Tag: tv recommendations


Dec
2016

TV Recommendations – November

categories: What I've been Watching

Yes I’m still alive. Yes this post is late. No it doesn’t include Gilmore Girls or Walking Dead – that will follow soon. Without further ado, here’s what we watched in November.

TV_recommendations November

The Crown – Netflix || Black Mirror – Netflix ||

Divorce – Sky Atlantic || Shetland – BBC ||

So if you haven’t watched The Crown yet, where have you been? It was one of the best TV shows I’ve seen this year. I love how much chatter there was about it on Twitter too. I quite like the monarchy and thought that this was a fascinating insight into what life might have been like for the queen when everything was kicking off with her uncle and her dad. I don’t think that it can ever be easy to be in the position that she was put into, especially at such a young age. The different relationships are what make this series so watchable. Everyone has their own agenda and will use whatever and who ever they can to achieve their end goal. The glitz and glamour of it all though is fascinating and I love the relationship between the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. We tried so hard to pace ourselves with this series, but burned right through the series in next to no time. I cannot wait for the next series.

We watched Black Mirror pretty quickly too, especially as the first episode in the series was spooky and intense. It was a great commentary on the way social media and technology is taking over our lives. I have to say the first episode the best one. The rest of them aren’t quite as terrifying, and some are a little dull, especially the one about the old folks/the afterlife. What cracks me up about Black Mirror is that it takes the piss out of social media and technology, all the while knowing pretty much everyone will tweet about it! But it’s a really good series, if a little dark. Don’t watch it if you’re looking for something uplifting!

I was interested to see Sarah Jessica Parker’s new series, Divorce, as I loved her in Sex & The City (who didn’t?!) and I am loving this new series. It is hilarious! It makes divorce look like something everyone should go through it! Once again, SJP has an enviable wardrobe and her friends are hilarious, though I don’t think I’d want them to be my friends. The dynamic between SJP’s character and her husband, Robert, is brilliant. He is equally lovable and annoying. This series is definitely worth watching, especially if you like a little dark humour.

We stumbled across Shetland out of sheer desperation for something to watch and we were instantly in love. One of the girls from book group recommended it and I’m so glad that we watched it. Series 1 & 2 are on Netflix and we bought series 3 on iTunes. (Be warned that series 1 is only 2 episodes long) It’s a bit like Hinterland, just not as dark and foreboding. The scenery is breathtaking and the characters are really lovable. I’m really looking forward to the next series which should be on TV next year. An absolute gem of a show.


Nov
2016

TV Recommendations – October

categories: What I've been Watching

The last few months have been terribly busy. Fortunately, there’s been plenty on TV to help me relax and switch off. It’s been an interesting few months in tv land, with the devastating news that GBBO will never be the same again; the sadness that Nashville has been cancelled and as yet, not picked up by another TV company (though I’m hoping that I’ve simply just missed out on some fantastic news here) and the great news that a one off series of The Gilmore Girls will appear on Netflix later this month. In the meantime, I’ve been watching some pretty decent TV.

october tv recommendations

[The Fall – BBC Two || Fear the Walking Dead – iTunes

|| Poldark – BBC One || Marco Polo – Netflix]

I was eagerly awaiting the third and final series of The Fall. It’s one of the more dark and disturbing crime dramas I’ve seen but it is also one of the most gripping. Gillian Anderson is fantastic as Stella, who is calm and collected in the face of what can only be described as pure evil. While the start of this final series took a slower pace, it was still gripping enough, right up until the explosive final episode. If you missed the first two series, you won’t regret catching up on them.

While I am a huge Walking Dead fan, I also enjoy the spin off series, Fear the Walking Dead. While it’s not as good as the original, it’s still pretty good and certainly fills the gap between seasons. However, this series took a long time to get going. There was a point when I was kind of hoping everyone would get eaten by walkers, just so that something was happening. It did pick up about half way through and the action continued all the way to the end. I’m looking forward to the next season, I just hope it doesn’t take so long to get going again.

It’s no secret that Cornwall is my favourite place to go and this is partly why I love Poldark. I did get behind on watching it this time, so downloaded most of the episodes to my iPad and took it on holiday to Cornwall with us. Again, this was another series that seemed to go quite slowly to begin with but it has picked up recently with everything going on! Almost every character has got something major going on, whether it’s to do with mines or marriage, it’s a busy series.

Watching Marco Polo was not my choice. Phil wanted to watch it, and I was work most evenings, it doesn’t really matter what’s on. While I was (very) skeptical at first, it definitely grew on me, very quickly. We binge watched both series in a short space of time. It has a Vikings feel about it, so how historically accurate it is, I don’t know! But it’s worth a watch if you’re short of something.


Sep
2016

TV Recommendations – September

categories: What I've been Watching

I spent a lot of the summer holidays watching old series, like the Gilmore Girls and the X Files. I used to be a massive fan of the X Files, as I was quite a nerdy teenager, but then it got super weird and I left home to go to university and didn’t have Sky, so couldn’t watch it. I finally watched the last few series and I think it’s pretty good. However, it’s dated so much so I was pleased to have some new TV to watch.

TV Recommendations - September

[Nashville – Now TV || The Get Down – Netflix ||
Parks and Recreation – Amazon Prime || The Great British Bake Off – BBC One]

A friend first suggested I watch Nashville, when it first came out. I scoffed, but gave it a go. Now, I love it and was crushed to hear that it had been cancelled after this series. I’m hoping/may have imagined that it’s going to be picked up by someone like Netflix or Amazon, because it is brilliant! I never knew the world of country music was so cut throat or glamorous and I’m still surprised by how many of the cast wear cowboy boots! I love everything about the show, especially Rayna James, played by the awesome Connie Britton, who will always be Tami Taylor from Friday Night Lights in my eyes! (Major girl crush!) I also have developed a love for country music since watching the show and have bought all the soundtracks so far and listened to a few other artists on Apple Radio. If you need something light hearted and dramatic at the same time, check this out.

Let me preempt this write up of the Get Down by saying I hate musicals. With a passion. That being said, I didn’t know this was a musical, and don’t see it as such. And it’s freakin’ amazing. We binged it over two nights and can’t wait for the second part to be released. It’s glorious and brilliant and worth a few hours of your time. Set in the 1970’s when New York was going through a really tough time, it charts the beginning of Hip Hop, which went on to dominate in the 80’s. It’s fantastic and the soundtrack is epic.

I saw the first few seasons of Parks and Recreation a few years ago, but the rest weren’t on Amazon, so I’ve been waiting patiently for them to appear, which, apart from the final series, they have. I love Parks and Rec. It reminds me the American Office, in that I want to work there. It’s such a funny show, in that there were many times when I did laugh out loud! The characters are brilliant and I love how they all come together to overcome pretty much anything, despite their differences. The fact that Leslie has such a cheerful, can-do attitude is so encouraging. I seriously need a ‘What Would Leslie Do?’ wristband for when things get tough!

Need a say anything about The Great British Bake Off? It is a classic show that never seems to get old, despite being in its 7th series. That’s quite impressive for a show with a simple format – Bake things, judge the things and get rid of someone. I love it when things go terribly wrong, like when someone uses salt instead of sugar and Paul Hollywood has to spit his food out! Or when angry people throw their bakes in the bin! And who hasn’t cried over their baking? I know I have. And it might be stupid, but we’ve all done it and most of just in the privacy of our own kitchens, when we didn’t have the glacial stare of Paul Hollywood, judging our every move. But then, neither did we have the warm embrace of Mel & Sue, or the kind words of Mary Berry to pick us up when the cake we baked was practically burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. True story. I hope they never stop making this show because it is brilliant.


Aug
2016

TV Recommendations – August 2016

categories: What I've been Watching

There’s been very little to watch and with the summer holidays in full swing, I’ve made it my mission to rewatch Gilmore Girls and anything else Netflix can throw at me. In the mean time (and because Phil hates Gilmore Girls!), we’ve been watching a few other things.

TV recommendations_August

[Stranger Things – Netflix || Bloodline – Netflix
Ray Donovan – Now TV || The Catch – Now TV]

I saw lots of people tweeting about Stranger Things and when faced with a TV drought, Phil and I thought we’d give it a go. I didn’t know what it was about except that it was set in the 80’s, which is fine by me. It is brilliant! If you haven’t watched it, add it to your watchlist and set aside some time for it. There are only eight episodes, so it leaves plenty of time for other shows. It’s kind of a mix of The Goonies, ET and Stand by Me, with a hint of Pretty in Pink. It’s definitely worth the hype. Plus, it stars 80’s queen, Winona Ryder, who is great in it. Though, it’s the kids who are the out and out stars here. They are fab!

I’d seen Netflix advertise Bloodline and even gave it a bit of a go a while back, but it didn’t really stick. Phil saw a recommendation on Twitter, so we’d thought we’d give it a go. I’m going to warn you here, it is a bit of a slow burner. The first few episodes are a bit dull, none of the characters are that likable (even the wonderful Coach Taylor) however, we stuck with it and it was worth it. It is so tense and so gripping that I feel like I’m holding my breath the whole time. I cannot stand Danny, one of the main characters. He is pure evil! Netflix already has series 2 available and I saw that series 3 is coming next year, so there’s plenty of TV to be had here.

We’ve been watching Ray Donovan for a while and I’m so glad that it’s back. It’s quite dark in places, as it deals with child abuse from within the Catholic church, and Ray is a ‘fixer’ for the wealthy and powerful in LA. There are times when he has to do horrible things, including dealing with his spoilt kids and his rather offensive father. His brothers are the real gems of the show though, as they are brilliant characters. This is definitely one not to miss.

After all the drama and darkness of the other shows we’ve been watching, you need something lighthearted. The Catch is the latest hit from Shonda Rimes and revolves around a female private investigator who finds out the love of her life is not what he seems. As you would expect from Shonda Rimes, it is light, breezy and very glossy. While it’s not quite Scandal or the classic that is Grey’s Anatomy, it’s still a good watch.

I’m looking forward to a few shows coming back on TV, including The Walking Dead and the new (hopefully not final) series of Gilmore Girls. I have them written in my Filofax. Yes, I’m that much of a nerd!