police Custody. Said to based in Luton.

Totally unrealistic - all the criminals were black or Asian. All the Police, and ancilliary station staff involved were white. They seemed to get on OK, and there was no conflict at all between them. None seemed to be disabled in any way, or gay, or alcoholic, or having an affair with another team member, or using a food bank. There was no estimate of the time of death - no need as most of the events were captured on video camera - and no crosswords, anagrams, or codes were involved in the solution of the crime.

I've watched plenty of dramas in my time - and this scenario is of course, quite impossible. The only point in its favour, and what redeemed it a bit for me was that a woman officer, who looked like the second coming of Miss Marple, was in charge of the whole enquiry, and did a fine job. I'd like to have seen her doing some knitting though.



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[Stanley]

My TV was improved by the fact that my Powerline adapters arrived. As I suspected, my problems seem to have been because of deteriorating performance of the old ones, they had ceased to be reliable. Early days to declare a complete cure but I suspect we are now getting a better service.

[Tripps]

Good show about Jeffrey Archer. On now on Channel 5. A bit late in the evening.perhaps?

Trouble is that despite Michael Crick appearing, it only seems to be covering the Monica Coughlan (a Rochdale lady, now deceased) business. I've got Crick's bookwhich is immensely detailed, and and there's a lot preceding that. Crick said there was more, but it would have to wait a while- which I think meant after Archer's death.

[Stanley]

"A bit late in the evening.perhaps?"
That's the problem for me, I am always in bed at 20:00. Years of going to bed and getting up early have had their effect. For me it's normal now.....
The improved Powerline adaptors are good because I can now rely on catch up and on demand on the BBC but some of the other similar services don't work with Linux......

[PanBiker]

Do you not watch catch up on your smart TV or the satellite box? Another option for CH 4 and ITV is via your smartphone and cast it to the TV. We use that method as our TV is not "fully smart" and our Freesat box doesn't have all the on demand channels. Works very well though.

[Wendyf]

3 new episodes of Time Team over this weekend premiere tonight at 7pm on the Time Team Official You Tube channel. Exciting!

[Big Kev]

Another option for CH 4 and ITV is via your smartphone and cast it to the TV. We use that method as our TV is not "fully smart" and our Freesat box doesn't have all the on demand channels. Works very well though.

My old Humax box 'lost' ITV on demand when they upgraded to ITVX and it's not had 4on demand since they spat the dummy out. They're on board now with CH4HD as CH4 are part of the Freesat ownership. It's highly unlikely the Humax boxes will be updated as they're no longer Freesat's supplier, the new boxes are Freesat branded but haven't been getting good reviews.
I've been using a Firestick to access ITVX and CH4 on demand, it's a slight inconvenience to have to use 2 devices but it does the job.

[Big Kev]

Daryl Hall and John Oates, in Dublin from 2014, on Sky Arts. They're very good.

[Tripps]

I bumped into The Detectorists again tonight. Since I started watching it I've found this Scots guy. The Scottish Detectorist

He's easy watching - and it's well produced. Long videos but strangely not boring.

[Stanley]

I forgot to mention that I watched both boat races on Sunday and thought of you David when Cambridge won both women's and mens. Funny how an elitist Southern sport grabs me each year. Probably a Rite of Spring......

[PanBiker]

Blue Light's, watched the first one then had to watch the whole lot as it's available on demand.

Belfast, probationary cops, local drug gangs and bit of trouble from the south.

[Tripps]

If you've missed the first two episodes of Great Expectations on Sunday nights - count yourselves lucky.

Dire doesn't even come close.

[Stanley]

I watched them both David. I read the critique in PE this week and it did not exaggerate. I don't know what Mr Dickens would say about the way his work has been polluted. Needless to say the introduction of new plot lines is no improvement.
It occurred to me later that the same man adapted this work as wrote Peaky Blinders and I never liked that. Perhaps there is something about his view on life that doesn't square with mine....

[MickBrett]

If you've missed the first two episodes of Great Expectations on Sunday nights - count yourselves lucky.

Dire doesn't even come close.

I totally agree.
Maybe it was an adaptation of another Great Expectations which I haven't read...

[PanBiker]

Back in the 1960's I remember helping the BBC prop blokes with their production down at Gill Church where they were filming the graveyard scene that opens the tale. I carried a mock polystyrene tombstone down to the lower churchyard for them. It wasn't as overgrown as it is now.

[Stanley]

For the last three nights I have watched 'War Factories' and World at War on the Yesterday channel....
Both held my interest.

[Big Kev]

Back in the 1960's I remember helping the BBC prop blokes with their production down at Gill Church where they were filming the graveyard scene that opens the tale. I carried a mock polystyrene tombstone down to the lower churchyard for them. It wasn't as overgrown as it is now.

That would have been 1967 Ian, the series (copied from the original 16mm film stock) was copied to DVD. There are copies of this for sale on Ebay

[Wendyf]

I remember that series well, as a 17 year old I was particularly struck by Richard O'Sullivan playing Herbert Pocket! Was it just the graveyard scene that was filmed in this area? I haven't watched the current series.

[Stanley]

I haven't watched the current series.
Don't bother Wendy, it is dire......

[Gloria]

Vanished is on tonight ch5 9pm. We watched the first one last week and it was excellent. Very well presented by Dan Walker, I can’t speak highly enough about it. If you didn’t see last weeks I should think it will be worth a catch up before tonight’s episode.

[Stanley]

You've intrigued me Gloria.....
But then I had a look and I can't access any of the channels it says it is on.....

[Gloria]

You've intrigued me Gloria.....
But then I had a look and I can't access any of the channels it says it is on.....

Ch5 9pm last night. I think there was a drama of the same name, this is a documentary. The first one I thought more interesting than the second, but good never the less. And I believe they’ve found one, which is one more than if the programme hadn’t run.