Wednesday 11 May 2022

APRIL 2022 - FILMS + TV (HOME-VIEWING)

A not especially exciting month's viewing, but I was happy enough - I continued with two on-going series and started a couple more, as well as squeezing one okay film into the month.


Taggart (1983-2010) - ITV Crime Drama - 27 series

On-going and I might be a good while yet, but who cares. Currently on either series 7 or 8. They're all recorded and stored so no time pressure and I'll get there when I get there, unless boredom sets in. No sign of it yet. 

I did enjoy one recent episode where it showed Celtic scoring late on against Rangers at an Old Firm game - which was good news. Paul Elliott was in defence for Celtic. He's one of my favourite old Luton players, though his time with us was affected by injury. 




From Wikipedia...

Taggart is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries "Killer" from 6 until 20 September 1983, before a full series was commissioned that ran from 2 July 1985 until 7 November 2010. The series revolved around a group of detectives initially in the Maryhill CID of Strathclyde Police, though various storylines were set in other parts of Greater Glasgow and in other areas of Scotland. The team operated out of the fictional John Street police station. Mark McManus, who played the title character Jim Taggart, died in 1994. However, the series continued under the same name.


The Last Detective (2003-2007) - ITV Comedy-Drama Series

Ditto Taggart above. I'll finish when I finish. I think I'm on the last series now.

From Google...

`Dangerous' Davies is one offbeat flatfoot who takes the stuff at the bottom of the pile - the cases nobody wants. In his usual comical way, Davies and good friend Mod help unfold events that usually end up in disaster, but somehow they still manage to nab their man. Maybe if Davies wasn't such a nice guy, his coworkers would take him a tad more seriously. The comedy-drama is adapted from the novel by Leslie Thomas.


Fatal Following (2021) - Netflix Film

An okay evening film which focuses on a girl sort of leaving one cult to join another. Things become clearer at the end of the film and you realise who the good guys are and who they aren't. A bit of a saccharine sickly sweet ending, which veered a bit too much into the happy ever after trope. I think it was a bit better than I expected it to be.


From IMDB...

A mother searches for her daughter in a small town after finding out she joined a cult. She is told that her daughter is dead, but knows something isn't right in the town.


The Righteous Gemstones Season 2 (2019) - TV Comedy/Drama Series 

Funniest thing I've seen on TV since discovering Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Highly recommended. Love John Goodman. This series also features Eric Roberts, who I do enjoy seeing on screen. 
One crazy family. I love their petty feuds, jealousies and constant one-upmanship.

From Wikipedia ....

Premise
The Righteous Gemstones depicts a family of televangelists and megachurch pastors led by widowed patriarch Eli Gemstone (John Goodman). Eli and his immature children, Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine), lead opulent lives funded by church donations.

In the second season, Jesse and Amber partner with Texas megachurch leaders Lyle and Lindy Lissons (Eric André and Jessica Lowe) to develop a Christian timeshare resort. The family faces threats including investigative journalist Thaniel Block (Jason Schwartzman), Junior (Eric Roberts) an old friend from Eli's criminal past, and a mysterious group of motorcycle-riding assassins.


The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe (2022) - ITV Drama series

Two episodes from four watched and I was enjoying this true crime adaptation. The rest of the family loathed it. I get where they are coming from in respect of neither the thief nor his wife are particularly likable and it is kind of hard to have feelings for a canoe. I'll try and watch the rest in a BillyNoMates moment. I like Eddie Marsan on screen. He gives off an especially creepy vibe here. 

From Wikipedia...

The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe is an ITV television drama series that was first broadcast on 17 April 2022. Written by Chris Lang and directed by Richard Laxton, the programme dramatizes the John Darwin disappearance case, where prison officer and teacher John Darwin hoaxed his own death and reappeared, five and a half years after he was believed to have died in a canoeing accident.


7 comments:

  1. I like both Taggart and The Last Detective, too, Col. They're very different sorts of shows, which suits me. And, as you say, a person can catch up as and when, so I don't feel a great deal of pressure to hurry up and watch. And I'm going to need to try The Righteous Gemstones. I've heard it's quite good, but haven't got there yet.

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    1. Margot, I do recommend The Righteous Gemstones. I hope you can catch it sometime.

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  2. We watched a couple of episodes of Taggart (early ones) years ago, but did not continue. I liked The Last Detective OK, but Glen did not care for it, so we did not continue.

    The others are new to me.

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    1. HI, that last comment was from me, not sure why it showed as anonymous. I was signed into my google account.

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    2. Weird re Anonymous? We won't all like the same shows, same as books. No one thing will hold universal appeal. My wife and I are having fun though, which is the main thing.

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  3. Enjoyed both the Taggart and Last Detective , past time for watching again..

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