I forget if I’ve mentioned this on the new boards, but we are binging The West Wing and it is OUTSTANDING. The writing, the acting, just superb
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It gets better. Saw it when it first aired on HBO. Was so sad there were only two seasons.
My husband is binging on West Wing, trying to watch (actually rewatch) as much as possible while still available on Netflix this month.
I’ve mentioned it before but if you are enjoying The West Wing I HIGHLY recommend the West Wing Weekly podcast. It goes through each WW episode in order. Now complete it is done by a super fan/podcaster ( who now has a Netflix show based on his Sound Exploder podcast) and Joshua Malina ( who is in later seasons of TWW). It is a fantastic accompaniment to the show. Because Malina is an insider they get most of the actors on the show as guests from time to time as well as directors, set designers ( how they created the Oval Office etc…) and they get Arron Sorkin on a few episodes. They also get newsmakers who have some relation to the show. On an episode where US Canada relation come up they got Justin Trudeau. They got the congressman who pushed for the end of don’t ask don’t tell etc… One of the best TV podcasts out there.
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The Flight Attendant (HBOMax) - watched all 8 episodes in 2-3 days. Wasn’t sure at first, but stuck with it and glad we did. Will be curious to see what happens in season 2.
Bridgerton (Netflix) - didn’t connect with episode 1, but then something clicked in episode 2 and now we’re hooked.
The Queen (Netflix) - watched the first two episodes and am still 50/50 on whether I want to invest the time for 4 seasons.
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I agree about TWWW podcast. It was one of my favorite podcast series ever and I also loved the variety of their guests. Richard Schiff was one a few times and he was my favorite regular cast member as their guest, but I also loved when Lin Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kail did a special episode. TWW is still my favorite television show ever.
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@eb23282 We finished The Flight Attendant last night, Kaley was really good and it was fun to see something different from the years of The Big Bang.
I watched Normal People on my own recently, I got really caught up in their story and the lead actors had great chemistry. Actor Paul Mescal only a few credits so far! I requested the book at the library.
I only saw one episode of Bridgerton today but look forward to watching the rest. A period piece, costumes, I’m in.
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I finished The West Wing about a month ago! Just outstanding. I had to watch it with CC because they just talk too fast for me.
I’m currently watching Last Tango in Halifax and it’s really good. Won BAFTA awards, good acting, good story.
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I’m watching Midnight Diner on Netflix and I love it. The episodes aren’t very long; each one is self-contained; there is a little cooking lesson at the end about some aspect of food in the episode that is important. Very atmospheric, charming, and poignant. Recommended for anyone who is interested in Japan and in food!
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Just finished Bridgerton on Netflix. It was season 1 (hopefully more!) Very satisfying with great characters and a good story. If you like period pieces you’ll like this!
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Sort of disappointed in you CCers. You forgot to tell me to watch the Christmas Call the Midwife. Good thing my TV is set to record all episodes so found it just waiting for me last night.
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I feel like we have lost some of our threads in the “upgrade” as some regulars have fallen away and I guess the Call the Midwife thread is one of them for now. I watched the Christmas Call the Midwife off the dvr last night. Every single minute was balm for the soul. Hopefully, we’ll do better for each other when it returns for the regular season @twoinanddone! I’m glad your dvr is doing the smart work of making sure you don’t miss it.
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I read an intw where they said they’d specifically shot this Christmas special thinking of people hurt by covid stuck in lockdown, etc.
They meant to be “balm for the soul” and would be glad they succceeded I think.
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The Christmas special was soooo good! I especially enjoyed how Nurse Crane and Ms. ? bonded and enjoyed their special little meal together. Funny yet heartwarming.
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Just finished Queen’s Gambit–it was excellent. I watched reluctantly because H really wanted to see it. I thought I’d hate it, but I was wrong. Has any read the novel on which it’s based?
Bridgerton is on my list to watch. I’ve read all the books and am looking forward to seeing the show.
Did finish the second season of Virgin River. A bit slow, but absolutely stunning scenery. H watched it with me for that reason alone!
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I read an article on “19 things about Queen’s Gambit”. Some were about chess, some about the film/costumes/music, some about the characters. It was really interesting (I especially liked the costumes info, about Beth wearing black and white and checks).
I watched the first episode of Queen’s Gambit on my D’s recommendation but I am not certain that I will continue with it. My middle son, who was a bit of a chess prodigy as a child but was pushed too hard and too fast by a coach, sat and watched a bit with me. He then stood up and before walking out of the room, said, “I’m pretty much done with chess for the rest of my life, and it’s too bad because I really used to like it.” I was never able to beat him after he graduated from K. Anyway, the only reason that I might go back for Episode 2 is Jolene. The protagonist doesn’t interest me at all nor do the chess matches, but I found myself hoping that Jolene would grow up to run the world.
OTOH, I binged The Last Czars and loved it. I used to tell other kids that my grandma was Anastasia and she would just smile and nod when they questioned her about it. Whatever I said was good enough for her!
H and I discovered a show from the late ‘90’s that we just love. It’s on regular cable so we can’t binge it, but we make a point to try to watch it every day. I should preface by saying that I spent the entire decade of the 90’s pregnant and raising small children, with my 1st born in 1990 and the 5th in 1999, so I missed a lot of shows. This one is called "Any Day Now.’ It stars Lorraine Touissant and Annie Potts (a long way from her murdered babysitter in the original Halloween). It’s about the relationship between 2 women, one white and one African-American, who first met as children in Birmingham in the early 1960’s. Every episode has a modern storyline and one that carries back to the '60’s. It is so good, the acting is top notch, the writing is first class and it’s still so relevant. One episode featured a cop kneeling on the neck of a black person, in the 60’s and then in the 90’s. H and I were heartbroken that this still happens. I’ve told my children to look for this series. Even though H and I lived through the 60’s, we grew up in NYC, which was apparently very different from the Deep South. We’ve both learned things from this show we never knew about. It’s the best “new” show I’ve seen in years.
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While it was well done, episode 1 of The Queen’s Gambit was the darkest episode/least appealing for me. Everyone is different in their tastes, but I thought the series became more appealing beginning with episode 2.
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Daughter and I watched episodes 1-4 of The Queen’s Gambit before we tore ourselves away and went to bed. We’ll finish tonight. We really enjoyed it and daughter, who played a little chess in middle school, wished she had played more. What was especially interesting to her was that I was about the same age in the same years as the main character.
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