GOOD TV

[Tripps]

It's all a bit of a puzzle isn't it. bear in mind that this word, used against a Police Officer may well get you arrested.
I was at my granddaughter's christening last year, and all the 'other side', who are professional people and regular church attenders were in agreement that Mrs Brown's Boys was hilarious. It wasn't an occasion to fall out with anyone - so I kept quiet.
On the same theme I read that there have been protests against the choice of a play called 'Mogadishu' which is currently a set work for GCSE, and uses the word (I think it said) 37 times.
This link seems to indicate that the BBC seem to have double standards Link

Perhaps I'm out of date. I was in the Army a long time, and had no problems with swearing, but not in the mess, with ladies present. No one did that. I'm also old enough to remember when Bernard Manning didn't use this language, and was still as funny, if not more so.

[Moh]

Shame they only made 4 programmes of Guy Martin breaking records - he is totally mad but enjoyable to watch.

[Stanley]

He's a bot too driven for my taste Moh. Didn't like the industrial archaeology programmes either but that was probably because I know too much about it.
It doesn't matter how funny a programme is, bad language and crude humour always makes me cringe when used in public. I've no objection if it's private but in public it signals that you don't care if you upset anyone.

[Stanley]

I watched Storyville on BBC4 blowing the lid off Gadafi and Libya. Interesting programme and some terrible images including one of our leader at the time. Tony Blair, embracing the dictator....

[Stanley]

Max Hasting's programme 'Necessary War' on BBC2 last night was good. It was accurate and he consulted with some good men and women including Hew Strachan who's first volume on WW1 I have just finished. Well worth seeking out if you missed it.

[Moh]

Nice to have Ice Road truckers back.

[Stanley]

I had a choice a couple of nights ago, Jonathan Creek or Niall Ferguson on WW1. I had a look at Ferguson and confirmed my opinion that his version of history is biased by his personal views and relies on assertion and presentation, I have no time for him. So I went back to JC but I was a bit disappointed with that as well. Ah well, you can't win 'em all!

[Julie in Norfolk]

I too was tempted by Jonathan Creek but opted instead for the irreverent 8 out of 10 cats do countdown. It wouldn't appeal to everyone but it satisfied my end of week requirements for nonsense. James Corden said "We haven't even started the game and I'm already out of my depth!"

[Stanley]

You didn't miss much Jules....

[Stanley]

BBC2 are doing a three part series on the 37 days leading up to WW1. It's a dramatisation but from what I saw last night it is well researched, accurate and seems to be covering all the bases. Well worth catching.....

[PanBiker]

We watched the first part and thought it well presented as well. Recording it tonight as we are up at the Rainhall Centre to see "Leave Hitler to me Lad", by the Duckegg Theatre Company - the untold story of a generation of war children.

[PanBiker]

Tensions are mounting on all sides in 37 days with 4 day left to the declaration of war. The torture of the Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey as the events spiral out of control is well plyed by Ian McDiarmid. I cant help but picture him though as the manic Dark Sith Lord masquerading as Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars series of films.

[Stanley]

I watched it and agree with you Ian. It's very good and hits all the historical bases. Not often this happens to me when I see a dramatisation of a period I have studied so long. The portrayal of Moltke was very accurate and they didn't fall into the trap of relying too heavily on the Schlieffen Plan theory which was very prevalent at one time after A J P Taylor put it forward as a major cause of the war, that is that once initiated, the movement of troops by rail into Belgium couldn't be stopped. Schlieffen's contribution was quite different. Their research is first class.

[Stanley]

37 days kept up the standard last night......

[Stanley]

Watched the last of the Johnny Worricker series last night. Superb TV, good plot and well portrayed. I enjoyed it.

[Stanley]

The new 'Endeavour' series started last night. Good effort and it looks as though we might have a successor to 'Morse'. I enjoyed it.

[Tripps]

I watched that too, and quite enjoyed it. There was a PR interview with the star on BBC last week. Surprisingly - the actor's natural accent was Liverpool, and he didn't play the game with the interviewer at all. He said he had never watched any of the original Morse series, hadn't a clue what the audience figures were, and alleged he was totally ignorant of the fact that the author had said that he would be the last person ever to portray Morse. It was just another job for him. I almost felt sorry for the interviewer.
Still not sure why the BBC was plugging an ITV show. Balance I suppose.

[Bruff]

Yes, quite a surprise to hear his Scouse tones. Mind you, John Thaw was a Salford lad, resurrecting his natural accent to some extent in Kavanagh QC. I really like Endeavour. I like how the 'limp' John Thaw's Morse had was explained at the end of the last series. And in the first episode of this series, Morse takes a dim view of Freemasonry, which is the theme of a later Morse episode.

Game of Thrones back for Series 4. Not to everyone's taste, but I like it. I also like the comedies Rev and W1A at the moment - on the latter, I'm not that sure there's many media outlets that would lampoon themselves so mercilessly as the BBC does here.

Richard Broughton

[Tripps]

John Thaw - not Salford, but Longsight, Manchester. We were both born in the same week.

I also like W1A. It's growing on me after three episodes, but I don't think it's as good as 2012. People I have spoken to don't seem to like it. I find myself saying "so that's all good then" quite a lot. I just used it as a positive feedback on ebay.

[Stanley]

10pm is my bedtime and I keep missing W1A but no doubt it will be repeated.....

[Tripps]

I'm watching a lot of snooker at the moment. - I can't remember so many incidents relating to the equipment. The tables, the balls, and the cues. They are complaining about the levels, the cushions - all the balls were changed after one game. I've never seen the like. The looks on the players' faces when a shot goes wrong is priceless.
Can it possibly be due to the fact that the tables, and doubtless the balls are now supplied by Star, a Chinese company. They used to come from Rileys of Accrington.

Does anyone know what a 'kick' is. I don't think so. Can someone ask Terry Griffiths start to say Snooker instead of snukker. That'll do for now.

[Stanley]

I agree. Never seen a complete set of balls changed during a match. Lots of theories about kicks. I like John Parrot's suggestion that a major tournament ought to be played without table heating to find out if that makes any difference. For myself, I suspect that as equipment is made to higher and higher standards whatever it is that causes the dreaded kick becomes more effective. Mind you, some kicks are bad cueing, all the major players agree on that.

[plaques]

Perhaps its all down to quantum mechanics where balls of energy (photons) appear to please themselves where they go but on average (probability) go where yo expect them to go. The same thing could be happening in snooker. On the other hand it could be a load of Balls.

[Stanley]

I was wondering last night if the rotation of the earth was affecting them.... Orient the tables in a different direction?

[Stanley]

Re rotation of the earth. Of course it would be no good as it's the orientation of the shot that counts, not the table. Only way to deal with this is have the table mounted on a revolving turntable that automatically re-orients it according to the line of the shot.
Seriously, Ronnie was sublime last night, poetry in motion. Will we ever see such skill again? He's in the Final of the World Championship and that's going to be some match! (All this snooker is getting in the way of my reading!)