Watched anything good on TV lately?

[Greenman]

Still Open All Hours. A good idea to bring back Granville as the owner of his uncle's corner shop(Open All Hours was a comedy programme in 80s with the late Ronnie Barker as Albert Arkwright, who used every trick in the book to get customers to part with their money even if they didn't want anything (with Granville-David Jason, as the put-upon young 'apprentice' nephew) and lusting after his soon-to-be fiancée Nurse Gladys Emmanuel. This new series started as a one-off Christmas special(went out on Boxing Day) two years ago and was so popular with viewers it was made into a series. A second series was then made and aired this month. However, I am now getting a little fed up with stereotypes in that show. Men are shown as being lazy, feckless and useless in bed whilst the women are the more dominant and always critical of their men and of men in general.

Granville is lusting after Mavis, who was a girl who could never make her mind up about anything but she has a battleaxe of a sister who interferes. However one character returned who would hardly give Granville the time of day but now lusts after him (Delphine Featherstone-Stephanie Cole). The main point of the original was Arkwright's stutter would get him into odd situations as well as provide the laughs. Without that I think it is missing something.

Odd characters populate this new series most notably two Northern 'Ey up'-type Asians (played by Mina Anwar and Kulvinder Ghir from Goodness, Gracious Me fame) and someone called Gastric (because he burps all the time) played by Tim Healy. Granville has a nephew or son(we aren't told what or who his mother was) and he is more of a lothario getting involved with younger women. Johnny Vegas plays another put-upon husband called Wet Eric-why? I don't know and his wife is ex-Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsey.

Anyway I think that sort of comedy is getting long in the tooth now portraying Northern men as useless and guilible. I loved it in the eighties and Barker & Jason were both brilliant, even though the gags could be spotted a mile off and there was only so much comedy you could get from a cash register out for blood. I really do think though it is time for a different type of comedy where BOTH sexes are equal - either useless or useful. Maybe it is me getting older but I think personally it is time for a change and consign this sort of comedy to the annals of the past. Incidentally it was an episode with Granville wearing a 'dangler' made from a cocoa tin and an open to the navel shirt that got him the role of Del Boy Trotter in 'Only Fools & Horses'

[Mr Lucas]

Originally Posted by Greenman

Still Open All Hours. A good idea to bring back Granville as the owner of his uncle's corner shop(Open All Hours was a comedy programme in 80s with the late Ronnie Barker as Albert Arkwright, who used every trick in the book to get customers to part with their money even if they didn't want anything (with Granville-David Jason, as the put-upon young 'apprentice' nephew) and lusting after his soon-to-be fiancée Nurse Gladys Emmanuel. This new series started as a one-off Christmas special(went out on Boxing Day) two years ago and was so popular with viewers it was made into a series. A second series was then made and aired this month. However, I am now getting a little fed up with stereotypes in that show. Men are shown as being lazy, feckless and useless in bed whilst the women are the more dominant and always critical of their men and of men in general.

I think men being portrayed as useless has been a mainstay of comedy for decades, but it used to be balanced by an element of sauce and lustful cheekiness from them too. Which lead to good banter and flirtiness between the sexes. These days the BBC and others are terrified of portraying lustful men for fear of offending. So we're just left with the useless cliche and yes, it undermines what could have been a much funnier series. Personally I don't think such comedy should be consigned to history, but there's an insidious control going on that seeks to diminish the potency of anything we're spoon fed, and until that attitude has had it's day, TV comedy will be a poor shadow of it's former self.

[neo2008]

American Crime on ABC

Dark Net on Showtime
I was amazed at how many people are having virtual relationships just like
the one in the movie HER

[Greenman]

If War & Peace doesn't win a hatful of tv Baftas and other awards I will be very surprised. It is sumptuously filmed, great battle scenes(very bloody in some scenes) and the Winter scenes are spectacular. Worth a watch if you've not seen it yet(available in this country on BBC IPlayer)

[CARLTON BROWN]

Wayward Pines.

Based on a series of books and in 10 episodes, this is a sort of conspiracy story with good twists. There are similarities with - The Prisoner, Cape Wrath, Twin Peaks and maybe The 100.

Well worth a look and according to Wiki, there is a second series underway.

[toonman]

A couple that I've seen that don't tend to get mentioned a lot are Agent Carter and Supergirl. Aside from the fact the leads on both shows are hot (this is VEF so that has to be pointed out), Supergirl is quite a sweet show that has a great retro feel. And Agent Carter not only has a retro feel but at times it feels like The Avengers, and I mean the 1960s show, not the superheroes. Neither are the best shows on the air, but they're fun and do qualify a "anything good". DC's Legends of Tomorrow the jury is still out on. The first couple episodes were OK but it still feels too much like a crossbreeding of Doctor Who and Torchwood at the surface. It needs to find its own voice.

[sandhunter]

toonman- I commented Agent Carter a couple of weeks ago but since it was not shown across the big water yet no one wanted to talk about the show , the first episode was 2-hours long and a little slow at times , a little bit of a let down and the second show was back up to expectations and I thought was very good as for Supergirl after a couple of shows I went back to cataloging my music .

[wimbo77]

I'm currently watching series two of a three part programme called James May's Cars of the People. He looks at how the car became an everyday part of people's lives.

[Estreeter]

Has anybody seen the new season 10 of The X Files

I haven't yet, but will. I was a major fan of the show when it ran in the 90's.

Just wondering if the new season stands up to it's old good entertainment value

[frakacylon]

Watching X files from the beginning on amazon prime, it's been remastered to 1080p. So when I get to series 10 I will be able to decide over young Gillian or old Gillian.