Must-See TV

[Clodfobble]

Amazon has been trying to compete with Netflix for streaming TV content. They are attempting a "pay per episode" model rather than a monthly fee. Personally, I don't think that's going to work, because people don't like being reminded of the cost every time they watch something, they want to set up a monthly recurring payment and never question whether they're watching enough to justify it, just like the old cable package model.

BUT, I have recently learned that if you are an Amazon Prime customer, which I am, you get a bunch of their streaming content for free. And unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime has the rights to Tosh.0. (Be warned, video content loads and plays immediately, probably not a good idea at work.) We have been mainlining this liquid schadenfreude every night since.

[BigV]

The Fall

thank you Twil

[DanaC]

Oh wow. Les Revenants!

@ Sundae: I avoided most of your posts about it when you were posting, because I was intending to see it sometime and didn't want to go in with any preconceived ideas.

I was slightly put off by the subtitles though, I admit, so hadn't actually bit the bullet and watched any until the two Js basically made me watch the first one :p

I watched the last two eps this evening.

Within first ten mins of episode one I had forgotten I was reading subtitles. Just draws you in so completely. The acting is excellent. The story is compelling.

Definitely Must See TV.

[DanaC]

Ooooooh!

Jon Hamm will return to television as the lead in Charlie Brooker’s nightmarish dystopian drama Black Mirror.

The Mad Men star joins One Day’s Rafe Spall and Game of Thrones’ Oona Chaplin in a one-off 90-minute Christmas special, which promises to be “the most mind-bending episode yet, showcasing three interwoven stories of Yuletide techno-paranoia”, according to Channel 4.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...oker-channel-4

Very much looking forward to this!

Also, can highly recommend the Black Mirror stories already aired - there have been a couple of series now, each with three or four individual stories. Very strange, sometimes funny, sometimes deeply disturbing.

Here's what wiki has to say about Black Mirror:

Black Mirror is a British television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker that shows the dark side of life and technology. The series is produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. Regarding the programme's content and structure, Brooker noted, "each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they're all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy."

An Endemol press release describes the series as "a hybrid of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected which taps into our contemporary unease about our modern world", with the stories having a "techno-paranoia" feel.Channel 4 describes the first episode as "a twisted parable for the Twitter age"

-snip -

Charlie Brooker explained the series' title to The Guardian, noting: "If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side-effects? This area – between delight and discomfort – is where Black Mirror, my new drama series, is set. The 'black mirror' of the title is the one you'll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone."[

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror_(TV_series)

Apparently, one of the episodes (The Entire History of You) has been optioned for a film by Robert Downey Jr - might turn out interesting - of all ofthem that's the one which would most easily lend itself toa movie form I think.

But anyhoo -very excited about Hamm being in the Christmas special. I really like him as an actor and I think he'll bring something special to the show.


Here's one of the trailers for the last series (not sure if they'll all play for outside uk):



And for some of the episodes:

White Bear



15 Million Merits

[DanaC]

I think I probably posted about this show earlier in the year when they aired a standalone pilot.

Babylon

I loved the pilot, so am very excited about the new series, which started this week. Haven't had time to watch it the first ep yet but am just about to!

There are't any non-Ch4 vids on youtube yet, except for a trailer for the earlier standalone pilot. Check it out:

[Clodfobble]

Marc Maron has a TV show on IFC that is a fictionalized extension of his (very popular) podcast. I watched the first episode forever ago, and found it a little awkward, but not so bad that I wanted to take it off the streaming queue, because you never know when you will run out of things to watch.

Well, this morning I went ahead and watched episode 2. And then over the course of the day I watched the rest of the goddamn season. It's fucking hilarious.

[footfootfoot]

Wow, Black Mirror is dark.

[DanaC]

Yup. Which ones did you watch?

[footfootfoot]

I've seen them all except entire history of you. 15 million merits was heartwrenching, the justice park was holy shit I never saw that coming, and the Natioanl anthem one was IDK. Intense.

All in all, three very dark feet up!

[footfootfoot]

Meanwhile impatiently awaiting the next Constantine...

[footfootfoot]

Just watched entire history of you. I love Jodie Whitaker.

Neat take on an old story. (infidelity)

[DanaC]

That's one of my favourites.

[DanaC]

Not sure if this will play outside UK. But this is a really interesting little Q&A with Brooker and a few others from the team.



Promo for Christmas special. Again, it's posted by Channel 4 so don't know if it'll play outside UK:





Not much youtube for the Christmas special that isn't Channel 4, but there is a little thing here about it. Dosn't show any of it, but gives a quick rundown of what it's about

[DanaC]

I know I've asked this before, but I can't recall the answer:P Foots, did you ever watch Dead Set?

It reminds me a little of Black Mirror in a way. Different style, and a longer form (a mini series across 5 nights) but it's got that Brooker feel to it.

It's his take on the zombie apocalypse movie - but it's also about reality tv and our relationship with celebrity. The whole thing is set in and around the Big Brother house, as a series is being made - the zombie attack starts and the contestants in the house. along with a couple of the production people are the only ones left as far as we know.

This is a fanmade promo for it - you can see that same sensibility at work.



American tv promo - bit easier to see what's going on.

[footfootfoot]

I don't think I have. I'll add it to my queue.

Lately the mm has been having terrible nightmares. Last night it was about zombies, though she's never seen one, only heard the song about them by Jonathon Coulton. (Re: Your Brains)