OV9

Have we touched on Department Q / Dept.Q yet?

Thoroughly enjoyed season1 . Pretty gruesome at times. Akram is the dude.

(Although

1. there is a scene in the final episode filmed from the bonnet of the car looking back into the cabin catching dialogue, that is straight out of the 1950's in terms of realism. Steering wheel is motionless whilst they trundle along. Thoroughly bizarre and entirely at odds with the rest of the cinematography

2. in one of the earlier episodes Morck states that he could care less about something or other. I had to rewind it to confirm that my annoyance was indeed appropriate. Creator/Director Scott Frank is 'mercun)

We've just started it. Don't know if they've translated the books into English, but if they have, they're worth a read.

We started it a week or so ago. I think we're about 3 or 4 eps in. Wasn't sure after the 1st episode - it seemed a bit overacted - but it's grown on me.

We have one episode left. It’s ok. I don’t really like the main character, he’s trying to be ‘edgy’ but doesn’t really carry it off IMO.

mik wrote: Tue Jun 10, 2025 2:35 pm Have we touched on Department Q / Dept.Q yet?

Thoroughly enjoyed season1 . Pretty gruesome at times. Akram is the dude.

(Although

1. there is a scene in the final episode filmed from the bonnet of the car looking back into the cabin catching dialogue, that is straight out of the 1950's in terms of realism. Steering wheel is motionless whilst they trundle along. Thoroughly bizarre and entirely at odds with the rest of the cinematography

2. in one of the earlier episodes Morck states that he could care less about something or other. I had to rewind it to confirm that my annoyance was indeed appropriate. Creator/Director Scott Frank is 'mercun)

3. seems that every outdoors scene is sun and blue sky - CGI surely!

Finished Dept Q last night and really enjoyed it

Took a while for me to gel with it though

And the Americanisms jar - I guess that "I couldn't care less" would confuse our American cousins so we have to thunk down to their level and make it simple for them

Oh and that weird in-car scene, just bizarre!

dinny_g wrote: Thu May 29, 2025 10:03 am Mobland - on Paramount +

This should be standout TV given the pedigree

Binged this last week and not being connoisseurs of regional accents we really enjoyed it.

My nitpick was the episode where Harry goes full one man army and wastes dozens of gangsters without a scratch. That trope is extremely mouldy at this point.

The magical traffic free autobahn from London to the Cotswolds was amusing too.

I'm not up with the latest on English property but wouldn't Harry's London apartment be worth more than the Cotswolds pile?

That theme song was very earwormey

Murderbot continues to be an excellent adaptation/reimagining of the books. Although the 20 minute episodes are frustrating. I think waiting to binge the final handful may be better.

RobYob wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:54 pm
That theme song was very earwormey

I can also recommend “I love you” - sung about Ireland - feeling guilty having moved to Lahndahn.

Series 2 of The Gold (brinks mat robbery) is on iPlayer. S1 was very good and so far 2 in so is season 2.

RobYob wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:56 pm Murderbot continues to be an excellent adaptation/reimagining of the books. Although the 20 minute episodes are frustrating. I think waiting to binge the final handful may be better.

Binged the currently released lot of episodes lastnight. Enjoying it so far- are the people as infuriatingly naive in the books?

jamcg wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 7:52 am

RobYob wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:56 pm Murderbot continues to be an excellent adaptation/reimagining of the books. Although the 20 minute episodes are frustrating. I think waiting to binge the final handful may be better.

Binged the currently released lot of episodes lastnight. Enjoying it so far- are the people as infuriatingly naive in the books?

Yes but the human characters don't get anywhere near as much time in the books. A lot more is Murderbot's internal monologue. But I am enjoying the way they've struck the right tone and themes while adapting the internalising to dialogue.

mik wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:26 am

RobYob wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:54 pm
That theme song was very earwormey

I can also recommend “I love you” - sung about Ireland - feeling guilty having moved to Lahndahn.

Just listened to it - it really has a timeless sound which could have been released in 1982 or 1997 or last year. They're a band I've hear of, obviously but never really listened to.

RobYob wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:56 pm Murderbot continues to be an excellent adaptation/reimagining of the books. Although the 20 minute episodes are frustrating. I think waiting to binge the final handful may be better.

Just started on the first series. I'm liking it a lot, especially the interior dialogue snark.

Only seven episodes so far? I have to wait? Ermagerd!

DeskJockey wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 5:56 pm Only seven episodes so far? I have to wait? Ermagerd!

Yep, if it runs to 10 episodes it'd probably be bingeable in one three hour sitting, each episode is quite short.

If you like the snark, you'll love the books.

RobYob wrote: Fri Jun 27, 2025 1:27 am

DeskJockey wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 5:56 pm Only seven episodes so far? I have to wait? Ermagerd!

Yep, if it runs to 10 episodes it'd probably be bingeable in one three hour sitting, each episode is quite short.

If you like the snark, you'll love the books.

Cheers, have added them to my list.

North Shore (ITV/Netflix)

A few years late, but it popped up on the recommended list. It is good, but my word it takes a turn for the darker side.

Well worth a watch.

Spoiler

They drop the ball right at the end, building in a cliffhanger in the hopes of a second series. It could have been very nicely wrapped, but instead they went silly. A pity, as it adds a soap element to an otherwise excellent series.

8/10 ancient slabs of marble.

I love the DK Engineering "user's guide" videos. There's an F40 one as well

RobYob wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:54 pm

dinny_g wrote: Thu May 29, 2025 10:03 am Mobland - on Paramount +

This should be standout TV given the pedigree

Binged this last week and not being connoisseurs of regional accents we really enjoyed it.

My nitpick was the episode where Harry goes full one man army and wastes dozens of gangsters without a scratch. That trope is extremely mouldy at this point.

The magical traffic free autobahn from London to the Cotswolds was amusing too.

I'm not up with the latest on English property but wouldn't Harry's London apartment be worth more than the Cotswolds pile?

That theme song was very earwormey

Binged the whole lot yesterday based on the comments here and my absolute slutishness for London gangster TV/film. Overall I did enjoy it for what it is, a good stab at a crime family/gangster series. I'd give it a solid 7/10.

Agree with there being lots of holes in the logic and realities of it, but I don't watch stuff like this for being realistic, it's the drama, violence and unexpected double crosses in the plot.

However I do agree that the London to Cotswold link was particularly ridiculous considering the rest of it is set in the depths of east and south east London, and to drive to the Cotswolds from those locations is incredibly miserable because you need to circumnaviate London for an hour or more to even get to the M40.

As for the property prices, I think a pile like that in the Cotswolds would also be incredibly expensive these days, so it's hard to call.