OV9

Wild London

Attenborough's latest docco.

Enjoyed.

However, they must have found the most photogenic foxes and pigeons in London! They are certainly not that good looking round my way

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

GoT spin off based on the novellas about a "hedge knight" (basically a peasant knight with no land) and his squire, but based entirely around the premise of looking at the world from the bottom up, as opposed to GoT/HotDs 'top down' view from the royalty. Much less 'big scope, world ending threats' and a lot more playful than GoT, but still has the stop notch casting, costuming, direction etc you'd expect. Based on the 1st episode, writing is good too - captures the tone of the novella well, although HBO have to get their toilet humour level bits in there somewhere, in ways that stand out....like, really really badly.

A bit like when they just happen to have someone getting out of bed naked so they can hang dong on camera, where any normal person would throw a sheet over themselves - AKA an "HBO moment" - got to appease that subset of their audience who are just the mentally challenged with a credit card. HU HUR, COCK, etc.

Other than those moments, however, it's basically spot on, and took me right back to the feel I got from the novellas - it's spooky how well it matches what was in my head when I read it. The casting of the two main characters (Dunk and Egg) is uncannily good.

Shorter episodes (and only six of them - the novella is around 100 pages) and a much more tightly contained, localised story, all of it already written and just needing adapting mean it should be a breezy jaunt. Those who have had full season screeners have quietly said the whole series is basically as good as this first episode, so with any luck it won't do the usual HBO thing of shitting the bed at the end.

Trailer here if that sounds interesting.

Only watched ep 1 of KOTSK(?)and never read the Dunknegg books. It was slow but I'll persist based on the great reviews it's getting. Never bothered with House of the Dragon but I think the GoT finale trauma has faded enough now to enjoy some more GRRM.

The first episode is very much "setting the stage" baseline stuff - it's entirely from the view of Dunc and Egg so there's not going to any other explanatory POVs or zooming around a continent etc so I suspect they kinda had to do that and pace it the way they did.

Also, there's no 'internal monologue' unlike the novella which used it extensively to explain Duncs thinking - so the whole 'having supper with the Baratheons' scene was really to cover for quite a lot of that, externally, in terms of his confidence/where he feels he fits in the world etc. See also him chatting with the horses - that was previously entirely in his head. Got to accommodate for that in the screen writing.

I'd expect things to pick up a bit next week - the novella is only ~100 pages and moves along at a brisk enough pace so I'd expect the series to do much the same.

Beany wrote: Tue Jan 20, 2026 7:10 pm
A bit like when they just happen to have someone getting out of bed naked so they can hang dong on camera, where any normal person would throw a sheet over themselves

That's how I get out of bed No camera there though

Surely you just get out of bed as you get in

I don't think most people slide out of bed, get dressed mid commando roll and arrive at the bedroom door in a 3 piece suit and roll neck.

Dave!

Beany getting out of bed..

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AT7yKSguG/

When I get out of bed I have the good grace to wear a foot long censor bar as I walk around the house, even though I live alone - that's how well mannered I am.

Beany wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 5:50 pm When I get out of bed I have the good grace to wear a foot long censor bar as I walk around the house, even though I live alone - that's how well mannered I am.

I go full dong "HBO shot". There may be no cameras around but the wife might get a morning eyeful at least*.

*She never does because she's usually still asleep**

**Probably just keeping her eyes firmly shut.

I get up and throw on one of those oversized snoody things, no one wants a full frontal of an overweight hairy arsed plumber

The pr0n industry would beg to differ..

IanF wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 9:54 pm The pr0n industry would beg to differ..

I can do custom videos for a fee if that’s what you’re into, revells and mockdiamonds are not accepted

There's a niche for everything.

Beany wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 10:39 pm There's a niche for everything.

You mean a crack?

If you want a bit of enjoyable nonsense, there's a new 6 part thriller about a trading heist on Prime called The Steal. Very bingeable and pretty damn good, just need to suspend your sense of disbelief a bit.

Season 2 of The Pitt has started and is very good. Baffling that you still can't watch season 1 in the UK legally.

Beany wrote: Tue Jan 20, 2026 7:10 pm A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

A bit like when they just happen to have someone getting out of bed naked so they can hang dong on camera,

S01E02 goddamn, you have your wish

I watched Bowie: The Final Act last night, it was really good. It goes through Bowie’s career, focussing predominently on his wilderness period and then why the lead-up to Blackstar was so important. Also had a fairly big section on the epic failure that was Tin Machine, and how the Glasto 2000 performance was negotiated and then delivered, plus how that was a turning point in his career. Finishes with the whole idea of writing his on Requiem. Well worth a watch and decent amounts of his music played out for more than just a few seconds in there too.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/bowie-the-final-act

unzippy wrote: Mon Jan 26, 2026 3:54 pm

Beany wrote: Tue Jan 20, 2026 7:10 pm A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

A bit like when they just happen to have someone getting out of bed naked so they can hang dong on camera,

S01E02 goddamn, you have your wish

I fucking know, right? It's....kind of embarrassing.

The rest of the story is damned near PG, PG13 at worst. Why HBO have to insist on 'shock' shots I have no fucking idea, they could adapt Spot the Dog and Spot would spend 2 mins in each episode licking his own red rocket or trying to hump someone's leg, because HBO.

Ascender wrote: Mon Jan 26, 2026 1:27 pm If you want a bit of enjoyable nonsense, there's a new 6 part thriller about a trading heist on Prime called The Steal. Very bingeable and pretty damn good, just need to suspend your sense of disbelief a bit.

We’re watching the final episode tonight. It is very good, but yes, very daft at times.

Every time the main character looks at their crypto wallet the balance in GBP never changes. Who knew Bitcoin could be so stable.

Beany wrote: Tue Jan 20, 2026 11:29 pm The first episode is very much "setting the stage" baseline stuff - it's entirely from the view of Dunc and Egg so there's not going to any other explanatory POVs or zooming around a continent etc so I suspect they kinda had to do that and pace it the way they did.

Also, there's no 'internal monologue' unlike the novella which used it extensively to explain Duncs thinking - so the whole 'having supper with the Baratheons' scene was really to cover for quite a lot of that, externally, in terms of his confidence/where he feels he fits in the world etc. See also him chatting with the horses - that was previously entirely in his head. Got to accommodate for that in the screen writing.

I'd expect things to pick up a bit next week - the novella is only ~100 pages and moves along at a brisk enough pace so I'd expect the series to do much the same.

Also, only 30 mins an ep and 6 of them? A lot of effort for not a lot..