TV roundup

[Niloc]

Our Flag Means Death - comedy about Pirates. It's another Taika Waititi production, and it's pretty good. Rhys Darby is the lead.
It doesn't really reach the heights of "What We Do In The Shadows", but it's decent. Feels like a bit like a Terry Gilliam movie.
I've got 2 episodes left, not sure if it's meant to be a continuing series or what, doesn't feel like it should be though.

Benidorm - this is an older British show I just recently got around to. So Benidorm is a real city in Spain, which has apparently been over-run with British tourist since the 1990s.
Benidorm (the show) takes place there, in the hotel Solana, an "all inclusive" resort, which is basically a cruise ship that doesn't go anywhere. All you can eat (and drink), but as the guests mention "It isn't very nice, but you can have as much as you want!".

The first 3 seasons are pretty good. After that there is a drop in quality. It remains OK for a while but by season 7 it's pretty unwatchable. 10 total.

Witchfinder - this show should have been right up my alley, but my god it's dull. Another British show, it's a comedy set in the 1600s about a guy who finds witches to bring to trial and burn, or at least that's what he'd like to be. Unfortunately it's not funny. I made it 2 or 3 episodes in, then thought I'd just skip the final, but I couldn't get into it.

Ghosts - There's an American version of this show and a British one. One episode of the American version was enough for me (though apparently it's a big hit?) - but the British one is better.
A young woman unexpectedly inherits an English estate. It doesn't come with the money to maintain it and is already in pretty bad shape. After an accident, she's able to see and speak with ghosts, who are from all different time periods - from Neanderthal caveman to a yuppie who died in the 90s. It's another decent comedy.

Wellington Paranormal - season 4 came out recently. Still good. This is to X-Files what "What We Do In The Shadows" is to Dracula. Don't know if a season 5 is planned.

Taskmaster - new season just started. Cast seems a mixed bag this time around, and this show really lives or dies by how funny the contestants are.

[Niloc]

Forgot one:

Killing It - stars Craig Robinson, who apparently gained a lot of covid weight. Also Claudia O'Doherty - she's an Australian actress who also has a small part in "Our Flag Means Death".
I first saw her in a good but very short-lived Australian comedy called "Problems" - anyway she's usually funny, I've seem some of her comedy performances too (not exactly stand-up, kind of a hybrid act) and those have been good as well.

Looks like a standard sitcom, but watch the first episode for the gimmick and you'll know if you're interested or not - I was.

Also it's set in Florida and that is pivotal to the plot.

It's on "Peacock" (or you know, the internet) so it's basically R-rated.

[number six]

Our Flag Means death has been good, only seen the first few episodes but it's solid. American writer but has that same feel of a British/NZ show which is positive.

Ghosts - Really love the British version, watched some clips of the american version and it's typical dumbed down trash

Wellington Paranormal - Its OK not as good as What we do in the shadows, but honestly that show took a hit last season as well with the writing staff changes

Will have to check out Benidorm, sounds kinda like Brittas Empire which was OK and Killing it.

Been watching Moon Knight, like the cast.. probably the best show about multiple personalities i've seen in awhile but not a great superhero show.. needs some focus..

Not exactly sure why I'm still watching Halo but I'm still watching Halo. Still not sure how you make a show based on that game with almost no action sequences.

Better Call Saul is back and as expected it's brilliant.

[Niloc]

Our Flag Means death has been good, only seen the first few episodes but it's solid. American writer but has that same feel of a British/NZ show which is positive.

There's a part near the end where it goes a bit weird. You know how it has been sort of a "bromance"... well it develops.
They also leave it open for a 2nd season, which I can't really see happening. If it does, it's gonna get weird.
Also, you likely noticed already, but the ocean is surprisingly small.

Halo I gave up on. The game was like 5-10% exposition and the rest cool action, the show seems to want to reverse that ratio.

Moon Knight I just couldn't start on. Yet another origin. I haven't watched the new Batman movie for the same reason. At least the current Spider-Man movies were smart enough not to start it all over, again.

The new Star Trek series is supposed to be out soon too, I'll check out at least the first couple of them. Not sure about the news of a new Kirk being cast though, I'd really rather see a Pike series that was much less tied to the old stuff.

[number six]

There's a part near the end where it goes a bit weird. You know how it has been sort of a "bromance"... well it develops.
They also leave it open for a 2nd season, which I can't really see happening. If it does, it's gonna get weird.
Also, you likely noticed already, but the ocean is surprisingly small.

Yeah I heard mixed things about the later episodes but I'll give it a go.

Halo I gave up on. The game was like 5-10% exposition and the rest cool action, the show seems to want to reverse that ratio.

Yeah.. also the show seems heavily, heavily influenced by Robocop and Starship Troopers which is a seemingly odd choice. I'm also finding it hard to figure out who the good guys are.. the Human Fascists or the Alien Space Jihadis.

Moon Knight I just couldn't start on. Yet another origin. I haven't watched the new Batman movie for the same reason. At least the current Spider-Man movies were smart enough not to start it all over, again.

It would help if the origin was more straight forward but it's literally about a guy dealing with severe mental illness. Once again unexpected for this type of show, but also doesn't really lend itself to a good superhero story. I was shocked to find out it's only got 1 episode left as not a lot has really happened but apparently it's already almost over.

The new Star Trek series is supposed to be out soon too, I'll check out at least the first couple of them. Not sure about the news of a new Kirk being cast though, I'd really rather see a Pike series that was much less tied to the old stuff.

I threw in the towel on Star Trek awhile ago. I sat through Picard for the nostalgia rush but even that's unwatchable. I dont think anyone over at Bad Robot has any idea on how to make good Star Trek. There would need to be some spectacularly good reviews of this Pike show to give it a chance.. I mean miracles happen but I'd put a large amount down against it actually being good.

[Niloc]

I threw in the towel on Star Trek awhile ago. I sat through Picard for the nostalgia rush but even that's unwatchable. I dont think anyone over at Bad Robot has any idea on how to make good Star Trek. There would need to be some spectacularly good reviews of this Pike show to give it a chance.. I mean miracles happen but I'd put a large amount down against it actually being good.

Yeah, you were right about "Strange New Worlds" - it's just as crap as all the other new Star Trek.

I didn't realize that it was directly connected to Star Trek: Discovery. Unfortunately, it is.

It didn't seem great to begin with. Then there's a scene with a young Spock and his fiancee, both being very emotional and commenting on it. The writers don't understand anything about the show... the Vulcans are quite proud (smug, even) about being emotionless, and Spock being half human takes that even more seriously than most.

Then there was the introduction of Pike's spunky all-girl (plus Spock) bridge crew.

It's execrable.

[CUJO]

I watched the first episode of Strange New Worlds and it is so horribly inaccurate based on the original Star Trek formula.

I liked Picard Season 2 except for the "society warranted" Lesbian scenes and that horrible police car chase scene that Lea Thompson directed. I mean Jeri Ryan isn't LGBTQ+ or whatever it is? She has a husband after all. Not sure about Raffi.

I am looking forward to Picard: Season 3 that includes more of the original ST:TNG cast, not any of these newer spinoffs.

[Niloc]

There's a part near the end where it goes a bit weird. You know how it has been sort of a "bromance"... well it develops.
    They also leave it open for a 2nd season, which I can't really see happening. If it does, it's gonna get weird.
    Also, you likely noticed already, but the ocean is surprisingly small.


Yeah I heard mixed things about the later episodes but I'll give it a go.

So apparently it did get renewed for a 2nd season. No idea where the hell they're going to go with that.