TV

Sunday Musings At The End Of The Heatwave

~ beetleypete ~ 44 Comments

After an uncomfortable night for sleeping, it is set to get even hotter today, with a maximum of 31C forecast. But that forecast also stated that this will be the end of the unusual June heatwave, with temperatures dropping by 10C tomorrow, to a more ‘normal’ 21-22. That will not only be most welcome for undisturbed sleep, but also for poor Ollie, who has literally been flattened by the heat this past week. He has even gone so far as to lie down on the stone tiles on the kitchen floor, trying to find the coldest spot in the house.

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Summer in Britain also brings a lack of interesting things to watch on TV, as the companies don’t bother that much with new drama, presuming nobody is sitting inside watching, I suppose. And we currently have non-stop coverage of the Glastonbury Music Festival on the BBC channels, but that has never really interested me despite my lifelong love of music. This is why we have a PVR, so that there is always something to watch when we settle down after dinner.

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Last night I went to bed early, intending to lie in front of the large fan we have in the bedroom, and perhaps try to start reading again. But after one page of a book I have still not finished, I closed my Kindle Tablet and went to sleep. I wonder if I will ever be able to finish a book again. Since the Pandemic I have lost my concentration for reading books, and I have absolutely no idea why that is.

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There used to be a TV advert here for a brand of medicine. The catchphrase was “Summer cold? Or is it Flu?” I remember the ad, but cannot remember the brand name of the drug you could buy. I mention this because Julie and I have caught something ‘nasty’ since the weather got really hot. She has had it worse than me, with a bad cough that is worse in the evenings, and laryngitis that caused her to lose her voice for two days. We both still have it, including a runny nose, and sore throat. I am taking tablets to help, and Julie did a Covid test, just in case. It was negative.

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Wherever you are, heatwave or not, I hope you are having an enjoyable Sunday.

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The Last Sunday Musings For September

~ beetleypete ~ 53 Comments

It has felt like a long week, for no good reason. Perhaps because Monday was a Public Holiday for the Queen’s funeral, the days have been out of synch.

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Unusually, everything closed for the day on Monday. No shops opened, not even for reduced hours. So my usual supermarket shop had to be put off until Tuesday. That made Tuesday feel like Monday, and every day after that just felt in the wrong place. By Thursday, we were both convinced it was Friday, and I was wondering why the TV was showing programmes on the wrong day.

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For Ollie of course, nothing changed. As long as he got his routine in the right order, and his walks at the right time, he didn’t notice any changes. On Friday, I had to drive to the Vet to get his repeat prescription. I had added an extra, a steroid cream that helps heal a sore spot on his chest. It worked exceptionally well in July, but soon ran out. I wanted to have some more just in case, so asked for another tube. That increased the bill to a mammoth £91. I had to remind myself once again that he is always completely worth the expense.

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After the relentless 10-day TV coverage of all things Royal, the normal news returned and I finally found out what had been happening in places other than Balmoral, Windsor castle, Westminster Abbey, and in countries outside Britain. Naturally, Monday was written off, with 24-hour coverage of the funeral on all main TV channels. Once they got back to normal on Tuesday, all the schedules had to be ‘bumped up’ by one day.

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Out on the dog-walks, we caught up with some friends (and their dogs) we had missed for the week we were away in Lincolnshire. It was back to greeting familiar dogs for Ollie, and marking his territory with an intensity that had to be seen.

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Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a peaceful and happy Sunday.

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Sound and Vision

~ beetleypete ~ 17 Comments

Reblogging this old rant from 2016.
Six years later, and nothing has changed!
If anything, it has got worse, as I now have to have my finger on the sound ‘mute’ button during any advertisement break, and more and more programmes and films are driving the plot with text messages that I cannot read.

beetleypete

Last night, I settled down to watch a film on the TV. It was ‘Prisoners'(2013), starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhall, Melissa Leo, and the underrated Paul Dano. I had heard good things about this abduction thriller, and was pleased to see it arrive on TV so soon after release. As it was premiered on the usually excellent Film 4 channel, I concluded that there would be no cuts, and the full film would be shown. Allowing for the breaks for ads, the film got its full running time, so I prepared to immerse myself in the great cast, bleak story-line, and compelling visuals. So far, so good.

I have (moaned) written before about the shortcomings of modern televisions. The four year old, 40-inch Flatscreen LED TV that we own seems incapable of rendering true black. As a result, night scenes, or gloomy locations, are hard to watch, at the best…

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Sunday Before Christmas Musings

~ beetleypete ~ 51 Comments

I lose track of the days at this time of year. By the time January 2nd is upon us, I will finally be able to stop having to look at my desk calendar to know what day it is. Things break my routine during the Chriistmas season. Dustbin days are changed, shops have different opening hours, many not opening at all. The kids are not at school, and new faces appear in the group of dog-walkers.

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If you saw my post ‘The Bird Has Flown’, you will know the pigeon has finally left the garden, its wing healed.

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We have our first seasonal visitors today. One of my stepsons and his girlfriend, travelling from Bedfordshire to deliver and collect presents. There will probably be no other visitors until the 27th, so we anticipate a very quiet Christmas.

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The TV shows are appearing. Those usually dull ‘Specials’, reviews of the past year, the same old familiar films. As a rule, the TV season at this time of year provides little worth watching after the autumn drama series have all concluded until 2022.

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Blogging is different at this time of year too. People are busy, some travelling on visits, many not blogging at all. On that subject, I need to mention Mary Smith. She is facing her last days in a hospice, dying of terminal cancer. She is unlikely to see Christmas 2021. So just for her, I am determined to make the best of it, as a tribute to one of the best bloggers, authors, and genuinely nicest people I ever met online. Please read her incredibly moving post. It will make you grateful for whatever you are doing this Christmas.

MarySmith’sPlace ~ #CancerDiary#45 #FinishingLineinSight

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Film And TV Stuff

~ beetleypete ~ 52 Comments

I have been watching a few films lately, and that got me thinking. Most of those I watched were being shown on TV. Mainstream channels, not Netflix or Amazon. (Both of which I have access to) I have Netflix through a relative, but I cannot remember the last time I watched anything on it. I am also a member of Amazon Prime, though I mainly use it for the next day delivery service, and don’t take any of the ‘free’ books or make much use of any other membership options. I have only ever watched three films on it, and none of their own popular series.

There is also the NOW TV box, which I have had for some years. Offering access to Sky Atlantic, and many ‘free’ films too. (Most of which I have seen)

I use the marks around ‘free’ as nothing is free of course.

My stepson pays for Netflix, and we are on his account. I pay for Amazon Prime, and also for the NOW TV box. Those monthly subscriptions start to add up, but we get used to paying them, and don’t even think about what we could do with that £18-40 a month people like me pay for streaming services.

Many people pay much more. I have a close friend who has the whole SKY Q package. That includes everything, and live sports too. But SKY currently charges around £70 a month for all that. As with mobile phone and broadband contracts, it becomes ‘normal’ to pay out for them every month, and we mostly forget about those costs.

New kids on the streaming block here include Disney+. They are getting wise though. Many streaming providers are outbidding regular TV networks for popular series. So if you are a long-term fan of things like ‘The Walking Dead’, or anticipating a new series of ‘Loki’, you have to pay up, subscribe, or not get to see your favourite shows.

I predict this will be the way of things, sooner rather than later. Streaming companies will outbid established providers like the BBC, and make many of our favourite TV shows only available to their subscribers. Anyone who cannot afford to pay out for all the various players in the streaming ring will be stuck with whatever everyday programming is left to the free channels.

And what about DVD films? Do you still buy them? I do. I mostly buy used copies from Marketplace sellers at much less than £5. But sometimes I have to pay full price for something unusual. I just checked the shelves behind me, and I have 52 DVD films yet to be watched. Most are still in their cellophane wrapping, and some I have had for as long as five years without watching them. The majority are foreign language films, and most of those could be described as ‘obscure’. They are never going to turn up on mainstream TV, or on a streaming service.

So what of those films in the future, when companies just stop making DVDs in the same way they did with VHS tapes?

I have no idea, but I suspect it will be a case of having to see them at a cinema that shows rare films (of which there is only one on Norfolk) or never be able to see them at all.

You know that I am old now, and resistant to change. But I will rue the day when streaming becomes the only option to watch anything, and anyone without the money to subscribe is sidelined.

Just my thoughts.

Thinking Aloud On a Sunday

~ beetleypete ~ 68 Comments

Good cartoons.

No idea why, but I woke up thinking about cartoons today.

I know we now have adult cartoon shows, like ‘The Simpsons’, and ‘Family Guy’. Younger adults are also well-served by the Japanese animators, with their amazing imaginations. Kids have Disney Pixar and Nickelodeon, and the tiny ones have things like ‘My Little Pony’ and ‘Paw Patrol’.

But I never see any of the old ‘good cartoons’ anymore. Ones like these.

Or the ones I grew up with.

At the cinema, cartoons always added to the enjoyment.

Many became household names, and endured for decades.

When television came along, we had cartoons to enjoy at home too.

I was happy to watch these into my late teens,and always enjoyed the antics of the familiar characters. But then longer cartoon shows took over, like the awful ‘Scooby-Doo’, ‘Hong Kong Phooey’, and many more. Pop groups like the Jackson 5 had their own cartoon show, and very soon the essence of the short cartoon seemed to have disappeared without trace.

Political correctness, merchandising of associated products, and the power of the networks put an end to the cartoons I had enjoyed for years.

Let me know what cartoons you miss, by leaving a comment.

Thinking Aloud On a Sunday

~ beetleypete ~ 52 Comments

Watching television.

From my preteen years until very recently, I always complained that there was ‘nothing on’ when it came to TV watching. We went from two channels to three, then to four, and soon had many more to choose from. My current set-up has almost one hundred channels, though many of those are ‘Plus 1’ of others, starting one hour later, and some are the best-avoided shopping channels.

In addition, there are the channels available via the Internet, using NOW TV by paying a subscription, as well as Netflix, which I have not long had access to. The four channels of the BBC alone provide enough viewing across all genres to satisfy most people, and the numerous commercial stations offer more populist alternatives if you want them. I also have four free film channels, showing a mix of familiar re-runs, alongside films that have often only been released this year.

As the ‘Good TV’ season arrives every Autumn, the different broadcasters compete by showing all the best stuff at the same time, usually 9 pm. We have a PVR that can record two channels, and allow us to watch a third, but four is still a stretch. But we also have the ‘catch-up’ services on the Internet, where we can see a programme broadcast up to twenty-one days previously, as well as being able to binge-watch an entire series in one night, should we wish to do so.

I study my TV magazine (strangely still called Radio Times) religiously, and play around with the timer settings on the PVR until I can squeeze in everything I want to see, including the series record of those serials I have become addicted to. This sometimes takes so long, I could have actually watched something instead of doing that. Then once I am satisfied it is all scheduled, I can sit back and relax.

But the real problem comes next. I have all that stuff recorded, but little or no time to watch it, because of having to watch the actual ‘live’ TV that is on now and cannot fit on the recorder. I have been learning very quickly that there are not enough years in a life to watch everything I want to see. And that’s without even mentioning Netflix!

At the age of 67, my cry of woe is very different. I no longer say “There’s nothing on”.

That has changed to “There’s too much on!”

Let’s be careful what we wish for.

TV Review: Gentleman Jack

~ beetleypete ~ 40 Comments

This BBC series may be available on BBC America, hopefully soon, if not currently. I believe it is also available on HBO. And for UK readers, it can be accessed on the i-player.

Anne Lister is a real character. She led a very unusual life during the early 19th century, and wrote about it in her diaries.

This period drama follows the usual BBC tradition of wonderful adaptations on screen. Think ‘Poldark’, or go back in time to previous serials like ‘War and Peace’.’ Cranford’, ‘North and South’, or ‘Bleak House’. The truth is that nobody does this sort of thing better, and I always anticipate any new one with relish.

Anne Lister was a landowner in Yorkshire, in the 1800s. She was a spinster, and renowned for her love of other women, long before anyone might be referred to as a Lesbian. Unusually for the time, she made little secret of that fact, dressing in male attire, and dealing with all her own business affairs. She also travelled extensively, and had open liaisons with other women, often ones who were unhappily married.

This eight-part serial starts in 1832, as Anne returns to her run-down country estate. She has to get the finances in order to save her family from financial ruin. But her return coincides with the arrival of a rich young woman at a nearby grand house. The young Miss Walker is frail, but attractive and vulnerable, and Anne soon falls for her, deciding to seduce her into a long term relationship.

At the same time, a great deal of coal is discovered on Anne’s family estate, and she realises that it is being stolen by miners working for the banking family, the Rawsons. Thus begins an ongoing feud between Anne and the Rawsons, with side stories of the struggling tenant farmers, Anne’s relatives, and her fierce reputation in the area. When she succeeds in making young Miss Walker fall for her, events take an unpleasant turn as local society and the young woman’s family turn against Anne Lister, and attempt to ruin her and her family.

Locations, costume, and period feel are all incredibly authentic. Suranne Jones shines as Anne, taking to the role as if she was born to play her. The rest of the casting is top-notch too, including such famous faces as Timothy West, Gemma Jones, and Stephanie Cole, none of whom overplay their roles. The lesbian love scenes are not graphic, and the script is superb. Suranne Jones even breaks the ‘fourth wall’, by giving knowing looks to the camera, at appropriate times.

This is the sort of drama the BBC is known for, and should do a lot more of. High production values, and a wonderful cast even in the smallest roles.

British TV at its best.

This short trailer gives a teasing snapshot of just how good this is.

Ten tips for Retirement

~ beetleypete ~ 14 Comments

My thoughts on retirement in 2012, not long after I stopped working. They are still valid, seven years later.

beetleypete

I have been retired from work since March, so I would like to pass on this advice for others who are due to retire soon, or considering retirement at some stage in the near future. After nearly six months, I am no expert on the subject, I am really just passing on observations based on my own experience.

Walk about a lot. When you are still working, whether you realise it or not, you do walk around for a lot of the day. So, avoid sitting for too long, wander aimlessly from room to room if need be, or get outside for a stroll, if the weather is good. If this doesn’t work, then get a dog, and you will have no option.

Expect to use more toilet paper, and shop accordingly. You will not be using the facilities at work ever again, and you will be shocked at how…

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Netflix Review: After Life Series 1

~ beetleypete ~ 59 Comments

***Warnings for very bad language, drug use, suicide, and sexual references***

Ricky Gervais might well be an acquired taste for many people. He can often be very smug, and hard to like. His film roles are forgettable at best, though his one-man stand up concerts show moments of true brilliance. And when it comes to television, he is the master of observation. Whether in ‘The Office’, ‘Extras’, or the superb ‘Derek’, nobody does pathos mixed with comedy better.

It’s a shame that ‘After Life’ is restricted to Netflix subscribers. I hope that it gets a mainstream TV showing somewhere, one day. Or even a DVD release as a box set. Because it is just wonderful. One of the best things I have ever seen on TV, and a sheer gem of entertainment, tucked away on the streaming service.

Gervais is Tony Johnson, a journalist on a run-of-the-mill local newspaper in a quiet British coastal town. He has recently lost his adored wife to breast cancer, and is completely unable to come to terms with that loss, or to be able to manage the grief that consumes him. If it was not for having to care for the family dog, he might well commit suicide.

So he decides to live a life caring about nothing and nobody. He is rude, aggressive, sarcastic, often spiteful. He shows his colleagues at the newspaper no respect, and despises the stories that he has to trot out for local interest. And his elderly father is in a care home, suffering from Dementia, so he reluctantly visits the old man every day. From this unlikely mix, writer and creator Gervais has conjured up an overwhelmingly good drama. One that can make you laugh one moment, and then be fighting back tears the next. And all in a thirty-minute episode.

It reads like a documentary none of us want to watch. Suicidal thoughts, prostitution, grief and heartbreak, drug use, incredibly bad swearing, and a man facing the abyss of loneliness. But Gervias is a master of the absurd, and his observational skills are yet again put to great use in this series. The familiar cast (many have been in his other productions) is made up of some of the finest character actors in Britain today. The script is bitingly sharp, and location filming makes it all seem very real.

This about a lot of things. True love, trust, memories, and the inability to cope with a drastic change in circumstances. How you deal with colleagues and others you come across, when your own life is in complete upheaval. Very little affects an old cynic like me, but I am not ashamed to say that I watch this with tears rolling down my face. And they are rarely tears of laughter.

It is just perfect. Nothing I have seen in years comes close.
(Except for ‘Fleabag’.)

If you have access to Netflix, please try to watch it.